… of two fat loudmouths. Kirstie Alley and Rush Limbaugh both turn 55 today.
… of a skinny loudmouth. Howard Stern is 52 today.
… of a billionaire. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, is 42.
… of three classic singers of their genre: Ray Price is 80, Ruth Brown is 78 and Glenn Yarborough is 76.
When Ray Noble Price was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996, many noted that the honor was long overdue. Such feelings weren’t based so much on the longevity of his career or on the number of major hits he has recorded, for in those regards Price was no different from many other deserving artists awaiting induction. More importantly, Price has been one of country’s great innovators. He changed the sound of country music from the late 1950s forward by developing a rhythmic brand of honky-tonk that has been hugely influential ever since. As steel guitarist Don Helms, a veteran of Hank Williams’s Drifting Cowboys once put it, “Ray Price created an era.” (Country Music Hall of Fame)
In the Fifties, Ruth Brown was known as “Miss Rhythm,” a testament to her stature as a female rhythm & blues singer whose only serious competition was Dinah Washington. Signed to Atlantic Records in 1948 by label founders Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson, Brown gave the fledgling company its second-ever hit with “So Long,” a simple, bluesy showcase for her torchy, church- and jazz-schooled voice. Her second single, “Teardrops in My Eyes,” brought out her more swaggering, aggressive side, and she was rewarded with her first Number One R&B hit. For the duration of the Fifties, Brown dominated the R&B charts and even crossed over into rock and roll with some success with “Lucky Lips” (written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) and “This Little Girl’s Gone Rockin'” (written for Brown by Bobby Darin). But her best work was to be found on such red-hot mid-Fifties R&B sides as “5-10-15 Hours” and “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean.” No less a rock and roll pioneer than Little Richard has credited Brown with influencing his vocal style. Brown’s two dozen hit records helped Atlantic secure its footing in the record industry, a track record for which the young label was referred to as “the House That Ruth Built.” (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
From his days as the singing mainstay of “The Limeliters” through a long solo career that’s seen its share of hits, Glenn Yarbrough has been a respected interpreter of folk and popular music. He’s had a top hit in “Baby, The Rain Must Fall” and his interpretation of “Seven Daffodils” is the benchmark against which love songs are measured. From his days in a boys choir through today, Glenn’s powerful voice has rung with lusty conviction about all that he cares about. Listen to Glenn Yarbrough. He’s what singing should be. (All Music Guide)