If he were alive, today would have been Stevie Ray Vaughan's 62nd birthday.  Instead, he tragically passed away 27 years ago in a helicopter crash at the age of 35, after a show at Alpine Valley with Eric Clapton.

Stevie had a short but great career and was an amazing, influential guitarist. His debut album was released in 1983 and he was dead 7 years later.  He released four studio albums, as well as an album with his brother Jimmie that was recorded just prior to his death and released one month after. Also, an album of unreleased songs was released a year after his death.

Today is also the 54th birthday of Tommy Lee, drummer for the now defunct Motley Crue.  A wild character who now dabbles in EDM music, and recently did some drumming for Christina Aguilera.

Lastly, Woodie Guthrie passed away 49 years ago today at the age of 55.  Highly influential singer-songwriter who left behind a bunch of unused lyrics.  The two albums by Billy Bragg & Wilco (Mermaid Avenue, Vols 1 & 2) consist of Guthrie lyrics put to song.  The 1976 movie "Bound for Glory" is based on Woodie Guthrie's biography.  He was an odd duck, but it is a good movie. He left the midwest during the Dustbowl Era and moved to California and became a musician.