2011 Event Aretha Franklin, singer and the 'Queen of Soul', announces she has overcome medical ailments and plans to return to the stage 1997 Death Jermaine Stewart, singer, soul, pop, funk-rock genres, known for Billboard hit 'The Word is Out', dies liver cancer in Homewood, Illinois, at age 39 1997 Event 11th Soul Train Music Awards 1996 Event 10th Soul Train Music Awards: Patti Labelle, Boyz II Men 1995 Death R B Hudmon, R&B/Soul Singer, dies at 41 1995 Death Paul Foster, singer, Soul Stirrers gospel group member, dies at 75 1995 Death Phyllis Hyman, Phyllis Linda Hyman, soul singer, songwriter, actress, jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, disco genres, first solo Top Ten Hit, 'Can't We Fall In Love Again', received Tony-nomination for Broadway musical, Sophisticated Ladies, dies from suicide at 45 1995 Death Lovelace Watkins, born in New Jersey, nicknamed, 'The Black Sinatra', singer, considered the greatest male soul singer of his time, dies of leukemia at 57 1995 Event 9th Soul Train Music Awards: Boyz II Men, Anita Baker win 1994 Death Gerald Bledsoe, DJ (Soul Alive, WWRL), dies of heart attack at 51 1994 Death Major Lance, soul singer, dies at 55 1994 Event 8th Soul Train Music Awards: Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston win 1993 Death Marv Johnson, U.S. soul singer (You Got What it Takes), dies at 54 1993 Event 7th Soul Train Music Awards 1992 Death Mary Wells, U.S. soul singer (My Guy), dies at 49 1992 Event 6th Soul Train Music Awards: Natalie Cole and 'Color Me Badd' win 1992 Death Johnny [Jan] Meijer, Dutch king of accordians (Body and Soul), dies 1991 Event 5th Soul Train Music Awards 1990 Event 4th Soul Train Music Awards: Soul II Soul, Janet Jackson 1989 Event 3rd Soul Train Music Awards: Anita Baker 1988 Death Adela Rogers St. John, journalist (Free Soul, Honeycomb), dies at 94 1988 Event 2nd Soul Train Music Awards 1987 Birthday Joss Stone, born in Dover, England, singer, actress, multi-platinum album, 'The Soul Sessions', top ten hit song, 'You Had Me', sold over 10 million albums worldwide 1987 Event 1st Soul Train Music Awards: Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross 1984 Death Philippe Wynne, U.S. soul singer (I'll Be Around), dies at 43 1979 Death Julia A Perry, U.S. composer and conductor (Soul Symphony), dies at 55 1975 Birthday Shannon Kavanaugh, born in Boston, Massachusetts, rocker, Ivory Soul 1971 Birthday Mary J. Blige, born in The Bronx, New York City, New York, also known as Brook-Lynn, singer, songwriter, record producer, rhythm and blues, soul, hip hop genres, 26-time Grammy Award nominee, has sold over 48 million albums worldwide 1970 Birthday Nia Long, born in Brooklyn, New York, actress, Guiding Light, Made in America, Soul Food 1969 Death Shorty Long, soul singer/pianist (Here Comes the Judge), dies at 29 1968 Birthday David Jude Jolicoeur, born in Brooklyn, New York, rapper, producer, member of De La Soul hip hop trio, known by stage name Trugoy the Dove 1967 Birthday Michael Easton, born in Long Beach, California, actor, appeared on television shows, Ally McBeal and The Practice, poet, author, wrote Soul Stealer 1966 Birthday C Thomas Howell, born in Los Angeles, California, actor, Red Dawn, Tank, Soul Man 1966 Event Beatles' "Rubber Soul," album goes #1 and stays #1 for 6 weeks 1964 Birthday Dave Pirner, born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, singer, member and lead vocalist for the band Soul Asylum 1963 Birthday Carol Decker, rocker, T'Pau-Heart and Soul 1963 Event "If You Wanna Be Happy" by Jimmy Soul hits #1 1963 Birthday Jazzie B, Beresford Romeo, English rapper, Soul II Soul-Feel Free 1963 Birthday Caron Wheeler, English singer, Soul II Soul-Keep on Movin' 1961 Birthday Matt Johnson, rocker, The The-Infected Soul Mining 1961 Birthday Julia Louis-Dreyfus, born in New York City, comedienne, SNL, Seinfeld, Soul Man, Troll 1959 Birthday Jermaine Stewart, born in Columbus, Ohio, singer, soul, pop, funk-rock genres, known for Billboard hit 'The Word is Out' 1959 Birthday Ronnie Rogers, guitarist, T'Pau-Heart and Soul 1953 Birthday Betty Wright, born in Miami, Florida, singer, rhythm and blues, soul music, influenced the world of hip hop, sang with Alice Cooper, Gloria Estefan, song Shoorah! Shoorah!, used in movie Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1952 Birthday Maxine Nightingale, English soul singer 1951 Birthday Jayne Kennedy, Washington D.C., sportscaster, CBS, actress, Body and Soul 1951 Birthday Carmen R "Tata" Vega, U.S. soul singer, Color Purple soundtrack 1951 Birthday Jeff Altman, comedian/actor, Nurses, Pink Lady, Soul Man 1951 Birthday Russell Thompkins, Jr., U.S. soul singer, Stylistics-Sing Baby Sing 1950 Birthday Thomas McClary, U.S. soul guitarist, Commodores-Still 1950 Birthday Phyllis Hyman, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Phyllis Linda Hyman, soul singer, songwriter, actress, jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, disco genres, first solo Top Ten Hit, 'Can't We Fall In Love Again', received Tony-nomination for Broadway musical, Sophisticated Ladies 1950 Birthday Rochelle Fleming, U.S. soul vocalist, First Choice, Smarty Pants 1949 Birthday Anita Louis, U.S. singer, Soul Children, I'll Be the Other Woman 1949 Birthday William King, Alabama, soul trumpeteer, Commodores-Easy 1948 Birthday Merry Clayton, born in Gert Town, New Orleans, singer, actress, sang gospel and soul music, famous for singing with The Rolling Stones' song 'Gimme Shelter' with Mick Jagger 1948 Birthday Patti Austin, soul singer and actress, Real Me 1948 Birthday James Wise, U.S. soul singer, Archie Bell and the Drells 1946 Birthday John "Blackfoot" Colbert, U.S. singer, Soul Children, Taxi 1946 Birthday Eddie Holman, born in Norfolk, Virginia, recording artist, rhythm and blues, gospel, pop, soul genres, known for hit 'Hey There Lonely Girl' 1946 Birthday Arthur Conley, U.S. soul singer, Sweet Soul Music 1945 Birthday Randy Cain, U.S. soul singer, 4 Gents/Delfonics 1944 Birthday Barbara Parritt, U.S. soul singer, Toys-Lover's Concerto 1944 Birthday Van McCoy, U.S. soul singer and songwriter, Hey Mr. DJ, Hustle 1943 Birthday David Soul, Solberg, Chicago, actor, Starsky and Hutch 1942 Birthday Barbara Lynn, born in Beaumont, Texas, American guitarist, singer, rhythm and blues, toured with soul music greats like Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, recorded the song Oh Baby (We've Got A Good Thing Goin') with The Rolling Stones 1941 Birthday David Porter, U.S. songwriter, Soul Man 1941 Birthday Don Cornelius, TV show host, Soul Train 1940 Birthday Clem Curtis, born in Trinidad, singer, lead vocalist for The Foundations, a British soul group, including hits, 'Baby Now That I've Found You', 'Back On My Feet Again', 'Any Old Time' 1940 Birthday Percy Sledge, soul singer, When A Man Loves A Woman 1940 Birthday Chris Farlowe, born in North London, England, John Henry Deighton, rocker, singer, soul, rhythm and blues, jazz rock, signed with Columbia and Immediate, once used pseudonym 'Little Joe Cook' 1940 Birthday Shorty Long, soul singer/pianist, Here Comes the Judge 1939 Birthday Norman West, U.S. singer, Soul Children, Hearsay, Give 'em Love 1939 Birthday Charlie Foxx, U.S. songwriter/soul singer, Mockingbird 1939 Birthday O. V. Wright, born in Leno, Tennessee, singer, sang gospel, considered southern soul artist, first pop recording, 'That's How Strong My Love Is' 1939 Birthday Edward Patten, U.S. soul singer, Gladys Knight and the Pips 1938 Birthday Philippe Wynne, U.S. soul singer, Detroit Spinners, Ghetto Child 1938 Birthday Lovelace Watkins, born in New Jersey, nicknamed, 'The Black Sinatra', singer, considered the greatest male soul singer of his time 1938 Birthday Bobby Hendricks, U.S. soul vocalist, Itchy Twitchy Feeling 1937 Birthday Doris Troy, Payne, U.S. soul singer and songwriter, Just One Kiss 1936 Birthday Charles Pope, U.S. soul singer, Tams-Hey Girl Don't Bother Me 1935 Birthday J. J. Malone, U.S. soul singer, It's a shame 1935 Birthday David John Lodge, English writer, Soul and Bodies 1935 Birthday Sam Cooke, born in Chicago, Illinois, soul singer, Sam and Dave-You Send Me 1934 Birthday King Curtis, Curtis Ousley, U.S. vocalist, Memphis Soul Stew 1931 Birthday Brook Benton, soul vocalist, Rainy Night in Georgia 1931 Event Arkansas legislature passes motion to pray for soul of H L Mencken after he calls state "apex of moronia" 1931 Birthday James Earl Jones, Mississippi, actor, Darth Vader, Exorcist II, Soul Man 1930 Birthday Robert Parker, U.S. saxophonist/soul singer, Barefootin' 1928 Birthday James Brown, born in Barnwell, South Carolina, soul singer, 'Hot Pants', 'Living in America' 1925 Birthday Roy James Brown, New Orleans, boxer/soul singer, Good Rockin' Tonight 1920 Birthday Paul Foster, born in Shreveport, Louisiana, singer, Soul Stirrers gospel group member, sang with Robert Harris, Sam Cooke, Rising Stars, Golden Echoes, memorable recording 'Be With Me Jesus' 1919 Birthday Merce Cunningham, choreographer, Acrobat in Every Soul is a Circus 1908 Birthday John Waldo Green, New York City, composer, Body and Soul, Guy Lombardo's arranger 1904 Death Lafcadio Hearn, author (Soul of the Great Ball), dies at 54 1895 Birthday Cullen Landis, born in Nashville, Tennessee, actor, Soul of the Beast 1892 Birthday Cyril Ring, Massachusetts, actor, Body and Soul 1880 Death John Goss, composer, organist, wrote hymn 'Praise my Soul, the King of Heaven', dies at 79 1878 Birthday Lionel Barrymore, Blythe, Philadelphia, actor, Free Soul, Dr. Kildare 1800 Birthday John Goss, born in Fareham, England, composer, organist, wrote hymn 'Praise my Soul, the King of Heaven'