One date brings together three different musical worlds. On October 7, Thom Yorke, John Mellencamp and Toni Braxton were born - artists who move between alternative rock, American rock and rhythm and blues.
Thom Yorke and the Sound of Radiohead
Thom Yorke was born in 1968 in Wellingborough, UK. As the vocalist and main songwriter of Radiohead, he became one of the most recognizable figures in British alternative rock. The band began in 1985 in Oxfordshire under the name On a Friday, and later recorded albums that changed the perception of how far rock music could go.
The breakthrough came with 1997's “OK Computer“, followed by the experimental “Kid A“ and “In Rainbows“. The song “Creep“ remains Radiohead's most widely known early hit, while “Karma Police“, “Paranoid Android“ and “No Surprises“ showed the different faces of the band. In 2006, Yorke released his first solo album – “The Eraser“. He has also been associated with the project The Smile, but his name remains most closely intertwined with Radiohead.
John Mellencamp and American History in Song
John Mellencamp was born in 1951 in Seymour, Indiana. At the beginning of his career, he was introduced as Johnny Cougar - a name chosen by his manager, who did not believe that the public would buy records from an artist with the surname Mellencamp. Later, the musician restored his birth name.
His big breakthrough came with the album “American Fool“ from 1982. From it are the songs “Hurts So Good“ and “Jack & Diane“, which have become emblems of American rock. For “Hurts So Good“ Mellencamp has won a Grammy Award and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. His songs often feature small towns, labor, and the everyday lives of people outside of major American centers.
Toni Braxton - the voice behind “Un-Break My Heart“
Toni Braxton was born in 1967 in Severn, Maryland. Her debut album “Toni Braxton“ was released in 1993, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart and launching a career marked by seven “Grammy“ awards.
The songs “Breathe Again“, “You're Makin' Me High“ and "Un-Break My Heart" shaped her signature style - dramatic, melodic and recognizable from the first notes. "Un-Break My Heart" became her biggest international hit. Braxton also has a stage career: she played Belle in the Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast."
"I'm not a diva. I'm a tadpole trying to be a frog," says Toni Braxton.Thom Yorke, John Mellencamp and Toni Braxton were born on the same day, but their musical legacies resonate in three different directions. Radiohead seeks new forms, Mellencamp tells American stories with rock guitar, and Braxton turns the ballad into a big stage.
Sources: allmusic.com, apnews.com, biography.com