W

Waaktaar, Pal

Best known at:  a-ha, guitar, vocals.
Birthday:  Sep. 6, 1961
Place of birth:  Oslo, Norway

Wadenius, Georg

Best known at:  Blood, Sweat & Tears, guitar, vocals.
Birthday:  May 4, 1945
Place of birth:  Stockholm, Sweden

Wainwright III, Loudon

Birthday:  Sep. 5, 1946
Place of birth:  Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

Waite, John

Best known at:  The Babys, bass, vocal.
Birthday:  July 4, 1954
Place of birth:  Lancaster, Lancashire, England

Waits, Tom

Birthday:  Dec. 7, 1949
Place of birth:  Pamona, California, USA

Wakeling, Dave

Best known at:  The Beat, vocal.
Birthday:  Feb. 19, 1956
Place of birth:  England

Wakeman, Rick

Best known at:  The Strawbs, Yes, keyboards.
Birthday:  May 18, 1949
Place of birth:  London, England

Walker, Billy     New!  

Best known at:  »Charlie's Shoes», US C&W #1 (1962).
Birthday:  Jan. 14, 1929
Place of birth:  Ralls, Texas, USA
Death:  May 21, 2006
Cause of death:  Car crash.
Trivia:  Walker was inducted in 1960 as a member of The Grand Ole Opry.
More:  Country legend Billy Walker dies in car crash and Billy Walker Home Page

Walker, Jerry Jeff

Real name:  Paul Crosby
Best known at:  composed »Mr. Bojangles» (1968).
Birthday:  Mar. 16, 1942
Place of birth:  Oneonta, New York, USA

Walker, Junior

Real name:  Autry DeWalt Jr.
Best known at:  Jr. Walker and the All Stars
Birthday:  1931
Place of birth:  Blythesville, Arkansas, USA
Death:  Nov. 23, 1995?
Cause of death:  Cancer.

Walker, Scott

Real name:  Noel Scott Engel
Best known at:  The Walker Brothers, vocals.
Birthday:  Jan. 9, 1943   [some sources: 1944]
Place of birth:  Hamilton, Ohio, USA
Trivia:  Scott Walker admired the famous French songwriter and musician Jacques Brel. No wonder his solo career began with two albums which mainly were tributes to Brel. Great records, still.

Waller, Gordon

Best known at:  Peter & Gordon, vocals, guitar. »A World Without Love», UK & US #1 (1964).
Birthday:  June 4, 1945
Place of birth:  Braemar, Grampian, Scotland

Walsh, Joe

Real name:  Joseph Fidler Walsh
Best known at:  The Eagles, guitar.
Birthday:  Nov. 20, 1947
Place of birth:  Wichita, Kansas, USA

Ward, Anita

Best known at:  »Ring My Bell», UK #1 (1979).
Birthday:  Dec. 20, 1957
Place of birth:  Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Ward, Bill

Real name:  William Ward
Best known at:  Black Sabbath, drums.
Birthday:  May 5, 1948
Place of birth:  Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

Warnes, Jennifer

Real name:  Jennifer Jeane Warnes
Best known at:  »Up Where We Belong», [duet with Joe Cocker], US #1 (1982).
Birthday:  Mar. 3, 1947
Place of birth:  Seattle, WA, USA

Warwick, Dionne

Real name:  Marie Dionne Warrick
Best known at:  »Heartbreaker», UK #2 (1982).
Birthday:  Dec. 12, 1940
Place of birth:  East Orange, New Jersey, USA

Washington, Dinah

Real name:  Ruth Lee Jones
Best known at:  US blues, jazz and pop singer.
Birthday:  Aug. 29, 1924
Place of birth:  Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
Death:  Dec. 14, 1963
Cause of death:  Overdose of pills and alcohol.

Waters, Muddy

Real name:  McKinley Morganfield
Best known at:  US Blues Giant.
Birthday:  Apr. 4, 1915
Place of birth:  Rolling Fork, Mississippi, USA
Death:  Apr. 30, 1983
Cause of death:  Heart attack.

Waters, Roger

Best known at:  Pink Floyd, vocal, bass.
Birthday:  Sep. 6, 1944
Place of birth:  Great Bookham, Surrey, England

Watson, Bruce

Best known at:  Big Country, guitar.
Birthday:  Mar. 11, 1961
Place of birth:  Timmins, Ontario, Canada

Watson, Johnny Guitar

Best known at:  »A Real Mother for Ya», US #41 (1977).
Birthday:  Feb. 3?, 1935
Place of birth:  Houston, Texas, USA
Death:  May. 17, 1995
Cause of death:  Heart attack.

Watts, Charlie

Real name:  Charles Watts
Birthday:  June 2, 1941
Place of birth:  Islington, London, England

Waybill, 'Fee'

Real name:  John Waldo
Best known at:  The Tubes, vocal.
Birthday:  Sep. 17, 1950
Place of birth:  Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Wayne, Carl

Best known at:  Carl Wayne and the Vikings, The Move, vocal.
Birthday:  Aug. 18, 1943
Place of birth:  Birmingham, England
Trivia:  Carl Wayne also performed with The Hollies and The Electric Light Orchestra. And after leaving The Move in 1970, he worked extensively in theatre, television, film and cabaret.
Death:  Aug. 31, 2004
Cause of death:  Cancer of the esophagus.
More:  In Memory of Carl Wayne: 1943 - 2004 and The Official Carl Wayne Website

Wayne, Dig

Best known at:  Jo Boxers, vocal.
Birthday:  July 20, 1962
Place of birth:  USA

Wayne, Thomas

Real name:  Wayne Perkins
Best known at:  »Tragedy» (1959).
Birthday:  July 22, 1940
Place of birth:  USA
Death:  Aug. 15, 1971
Cause of death:  Car crash.

Weaver, Blue

Real name:  Derek Weaver
Best known at:  Amen Corner, organ.
Birthday:  Mar. 3, 1949
Place of birth:  Cardiff, England

Webb, Jimmy

Best known at:  wrote hits like »MacArthur Park», »Up, Up and Away» and »Wichita Lineman».
Birthday:  Aug. 15, 1946
Place of birth:  Elk City, Oklahoma,USA

Weedon, Bert

Best known at:  UK session musician.
Birthday:  May 10, 1921
Place of birth:  East Ham, London, England

Weider, John

Best known at:  Family, Eric Burdon & the Animals, guitar, violin.
Birthday:  Apr. 21, 1947
Place of birth:  London, England
More:  Pirates members: John Weider

Weiss, Jerry

Best known at:  Blood, Sweat & Tears, trumpet, flugelhorn.
Birthday:  May 1, 1946
Place of birth:  New York, USA

Welch, Bruce

Real name:  Bruce Cripps
Best known at:  The Shadows, rhythm guitar.
Birthday:  Nov. 2, 1941
Place of birth:  Bognor Regis, Sussex, England

Welch, Sean

Best known at:  Beautiful South, bass.
Birthday:  Apr. 12, 1960
Place of birth:  Enfield, Middlesex, England

Weller, Paul

Real name:  John Weller
Best known at:  The Jam and The Style Council, vocal, guitar.
Birthday:  May 25, 1958
Place of birth:  Woking, Surrey, England

Welnick, Vince

Best known at:  The Tubes, The Grateful Dead, keyboards.
Birthday:  Feb. 21, 1951   [some sources: Feb. 22, 1952]
Place of birth:  Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Death:  June 2, 2006
Cause of death:  Apparent suicide. Not officially confirmed.
More:  MercuryNews.com and SFGate.com

Wells, Kitty

Real name:  Muriel Ellen Deason
Best known at:  US country singer.
Birthday:  Aug. 30, 1919
Place of birth:  Nashville, USA

Wells, Mary

Best known at:  Motown singer. »My Guy», (1964).
Birthday:  May 13, 1943
Place of birth:  Detroit, Michigan, USA
Death:  July 26, 1992
Cause of death:  Throat cancer.

West, Dottie

Real name:  Dorothy Marie Marsh
Best known at:  »What Are We Doin' in Love», US #14 (1981).
Birthday:  Oct. 11, 1932
Place of birth:  McMinnville, Tennessee, USA
Death:  Sep. 4, 1991
Cause of death:  Car crash.

West, Keith

Real name:  Keith Hopkins
Best known at:  »Excerpt From a Teenage Opera (Grocer Jack)», UK #2 (1967).
Birthday:  Dec. 6, 1943
Place of birth:  Dagenham, Essex, England

West, Leslie

Real name:  Leslie Weinstein
Best known at:  Mountain, guitar, vocal.
Birthday:  Oct. 22, 1945
Place of birth:  Queens, USA

Westerberg, Paul

Best known at:  The Replacements, vocals, rhythm guitar.
Birthday:  Dec. 31, 1960
Place of birth:  Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
More:  Paul Westerberg – Man Without Ties and Wikipedia: The Replacements

Wetton, John

Best known at:  UK bass genius: Family, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Roxy Music, Asia.
Birthday:  July 12, 1949
Place of birth:  Derby, Derbyshire, England

Weymouth, Tina

Real name:  Martina Weymouth
Best known at:  Talking Heads, bass.
Birthday:  Nov. 22, 1950
Place of birth:  Coronado, California, USA

White, Alan

Best known at:  Plastic Ono Band, Yes, drums.
Birthday:  June 14, 1949
Place of birth:  Pelton, Durham, England
More:  Alan White

White, Alan

Best known at:  Oasis, drums.
Birthday:  May 26, 1972
Place of birth:  London, England

White, Barry

Best known at:  »You're the First, the Last, My Everything», UK #1 (1974).
Birthday:  Sep. 12, 1944
Place of birth:  Galveston, Texas, USA
Death:  July 4, 2003
Cause of death:  Kidney failure, suffered years of high blood pressure.
More:  Barry White Site

White, Clarence

Best known at:  The Byrds, guitar.
Birthday:  June 6, 1944
Place of birth:  Lewiston, Maine, USA
Death:  June 14, 1973
Cause of death:  Killed by a drunken driver.

White, Mark

Best known at:  ABC, guitar.
Birthday:  Apr. 1, 1961
Place of birth:  Sheffield, England

White, Tony Joe

Best known at:  »Polk Salad Annie» (1969).
Birthday:  July 23, 1943
Place of birth:  Oak Grove, LousiaLouisiana

Whitford, Brad

Best known at:  Aerosmith , rhythm guitar.
Birthday:  Feb. 23, 1952
Place of birth:  Winchester, Massachusetts, USA

Whitten, Danny

Best known at:  Crazy Horse, guitar. Wrote »I Don't Wanna Talk About It» for Rod Stewart.
Birthday:  1943
Place of birth:  USA?
Death:  Nov. 18, 1972
Cause of death:  Heroin overdose.

Wilde, Kim

Real name:  Kim Smith
Best known at:  »Kids in America», UK #2 (1981).
Birthday:  Nov. 18, 1960
Place of birth:  Chiswick, London, England
Trivia:  daughter of Marty Wilde (see below).

Wilde, Marty

Real name:  Reginald Smith
Best known at:  UK rocker of fifties.
Birthday:  Apr. 15, 1939
Place of birth:  Greenwich, London, England
Trivia:  father of eighties pop star Kim Wilde.

Williams, Cliff

Best known at:  AC/DC, bass.
Birthday:  Dec. 14, 1949
Place of birth:  Romford, Essex, England

Williams, Deniece

Real name:  Deniece Chandler
Best known at:  »Free», UK #1 (1977).
Birthday:  June 3, 1951
Place of birth:  Gary, Indiana, USA

Williams, Hank

Real name:  Hiram Williams
Best known at:  »Jambalaya (On the Bayou)», US C & W #1 (1952).
Birthday:  Sep. 17, 1923
Place of birth:  Mount Olive West, Butler County, Alabama, USA
Death:  Jan. 1, 1953
Cause of death:  Heart failure, an overdose of tablets or simply alcoholism.

Williams, Larry

Best known at:  »Short Fat Annie», US #5 (1957), »Bony Moronie», UK #11 (1958).
Birthday:  May 10, 1935
Place of birth:  New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Death:  Jan. 7, 1980
Cause of death:  Found dead in his home, a gunshot wound in his head. the verdict was suicide.

Williams, Maizie

Best known at:  Boney M., vocal.
Birthday:  Mar. 25, 1951
Place of birth:  Monserrat, West Indies

Williams, Milan     New!  

Best known at:  The Jays, The Commodores, keyboards, trombone, guitar, drums.
Birthday:  Mar. 28, 1948
Place of birth:  Okolona, Missisippi, USA
Death:  July 9, 2006
Cause of death:  Died after a long battle with cancer.

Williams, Paul

Best known at:  The Temptations, vocal.
Birthday:  July 2?, 1939
Place of birth:  Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Death:  Aug. 17, 1973
Cause of death:  Shot himself in the head in his car.

Williams, Ricky

Real name:  Richard Williams
Best known at:  Sleepers, Toiling Midgets, vocal, drums.
Birthday:  1955
Place of birth:  ?
Death:  Nov. 21, 1992
Cause of death:  Respiratory problems.
More:  Ricky Williams and Sleepers or Toiling Midgets

Williams, Tex

Real name:  Sol? Paul Williams aka Jack Williams
Best known at:  US country singer.
Birthday:  Aug. 23, 1917
Place of birth:  Ramsey, Illinois, USA
Death:  Oct. 11, 1985
Cause of death:  Lung cancer.

Williams, Tony

Best known at:  The Platters, original lead vocal.
Birthday:  Apr. 5, 1928
Place of birth:  Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Death:  Sep. 14, 1992
Cause of death:  After suffering from diabetes and emphysema died in his sleep at home.

Williams, Wendy O.

Real name:  Wendy Orleans Williams
Best known at:  The Plasmatics, vocal, chainschain sawine gun, clothespins.
Birthday:  May 28, 1949
Place of birth:  New York, USA
Death:  Apr. 6, 1998
Cause of death:  Shot her brains off.

Williamson, Sonny Boy

Real name:  John Lee Williamson
Best known at:  US blues man.
Birthday:  Mar. 30, 1914
Place of birth:  Jackson, Tennessee, USA
Death:  June 1, 1948
Cause of death:  Killed in a attack and robbery.

Williamson II, Sonny Boy

Real name:  Aleck 'Rice' Miller aka Alec Ford aka Willie Williamson
Best known at:  »Don't Start Me Talking», US R&B #3 (1955).
Birthday:  Dec. 5, 1899
Place of birth:  Glendora, MissisMississippibr> Death:  May 25, 1965
Cause of death:  Tuberculosis.

Willis, Chuck

Best known at:  original »C.C. Rider», US #12 (1957).
Birthday:  Jan. 1?, 1928
Place of birth:  Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Death:  Apr. 10, 1958
Cause of death:  During surgery for stomach disease.

Wilson, Al 'Blind Owl'

Real name:  Alan Wilson
Best known at:  Canned Heat, guitar, harmonica.
Birthday:  July? 4, 1943
Place of birth:  Boston, MassacMassachusettsbr> Death:  Sep. 3, 1970
Cause of death:  Suicide in Bob Hite's garden; an overdose of tranquillizers, having suffered from deep depression.

Wilson, B J [also BJ., BJ, B. J., Barry J.]

Real name:  Barrie James Wilson
Best known at:  Procol Harum, drums.
Birthday:  Mar. 18, 1947
Place of birth:  Edmonton, London, England
Death:  Oct. 8, 1990
Cause of death:  Extended illness.
More:  Barrie James Wilson

Wilson, Brian

Best known at:  The Beach Boys, songwriting, vocal, bass, keyboards.
Birthday:  June 20, 1942
Place of birth:  Hawthorne, Los Angeles, USA

Wilson, Carl

Best known at:  The Beach Boys, guitar, vocal.
Birthday:  Dec. 21, 1946
Place of birth:  Hawthorne, Los Angeles, USA
Death:  Feb. 6, 1998
Cause of death:  Lung cancer.

Wilson, Cindy

Best known at:  The B-52's, guitar, vocal.
Birthday:  Feb. 28, 1957
Place of birth:  Athens, Georgia, USA

Wilson, Dennis

Best known at:  The Beach Boys, drums.
Birthday:  Dec. 4, 1944
Place of birth:  Inglewood, California, USA
Death:  Dec. 28, 1983
Cause of death:  Drowned in a lake.

Wilson, J. Frank

Real name:  John Frank Wilson
Best known at:  J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, vocal. They covered »Last Kiss», US #2 (1964).
Birthday:  Dec. 11, 1941
Place of birth:  Lufkin, Texas, USA
Death:  Oct. 4, 1991
Cause of death:  Complications of diabetes.
More:  VH1.com : J. Frank Wilson/The Cavaliers : Biography and J. Frank Wilson: Discography

Wilson, Jackie

Real name:  Jack Wilson
Best known at:  »(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher», US #6 (1967).
Birthday:  June 9, 1934
Place of birth:  Detroit, Michigan, USA
Death:  Jan. 21, 1984
Cause of death:  Suffered a heart attack on stage 1975, went into a coma and never awoke.

Wilson, Kim

Best known at:  The Fabulous Thunderbirds, vocal.
Birthday:  Jan. 6, 1951
Place of birth:  USA

Wilson, Ricky

Best known at:  The B-52's, guitar.
Birthday:  Mar. 19, 1953
Place of birth:  Athens, Georgia, USA
Death:  Oct. 12, 1985
Cause of death:  Complications of AIDS.

Wilson, Ron

Best known at:  Joy of Cooking, percussion, harmonica.
Birthday:  Feb. 5, 1933
Place of birth:  San Diego, California, USA
More:  Joy of Cooking - '70s Female-Powered Band

Wilson, Tony

Best known at:  Hot Chocolate, bass, vocal.
Birthday:  Oct. 8, 1947
Place of birth:  Trinidad

Winchester, Jesse

Best known at:  US singer-songwriter.
Birthday:  May 17, 1944
Place of birth:  Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Winfield, Chuck

Best known at:  Blood, Sweat & Tears, trumpet, flugelhorn.
Birthday:  Feb. 5, 1943
Place of birth:  Monessen, Pennsylvania, USA

Winter, Edgar

Best known at:  Edgar Winter Group
Birthday:  Dec. 28, 1946
Place of birth:  Beaumont, Texas, USA
Trivia:  Edgar is younger brother of Johnny Winter (see below).
More:  Official Edgar Winter Website

Winter, Johnny

Real name:  John Dawson Winter III
Birthday:  Feb. 23, 1944
Place of birth:  Beaumont, Texas, USA
Trivia:  Johnny is older brother of Edgar Winter. Also, there are plenty of mixed-up info available in different sources about Johnny's actual birthplace. According to our source: »Johnny's mother lived in Beaumont with her parents because his Dad was overseas in the service when he was born.» So Johnny was not born in Leland.
More:  Great Johnny Winter Story and of course The Official Johnny Winter Web Site

Winwood, Stevie

Best known at:  The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith.
Birthday:  May 12, 1948
Place of birth:  Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

Wisefield, Laurie

Best known at:  Wishbone Ash, guitar.
Birthday:  Aug. 27, 1953
Place of birth:  East London, England
More:  Wishbone Ash UK Online: Laurie Wisefield

Witherington, Steve

Best known at:  Ace, drums.
Birthday:  Dec. 26, 1953
Place of birth:  Enfield, Middsex, England

Withers, Bill

Best known at:  »Use Me», US #2 (1972).
Birthday:  July 4, 1938te
Place of birth:  Slab Fork, West Virginia, USA

Wolstencroft, John

Best known at:  Weeds and The Fall, drums
Birthday:  Jan. 19, 1963
Place of birth:  Altringham, England
Trivia:  some sources suggests longer surname in form 'Woolstencroft'. Well, mighty Google says 227-7. Case closed.
More:  The Official Fall Website

Wolstenholme, Woolly

Real name:  Stuart Wolstenholme
Best known at:  Barclay James Harvest, keyboards, vocals.
Birthday:  Apr. 15, 1947
Place of birth:  Oldham, England

Womack, Bobby

Birthday:  Mar. 4, 1944
Place of birth:  Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Wonder, Stevie

Real name:  Steveland Morris Judkins
Birthday:  May 13, 1950
Place of birth:  Saginaw, Michigan, USA

Wood, Brenton

Real name:  Alfred Smith
Best known at:  Little Freddy & the Rockets, vocal.
Birthday:  July 26, 1941
Place of birth:  USA?

Wood, Chris

Best known at:  Traffic, flute, saxophone. Also well-known session musician.
Birthday:  June 24, 1944
Place of birth:  Birmingham, England
Death:  July 12, 1983
Cause of death:  Liver failure after a long illness.

Wood, Ron

Best known at:  The Faces and The Rolling Stones, guitar.
Birthday:  June 1, 1947
Place of birth:  Hillingdon, Middsex, England

Wood, Roy

Real name:  Ulysses Adrian Wood
Best known at:  The Move, Wizzard and ELO
Birthday:  Nov. 8, 1946
Place of birth:  Birmingham, England

Wood, 'Woody'

Real name:  Stuart Wood
Best known at:  The Bay City Rollers, guitar.
Birthday:  Feb. 25, 1957
Place of birth:  Edinburgh, Scotland

Woodward, Keren

Best known at:  Bananarama, vocal.
Birthday:  Apr. 2, 1961
Place of birth:  Bristol, Somerset, England

Wray, Link

Best known at:  US guitar legend.
Birthday:  May 2, 1930
Place of birth:  Fort Bragg, North Carolina, USA

Wreckless Eric

Real name:  Eric Goulden
Best known at:  »Whole Wide World».
Birthday:  May 18, 1954
Place of birth:  England

Wright, Rick

Best known at:  Pink Floyd, keyboards.
Birthday:  July 28, 1945
Place of birth:  London, England

Wyatt, Robert

Best known at:  Soft Machine, vocal.
Birthday:  Jan. 28, 1945
Place of birth:  Bristol, Avon, England

Wylder, Thomas

Best known at:  Die Haut, drums.
Birthday:  Oct. 9, 1959
Place of birth:  Zurich, Switzerland

Wyman, Bill

Real name:  William Perks
Best known at:  The Rolling Stones
Birthday:  Oct. 24, 1936
Place of birth:  Lewisham, London, England

Wynette, Tammy

Real name:  Virginia Wynette Pugh
Best known at:  »Stand by Your Man», US C&W #1 (1968), UK #1 (1975).
Birthday:  May 5, 1942
Place of birth:  Itawamba County, Mississippi, USA
Death:  Apr. 6, 1998
Cause of death:  Heart failure caused by chronic blood clots.
More:  TammyWynette.com