August 25

 Geoff Downs

August 25, 1952

Geoff Downes formed the pop duo the Buggles with Trevor Horn in 1977. He played keyboards on their famous 1979 hit single Video Killed the Radio Star. The pair released their debut studio album in 1980 before an unexpected opportunity came along.

Both musicians joined the progressive rock band Yes in 1980 to replace departing members. Downes performed on the album Drama and completed a major tour before the group split up in 1981. After the breakup, he co-founded the supergroup Asia in 1981 and stayed with them for decades. He also rejoined Yes in 2011 to continue his long career of recording and performing.

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Rob Halford

August 25, 1951

Rob Halford joined the heavy metal band Judas Priest as their lead singer in 1973. He made his official recording debut on their first studio album in 1974. He fronted the group through a steady series of releases during the decade.

The band achieved breakthrough commercial success with a major album release in 1980. Halford fronted the group until he left to pursue other heavy metal projects in 1992. He returned to his role as lead singer in 2003 and continued recording and touring with the band for decades.

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Henry Paul

August 25, 1949

Henry Paul formed the country rock group Sienna in 1971 before joining the Southern rock band Outlaws as an original guitarist and singer in 1972. He recorded three albums with the group and played on their famous 1975 hit song Green Grass and High Tides.

He left the group to start the Henry Paul Band in 1977 and released four albums under that name. He returned to record and perform with the Outlaws again from 1983 to 1989. In 1992, he co-founded the successful country music trio Blackhawk and spent decades touring and singing with both ensembles.

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Gene Simmons

August 25, 1949

Chaim Witz changed his name to Gene Simmons because his birth name was difficult to pronounce when he began performing. He co-founded the rock group Kiss in 1973 and played bass guitar while sharing lead vocals. The group released their self-titled debut album in 1974. He toured extensively and recorded nine studio albums with the band up to 1980.

Simmons also played rhythm guitar and keyboards on his 1978 solo album project. He continued performing and recording with Kiss for several decades before the group finally stopped touring.

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