September 03

 Don Brewer

September 3, 1948

Don Brewer co-founded the hard rock group Grand Funk Railroad in 1968 after leaving his previous band Terry Knight and the Pack. He provided steady energy as their main drums player and also shared lead vocal duties on many of their recordings. The band found immediate commercial success with their 1969 debut album On Time. They quickly grew into a massive arena act, releasing hit records like Closer to Home in 1970 and Survival in 1971.

He drove the band to a fresh level of stardom by writing and singing lead on their first number one single We're an American Band in 1973. His powerful vocals also carried their popular 1974 cover song Some Kind of Wonderful. When the group temporarily split up, he formed a new outfit called Flint in 1977 which released a self-titled record in 1978. He also played bongo as a session player on Frank Zappa's song, Let Me Take You to the Beach, which was released in 1978. He helped reunite Grand Funk Railroad in 1981 and joined Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band as a touring ensemble player in 1983. He has continued to tour regularly with Grand Funk Railroad through 2026.

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Eric Bell

September 3, 1947

Eric Bell became the original lead guitarist for Thin Lizzy in 1969. He also occasionally played the six-string banjo for the group. His distinct guitar style helped the band mix traditional acoustic folk music with hard rock on their self-titled debut album in 1971. He recorded two more albums with the group including Shades of a Blue Orphanage in 1972 and Vagabonds of the Western World in 1973.

He played guitar on their breakout hit single Whiskey in the Jar in 1972 before leaving the group in 1973. He then became a session player for the Noel Redding Band from 1974 to 1976. He toured as part of the touring ensemble with Bo Diddley in 1980. He released solo albums from 1998 through 2017.

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Al Jardine

September 3, 1942

Al Jardine sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitar for the Beach Boys from 1963 to 2026. He helped create their vocal harmony style on the 1968 album Friends and the 1969 record 20/20. He also stepped into a larger role by co-writing songs and producing the album Sunflower in 1970. He took charge of the concept for the Surf's Up album in 1971. He played guitar on the 1972 release Carl and the Passions So Tough and the 1973 album Holland.

He sang lead on the popular song Lady Lynda from the 1979 album L.A. Light Album. He continued to record albums with the group including Keepin' the Summer Alive in 1980 and a self-titled project in 1985. He toured with his own background ensemble named the Endless Summer Band in 1998. He released a solo studio album in 2010. He reunited with the core group for a major anniversary tour in 2012 and performed concerts through 2026.

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Rob Hirst

September 3, 1955 – January 20, 2026

Rob Hirst co-founded Midnight Oil as their main drums player in 1976. He also sang backing vocals and wrote many of their songs. The group spent its early years building a loyal live following in Sydney. They released their self-titled debut album in 1978. He drove their high-energy rock sound on the 1979 album Head Injuries which earned them their first gold record.

He recorded the album Bird Noises with the group in 1980. He stayed with the band through all of their major international success, including the hit album Diesel and Dust in 1987. The group dismantled in 2002 but he rejoined them for reunion tours from 2016 through 2022. He has also recorded albums with several side projects including Ghostwriters from 1991 to 2007 and The Backsliders from 2000 through 2026.

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