Today's Famous Birthdays

[IceWizard]

Aretha Louise Franklin
(March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018)

was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she
has twice been placed ninth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With global
sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists.

As a child, Franklin was noticed for her gospel singing at New Bethel Baptist Church in
Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. At the age of 18, she was
signed as a recording artist for Columbia Records. While her career did not immediately flourish,
Franklin found acclaim and commercial success once she signed with Atlantic Records in 1966.
Hit songs such as "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Respect",
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Chain of Fools", "Think", and "I Say a Little Prayer",
propelled Franklin past her musical peers.









Richard Timothy Smith
(born 25 March 1942),

known professionally as Richard O'Brien, is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, and
television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show The Rocky Horror Show in 1973, which
has remained in continuous production. He also co-wrote the screenplay along with director
Jim Sharman for the film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and appeared
on-screen as Riff Raff; the film became an international success and has received a large cult
following. O'Brien co-wrote the musical Shock Treatment (1981) and appeared in the
film as Dr. Cosmo McKinley.









Sir Elton Hercules John
(born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947)

is a British singer, pianist and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967,
John has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists
of all time. He is the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard charts.
Acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s and for his
lasting impact on the music industry, his music and showmanship have had a significant
impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with Taupin is one of the most successful
in history. John has more than fifty Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100,
including nine number ones in the UK and US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums
in the US. His tribute single to Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind 1997", a rewritten version
of his 1974 single, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single
of all time. In 2021, he became the first solo artist with UK Top 10 singles across six decades.









Haywood Knowles Nelson Jr.
(born March 25, 1960)

is an American actor. He is best known for having portrayed Dwayne Nelson in the television
series What's Happening!!, which aired from 1976 to 1979, as well as in its spin-off series
What's Happening Now!!, from 1985 to 1988.

Haywood Nelson has been a member of the entertainment community for over forty years.
Born in New York, he began his career at the age of six with numerous principle on-camera
and voice-over national commercials, including Lavoris, Campbell's Soup, Libby's, Polaroid,
Hot Wheels, Rock'em Sock'em Robots, Johnny Lightening, Aurora AFX, Kodak, Duncan Hines,
Milk, Burger King, and Dean Witter.









Sheryl Denise Swoopes
(born March 25, 1971)

is an American former professional basketball player. She was the first player to be signed in
the WNBA, is a three-time WNBA MVP, and was named one of the league's Top 15 Players of
All Time at the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game. Swoopes has won three Olympic gold medals and
is one of eleven women's basketball players to have won an Olympic gold medal, an
NCAA Championship, a Fiba world cup gold, and a WNBA title. She was elected to the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2017, she was inducted into the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.










Danica Sue Patrick
(born March 25, 1982)

is an American former professional racing driver. She is the most successful woman in the
history of American open-wheel car racing—her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the
only win by a woman in an IndyCar Series race.

Born to a working-class family in Beloit, Wisconsin, Patrick began karting at the age of ten
and achieved early success by winning her class in the World Karting Association Grand
National Championship three times in the mid-1990s. She dropped out of high school with
her parents' permission in 1998, and moved to the United Kingdom to further her career.
Patrick competed in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford before returning to the United States
in 2001 due to a lack of funding. In 2002, she competed in five Barber Dodge Pro Series
races for Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick later raced in the Toyota Atlantic Series for the
next two years. Her best effort was third in the championship standings for the 2004 season
where she became the first woman to win a pole position in the series.