I start this thread today in honor of Stephen Sondheim (born March 22, 1930) and Andrew Lloyd Webber (born March 22, 1948). Happy Birthday to two commposers who changed and enriched the theatre!
Monkees Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones were both born on December 30th (1942 & 1945 respectively).
Family Ties’s parents Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross were borth born on the same day: June 21, 1947.
Sorry this doesn’t actually fit the topic, but I’m sure someone will mention it, so I might as well be the one…
… John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day – July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. (On his deathbed, Adams reportedly said, “Thomas Jefferson survives”, not knowing that Jefferson had in fact passed away hours earlier.)
There’s Lech Kaczyński (president of Poland, 2005-2010) and Jarosław Kaczyński (prime minister of Poland, 2006-2007), who were born on the same day, 18 June 1949. Does that count?
(They were identical twins, so being born on the same day was not a coincidence.)
Entertainers Bette Midler and Woody Allen were born the same day (Dec. 01), ten years apart. You might say they don’t have much in common, but they co-starred as husband and wife in 1991’s scenes from a Mall.
(And I was born ten years to the day after Midler. But I haven’t been in a movie with either one of them.)
April 28th is the birthday of a number of actors whose commonality is that you may not know them by name, when you see their picture or hear their most well-known role, you say “oh, right, I know them!”
Marcia Strassman (Mrs. Kotter on “Welcome Back, Kotter”)
Bruno Kirby (Billy Crystal’s best friend in “When Harry Met Sally” and “City Slickers”)
Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin on “Battlestar Galactica”)
Kari Wuhrer (the redheaded prize girl on “Remote Control” on MTV)
Jorge Garcia (Hurley on “Lost”)
Elisabeth Rohm (Serena Sutherland, the lesbian ADA on “Law & Order”)
Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang the Asian Jewish girl on “Glee”)
And then there are the ones born that day who are are as well known (if not better known) for their looks as their talents, Penelope Cruz, Bridget Moynahan and Jessica Alba.
(Of that bunch, Garcia & Rohm were born the very same day, and coincidentally, the same day as yours truly.)
Two of jazz’s pioneer reed players share the birthday May 30: Frank Trumbauer, saxophone (1901), and Benny Goodman, clarinet (1909).
Two of the biggest name swing bandleaders were born on succeeding days in 1904: Jimmy Dorsey (Feb. 29) and Glenn Miller (March 1).
Tram and BG worked together only infrequently, but Glenn and JD both were in the Dorsey Bros. Orchestra in the mid 30s, as well as sharing many recording dates.