Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. (October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959)

While Richardson was a D.J. at KTRM radio in Beaumont, Texas, he saw some
college students doing a dance called The Bop, and that’s when he decided to 
call himself…”The Big Bopper”.

"I Fought the Law" was written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and
became a top-ten hit for The Bobby Fuller Four in 1966. It made
No. 175 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of
All Time in 2004, and the same year was named one of the 500
"Songs that Shaped Rock" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Neil Leslie Diamond was born in New York.

Neil Diamond is considered to be the third most successful adult contemporary
artist in the history of the Billboard chart for hits like "Kentucky Woman" (1967)
and "America” (1981). He has sold over 125 million records.

Samuel "Sam" Cooke (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964)

Sam Cooke grew up singing gospel music with his siblings. One of
his first big gigs was lead singer for The Soul Stirrers in 1950. He
was shot and killed at a Motel in Los Angeles at the age of 33.

John Alvin "Johnnie" Ray (January 10, 1927 – February 24, 1990)

                                             

Johnnie Ray was a 1950s rock ‘n’ roll singer who recorded "Cry" and
"The Little White Cloud That Cried," which sold more than two million
copies. He released more than fifty hit singles over the course of his
career. Ray continued touring until he gave his final concert in Oregon
in October 1989.

1951