A couple lesser known guitarists share a birthday today, Paul Kossoff of Free and Stevie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd. They both arrived on this planet within about a year of each other, and also departed within about year of each other.

Blues-based guitarist Kossoff was born in 1950 in Hampstead England (and spent time in a Hampstead nursery no doubt. A bonus if you get this reference.), co-founded Free in 1968 with Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser, and played on all 6 of their studio releases from 1968-1973. After their demise, Kossoff continued to perform but drug addiction and depression over the breakup of Free caused a decline in his health, and he passed during a cross-country flight in 1976 at just age 25. He was ranked 51st in a Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Also, a 1957 Stratocaster owned by Kossoff was purchased by Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray, and he used it extensively in the earlier days of the group.

Gaines a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for Lynyrd Skynyrd, was born in Seneca, Missouri in 1949. Gaines was suggested as a replacement for Skynyrd guitarist Ed King (also born on September 14) by his sister Cassie, who was a backup singer for Skynyrd, and Stevie got the job in May of 1976. Although he was only in the band for a year and a half and appeared on just one Skynyrd studio album, 1977’s Street Survivors, his impact on that record and the group was substantial, penning the boogie-tastic ‘I Know a Little’, and co-writer and co-vocalist on the classic ‘You Got That Right.’ Vocalist Ronnie Van Zant marveled at his skill as a player and singer, saying the band would "all be in his shadow one day". That day would never come, sadly, as three days after the album's release, Gaines, his sister, and Van Zant were killed in the infamous plane crash that ended the short life of a great band.

Was this one too depressing? Maybe these will lift some spirits.