Today’s Soul Birthdays – December 28

Johnny Otis – American singer, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, record producer, television show host, artist, author, journalist, minister, and impresario. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll.

Lonnie Liston Smith – American jazz, soul, and funk musician who played with such jazz artists as Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis before forming Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes, recording a number of albums widely regarded as classics in the fusion, smooth jazz and acid jazz genres.

Pops Staples – American gospel and R&B musician.

Donna Hightower – American R&B, soul and jazz singer and songwriter, who recorded and released albums for the Decca and Capitol labels.