Celebrating his 35th birthday today is Vinnie Dombroski, lead singer for Detroit, Mich.- based alt-rockers Sponge. Vinnie and the boys made their debut on the scene with Rotting Piñata in late 1995, injecting a little bit of glam-rock flavor into the predominant Seattle grunge sound made popular by such groups as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Sponge's roots go back to the late '80s, when birthday boy Dombroski played drums in a Helmet-esque group called Loudhouse with future Sponge members Mike Cross on guitar and Tim Cross on bass. Loudhouse signed with Virgin in the early '90s, but were dropped after just one album. Dombroski and the brothers Cross split with Loudhouse's remaining members and formed Sponge, with Dombroski pulling a Phil Collins and moving from behind the drum kit to behind the lead singer's mic. The group brought in Joey Mazzola, another veteran of the Detroit scene, on guitar and Jimmy Paluzzi on drums and began recording new demos in late 1992.

By October of 1993, the group set about recording Rotting Piñata and signed with Columbia in December of that year. Their debut album came out in 1995 and "Molly (Sixteen Candles)" made a quick impression on alternative radio and in MTV's Buzz Bin. Later that year, Paluzzi left the band and was replaced by drummer Charlie Grover. The group tirelessly toured in support of the album and released a follow-up entitled Wax Ecstatic in 1996. Sponge played with a bevy of other up-and-coming alternative rock acts as part of the Skoal-sponsored R.O.A.R. (Revelation of Alternative Rhythms) tour this summer. On July 6, in Tulsa, Okla., Dombroski was arrested and fined for using foul language onstage. The venue had warned artists on the R.O.A.R. tour numerous times that performers would be fined $500 for each profanity spoken from the stage, although Sponge claim to have been absent when this announcement was made. Dombroski's fines totaled $5700 ... you do the math. He intends to contest the charges. The group has just entered a New York studio to record its third album, which is expected to be released in the spring of next year.

Other birthdays: Freddy Cannon, 58; Chris Hillman (Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers/Desert Rose Band/McGuinn Clark & Hillman), 55; Terry Woods (The Pogues), 50; Southside Johnny (The Asbury Jukes), 49; Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd/Rossington-Collins Band), 46; and Bob Griffin (BoDeans), 38.