Today is the birthday of late T. Rex drummer Steve Peregrine Took, who was born in England; he would have been 48 years old. Fronted by the sweet-faced Marc Bolan, T. Rex inspired crazed fandom from folks who flocked to the band's hard-rock sound. The group was founded by Took and Bolan in 1967, although they were known by the clumsier name of Tyrannosaurus Rex until they hit it big in 1970 with the single "Ride a White Swan." Before that, they'd released two albums as a duo, 1968's My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair but Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows and Prophets, Seers and Sages, The Angels of the Ages. Took departed the group in 1969, and guitarist Mickey Finn took his place. The group was touted as a flower-power act, but they began taking on a hard-rock feel which propelled them into stardom on albums such as Electric Warrior and Slider, the latter of which was their best-charting album in the US. In 1973, Ringo Starr directed a documentary about the band called Born To Boogie, and by that time the band had incorporated elements of glitter and glam-rock. But T. Rex's popularity dropped quickly. In 1975, Bolan called an end to the group, left his wife and moved to America. A year later he returned to England, and in 1977 he re-formed T. Rex, touring with the Damned. That same year, he was killed in a car accident. In 1980 Took also died -- from a choking incident. Other birthdays: George Cummings (Dr. Hook), Rick Wright (Pink Floyd), Johnathan Edwards, Peter Doyle (New Seekers), Simon Burke (Free/Bad Company), Rachel Sweet and Tex Axile (Transvision Vamp).