May 1: Births and Deaths

Birthdays are a wonderful daily occurrence in our lives. It is rare to weave through one's day without becoming privy to an announcement or celebration of a birthday or two, whether they belong to family, friends, or other eminent figures. Remembering those who have passed each day is, perhaps, just as noteworthy an endeavor, for if their memories are kept alive, one might argue, so too are their spirits.

Here is a sampling of May 1 honorees:

Birthdays

Tim McGraw - It's difficult to be any more successful than country singer Tim McGraw, born in Delhi, Louisiana on this day in 1967. He is the son of famous baseball player, Tug McGraw, who passed away in 2004 as the result of a brain tumor. Tim had 11 consecutive albums debut at the top of the Billboard albums charts. There's been 21 McGraw #1 Billboard Hot Country 100 singles; and three of them were awarded country song of the year. He's also married to staggeringly popular fellow country singer Faith Hill.

Rita Coolidge - Originally a back-up singer for artists such as Leon Russell and Eric Clapton, Ms. Coolidge developed a productive solo career, evidenced by her gaining a nickname, "The Delta Lady." Born in Lafayette, Tennessee in 1945, she is part Scottish and part Cherokee Native American. Legend has it she broke up a relationship with Stephen Stills in the late '60's to date his band-mate Graham Nash. Most of her fame occurred during the time she was married to, and performed with, Kris Kristofferson between 1973 and 1980.

Judy Collins - Another sweet singing birthday wish belongs to this folk singer and songwriter, who was born on this date in 1939 in Seattle, Washington. She is renowned for her melodic soprano voice and haunting lyrics, evident on her two most celebrated singles, "Both Sides Now," and "Send in the Clowns."

Deaths

Eldridge Cleaver - Very few have ever undergone public transformation as severely as Eldridge Cleaver. Before becoming a prominent leader of the Black Panther Party, he was a convicted rapist who spent time in prison. He actually ran for President in 1968 on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. Later that year, he was shot during an ambush of Oakland police in which fellow Black Panther member Bobby Hutton was killed and two police officers were injured. Incredibly, by the 1980s, Cleaver had become a conservative Republican, who endorsed Ronald Reagan. He passed away in 1998 at the age of 62.

Rob Lacey - Before losing a battle with liver cancer at the too-early age of 43 in 2006, Mr. Lacey led a fulfilling and productive life as actor, storyteller and author of "word on the street" which condensed the story of the Bible into 500 pages, and "The Liberator." Perhaps, he is most recognized for his adaptations of Bible stories into stage shows performed at major Christian festivals.