Birthday Celebrations — October 28

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on October 28 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Cleo Laine

Born October 28, 1927 (at least one obituary gives October 27) — died July 24, 2025

British jazz singer and actress.

Laine became internationally recognized for her vocal range, scat singing, and ability to move between jazz and musical theater. With her husband, musician John Dankworth, she helped establish The Stables as a performance and educational venue. Her stage career included The Mystery of Edwin Drood, connecting Black British musical achievement with Broadway audiences.

Ted Hawkins

Born October 28, 1936 — died January 1, 1995 (one obituary gives December 29)

Soul and blues singer and guitarist.

Hawkins developed an intensely expressive singing style that combined soul, blues, gospel, and country influences. For years he performed on the Venice Beach boardwalk while recordings gradually brought him international listeners. The Next Hundred Years gave him wider attention late in his life, making his career a revealing example of recognition arriving after decades of work.

Lenny Wilkens

Full name: Leonard Randolph Wilkens

Born October 28, 1937 — died November 9, 2025

Basketball player and championship coach.

Wilkens built distinguished careers on both sides of the basketball sideline. An accomplished NBA guard, he later coached Seattle to its 1979 championship and led the United States Olympic team in 1996. His recognition as both a player and coach places him among the sport’s major figures in leadership, teaching, and sustained professional achievement.

Telma Hopkins

Full name: Telma Louise Hopkins

Born October 28, 1948

Singer and television actress.

Hopkins first reached a large audience as a member of Tony Orlando and Dawn before developing a substantial television acting career. Her credits include Bosom Buddies, Gimme a Break!, Family Matters, and Half & Half.

Sheryl Underwood

Full name: Sheryl Patrice Underwood

Born October 28, 1963

Comedian and television host.

Underwood developed her career through stand-up comedy and television appearances before becoming a longtime cohost of The Talk. Her years on that program brought a comic perspective to conversations about family, culture, and public life. Her work also connects the history of Black comedy platforms, including BET programming, with mainstream daytime television.

Ben Harper

Full name: Benjamin Charles Harper

Born October 28, 1969

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Harper combines blues, folk, rock, and gospel influences with distinctive slide and lap-steel guitar playing. Albums including Welcome to the Cruel World and Fight for Your Mind introduced songs concerned with personal struggle and social questions. His career demonstrates how Black musical traditions continue to shape artists whose audiences extend across several commercial genres.

Greg Eagles

Born October 28, 1970

Voice actor, writer, and producer.

Eagles is widely recognized as the voice of Grim in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. His work illustrates the importance of vocal performance in building memorable animated characters, including the use of accent, timing, and humor. His career provides an opportunity to recognize Black performers whose contributions may be familiar to audiences even when their faces are not.

Terrell Davis

Full name: Terrell Lamar Davis

Born October 28, 1972

Professional football running back.

Davis became a central figure in the Denver Broncos’ consecutive Super Bowl championship teams of the late 1990s. His accomplishments included a Super Bowl MVP award and the NFL’s 1998 Most Valuable Player honor. Although injuries shortened his playing career, his peak seasons earned him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Justin Guarini

Full name: Justin Eldrin Bell

Born October 28, 1978

Singer and musical-theater performer.

Guarini became nationally known as the runner-up on the first season of American Idol in 2002. He subsequently developed a career in recorded music, television, and Broadway theater.

Natina Reed

Full name: Natina Tiawana Reed

Born October 28, 1980 (some reports give 1979) — died October 26, 2012

Rapper, singer, and actress.

Reed performed with Blaque, the vocal group associated with TLC’s Lisa Lopes, and contributed a rap voice to the group’s blend of R&B and pop. She also appeared in Bring It On. Her career belongs to the late-1990s generation of young Black women whose music and screen appearances circulated together through youth-oriented popular culture.

Frank Ocean

Full name: Christopher Edwin Breaux

Born October 28, 1987

Singer, songwriter, and recording artist.

Ocean emerged through the Odd Future collective and established an individual voice with emotionally detailed songwriting and unconventional R&B arrangements. Channel Orange and Blonde became central works in his career. His music broadened the range of stories and sounds associated with contemporary Black popular music, including public discussion of sexuality, intimacy, and artistic independence.

Jermaine Crawford

Born October 28, 1992

Actor and musician.

Crawford is best known for portraying Duquan “Dukie” Weems in The Wire, a character whose story exposed the vulnerability of children within failing social institutions. His work began in theater and extended into television and music.