Rant #2,365: Happy

I am currently pretty happy.

I just celebrated a birthday, I have a great family, my son is working, my job situation has improved (although it still stinks), and I have the love of the greatest woman in the world.

What more can I ask for?

Today is May 2, the 122nd day of the year, and the following people are happy today, because today is their birthday.

Well, some aren't happy, because they aren't with us anymore, but they were happy when they were alive when this day would hit the calendar.

So, the the operative word of this Rant being "happy" (I bet you couldn't have guessed that), here are a couple of people who celebrate their birthday on May 2:

Theodore Bikel, the actor, singer, and political activist, was born on this day in 1924. Born in Austria, Bikel carved out an interesting career for himself, appearing in some of the biggest films of the 1950s and 1960s that appealed to millions, such as "The African Queen" and "My Fair Lady," but he was equally at ease as a folk singer, playing in front of a small gathering in a coffee house. He died at age 91 in 2015.

Link Wray, the popular 1950s guitarist, was born on this day in 1929. Born Fred Lincoln Ray Jr., he had several hit records with his Wray Men, most notable among them being "Rumble," which was a Top 20 hit in 1958. His career was revived in the 1970s, when he teamed with Robert Gordon. Wray died in 2005.

Maury Allen, the sportswriter for a number of publications, was born today in 1932. Best known in the New York Metropolitan Area as one of the pre-eminent sportswriters of his day, mainly writing about baseball for the New York Post, Allen also wrote nearly 40 books on sports. He died in 2010.

Engelbert Humperdinck, the popular singer and entertainer, was born on this day in 1936. Born Arnold George Dorsey, his more than 50 year career has generated many easy listening hits, including "The Last Waltz" and "After the Lovin'. He continues to pack smaller venues today as mainly an in-concert artist.

Lorenzo Music, the actor, producer and writer, was born today in 1937. Best known as the voice of "Carleton the Doorman," he was also the original voice actor for Garfield the Cat in that character's animated adventures. He died in 2001.

Bianca Jagger, the model, activist and high society celebrity who was married to Mick Jagger, was born on this day in 1945. As Jagger's wife, she began her crusades for human rights around the world while, at the same time, making regular appearance in just about every gossip column spanning the world. Divorced from Jagger for many years, she continues her human rights advocacies to this day.

Lesley Gore, the singer, songwriter and activist, was born today in 1948. Gore was one of the top female singers in the early 1960s, with numerous hits produced by Quincy Jones, including "It's My Party," "You Don't Own Me," and "It's Judy's Turn To Cry." She continued to be a big concert draw for the nest 50 years, and late in life, she came out as a lesbian and pushed for gay rights. She died in 2015.

There were plenty of other famous people I could name on this list, but I wanted to keep it as short as it was to really highlight these seven very outstanding people.

And if today is your birthday, happy birthday to you, and many, many more.