Mickey Baker of the 50's singing group Mickey and Sylvia turns 84 today. He is widely held to be a critical force in the bridging of rythem and blues and Rock n Roll along with greats Bo Didley, Ike Turner and Chunk Berry.

Inspired by the success of Les Paul & Mary Ford, he formed the pop duo Mickey & Sylvia (with Sylvia Robinson, one of his guitar students) in the mid 1950s. Together, they had a hit single with "Love Is Strange" in 1957. The duo split-up in the late 1950s, but continued to record off and on until the middle of the next decade. It was around this time that he moved to France, making a few solo records and working with some French pop and rock performers, including Ronnie Bird. Baker appeared at the 1975 version of the Roskilde Festival.

In 1999 Baker received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

In 2003 he was listed at #53 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".