Let's make this birthday one to remember.

44 years old (Born on July 02, 1980)

Happy Birthday, Russell Taylor! From conquering VH1's first-ever crowdsourced "You Oughta Know" competition—beating out over 400 talented hopefuls—to creating the soulful masterpiece that is your third album, "War of Hearts," you've proven you're not just a star; you're practically celestial!

Your music resonates because it's real and honest—the kind of authenticity critics say you were born to deliver. So here's wishing you another year filled with more chart-topping hits, fewer heartbreak wars (unless they inspire great songs), and endless reasons for us all to keep saying: “Russell Taylor? Oh yeah—you definitely oughta know him!”