Often overshadowed by guitarist Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, the other half of the guitar duo of Aerosmith can hog all the spotlight he wants on his birthday.

Born Feb. 23, 1952 in Winchester, Mass., Whitford joined Aerosmith in 1970’s after playing for a series of local bands including Teapot Dome, Earth Incorporated, Cymbals of Resistance and Justin Tyme. An intellect a well as the complementing piece to Perry, Whitford is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Whitford enjoyed early success with Aerosmith from its self-titled album in 1973, to 1979’s Night in the Ruts. He briefly left the band in 1981 due to drug related squabbles amongst bandmates. With a small stint at a solo-career, he returned to Aerosmith in 1984, and all was right with the world.

Happy Birthday Brad Whitford! For more on Brad and the rest of Aerosmith, head to the band’s official website.