About maketodayrock.com: We celebrate musicians' birthdays, remember those we've lost, and highlight key moments in music such a release dates, chart peak dates, or anything else tied to a specific date. Pick any day from the menu in the top right. The front page shows recent obituaries.
April 15, 1940 ~ Painter, light designer, singer Marian Zazeela born in the Bronx, New York, USA ~ Singer and light artist with 1960s experimental collective the theater Of Eternal Music, which at times also included John Cale. The ensemble is also said to have inspired Andy Warhol. Also known for her work with her husband minimalist composer La Monte Young
April 15, 1939 ~ Guitarist Adolph Jacobs, also known as Al Jacobs, born in Pineland, Texas, USA ~ Rose to fame as a member of the Coasters from 1956 through 1960, appearing on some of the band's best known including Yakety Yak and Charlie Brown, which peaked respectively at No.2 and No.7 Billboard Hot 100. Following his departure from the band, Jacobs has sporadically recorded as a solo artist, noted for his Move Around Easy debut single, but failed to reach the same stature as with the Coasters. Jacobs would go on to work with Johnny Guitar Watson, Larry Williams, and Little Richard, appearing on the latter's 1972 The Second Coming album. Later still, Jacobs would lead his own band in California, with whom he occasionally has backed a Will Dub Jones and Billy Guy led incarnation of the Coasters. Despite being a member of the Coasters during their key period, Jacobs was snubbed when the band would be inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987 ~ Jacobs passed away in 2014
April 15, 1939 ~ Reginald Leonard Smith, commonly known as pop singer Marty Wilde, born in London, UK ~ One of the first British pop stars to emulate American rock & roll, often with covers of American hits. Father of pop singers Ricky Wilde and Kim Wilde. Member of Wild Cats. Known for late 1950s, early 1960s UK hits such as Endless Sleep, Donna, Bad Boy. Wilde penned the latter, which would notably be covered by Robin Luke, Françoise Hardy, and by Nirvana
April 15, 1937 ~ Country, rockabilly singer, guitarist, songwriter Bob Luman, full name Robert Glynn Lyman, born in Blackjack, Texas, USA ~ Tried out for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but as he was not selected turned to music instead of professional baseball. Has recorded over a dozen albums since the early 1960s. Best known for the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit Let's Think About Living and for Red Cadillac And A Black Mustache. Luman has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1965 ~ Luman passed away in 1978
April 15, 1933 ~ Jazz, R&B conductor, pianist, composer, arranger, producer Horace Ott born in St Matthews, South Carolina, USA ~ Songwriter, arranger for the Shirelles, Jackie Wilson, Don Covay, Hank Ballard, Dee Clark, Sam Cooke, Solomon Burke, Doris Troy, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Eric Burdon, Bessie Banks, George Benson, Mary Wells, Jimmy McGriff, Houston Person, Bernard Pretty Purdie, Rusty Bryant, Gil Scott-Heron, Junior Parker, Lou Donaldson, Richard Groove Holmes, the Stylistics, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr, the Village People (arranged all of the band's early hits including YMCA, Macho Man, In The Navy), Etta Jones, Dakota Staton, and Joe Thomas
April 15, 1933 ~ Guitarist Roy Clark, full name Roy Linwood Clark, born in Meherrin, Virginia, USA ~ Influential figure in country music, best known as host of the variety TV show Hee Haw which ran from 1969 through 1997. Also a singer, guitarist, banjoist with over two dozen albums to his name, starting in the early 1960s. Best known for songs such as Tips Of My Fingers, Yesterday When I Was Young, Thank God And Greyhound, and Somewhere Between Love And Tomorrow ~ Clark passed away in 2018April 15, 1931 ~ Johnny Jones, commonly known as singer, songwriter Little Sonny Jones, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Released a handful of New Orleans blues singles, starting with Do You Really Love Me in 1953, but failed to reach the charts. Would serve however as opening act for Fats Domino through 1961 and regularly perform at the annual the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival ~ Jones passed away in 1989
April 15, 1930 ~ Irving Herbert Pomeroy III, commonly known as teacher, bandleader, trumpeter Herb Pomeroy born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA ~ Toured with Lionel Hampton and Stan Kenton. Recorded over half a dozen albums as a leader, noted especially for Life Is A Many Splendered Gig released in 1958. Sideman on recordings by Charlie Mariano, Serge Chaloff, Irene Kral (The Band And I), John Lewis (The Wonderful World Of Jazz), Anita O'Day (All The Sad Young Men), Donna Byrne, and Greg Abate. Music director for the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, a role he held for over two decades. Taught at the Berklee School Of Music and the Lennox School Of Music. His students included Toshiko Akiyoshi, Gary Burton, Gary McFarland, and Miroslav Vitous ~ Pomeroy passed away in 2007
April 15, 1930 ~ Jazz, classical, pop rock bassist Richard Davis born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ As a solo artist acclaimed for his 1971 The Philosophy Of The Spiritual album. Best known for his contributions to Eric Dolphy's 1964 Out To Lunch album, Andrew Hill's Point Of Departure the following year, and Van Morrison's 1968 album Astral Weeks. Other notable collaborations include touring with Sarah Vaughan during the late 1950s, classical performances with conductors such as Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein and Pierre Boulez, and guesting on pop and rock albums such as Bruce Springsteen's Greetings From Asbury Park NJ and Born To Run, Paul Simon's There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Melissa Manchester's Bright Eyes, and Bonnie Raitt's Streetlights ~ Davis passed away in 2023April 15, 1924 ~ Violinist, conductor Neville Marriner born in Lincoln, UK ~ Worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, Thurston Dart, Peter Gibbs, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Reginald Jacques, Boyd Neel, the London Mozart Players, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic ~ Marriner passed away in 2016
April 15, 1923 ~ Cornetist, trumpeter James F Burke, full name James Francis Burke, born in Port Jefferson, New York, USA ~ Though he only had the use of one arm considered among the premier cornet virtuosos of his day. Principal cornetist of the Goldman Band from 1943 through 1974. Principal trumpeter with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1943 through 1949. Co-founded the All-Star Concert Band with tubist Harvey Phillips, known for the albums The All-Star Concert Band released in 1960 and The Burke-Phillips All-Star Concert Band the following year ~ Burke passed away in 1981
April 15, 1905 ~ Jazz guitarist Bernard Addison, full name Bernard Sylvester Addison, born in Annapolis, Maryland, USA ~ Worked with Louis Armstrong, Adelaide Hall, Fletcher Henderson, Bubber Miley, Art Tatum, Fats Waller, Red Allen, Coleman Hawkins, Horace Henderson, Freddie Jenkins, Sara Martin, Jelly Roll Morton, Mamie Smith, Benny Carter, Mezz Mezzrow, Stuff Smith, the Mills Brothers, Billie Holiday, Sidney Bechet, the Ink Spots, and Eubie Blake ~ Addison passed away in 1990
April 15, 1894 ~ Singer Bessie Smith born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA ~ Most popular female blues singer of the 1920 and 1930s, dubbed “the Empress of Blues”. Known for recordings such as Downhearted Blues, Gulf Coast Blues and Cake Walking Babies (From Home). Worked with Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson, James P Johnson, and the Dorsey Brothers ~ Smith passed away in 1937April 15, 1888 ~ Lewis Lessinsky, commonly known as Broadway writer, producer Lew Leslie, born ~ Rose to fame with a number of 1920s shows at the Cotton Club and a series of Broadway-revues, notably Blackbirds Of 1928 starring Adelaide Hall, Bill Robinson, Tim Moore and Aida Ward ~ Lessinky passed away in 1963
April 15, 1849 ~ Music publisher, organist, composer Thomas Carr passed away in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Son of music publisher Joseph Carr. Brother of composer, music publisher Benjamin Carr. Best known for adapting the words of The Star-Spangled Banner and harmonizing it to the tune of John Stafford Smith's To Anacreon In Heav'n, creating the first edition of what would become the national anthem ~ Carr was born ca.1780