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 2, 1931 ~ Country guitarist Kenneth Carllile, also known as Thumbs Carllile, born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Discovered by Little Jimmy Dickens, who gave him the nickname “Thumbs” for his innovative fingerstyle playing. Has collaborated with Bill Wimberley, Les Paul, and Roger Miller, serving in the latter's backing unit from 1964 through 1972, notably providing the signature guitar parts for Dang Me and King Of The Road. As a solo artist, Carllile is known for songs such as Caravan, Theme From Picnic, Stranger On The Shore, and Hold It ~ Carllile passed away in 1987April 2, 1930 ~ Sue Graham, commonly known as producer, band manager Sue Mingus, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA ~ Widow of bassist, pianist, bandleader Charles Mingus, whom she met in 1964 and married two years later. Following his death in 1979, Graham would establish herself as band manager and producer of several Mingus tribute bands keeping the legacy alive. Managed and produced acts such as the Mingus Dynasty, the Mingus Big Band and the Mingus Orchestra, and published educational books, sheet music and her memoir recounting her life with Mingus ~ Graham passed away in 2022
April 2, 1928 ~ Jazz, vocal pop singer Gene Austin records Ramona at Victor Studios, Camden, New Jersey ~ Written by by L Wolfe Gilbert and Mabel Wayne as the title song for the 1928 silent film Ramona. Singer Gene Austin would also record a version in 1928, released as a single b/w Girl Of My Dreams it would reach top of the pop charts and sell over a million copies. Over the years the song would be covered by numerous artists including Les Brown, Jim Reeves, the Blue Diamonds, Grady Martin, and Billy Walker
April 2, 1928 ~ Lucien Ginsburg, commonly known as singer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, actor, director Serge Gainsbourg, born in Paris, France ~ Recorded well over a dozen albums from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Though controversial during his lifetime, known for his provocative style, Gainsbourg has become one of the most influential figures in French pop, drawing from jazz, chanson, yé-yé, pop, rock, funk, electronica and other idioms. Gainsbourg is said to have written over 500 songs, recorded by over a 1,000 artists. Internationally, he is perhaps best known for the 1967 hit Je T'Aime (Moi Non Plus) with singer, actress Jane Birkin. Gainsbourg and Birkin were romantically involved from 1968 until 1980, the singer Charlotte Gainsbourg is their daughter ~ Ginsburg passed away in 1991
April 2, 1925 ~ Jazz singer, percussionist Frank Holder born in Georgetown, Guyana ~ Following a stint in the Royal Air Force, during which he sang in an Army band, Holder emerged as one of the prime British vocalists of the late 1940s swing dance bands initially working with Jiver Hutchinson's orchestra. Holder would go on to record prolifically throughout the 1960s, initially focusing on swing anjd dance bands, to later venture into Latin jazz. Notable associations include Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, Bill Le Sage, Hank Shaw, Shake Keane, Phil Seamen, Carmen Munroe, and Mulatu Astatke. Holder continued to perform well into the 2010s, yet would never forget the early days performing at London jazz clubs such as Churchill's Club at Feldman Swing Club: “At Feldman's, a black man would be accepted when you couldn't appear at clubs like the Mayfair or Embassy. Black guys like Coleridge Goode and Ray Ellington were welcome, and all that mattered to Robert and Monty Feldman was that you were a musician” ~ Holder passed away in 2017April 2, 1916 ~ Jazz composer, conductor, bandleader Oleg Lundstrem, full name Oleg Leonidovich Lundstrem, born in Chita, Russia ~ Led the Oleg Lundstrem Orchestra, one of the earliest jazz bands in Russia active since the mid 1930s. In 1994, the Guinness Book of Records recognized the ensemble as the oldest continuously existing jazz band in the world ~ Lundstrem passed away in 2005
April 2, 1902 ~ Lyricist, playwright, songwriter, actor Edward Eliscu born in New York, New York, USA ~ Active on Broadway and in Hollywood until the 1950s when allegations made by the House Committee on Un-American Activities led by Senator Joseph McCarthy effectively ended his career. Best remembered for co-penning songs such as Orchids In The Moonlight (Raul Roulien, Rudy Vallée, Dinah Shore), Carioca (Etta Moten, Les Baxter, Fred Astaire), Great Day (Paul Whiteman, Sam Lanin, Nelson Eddy), and More Than You Know (Mayo Methot, Ruth Etting, Billie Holiday) ~ Eliscu passed away in 1998