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.
August 15, 1941 ~ Donald Eugene Ulrich, commonly known as country guitarist, fiddler Don Rich, born in Olympia, Washington, USA ~ As a member of Buck Owens' backing unit Buckaroos helpful in developing the Bakersfield sound. Present on songs such as Above And Beyond, Foolin' Around, Act Naturally, Love's Gonna Live Here, Waitin' In Your Welfare Line, Think Of Me, and Tall Dark Stranger, many of which were co-written by Rich ~ Ulrich passed away in 1974
August 15, 1939 ~ Singer Norma Waterson, full name Norma Christine Waterson, born in Kingston-upon-Hull, UK ~ Best known as member of 1960s acclaimed traditional folk outfit the Watersons, which also included siblings Mike Waterson and Lal Waterson, cousin John Harrison and later her husband Martin Carthy. Has also recorded as a solo artist and collaborated with the likes of Richard Thompson, Roger Swallow, James Yorkston, and Blue Murder ~ Waterson passed away in 2022
August 15, 1938 ~ Bluegrass guitarist, banjoist Ben Eldridge born in Richmond, Virginia, USA ~ Influenced by Bill Keith and Bill Emerson. Longest-serving member of the Seldom Scene, with whom he remained for over four decades from the early 1970s until his retirement in 2016. Considered one of the prime bluegrass, newgrass groups, they have infused traditional bluegrass with elements of rock, pop, and jazz, performing their own originals, bluegrass standards, and covers of rock classics. The band have recorded some two dozen albums, and are especialy acclaimed for Act 3 released in 1973. Eldridge has also guested on solo outings by bandmates Mike Auldridge and Phil Rosenthal, as well as on recordings by Tony Rice, Bryan Bowers, John Starling, Linda Ronstadt, and Cliff Waldron. Eldridge's son is progressive bluegrass guitarist and singer Chris Eldridge of the Punch Brothers ~ Eldridge passed away in 2024
August 15, 1938 ~ Bassist, songwriter, producer Brad Shapiro, full name Bradley Aaron Shapiro, born ~ Got his start in music in the late 1950s, playing bass guitar in a local Miami band the Redcoats, which also included lead singer Steve Alaimo, known for the regional hit I Want You To Love Me. When the band folded, Alaimo pursued a solo singing career. However, in later years the pair would regularly team up to write and produce for others. Shapiro's first notable credit as a songwriter came in the mid 1960s, co-writing I Can't See Him Again for the Twans. Through the end of the decade Shapiro, often teaming up with Alaimo, would write songs for Betty Wright, notably Watch Out Love, Blowfly, and JP Robinson. Shapiro is especially known for co-producing the eponymous The J Geils Band debut album for the J Geils Band in 1970, and co-writing Don't Knock My Love for Wilson Pickett the following year, which became a Billboard R&B No.1 hit. Shapiro has subsequently written for artists such as Jackie Moore, Johnny Adams, Sam & Dave, Bettye LaVette, and Millie Jackson
August 15, 1935 ~ Actor, singer Jim Dale born in Rothwell, UK ~ Popular 1950s singer. First pop singer to work with producer George Martin. Known for songs such as Be My Girl, Just Born To Be Your Baby, Crazy Dream, and Sugartime. Well known in the UK for regularly appearing in the Carry On film series. Performed on Broadway in productions of Scapino, Barnum, Candide, and Me And My Girl. Wrote the lyrics to Georgy Girl, a 1966 hit for the SeekersAugust 15, 1935 ~ Jazz drummer, surfboard builder, surfer Tom Morey, full name Tom Hugh Morey, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Honed his talent as a drummer and ukulele player from his early youth, working professionally by age 12. Has backed artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Stu Williamson, Bud Shank and Conte Candoli. Best known as a surfboard builder and professional surfer ~ Morey passed away in 2021
August 15, 1934 ~ R&B, funk, soul singer, songwriter Bobby Byrd, full name Bobby Howard Byrd, born in Toccoa, Georgia, USA ~ Best known for his longtime association with James Brown, starting as a member of Famous Flames which Byrd co-founded. Contrary to numerous accounts it was Byrd who launched Brown's career, not the other way around. Previously a member of a number of vocal and gospel groups such as the Avons, the Zioneers and the Gospel Starlighters. Byrd is credited as writer or co-writer on numerous Brown recordings, including I Know You Got Soul and Hot Pants, and worked with Brown from the earliest recordings in the late 1950s throughout the mid 1970s, a short hiatus here and there. As a solo artist Byrd is best remembered for songs such as 1964's Baby Baby Baby and 1965's We Are In Love. Married to Brown's backup singer Vicki Anderson from 1973 until his death ~ Byrd passed away in 2007
August 15, 1933 ~ Country, rockabilly, rock & roll singer, guitarist Bobby Helms, full name Robert Lee Helms, born in Helmsburg, Indiana, USA ~ Best known for his 1957 hit single Jingle Bells Rock, a Holiday favorite to this day. Also reached the higher end of the Billboard Country charts with songs such as Fraulein, My Special Angel, Just A Little Lonesome and Jacqueline ~ Helms passed away in 1997
August 15, 1933 ~ Folk singer Mike Seeger born in New York, New York, USA ~ Son of singer, folklorist Charles Seeger, half-brother of singer Pete Seeger. Plays a variety of instruments, including banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, dobro, and pan pipes. Co-founded old-time string band the New Lost City Ramblers in 1958 with John Cohen and Tom Paley. Has also recorded prolifically as a solo artist, notably Solo Old Time Music released in 1962, and with the Strange Creek Singers ~ Seeger passed away in 2009
August 15, 1931 ~ Gilbert Leroy Hamilton, commonly known as R&B, soul singer Johnny Thunder, born in Leesburg, Florida, USA ~ Briefly a touring member for the Drifters. Backing singer for Dionne Warwick. Recorded a handful of early 1960s singles under his real name Gil Hamilton, notably Tell Him and Move And Groove, both later successfuly covered by respectively the Exciters and Johnny O'Keefe. Best known for his 1963 Loop-de-loop hit singl ~ Hamilton passed away in 2024August 15, 1931 ~ Jazz pianist, vibraphonist Terry Pollard born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Worked with Billy Mitchell, Elvin Jones, Johnny Hill, Emmitt Slay, Terry Gibbs, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Yusef Lateef, Dorothy Ashby, and Don Fagerquist ~ Pollard passed away in 2009
August 15, 1925 ~ Singer Bill Pinkney born in Dalzell, South Carolina, USA ~ Original member of the Drifters along with Andrew Thrasher, Gerhart Thrasher, Willie Ferbie and naturally Clyde McPhatter. Sang on early hits such as Money Honey, Honey Love, Adorable, and Ruby Baby. Lead on I Should Have Done Right and Steamboat ~ Pinkney passed away in 2007August 15, 1925 ~ Jazz bassist George Morrow born in Pasadena, California, USA ~ Best known for his work with Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, and with Sonny Stitt. Morrow has also played with Charlie Parker, Sonny Criss, Teddy Edwards, Hampton Hawes, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Billie Holiday, Sonny Clark, Anita O'Day, Curtis Amy, and Earl Anderza ~ Morrow passed away in 1992
August 15, 1925 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Oscar Peterson, full name Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, born in Montreal, Canada ~ Appeared on more than 200 recordings over a six decade career. Child prodigy. Widely seen as one of the greatest jazz pianists of his day. Influenced by Teddy Wilson, Nat King Cole, James P Johnson, Art Tatum, Sergei Rachmaninoff. Worked with Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Sam Jones, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Joe Pass, Irving Ashby, Count Basie, Herbie Hancock, Ed Thigpen, Ben Webster, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, and McCoy Tyner ~ Peterson passed away in 2007
August 15, 1925 ~ Country singer, fiddler, songwriter Rose Maddox, full name Roselea Arbana Maddox, born in Boaz, Alabama, USA ~ Lead singer for sibling outfit the Maddox Brothers. Following the band's disbandement in 1956 ventured out on her own, drawing from hillbilly, rockabilly and gospel, scoring Billboard Country hits throughout the mid 1960s. Well known songs include Kissing My Pillow, the Buck Owens-duets Mental Cruelty and Loose Talk, and her best known Sing A Little Song Of Heartache released in 1962 ~ Maddox passed away in 1998
August 15, 1924 ~ Singer, songwriter, journalist, advertising executive, author Doris Willens born in New York, New York, USA ~ Member of children's folk group the Baby Sitters alongside Alan Arkin and Lee Hays. Wrote the biography Lonesome Traveler (The Life Of Lee Hays), published in 1988, describing Hays' career with pivotal folk groups the Almanac Singers and the Weavers. Authored a number of dramatic and musical pieces for the theatre. Would spend much of her professional life as a journalist and advertising executive, eventually rising to the position of vice president with Doyle Dane Bernbach ad agency ~ Willens passed away in 2021
August 15, 1920 ~ Bassist Leonard Gaskin born in New York, New York, USA ~ Early bebop bassist. Leader and sideman. Worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Cootie Williams, Charlie Parker, Don Byas, Eddie South, Charlie Shavers, Erroll Garner, Eddie Condon, Ruby Braff, Bud Freeman, Rex Stewart, Billie Holiday, Stan Getz, JJ Johnson, Miles Davis, Sy Oliver, Panama Francis, the International Art Of Jazz, Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Scott, Big Maybelle, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Sunnyland Slim, Red Holloway, Jimmy Witherspoon, Bob Dylan, Willis Jackson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Curtis Jones, Shakey Jake, and Mildred Anderson ~ Gaskin passed away in 2009
August 15, 1909 ~ Easy listening orchestra leader, composer Hugo Winterhalter born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Active since the mid 1930s. Sideman and arranger for Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Raymond Scott, Claude Thornhill. Conducted for Dinah Shore and Billy Eckstine. Best known for his work at RCA-Victor starting in the 1950s, arranging and conducting on recordings by Perry Como, Harry Belafonte, Eddie Fisher, Jaye P Morgan, and the Ames Brothers. Winterhalter is also known for penning the main theme for the 1962 film Diamond Head ~ Winterhalter passed away in 1973August 15, 1905 ~ Songwriter, film composer Johnny Lange, full name John George Lange, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Perhaps best known for co-penning Mule Train. The song would be first recorded by Buz Butler and covered by numerous artists including Bing Crosby, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Gene Autry. Vaughn Monroe's version from the 1950 film Singing Guns would be nominated for an Academy Award but lost out to Mona Lisa as performed by Charlie Spivak in the film Captain Carey USA. Other songs co-written by Lange have been recorded by Eddy Duchin, Johnny Mercer (I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City), Ella Fitzgerald, Dennis Day, Roy Rogers (Blue Shadows On The Trail), Louis Jordan, and the Ink Spots (Somebody Bigger Than You AndI) ~ Lange passed away in 2006
August 15, 1903 ~ Joseph Copeland Garland, commonly known as jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger Joe Garland, born in Norfolk, Virginia, USA ~ Best remembered for penning In The Mood, first recorded by Glenn Miller. Has worked with Elmer Snowden, Joe Steele, Leon Abbey, Jelly Roll Morton, the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, Lucky Millinder, Edgar Hayes, Don Redman, Louis Armstrong, Claude Hopkins, Herbie Fields, and Earl Hines ~ Garland passed away in 1977
August 15, 1903 ~ Arthur Hazel, commonly known as jazz drummer Monk Hazel, born in Harvey, Louisiana, USA ~ Active since the late-1910s. Also plays brass, occasionally, especially cornet. Has played with Emmett Hardy, Stalebread Lacombe, Abbie Brunies, Tony Parenti, Johnny Wiggs, Gene Austin, Joe Caprano, Lloyd Danton, Sharkey Bonano, George Girard, Mike Lala, Santo Pecora. Has done some recordings as a leader employing sidemen such as Pete Fountain and Al Hirt ~ Hazel passed away in 1968
August 15, 1901 ~ Lyricist, songwriter Ned Washington, full name Edward Michael Washington, born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. Won the award twice, in 1940 for Ukulele Ike' s When You Wish Upon A Star co-written with Leigh Harline and included in the film Pinocchio, and in 1952 for Tex Ritter's High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me) co-written with Dimitri Tiomkin and featured in the film High Noon ~ Washington passed away in 1976
August 15, 1898 ~ Songwriter Charles Tobias born in New York, New York, USA ~ Perhaps best remembered for co-writing Comes Love, first recorded by Harry James in 1939 and covered by over 200 artists including Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, Billie Holiday, and Sam Cooke. Other notable songs co-written by Tobias include Just Another Day Wasted Away (Waiting For You) (the Golden Gate Dance Orchestra, Frank Farrell, Rosemary Squires), After My Laughter Came Tears (the Harmony Trio, Johnnie Ray, Ray Charles), Miss You (Rudy Vallée, Bing Crosby, Bill Haley), I Lost My Gal From Memphis (Roy Evans, Billy Cotton, Tex Williams), The Old Lamp-Lighter (Kay Kyser, Hal McIntyre, Mac Wiseman), and The Wonderful World Of Christmas (Robert Goulet, Elvis Presley) ~ Tobias passed away in 1970
August 15, 1894 ~ Pianist, songwriter Harry Akst born in New York, New York, USA ~ Started in vaudeville, accompanying artists such as Nora Bayes, Frank Faye, Al Jolson. Would go on to become a respected songwriter for Broadway and Hollywood. Best remembered for co-authoring Dinah with Sam M Lewis and Joe Young, originally recorded by Ethel Waters in 1925 it would also become a hit for the Boswell Sisters, Bing Crosby and the Mills Brothers, the Revelers, and for Fletcher Henderson ~ Akst passed away in 1963August 15, 1881 ~ Singer, songwriter Ted Snyder, full name Theodore Frank Snyder, born in Woodland Hills, California, USA ~ Perhaps best remembered for co-writing Sheik Of Araby and Who's Sorry Now. Both songs have become jazz standards recorded by numerous artists, the former recorded by the Regal Male Trio, Tiny Bradshaw, Fats Waller, and Jack Teagarden, the latter by Bob Thompson, Milton Brown, Harry James, and perhaps most notably by Connie Francis ~ Snyder passed away in 1965