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 16, 2024 ~ Robert Caldwell Hicks, commonly known as bluegrass banjoist, mandolinist, fiddler Bobby Hicks, passed away ~ Member of Bill Monroe's quintessential unit the Blue Grass Boys for most of the 1950s, rejoining on occasion in later years. Hicks backed Porter Wagoner in the early 1960s, and subsequently served as bandleader for Judy Lynn through 1970. Also closely associated with Ricky Skaggs, with whom he played for some two decades including on the albums Sweet Temptation, Highways & Heartaches, and Country Boy. Regarded as one of the finest fiddlers, once cited by Monroe as “the truest fiddler he had ever heard”, Hicks has recorded as a solo artist, notably Texas Crapshooter released in 1977, and was an in-demand collaborator and sideman present on recordings by Doyle Lawson, Kenny Baker, Michael Martin Murphey, Tony Rice (Cold On The Shoulder), the Lost And Found, the Bluegrass Album Band, David Grisman, the Seldom Scene, the Reno Brothers, Rhonda Vincent, Herschel Sizemore, and Eddie Adcock ~ Hicks was born in 1933
August 16, 2024 ~ Singers Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga release their collaborative Die With A Smile stand-alone single ~ Bruno Mars had been struggling on a new song, unsatisfied with its progress. When he played a draft for Lady Gaga, the pair finished the song within a day. The resulting duet, issued as a stand-alone single, would be met with universal critical acclaim with Clash Magazine calling the song “a hommage to those lush 1970s duets (yet) profoundly modern”, Bustle noting it “blends Gaga's emotive pop melodies with Mars' old-school R&B influences”, and Billboard calling the song “a match made in Grammy heaven”. Die With A Smile topped the charts in over two dozen countries, and earned the singers a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo. Looking back on the collaboration, Mars has stated “Lady Gaga was kind enough to let him be on the song,” adding it was an honor to work with her
August 16, 2024 ~ Pianist, arranger, conductor, producer Charles Blackwell, full name Charles Vincent Blackwell, passed away ~ Closely associated with producer Joe Meek, under whose guidance Blackwell became one of the most prolific studio arrangers and producers of the 1960s and 1970s. Notable credits include serving in one capacity or another on hit songs such as Johnny Remember Me by John Leyton, What's New Pussycat and I'll Never Fall In Love Again by Tom Jones, and Release Me and A Man Without Love by Engelbert Humperdinck. Blackwell also regularly arranged and conducted studio recordings for francophone artists including Art Sullivan, Michel Polnareff, and Françoise Hardy (Je Veux Qu'il Revienne). In 2005, Blackwell was commissioned by the European Council to orchestrate and conduct a new recording of Anthem Of Europe, adapted from Ludwig van Beethoven's Ode To Joy, with a 70-man orchestra which is played at every sitting of the European Parliament ~ Blackwell was born in 1940
August 16, 2024 ~ Kent Rowell, commonly known as blues singer Luther Kent, passed away ~ Influenced by Bobby Blue Bland, Etta James, and Ray Charles. Longtime resident of Baton Rouge, powerhouse vocalist Kent would become a fixture in southern Louisiana where he attracted a large following through frequently performing at dance halls and festivals, including repeatedly at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Outside his home state, he was best known for briefly joining Blood Sweat & Tears, touring with the band in 1974 yet contractual obligations kept him from recording with the group. Kent has recorded half a dozen albums as a solo artist, starting with World Class in 1977, and has guested on albums by Maynard Ferguson, the Forever Fabulous Chickenhawks, Robi Zonca, and Rue De Funk. Kent is also known as a host for WBRH, an FM station operated by students at the Baton Rouge High School ~ Rowell was born in 1948
August 16, 2023 ~ Label executive Jerry Moss, full name Jerome S Moss, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Co-founded A&M Records in 1962 with trumpeter, bandleader Herb Alpert. The label's stable of artists included acts such as Sérgio Mendes, the Carpenters, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Captain & Tennille, Rita Coolidge, Wes Montgomery, Toni Basil, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Billy Preston, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, Procol Harum, Carole King, Styx, Supertramp, Joan Armatrading, Squeeze, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Janet Jackson, the Police, Sting, Atlantic Starr, Human League, and Joe Jackson. Moss and Alpert sold the label to Polygram Records in 1989 and continued to manage the company until 1993 ~ Moss was born in 1935
August 16, 2023 ~ Operatic soprano, director, voice teacher Renata Scotto passed away in Savona, Italy ~ Regarded as one of the premier opera singers of her generation. During the 1960s became one of the leading singers of the belcanto revival, a movement ushered in by Maria Callas in the 1950s. Known for roles in Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata at La Scala, and Giacomo Puccini's Madame Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera. As a voice teacher coached singers such as Renée Fleming, Anna Netrebko, and Deborah Voigt. Married to violinist Lorenzo Anselmi, who would become her manager, from 1960 until his death in 2021. The couple would raise a son and a daughter ~ Scotto was born in 1934
August 16, 2022 ~ David Raskin, commonly known as blues singer, guitarist, songwriter Kal David, passed away in Palm Springs, California, USA ~ Got his stage name fronting the neighborhood band Kal David & the Exceptions in the early 1960s. The band also included Peter Cetera of future Chicago-fame and Marty Grebb who would later play for the Buckinghams. Formed the duo the Rovin' Kind with future Poco guitarist Paul Cotton. Fronted the 1970s outfit the Fabulous Rhinestones, known for the acclaimed albums The Fabulous Rhinestones, Freewheelin' and Rhinestones. Would go on to back artists such as Etta James, Johnny Rivers and John Mayall, and record as a solo artist, often accompanied by his wife singer Lauri Bono ~ Raskin was born in 1943
August 16, 2022 ~ Operatic baritone Matti Lehtinen passed away in Helsinki, Finland ~ Associated with the Cologne Opera from 1952 through 1955. Freelanced in opera, oratorio and lieder until 1963 before returning to his previous position at the Finnish National Opera, where over the years he appeared in over 60 operatic roles ~ Lehtinen was born in 1922
August 16, 2022 ~ Ricardo Capuano, commonly known as pop rock singer, guitarist Rico, passed away in Govan, UK ~ Member of 1990s outfit Perfect World. Released his solo debut album, Sanctuary Medicines, in 1999. Best known for guesting on Crazier, a 2003 UK top 20 hit with regular collaborator Gary Numan ~ Capuano was born in 1971
August 16, 2019 ~ Country singer Tanya Tucker releases Bring My Flowers Now, lifted off her While I'm Livin' album ~ The song served as a reminder to show appreciation for loved ones while you still have the chance. As Tanya Tucker would later explain: “This song came from my heart. It's about showing love for the ones we have now before they are gone.” Written by Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile for Tucker's first album of original material in seventeen years and the first to reach Billboard Country top 10 since 1991's What Do I Do With Me. Carlile had been a longtime fan of Tucker's and jumped at the chance to work with her, co-writing all of the songs on the album. Bring My Flowers Now would be warmly received by critics and earned Tucker Grammy Award nominations for Song of the Year, Best Country Solo Performance, and Best Country Song. Somehow, however, it charted poorly, spending only one week on the Billboard Country charts at No.47
August 16, 2018 ~ Singer Aretha Franklin passed away in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Undisputed Queen of Soul. Had no less than eighty-eight singles hit the US singles charts starting in 1955 including hits such as RESPECT, Chain Of Fools, Think, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You), I Say A Little Prayer, Rock Steady, Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do), Chain Of Fools, Day Dreaming, and Who's Zoomin' Who ~ Franklin was born in 1942
August 16, 2008 ~ Singer, songwriter, actor, painter Dorival Caymmi passed away in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ~ Father of singers Nana Caymmi, Dori Caymmi, Danilo Caymmi. Helped birth Brazil's bossa nova movement. Best known for songs such as Samba Da Minha Terra, Dorlice, Saudade Da Bahia, Promessa De Pescador and Milagre, considered staples of modern Brazilian music and popular to this day ~ Caymmi was born in 1914
August 16, 2008 ~ Ska, rocksteady, reggae trumpeter Johnny Moore, full name John Arlington Moore, passed away in Kingston, Jamaica ~ Following a stint in the Army, including playing in the Jamaica Military Band, has worked with the Mapletof Poulle Orchestra and Eric Dean, dismissed from the latter's band for growing dreadlocks. Would go on to session for Count Ossie and play with band the Cavaliers, alongside Jackie Mittoo, and Lloyd Brevet. The studio band would evolve into the pivotal ska, rocksteady unit the Skatalites. Has also recorded as a solo artist and collaborated with the Soul Vendors, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Lee Scratch Perry, and the Jamaica All-Stars ~ Moore was born in 1938
August 16, 2007 ~ Drummer Max Roach, full name Maxwell Lemuel Roach, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Pioneering bop, bebop percussionist active since the 1940s. Closely associated with Clifford Brown. Over 50 albums to his name as a leader or co-leader, especially acclaimed for the albums Jazz At Massey Hall, Max Roach Plus Four, and Deeds Not Words. In-demand sideman, present on albums by Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk (The Genius Of Modern Music Vol.1), Dizzy Gillespie (In Paris), Al Cohn, Dinah Washington (Dinah Jams), Charles Mingus (Mingus At The Bohemia), the Modern Jazz Quartet, Sonny Rollins (Saxophone Colossus), Miles Davis (Birth Of The Cool), Booker Little, Dexter Gordon (Dexter Rides Again), Thad Jones (The Fabulous Thad Jones), George Russell, Stanley Turrentine, Eric Dolphy, JJ Johnson, Ray Charles, and Ronnie Cuber ~ Roach was born in 1924
August 16, 2005 ~ Fiddler Vassar Clements, full name Vassar Carlton Clements, passed away in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, USA ~ Dubbed “the Father of Hillbilly Jazz,” drawing from swing, jazz, bluegrass, and country. Besides fiddle also masters the cello, double bass, mandolin, banjo, and guitar. Backed Bill Monroe from the late 1940s through the mid 1950s. Would go on to work with the likes of Jim & Jesse, Flatt & Scruggs, and Faron Young. Notably present on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's seminal 1972 Will The Circle Be Unbroken album. Has also worked with the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, Old & In The Way, Linda Ronstadt, and Paul McCartney. In total Clements has appeared on over an estimated 200 albums ~ Clements was born in 1928
August 16, 2003 ~ Keyboardist, arranger, composer Andrew Pryce Jackman passed away ~ Member of mid 1960s rock outfit the Syn. Best known for arranging and conducting a series Classic Rock albums with the London Symphony Orchestra. Has also worked as arranger for the likes of Peter Skellern, the English Congregation, Rush, Barclay James Harvest, and Yes ~ Jackman was born in 1946
August 16, 2002 ~ Folk singer, banjoist, songwriter Ola Belle Reed passed away in Rising Sun, Maryland, USA ~ Formed the New River Boys & Girls with her brother Alex Campbell, known for songs such as Indecision, I Threw Away The Key, and You Led Me To The Wrong. Several songs written by Reed would become classics of the genre, perhaps most notably High On A Mountain recorded by Del McCoury, Hot Rize, Tim O'Brien, and Marty Stuart ~ Reed was born in 1916
August 16, 2000 ~ Guitarist, producer Alan Caddy passed away ~ Original member, lead guitarist of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, known for their 1960 UK No.1 hit Shakin' All Over. Co-founding member of the Tornados, which would become the first British act to have a single reach the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their 1962 single Telstar. As a solo artist Caddy is known for his 1964 Tornado hit before venturing into producing, arranging and working as a session musician ~ Caddy was born in 1940
August 16, 1997 ~ Pervez Fateh Ali Khan, commonly known as singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, passed away in London, UK ~ Dubbed “the King of Kings of Qawwali”, widely credited with bringing qawwali music, a form of Sufi devotional music, to international adiences. Signed by the British label Oriental Star Agencies, his powerful vocal presentations brought forth a craze for his music all over Europe. Recorded well over two dozen albums since the mid 1970s, especially noted for 1990's Mustt Mustt and Devotional Songs released a year before his death at age 48. Artists such as Jeff Buckley, Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder, and Joan Osborne have cited Khan as an influence ~ Khan was born in 1948
August 16, 1995 ~ R&B, soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter Bobby DeBarge, full name Robert Louis DeBarge Jr, passed away in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA ~ Lead singer for Switch, known best for their 1978 eponymous Switch sophomore album which spawned the Billboard R&B top 10 hit There'll Never Be. Other well known songs include Best Beat In Town, I Call Your Name, and Love Over And Over Again. Co-produced DeBarge's 1981 The DeBarges debut album, joining the family outfit as a full member in 1987 for their fifth and final album Bad Boys. In later years DeBarge would struggle with personal problems, including substance abuse, seriously hindering his career. Passed away at age 39 of AIDS-related complications shortly after releasing It's Not Over, his sole solo album ~ DeBarge was born in 1956
August 16, 1992 ~ Folk rock, CCM singer, guitarist Mark Heard, full name John Mark Heard III, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Acknowledged as a poetic songwriter displaying an honesty to the human condition uncommon in CCM, Heard has recorded over half a dozen albums prior to his death at age 40, following a heart attack on stage. Especially acclaimed for his 1982 Victims Of The Age album and Dry Bones Dance released eight years later. A valued sideman, collaborator, and occasional producer, Heard is also present on albums by Larry Norman, Phil Keaggy, Olivia Newton-John, Randy Stonehill (Return To Paradise), and Pierce Pettis ~ Heard was born in 1951August 16, 1991 ~ Rock band Van Halen kick off their For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour, often abbreviated as The FUCK Tour, at the Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta, Georgia ~ In support of their For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge album, the band play 99 shows across North America through the end of May. The tour included concerts in Hawaii and Mexico, places they rarely visited. At the two Fresno, California, shows the band filmed and recorded material for the live double album and VHS Right Here Right Now, released in 1993. Opening act Alice In Chains would miss the December 2 concert in Memphis as the band's guitarist Jerry Cantrell was a no-show. He had been on a hunting trip, and erroneously thinking the month November has 31 days Cantrell simply showed up too late
August 16, 1991 ~ Jeffery Lamar Williams, commonly known as hip hop, trap, mumble rap, progressive hip hop rapper Young Thug, born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Best known for his 2020 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit Go Crazy featuring Chris Brown, Williams is considered one of the most influentual hip hop artists of his generation, noted for his eccentric vocal style and fashion sense. Actively recording since the early-2010s, a string of mixtapes and singles leading up to his full-length So Much Fun debut album in 2019
August 16, 1988 ~ Singer Vanessa Williams releases Dreamin', lifted off her The Right Stuff debut album ~ Had her previous single, The Right Stuff already been a hit in the clubs and reached No.4 on the Billboard R&B charts, its followup would even do better. Dreamin' had originally been recorded by Guinn two years earlier, but failed to reach the charts. Vanessa Williams had taken a liking to the song and asked the original version's producer, Donald Robinson, to produce a new version with her. Williams' single reached No.8 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and No.1 on the Billboard R&B chart. Both The Right Stuff and Dreamin' would be nominated for a Grammy Award, while the singer would also be nominated for Best New Artist. Back in 1983, Williams had won the Miss America title but soon after nude photos of her surfaced, she was forced to hand in the crown. The success of her debut album and its two hit singles helped her overcome the scandal
August 16, 1987 ~ Pop, dance-pop singer Tiffany releases I Think We're Alone Now, lifted off her eponymous Tiffany debut album ~ Originally a 1967 Billboard Hot 100 No.4 hit for Tommy James & the Shondells, Tiffany's cover would surpass the original. When it reached No.1, it replaced Billy Idol's Mony Mony, another cover of a Tommy James & the Shondells original. Tiffany was just 13 years old when she recorded her cover, and just 15 when she released the song. The parent album, her eponymous Tiffany debut, reached No.1 Billboard Hot 200 in 1988, making the then 16-year old singer the youngest female singer to top the albums chart