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, 1913 ~ Orchestrator, composer, songwriter Joseph J Lilley born in Providence, Rhode Island, USA ~ Best known for his work in various roles in Hollywood musicals, notably for Paramount Studios, since the early 1940s. Notable credits include Variety Girl, Mr Music, The Stooge and serving as musical director for a number of Elvis Presley films notably GI Blues, Blue Hawaii, Girls Girls Girls, and Fun In Acapulco ~ Lilley passed away in 1971
August 16, 1888 ~ Armand John Piron, commonly known as jazz violinist, bandleader AJ Piron, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Popular dancebandleader. Best known for I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate and The Purple Rose Of Cairo. Employed sidemen such as Lorenzo Tio, John Lindsay, and Peter Bocage ~ Piron passed away in 1943August 16, 1884 ~ Vaudeville singer, dancer, songwriter George A Whiting born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ As a performer, Whiting toured with singer Sadie Burt, whom he later married. However, Whiting would become best known for co-writing My Blue Heaven with Walter Donaldson. It would be a huge hit for Gene Austin in 1928, selling over 5 million copies, and become a standard recorded by hundreds of artists including Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Fats Domino, the Platters, Marlene Dietrich, Cliff Richard, Pat Boone, and Lena Horne. Other well known songs co-written by Whiting include I'll Be Blue Just Thinking Of You (From Now On) first recorded by Isham Jones, Believe It (Beloved) recorded by Fats Waller, and Who Told You I Cared recorded by Sammy Kaye ~ Whiting passed away in 1943
August 16, 1863 ~ Pianist, organist, conductor, composer Gabriel Pierné, full name Henri Constant Gabriel Pierné, born in Metz, France ~ Composed operas, chamber music, and choral and symphonic pieces. Perhaps best known for the oratario La Croisade Des Enfants. Other well known pieces include Introduction Et Variations Sur Une Ronde Populaire for saxophone quartet, and the ballet Cydalise Et Le Chevre Pied which included Marche Des Petits Faunes ~ Pierné passed away in 1937