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 18, 2025 ~ Ian Matthias Bavitz, commonly known as rapper, producer Aesop Rock or Aesop the Black Wolf, passed away ~ At the forefront of underground and alternative hip-hop acts during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Released his Music For Earthworms debut album in 1997. Has collaborated with MF Doom, DJ Krush, El-P, and Percee P, and Tame One ~ Bavitz was born in 1976
August 18, 2023 ~ Pop singer Ray Hildebrand passed away ~ Formed the duo Paul & Paula with Jill Jackson, best known for their 1963 Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit Hey Paula. The pair were given their stagename by label executive Shelby Singleton, arguing that it wouldn't make much sense for Jill & Ray, their original stage name, to sing “Hey hey Paul, hey hey Paula.” The duo's follow-up single Young Lovers would also reach top 10. After parting ways in 1965 Hildebrand would find modest success as a Christian singer, notably with his Anybody Here Wanna Live Forever single, and duetting with Paul Land throughout the 1980s under the monniker Land & Hildebrand ~ Hildebrand was born in 1940August 18, 2022 ~ Clarinetist, saxophonist Rolf Kühn passed away in Berlin, Germany ~ Brother of pianist Joachim Kühn, with whom he also regularly worked. Leader and sideman. Critically compared to Benny Goodman. Worked with Horst Jankowski, Buddy DeFranco, Urbie Green, Eartha Kitt, Oscar Pettiford, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Eddie Costa, and Julia Hülsmann ~ Kühn was born in 1929
August 18, 2020 ~ Harold Joseph Singer, commonly known as R&B saxophonist Hal Cornbread Singer, passed away in Chatou, France ~ Best known for Fine As Wine, Corn Bread and Beef Stew. Leader, sideman, saxophonist, session musician. Worked with Ernie Fields, Jay McShann, Hot Lips Page, Earl Hines, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, and Al Grey ~ Singer was born in 1919
August 18, 2020 ~ Rock guitarist Jack Sherman passed away in Savannah, Georgia, USA ~ Best known as member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, replacing Hillel Slovak in 1983. Present on the band's eponymous the Red Hot Chili Peppers debut album. Co-wrote several tracks of their debut as well as the band's sophomore Freaky Styley album. Also worked with Bob Dylan, George Clinton, Tonio K, and Feargal Sharkey ~ Sherman was born in 1956
August 18, 2020 ~ Pop singer, guitarist, drummer, songwriter Roger Quigley, full name Roger Patrick Martin Quigley, passed away ~ Released a handful of solo recording marked by autobiographical lyics intertwined with minor-chord guitar arpeggios, starting with his A Kind Of Loving debut EP released in 1995. Drummer for Lovewood. Formed the Montgolfier Brothers with Mark Tranmer, known best for the acclaimed The World Is Flat album released in 2002. Guested on the Southern Arts Society's 2008 Burning Sand album ~ Quigley was born in 1969August 18, 2018 ~ Percussionist, bongos player Jack Costanzo passed away in Lakeside, California, USA ~ Worked with the Lecuona Cuban Boys, Desi Arnaz, René Touzet, Nat King Cole, Billy May, Peggy Lee, Danny Kaye, Pérez Prado, Charlie Barnet, Pete Rugolo, Betty Grable, Harry James, Judy Garland, Patti Page, Jane Powell, Ray Anthony, Frances Faye, Dinah Shore, Xavier Cugat, Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, and Eddie Fisher ~ Costanzo was born in 1919
August 18, 2017 ~ Albert Austin Burges, commonly known as rockabilly, country guitarist. singer Sonny Burgess passed away in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA ~ Member of the Pacers, known for the 1956 single We Wanna Boogie b/w Red Headed Woman. Both songs written by Burgess and considered rock & roll classics. Also a member of the Rocky Road Ramblers ~ Burgess was born in 1929
August 18, 2015 ~ Jazz pianist, steelpan player Russell Henderson, full name Russell Audley Ferdinand Henderson, passed away ~ Worked with Lord Pretender, the Mighty Growler, Roaring Lion, Beryl McBurnie, Joe Harriott, Shake Keane, Lord Kitchener, and Young Tiger. Best known for founding the Russ Henderson Steel Band, Britain's first steelband combo, in 1952 ~ Henderson was born in 1924
August 18, 2014 ~ Singer Taylor Swift releases Shake It Off, lifted off her 1989 album ~ Like Mean earlier, Shake It Off was written in response to the criticism, and especially the haters, Taylor Swift endured on her rise to fame. The singer would explain to Billboard the difference between the songs: “Four years ago I put out a song called Mean from the perspective of ‘Why are you picking on me? Why can I never do anything right in your eyes?’ It was coming from a semi-defeated place. Fast-forward a few years and Shake It Off is like, ‘You know what? If you're upset and irritated that I'm just being myself, I'm going to be myself more, and I'm having more fun than you so it doesn't matter’.” Shake It Off would be the singer's second Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit. Her first, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, was also co-written and produced by Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback
August 18, 2012 ~ Philip Wallach Blondheim III, commonly known as singer, songwriter Scott McKenzie, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Member of Journeymen. Best known as a solo artist, especially remembered for his 1967 hit San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair) written and co-produced by the Mamas & the Papas singer John Phillips. McKenzie was backed by Phillips on guitar, Joe Osborn on bass, Hal Blaine on drums ~ McKenzie was born in 1939
August 18, 2010 ~ Bassist, guitarist, singer Kenny Edwards, full name Kenneth Michael Edwards, passed away ~ Best known for his associations with Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff. Founding member of the Stone Poneys. Founding member of Bryndle. Has also worked with Emmylou Harris, Stevie Nicks, JD Souther, Don Henley, Brian Wilson, Warren Zevon, Art Garfunkel, Vince Gill, Mac McAnally, David Lee Murphy, Jennifer Warnes, Danny Kortchmar, Lowell George, Glen Phillips, Natalie D Napoleon, Nina Gerber, Bobby Kimmel, Wendy Waldman, Rita Coolidge, BW Stevenson, Andrew Gold, Iain Matthews, Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Starr, the Brothers FIgaro, the Williams Brothers, Wynonna Judd, Dorothy Moskowitz, Antara & Delilah, and Dick Annegarn ~ Kimmel was born in 1946August 18, 2007 ~ Dessie Mae Williams, commonly known as blues, jazz singer Odessa Harris, passed away in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Toured with BB King, who gave Harris her stage name. As a solo artist known for a handful of underpromoted early 1960s singles including Rocking Good Way, Nothing In The World, and Since I Fell For You. Also worked with Robert Nighthawk, Sonny Freeman, and Marcus Belgrave ~ Williams was born in 1936
August 18, 2003 ~ Bassist, singer Tony Jackson, full name Anthony Paul Jackson, passed away in Nottingham, UK ~ Founded skiffle group the Martinis. Best known though as member of the Searchers. Sang lead on the Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman-penned Sweets For My Sweet, originally a hit for the Drifters, and on Sugar And Spice. Unhappy with the band's shift to a softer pop sound Jackson left the band in 1964 and formed the Vibrations ~ Jackson was born in 1938
August 18, 1994 ~ Carl Gustaf Mauritz Nilsson, commonly known as jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, trombonist, bandleader, composer Charles Redland, passed away in Stockholm, Sweden ~ Enjoyed popularity in Sweden from the 1930s onwards. Recorded with Benny Carter by the mid 1930s. Has composed music for over 80 films, as well as for radio and TV programs ~ Nilsson was born in 1911August 18, 1991 ~ Jazz clarinetist Clarence Hutchenrider passed away in Queens, New York, USA ~ Member of the Casa Loma Orchestra led by Glen Gray. A lung illness paused Hutchenrider's career from the mid 1940s through the mid 1950s. In later years Hutchenrider would work in the New York area, most notably with the Gully Low Band in the 1980s ~ Hutchenrider was born in 1908
August 18, 1988 ~ Kwon Ji-yong, commonly known as rapper, singer, producer, songwriter, fashion designer G-Dragon, born in Seoul, South Korea ~ Known as “the King of K-pop”. Leader of hip-hop boy band the Big Band. Debuted as a solo artist in 2009 with the album Heartbreaker, which became the best-selling album by a Korean soloist, and has recorded to commercial succes since
August 18, 1986 ~ Glam metal, pop metal outfit Bon Jovi release Slippery When Wet, the band's third studio album ~ The album that turned “heavy metal into a radio-friendly pop format”, and the one that made Bon Jovi bonafide stars. At the suggestion of their label noted songwriter Desmond Child, who had previously worked with acts such as Kiss, had been brought in and Child ended up co-writing four of the album's tracks. Jon Bon Jovi would later recall: “He hasn't tried to change what we are, but to refine it slightly, to suggest extra ways that we could wring a bit more out of what we had.” The album would reach the top spot in over half a dozen countries, including eight weeks atop the American Billboard Hot 200 charts. It would also give the band their first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits, You Give Love A Bad Name and Livin' On A Prayer both reached No.1 Billboard Hot 100 while Wanted Dead Or Alive peaked at No.7
August 18, 1986 ~ Pop rock outfit Genesis release In Too Deep, lifted off their Invisible Touch album ~ As a solo artist, Phil Collins had already done two songs for soundtracks, Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) for the 1984 romantic thriller Against All Odds and Separate Lives, a duet with Marilyn Martin for the 1985 White Nights drama. He would be contracted to write a song for the 1986 neo-noir drama Mona Lisa, so he wrote the breakup song and this time recorded it with his band Genesis. The band would also include the song on their Invisible Touch. As a single, In Too Deep would do especially well in America where it reached No.3 Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's fourth top 10 hit after That's All, Invisible Touch, and Throwing It All AwayAugust 18, 1984 ~ Jazz, avant-garde jazz, post-bop pianist John Escreet born in Doncaster, UK ~ Debuted as a leader with his Consequences album released in 2008, accompanied by saxophonist David Binney, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Tyshawn Sorey. Has also worked with Wayne Krantz, Ari Hoenig, Adam Rogers, Chris Potter, Seamus Blake, and Antonio Sánchez
August 18, 1984 ~ In its 9th week on the charts, Panama by Van Halen peaks at No.13 Billboard Hot 100 ~ Despite its title, the song has nothing to do with the country of Panama. Reportedly, the lyrics were inspired by two distinct things, namely a stripper and a car named ‘Panama Express’ lead singer David Lee Roth once saw race in Las Vegas. Musically, according to the band's guitarist Eddie Van Halen the song was inspired by AC/DC's straightforward three chord rock style. Panama was one of the last songs the band recorded with lead singer David Lee Roth, who would depart the band a year later on account of artistic differences to be succeeded by Sammy Hagar. During the 1989 United States Invasion of Panama, American soldiers repeatedly played Panama as a form of psychological warfare, aiming to force General Manuel Noriega out of hiding
August 18, 1980 ~ Pop rock group U2 release A Day Without Me, lead single off their Boy debut album ~ Recently signed to Island Records, the label would pair the band with producer Steve Lillywhite to see if they matched. They did, Lillywhite would go on to produce three albums for the band, Boy, October, and War, helping the band achieve stardomAugust 18, 1978 ~ Comedian, actor, singer, arranger Andy Samberg born in Berkeley, California, USA ~ Cast member and writer for the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. Member of musical comedy troupe the Lonely Island alongside Akive Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. Also well known as an actor for film and TV, perhaps most notably on Brooklyn Ninety-Nine
August 18, 1971 ~ Richard David James, commonly known as electronic, ambient, IDM, experimental producer, DJ, keyboardist Aphex Twin born in Limerick, UK ~ Regarded as one of the most important artists in contemporary electronic music, active in styles such as techno, ambient, and jungle. Cited as an influence by Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter, Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland, Skrillex, the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, and Tame Impala's Kevin Parker. Especially acclaimed for his 1992 Selected Ambient Works 85-92 debut album
August 18, 1969 ~ Erik Schrody, commonly known as rock-rapper Everlast, born in Valley Stream, New York, USA ~ Member of hip hop trio House Of Pain, known for the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit Jump Around of their eponymous 1992 House Of Pain debut album. As a solo artist especially acclaimed for his 1998 Whitey Ford Sings The Blues album merging rap with rock guitars, the album spawning the radio hits What It's Like and Ends. Also well known for collaborating with Carlos Santana on Put Your Lights On of Santana's 1999 The Supernatural album