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 19, 2025 ~ Saxophonist Michael Antunes, also known as Michael Tunes Antunes, passed away ~ Member of John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, a bar band which initially gained a regional following in the Northeast prior to reaching mainstream in the 1980s with their soundtrack albums for Eddie & the Cruisers and its sequel Eddie & the Cruisers II (Eddie Lives). The former would spawn On The Dark Side, which reached No.7 Billboard Hot 100. Antunes would be the only band member to also appear in the films, portraying the role of the saxophonist in the fictional band Eddie & the Cruisers. Antunes has also worked with Boston-based blues rock band Ernie & the Automatics, which also included former members of Boston and RTZ. Upon hearing of his bandmate's passing, Ernie & the Automatics guitarist Barry Goudreau described Antunes as “the greatest soloist I ever played with, a kind, sweet person” ~ Antunes was born in 1940
August 19, 2023 ~ Rock, pop singer, keyboardist, film composer Václav Patejdl, also known as Vaso Patejdl, passed away ~ Co-founding member of Elán, one of the most popular Czech acts of the 1980s, with whom he recorded four albums before departing on amicable terms in 1984 to focus on solo projects. Rejoined the band in 1996, to remain a member until his death. Over half a dozen albums as a solo artist, starting with Chlapcensky Usmev released in 1986. Has also written songs for other artists including Beáta Dubasová, Marika Gombitová, and Banket. The latter's Po Schodoch would later become a hit when rerecorded as a solo single by its lead singer Richard Müller. Patejdl also composed several soundtracks, notably for the 1985 movie Fontana Pre Zuzanu and the award-winning 2015 fairy tale film The Seven Ravens ~ Patejdl was born in 1954
August 19, 2022 ~ Heavy metal, thrash metal, Christian metal singer, drummer, songwriter Ted Kirkpatrick passed away ~ Sole constant member and primary songwriter of Christian metal outfit Tourniquet. Kirkpatrick is known for his unorthodox approach to drumming, viewing the drums as a musical instrument rather than “a noisy time keeper”, and is particularly praised for his ability to create and execute poly-rhythms within the framework of songs. Tourniquet have recorded ten studio albums, starting in the early 1990s, and are perhaps best known for Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance issued in 1992, once voted Favorite Album of the 1990s by the readers of HM Magazine. Besides his work with Tourniquet, serving as the band's thriving force throughout their career, Kirkpatrick has also recorded several albums as a solo artist, perhaps most notably his 2010 In The Shadows Of Masters sophomore album which finds Kirkpatrick drumming to classics by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gioachino Rossini, Frédéric Chopin and Niccolò Paganini. Besides classical music, Kirkpatrick is also influenced by ethnic and world music, resulting in instruments rarely found in metal such as the bouzouki and dulcimer appearing on Tourniquet's music, as well as rock drummers such as Emerson Lake & Palmer's Carl Palmer and Rush's Neil Peart. Kirkpatrick himself has stated he started drumming at age 10, but only “got serious after watching Buddy Rich from the front row at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1972, and seeing Carl Palmer's epic drum solo on Karn Evil 9 at California Jam in 1974” ~ Kirkpatrick was born in 1960
August 19, 2022 ~ Jazz, pop, classical pianist Warren Bernhardt, full name Warren Brooks Bernhardt, passed away ~ Over a dozen albums as a leader. First gained attention in the early 1960s working with Paul Winter. Would go on to work with George Benson, Gerry Mulligan, Jeremy Steig. Member of Steps Ahead. Briefly musical director for Steely Dan in the mid 1990s, present on the band's 1995 Alive In America album. Backed Simon & Garfunkel on their 2003 reunion tour. Has also worked with Kenny Burrell, Tim Hardin, Mike Mainieri, Pat Martino, Don McLean, Art Farmer, and White Elephant ~ Bernhardt was born in 1938
August 19, 2020 ~ Peter Yellow, commonly known as dancehall DJ Purpleman, passed away in Kingston, Jamaica ~ Deejayed with King Jammy. Debuted as a solo artist in 1982 with the album Purpleman. Has worked with U-Roy, Cornell Campbell, Fathead, Sister Nancy, and Papa Tollo ~ Yellow was born in 1962
August 19, 2020 ~ Blues rock, jam rock drummer Todd Nance passed away in Athens, Georgia, USA ~ Co-founding member of Widespread Panic, with whom he recorded about a dozen studio albums starting with the acclaimed Space Wrangler released in 1988. Nance departed the band in 2016 to be succeeded by Duane Trucks. Member of side project Brute, with whom he recorded two albums. Nance also co-founded supergroup Barbara Cue, and guested on albums by Jerry Joseph (Conscious Contact), Michael Houser, Daniel Hutchins, and Bloodkin ~ Nance was born in 1962
August 19, 2019 ~ Blues-rock, rock bassist Larry Taylor, full name Samuel Lawrence Taylor, passed away in Lake Balboa, California, USA ~ Bassist and occasional guitarist for Canned Heat through 1970, appearing on the albums Canned Heat, Boogie With Canned Heat, Living The Blues, and Hallelujah. Taylor was present for the performances at the Monterrey International Pop Festival in 1967 and the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969. Taylor is also closely associated with the Monkees, with whom he recorded five albums and notably present on Last Train To Clarksville, the band's last major hit, and with John Mayall, joining Mayall's backing unit the Bluesbreakers after his departure from Canned Heat. Taylor has also appeared on albums by Don Sugarcane Harris, Albert King, Leo Kottke, Chuck E Weiss, John Lee Hooker (The Healer), Charlie Musselwhite, JJ Cale, Tom Waits (Mule Variations), Candye Kane, Kelly Joe Phelps, and Tracy Chapman. Taylor's older brother Mel Taylor is the drummer for surf outfit the Ventures ~ Taylor was born in 1942
August 19, 2017 ~ Beatrice Ruth Wain, commonly known as singer Bea Wain passed away in Beverly Hills, California, USA ~ Big band era singer who recorded with Artie Shaw, Fred Waring, and Ted Straetter. Wain enjoyed her biggest commercial succes with Larry Clinton's Orchestra in the late 1930s. Especially notable is their 1938 rendition of My Reverie, a swing adaptation of Claude Debussy's Reverie with added pop vocals which occupied the No.1 spot on the pop charts for eight weeks. After her recording career Wain and her husband hosted a radio show called Mr & Mrs Music. After 1939 Wain would only sporadically record and sing, focusing on her radio work instead ~ Wain was born in 1917
August 19, 2016 ~ Entrepreneur, music manager Lou Pearlman, full name Louis Jay Pearlman, passed away in Miami, Florida, USA ~ Best known as the man behind several 1990s successes, notably forming the Backstreet Boys and subsequently developing NSYNC. Both acts would be hugely successful with hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. Other acts managed by Pearlman include O-Town, LFO (Lyte Funky Ones), Take 5, Marshall Dyllon, and Innosense, the latter of which briefly included Britney Spears as a member. Pearlman would be convicted in 2008 of conspiracy, money laundering and making false statements during bankruptcy proceedings leaving $300 million in debt. Sentenced to serve 25 years, Pearlman was offered the opportunity to reduce his sentence by one month for every million dollars he helped a bankruptcy trustee recover. He died eight years later in federal prison ~ Pearlman was born in 1954
August 19, 2015 ~ Mamadou Ndiaye, commonly known as drummer, bandleader, composer Doudou Ndiaye Rose, passed away in Dakar, Senegal ~ One of the first to bring Senegalese traditional music to a global audience. A virtuoso percussionist, he has been called “the Jimi Hendrix of the drum skin”. Perhaps best known for his 1994 Djabote album, recorded with no less than 50 drummers and an 80-member female choir. Over the course of his lengthy career Rose has toured with Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and the Rolling Stones, and recorded with artists as diverse as Peter Gabriel, Alan Stivell, David Murray, Aka Moon, and Nine Inch Nails. In 2006, he was declared a “living cultural treasure” by the UN Cultural Agency for keeping alive traditional rhythms ~ Ndiaye was born in 1930
August 19, 2013 ~ Cedar Anthony Walton Jr, commonly known as bop, hard bop pianist Cedar Walton, passed away in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ One of bop's premier leaders, influenced by Nat King Cole, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, and Art Tatum. Perhaps best known for compositions such as Mosaic, Bolivia, and Fantasy In D, all of which have become standards. Aside from recording prolifically as a leader, Walton has guested on albums by Blue Mitchell (Out Of The Blue), Cannonball Adderley, Abbey Lincoln (Abbey Is Blue), Clifford Jordan, Wayne Shorter, JJ Johnson, John Coltrane (Giant Steps), Jimmy Heath, Art Blakey, Curtis Fuller (Soul Trombone), Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Harris, Art Farmer (Jazz At The Smithsonian), Joe Henderson, Lee Morgan (Charisma), Sonny Criss, Hank Mobley, Pat Martino, Eric Kloss, Houston Person (Chocomotive), Milt Jackson, Barry Harris, Stanley Turrentine, Dexter Gordon, Clifford Jordan, Horace Parlan (No Blues), Idrees Sulieman, Sam Jones, Philly Joe Jones, and Ray Brown ~ Walton was born in 1934
August 19, 2010 ~ Singer, guitarist, songwriter Michael Been, full name Michael Kenneth Been, passed away in Hasselt, Belgium ~ Lead singer of the Call, with whom he recorded a little over half a dozen albums. They are best known for the 1980s singles I Still Believe (Great Design) and Let The Day Begin, both of which received heavy rotation on MTV. Been has also worked with Aorta, Lovecraft, Fine Wine, and the Original Haze, and has toured with alternative rock, garage rock revival outfit the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, which is fronted by his son Robert Levon Been ~ Been was born in 1950
August 19, 2008 ~ Singer Lady Gaga releases her debut album The Fame, which would top the charts in over half a dozen countries and reach No.2 Billboard Hot 200 ~ While making a name for herself in the New York underground scene, Lady Gaga had been working on her debut album for over two years. Once released, it would be a critical and commercial success, catapulting Lady Gaga to international fame. The album's first two singles, Just Dance and Poker Face, both reached No.1 in numerous countries including America. Nominated for no less than five Grammy Awards, the album won the award for Best Electronic or Dance Album, while Poker Face won Best Dance Recording. Speaking on the title and concept of the album, Gaga commented: “The Fame is about how anyone can feel famous. Pop culture is art. It doesn't make you cool to hate pop culture, so I embraced it and you hear it all over The Fame. But, it's a sharable fame. I want to invite you all to the party. I want people to feel a part of this lifestyle”
August 19, 2008 ~ Saxophonist LeRoi Moore, full name LeRoi Holloway Moore, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Co-founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, with whom he recorded about half a dozen albums prior to his death at age 46 following an all-terrain vehicle accident. Arranged a considerable amount of the band's material, and notably co-wrote the early singles Too Much and Stay (Wasting Time). Moore is also especially acclaimed for the Code Magenta side project, combining improvised jazz grooves with spoken-word poetry on the 1995 eponymous Code Magenta album, and has collaborated with John d'Earth, the Secrets, and Samantha Farrell ~ Moore was born in 1961August 19, 2006 ~ Roots reggae singer, songwriter Joseph Hill passed away in Berlin, Germany ~ As a solo artist known for Behold The Land and Take Me Girl. Founded and fronted Culture, known for songs such as Two Sevens Clash, Stop Fussing And Fighting and International Herb. Also worked with the Soul Defenders, Glen Washington, C35, and the Stepping Stone ~ Hill was born in 1949
August 19, 2001 ~ Gospel-tinged soul singer Betty Everett passed away in Beloit, Wisconsin, USA ~ Best known for recording the first hit versions of You're No Good and The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss), notably covered by respectively Linda Ronstadt and Cher. Other well known songs include There'll Come A Time, It's Been A Long Time and the Jerry Butler-duets Smile and Let It Be Me ~ Everett was born in 1939
August 19, 1998 ~ Singer Lauryn Hill releases The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, her solo debut album ~ While working on the album, mostly written and produced by Lauryn Hill, the singer was pregnant, which she stated somehow helped the creative process: “When some women are pregnant, their hair and their nails grow, but for me it was my mind and ability to create. I had the desire to write in a capacity that I hadn't done in a while. I don't know if it's a hormonal or emotional thing. I was very in touch with my feelings at the time.” The album met with universal acclaim at the time of its release. Retrospectively, it has been acknowledged as one of the most important albums of the late 1990s, and certainly one of the most influential in female neo-soul and hip hop. The album was nominated for several Grammy Awards, and won in the categories Album of the Year and Best R&B Album. Its lead single Doo Wop (That Thing) would reach No.1 Billboard Hot 100. The album also featured a number of high-profile guest musicians including Carlos Santana on the track To Zion, Mary J Blige on I Used To Love Him, and D'Angelo on Nothing Even MattersAugust 19, 1997 ~ Ray Cline, commonly known as bluegrass fiddler Curly Ray Cline, passed away in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, USA ~ Formed the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers with his cousin Ezra Cline and brother Ned Cline. Also worked with Jimmy Martin, the Sunny Mountain Boys, Bobby Osborne, the Stanley Brothers, Hobo Jack Adkins and extensively with Ralph Stanley as a member of Stanley's backing unit the Clinch Mountain Boys. Has released over a dozen solo albums, starting with Fiddle in 1969 ~ Cline was born in 1923
August 19, 1994 ~ Rapper, DJ, model Chynna Rogers, full name Chynna Marie Rogers, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Influenced by Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco, Paramore. Closely associated with A$AP Mob. As a solo artist known for a handful of mid-2010s EP's and singles, notably 2013's Selfie and 2014's Glen Coco ~ Rogers passed away in 2020
August 19, 1986 ~ Singer, songwriter Christina Perri, full name Christina Judith Perri, born in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Had her debut single Jar Of Hearts featured on the TV series So You Think You Can Dance in 2010. It led to a record deal with Atlantic Records, the debut EP The Ocean Way Sessions released by the end of the year. Her full-length debut album, 2011's Lovestrong would reach platinum status
August 19, 1983 ~ Melissa Morgan Higgins, commonly known as pop, rock, indie singer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter Missy Higgins, born in Melbourne, Australia ~ Cites Patty Griffin, Ron Sexsmith, Rufus Wainwright, Paul Kelly, Sarah McLachlan as influences. Released her debut single, Scar, in 2004 to critical acclaim and commercial success. Released a full-length debut album, The Sound Of White, later the same year and has recorded steadily since. Also known for songs such as Steer, Where I Stood and Everyone's Waiting
August 19, 1980 ~ Pop singer, guitarist, songwriter Darius Campbell-Danesh born in Glasgow, UK ~ First gained attention as a contestant on the talent contest Popstars in 2001, reaching the finals and then turning down the record deal. His Colourblind debut single would reach No.1 in the UK. Has released two full-length albums consisting mostly of self-penned material, Dive In in 2002 and Live Twice in 2004. Ventured into musicals, performing in the productions of Chicago and Guys And Dolls, and later into opera, starting with winning the talent contest Popstar To Operastar in 2010 ~ Campbell-Danesh passed away in 2022
August 19, 1979 ~ Guitarist Dorsey Burnette passed away in Canoga Park, California, USA ~ Father of Fleetwood Mac guitarist Billy Burnette. Member of the Johnny Burnette Trio, alongside his younger brother Johnny Burnette and Paul Burlison, known for a number of classic and influential 1950s rockabilly recordings including Train Kept A-Rollin'. Dorsey would reemerge in the 1970s as a born-again Christian releasing several modestly successful country singles such as In The Spring The Roses Always Turn Red, Molly I Ain't Getting Any Younger and Things I Treasure ~ Burnette was born in 1932
August 19, 1973 ~ Milton Aubrey Moore, commonly known as tenor saxophonist, bandleader Brew Moore, passed away in Copenhagen, Denmark ~ Moore recorded as a leader starting in 1948, Brew Moore & his Playboys, and played as a sideman with Machito, Claude Thornhill, Kai Winding, Stan Getz, George Wallington. Moore left New York in 1953, relocated to the West Coast and dropped out of the scene by the end of the 1950s. He would later resurface in Denmark where he would continue to perform for the rest of his life teaming up with artists such as Kenny Drew, Sahib Shihab, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and Alex Riel ~ Moore was born in 1924August 19, 1970 ~ Hardcore punk, heavy metal, punk rock drummer Anthony Tiny Biuso born in Queens, New York, USA ~ Member of TSOL, the Dickies, Hed PE. Also worked with MC Ren, Dizzy Reed, Anthony Gallo, Gina Schock, Moby, Laura Dawn, and Willie Basse
August 19, 1970 ~ Rock bassist, guitarist, singer Arjan Pronk born in Luttenberg, the Netherlands ~ Frontman and eponym of Pronk. Has also worked with Bökkers, the Prodigal Sons and with 16Down