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, 1943 ~ William Howard Ashton, commonly known as Merseybeat, pop singer Billy J Kramer, born in Bootle, UK ~ Fronted Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas, managed by the Beatles-manager Brian Epstein. Scored a string of early 1960's UK hits with Do You Want To Know A Secret, Bad To Me and I'll Keep You Satisfied, all penned by John Lennon & Paul McCartneyAugust 19, 1942 ~ Rock, pop rock bassist, guitarist, singer Dave Morgan, full name David Raymond Morgan, born in Birmingham, UK ~ Member of the Uglys from 1967 through 1969. Member of spin-off act Balls alongside Steve Gibbons and Trevor Burton. Briefly a member of Magnum, departing the band prior to their debut album. Worked with the Electric Light Orchestra, appearing on the 1983 Secret Messages album. Formed the duo Tandy & Morgan with keyboardist Richard Tandy, known for their 1986 Earthrise concept album. Morgan has also recorded as a solo artist, starting with the Morgan released in 1971
August 19, 1940 ~ Rock & roll, R&B, soul, pop drummer Bob Kuban born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Drummer, bandleader of Bob Kuban & the In-Men, known for the 1966 Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit Look Out For The Cheater. Considered a one-hit wonder the band would actually subsequently chart two more singles, The Teaser and a cover of the Beatles-song Drive My Car but these would stall in the bottom end of the charts ~ Kuban passed away in 2025
August 19, 1940 ~ Traditional pop, reggae, vocal jazz singer Johnny Nash. full name John Lester Nash Jr, born in Houston, Texas, USA ~ One of the first non-Jamaican artists to record in Jamaica. Best known for I Can See Clearly Now, a Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit in 1972. Other well known songs include Let's Move And Groove, the Sam Cooke-cover Wonderful World, and Let's Go Dancing ~ Nash passed away in 2020
August 19, 1939 ~ Peter Edward Baker, commonluy known as rock drummer Ginger Baker, born in Lewisham, UK ~ Regarded by some as rock's first superstar drummer, especially for his role in the short-lived but quintessential 1960s trio Cream alongside bassist Jack Bruce and guitarist Eric Clapton. Drew from jazz and African rhythms. Has also worked with Blues Incorporated, the Graham Bond Organisation, and Blind Faith. Also noted for founding and fronting Ginger Baker's Air Force in the 1970s. Would go on to become an in-demand collaborator in rock, world music and jazz, working with acts such as Fela Kuti, Atomic Rooster, Hawkwind, Masters Of Reality, Bill Laswell, Charlie Haden, and Bill Frisell ~ Baker passed away in 2019
August 19, 1937 ~ Contemporary classical, jazz trombonist, conductor, composer William Motzing, full name William Edward Motzing Jr, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA ~ As a trombonist has worked with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Kai Winding, Jon Eardley, Gerry Mulligan, Bill Russo, and Sal Salvador through the early 1970s. Would find his greatest fame after relocating to Australia, becoming an in-demand film and TV composer with over 30 soundtracks to his name including Newsfront, Young Einstein and The Quiet American. Arranger and conductor on a number of Australian hits including Peter Allen's I Still Call Australia Home, Sherbet's Howzat, INXS' The Swing, and Billy Field's Bad Habits ~ Motzing passed away in 2014August 19, 1933 ~ Jazz, folk accordionist, saxophonist Asmund Bjørken born in Verdal, Norway ~ Self-taught on both accordion and saxophone. Gained notoriety as a member of Harry Waagens orchestra, a quintessential jazz orchestra on the Trondheim scene during the early 1950s. Bjørken would go on to lead a succession of ensembles through the 1990s, regularly working with sidemen such as Bjørn Alterhaug, Oddmund Finnseth, Per Olaf Green, Bengt Hallberg, Benny Bailey, and Mads Vinding. Bjørken is also well known for collaborating with Egil Kapstad and Rowland Greenberg during the 1980s. Bjørken published his autobiography, Spellemann (På Gammel Rutine Og Støgg Mistanke), in 2003 ~ Bjørken passed away in 2018
August 19, 1928 ~ Singer, actor Lars Lönndahl, full name Lars Gunnar Lönndahl, born in Stockholm, Sweden ~ Dubbed “the Swedish Frank Sinatra” scoring well over a dozen No.1 hits in his native country through the late 1960s including Tangokavaljeren, That's Amore, Cindy Mon Cindy, Tulpaner Från Amsterdam, Volare (I Det Blå), Midnattstango, and Tusen Och En Natt ~ Lönndahl passed away in 2022
August 19, 1926 ~ Anna Maria Palmen, commonly known as singer Annie Palmen, born in IJmuiden, the Netherlands ~ Represented her native the Netherlands at the 1963 Eurovision Songfestival, reaching tied thirteenth place with the song Een Speeldoos. The other contestant reaching thirteenth place was Laila Halme, who represented Finland with Muistojeni Laulu (The Song Of My Memories) ~ Palmen passed away in 2000
August 19, 1923 ~ Jazz, swing, stride pianist Dill Jones, full name Dillwyn Owen Paton Jones, born in Newcastle Emlyn, UK ~ Initially followed in his father's footsteps, pursuing a career in banking. Following a stint in the Navy, however, Jones enrolled at the Trinity College of Music, London, yet before completing his studies became a professional pianist, working with the likes of Harry Parry and Vic Lewis, including on the luxury liner the Queen Mary, sailing between New York and Southampton which gave him the chance to visit the jazz clubs in New York. Jones relocated to America by the early 1960s, to become an in-demand pianist working with Gene Krupa, Jimmy McPartland, and Bill Pemberton. Jones is also particularly known as a member of the JPJ Quartet, alongside Pemberton, Oliver Jackson, and Budd Johnson. Jones also regularly returned to play his native UK, one performance solliciting producer Hank O'Neal to say: “To me, Dill always sounded like a musical version of Dylan Thomas. He plays the piano the same as Thomas reads his poetry. And in Dill's case, it is his own songs he plays best, much the same as Thomas's finest reading were of his own work” ~ Jones passed away in 1984
August 19, 1922 ~ Léon Schlienger, commonly known as songwriter Noël Regney, born in Strasbourg, France ~ Best known for penning Do You Hear What I Hear with his then-wife and regular songwriting partner Gloria Shayne Baker. The song would first be recorded by Harry Simeone Chorale in 1962 and became a Christmas standard covered by over an estimated 500 artists including the New Christy Minstrels, Pat Boone, Johnny Mathis, Gladys Knight, the Carpenters, and Whitney Houston. Other songs written by the duo include Jo Stafford's Sweet Little Darlin', Bobby Vinton's Rain Rain Go Away, Ginny Arnell's I Wish I Knew What Dress To Wear, and Wilma Burgess' You Can't Stop My Heart From Breaking ~ Schlienger passed away in 2002
August 19, 1919 ~ Drummer, percussionist Alodipu Adeoya Campbell, commonly known as Ambrose Campbell, born in Lagos, Nigeria ~ After relocating to the UK at the end of World War II, Campbell became a pioneering force in world music before the phrase was coined, leading Britain's first-ever black band the West African Rhythm Brothers, drawing from juju, calypso, mento, and swing. Campbell would be hailed by world music's first superstar Fela Kuti, and counted the UK's most iconic jazzmen of the time, including Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, and Phil Seaman, among his fans. Campbell performed with his band through the 1960s, before recording a sole solo album, Highlife Today, and eventually relocating to America, where he would tour and record with Leon Russell, who referred to Campbell as his “spiritual adviser”, including on the 1979 One For The Road collaborative album by Russell and Willie Nelson. Campbell returned to live in the UK in the mid 2000s, shortly before his death ~ Campbell passed away in 2006
August 19, 1918 ~ James George Hunter, commonly known as jazz pianist, singer Jimmy Rowles, born in Spokane, Washington, USA ~ Recorded prolifically as a leader or co-leader since the mid 1950s, especially noted for the early 1970s albums Some Other Spring and The Special Magic Of Jimmy Rowles. As a composer best known for The Peacocks, first recorded by Rowles and Stan Getz on their 1975 collaborative album it would go on to become a standard covered by over an estimated 200 artists. Rowles also served as accompanist of singers such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Carmen McRae, the latter once describing Rowles as “the guy every girl singer in her right mind would like to work with”. Over the course of his lengthy career, Rowles has guested on numerous recordings including by Benny Goodman, Harry Sweets Edison, Gerry Mulligan, Barney Kessel, Woody Herman, Red Norvo, Herbie Harper, Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Gene Krupa, Anita O'Day, Sammy Davis Jr, June Christy, Tony Bennett, Wayne Shorter, the 5th Dimension, the Monkees, Mundell Lowe, Buddy DeFranco, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Lee Konitz, and Pepper Adams ~ Hunter passed away in 1996
August 19, 1908 ~ Jazz, double bassist bassist Al Morgan, full name Albert Morgan, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Considered one of the finest bassist of the 1930s, able to play jazz, blues, and R&B. Started in music in the 1920s, playing the riverboats with Fate Marable and Sidney Desvigne before moving on to work with David Jones, Cecil Scott, and the Astoria Hot Eight. Perhaps best known for his stint with Cab Calloway in the mid 1930s, including on Minnie The Moocher, and for his association with Fats Waller. Other notable credits include Louis Armstrong, Les Hite, Zutty Singleton, Louis Jordan, Sabby Lewis, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Jay McShann, Red Allen, and T-Bone Walker. From the 1950s through the 1970s, Morgan formed a duo with Buddy Banks ~ Morgan passed away in 1974August 19, 1908 ~ Miko Stephanovic, commonly known as jazz bandleader, clarinetist, saxophonist Spud Murphy, born in Berlin, Germany ~ Studied clarinet, saxophone and trumpet. Started as saxophonist and arranger in the 1920s and 1930s working for artists such as Jimmy Joy, Ross Gorman, Slim Lamar, Austin Wylie, Jan Garber, Mal Hallett, and Joe Haymes. Stephanovic is also known as an educator and author having written over two dozen books on various topics in music ~ Stephanovic passed away in 2005
August 19, 1906 ~ Folk singer, guitarist, songwriter George S Davis born in La Follette, Tennessee, USA ~ Dubbed “the Singing Miner” for his day job as a coal miner. Known for pro union, laborer's songs including Buggerman In The Bushes, Coal Miner's Boogie and When Kentucky Had No Union Men. Claimed the Merle Travis hit and country standard Sixteen Tons was based on his composition Nine-to-ten Tons, though there is no evidence supporting this claim ~ Davis passed away in 1992