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.
December 16, 1990 ~ Donat Roy Mittoo, commonly known as keyboardist, singer, songwriter Jackie Mittoo, passed away in Toronto, Canada ~ Musical director at Studio One Records. Best known as a member of the Skatalites. Also served as a member of the Sheiks, the Soul Brothers, the Soul Vendors, and of Sound Dimension. His song Peanie Wallie was reworked into Duppy Conqueror, made famous by Bob Marley. Co-wrote Armagideon Time, later covered by the Clash. Worked extensively with producer Bunny Lee. Also worked with Sugar Minott, and with Musical Youth ~ Mittoo passed away in 1948December 16, 1989 ~ Singer, percussionist Pattie Santos passed away ~ Member of It's A Beautiful Day from 1967 through 1970, best known for their 1969 single White Bird of their eponymous It's A Beautiful Day debut album ~ Santos was born in 1949
December 16, 1985 ~ Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman, commonly known as actress, R&B singer Raven-Symoné born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Started as a child actress, notably on The Cosby Show, Hangin' With Mr Cooper and the Disney series That's So Raven. As a singer debuted at age 7 with the album Here's To New Dreams, spawning the modest hit That's What Little Girls Are Made Of featuring Missy Elliott. Continues to enjoy a successful career, mostly as an actress for TV and film, and a modest career as a solo singer and as a member of the Cheetah GirlsDecember 16, 1984 ~ Derek Johnson Jr, commonly known as Christian hip-hop rapper, singer Derek Minor, born in Pontiac, Michigan, USA ~ Member of 116 Clique. Active as a solo artist since 2008. Best known for songs such as Who You Know, Change The World featuring Hollyn, and Fresh Prince. Has guested on recordings by Chris Cobbins, Tedashii, Lecrae, J'son, and Aaron Cole
December 16, 1982 ~ Guitarist, singer, songwriter Chris Scruggs, full name Christopher Alan Davies Scruggs, born ~ Son of songwriter Gary Scruggs and singer, songwriter Gail Davies. Paternal grandson of banjo player Earl Scruggs. Maternal grandson of country singer Tex Dickerson. Multi-instrumentalist, guitar, bass, mandolin, fiddle, drums. Best known as guitarist and co-lead singer of BR549 from 2002 to 2005. Wrote the band's Tangled In The Pines. In-demand sideman. Has worked with Charlie Louvin, Andrew Bird, Ray Price, Robbie Fulks, Giant Sand, Peter Noone, Bobby Bare, Michael Nesmith, She & Him, Suzy Bogguss, and Marty Stuart. Released his first solo album, Anthem, in 2009December 16, 1982 ~ Country singer, guitarist Frankie Ballard, full name Frank Robert Ballard IV, born in Battle Creek, Michigan, USA ~ Debuted with the eponymous Frankie Ballard album in 2011. Best known for songs such as Helluva Life, Sunshine & Whiskey and Young And Crazy, all of which reached the Billboard Country top 10 and all included on Ballard's sophomore Sunshine & Whiskey album released in 2014
December 16, 1981 ~ Pastor, worship, contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter Eddie Kirkland, full name William Edward Kirkland Jr, born in Tarrant, Texas, USA ~ Not to be confused with namesake electric blues guitarist, singer Eddie Kirkland. Founder and pastor of Parish Anglican Church, Atlanta, Georgia. As a singer has released a number of EPs starting in the late 2000s and the full-length Kings & Queens album in 2012
December 16, 1981 ~ Emmanuel Rodriguez, commonly known as Christian rap, reggaeton singer Manny Montes born in Puerto Rico ~ Actively recording since the early 2000s, first gaining attention guesting on Double Impact's Mas Que Vencedores of their Juventud Despierta debut album. Released his own Realidadas debut album the following year. Has recorded prolifically since and has become an in-demand collaborator working with the likes of 116 Clique, Funky, Redimi2, Alex Zurdo, Indiomar, Farruko, and Mexicano 777
December 16, 1980 ~ Jazz trombonist Keith Christie, full name Keith Ronald Christie, passed away in London, UK ~ Brother of clarinetist Ian Christie, bandmate in the Christie Brothers Stompers. Also worked with Humphrey Lyttelton, Ken Colyer, Dicky Hawdon, Johnny Dankworth, Cleo Laine, George Chisholm, Harry Klein, Kenny Baker, Vic Ash, Wally Fawkes, Tommy Whittle, Ted Heath, Don Lusher, Allan Ganley, Ronnie Ross, Art Ellefson, Vic Lewis., Jimmy Deuchar, Harry South, Benny Goodman, Tubby Hayes, Paul Gonsalves, Ian Hamer, Stan Tracey, Kenny Wheeler, Bobby Lamb, Ray Premru, Phil Seamen, and Tony Kinsey ~ Christie was born in 1931
December 16, 1978 ~ Jazz singer, bandleader, composer Blanche Calloway, full name Blanche Dorothea Jones Calloway, passed away in Baltimore, Maryland, USA ~ Older sister of Cab Calloway, on whom she had a profound influence. First woman to lead an all-male orchestra. Has worked with Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle in the 1921 Shuffle Along musical. Other collaborations include Louis Armstrong, Cozy Cole, Chick Webb, Andy Kirk, Ben Webster, Bennie Moten, and Zack Whyte ~ Calloway was born in 1902
December 16, 1978 ~ Virginia Lucille Overstake, commonly known as country singer, guitarist, songwriter Jenny Lou Carson, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Carson started as a singer, yet would become well known as one of the most successful country songwriters of the pre-rock era, enjoying her greatest successes from the mid 1940s through the mid 1950s. Became the first female country songwriter to score a Billboard Country No.1 hit when Tex Ritter took the Carson-penned You Two Timed Me One Time Too Often to the top of the tally. Carson got her start in music at age 17, performing with her sisters Evelyn Overstake and Eva Alaine Overstake, the latter later known as Judy Martin, under the monikers the Three Little Maids and the Little Country Girls. Going by a variety of monikers, Carson has also performed or recorded with Winnie Lou & Sally and with the Prairie Ramblers, before adopting the Carson moniker to perform a cowgirl show on the rodeo circuit, establishing herself as a modern day Annie Oakley, the 19th century sharpshooter and folk heroine who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. However, mentored by Fred Rose, Carson would find her greatest success as a songwriter. Well known songs written or co-written by Carson included Jealous Heart first recorded by Tex Ritter, which became a standard covered by over an estimated 150 artists including Ivory Joe Hunter, Kitty Wells, Bob Luman, Clyde Moody, Bing Crosby, Loretta Lynn, and Bonnie Owens, Chained To A Memory recorded by Eddy Arnold, Skeeter Davis, Hank Locklin, and Slim Whitman, and Let Me Go Devil recorded by Wade Ray, Georgie Shaw, and Johnny Bond. Carson has been married four times, including to WLS National Barn Dance singer, guitarist and comedian Red Blanchard, and to big band bandleader Tiny Hill. Country singer Red Foley, with whom Carson has co-written songs, was married to Carson's sister and one-time bandmate Judy Martin. Carson would be inducted in the the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971 ~ Overstake was born in 1915
December 16, 1975 ~ Alternative rock, punk rock, post-hardcore singer, drummer, guitarist, songwriter Benjamin Kowalewicz born in Montreal, Canada ~ Member of To Each His Own which changed their name to Pezz, known for their 1998 Watoosh album, and later still again changed their name to Billy Talent. Guested on recordings by Cancer Bats, Anti-Flag, K-OS, and EmigrateDecember 16, 1975 ~ Guitarist, keyboardist, percussionist, singer Jake Cinninger, full name Jacob Alan Cinninger, born in Nilese, Michigan, USA ~ Joined jam band Umphreys McGee in 2000 as second lead guitarist, the other being original member, singer Brendan Bayliss. Influenced by Joe Pass, Tommy Emmanuel, Chris Poland, Randy Rhoads, George Benson, David Gilmour, Frank Zappa, and Roy Buchanan
December 16, 1974 ~ Rock, hard rock singer, guitarist, pianist, songwriter Damond Jiniya born in Palm Springs, California, USA ~ Best known for briefly fronting Savatage and for his work with electro-metal outfit Diet Of Worms from 1997 through 2004
December 16, 1974 ~ Heavy metal, power metal guitarist Daniel Antonsson born in Sweden ~ Member of Dimension Zero. Has also worked with Dark Tranquility, present on We Are The Void. Other associations include Soilwork, Pathos, Meridian Dawn, and supergroup AkaniDecember 16, 1973 ~ Marisa dos Neis Nuns, commonly known as fado singer Mariza, born in Maputo, Mozambique ~ Considered an important figure in the New Fado movement. Active since the late 1990s. Internationally renowned. Best known for songs such as Feira De Castro, O Tempo Não Para and Melhor De Mim
December 16, 1972 ~ Country singer Don Williams releases the self-penned The Shelter Of Your Eyes, lead single off his Don Williams Volume One debut album ~ Williams' debut single would reach an impressive No.14 on the Billboard Country charts, setting Don Williams off on a path to become one of the most successful country singers of the 1970s and 1980s, racking up well over a dozen Billboard Country No.1 hits over the course of his career. The Shelter Of Your Eyes is noted especially for being one of his few self-penned tunes to be a charting single. The song would notably be covered by Lobo for his 1975 Just A Singer album
December 16, 1972 ~ Pop, R&B singer Michael McCary born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Best known as bass singer of R&B boy band Boyz II Men, known for hits such as Motownphilly, It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday, End Of The Road, I'll Make Love To You, On Bended Knee, Water Runs Dry, 4 Seasons Of Loneliness, One Sweet Day with Mariah Carey and Hey Lover with LL Cool J, all of which reached the Billboard top 10. McCary would leave the band in 2003 for medical reasons, the rest of the band continuing as a trioDecember 16, 1971 ~ Matthias Paul, commonly known as trance, house, progressive house, electro house DJ, producer Paul van Dyk, born in Eisenhüttenstadt, East Germany ~ Best known for a number of late 1990s, early 2000 recordings, songs such as We Are Alive, Nothing But You featuring Hemstock & Jennings, The Time Of Our Lives featuring Vega4, and Wir Sind Wir featuring Peter Heppner all reaching the top 20 in his native Germany
December 16, 1969 ~ Heavy metal guitarist, bassist Marios Iliopoulos born in Thessaloniki, Greece ~ Co-founding member of melodic death metal band Nightrage. Has also worked with Exhumation, Dragonland, Dies Irae, Septic Flesh, Firewind, Mystic Prophecy, Universum, and the Forsaken
December 16, 1968 ~ R&B, soul, jazz, gospel singer Lalah Hathaway born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Daughter of singer Donny Hathaway. Debuted in 1990 with the album A Moment, spawning the hit Heaven Knows, and has recorded to mixed success since. Has collaborated with BEF (Family Affair), Grover Washington Jr, the Winans, Marcus Miller, Gerald Albright, Pete Escovedo, Wayman Tisdale, Roy Hargrove, David Sanborn, Ken Hirai, Donald Lawrence, Meshell Ndegeocello, George Benson, Kirk Whalum, Snarky Puppy, Dianne Reeves, Al Jarreau, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Terri Lyne Carrington, Gregory Porter, Charlie Wilson, Esperanza Spalding, and José James
December 16, 1963 ~ Jeffrey Lee Herndon, commonly known as country singer, bassist Jeff Carson, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA ~ Sessioned and worked as a demo singer until his 1995 eponymous Jeff Carson debut album, which spawned three Billboard Country top 10 hits with Not On Your Love, The Car and Holdin' Onto Somethin'. Carson would be unable to repeat the succes but continued to record, reaching the country charts with songs such as Cheatin' On Her Heart, I Never Was The Same Again and Until We Fall Back In Love Again. Retired from music in 2009 to pursue a career in law enforcement ~ Herndon passed away in 2022
December 16, 1961 ~ Rhonda LaChanze Sapp, mononymously known as actress, singer, dancer LaChanze, born in St Augustine, Florida, USA ~ Probably best known for portraying the role of Celie in the 2005 Broadway-production of The Color Purple, earning her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical the following year. Other stage productions featuring LaChanze include Once On This Island, Dessa Rose, If/Then and Summer (The Donna Summer Musical). Has also acted in TV series and films, including as voice actressDecember 16, 1960 ~ Jazz trombonist Mike Fahn born in Huntington, New York, USA ~ Brother of actress, singer Melissa Fahn. Leader and sideman. Worked with Dick Berk, Bob Cooper, Jerry Vivino, Frank Strazzeri, Andy Simpkins, Andrew Hill, Tom Harrell, and Chita Rivera
December 16, 1960 ~ Cornetist, trumpeter, hornist Roger Webster born in Doncaster, UK ~ Acclaimed as one of the finest cornetists of his generation. Member of the Black Dyke Band from 1988 through 1993, rejoining in 2000. Also known for his association with the Grimethorpe Collery Band, and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra