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 21, 1943 ~ Multi-instrumentalist Albert Lee born in Leominster, UK ~ Noted for his fingerstul technique. Worked with a host of rock's finest including Chris Farlowe, Heads Hands & Feet, Emmylou Harris, Bill Wyman, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Herbie Mann, Eric Clapton, John Prine, Rosanne Cash, Earl Scruggs, Joe Cocker, Dolly Parton, the Everly Brothers, Dave Edmunds, Bert Jansch, and Jerry Scheff
December 21, 1942 ~ R&B, soul, Southern soul singer Carla Thomas, full name Carla Venita Thomas, born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Daughter of Rufus Thomas. Dubbed ”the Queen of Memhis Soul”. Critically acclaimed for the 1961 Gee Whiz album and its follow-up 1965's Comfort Me. Known for songs such as Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes), B-A-B-Y and Tramp with Otis Redding
December 21, 1941 ~ Jazz pianist, composer, arranger John Hicks born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Started in blues, moved on to jazz. Influenced by pianists Fats Waller and Thelonious Monk. Has backed artists such as Art Blakey, Betty Carter, Woody Herman, Charles Tolliver, Lester Bowie, Arthur Blythe, David Murray, Pharoah Sanders, David Fathead Newman, Della Reese, Joe Farrell, Al Grey, Billy Mitchell, Jimmy Witherspoon, Kenny Dorham, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Henderson, Eric Alexander, Paquito d'Rivera, Sonny Fortune, and Chico Freeman ~ Hicks passed away in 2006
December 21, 1941 ~ William Bunch, commonly known as blues singer, pianist, guitarist Peetie Wheatstraw, passed away in East St Louis, Illinois, USA ~ One of the most popular and most recorded pre-war blues singers. Primarily a pianist. Influenced Robert Johnson who drew heavily on Wheatstraw's repertoire and on pianists such as Champion Jack Dupree, Moon Mullican and Jerry Lee Lewis. Known for songs songs as Tennessee Peaches Blues, Don't Feel Welcome Blues, Strange Man Blues, School Days and So Soon ~ Bunch was born in 1902
December 21, 1940 ~ Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader Hal Kemp, full name James Hal Kemp, passed away in Madera, California, USA ~ Active since the late 1920s. Best known for songs such as Shuffle Of To Buffalo, There's A Small Hotel, Got A Date With Angel, Lamplight, You're The Top, and Where Or When. Worked with Skinnay Ennis, Bunny Berigan, John Scott Trotter, Art Jarrett. Kemp passed away two days after a car crash. His orchestra would continue to perform for a while but disbanded in the early 1940s ~ Kemp was born in 1904
December 21, 1940 ~ Pop singer Ray Hildebrand born in Joshua, Texas, USA ~ 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 passed away in 2023
December 21, 1939 ~ Carlos Manuel de Ascencao do Carmo de Almeida, commonly known as fado singer Carlos do Carmo, born in Lisbon, Portugal ~ Internationally acclaimed. Credited with updating the fado genre, incorporating elements of jazz and adding larger orchestras. To pop audiences perhaps best known for representing Portugal at the 1976 Eurovision Songfestival, his Uma Flor De Verde Pinho reaching 12th place ~ Do Carmo passed away in 2021December 21, 1937 ~ Saxophonist, composer Georges Boeuf born in Marseille, France ~ Composed operas, film scores, orchestral works and chamber music. Notable film scores include Transit, Le Matelot 512 and Retour A Marseille. Also well known for the opera Verlaine Paul based on the work of poet Franck Venaille, which premiered in 1996 ~ Boeuf passed away in 2020
December 21, 1934 ~ Bennie Ross Crawford Jr, commonly known as saxophonist, arranger, songwriter Hank Crawford, born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Member of the CTI All-Stars. Served as saxophonist and musical director for Ray Charles, including on the pivotal albums What'd I Say (1959) and Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music (1962), before embarking on a solo career. As a solo artist known for 1960s songs as Misty, The Peeper, Whispering Grass, and Shake A Plenty, and for working as arranger for artists such as Etta James, Lou Rawls, and Dr John. Has also guested on albums by Eric Clapton, Grant Green, BB King, Johnny Hammond Smith, and Shirley Scott ~ Crawford passed away in 2009
December 21, 1926 ~ Frederick Segrest, commonly known as singer, guitarist Freddie Hart, born in Loachapoka, Alabama, USA ~ Country singer, best known for his 1971 crossover pop hit Easy Loving. Also known for songs such as The Key's In The Mailbox, Hank Williams' Guitar, Born A Fool, My Hang-up Is You, Got The All Overs For You All Over Me, Trip To Heaven, and I'd Like To Sleep Till I Get Over You. Would regularly hit the country charts from the early 1950s through the late 1980s. Later in life Hart would turn to gospel, performing untill he died. Artists who have covered Hart's songs include Carl Smith (Loose Talk), Patsy Cline (Lovin' In Vain), George Jones (My Tears Are Overdue), and Porter Wagoner (Skid Row Joe) ~ Segrest passed away in 2018
December 21, 1925 ~ William Robert Emerson, commonly known as rock & roll, R&B singer, pianist Billy The Kid Emerson, born in Tarpon, Florida, USA ~ Best known for penning and first recording Red Hot, covered numerous times including by Bob Luman, Ronnie Hawkins, Brian Setzer and most notably in 1957 by Billy Lee Riley. Also known for first recording Every Woman I Know (Crazy About Automobiles), notably covered by Ry Cooder on the 1980 Borderline album. Emerson has worked with artists such as Earl Hooker, Lonnie Brooks, and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Songs written or co-written by Emerson have been recorded by Junior Wells, Willie Mabon, Wynonie Harris and by Buddy Guy ~ Emerson passed away in 2023December 21, 1925 ~ Pop, country double bassist Floyd Chance, full name Floyd Taylor Chance, born in Como, Mississippi, USA ~ Session musician. Worked with Hank Williams (Your Cheatin' Heart), the Louvin Brothers, Jimmy Martin, the Everly Brothers (Bye Bye Love), Marvin Rainwater, Faron Young (Hello Walls), Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty (It's Only Make Believe), and Willie Nelson ~ Chance passed away in 2005
December 21, 1924 ~ Adelaida Diestro Rega, commonly known as filin, bolero, canción, guaracha, mambo singer, bandleader Aida Diestro, born in San Nicolas de Bari, Cuba ~ Best known as musical director of close-harmony all-female quartet the Cuarteto D'Aida, active since the early 1950s and known for blending the traditional harmonies and lyrics of Cuba drawing from jazz and bolero. After Diestro's death singer Teté Caturla would become leader of the group ~ Diestro passed away in 1973
December 21, 1924 ~ Flutist, composer Altamiro Carrilho, full name Altamiro Aquino Carrilho, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ~ Has recorded over a hundred albums since the mid 1950s. Considered one of the most virtuosic and influential choro flutists of all time, Carrilho was known in both the classical music world and popular music scene praies for inserting classical excerpts into choro and vice versa. Over the course of his lengthy career, spanning some six decades, Carrilho has accompanied artists such as Orlando Silva, Vicente Celestino, Elizeth Cardoso, Moreira da Silva, Caetano Veloso, and Chico Buarque ~ Carrilho passed away in 2012December 21, 1924 ~ Maria Everdina Reijs, commonly known as jazz singer Rita Reys, born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands ~ Dubbed “Europe's first lady of jazz.” Recorded and performed with Lars Gullin, Ove Lind, Clifford Brown, Art Farmer, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Herbie Mann, Oscar Pettiford, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson, Mat Mathews, and Pim Jacobs ~ Reijs passed away in 2013
December 21, 1921 ~ Actor, singer, pianist, songwriter, TV personality Steve Allen, full name Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Rose to fame in 1954 as original host and co-creator of The Tonight Show, America's first late-night show. Hosted a number of other game and variety shows, perhaps most notably his own The Steve Allen Show starting in 1956. Prolific composer, by his own estimate having written over 8, 500 songs including Cool Yule (Louis Armstrong, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Bette Midler), Pretend You Don't See Her (Jerry Vale, Bobby Vee, Al Caiola), Meet Me Where They Play The Blues (Jack Teagarden, Andy Williams, Maria Muldaur), and They've Got A Lot To Learn (Art Lund, Jennie Smith, Michael Dees) ~ Allen passed away in 2000December 21, 1919 ~ Banjoist, fiddler Matokie Slaughter, full name Matokie Worrell Slaughter, born in Pulaski, Virginia, USA ~ Enjoyed local popularity from the 1940s forward. Gained a wider audience among old-time aficionados during the 1960s, some of her recordings appearing on compilation albums and performing regularly at folk festivals with the Back Creek Buddies which included her sister Virgie Worrell and revivalist Alice Gerrard. The San Francisco-based graffiti artist Margaret Kilgallen began using Slaughter's name in the 1990s as an hommage ~ Slaughter passed away in 1999
December 21, 1918 ~ Jazz trumpeter George Treadwell, full name George McKinley Treadwell, born in New Rochelle, New York, USA ~ Active as a trumpeter through the late 1940s, working with acts such as Benny Carter, Ace Harris, Cootie Williams, and JC Heard. As a member of Heard's orchestra has accompanied Sarah Vaughan, with whom he was married from 1946 through 1958. Best known as a music manager, including managing Vaughan's career, and A&R executive. Notable acts managed by Treadwell include the Drifters and singer Ruth Brown ~ Treadwell passed away in 1967
December 21, 1918 ~ David Albert Francis, commonly known as swing, R&B drummer Panama Francis, born in Miami, Florida, USA ~ Given his nickname by Roy Eldridge for wearing a panama hat. Active since the 1930s, backing George Kelly, Tab Smith, Lucky Millinder, Willie Bryant, and Cab Calloway. To pop audiences known for his contributions to numerous 1950s, early 1960s hits, including The Great Pretender and Only You (And You Alone) by the Platters, Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet) by Jackie Wilson, Splish Splash by Bobby Darin, Calender Girl by Neil Sedaka, Runaround Sue by Dion, and Big Girls Don't Cry and Walk Like A Man by the Four Seasons ~ Francis passed away in 2001December 21, 1910 ~ Jazz, blues, R&B guitarist Jerome Darr born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA ~ Active since the early 1930, starting out in jug band the Washboard Serenaders. Perhaps best known as member of the Three Chocolates during the 1940s and 1950s alongside bassist, singer Chocolate Williams and pianist Bill Spotswood. Darr has also backed Freddie Mitchell, Buddy Johnson, Paul Quinichette, and Charlie Parker on his 1954 I Get A Kick Out Of You recording ~ Darr passed away in 1986
December 21, 1905 ~ Harry Glaser, commonly known as composer Harry Revel, born in London, UK ~ Composer for stage and film. Collaborated with Mack Gordon, Mort Greene, Paul Francis Webster, Buddy Feyne, and Arnold Horwitt. Revel also notably worked on Broadway shows including Ziegfeld Follies Of 1931, Meet My Sister, and Are You With It ~ Glaser passed away in 1958
December 21, 1902 ~ William Bunch, commonly known as blues singer, pianist, guitarist Peetie Wheatstraw, born in Ripley, Tennessee, USA ~ One of the most popular and most recorded pre-war blues singers. Primarily a pianist. Influenced Robert Johnson who drew heavily on Wheatstraw's repertoire and on pianists such as Champion Jack Dupree, Moon Mullican and Jerry Lee Lewis. Known for songs songs as Tennessee Peaches Blues, Don't Feel Welcome Blues, Strange Man Blues, School Days and So Soon ~ Bunch passed away in 1941