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 23, 2022 ~ Violist, author David Dalton, full name David Johnson Dalton, passed away ~ Best known for his scholarly accomplishments. As a faculty member of Brigham Young University, Utah, Dalton's main contribution was the establishment of the the Primrose International Viola Archive, one of the largest viola archives in the world. Dalton is also known as president of the American Viola Society and of the International Viola Society ~ Dalton was born in 1934
December 23, 2022 ~ Maxwell Alexander Fraser, commonly known as trip hop, electronica, trance rapper, singer, songwriter Maxi Jazz, passed away in London, UK ~ Founding member, lead singer of Faithless, known for UK top 10 hits such as Salva Mea, Insomnia, God Is A DJ, We Come 1 and One Step Too Far featuring Dido. Has also recorded as a solo artist and guested on recordings by Jason Rebello, Tiësto, Benji Boko, and Robbie Williams ~ Fraser was born in 1957
December 23, 2020 ~ Actress, soprano singer Rebecca Luker passed away in Manhattan, New York, USA ~ Best known as a Broadway singer, actress starting in the late 1980s performing in productions of The Secret Garden, Show Boat, The Sound Of Music and Mary Poppins. Has also made solo recordings starting in the late 1990s, notably 1996's Rebecca Luker Sings Cole Porter album, and has acted in film and TV productions ~ Luker was born in 1961December 23, 2020 ~ Reizo Nakanishi, commonly known as novelist, songwriter Rei Nakanishi, passed away in Tokyo, Japan ~ One of the premier Japanese songwriters of the post-World War II period. Best known for penning Kyou De Owakare for Sugawara Yoichi, and Kita Sakaba for Takashi Hosokawa. Others who recorded his songs include Jun Mayuzumi, the Peanuts, Chiyoko Shimakura, Mieko Hirota, Mina Aoe, Yukiji Asaoka, and Hideki Saijo ~ Nakanishi was born in 1938
December 23, 2014 ~ Singer the Weeknd releases Earned It, recorded for the soundtrack of the erotic romantic drama film Fifty Shades Of Grey ~ Other than being featured on Ariana Grande's Love Me Harder, which reached No.7 Billboard Hot 100, Earned It became the first major American hit for the Canadian singer the Weeknd. The film would be a box office hit, yet only received moderate to negative reviews. The soundtrack, however, including the Weeknd's Earned It issued as the soundtrack's lead single, received mostly positive reviews. Rolling Stone stated the soundtrack album “proved the Weeknd's ideal entree into the pop mainstream.” Earned It reached top 10 in over a dozen countries, including No.4 in the UK, No.3 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, and No.1 on the Billboard R&B chart. Furthermore, the song would earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. Another single off the same soundtrack, Ellie Goulding's Love Me Like You Do, would also be a worldwide hit
December 23, 2013 ~ William Emanuel Huddleston, commonly known as saxophonist, flutist, bassoonist, pianist, singer Yusef Lateef, passed away in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, USA ~ Especially noted for albums such as Jazz Mood, Eastern Sounds, Live At Pep's, The Golden Flute, and The Doctor Is In & Out. Recorded prolifically both as a leader and sideman, appearing on albums by Donald Byrd, Frank Wess, Babatunde Olatunji (Drums Of Passion), Curtis Fuller, Charles Mingus (Pre-Bird), Clark Terry, Sonny Red, Grant Green, Slide Hampton, Les McCann, Art Farmer, Leon Redbone (Double Time), and Randy Weston. Lateef has also recorded outside of jazz, including forays into world and new age music, his 1987 Yusef Lateef's Little Symphony album winning the Grammy Award for Best New Age Recording, though his core influences, however, were clearly rooted in jazz. Or in Lateef's own words: “My music is jazz.” ~ Huddleston was born in 1920December 23, 2010 ~ Singer Jan Buijs passed away ~ Considered a pioneer in the palingpop genre. Founded the skiffle band the Skyriders, employing numerous later stars including Cees Veerman and Arnold Mühre. Owned a dance studio, dance school which served as a breeding ground for numerous acts including the Spoetnik Boys, the Beat Boys and the Left Side ~ Buijs was born in 1937
December 23, 2008 ~ Songwriter Clint Ballard Jr, full name Clinton Conger Ballard Jr, passed away in Denton, Texas, USA ~ Wrote two major hits, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders' The Game Of Love and Linda Ronstadt's You're No Good, the latter originally recorded by Dee Dee Warwick but the bigger hit for Ronstadt though. Other artists who have recorded his songs include Walter Jackson, Gene McDaniels, Johnny Tillotson, the Tremeloes, Ricky Nelson, the Hollies (I'm Alive), Jan & Dean, Jimmy Jones (Good Timin'), the Zombies, Alvin Stardust, the Kalin Twins, Billy Eckstine, Nancy Wilson, Malcolm Vaughan (Ev'ry Hour Ev'ry Day Of My Life), the Swinging Blue Jeans, Johnny Burnette, Louis Prima, Connie Francis, Frankie Laine, Frankie Avalon (Ginger Bread), Bobby Rydell, Patti Page, and Arthur Prysock ~ Ballard was born in 1931December 23, 2008 ~ Jazz saxophonist, flutist, singer Monty Waters passed away in Munich, Germany ~ Worked with BB King, Lightnin' Hopkins, Little Richard, James Brown, King Pleasure, Pharoah Sanders, Dewey Redman, Donald Garrett, Jon Hendricks, Chet Baker, Johnny Griffin, Embryo, Gotz Tangerding, Hannes Beckman, Titus Waldenfels, Billy Higgins, Joe Lee Wilson, Sam Rivers, and Ronnie Boykins ~ Waters was born in 1938
December 23, 2007 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Oscar Peterson, full name Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, passed away in Mississauga, Canada ~ Appeared on more than 200 recordings over a six decade career. Child prodigy. Widely seen as one of the greatest jazz pianists of his day. Influenced by Teddy Wilson, Nat King Cole, James P Johnson, Art Tatum, Sergei Rachmaninoff. Worked with Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Sam Jones, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Joe Pass, Irving Ashby, Count Basie, Herbie Hancock, Ed Thigpen, Ben Webster, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, and McCoy Tyner ~ Peterson was born in 1925December 23, 2004 ~ Guitarist, lutenist, composer John Duarte, full name John William Duarte, passed away in London, UK ~ Wrote some 150 works for guitar and lute, ranging from Renaissance-influenced pieces such as English Suite Op.31 to atonal works such as Dreams Op.91 ~ Duarte was born in 1919
December 23, 2003 ~ Donald Douglas Lamond, commonly known as jazz, swing, bebop, big band drummer Don Lamond, passed away in Orlando, Florida, USA ~ Active from the 1940s through the early 1980s. Leader and sideman. Has worked with Woody Herman, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Benny Goodman, Ruby Braff, the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Sonny Stitt, Johnny Guarnieri, Jack Teagarden, Quincy Jones, Count Basie, Red Norvo, Maxine Sullivan, and Bucky Pizzarelli ~ Lamond was born in 1920
December 23, 1997 ~ Singer Jackie Landry Jackson passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Member of short-lived girl group the Chantels, known for the million-seller Maybe which reached the Billboard top 20 in 1958. Subsequent recordings would chart considerably lower, if at all, and the group would be dropped by their label in 1959 ~ Jackson was born in 1941
December 23, 1996 ~ Ronald Schatt, commonly known as jazz tenor saxophonist, jazz club owner Ronnie Scott, passed away in London, UK ~ Best known as jazz club owner, founded Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in 1959. Tenor saxophonist, worked with Johnny Claes, Ted Heath, Ambrose, Cab Kaye, Tito Burns, the Club Eleven Band, Johnny Dankworth, Tadd Dameron, Jack Parnell, Pete King, Victor Feldman, Hank Shaw, Phil Seamen, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Kenny Wheeler, Mike Carr, Bobby Glen, John Critchinson, the Jazz Couriers, Stan Tracey, Joe Harriott, Tubby Hayes, Tony Crombie, Malcolm Cecil, and Martin Drew ~ Schatt was born in 1927
December 23, 1992 ~ Funk, funk rock, soul, psychedelic rock guitarist Eddie Hazel, full name Edward Earl Hazel, passed away in Plainsfield, New Jersey, USA ~ Quintessential and hugely influential funk guitarist. Closely associated with George Clinton, member of the Parliaments, Parliament and Funkadelic and especially noted for his guitar solo on the latter's Maggot Brain ~ Hazel was born in 1950December 23, 1991 ~ Chicago blues, electric blues singer, songwriter Andrew Odom passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Has released three solo albums, starting with 1969's Farther On Down The Road. Worked with Albert King, Johnny Wiliams, Earl Hooker, Pinetop Perkins, Carey Bell, Geno Skaggs, Freddie Roulette, Johnny Big Moose Walker, Jimmy Dawkins, Otis Rush, and Magic Slim ~ Odom was born in 1936
December 23, 1988 ~ J-pop, electropop singer, dancer Yuka Kashino, also known as Kashiyuka, born in Hiroshima, Japan ~ Member of electropop girl group Perfume, known for a string of hits starting in the mid 2000s including Love The World, One Room Disco, Voice, Spring Of Life, Relax In The City, and Tokyo Girl
December 23, 1986 ~ Pop rock drummer Cherisse Osei born ~ First gained attention as drummer for all-female trio the Faders, known best for their 2005 UK top 20 hit No Sleep Tonight. Following the band's split in 2006 Osei has notably appeared on Mika's The Boy Who Knew Too Much album, and worked with Bryan Ferry, Todd Terje, Quist, and Kelly Jones. Osei is perhaps best known for her work with the Simple Minds, starting on the 2016 Acoustic album
December 23, 1985 ~ Austin Agustin Santos, commonly known as reggaeton singer, songwriter Arcángel, born in Harlem, New York, USA ~ Formed the duo Arcángel & De La Ghetto with De La Ghetto, Well known songs include Agresivo, Sorpresa and Mi Fanatica. Debuted as a solo artist with the El Fenomeno album in 2008. Well known songs include Chica Virtual, Por Amor A Ciegas, Me Prefieras A Mi and 50 Sombras De Austin. Has also worked with Julio Voltio, Daddy Yankee, J-Alvarez, Kendo Kaponi, Nejo, Tony Dize, and Cosculluela
December 23, 1985 ~ All-female pop rock, power pop, paisley underground group the Bangles release Manic Monday, lead single off their Different Light sophomore album ~ Written by Prince, and first recorded as a demo for Apollonia 6 but pulled from the album. Recorded by the Bangles the following year, it would become their first major hit, peaking at No.2 Billboard Hot 100, coincidentally held off the top spot by Prince's Kiss. It has been rumored that Prince gave the song to the Bangles in hope of winning the affection of the band's guitarist Susanna Hoffs. The band's drummer Debbi Peterson would later explain why they were given the song: “Prince really liked our first album. He liked the song Hero Takes A Fall, which is a great compliment, because we liked his music. He contacted us and said ‘I've got a couple of songs for you. I'd like to know if you're interested, ’, and of course we were”December 23, 1985 ~ David Joseph Michael Hynes, commonly known as singer, songwriter, producer Dev Hynes, born in Ilford, UK ~ Released his Falling Off The Lavender Bridge solo debut album in 2008 under the moniker Lightspeed Champion. Has since also recorded using the names Blood Orange and Devonté Hynes. Has collaborated with the Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Diana Vickers, Theophilus London, Solange Knowles, Sky Ferreira, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, and Carly Rae Jepsen
December 23, 1985 ~ Singer Feargal Sharkey releases You Little Thief, lifted off his eponymous debut album ~ Feargal Sharkey, the former lead singer of the Undertones, known especially for the anthem Teenage Kicks, surprised punk rock fans with his radio-friendly pop-oriented eponymous debut album. Its lead single, and the singer's solo debut single, was written by Maria McKee about the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, from whom she had recently split. The single would become Sharkey's only solo UK No.1 hit and one of only two to reach top 10. Its follow-up, You Little Thief written by Benmont Tench, would be his second, reaching No.5. Although Tench repeatedly denied so, it is presumed Tench wrote You Little Thief about McKee in reply to her song about himDecember 23, 1985 ~ Drummer, songwriter Harry Judd, full name Harry Mark Christopher Judd, born in Chelmstock, UK ~ Drunmmer of McFly, known for songs such as 5 Colours In Her Hair, Obviously, All About You, You've Got A Friend, I'll Be OK, Don't Stop Me Now, Star Girl and Baby's Coming Back, all of which topped the UK charts
December 23, 1978 ~ Jenny-Bea Englishman, commonly known as electronica, trip hop, indie pop, experimental rock singer, songwriter Esthero, born in Stratford, Canada ~ Drew comparisons to Björk, Portishead, Billie Holiday, and Sade. Influential on artists such as Res, Fergie, and Nelly Furtado. Debuted in 1998 with the Breath From Another album, which initially sold poorly yet in time became to be regarded as a trip hop classic. Esthero has guested on tracks by the likes of Timbaland, Black Eyed Peas (Weekends), Ian Pooley, Goodie Mob, Saul Williams, John Forté, Sugar Ray, Mos Def, Boney James, and Kanye WestDecember 23, 1977 ~ Jazz trumpeter Tore Johansen born in Bodø, Norway ~ Brother of drummer Roger Johansen. Tore has collaborated with Chick Corea, Karin Krog, Kenny Wheeler, Lars Jansson, Hal Galper, Sin Gillein and Jan Gunnar Hoff, Steve Swallow, Jukka Perko, Knut Riisnæs, Olaf Kamfjord, Halvdan Sivertsen, and Jo Skaansar