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, 1941 ~ Singer, songwriter Tim Hardin, full name James Timothy Hardin, born in Eugen, Oregon, USA ~ Though he is best known for penning and first recording two specific songs, Reason To Believe and If I Were A Carpenter, both recorded by well over a 100 artists each, Hardin was perhaps one of the gentlest and most soulful folk singers to emerge from the 1960s and hugely influential on a wide array of singer-songwriters to rise to fame in the 1970s. Hardin has recorded ten albums until his death of an overdose at age 39, and is especially acclaimed for his 1966 Tim Hardin 1 debut album and its Tim Hardin 2 follow-up issued the following year. Hardin's debut album included Reason To Believe which perhaps may have been most notably covered by Brainbox in 1969 and subsequently by Rod Stewart who issued the song, paired with Maggie May, as the double A-side lead single off his 1971 Every Picture Tells A Story album. If I Were A Carpenter was taken off of Hardin's sophomore album, and though Hardin was the first to record it, Bobby Darin would be the first to release it beating Hardin by less than two months in the fall of 1966. Peaking at No.8 Billboard Hot 100 it would become Darin's final top 10 hit of his career. Other Hardin originals have also been frequently covered, including Hang On To A Dream (Ian & Sylvia, Françoise Hardy, Cissy Houston), It'll Never Happen Again (Connie Stevens, PP Arnold, Peggy Lee), Don't Make Promises (Marianne Faithfull, Scott McKenzie, ZZ Hill), Misty Roses (Sonny & Cher, Astrud Gilberto, Colin Blunstone), and Simple Song Of Freedom (Della Reese, the Bells) ~ Hardin passed away in 1980
December 23, 1940 ~ Guitarist, singer, songwriter Eugene Record, full name Eugene Booker Record, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Lead vocalist of the Chi-lites, scoring with 1970s hits such as Oh Girl, Have You Seen Her and (For God's Sake) Give More Power To The People. Record also wrote and produced for other artists inlcuding Jackie Wilson, Lost Generation, Otis Leavell, the Dells, and the Impressions. Credited as a co-writer, earning him Grammy Award recognition, on the Beyoncé hit Crazy In Love due to its sampling of the Chi-lites' Are You My Woman (Tell Me So) ~ Record passed away in 2005December 23, 1939 ~ Angeline Rache de Lanerolle, commonly known as singer Angeline Gunathilake, born in Matara, Sri Lanka ~ Dubbed “the Silver Bell of Sinhala cinema” working primarily as a playback singer for films (whereas the actresses would lip-sync) on over 5,000 songs ~ De Lanerolle passed away in 2019
December 23, 1937 ~ Rock & roll drummer Jimmy Van Eaton, full name James Mack Van Eaton, born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Initially played Dixieland jazz with the Jivin' Five, which he founded, before switching to rock & roll. Recording a demo at Sun Records with engineer Cowboy Jack Clement impressed Clement, who then recommended Van Eaton to Billy Lee Riley. Van Eaton would tour with Riley, as well as with Conway Twitty, on weekends, and work as a session drummer during the week. From the mid through the late 1950s, Van Eaton drummed on most of the Sun Records recordings by Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Bill Justis, and Jerry Lee Lewis, including on the latter's 1957 Whole Lot Of Shakin' Goin' On classic. By the 1960s Van Eaton mostly retired from music. In 1998, going by the moniker JM Van Eaton, he released his sole solo album The Beat Goes On, featuring his own songs and vocals ~ Van Eaton passed away in 2024December 23, 1935 ~ Esther Mae Jones, commonly known as singer Esther Phillips born in Galveston, Texas, USA ~ Best known for her association with Johnny Otis, recording a number of 1950s hits with the Otis orchestra including Double Crossing Blues, Mistrusting Blues and Cupid's Boogie. As a solo artist scored a number of 1960s R&B hits for Release Me, And I Love Him and Try Me ~ Jones passed away in 1984
December 23, 1934 ~ Jazz pianist John Critchinson, full name John William Frank Critchinson, born in London, UK ~ Worked with Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, Jimmy Deuchar, Chet Baker, George Coleman, James Moody, Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Dick Morrisey, Jim Mullen, Martin Drew, Ron Mathewson, Art Themen, Dave Green, Dave Barry, Pat Crumley, and Simon Spillett ~ Critchinson passed away in 2017
December 23, 1933 ~ Jazz saxophonist Frank Morgan born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA ~ A leading figure in the jazz revival of the 1980s who over a five decades spanning career recorded with wide array of seminal artists including Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke, Lyle Murphy, Wardell Gray, Mark Murphy, Terry Gibbs, Art Farmer, Ben Sidran, and Abbey Lincoln ~ Morgan passed away in 2007
December 23, 1929 ~ Chesney Henry Baker Jr, commonly known as cool jazz, bebop trumpeter, singer Chet Baker, born in Yale, Oklahoma, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Dubbed “the Prince of Cool” known for his innovations to the genre. As a composer known for songs such as Chetty's Lullaby, So Che Ti Perdero (I Know I Will Lose You), The Route, Skiddaddklin, New Morning Blues, Dessert, Blue Gilles and We Know It's Love. Has worked with Gerry Mulligan, Russ Freeman, Bob Whitlock, Carson Smith, Shelly Manne, Elvis Costello (Shipbuilding), Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Jack Sheldon, Dick Twardzik, and Kirk Lightsey ~ Baker passed away in 1988
December 23, 1919 ~ R&B saxophonist, bandleader Joe Lutcher, full name Joseph Woodman Lutcher, born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA ~ Brother of singer Nellie Lutcher. Known for songs such as Shuffle Woogie, Rocking Boogie and Mardi Gras, the latter later covered by Professor Longhair and by Fats Domino. Has worked with Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr, the Mills Brothers, Karl George, Bill Ellis, Leon Beck, Harold Morrow, Dick Booker Hart, and Little Richard ~ Lutcher passed away in 2006December 23, 1917 ~ Jazz, big band arranger, pianist Edwin Finckel born in Washington DC, USA ~ Best remembered for co-writing Where Is The One with Alec Wilder, recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1949 and again for his 1957 Where Are You album. The song has also been recorded by Dick Haymes, Tommy Dorsey, Patti Page, Bobby Darin, Rita Pavone, and Bob Dylan ~ Finckel passed away in 2001
December 23, 1892 ~ Blues, jazz, ragtime, boogie-woogie pianist William Ezell born in Brenham, Texas, USA ~ Known best for Pitchin' Boogie, Heifer Dust and Barrel House Woman, all seen as classic early boogie-woogie recordings. Has worked with Elzadie Robinson, Charlie Spand, Lucille Bogan, Ora Brown, Bertha Robinson, Blind Roosevelt Graves, and Slim Tarpley ~ Ezell passed away in 1963
December 23, 1888 ~ Bandleader, pianist Mike Jackson born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA ~ Accompanist on early jazz and blues recordings by Clara Smith, Alberta Hunter, Laura Smith, Thomas Morris, Perry Bradford, and Buddy Christian. Also remembered for writing or co-writing songs such as The Louisville Blues (WC Handy), Slender Tender & Tall (Jimmie Lunceford) and Hey Knock Me A Kiss (Louis Jordan) ~ Jackson passed away in 1945