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 29, 2023 ~ Jazz, soul jazz pianist, singer, songwriter Les McCann, full name Leslie Coleman McCann, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Actively recording since the early 1960s. Noted for his 1969 Swiss Movement album, which also featured saxophonist Eddie Harris and trumpeter Benny Bailey. The album spawned the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit Compared To What, later covered by over 250 artists including Roberta Flack. McCann also collaborated with Teddy Edwards, Richard Groove Holmes, Lou Rawls (Stormy Monday), Stanley Turrentine, Cash McCall, and Herbie Mann ~ McCann was born in 1935December 29, 2023 ~ Actor, director, singer, choreographer Maurice Hines, full name Maurice Robert Hines Jr, passed away in Englewood, New Jersey, USA ~ Brother of dancer Gregory Hines, with whom he has also worked including as opening act for the likes of Lionel Hampton and Gypsy Rose Lee. Starting in the late 1970s Hines would appear in Broadway productions of Eubie, Bring Back Birdie, Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown (It's Hot), earning a Tony Award for the latter. Conceived, choreographed, and directed Hot Feet, a 2006 jukebox musical featuring the music of Earth Wind & Fire ~ Hines was born in 1943
December 29, 2022 ~ Electronic composer Eduard Artemeyev, full name Eduard Nikolayevich Artemeyev, passed away in Moscow, Russia ~ One of the first composers to utilize a synthesizer, and as such regarded as a pioneer of electronic music. Outside of Russia best known for his film scores, with well over two dozen soundtracks to his name including Solaris, At Home Among Strangers, Stalker, Siberiade, and Burnt By The Sun ~ Artemeyev was born in 1937
December 29, 2022 ~ Folk, country singer, guitarist, songwriter Ian Tyson, full name Ian Dawson Tyson, passed away in Longview, Canada ~ Formed the husband-wife duo Ian & Sylvia with Sylvia Tyson, known for originals such as Four Strong Winds, You Were On My Mind and Someday Soon. The latter would become a country classic recorded by numerous artists including Judy Collins, the Kingston Trio, Lynn Anderson, Glen Campbell, Chris LeDoux, Crystal Gayle, Moe Bandy, and Fred Eaglesmith ~ Tyson was born in 1933
December 29, 2022 ~ Pop singer Margriet Eshuijs passed away in Zaandam, the Netherlands ~ Lead singer for Lucifer, known best for their 1974 hit House For Sale which remains a radio staple to this day. Other well known songs include Scarlet Lady, I Can See The Sun In Late December, and Selfpity. After the band disbanded in 1979 Eshuijs has recorded as a solo artist, noted for her 1982 Black Pearl Dutch top 20 hit ~ Eshuijs was born in 1952
December 29, 2021 ~ Drummer John Hartman passed away ~ Original drummer, co-founding member of the Doobie Brothers. The band would add a second drummer, Michael Hossack, to the line-up in 1971 and keep the dual-drummer formation until Hartman's final departure from the band in 2016. Hartman was present on Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hits such as Listen To The Music, Long Train Runnin', China Grove, Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me), Takin' It To The Street and Minute By Minute. 1974's Black Water and 1979's What A Fool Believes would both reach No.1 ~ Hartman was born in 1950December 29, 2020 ~ Heavy metal, power metal, neoclassical metal guitarist, singer, songwriter Alexi Laiho, full name Markku Uula Aleksi Laiho, passed away in Helsinki, Finland ~ Best known as co-founding member, lead singer of Children Of Bodom. Has also worked with Sinergy, the Local Band, Kylähullut, Thy Serpent, Impaled Nazarene, Warmen, Hypocrisy and with Bodom After Midnight, the latter formed just prior to his death ~ Laiho was born in 1979
December 29, 2020 ~ Pianist, bandleader, composer Claude Bolling passed away in St Cloud, France ~ Especially known as a film composer with over 100 scores to his name. Worked with Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, Kenny Clarke, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Alexandre Lagoya, Pinchas Zukerman, Maurice André, and Yo-Yo Ma ~ Bolling was born in 1930December 29, 2020 ~ Hubert Brad Lewis, commonly known as country singer, guitarist, bassist, pianist, songwriter Hugh X Lewis, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ As a singer best known for a number of 1960s, 1970s singles, notably What I Need Most, I'd Better Call The Law On Me and All Heaven Broke Loose. Also known as a songwriter, his songs recorded by Stonewall Jackson (BJ The DJ), Mac Wiseman and George Morgan ~ Lewis was born in 1930
December 29, 2020 ~ Singer Phyllis McGuire, full name Phyllis Jean McGuire, passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA ~ Formed the sibling outfit the McGuire Sisters with Christine McGuire and Dorothy McGuire. The close-harmony vocal trio would first gain attention in 1952 through Arthur Godfrey's talent contest Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, after which Godfrey hired them for several of his other TV shows. The trio remained active through the late 1960s, and are well known for songs such as Goodnight Sweatheart Goodnight, Muskrat Ramble, It May Sound Silly, Something's Gotta Give, and He. The sisters would top the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice, first with Sincerely in 1955, and again with Sugartime two years later. They have performed for five American presidents, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George HW Bush ~ McGuire was born in 1931December 29, 2020 ~ Singer Rudy Salas passed away ~ Brother of Steve Salas. The pair would be discovered by Mario Paniagua of the Percussions. Rudy sang on the Jaguars' Where Lovers Go while still in his early teens. Soon the brothers would record several singles under the moniker the Salas Brothers. The pair would join El Chicano in 1972 and form their own band Tierra the following year, best known for Together of their 1980 City Nights album ~ Salas was born in 1949
December 29, 2019 ~ Folk, pop, Latin jazz singer, percussionist, songwriter Norma Tanega, full name Norma Cecilia Tanega, passed away in Claremont, California, USA ~ Best known for Walkin' My Cat Named Dog, an international hit in 1966 nearing the top 20 in America and Britain and reaching top 10 in Canada. Wrote or co-wrote a number of songs recorded by Dusty Springfield including No Stranger Am I, The Colour Of Your Eyes, Earthbound Gypsy and Midnight Sounds. Has collaborated with Hybridvigor, the Latin Lizards, John Zeretzke, Brian Ransom, Baboonz, and Steve Rushingwind Ruiz ~ Tanega was born in 1939
December 29, 2018 ~ Cellist Aldo Parisot passed away in Guilford, Connecticut, USA ~ Debuted profesionally at age 12. Principal cellist of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. Composer Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote Cello Concerto Number 2 for Parisot. Has worked with numerous orchestras and conductors including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Leopold Stokowski, John Barbirolli, Pierre-Michel Le Conte, Leonard Bernstein, Eleazar de Carvalho, Zubin Mehta, Claude Monteux, Paul Paray, and Victor de Sabata ~ Parisot was born in 1918
December 29, 2013 ~ Rock guitarist Benjamin Curtis passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Brother of bassist Brandon Curtis. Influenced by Michael Rother, Yoshimi P-We and U2's the Edge. Co-founding member of acts such as Secret Machines, the School of Seven Bells and UFOFU. Curtis was also briefly the drummer for Tripping Daisy from 1997 until their initial disbandement by the end of the decade, notably present on their most acclaimed Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb album. Curtis passed away at age 35 of a rare form of cancer ~ Curtis was born in 1978
December 29, 2012 ~ Bluegrass, country dobroist, singer Mike Auldridge passed away in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA ~ Considered one of country's all-time most distinctive and beloved dobro players. Influenced by his uncle steel guitarist Ellsworth T Cozzens and dobroist Josh Graves, the latter actually selling Auldridge his first dobro. Co-founding member of the Seldom Scene. Has also worked with the Country Gentlemen, Chesapeake, John Starling & Carolina Star, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, the Bass Mountain Boys, Doyle Lawson, and Cliff Waldron ~ Auldridge was born in 1938
December 29, 2011 ~ Robert Dickey, singer, commonly known as Bobby Purify passed away in Tallahassee, Florida, USA ~ Best known as half of vocal duo James & Bobby Purify, the other being his cousin James Purify, known for songs such as I'm Your Puppet, Let Love Come Between Us, and Shake A Tail Feather. Dickey would retire from music in the early 1970s for health reasons. James would initially continue to perform as a solo singer, and team up with singer Ben Moore in the mid 1970s using the old James & Bobby monniker ~ Dickey was born in 1939
December 29, 2008 ~ Bebop, hard bop, post-bop trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, full name Frederick Dwayne Hubbard, passed away in Sherman Oaks, California, USA ~ Closely associated with Art Blakey, backing Blakey in the Jazz Messengers for most of the 1960s including on albums such as Mosaic, Caravan and Free For All. Over 50 albums as leader or co-leader, especially acclaimed for Open Sesame, Ready For Freddie and Backlash. In-demand sideman appearing on some of most important jazz albums from the late 1950s onwards including by JJ Johnson, Eric Dolphy (Outward Bound), Tina Brooks, Jackie McLean (Bluesnik), Dexter Gordon, Ornette Coleman (Free Jazz), John Coltrane, Oliver Nelson (The Blues And The Abstract Truth), Herbie Hancock (Takin' Off), Willie Bobo, Wayne Shorter (The All Seeing Eye), Max Roach, Quincy Jones (Walking In Space), George Benson, Don Sebesky, and Milt Jackson (Sunflower). To pop audiences perhaps best known for his trumpet playing on Zanzibar of Billy Joel's 1978 52nd Street album ~ Hubbard was born in 1938December 29, 2001 ~ Keyboardist, pianist Florian Fricke passed away in Munich, Germany ~ Best known as keyboardist of krautrock group Popol Vuh, starting out on Moog synthesizers and switching to acoustic piano as the band evolved in a different direction. Also known for composing a number of soundtracks, most notably for film director Werner Herzog. Has also worked with Tangerine Dream, Renate Knaup, and Gila ~ Fricke was born in 1944
December 29, 2001 ~ Stride pianist Ralph Sutton passed away in Evergreen, Colorado, USA ~ Along with James P Johnson and Fats Waller among the best known and most influential stride pianists. Active since the late 1930s, backing artists such as Jack Teagarden and Bob Scobey before venturing out on his own. Over a dozen albums to his name as a leader, especially acclaimed for his eponymous 1950 Ralph Sutton debut album. Present on albums by Conrad Janis, Jess Stacy, Edmond Hall, Wild Bill Davison, Tony Parenti, Sidney Bechet (Creole Reeds), Clancy Hayes (Swingin' Minstrel), the Lawson-Haggart Band, the World's Greatest Jazz Band, and Dick Cary ~ Sutton was born in 1922December 29, 1996 ~ Singer, bassist Jerry Knight passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Founding member of Raydio, which also included Ray Parker Jr, best known for Jack And Jill, You Can't Change That and perhaps their best known A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do). Also half of Ollie & Jerry, the other half being drummer Ollie E Brown, known for Breaking (There Is No Stopping Us) which was used as the theme song to the 1984 Breakin' feature film and would reach the Billboard top 10. Knight has also written and produced for artists such as the Whispers, Patrice Rushen, DeBarge, Howard Hewett, and Elkie Brooks ~ Knight was born in 1952
December 29, 1996 ~ Singer, composer, actress Mireille Hartuch passed away in Paris, France ~ French cultural icon. Member of the French Resistance during World War II. As a singer perhaps best known for Ce Petit Chemin. Wrote or co-wrote over 600 songs, many of them recorded by artists such as Maurice Chevalier, Jean Sablon, Charles Trenet ~ Hartuch was born in 1906
December 29, 1993 ~ Rock singer Chloe Kohanski born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Winner of thirteenth season of NBC's talent show The Voice, aired in 2017. Won the $100,000 grand prize and a record deal, but apart from winning the season with Wish I Didn't Love You has only sparsely recorded since. Her sole EP, Fantasy released in 2019, produced no chart hits
December 29, 1992 ~ Actress, singer Vivienne Segal, full name Vivienne Sonia Segal, passed away in Beverly Hills, California, USA ~ Perhaps best remembered for her role as Vera Simpson in the 1940 Broadway production of Pal Joey, written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, introducing the song Bewitched Bothered And Bewildered ~ Segal was born in 1897December 29, 1991 ~ Aaquil Iben Shamon Brown, commonly known as trap, hip-hop rapper Slim Jxmmi, born in Whitler, California, USA ~ Forms the sibling duo Rae Sremmurd with his younger brother Swae Lee, best known for their 2016 Billboard Hot 100 charttopper Black Beatles featuring Gucci Mane. Other well known songs include No Type, Throw Sum Mo featuring Nicki Minaj & Young Thug, and Swang
December 29, 1990 ~ Electric blues, jump blues, rock & roll singer, guitarist, drummer, songwriter Goree Carter passed away in Houston, Texas, USA ~ Best known for his 1949 Rock Awhile single, one of the records regularly cited as one of the first rock & roll records. After serving in the military, including a deployment to Korea, would record throughout the mid 1950s yet mostly retire from music on account of discontement with the music industry. Carter would occasionally perform locally or sit in with visiting artists including BB King ~ Carter was born in 1930