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 3, 1914 ~ Edward Cornelius, commonly known as trumpeter Corky Cornelius, born in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA ~ Active since the early 1930s, working with Les Brown, Buddy Rogers, Frank Dailey, Benny Goodman, and the Casa Loma Orchestra. While working with Gene Krupa in the early 1940s, Cornelius met the band's singer Irene Daye whom he would marry soon after. Only a few years into the marriage, Cornelius passed away unexpectedly at age 53 of kidney cancer. His widow Daye would later marry trumpeter, bandleader Charlie Spivak ~ Cornelius passed away in 1943December 3, 1914 ~ Neoclassical composer Irving Fine, full name Irving Gifford Fine, born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA ~ Member of a group of mid-20th century composers sometimes referred to as the Boston School, which also included Arthur Berger, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Lukas Foss and Harold Shapero. Praised by Virgil Thomson for his “unusual melodic grace” and by Copland for his “elegance, style, finish and convincing continuity” ~ Fine passed away in 1962
December 3, 1910 ~ Guitarist, singer, songwriter Rabon Delmore born in Elkmont, Alabama, USA ~ Formed the duo the Delmore Brothers with his brother Alton Delmore. The duo is known for songs such as Freight Train Boogie, Brown's Ferry Blues, Donna (Lay Down My Old Guitar), Fifteen Miles From Birmingham and perhaps their best known Blues Stay Away From Me. Artists who covered their songs include Johnny Burnette, Gene Vincent, the Louvin Brothers, Les Paul, Doc Watson, and the Everly Brothers ~ Delmore passed away in 1952
December 3, 1909 ~ Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, commonly known as bandleader, singer, maracas player Machito, born in Havana, Cuba ~ Sideman and leader. In the late 1930s he played with several orchestras, including with Xavier Cugat. Formed the Afro-Cubans in the 1940s with Mario Bauzá, Machito's brother-in-law, as its musical director. Among the first to fuse Afro-Cuban rhythms with swing, jazz and big band. George Shearing, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Stan Kenton all names Machito an influence. Has recorded extensively from the 1940s to the 1980s ~ Gutiérrez passed away in 1984
December 3, 1907 ~ Singer Connee Boswell born in Kansas City, Missouri, USA ~ One third of close harmony trio the Boswell Sisters, alongside siblings Martha Boswell and Helvetia Boswell, known for 1930s hits such as I Found A Million Dollar Baby In A Five An Ten Cent Store, Rock & Roll, The Object Of My Affection, Dinah, and Alexander's Ragtime Band ~ Boswell passed away in 1976December 3, 1883 ~ Anton Friedrich Wilhelm Von Webern, commonly known as composer, conductor Anton Webern, born in Vienna, Austria ~ Along with Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg considered a leading figure in the Second Viennese School ~ Von Webern passed away in 1945
December 3, 1874 ~ Playwright, lyricist, screenwriter Arthur Wimperis, full name Arthur Harold Wimperis, born in London, UK ~ To musical audiences perhaps best known for co-writing the 1909 hit musical The Arcadians with composers Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot, and co-writing the 1926 operetta Princess Charming with Albert Szirmai. With the advent of talking films Wimperis would venture into screenwriting for British and American films, notably winning an Academy Award for his contributions to the 1942 film Mrs Miniver ~ Wimperis passed away in 1953