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 30, 2024 ~ Jazz saxophonist, bandleader Bob Bertles passed away ~ Considered a veteran of the Australian jazz scene, with a career spanning nearly seven decades. Perhaps best known for his 1996 Rhythm Of The Heart album. Bertles had been active as a session musician, in pop and rock, was a member of British jazz outfit Nucleus including on albums such as Under The Sun, Snake Hips Etcetera, Alleycat, and Direct Hits, and has regularly collaborated with the Ten Part Invention. Bertles was married to theatre performer Nancye Hayes, whom he met while working on an Australian production of the stage musical Chicago ~ Bertles was born in 1939
December 30, 2024 ~ Jazz guitarist Peter Leitch, full name Peter John Leitch, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Influenced by Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, and Kenny Burrell. Honed his skills in the 1970s, backing artists such Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Forrest and Sadik Hakim on the Toronto jazz scene, before relocating to New York by the early 1980s. Recorded well over a dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, and especially acclaimed for the mid to late 1980s albums On A Misty Night, Exhilaration and Red Zone. Leitch has guested on albums by the New York Jazz Guitar Ensemble, Woody Shaw, Jed Levy, Jeri Brown, Dominique Eade, and Pete Yellin, and served as producer for the likes of Benny Green, Mike LeDonne, Steve Nelson, and Billy Drummond. Citing medical issues, Leitch retired from performing in the mid-2010s, yet continued to arrange and compose and released his final album, New Life, in 2020 ~ Leitch was born in 1944
December 30, 2020 ~ Thomas Neal Cartnell, commonly known as rock, heartland rock, roots rock, rock & roll saxophonist Alto Reed, passed away ~ Best known as longtime associate of Bob Seger and member of Silver Bullet Band, notably present on songs such as Turn The Page and Old Time Rock & Roll. Has also worked with Foghat, Grand Funk Railroad, Little Feat, Otis Rush, Jamie Oldaker, Dave Mason, Spencer Davis, Tico Torres, and George Thorogood ~ Cartmell was born in 1948December 30, 2020 ~ Jazz bassist Eugene Wright, full name Eugene Joseph Wright, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Best known for his association with Dave Brubeck, including on the Dave Brubeck Quartet landmark album Time Out which included the ensemble's classic Take Five. Also present on albums by Buddy DeFranco, Harry Belafonte (Calypso), Cannonball Adderley, Gerald Wiggins, Monty Alexander (We've Only Just Begun), Cal Tjader, Guatauba, and Abe Most ~ Wright was born in 1923
December 30, 2020 ~ Pianist Frank Kimbrough passed away in Long Island City, New York, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Influenced by Thelonious Monk, Vince Guaraldi, Keith Jarrett, Cecil Taylor. Actively recording since the mid-1980s. Collaborated with Ben Wolfe, the Herbie Nichols Project, Joe Locke, Rufus Reid, the Jazz Composers Collective, and Paul Motian ~ Kimbrough was born in 1956
December 30, 2020 ~ Henry Gibson Dan, commonly known as folk, jazz, hula singer, songwriter Seaman Dan, passed away in Edmonton, Australia ~ Regular performer at local events for decades. Gained international fame in the 2000s with a fusion of American, Australian, African and Polynesian genres, especially the hula genre of his native Thursday Island. Acclaimed for the albums Perfect Pearl and Sailing Home, released respectively in 2004 and 2009 ~ Dan was born in 1929
December 30, 2017 ~ Schlager, easy listening singer Bernd Spier passed away in Nedersaksen, Germany ~ Son of conductor Robby Spier. Enjoyed succes in the early 1960s prior to the rise of the Beatles. Briefly returned in the late 1960s, early 1970s scoring hits in Germany with Pretty Belinda and Knock Three Times, covers of respectively Chris Andrews and Tony Orlando & Dawn ~ Spier was born in 1944
December 30, 2015 ~ Folk, kleinkunst singer, guitarist Zjef Vanuytsel, full name Jozef Guillaume Dymphna Vanuytsel, passed away in Louvain, Belgium ~ Considered one of the leading Flemish kleinkunst artists, alongside Wannes van de Velde and Willem Vermandere. Best known for his 1970 debut album Zotte Morgen. Would return to work as an architect in commercially less successful periods ~ Vanuytsel was born in 1945December 30, 2013 ~ Producer Ibrahima Sylla passed away in Paris, France ~ Helped define popular African music. Founded Syllart Records. Has worked with Africando, Youssou n'Dour, Les Quatre Etoiles, Oumou Dioubate, Baaba Maal, Bako Dagnon, Ismaël Lô, Pape Seck, Oumou Sangaré, Gnossàs Pedro, Kouyate Sory Kandia, Bembeya Jazz, Fanta Damba, Alpha Blondy, and Miriam Makeba ~ Sylla was born in 1956
December 30, 2009 ~ Guitarist, organist, singer Rowland S Howard passed away in Heidelberg, Australia ~ Member of post-punk outfit the Birthday Party, active from 1979 through 1983. The band evolved from its predecessor Boys Next Door and achieved little commercial success yet was heralded by critics as one of the most challenging post-punk groups of the early 1980s and is especially known for launching the career of singer Nick Cave. Howard would go on to work with Crime & the City Solution, These Immortal Souls, Nikki Sudden, and record as a solo artist ~ Howard was born in 1959
December 30, 2004 ~ Swing, big band bandleader, saxophonist, clarinetist Artie Shaw, full name Arthur Jacob Arshawsky, passed away in Thousand Oaks, California, USA ~ Widely seen as one of jazz's finest clarinetists. Widely popular from the late 1930s onwards. Led both big bands and smaller ensembles. Hired Billie Holiday as lead vocalist in 1938 and toured the segregated South. Has also worked with Lena Horne, Helen Forrest, Mel Tormé, Buddy Rich, Dave Tough, Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney, Tal Farlow, Dodo Marmarosa, and Ray Conniff ~ Shaw was born in 1910
December 30, 1998 ~ R&B singer Johnny Moore, full name John Darrel Moore, passed away in London, UK ~ Member of the Hornets. Best known as a lead singer of the Drifters, remaining with the band from 1954 through 1957, and again from 1964 through 1978. Present on most of the band's best known including Saturday Night At The Movies, Come On Over To My Place, At The Club, and Up In The Streets Of Harlem ~ Moore was born in 1934December 30, 1993 ~ Jazz saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist Arthur Rollini, full name Arthur Francis Rollini, passed away in Florida, USA ~ Worked with Benny Goodman, including at the famed 1938 Carnegie Hall performance considered a milestone in big band history. Also worked with Richard Himber, Will Bradley, Wingy Manone, Joe Venuti, Lionel Hampton, Harry James, Louis Armstrong, Brad Gowans, Bunny Berigan, Jack Teagarden, and with his older brother Adrian Rollini ~ Rollini was born in 1912
December 30, 1991 ~ Pop rock outfit Genesis release I Can't Dance, lifted off their We Can't Dance album ~ Genesis wrote the song in single session, working from spontaneous lines improvised in the studio to keep them from over-thinking it. The song makes a mockery of male models, as Phil Collins would later tell Rolling Stone: “It's about guys that look good but can't string a sentence together. Each verse is a piss-take at the scenario of a jeans commercial. It was good fun, but the audience thought, ‘What does he mean that he can't dance?’ They didn't see the humor, and it killed the fun.” The song reached top 10 in several countries, including the UK and America, and the No.1 spot on the Dutch charts, making it their sole charttopper in the Netherlands
December 30, 1986 ~ Accordionist, arranger, composer Charles Magnante passed away in Westchester, New York, USA ~ Played an important role in elevating the accordion, previously considered an instrument suitable only in folk music, to an instrument accepted in many genres ~ Magnante was born in 1905December 30, 1986 ~ Elena Jane Goulding, commonly known as elektropop, synth-pop, indie pop singer, songwriter Ellie Goulding, born in Hereford, UK ~ Debuted in 2010 with the album Lights. Known for songs such as Starry Eyed, Your Song, Anything Could Happen, Burn, How Long Will I Love You, Love Me Like You Do, On My Mind, and River
December 30, 1984 ~ Cassandra Monique Batie, commonly known as R&B, soul, pop singer, songwriter, actress Andra Day, born in Edmonds, Washington, USA ~ Released her Cheers To The Fall debut album in 2015, spawning the Grammy Award-nominated modest R&B hit Rise Up. The album featured backing musicians such as Raphael Saadiq, Questlove, James Poyser, DJ Jazzy Jeff, the Dap-Kings. Portrayed the role of Billie Holiday in the 2021 biopic The United States vs Billie Holiday. Has worked with Black Eyed Peas, Needtobreathe, Gary Clark Jr, Keedron Bryant, and Stevie Wonder (Someday At Christmas)
December 30, 1984 ~ Classical conductor, violinist Dalia Stasevska born in Kyiv, Ukranian SSR ~ Married to bassist Lauri Porra. Assistant conductor to Paavo Järvi at the Orchestra de Paris from 2014 through 2016. Would go on to work with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, the Opera North, and the BBC Sympony Orchestra. Conducted the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at the 2018 Nobel Prize Award Ceremony making her only the second female conductor to do so, shortly after Karina Canellakis earlier the same yearDecember 30, 1984 ~ Maria Micaela Secada Ramos, commonly known as singer Moraima Secada, passed away in Havana, Cuba ~ Aunt of pop singer Jon Secada. Member of Anacaona, the first all-female Latin-American orchestra. Member of Cuarteto Los Meme. Member of the Cuarteto D'Aida alongside Elena Burke, Omara Portuondo and Haydee Portuondo ~ Secada was born in 1930
December 30, 1982 ~ Jazz guitarist, songwriter Nir Felder born in New York, New York, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Greg Osby, Esperanza Spalding, Jack DeJohnette, Meshell Ndegeocello, Sylent Running, Barney McAll, Goan Slater, Terri Lyne Carrington, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, Nate Smith, Chase Baird, the Boeuf Brothers, Tony Grey, Mark Giuliana, Janek Gwizdala, Bob Reynolds, Brian Landrus, and David Weiss
December 30, 1980 ~ Heavy metal, progressive metal singer, keyboardist Tommy Giles Rogers Jr born in Morganton, North Carolina, USA ~ Best known as founding member, lead vocalist, keyboardist, songwriter of progressive metal band Between The Buried And Me. Also guested on recordings by Devin Townsend, Ayreon, Prayer For Cleansing, August Burns Red, Safety Fire, Johnny Booth, and Abnormal Thought Patterns
December 30, 1979 ~ Composer Richard Rodgers, full name Richard Charles Rodgers, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ One of the most important composers of the 20th century with over 40 musicals to his name and some 900 songs, often in collaboration with lyricist Lorenz Hart. Well known songs co-written by Rodgers include Some Enchanted Evening (Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Al Goodman), Bewitched Bothered And Bewildered (Vivienne Segal, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald), My Funny Valentine (Mitzi Green, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock), Falling In Love With Love (Muriel Angelus, Rita Reys, Patti Page), Dancing On The Ceiling (Jessie Matthews, Buddy Greco, Peggy Lee), Lover (Jeanette Macdonald, Jimmy Dorsey, Margaret Whiting), Hello Young Lovers (Gertrude Lawrence, Mabel Mercer, Tommy Sands), The Sound Of Music (Mary Martin, Eddie Fisher, Vic Damone), This Nearly Was Mine (Ezio Pinza, Giorgio Tozzi, Fred Waring), It Might As Well Be Spring (Dick Haymes, Sammy Kaye, Rosemary Clooney), It Never Entered My Mind (Shirley Ross, Buddy Morrow, Julie London), and Little Girl Blue (Gloria Grafton, Lena Horne, Pinky Winters) ~ Rodgers was born in 1902
December 30, 1979 ~ Michael Wayne Atha, commonly known as rapper, singer, songwriter Yelawolf, born in Gadsden, Alabama, USA ~ Active since the mid 2000s. Over half a dozen albums to his name starting with Creek Water. Broke through to mainstream with the 2010 EP Trunk Muzik. Has recorded a number of collaborative EPs and albums with Ed Sheeran, Travis Barker, Korn, and Shooter JenningsDecember 30, 1978 ~ House, dance-pop DJ, producer Lucas Prata born in Queens, New York, USA ~ Known for a string of club, dance hits starting in the early 2000s, including Never Be Alone, And She Said, Love Of My Life featuring Reina, I Think I'm Falling In Love, A Girl Like That featuring Jeannie Ortega and First Night Of My Life featuring Lenny B
December 30, 1978 ~ Tyrese Darnell Gibson, mononymously known as R&B, hip hop, pop, soul singer, songwriter Tyrese, born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Got his start in music singing in commercials, notably appearing in a 1994 Coca-Cola advertisement singing the phrase “Always Coca-Cola,” which led to other appearances. Would release his Nobody Else debut single in 1998, which would reach top 40 Billboard Hot 100. Has recorded over half a dozen albums since. Well-known songs include Sweet Lady, Lately, I Like Them Girls, and his biggest hit the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 single How You Gonna Act Like That. Tyrese also formed the trio TGT with Tank and Ginuwine, known for its sole album Three Kings released in 2013