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 6, 1942 ~ Singer, guitarist, songwriter Robb Royer, full name Robert Wilson Royer, born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Founding member of Bread, remaining with the band from 1968 through 1971 and replaced by Larry Knechtel. Present on the 1970 Billboard Hot 100 no.1 hit Make It With You. Previously a member of Pleasure Fair known for their sole album, 1967's eponymous Pleasure Fair. Also known for co-writing For All We Know with Jimmy Griffin and Fred Karlin sung by Larry Meredith for the 1970 film lovers And Other Strangers and awarded an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Others who recorded songs written or co-written by Royer include the Remingtons, Mary Chapin Carpenter (Quittin' Time), John Michael Montgomery (Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)), Randy Travis, Billy Burnette, and the Finnigan Brothers
December 6, 1941 ~ Helen Lorene Johnson, commonly known as country singer, songwriter, actress Helen Cornelius, born in Monroe City, Missouri, USA ~ Has recorded as a solo artist but is best known for a string of 1970s duets with Jim Ed Brown, including the Billboard Country top 10 hits I Don't Want To Have To Marry You, Say Hello Saying I Love You Saying Goodbye, If The World Ran Out Of Love Tonight, Lying In Love With You, Fools and Morning Comes Too Early ~ Johnson passed away in 2025
December 6, 1941 ~ Conductor John Nelson, full name John Wilton Nelson, born in San José, Costa Rica ~ Music director of the Indianopolis Symphony Orchestra from 1976 through 1987, noted for his recordings of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and Charles Martin Loeffler with the orchestra. Also closely associated with the Opera Theater Of Saint-Louis, serving as its music director and principal conductor from 1985 through 1991, and with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, serving as its music director for about a decade starting in the late 1990s
December 6, 1940 ~ Jazz, pop bassist, double bassist, singer, songwriter Jay Leonhart, full name Jay Chancellor Leonhart, born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA ~ Over a dozen albums as a leader starting in the early 1980s, especially acclaimed for 1999's Sensitive To The Touch (The Music Of Harold Arlen) and 2004's Cool albums. Noted for his clever songwriting, often laced with dry humor. Closely associated with the New York Trio, Barbara Carroll, Eddie Higgins. In-demand sideman, including outside jazz having worked with artists as diverse as Garland Jeffreys, James Taylor, Ozzy Osbourne, and Queen Latifah. Other notable collaborations include Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, Terence Blanchard, Urbie Green, Dick Hyman, Bette Midler, Houston Person, Leon Redbone, Don Sebesky, and Louie BellsonDecember 6, 1940 ~ Singer Justo Betancourt born in Matanzas, Cuba ~ About hald a dozen albums to his name as a solo artist, perhaps best known for his 1972 rendition of Pa Bravo Yo. Fronted Borincuba. Has also notably worked with the Fania All-Stars, Sonora Matancera, Celia Cruz, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri, and Ray Barretto
December 6, 1939 ~ Classical pianist, composer Tomás Svoboda born in Paris, France ~ Served as professor at Portland State University, Oregon, for over 25 years. Over 200 compositions to his name, starting in the mid 1950s. Most acclaimed for his Concerto For Marimba & Orchestra published in 1995 and for Piano Trios published in 2000 ~ Svoboda passed away in 2022
December 6, 1936 ~ Saxophonist, bandleader Bill Ashton, full name William Michael Allingham Scott, born in Blackpool, UK ~ Co-founder of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, of which he served as director from 1965 until his retirement in 2009. The orchestra served as a training school and launching pad for numerous British jazz artists including Julian Argüelles, Guy Barker, Nigel Hitchcock, Gerard Presencer, Brian Priestley, Frank Ricotti, Jamie Talbot, Neil Yates, and numerous others. To more pop oriented audiences, the orchestra is perhaps best known for including Amy Winehouse, who sang with the jazz orchestra for several months in the early 2000s. The orchestra has recorded over 40 albums, with numerous compositions arranged or written by Ashton ~ Ashton passed away in 2025
December 6, 1935 ~ R&B singer George Williams, full name George Reginald Williams Jr, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Lead singer of vocal R&B outfit the Tymes, known best for their 1963 So Much In Love debut album. The album would spawn their biggest hits, the title track So Much In Love would top the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 while its follow-up Wonderful Wonderful peaked at No.7. The band would continue to record well into the 1970s, but apart from an occasional hit in the UK, where Ms Grace reached the No.1 spot in 1974, they were unable to repeat their earlier success ~ Williams passed away in 2004December 6, 1934 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Norio Maeda born in Japan ~ Leader and sideman. Founded the Wind Breakers. Founded We 3. Member of the West-liners. Worked with artists such as Shungo Sawada, Konosuke Saijo, Yasuo Arakawa, Takeshi Inomata, and Sadanori Nakamure. Has composed for Blue Coats, Tatsuya Takahashi, Nobuo Hara, and for Toshiyuki Miyama ~ Maeda passed away in 2018
December 6, 1929 ~ Conductor, cellist Nikolaus Harnoncourt, full name Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt, born in Berlin, Germany ~ Founded the Concentus Musicus Wien. Also worked with the Vienna Symphony, La Scala, Gustav Leonhardt, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Married to violinist Alice Harnoncourt ~ Harnoncourt passed away in 2016
December 6, 1928 ~ Composer, conductor, TV personality Roberto Pregadio born in Catania, Italy ~ Perhaps best known for composing the score to the 1969 spaghetti western The Forgotten Pistolero, noted for its whistling. Composed numerous other soundtracks, starting in the mid 1960s. Previously a pianist with the the RAI Light Music Orchestra, appearing on many RAI radio and TV shows ~ Pregadio passed away in 2010
December 6, 1927 ~ Jazz saxophonist Akira Miyazawa born in Matsumoto, Japan, Japan ~ Worked extensively with Toshiko Akiyoshi in the 1950s and 1960s. Has also collaborated with artists such as Yasuo Arakawa, Hampton Hawes, Hidehiko Matsumoto, Helen Merrill, Shotaro Moriyasu, Masahiko Satoh, Mal Waldron, Sadao Watanabe, and Masahiko Togashi ~ Miyazawa passed away in 2000
December 6, 1925 ~ Tenor saxophonist, oboist Bob Cooper born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA ~ First gained attention as a member of Stan Kenton's orchestra from the mid 1940s through the early 1950s. Cooper married June Christy, one of the groups most beloved regular singers, in 1947. Besides being a skillful saxophone player, one of many to emulate the velvety sounds of Lester Young, Cooper is also known as one of the first to play jazz solos on the oboe. Recorded as a leader since the mid 1950s, noted especially for the 1958 Coop (The Music Of Bob Cooper) album, and remained an in-demand sideman well through the 1980s regularly present on his wife's solo albums, as well as on recordings by Chet Baker Shorty Rogers (Shorty Rogers Courts The Count), Barney Kessel, Jimmy Giuffre, Bud Shank, Ella Fitzgerald (Sings The Cole Porter Songbook), Anita O'Day, Buddy Rich (This One's For Basie), Marty Paich, Buddy Bregman, Lena Horne (Stormy Weather), Pete Rugolo, Ray Brown, the Monkees (More Of The Monkees), Frank Capp, Linda Ronstadt, and Sammy Nestico ~ Cooper passed away in 1993December 6, 1925 ~ Electric blues singer Robert Ealey, full name Robert Daniel Ealey, born in Texarkana, Texas, USA ~ Began singing in church in his mid-teens. Influenced by Lightnin' Hopkins, Melvin Jackson, and T-Bone Walker. Rose to regional fame as a member of the Boogie Chillun Boys, performing for about two decades at the the Blue Bird Club, Fort Worth, after which he purchased the club and ran it for another ten years. Has recorded a number of albums during the 1990s, especially noted for 1996's Turn Out The Lights, and through intensive touring found popularity in Europe with his authentic Texas urban blues ~ Ealey passed away in 2001
December 6, 1925 ~ Soul, gospel singer Theola Kilgore born in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA ~ Featured vocalist on the Mount Zion Spiritual Choir's Look To The Hills. As a solo artist best known for The Sound Of My Man (Working On The Chain Gang), an answer song to Sam Cooke's Chain Gang, and for her 1963 single The Love Of My Man which barely missed the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 ~ Kilgore passed away in 2005
December 6, 1923 ~ Homer Robert Eanes Jr, commonly known as bluegrass, country guitarist, singer Jim Eanes, born in Mountain Valley, Virginia, USA ~ Bluegrass balladeer active since the early 1940s, starting as backing musician for Roy Hall. Well known for penning and first recording I Wouldn't Change You If I Could in the late 1950s, a hit song for Ricky Skaggs some two decades later. Others who recorded songs written or co-written by Eanes include Flatt & Scruggs (Baby Blue Eyes), Ralph Stanley, the Dillards (Bending The Strings), Mac Wiseman, and George Jones ~ Eanes passed away in 1995December 6, 1923 ~ Television and film composer Maury Laws born in Burlington, North Carolina, USA ~ Best known as music director for Videocraft International for about two decades starting in 1964. Conducted and scored music for animated feature films such as The Hobbit, The Flight Of The Dragons and The Wacky World Of Mother Goose ~ Laws passed away in 2019
December 6, 1918 ~ Martin Robert Schopp, commonly known as radio DJ, guitarist, fiddler, actor, songwriter Marty Roberts, born in Chenoa, Illinois, USA ~ Member of the Tennessee Ramblers. Co-wrote You Can't Have My Love, a 1954 hit for Wanda Jackson. Best known as a radio DJ and TV personality ~ Schopp passed away in 2009
December 6, 1910 ~ Jazz, dixieland pianist Armand Hug born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Played professionaly from age 13 onwards, mostly as a solo pianist in local clubs. Did not record until the early 1950s, debuting with the eponymous Armand Hug album in 1951. Has also worked with Harry Shields, the New Orleans Owls, Sharkey Bonano ~ Hug passed away in 1977
December 6, 1887 ~ Ragtime pianist, composer Joseph Lamb, full name Joseph Francis Lamb, born in Montclair, New Jersey, USA ~ Alongside Scott Joplin and James Scott considered one of “the Big Three” of classical ragtime. Of the three the one most influenced by classical music as clear from his use of long phrases and complexer structures. Known for songs such as Excelsior Rag, American Beauty Rag, Nightingale Rag, Top Liner Rag, Champagne Rag, Reindeer Ragtime Two Step and Bohemia ~ Lamb passed away in 1960