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.
February 15, 2024 ~ Pop rock guitarist, singer Ian Amey also known as Tich, full name Ian Frederick Stephen Amey, passed away in Salisbury, UK ~ Co-founding member of Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich. With their zany stage act and lurid dress sense, the band enjoyed popularity especially in Australia, New Zealand, and their native UK during the 1960s, yet unlike many of their contemporaries they failed to achieve much chart success in America. The band scored close to a dozen top 20 UK hits through 1968 drawing from freakbeat, mod, and pop. Well-known songs include Bend It, Save Me, Zabadak, and perhaps their best known the million-seller The Legend Of Xanadu, the latter their sole UK No.1 hit. Hold Tight, originally a 1967 UK No.4 hit, would later be used in the Quentin Tarantino film Death Proof released in 2007 ~ Amey was born in 1944February 15, 2021 ~ Singer, pianist, poet, songwriter Raymond Lévesque passed away in Montreal, Canada ~ Pioneer of Canadian chansonnier tradition. Perhaps best known for penning Quand Les Hommes Vivront D'Amour, which quickly became a standard covered by numerous artists including Fabienne Thibeault, Michel Louvain, Félix Leclerc, Robert Charlebois, and Céline Dion ~ Lévesque was born in 1928
February 15, 2021 ~ Orchestral, opera conductor, pianist Steuart Bedford, full name Steauart John Rudolf Bedford, passed away ~ Brother of composer David Bedford and singer Peter Lehmann Bedford. Best known for his association with Benjamin Britten, conducting and recording several of Britten's works including premiering Death In Venice in 1973 ~ Bedford was born in 1939
February 15, 2019 ~ Keyboardist, flutist Kofi Burbridge passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Brother of bassist Oteil Burbridge, who cited Kofi as his biggest influence. Best known as member of Derek Trucks Band and of the Tedeschi-Trucks Band. Has also worked with Trey Anastasio's Surrender To The Air, Naked Jazz, Frogwings, and with the Aquarium Rescue Unit ~ Burbridge was born in 1961
February 15, 2016 ~ Conductor Louis Lane, full name Louis Gardner Lane, passed away in Bratenahl, Ohio, USA ~ Closely associated with the Cleveland Orchestra, rising from apprentice conductor under George Szell starting in 1947 to resident conductor by the early 1970s. Also worked with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Eire Opera Theatre, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra ~ Lane was born in 1923
February 15, 2016 ~ Denise Katrina Matthews, commonly known as singer Vanity, passed away in Fremont, California, USA ~ Lead singer of Vanity 6, best known for their 1982 hit Nasty Girl. Released two solo albums, 1984's Wild Animal and 1986's Skin On Skin. Scored modest hits such as Pretty Mess, Mechanical Emotion, Undress, and Under The Influence ~ Matthews was born in 1959February 15, 2013 ~ Organist, songwriter Lanier Greig passed away in Austin, Texas, USA ~ Member of Neal Ford & the Fanatics, known for a handful of mid- to late 1960s singles and a sole eponymous album, regarded by aficionados as early key recordings in the pyschedelic rock era. Well known songs include I Can''t Go On, Good Men and Woman ~ Greig was born in 1948
February 15, 2012 ~ Guitarist, songwriter, producer Clive Shakespeare passed away in Sydney, Australia ~ Best known as co-founding member, guitarist, songwriter for Sherbet. Wrote or co-wrote the majority of the bands material, often with Garth Porter, including Cassandra, Silvery Moon, Slipstream, and the band's biggest hit Summer Love. Also a member of the Road Agens and of Down Town Roll. Producer for Richard & Wendy, Tuesday Piranha, the Apartments, Leonard Samperi, Paul Kelly, and Martin Plaza ~ Shakespeare was born in 1947
February 15, 2011 ~ Singer Bruno Mars releases The Lazy Song, lifted off his Doo-wops & Hooligans debut album ~ The song originated from a session in the studio when Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine didn't feel like working. The trio had intended to create a song better than the Beatles, yet struggled for hours. As Mars later explained: ““After five hours, it all turned to rubbish. The frustration got to me and I said, 'Today I don't feel like doing anything at all.' That opened up everyone's eyes.” The single would reach top 10 in over a dozen countries, including No.4 in both the Netherlands and America, and No.1 in the UKFebruary 15, 2008 ~ William Patrick Bennett, commonly known as folk, country singer, mandolinist, songwriter Willie P Bennett, passed away in Peterborough, Canada ~ Best known for his associations with the Dixie Flyers and longtime friend and collaborator Fred Eaglesmith. Also worked with Sneezy Waters, Pat Temple, and sessioned for and toured with nunerous pop and country artists. Recorded as a solo artist since the mid 1970s. Co-wrote Goodby So Long Hello, a 1990 hit for Prayrie Oyster on the Canadian country charts. Bennett came into the spotlight in the late 1990s when Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden and Tom Wilson formed Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, named for Bennett's 1978 album. Bennett suffered an on-stage heartattack in 2007, the year before he died. Highly admired by peers, he posthumously had several tribute songs written for him, including Willie P by David Essig who produced several of his albums, It's Hard To Keep A White Shirt Clean by Corb Lund and Hurricane Heart by Ian Tamblyn ~ Bennett was born in 1951
February 15, 2007 ~ Songwriter, lyricist Ray Evans, full name Raymond Bernard Evans, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Best known as songwriting partner of Jay Livingston. Together the pair won an Academy Award for Best Original Song three times, in 1948 for Buttons & Bows from the movie The Paleface, in 1950 for Mona Lisa from the movie Captain Carey USA and in 1956 for the song Que Sera Sera from the Hitchcock movie The Man Who Knew Too Much. The pair also wrote for numerous other films, TV series and stage musicals. Evans co-wrote over 700 songs, also collaborating with artists such as Michael Feinstein, Henry Mancini, Max Steiner, and Victor Young ~ Evans was born in 1915
February 15, 1999 ~ Lamont Coleman, commonly known as rapper, songwriter Big L, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Emerged in the 1990s, known for his freestyling ability and use of wordplay. Influenced and impressed artists such as Nas. Released his full-length Lifestyles Ov Da Poor And Dangerous in 1995. Has collaborated with Children Of The Corn, Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, Buckwild, and Jay-Z ~ Coleman was born in 1974
February 15, 1999 ~ Singer Whitney Houston releases It's Not Right But It's Okay, lifted off her My Love Is Your Love album ~ In It's Not Right But It's Okay, Whitney Houston confronts her lover about his infidelity. It's not right, but it's okay as now she's ready to leave him and move on. Produced by Rodney Jerkins also known as Darkchild, who co-wrote the song with LaShawn Daniels, Toni Estes, Fred Jerkins III, and Isaac Phillips, It's Not Right But It's Okay has Houston tapping into the then-new sound of hip-hop and neo-soul, akin to up-and-comers Aaliyah, Mary J Blige, and Destiny's Child, with most critics welcoming the subtle change in style. Jerkins and Daniels had also worked on songs such If You Had My Love by Jennifer Lopez and The Boy Is Mine by Brandy & Monica, both of which were hits around the same time. It's Not Right But It's Okay reached top 10 in over half a dozen countries, including No.4 on the American Billboard Hot 100, and earned Houston a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, beating fellow nominees Mary J Blige, Brandy, Faith Evans, and Macy Gray
February 15, 1993 ~ Giacinto Figlia, commonly known as jazz pianist George Wallington, passed away in Cape Coral, Florida, USA ~ Starting in 1943 Wallington spend a decade playing with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Marsala, Charlie Parker, Serge Chaloff, Allen Eager, Kai Winding, Terry Gibbs, Brew Moore, Al Cohn, Gerry Mulligan, Zoot Sims, and with Red Rodney, and recording as a leader for Savoy Records and Blue Note Records. Toured Europe in 1953 as a member of Lionel Hampton's big band. From 1954 onwards Wallington led groups that included young talents including Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean and Phil Woods. In 1960 Wallington retired from the music business, citing the stress of endless touring, but has made a number of albums in the 1980s ~ Figlia was born in 1924
February 15, 1992 ~ In its 7th week on the charts What She's Doing Now by Garth Brooks hits No.1 Billboard Country ~ Although the song was written by Garth Brooks and regular collaborator Pat Alger, Brooks was not the first to record it. Gender-reversed Crystal Gayle had recorded What He's Doing Now as an album track for her 1990 Ain't Gonna Worry album. The idea of the song is very simple, someone wondering what a long lost flame is doing right now. Alger put another twist on the song, suggesting to make it about what the old flame is doing “to me”. Preceded by the Billy Joel-penned Shameless, What She's Doing Now would be the second single off Ropin' The Wind to top the Billboard Country charts. Brooks has later commented he was pleased with the song's apparent appeal: “It is a song that has crossed all boundaries and borders around the world. This has made me extremely happy because the greatest gift a writer can ask for is to relate to someone. I can't help but think that this song might relate to a lot of people”February 15, 1991 ~ Producer, engineer, songwriter George Motola passed away ~ Best known for co-penning Goodnight My Love with John Marascalco, first recorded by Jesse Belvin in 1956 and later covered by a number of artists including the McGuire Sisters, the Fleetwoods, Ben E King, Paul Anka, the Four Seasons. Instrumental in forming the Shields, a group that included Belvin, Frankie Ervin and Johnny Guitar Watson. Other songs co-written by Motola include Shattered Dreams for the Johnny Burnette Trio, Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie for Eddie Cochran, Here Comes Henry for Young Jessie, Annie's Rock for Ernie Fields and perhaps one of the wildest rock & roll records of all-time Rocking This Joint To-nite for Kid Thomas ~ Motola was born in 1919
February 15, 1989 ~ J-pop, electropop singer, dancer Ayaka Nishiwaki, also known as A-chan, born in Hiroshima, Japan ~ Member of electropop girl group Perfume, known for a string of hits starting in the mid 2000s including Love The World, One Room Disco, Voice, Spring Of Life, Relax In The City, and Tokyo Girl
February 15, 1988 ~ Saxophonist Al Cohn passed away in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Came to prominence in the band of Woody Herman. Also known for his longtime association with fellow saxophonist Zoot Sims and for his work as a respected arranger including on the Broadway musicals Raising and Sophisticated Ladies. As a sideman Cohn played with artists such as Manny Albam, Mose Allison, Art Blakey, Bob Brookmeyer, Kenny Burrell, Coleman Hawkins, Quincy Jones, Gary McFarland, Joe Newman, and Oscar Pettiford ~ Cohn was born in 1925
February 15, 1988 ~ Singer Whitney Houston releases Where Do Broken Hearts Go, lifted off her Whitney sophomore album ~ One of the first songs offered to Whitney Houston for her sophomore album, the singer was initially reluctant to record the song, a tale of a woman trying to convince an ex-lover to return to her after he broke up with his new belle, yet label executive and Houston mentor Clive Davis was sure the song would be a hit. Davis would be right, as it became her seventh consecutive Billboard Hot 100 charttopper breaking the six-hit run record held by the Beatles and the Bee Gees. Where Do Broken Hearts Go marked a shift in Houston's style, venturing into more introspective and emotional themes. The song was written by Frank Wildhorn, who would later write the Broadway hit musical Jekkyl & Hyde, and 1960s R&B singer Chuck Jackson, known for Billboard R&B top 10 hits such as I Don't Want To Cry, Any Day Now, and Something You Got
February 15, 1984 ~ Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, commonly known as singer Ethel Merman, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Dubbed “the First Lady of the Musical Comedy Stage” and known for introducing songs such as I Got Rhythm, Everything's Coming Up Roses, Some People, Rose's Turn, It's De-lovely, Friendship, I Get A Kick Out Of You, You're The Top, Anything Goes, and There's No Business Like Show Business ~ Zimmermann was born in 1908
February 15, 1984 ~ Singer, guitarist Gary Clark Jr born in Austin, Texas, USA ~ Hip-hop influenced hybrid merging blues, rock and soul. Debuted in 2001 with the album Worry No More. Best known for songs such as Ain't Messin' Around, The Healing and perhaps his best known the Beatles-cover Come Together. The latter would be used as the closing theme of the Justice League film. Has collaborated with Booker T Jones, The-Dream, Talib Kweli, Childish Gambino, and Tom Morello
February 15, 1981 ~ Rock, blues, blues-rock guitarist, singer Michael Bloomfield, full name Michael Bernard Bloomfield, passed away in San Francisco, California, USA ~ Best known as member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Also noted for appearing on Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited album including on the track Like A Rolling Stone. Has also worked with the Electric Flag, KGB, Barry Goldberg, Nick Gravenites, Bill Vitt, Dr John, Frank Zappa, Mother Earth, Muddy Waters, Janis Joplin, Sam Lay, and notably with Al Kooper and Stephen Stills on the acclaimed Super Session album ~ Bloomfield was born in 1943
February 15, 1981 ~ Country singer Rosanne Cash releases Seven Year Ache, lifted off the album of the same name ~ By far the biggest hit for Rosanne Cash, peaking at No.1 Billboard Country, and the only one to reach the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No.22. Its title inspired by the book, play, and film Seven Year Itch, which claimed that after seven years of marriage, many men started extra-marital affairs, Cash wrote the semi-autobiographical Seven Year Ache as a poem, based on the concept of lovers who fight, break up, and then reconcile. Her husband at the time, Rodney Crowell, was probably not having any affairs, as he produced the song, which indicates that the song's subject matter is a world away. The couple had met in 1976 and would remain married until 1992
February 15, 1979 ~ Adam Granofsky, commonly known as guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer Adam Granduciel, born in Dover, Massachusetts, USA ~ Frontman and primary songwriter of the War On Drugs. Also a member of Kurt Vile's backing unit the Violators
February 15, 1979 ~ Hardcore punk, grindcore, dark wave singer, keyboardist Wesley Eisold born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA ~ Lead singer of synth-pop darkwave band Cold Cave. Lead singer of hardcore punk outfit American Nightmare, briefly known as Give Up The Ghost. Has previously worked with Some Girls, XO Skeletons, and Ye Olde Maids
February 15, 1979 ~ Jazz violinist Zbigniew Seifert passed away in Buffalo, New York, USA ~ Best known for his association with Tomasz Stańko. Also worked with Janusz Muniak, Barre Phillips, Josef Vejvoda, Urszula Dudziak, Attila Zoller, Andrzej Trzaskowksi, Volker Kriegel, Jasper van 't Hof, Stan Sulzmann, Charlie Mariano, Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, Naná Vasconcelos, Glen Moore, Jan Hammer, Albert Mangelsdorff, Leszek Zadlo, and Joachim Kühn. Died of cancer at age 32 ~ Seifert was born in 1946