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 21, 1948 ~ Progressive rock drummer, pianist, singer Christian Vander born in Nogent-sur-Marne, France ~ Founding member of Magma, known for his extended compositions influenced by the likes of John Coltrane and Carl Orff, and for his improvisational scat singing. Adopted son of jazz pianist Maurice Vander. Draws from jazz rock, classical and opera. Married to bandmate singer Stella Vander until 1980, with whom he has one daughterFebruary 21, 1948 ~ Classical pianist, composer Frederic Lamond, full name Frederic Archibald Lamond, passed away in Sterling, UK ~ Early champion of Johannes Brahms. Considered an authority of Ludwig van Beethoven. Highly respected teacher, mentoring pupils such as Victor Borge, Jan Chiapusso, Gunnar Johansen, Ervin Nyiregyházi, and Carrie Burpee Shaw ~ Lamond was born in 1868
February 21, 1946 ~ Guitarist Terry Bradds, full name Terry Lee Brads, born in Jamestown, Ohio, USA ~ Worked with artists such as Cal Collins, Martha Raye, Robert Popwell, Boots Randolph, Sally Field, Joey Heatherton, Toni Tennille, Melissa Manchester, Jon Crosse, Dolly Parton, Shot Jackson, the Anita Kerr Singers, Vincent Price, John Davidson, Peter Allen, Liza Minnelli, and Dr Lonnie Smith
February 21, 1945 ~ Free jazz saxophonist Akira Sakata born in Hiroshima, Japan ~ Worked with Yosuke Yamashita, Bill Laswell, Pete Cosey, DJ Krush, and Chikamorachi. Laswell also produced several of Sakata's albums such as Mooko, Silent Plankton and Fishermans Com
February 21, 1938 ~ Robert Charles Guidry, commonly known as singer, songwriter Bobby Charles, born in Abbeville, Louisiana, USA ~ Helped pioneer swamp pop. Wrote or co-wrote songs such as Bill Haley's See You Later Alligator, Fats Domino's Walking To New Orleans and It Keeps Raining, and Clarence Frogman Henry's (I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do ~ Guidry passed away in 2010
February 21, 1933 ~ Eunice Kathleen Waymon, commonly known as R&B, jazz, blues, gospel singer, pianist, civil rights activist Nina Simone, born in Tryon, North Carolina, USA ~ Fused gospel and jazz with classical. Over 40 albums to her name. Dubbed “the High Priestess of Soul”. Praised for her ability to play three-part counterpoint, both her hands and her voice each following a different yet complementary melody line. Known for songs such as I Loves You Porgy, I Put A Spell On You, Feelin' Good, Wild Is The Wind, Sinnerman, Ain't Got No (I Got Life) and My Baby Just Cares For Me ~ Simone passed away in 2003
February 21, 1932 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Eddie Higgins, full name Edward Haydn Higgins, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Coleman Hawkins, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Stitt, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Lewis, Harry Sweets Edison, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Jack Teagarden, Al Grey, Meredith D'Ambrosio, Warren Vaché Jr, Chuck Hedges, Cy Touff, Jack Teagarden, Betty Dickson, and Wes Montgomery ~ Higgins passed away in 2009
February 21, 1926 ~ Jazz drummer Ronnie Verrell, full name Ronald Thomas Verrell, born in Rochester, UK ~ Influenced by Benny Goodman. Member of two of the UK's most celebrated big bands, serving in the orchestras led by Ted Heath and Syd Lawrence. Played the drum parts for The Muppet Show's Animal. Has also worked with Tommy Whittle, Johnny Claes, Cyril Stapleton, Winifred Atwell, the Alan Clare Trio, Tony Bennett, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Petula Clark, and Strawbs ~ Verrell passed away in 2002February 21, 1925 ~ Jazz pianist, bandleader Henri Chaix born in Geneva, Switzerland ~ Worked with Loys Choquart, Claude Albert, Sidney Bechet, Bill Coleman, Albert Nicholas, Roger Zufferey, Michel Pilet, Milt Buckner, Buck Clayton, Guy Lafitte, Ray Nance, Rex Stewart, Ben Webster, Alan du Bois, Romano Cavicchiolo, the Tremble Kids, Hot Malletts, Oscar Klein, Buddy Tate, Clark Terry, the European Jazz Giants, Bob Barnard, Doc Cheatham, Jesper Thilo, and Roy Williams ~ Chaix passed away in 1999
February 21, 1924 ~ Blues producer, promoter Jacques Morgantini born in Montbéliard, France ~ Married to Marcelle Morgantini. The duo served as producers and promoters of previously underrated and little- or unrecorded American blues artists including Andrew Odom, Willie Kent, Luther Guitar Junior Johnson, Eddy Clearwater, Magic Slim, and John Littlejohn ~ Morgantini passed away in 2019
February 21, 1917 ~ Pianist, arranger, composer Tadd Dameron born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA ~ The most influential arranger of the bebop era, also worked for swing and hard bop players. Arranged for artists such as Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Jimmie Lunceford, Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan. Co-wrote If You Could See Me Now, one of Vaughan's first signature songs ~ Dameron passed away in 1965
February 21, 1910 ~ Jazz tenor saxophonist Al Sears, full name Albert Omega Sears, born in Macomb, Illinois, USA ~ Worked with Chick Webb, Elmer Snowden, Andy Kirk, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, Mildred Anderson, Al Hibbler, Budd Johnson, and Jimmy Witherspoon ~ Sears passed away in 1990
February 21, 1903 ~ Francis Hillman Blackwell, commonly known as blues guitarist, singer Scrapper Blackwell, born in Syracuse, South Carolina, USA ~ Worked with Leroy Carr in the 1920s and 1930s, noted for recordings such as 1928's How Long How Long Blues. As a solo artist made pivotal recordings such as Kokomo Blues, which would later be reworked into Old Kokomo Blues by Kokomo Arnold and into Sweet Home Chicago by Robert Johnson ~ Hillman passed away in 1962
February 21, 1893 ~ Guitarist, composer Andrés Segovia born in Linares, Spain ~ Leading classical guitarist known for his expressiver wide palette of tone. Premiered works by contemporary composers such as Federico Moreno Torroba, Joaquín Rodrigo, Federico Mompou, Manuel Ponce, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Heitor Villa-Lobos, often specifically written for Segovia himself, as well as adaptations of works written originally for instruments other than guitar by classical composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Isaac Albéniz and Enrique Granados ~ Segovia passed away in 1987