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 22, 1928 ~ John Riley Brown, commonly known as blues singer, guitarist, songwriter Texas Johnny Brown, born in Ackerman, Mississippi, USA ~ Active since the late 1940s, initially as a member of the Aladdin Chickenshackers known for regularly backing artists such as Amos Milburn and Ruth Brown. Perhaps best known for penning Two Steps From The Blues, notably recorded by Bobby Blue Bland as the title track of the pivotal 1961 Two Steps From The Blues soul-blues album. As a solo artist especially known among blues aficionados for songs such as The Blues Rock, There Goes The Blues and Bongo Boogie. Over the course of his career Brown has collaborated with numerous artists including Junior Parker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Joe Hinton, Goree Carter, Roy Gaines, and Clarence Hollimon ~ Brown passed away in 2013
February 22, 1927 ~ Albert George Cernik, commonly known as big band, traditional pop, country pop singer Guy Mitchell, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Active since the early 1950s. Discovered by Mitch Mitchell. Enjoyed popularity especially in the UK and Australia. Sold over 40 million records. Well known songs include My Heart Cries For You, My Truly Truly Fair, There's A Pawnshop On The Corner In Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Singing The Blues, and Heartaches By The Number ~ Cernik passed away in 1999
February 22, 1926 ~ Samuel David Bailey, commonly known as jazz drummer Dave Bailey, born in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA ~ Has recorded a number of albums as a leader during the early 1960s, especially acclaimed for Reaching Out. Closely associated with Gerry Mulligan, appearing on about a dozen of the saxophonist's albums including At Storyville, Songbook, and What Is There To Say. Bailey has also appeared on albums by Lee Konitz (Tranquility), Bob Brookmeyer, Lou Donaldson (Blues Walk), Curtis Fuller, Ben Webster (The Soul Of Ben Webster), John Mehegan, Charlie Rouse (Unsung Hero), Tubby Hayes, Grant Green (Green Street), Clark Terry, Vi Redd, Marian McPartland, Helen Merrill (The Artistry Of Helen Merrill), Zoot Sims, Lucky Thompson, and Nappy Brown. Bailey retired from music by the late 1960s to work as a flight instructor ~ Bailey passed away in 2023
February 22, 1923 ~ Producer, recording engineer, singer Norman Hurricane Smith born in Edmonton, UK ~ Best known as a studio engineer and producer. Engineered close to a 100 tracks for the Beatles. Produced the Pink Floyd albums Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, A Saucerful Of Secrets and Ummagumma. As a singer, Smith released a handful singles in the early 1970s, most notably Oh Babe What Would You Say which reached the top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic ~ Smith passed away in 2008
February 22, 1922 ~ Joseph Benjamin Wilder, commonly known as trumpeter Joe Wilder, born in Colwyn, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Influenced by Benny Carter. Active since the early 1940s, backing the likes of Les Hite, Lionel Hampton, Jimmie Lunceford, Lucky Millinder, and Sam Donahue early on in his career. Recorded three albums as a leader in the 1950s, notably Softly With A Feeling, and several more from the 1980s onward. An in-demand sideman, Wilder has appeared on albums by Count Basie, Al Cohn, Marlene Verplanck (I Think Of You With Every Breath I Take), Dinah Washington (The Swingin' Miss D), Hank Jones, Herbie Mann, Quincy Jones (This Is How I Feel About Jazz), Marilyn Moore, Mary Ann McCall, Bobby Short, George Russell (New York NY), Billie Holiday, Jackie Paris, Ray Charles (Genius+Soul=Jazz), Oscar Brown Jr, Oliver Nelson, Pee Wee Russell (Spirit Of '67), Charles Mingus (Let My Children Hear Music), Ray Bryant, Leon Redbone (On The Track), Yusef Lateef (The Doctor Is In & Out), and Johnny Hartman ~ Wilder passed away in 2014
February 22, 1913 ~ George Holmes Tate, commonly known as jazz, big band, swing saxophonist, clarinetist Buddy Tate, born in Sherman, Texas, USA ~ Over half a dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, noted specifically for 1960's Tate A Tate and 1975's The Texas Twister. Played with Count Basie for nearly a decade starting in the late 1930s. Collaborated with Hot Lips Page, and Jimmy Rushing prior to forming his own band by the early 1950s, marking the start of a 17-year residency at the Celebrity Club, Harlem, New York. Tate has also worked with the likes of Slim Gaillard, Roy Eldridge, Buck Clayton, Benny Goodman, Claude Hopkins, Coleman Hawkins, Herb Ellis, Milt Buckner, Ruby Braff (Ruby Braff With Buddy Tate & The Newport All Stars), and Jay McShann ~ Tate passed away in 2001February 22, 1907 ~ Jazz cornetist Rex Stewart, full name Rex William Stewart Jr, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Active since the early 1920s. Best known for his association with Duke Ellington, working with Ellington's orchestra for a little over a decade starting in 1934. Other notable collaborations include Willie Lewis, Elmer Snowden, Horace Henderson, Fess Williams, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and the Chocolate Dandies ~ Stewart passed away in 1967
February 22, 1903 ~ Composer, pianist Hugo Wolf, full name Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf, passed away in Vienna, Austria ~ Child prodigy. Wrote hundreds of lieder, also composed three operas, choral, orchestral and chamber music. Influenced mainly by Richard Wagner, Wolf's song Zur Ruh Zur Ruh said to be an elegy for Wagner. Best known for his 1887 instrumental work Italian Serenade, originally intended for string quartet and later transcribed to orchestra ~ Wolf was born in 1860
February 22, 1896 ~ Songwriter Nacio Herb Brown, full name Ignacio Herb Brown, born in Deming, New Mexico, USA ~ Known for songs such as Temptation, an early 1930s hit for Bing Crosby, his work on Broadway shows and for scoring numerous Hollywood films, perhaps most notably Singing In The Rain collaborating with lyricist Arthur Freed ~ Brown passed away in 1964
February 22, 1868 ~ Folk singer, songwriter Ren Shields born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Best known for co-writing In The Good Old Summertime with George Honey Boy Evans. The song would be a hit in 1902 for both William Redmond and JW Myers. The song would become a standard covered by numerous artists including Uncle Dave Macon, the Andrews Sisters, Chet Atkins, Bing Crosby, Freddy Cannon, and the Osmond Brothers. Other songs co-written by Shields include Come Take A Trip In My Air Ship (Billy Murray, Johnny Cash, Natalie Merchant), Waltz Me Around Again Willie (Billy Murray, Cindy Walker), Down Where The Watermelon Grows (Eddie Foy, Homer & Jethro, Red Rector), and Steamboat Bill (Arthur Collins, Irving Kaufman, Smiley Burnette) ~ Shields passed away in 1913
February 22, 1674 ~ Lutenist John Wilson passed away in Westminster, UK ~ Principal composer for the King's Men. Part of a group of artists and musicians surrounding the court of King Charles I. Following the latter's execution in 1649 would show his Royalist sympathies in his Psaleterium Carolinum, a versification of an earlier work by Thomas Stanley ~ Wilson was born in 1595