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 27, 2026 ~ Pop singer, pianist, songwriter Neil Sedaka passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Briefly a member of the Tokens. Best known as a solo artist and songwriter having penned or co-penned over 500 songs, often teaming up with Howard Greenfield and Phil Cody. Well known songs include Oh Carol, Calender Girl, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and Laughter In The Rain. Artists who have recorded his songs include Connie Francis (Stupid Cupid), Bobby Darin, Lavern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, the Monkees, Lesley Gore, Eydie Gormé, Jimmy Clanton, Peggy Lee, Captain & Tennille (Love Will Keep Us Together), Cher, Lovelace Watkins, Johnny Mathis, Carole King, Little Eva, Petula Clark, the Carpenters (Solitaire), Tom Jones, and Elvis Presley ~ Sedaka was born in 1939February 27, 2023 ~ Pop rock drummer Hans-Joachim Behrendt passed away in Berlin, Germany ~ Co-founding member of Ideal. The band is best known for their 1980 debut single Wir Stehn Auf Berlin and their eponymous Ideal debut album released by the end of the year. The band would call it quits after three successful albums, disbanding in 1983. Behrendt and several bandmates also notably contributed to Alphaville's 1989 The Breathtaking Blue album ~ Behrendt was born in 1955
February 27, 2023 ~ Singer Ismaíla Touré passed away in Paris, France ~ Member of Senegalese outfit Touré Kunda, with whom he recorded well over a dozen albums starting with E'mma Africa released in 1980. The band would enjoy popularity and critical acclaim especially in France from the mid-1980s forward. The band achieved wider international attention after Touré and several bandmembers collaborated with guitarist Carlos Santana on Africa Bamba of the latter's 1999 The Supernatural album ~ Touré was born in 1950February 27, 2021 ~ DJ, remixer Angel Moraes passed away ~ Resident DJ at various New York nightclubs during the 1980s, notably Paradise Garage. Best known for releases such as Release Yourself, Heaven Knows and Burnin' Up. Has remixed tracks for the Pet Shop Boys, kd Lang, Jaydee, and Funky Green Dogs ~ Moraes was born in 1965
February 27, 2020 ~ Blues, R&B singer Lillian Offitt, full name Lillian Etta Offitt, passed away in Racine, Wisconsin, USA ~ Visited Nashboro Records aiming to make a gospel record. The label's owner, Ernie Young, persuaded her to record secular music instead, which led to her 1957 Miss You So debut single issued on Young's Excello subsidiary label. It would reach top 10 Billboard R&B. Offitt continued to record for the next few years, albeit it to lesser success. Her 1959 Will My Man Be Home Tonight, featuring Earl Hooker on guitar, became a regional hit but failed to chart nationally. Follow-up records again failed, and Offitt retired from music by the early 1960s to raise a family ~ Offitt was born in 1938February 27, 2019 ~ Drummer Doug Sandom passed away ~ The first drummer of the Who. At the time Sandom was in his thirties while the other members were in their late teens. Sandom was fired after an audition at Fontana Records where the label's producer Chris Parmeinter expressed a dislike for Sandom's drumming. Within a month drummer Keith Moon took over. Sandom does not appear on any Who recordings ~ Sandom was born in 1930
February 27, 2013 ~ R&B singer Richard Street, full name Richard Allen Street, passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA ~ Member of the Distants. Member of the Monitors. Best known as lead singer of the Temptations from 1971, taking over for Vernard Plain through 1993. First appearing on the Solid Rock album released in 1972 ~ Street was born in 1942
February 27, 2012 ~ Classical composer Hans Werner Henze passed away in Dresden, Germany ~ Incorporated neoclassicism, jazz, atonal techniques, serialism and rock and pop influences. Controversial for his left-leaning political views. As a composer known for symphonies, choral and orchestral works and operas, notably Ninth Symphony, The English Cat and Das Verratene Meer ~ Henze was born in 1926
February 27, 2011 ~ Electric blues guitarist, singer, songwriter Eddie Kirkland passed away in Crystal Rivers, Florida, USA ~ Influenced by Blind Blake. Worked with John Lee Hooker, Syd Nathan, Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, David Honeyboy Edwards, Foghat, Gregg Hoover, James Thacker, and Darren Thiboutot ~ Kirkland was born in 1923
February 27, 2010 ~ Latin rock organist Bobby Espinosa passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Key figure of the Los Angeles Latin rock scene from the late 1960s through the 2000s, known for his percussive apporach to the Hammond organ. Founding member of El Chicano, drawing from rock, funk, soul, blues, jazz, salsa and best known for early 1970s singles such as Viva Tirado Part I, Brown Eyed Girl and Tell Her She's Lovely ~ Espinosa was born in 1949
February 27, 2010 ~ Cellist, conductor Jonathan May, full name Jonathan Paul May, passed away in Winter Park, Florida, USA ~ Best known for conducting, and founding, several youth orchestras in Floria. Artistic director of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, which under his guidance grew from a few dozen to over 200 members. Also closely associated with the Daytona Beach Youth Orchestra, and the Florida Young Artists Orchestra. May is married to cellist Maureen May, with whom he has four children ~ May was born in 1958February 27, 2010 ~ Singer, songwriter Larry Cassidy, full name Lawrence John Cassidy, passed away ~ Formed and fronted the Blackpool outfit Section 25, which also featured his brother drummer Vin Casidy and guitarist Paul Wiggin. The band would go on to work with producers such as Joy Division's singer Ian Curtis, Rob Gretton, Martin Hannett, and New Order's Bernard Sumner ~ Cassidy was born in 1953
February 27, 2010 ~ Electro swing, house duo Yolanda Be Cool release We No Speak Americano featuring DCUP as a stand-alone single ~ Sampling the 1956 song Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano by Renato Carosone, the Australian duo would score a global hit, their only one, with We No Speak Americano. The song reached top 10 in nearly two dozen countries, including the No.1 spot in the Netherlands, Ireland, and the UK, earned the duo an ARIA Award for Best Dance Release, and would later be used in the films The Inbetweeners Movie, Madagascar 3 (Europe's Most Wanted), The Great Beauty, and Peter Rabbitt. The song would also be heavily sampled on the 2010 Bon Bon track by rapper Pitbull, who credited Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP as co-producers. Yolanda Be Cool had chosen their stage name in reference to the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction where the character Jules, played by Samuel L Jackson, tells an armed robber named Yolanda to “be cool”
February 27, 2007 ~ Jazz, swing, big band drummer Bobby Rosengarden, full name Robert Marshall Rosengarden, passed away in Saratosa, Florida, USA ~ Session and studio musician at NBC and ABC playing for a variety of TV shows. Member of a number of all-star ensembles, perhaps mosty notably Soprano Summit. Sideman on recordings by Stan Getz, Jimmy Smith, Sylvia Syms, Milt Hinton, Bob Wilber, Walter Wanderley, and Kai Winding ~ Rosengarden was born in 1924
February 27, 2006 ~ Conductor, violinist, violist Milton Katims passed away in Seattle, Washington, USA ~ Member of the NBC Symphony Orchestra from the mid 1940s through the mid 1950s, developing a special relationship with conductor Arturo Toscanini. Best known as music director of the Seattle Symphony for over two decades starting in 1954. Katims has also conducted renowned orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, the London Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Montreal Symphony ~ Katims was born in 1909
February 27, 2002 ~ Singer, pianist Alicia Keys is the big winner at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, taking home five wins out of six nominations ~ Captivated by the piano from a young age, practising up to six hours a day starting as young as age seven and writing songs from her early teens onward, the jazz and classical influenced Alicia Keys would issue her Songs In A Minor debut album in 2001. Met with universal critical acclaim and a massive commercial success, the album became an instant classic, spawned the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits Fallin' and A Woman's Worth, and landed the young singer five Grammy Awards including for Best New Artist. Despite the album's title, Jane Doe was the only album track actually written in the key of A minor. The singer's sophomore album The Diary Of Alicia Keys issued in 2003, would be met with equal acclaim and earned the singer four more Grammy Awards
February 27, 1999 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Horace Tapscott, full name Horace Elva Tapscott, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Played trombone before making piano his primary instrument. While still in his teens backed artists such as Frank Morgan, Don Cherry, and Billy Higgins. Well over a dozen albums as a leader, including with the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra which he founded. Critically compared to Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols. Especially acclaimed for the late 1960s albums West Coast Hot and The Giant Is Awakened, and for a string of 1990s albums including Thoughts Of Dar Es Salaam. Over the course of his career, Tapscott has also notably appeared on recordings by Lou Blackburn, Lou Rawls (Black And Blue), Sonny Criss (Up Up And Away), Elaine Brown, and John Carter ~ Tapscott was born in 1935February 27, 1990 ~ Bandleader, composer, singer, double bassist Arthur Osterwal passed away in Stockholm, Sweden ~ First appeared in his brother's, Seymour Osterwall, orchestra. Formed his own ensemble in 1944 ~ Osterwall was born in 1910
February 27, 1990 ~ Pop trio Wilson Phillips release Hold On, lifted off their eponymous Wilson Phillips album ~ A song of encouragment, telling the listener to hold on even if times are rough. When writing the lyrics Chyna Phillips drew from personal experience, thinking both of the pain of a lost love and of overcoming an alcohol addiction. At the time, the trio struggled to get a record deal. However, Hold On, the trio's debut single struck a chord with audiences through its uplifting, mature, lived message and reached No.1 Billboard Hot 100, bumping Madonna's Vogue off the top spot. Joe Walsh, formerly of the Eagles, guested on guitar. Three more singles off the same parent album would also reach top 10February 27, 1989 ~ New jack swing singer Karyn White releases Love Saw It featuring Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, lifted off her eponymous Karyn White debut album ~ It wasn't until the very last moment that the team decided Kenneth Babyface Edmonds would be the one to take on the role of duet singer, and the combination worked perfectly. Daryl Simmons, who had co-written the song with Edmonds and LA Reid, would later comment: “Karyn White was great, because she was probably the first singer that could follow Kenny. She could phrase things the way that Kenny phrased it.She had the rhythm, and we were big on rhythm. We were big on making it feel good. We loved working with Karyn.” Love Saw It would be the third consecutive single off the album to reach No.1 Billboard R&B
February 27, 1985 ~ Henry Pitts Brown, commonly known as jazz, blues, jump blues singer, drummer, bandleader Ray Ellington, passed away ~ Best known for his regular appearances on the British radio show The Goon Show during most of the 1950s. Heavily influenced by Louis Jordan. Remembered for his 1962 UK hit The Madison ~ Brown was born in 1916
February 27, 1982 ~ In its 15th week on the charts, Lord I Hope This Day Is Good by Don Williams hits No.1 Billboard Country ~ Written by Dave Hanner and issued as the third single off Williams's Especially For You album, Lord I Hope This Day Is Good would spend twenty weeks on the Billboard Country charts including one week at the top spot, making it his twelfth No.1 hit. In 1999, Canadian singer Anne Murray would open her inspirational What A Wonderful World album with a cover of this Don Williams tune. Others who have recorded the song include Lee Ann Womack, blues singer, guitarist Keb' Mo for a Williams tribute album, Paul Brewster, and Brandon RhyderFebruary 27, 1981 ~ Jazz bassist Ike Isaacs, full name Charles Edward Isaacs, passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Not to be confused with guitarist Ike Isaacs. Played trumpet as a child before switching to bass. Active since the late 1940s. Worked with Tiny Grimes, Earl Bostic, Paul Quinichette, Bennie Green, Lambert Hendricks & Ross, Count Basie, Gloria Lynne, Erroll Garner, Ray Bryant, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Harry Sweets Edison, Bennie Green, and Al Grey. He also accompanied Carmen McRae, whom he later married ~ Isaacs was born in 1923
February 27, 1980 ~ Bobby Marcel Wilson, commonly known as R&B, hip-hop singer, rapper, songwriter Bobby V, born in Mississippi, USA ~ Best known for songs such as the Tim & Bob-produced Slow Down and the Timbaland-produced Anonymous. Member of Mista. Also worked with Cyhi the Prynce, Lil' Scrappy, and Lil WayneFebruary 27, 1978 ~ Folk singer, banjoist, guitarist Frank Warner passed away in Long Island, New York, USA ~ Folklorist, song collector known to have preserved and recorded some 1,000 traditional folk songs with his wife Anne Warner, including Tom Dooley, He's Got The Whole World In His Hands and Days Of Forty-nine ~ Warner was born in 1903
February 27, 1978 ~ Christian pop, rock singer, guitarist, pianist, songwriter Glenn Packiam, full name Glenn Previn Packiam, born in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia ~ Merges contemporary worship music with pop. Released his Rumors And Revelations debut album in 2009 and has recorded sporadically since. Best known as an author and pastor for the New Life Worship Church