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 8, 1966 ~ Jazz violinist, double bassist, bandleader Vernon Andrade passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Popular during the 1920s and 1930s. Served under Deacon Johnson to go on to lead his own orchestra by the mid 1920s. Employed sidemen such as Pete Briggs, Ernest Hill, Zutty Singleton. Influenced later bandleaders such as Fletcher Henderson and Chick Webb ~ Andrade was born in 1902
February 8, 1964 ~ British rockers the Rolling Stones kick off their 2nd British tour at the Regal Theater, London, UK ~ The band embarked on their 2nd British tour, having just completed their first a little over a week earlier. Starting at the Regal Theater they would tour through early March, playing two shows at each venue, making a total of 58 shows
February 8, 1961 ~ Rock, roots rock guitarist, singer Sam Llanas, full name Samuel J Llanas, born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA ~ Co-founding member of the BoDeans, remaining with the band from its inception in the early 1980s through 2011, best known for their 1996 Closer To Free single. Also co-founded Absinthe, known for their sole album 1998's A Good Day To Die, and has released a number of solo records starting in 2011 with the 4 AM album
February 8, 1961 ~ Vincent Neil Wharton, commonly known as heavy metal singer Vince Neil, born in Hollywood, California, USA ~ Lead singer, co-founding member of Mötley Crüe, known for songs such as Smokin' In The Boys Room, Girls Girls Girls, Dr Feelgood, Without You and Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away). Neil released a number of solo albums, starting with Exposed in 1993, and has acted in some small TV roles
February 8, 1959 ~ Bassist Paul Barker, full name Paul Gordon Barker, born in Palo Alto, California, USA ~ Best known as member of industrial metal outfit Ministry from 1986 through 2003 including on the band's best known albums, The Land Of Rape And Honey, The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste, and Psalm 69. Barker has also worked with Blackouts, Pailhead, Revolting Cocks, Lard, Lead Into Gold, 1,000 Homo DJs, Acid Horse, PTP, Pigface, Pink Anvil, USSA, Flowering Blight, Bells Into Machines, and Puscifer
February 8, 1956 ~ Progressive rock bassist Dave Meros born in Salinas, California, USA ~ Infuenced by Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, James Jamerson, Marcus Miller, Chuck Rainey, and David Hungate. Worked with Spock's Beard, Iron Butterfly, Gary Myrick, Bobby Kimball, Simon Phillips, Steve Lukather, Michael Landau, Glenn Hughes, Mark Lindsay, and Eric Burdon
February 8, 1953 ~ Punk rock, rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Art Bergmann, full name Arthur Frank Bergmann, born in Vancouver, Canada ~ Key figure in late 1970s Canadian punk. Member of the Mount Lehman Grease Band. Member of the Notorious Smog Brothers. Rose to fame as lead singer, primary songwriter for the short-lived the Young Canadians, known best for the classic punk anthem Hawaii. Would go on to work with acts soch as Los Popularos and Poisoned. Released his John Cale-produced Crawl With Me solo debut album in 1988 and has recorded to critical acclaim since
February 8, 1948 ~ Country, soft rock singer, guitarist Dan Seals, full name Danny Wayland Seals, born in McCarney, Texas, USA ~ Brother of Jim Seals. First gained attention as half of the 1970's duo England Dan & John Ford Coley with John Ford Coley, known for songs such as Simone, I'd Really Love To See You Tonight, Nights Are Forever Without You and Love Is The Answer. As a solo artist known for country hits such as Meet Me In Montana with Marie Osmond, Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold, Bop, You Still Move Me, I Will Be There, Three Time Loser, One Friend, Addicted, Big Wheels In The Moonlight, Love On Arrival, and Good Times ~ Seals passed away in 2009
February 8, 1946 ~ Drummer, songwriter Adolfo De La Parra born in Mexico City, Mexico ~ Co-founding, longtime member of blues-rock outfit Canned Heat, known for songs such as On The Road Again, Going Up The Country and Let's Work TogetherFebruary 8, 1943 ~ José Antonio Rezende de Almeida Prado, commonly known as classical composer, pianist Almeida Prado, born in São Paulo, Brazil ~ Wrote over 400 compositions, most notably Pequenos Funerais Cantantates and Hileia Um Mural Da Amazonia. Hailed by conductor João Carlos Martins as possibly the most important Brazilian composer of all-time ~ Prado passed away in 2010
February 8, 1942 ~ Terrence Paul Jorden, commonly known as rock, pop singer, songwriter, producer Terry Melcher, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Son of trombonist Al Jorden and actress, singer Doris Day. Pivotal to the development of the 1960s California sound and folk-rock. Perhaps best known for producing the Byrds' first two albums Mr Tambourine Man and Turn Turn Turn as well as most of Paul Revere & the Raiders' and Gentle Soul's best known. Member of surf group the Rip-chords. Formed the duo Bruce & Terry with Bruce Johnston ~ Jorden passed away in 2004
February 8, 1938 ~ Soul singer Bessie Banks born in New Bern, North Carolina, USA ~ Best known for her original 1964 recording of Go Now featuring backing vocals from Cissy Houston, produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and covered the same year by the Moody Blues. Also known for songs such as Do It Now, I Can't Make It Without You Baby, Try To Leave Me If You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It), and Don't You Worry Baby (The Best Is Yet To Come)February 8, 1938 ~ R&B, rockabilly singer, guitarist Ray Sharpe, full name Edward Ray Sharpe, born in Fort Worth, Texas, USA ~ Once described as “the greatest white-sounding black dude ever” known for songs such as That's The Way I Feel and Linda Lu, the latter featuring Duane Eddy on guitar and covered by numerous artists such as the Rolling Stones, Kingsmen, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Tom Jones
February 8, 1937 ~ Pianist, singer Joe Raposo, full name Joseph Guilherme Raposo, passed away in Bronxville, New York, USA ~ Best known for his work on the children's TV series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song as well as songs such as Bein' Green and C Is For Cookie. Also composed for other TV series, notably Shining Time Station, Three's Company and The Ropers ~ Raposo passed away in 1989
February 8, 1937 ~ Actor, singer, author Manfred Krug born in Duisburg, Germany ~ Best known as an actor. Also enjoyed some local popularity as a jazz singer, with about a dozen albums to his name through the 1970s. Blacklisted in 1976 by the East German government for his activism, especially protesting the government's expulsion of singer Wolf Biermann. After relocating to the West would focus primarily on his acting career, including a stint as Hauptkommissar Paul Stoever in the popular police show Tatort ~ Krug passed away in 2016February 8, 1937 ~ Otis Leavill Cobb, commonly known as R&B singer, songwriter, producer, label executive Otis Leavill born in Dewey Rose, Georgia, USA ~ Known for a handful of reasonably successful songs such as Rise Sally Rise, the Curtis Mayfield-penned Gotta Right To Cry, Let Her Love Me and perhaps his best known I Love You. Also known as a songwriter for Major Lance, Tyrone Davis, and Gene Chandler ~ Cobb passed away in 2002
February 8, 1928 ~ Blues guitarist, harpist, singer, songwriter Eddie Guitar Burns born in Belzoni, Mississippi, USA ~ Influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson I and Big Bill Broonzy. Guested on John Lee Hooker's 1966 The Real Folk Blues album. Released his Bottle Up & Go debut album in 1972. Had his Orange Driver covered by the J Geils Band for their 1975 Hotline album ~ Burns passed away in 2012
February 8, 1926 ~ Norwood Poindexter, commonly known as jazz, bop saxophonist Pony Poindexter, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ One of the first bop saxophonists to double on alto and tenor. A little over half a dozen albums to his name as a leader or co-leader, noted specifically for Pony's Express issued in 1962 and Annie Ross & Pony Poindexter collaborative album released in 1966. As a sideman, Poindexter has appeared on albums by Wes Montgomery, Eric Dolphy, Dexter Gordon (Stella By Starlight), Jon Hendricks (A Good Git-Together), Lambert Hendricks & Ross, Bev Kelly, Art Farmer, and Lee Konitz. Poindexter published his memoir, The Pony Express (Memoirs Of A Jazz Musician), in 1985. Count Basie's recording Little Pony, written by Neal Hefti, is named for Poindexter ~ Poindexter passed away in 1988February 8, 1919 ~ Muni Zudekoff, commonly known as swing, R&B trombonist, bandleader Buddy Morrow, born in New Haven, Connecticut, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Sharkey Bonano, Eddy Duchin, Vincent Lopez, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Paul Whiteman, Tony Pastor, Bob Crosby, Billy Butterfield, Red McKenzie, Count Basie, Jackie Gleason, Urbie Green, Enoch Light, Lee Wiley, Gato Barbieri, Van McCoy, Barry Manilow, and Sarah Vaughan ~ Zudekoff passed away in 2010
February 8, 1899 ~ Alonzo Johnson, commonly known as singer, guitarist, violinist, songwriter Lonnie Johnson, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Multi-instrumentalist, violin, piano and banjo, focused primarily on guitar. The first to play an electrically amplified violin. Pioneered the single string solo guitar styles later used in blues, rock, jazz. As a guitarist influenced Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, T-Bone Walker, and as a singer Elvis Presley. Worked the riverboats in the 1920s. Played with Charlie Creath, Fate Marable, Victoria Spivey, Alger Texas Alexander, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, the Chocolate Dandies, Eddie Lang, Roosevelt Sykes, Blind John Davis, and Joshua Altheimer ~ Johnson passed away in 1970February 8, 1890 ~ Isidore Kaufman, commonly known as vaudeville singer Irving Kaufman, born in Syracuse, New York, USA ~ Member of comedy and music group the Avon Comedy Four from 1913 through 1919. Would go on to record prolifically throughout the 1920s, notably with the Broadway Bell-Hops on songs such as He's The Last Word, Don't Somebody Want Somebody To Love and The Westerners ~ Kaufman passed away in 1976
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