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.
January 11, 2025 ~ Theatre director, lyricist, playwright Joel Paley passed away in Milford, Connecticut, USA ~ Best known for co-creating the all-female musical Ruthless, its music composed by regular collaborator and life partner Marvin Laird. The musical spoofed Broadway musicals such as Gypsy and Mame, and would earn Paley an Outer Critics Award for Best off-Broadway musical and a Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Director. Paley would die aged 69 a mere six weeks after his partner Marvin Laird ~ Paley was born in 1955
January 11, 2023 ~ Electronic, pop rock singer, drummer, keyboardist Yukihiro Takahashi passed away in Japan ~ Rose to fame in the early 1970s as drummer for the Sadistic Mika Band. Formed the Yellow Magic Orchestra with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Haruomi Hosono, considered a pioneering group predating the electropop boom of the 1980s. The band is especially acclaimed for their 1979 Solid State Survivor album. Takahashi has also recorded extensively as a solo artist since the late 1970s ~ Takahashi was born in 1952
January 11, 2022 ~ Country, pop producer, songwriter Jerry Crutchfield passed away ~ In-demand country, country-pop producer and songwriter. Has produced albums by the likes of Lee Greenwood, Chris LeDoux, Anne Murray, Dottie West, Tammy Wynette, Glen Campbell, Buck Owens, Larry Gatlin, Pearl River, Mylon LeFevre, Dave Loggins. Songs written or co-written by Crutchfield have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee (My Whole World Is Falling Down), Eddy Arnold, Faron Young, Charley Pride, Lefty Frizzell, and Barbara Fairchild ~ Crutchfield was born in 1934
January 11, 2021 ~ Tubist, saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter Howard Johnson, full name Howard Lewis Johnson, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Father of blues singer Nedra Johnson. Best known for his associations with George Gruntz, Hank Crawford, Gil Evans. Has also worked with Gravity, Charles Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Archie Shepp, Hank Mobley, Taj Mahal, the Band, Tomasz Stańko, Carla Bley, John Lennon, Gato Barbieri, David Fathead Newman, George Gruntz, John Scofield, and Jack DeJohnette ~ Johnson was born in 1941
January 11, 2017 ~ Thomas Douglas Allsup, commonly known as singer, guitarist, producer Tommy Allsup, passed away in Springfield, Missouri, USA ~ Played with Buddy Holly, including lead guitar on It's So Easy and on Lonesome Tears. Member of Bob Wills's backing unit the Texas Playboys. Lost a toin coss and his seat on the plane that killed Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JP Richardson. Produced the one-hit-wonder In The Year 2525 for Zager & Evans as well as several albums for Asleep At The Wheel ~ Allsup was born in 1931January 11, 2013 ~ Soul, R&B, gospel singer Liz Lands, full name Elizabeth Lands, passed away ~ Scouted by Berry Gordy Jr, though never recorded much on his Motown label. Best known for her 1963 May What He Lived For Live single, the song included in the memorial for president John F Kennedy at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Lands would also perform the song at the 1968 funeral of the reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Lands would record only sporadically after that and never became a household name despite general praise for her five octave vocal range ~ Lands was born in 1939
January 11, 2010 ~ Country, country-pop outfit Lady Antebellum release American Honey, lifted off their Need You Now album ~ Though poorly received by critics, American Honey would reach No.1 Billboard Country, making it the band's third No.1 hit preceded by I Run To You and Need You Now. The song tells of the singer longing for her childhood days, going back to a simpler life. Written by Cary Barlowe, Hillary Lindsey and Shane Stevens, it is the first song not co-written by a member of the band. Dave Haywood would later recall: “We knew we had to have it when we heard it. We had to record it. It's one that features Hillary Scott on lead. It's a message that we want to have out there. As crazy as the times get for our job and anybody's job, you have to remember when life was a little simpler and a little sweeter”January 11, 2010 ~ Rock & roll guitarist Mick Green, full name Michael Robert Green, passed away in Ilford, UK ~ Active since the late 1950s. Influenced the Who's Pete Townshend and Dr Feelgood's Wilko Johnson. Played with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates from 1962 through 1964. Subsequently worked with Billy J Kramer's 1960s outfit the Dakotas. Would go on to play with Shanghai, Bryan Ferry, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney, and Robert Plant ~ Green was born in 1944
January 11, 2009 ~ Pop, rock singer, poet Anabel Bosch, full name Ana Isabel Ramirez Bosch, passed away in Manila, Philippines ~ First gained attention in the late 1990s singing with Tropical Depression. Would go on to work with with Elektrikoolaid, Spy, and Analog. Also involved with the women's poetry movement Romancing Venus. Bosch passed away at age 32 following a brain aneurysm ~ Bosch was born in 1976
January 11, 2006 ~ Markus Löffel, commonly known as DJ, producer Mark Spoon, passed away in Berlin, Germany ~ Trance pioneer. Regular collaborator of Rolf Ellmer, the duo releasing records under several monikers including Tokyo Ghetto Pussy, Storm and most successfully as Jam & Spoon. Well known songs include dance tracks such as Right In The Night (Fall In Love With Music), Kaleidoscope Skies, and Be Angeled. Löffel also remixed for other artists, perhaps most notably Moby's 1992 Go (In Dub Mix) ~ Löffel was born in 1966
January 11, 2005 ~ Singer, songwriter Jimmy Griffin, full name James Arthu Griffin, passed away in Franklin, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known as a founding member of Bread, known for hits such as Baby I'm A-Want You, For All We Know, Make It With You, If, Everything I Own. Previously a songwriter who wrote for Ed Ames, Gary Lewis, Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, the Standells, Lesley Gore, Sandy Nelson, and Cher. Has also collaborated with Terry Sylvester, Black Tie, Randy Meisner, Billy Swan, T-Bone Burnett, the Remingtons, Toast, and Todd Cerney ~ Griffin was born in 1943
January 11, 2005 ~ Bassist Spencer Dryden, full name Spencer Charles Dryden, passed away in Petaluma, California, USA ~ Best known for his association with psychedelic rock outfit the Jefferson Airplane, remaining with the band from 1966 through 1970 including on the band's masterpiece Surrealistic Pillow which spawned the hits Somebody To Love and White Rabbit. Member of country rock band the New Riders Of The Purple Sage from 1971 through 1977, after which he became the band's manager. Has also worked with the Peanut Butter Conspiracy and rock supergroup Dinosaurs ~ Dryden was born in 1938
January 11, 2004 ~ Max Duane Barnes, commonly known as country songwriter Max D Barnes, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Noted songwriter who penned or co-penned songs for Conway Twitty (Red Necking Love Making Night), Delbert McClinton (Every Time I Roll The Dice), Keith Whitley (Ten Feet Away), Randy Travis (Storms Of Life, I Won't Need You Anymore (Always & Forever)), Vern Gosdin (Chiseled In Stone, If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)), Pam Tillis (Don't Tell Me What To Do), Vince Gill (Look At Us), and Eddy Raven (Joe Knows How To Live) ~ Barnes was born in 1935January 11, 2004 ~ Anthony Lacen, commonly known as tubist, bandleader Tuba Fats Lacen, passed away in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Worked with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band, Ernest Doc Paulin, the Onward Brass Band, the Treme Brass Band, and the Olympia Brass Band. Lacen was married to blues shouter Linda Young ~ Lacen was born in 1950
January 11, 2003 ~ Trombonist, composer, arranger William Russo, full name William Joseph Russo, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Worked with Stan Kenton, Adrian Mitchell, Arnold Weinstein, Jon Swan, Alice Albright Hoge, Irma Routen, Naomi Lazard, the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Duke Ellington, Cannonball Adderley, Yehudi Menuhin, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Maynard Ferguson, Billie Holiday, Cleo Laine, and Annie Ross ~ Russo was born in 1928January 11, 1999 ~ Singer, guitarist Barry Pritchard, full name Barry Arthur Pritchard, passed away in Swindon, UK ~ Member of harmony beat group the Fortunes from its inception in 1961 until 1995, scoring hits with songs such as You've Got Your Troubles, Here It Comes Again, Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again, and Storm In A Teacup ~ Pritchard was born in 1944
January 11, 1999 ~ Singer, songwriter Fabrizio de André, full name Fabrizio Cristiano de André, passed away in Milan, Italy ~ Considered one of the most influential and important Italian songwriters with a career spanning four decades and over a dozen albums to his name. Known for his sympathies towards anarchism, left-libertarianism and pacifism as evidenced in his lyrics and subjects. Many of his songs have become classics including La Guerra Di Piero, La Ballata Deli'eroe, Il Testamento Di Tito, Via Del Campo, La Canzona Deli Amore Perduto and La Città Vecchia ~ De André was born in 1940
January 11, 1999 ~ Marion Colleen Nolan, commonly known as pop singer Toni Fisher, passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA ~ Known for songs such as West Of The Wall, Maybe He'll Think Of Me, Why Can't He Leave Me Alone and perhaps her best known The Big Hurt. The latter would later be covered by artists such as Del Shannon, Wes Montgomery, Scott Walker, Vikki Carr, and Nick Cave ~ Nolan was born in 1924January 11, 1998 ~ Pop singer Louisa Johnson, mononymously known as Louisa, born in Thurrock, UK ~ Winner of the 12th season of The X-Factor. Subsequently reached the UK top 10 hit with Forever Young. Featured on the Clean Bandit hit single Tears
January 11, 1998 ~ Yasin Abdullahi Mahamoud, mononymously known as gangsta rap, hip-hop rapper Yasin, born in Stockholm, Sweden ~ Active since the late-2010s. Member of hip hop collectives Byn Block Entertainment and Ghetto Superstars. Well-known for his debut single DSGIS and its follow-up XO featuring rapper Dree Low. His first three albums, starting with 98.01.11 released in 2020, would all top the album charts in his native Sweden. Mahamoud would be sentenced in 2020 to 10 months in prison for kidnapping rival rapper EinárJanuary 11, 1997 ~ Singer, guitarist, pianist, dancer, actor, model, songwriter Cody Simpson, full name Cody Robert Simpson, born in Gold Coast, Australia ~ Released his debut album, Paradise, in 2012. Known for songs such as IYIYI featuring Flo Rida, All Day and Pretty Brown Eyes
January 11, 1996 ~ Jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs passed away in Sydney, Australia ~ Best known for his work with violinist Stéphane Grappelli, including on the albums Violinspiration and Shades Of Django. Has also guested on albums by Ted Heath, Barney Kessel (Hair Is Beautiful), Peter Collins, Billie Davis, Jean-Luc Ponty, Barry Gray, and Martin Taylor ~ Isaacs was born in [artist-ike-isaacs-guitar]
January 11, 1994 ~ Roger Ramirez, commonly known as jazz pianist, composer Ram Ramirez, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Co-wrote Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be), a jazz standard most closely associated with Billie Holiday. Worked with Monette Moore, Rex Stewart, Sid Catlett, Willie Bryant, Ella Fitzgerald, Frankie Newton, Charlie Barnet, John Kirby, Duke Ellington, and T-Bone Walker ~ Ramirez was born in 1913
January 11, 1993 ~ Christopher Lynn Moore, commonly known as rapper Lil' Twist, born in Dallas, Texas, USA ~ Released his first single, The Texas Twist, at age 10. The song would be a local hit. Has gone on the work with Justin Bieber, 2 Chainz, Miley Cyrus, Young Money, Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, and Busta Rhymes
January 11, 1988 ~ Anthony Alessandrini, commonly known as jazz pianist Tony Aless, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Worked with Bunny Berigan, Johnny McGhee, Teddy Powell, Vaughn Monroe, Charlie Spivak, Woody Herman, Georgie Auld, Flip Phillips, Chubby Jackson, Neal Hefti, Stan Getz, Elliot Lawrence, Seldon Powell, Charlie Parker, JJ Johnson, Kai Winding, and Dave Schildkraut ~ Alessandrini was born in 1921