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 15, 1951 ~ Singer Martha Davis, full name Martha Emily Davis, born in Berkeley, California, USA ~ Lead singer of the Motels, known for Only The Lonely and Suddenly Last Summer both of which reached Billboard top 10 in the early 1980s
January 15, 1949 ~ Daniel Le Bras, commonly known as Celtic rock, folk guitarist Dan Ar Braz, born in Quimper, France ~ Perhaps best known for organizing L'Heritage Des Celtes, merging traditional music with modern rock elements. The band initially was a one-time collaboration of over 70 musicians brought together especially for the 1992 Festival De Cornoaille but its succes spawned several critically well-received albums. Has recorded as a solo artist and worked with the likes of Alan Stivell, Fairport Convention, John Kirkpatrick, and Jean-Jacques GoldmanJanuary 15, 1948 ~ Leon Jerry Guthrie, commonly known as Western swing singer Jack Guthrie, passed away in Livemore, California, USA ~ Best known for his 1945 hit Oklahoma Hills, a rewritten version of Woody Guthrie's Oklahoma Hills. The two were cousins ~ Guthrie was born in 1915
January 15, 1948 ~ A&R executive, songwriter Jon Lind, full name Jonathan G Lind, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Classically trained guitarist. Member of Howdy Moon. Member of the Fifth Avenue Band. A&R executive at Hollywood Records. Best known as a songwriter, songs written or co-written by Lind recorded by the likes of the Emotions, Jennifer Holliday, DJ Rogers, Atlantic Starr, Ramsey Lewis, Madonna (Crazy For You), the Temptations, Vanessa Williams (Save The Best For Last), Cheap Trick, Cher, and perhaps most notably Earth Wind & Fire (Boogie Wonderland) ~ Lind passed away in 2022January 15, 1948 ~ James Reginald Riley, commonly known as jazz fusion, R&B percussionist Juma Santos, born in Massachusetts, USA ~ Enjoyed a career spanning four decades in jazz, fusion and R&B. Perhaps best known for touring with trumpeter Miles Davis for about a year and appearing on the seminal Bitches Brew jazz fusion album released in 1970. Other notable credits include Compost, Roy Ayers (He's Coming), Paul Pena, Andy Pratt (Andy Pratt), Larry Young, Michael Gibbs, David Sanborn, Chico Freeman, Freddie Hubbard, and Taj Mahal ~ Riley passed away in 2007
January 15, 1948 ~ Guitarist, singer, songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, full name Ronald Wayne Van Zant, born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA ~ Founding member, lead singer of Southern rock outfit Lynyrd Skynyrd and present on songs such as Sweet Home Alabama, Free Bird and Saturday Night Special. Van Zant died in a 1977 plane crash which also killed bandmates Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines, their road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot and co-pilot ~ Van Zant passed away in 1977
January 15, 1947 ~ Producer, songwriter Pete Waterman born in Coventry, UK ~ One third of hugely successful Stock-Aitken-Waterman producer, songwriter trio, alongside Mike Stock and Matt Aitken, scoring numerous Eurobeat and pop hits from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s with artists such as Kylie Minogue (I Should Be So Lucky), the Dolly Dots, Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), Sinitta, Errol Brown, Bananarama (Venus), Judas Priest, Divine (You Think You're A Man), Mel & Kim (Respectable), Pepsi & Shirlie, Donna Summer (This Time I Know It's For Real), Samantha Fox, Hazell Dean (Whatever I Do), and Jason Donovan
January 15, 1946 ~ Songwriter, singer Bobby Bloom born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ One-hit wonder known for Montego Bay, co-written with and produced by Jeff Barry. The song would reach top 10 in Canada, the UK and America. Bloom's follow-up to Montego Bay, the single Heavy Makes You Happy, would fail to make much of an impression but would become a hit for the Staple Singers in 1971. Bloom also co-wrote Mony Mony for Tommy James & the Shondells, Sunshine for the Archies and Do It In The Name Of Love for the Monkees as well as several other tracks of the latter's Changes album ~ Bloom passed away in 1974
January 15, 1946 ~ Classical pianist Joseph Kalichstein, sometimes referred to as Yossi Kalichstein, born in Tel Aviv, Palestine ~ Concerto, recital, chamber music pianist. Has collaborated with conductors such as André Previn, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, Leonard Slatkin. Closely associated with violinist Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson, the trio having performed at the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter, having recorded works of Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms and Maurice Ravel, and having works written especially for them by the likes of Richard Danielpour, John Corigliano and Daron Hagen ~ Kalichstein passed away in 2022
January 15, 1946 ~ Songwriter Ron Davies, full name Ronny Wayne Davies, born ~ Son of country singer Tex Dickerson. Brother of singer, songwriter Gail Davies. Released two albums as a recording artist, Silent Song Through The Land and UFO. Best known as a songwriter. Three Dog Night, Long John Baldry, David Bowie, Dave Edmunds and Shelby Lynne all covered his It Ain't Easy. Other well known Davies songs include Long Hard Climb (covered by Maria Muldaur), The Man I Used To Be (Jerry Jeff Walker) and Waiting On A Dark Eyed Girl (the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) ~ Davies passed away in 2003
January 15, 1943 ~ Producer, songwriter Fonce Mizell born in Englewood, New Jersey, USA ~ Co-founding member of vocal jazz quartet the Vanlords, which also included his brother Larry Mizell. Best known as a producer and songwriter, again in tandem with his brother, producing numerous albums for Blue Note Records setting the tone for 1970s jazz fusion sound and scoring pivotal R&B hits including A Taste Of Honey's Boogie Oogie Oogie, LTD's Love Ballad and Mary Wells' Gigolo. Fonce was also a member of Motown's producer, songwriter collective the Corporation alongside Berry Gordy Jr, Freddie Perren and Deke Richards, responsible for all of the Jackson 5's early hits including I Want You Back, ABC and The Love You Save ~ Mizell passed away in 2011
January 15, 1941 ~ Don van Vliet, commonly known as singer, songwriter Captain Beefheart, born in Glendale, California, USA ~ Backed by the Magic Band recorded some dozen albums drawing from blues, free jazz, rock, and avant-garde. Critically acclaimed, especially for the albums Safe As Milk and Trout Mask Replica. Worked with Alexis Shouffer, Frank Zappa, John French, Denny Walley, Jeff Cotton, Jerry Handley, Bruce Botnick, Bill Harkleroad, Gary Marker, and Mark Boston ~ Van Vliet passed away in 2010January 15, 1938 ~ Bluegrass banjoist, songwriter, publisher Pete Kuykendall born in Washington DC, USA ~ Co-founded Bluegrass Unlimited in 1966 becoming its main editor in 1970. Instrumental in the formation of the International Bluegrass Music Association in 1985. As a musician best known as a member of the Country Gentlemen in the late 1950s and for penning a number of bluegrass standards including Down Where The Still Waters Flow, I Am Weary (Let Me Rest) and Remembrance Of You ~ Kuykendall passed away in 2017
January 15, 1936 ~ Edward Jessie Bivins Jr, commonly known as R&B, soul singer, songwriter Edward Sonny Bivins born in Macon, Georgia, USA ~ Member of the Manhattans, best known for their 1976 hit Kiss And Say Goodbye. Wrote the band's There's No Me Without You, a 1973 Billboard R&B top 10 hit ~ Bivins passed away in 2014
January 15, 1930 ~ Blues guitarist Earl Hooker, full name Earl Zebedee Hooker, born in Quitman County, Mississippi, USA ~ Influenced by T-Bone Walker and Robert Nighthawk. Worked with Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, John Lee Hooker, Kansas City Red, Johnny O'Neal, Little Sammy Davis, Boyd Gilmore, Pinetop Perkins, the Dells, Arbee Stidham, Lorenzo Smith, Harold Tidwell, Little Arthur Duncan, Lillian Offitt, Magic Sam, AC Reed, Ricky Allen, Reggie Guitar Boyd, Jackie Brenston, Carey Bell, Geno Skaggs, Andrew Odom, Freddie Roulette, and Jimmy Witherspoon ~ Hooker passed away in 1970
January 15, 1930 ~ Jazz pianist, singer, arranger Onzy Matthews, full name Onzy Durrett Matthews Jr, born in Fort Worth, Texas, USA ~ As a leader known for the mid 1960s albums Blues With A Touch Of Elegance and Sounds For The 60's. Closely associated with Duke Ellington orchestra during the 1960s and 1970s. Also especially noted as arranger, conductor, pianist for the 1963 Lou Rawls album Black And Blue, and as arranger, conductor for the Richard Groove Holmes album Book Of The Blues Vol.1 the following year. Other notable associations include Kenny Dorham, Curtis Amy, Gene Shaw, Dexter Gordon, and specifically Ray Charles, working in one capacity or another on a string of the latter's mid 1960s albums ~ Matthews passed away in 1997
January 15, 1928 ~ Country, rockabilly guitarist Joe Pennington, full name Joseph Lephmon Pennington, born in Plant City, Florida, USA ~ Best known as member of Hank Williams' backing unit the Drifting Cowboys through 1949. Has subsuquently worked with Lefty Frizzell. As a solo artist known for a number of 1950s rockabilly singles under the moniker Joe Penny, notably Bip A Little (Bop A Lot) released in 1958 ~ Pennington passed away in 2020January 15, 1922 ~ Singer, stage and film actress Thelma Carpenter born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ To pop audiences best known for portraying the role of the Good Witch of the North in the 1978 movie version of The Wiz. Previously a child prodigy. Hosting her own radio show by her teens. As a singer worked with Teddy Wilson, Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, Eddie Cantor, and Duke Ellington ~ Carpenter passed away in 1997
January 15, 1921 ~ Itzchol Reev Smolover, commonly known as tenor, director Ray Smolover, born ~ Best known as founder and director of the Opera theater Of Westchester. Though primarily performing music by others Smolover composed several pieces, including a cantate and several art songs. Smolover also served as executive VP of American Conference Of Cantors for over three decades ~ Smolover passed away in 2015
January 15, 1920 ~ R&B, jazz guitarist, vibraphonist Dave Hamilton, full name David Lewis Hamilton, born in Savannah, Georgia, USA ~ Member of the Helen Pennington Quartet, the Noc-Tunes, the Peppers. In-demand session musician since the late 1950s, appearing on recordings by Jackie Wilson (Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet), Lonely Teardrops), John Lee Hooker (Boom Boom), Marvin Gaye (Stubborn Kind Of Fellow), Mary Wells (My Guy). Released his Blue Vibrations solo debut album in 1964 ~ Hamilton passed away in 1994
January 15, 1909 ~ Jazz, swing, Dixieland drummer Gene Krupa, full name Eugene Bertram Krupa, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Leader and sideman. One of the first superstar drummers. Influenced by Tubby Hall, Zutty Singleton, Baby Dodds. Noted for his drum solos on the 1937 Benny Goodman recording of Sing Sing Sing (With A Swing) as well as on the 1938 Live At Carnegie Hall performance. Has worked with Red McKenzie, Eddie Condon, Martha Tilton, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Ventura, and Eddie Shu ~ Krupa passed away in 1973
January 15, 1904 ~ Edgar DeLange Moss, commonly known as bandleader, lyricist Eddie DeLange, born in Long Island, New York, USA ~ Frequent songwriting collaborator of Irving Mills, Will Hudson and Jimmy van Heusen. Songs written or co-written by DeLange include Solitude (Louis Armstrong, Etta Jones), Shake Down The Stars (Bob Crosby, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald), The Man With The Horn (Boyd Raeburn, Anita O'Day, Nina Simone), The Blues Are Brewin' (Billie Holiday), Whatever Happened To You (Xavier Cugat), Lost April (Nat King Cole, Frankie Carle), Just As Though You Were (Tommy Dorsey, the Ink Spots) ~ Moss passed away in 1949January 15, 1899 ~ Cellist Hans Münch-Holland, full name Hans Rudolph Münch-Holland, born in Bern, Germany ~ Active since the 1920s. Longtime member of the Strub Quartet, remaining with the quartet from 1939 through 1953. Has also worked with the Stuttgart Chamber Trio, the Staatstheater Stuttgart, the Gewandhausorchestrer, and the Leipzig Trio ~ Münch-Holland passed away in 1971
January 15, 1882 ~ Harry Haley McClaskey, commonly known as singer, radio personality, producer Henry Burr, born in St Stephen, Canada ~ Enjoyed popularity from the early-1900s onwards. Known for songs such as Just A Baby's Prayer At Twilight, I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now, When I Lost You, and In The Shade Of The Apple Tree. McClaskey also formed the duo Campbell & Burr, the pair known for songs such as The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine, Somebody's Waiting For Someone, and I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles ~ McClaskey passed away in 1941