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 22, 1950 ~ Pub rock guitarist Graeme Douglas, full name Graeme John Douglas, born in Rochford, UK ~ Original lead guitarist for pub rock outfit the Kursaal Flyers, best known for Little Does She Know which reached top 20 in the band's native UK in 1977. Following the hit success Douglas would be concerned about the over-commercialisation of their music and leave the band to join Eddie & the Hot Rods. He was replaced by Barry Martin
January 22, 1949 ~ Roots reggae singer, songwriter Joseph Hill born in St Catherine, Jamaica ~ As a solo artist known for Behold The Land and Take Me Girl. Founded and fronted Culture, known for songs such as Two Sevens Clash, Stop Fussing And Fighting and International Herb. Also worked with the Soul Defenders, Glen Washington, C35, and the Stepping Stone ~ Hill passed away in 2006
January 22, 1949 ~ Jazz fusion, progressive rock guitarist Phil Miller, full name Philip Paul Miller, born in Barnet, UK ~ Central figure in the Canterbury scene. Member of Delivery. Co-founding member of Matching Mole, Hatfield & the North, National Health. Has also worked with Caravan, Short Wave, In Cahoots, and Robert Wyatt ~ Miller passed away in 2017
January 22, 1949 ~ Singer Steve Perry, full name Stephen Ray Perry born in Hanford, California, USA ~ Lead singer of Journey from 1977 through 1987, and again from 1995 through 1998. Sang lead on some of the band's biggest albums including 1981's Escape, which would top the album charts and spawn the band's highest charting single Open Arms which peaked at No.2 Billboard Hot 100. Perry also guested on songs by Sammy Hagar, The Iceman and Run For Your Life), duetted with Kenny Loggins on Don't Fight It, and released solo material starting with 1984's Street Talk album
January 22, 1949 ~ Vincent Lopez, commonly known as rock drummer, percussionist, pianist, trumpeter, cornetist Vini Lopez, born in Neptune Township, New Jersey, USA ~ Best known for his association with Bruce Springsteen as a member of Steel Mill and of the E Street Band, present on Springsteen's first two albums Greetings From Asbury Park NJ and The Wild The Innocent & The E Street ShuffleJanuary 22, 1943 ~ Bassist, composer Maarten Altena, full name Maarten van Regteren Altena, born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands ~ Leader and sideman. Actively recording since the late 1980s. Has worked with Willem Breuker, Theo Loevendie, het Nederlands Ballet Orkest, Orkest de Volharding, Derek Bailey, Burton Greene, and Michel Waisvisz
January 22, 1943 ~ Violinist, saxophonist Michal Urbaniak born in Warsaw, Poland ~ Over 50 albums to his name as a leader, infusing jazz with elements of folk, R&B, funk, symphonic music, and hip hop. Started his professional career in the early 1960s in Poland, playing with the likes of Zbigniew Namyslowski, Andrzej Trzaskowksi, and Krzysztof Komeda. Urbaniak is perhaps best known for about half a dozen 1970s albums with Fusion, including notably Funk Factory and Urbaniak. Urbaniak has also appeared on albums by the likes of Oliver Nelson, Charles Earland, Arif Mardin (Journey), Larry Coryell, Don Pullen (Tomorrow's Promises), Michael Brecker, and Miles Davis (Tutu). Urbaniak was one of the first jazz musicians from Eastern Europe to play America, and would recollect in a 2019 interview with UK Jazz News: “In 1962 the band I played with at the time was considered the best jazz band behind the Iron Curtain, and the Department of State invited us for a two months tour in the USA. This was, of course, a massive shock for the guy from a communist country I was then, and at the same time it was really a fulfilment of my dreams, and also I simply just reassured myself that one day I have to come back there to stay for good.” Urbaniak has frequently worked with singer Urszula Dudziak, with whom he has two daughters ~ Urbaniak passed away in 2025January 22, 1942 ~ Wayne Kent, commonly known as songwriter, producer, singer Artie Wayne, born in New York, New York, USA ~ As a songwriter saw his songs recorded by artists including Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Pat Boone, Joe Dassin, the Temptations, Cher, and the 5th Dimension ~ Kent passed away in 2019
January 22, 1940 ~ R&B singer Addie Harris born in High Point, North Carolina, USA ~ Member of 1960s girl-group the Shirelles, known for songs such as Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Dedicated To The One I Love, Mama Said, Baby It's You, Soldier Boy and Foolish Little Girl ~ Harris passed away in 1982
January 22, 1940 ~ Jazz bassist, upright bassist, double bassist, cellist Eberhard Weber born in Stuttgart, Germany ~ Leader and sideman. Draws from chamber jazz, classical, minimalism and ambient music. Closely associated with Wolfgang Dauner. Founded Colours, which also included saxophonist Charlie Mariano, pianist Rainer Bruninghaus and drummer Jon Christensen. To pop audiences perhaps best known for backing Kate Bush on the albums The Dreaming, Hounds Of Love, The Sensual World and Aerial. Has also worked with Gary Burton, Mal Waldron, Ralph Towner, Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek, the United Jazz+Rock Ensemble, and Paraphernalia
January 22, 1939 ~ Alan Lee da Silva, commonly known as jazz, free jazz, avant-garde jazz double bassist, keyboardist Alan Silva, born in Bermuda ~ Studied piano and violin before switching to bass in the early 1960s, to eventually become regarded as one of the most inventive and assertive jazz bassists. Well over a dozen albums to his name as a leader or co-leader. Perhaps best known for his association with Burton Greene, playing with Greene in the pioneering outfit the Free Form Improvisation Ensemble, and for founding and leading the Celestrial Communication Orchestra, the latter especially noted for their 1970 Seasons) album. As a collaborator, Silva has appeared on albums by the likes of Cecil Taylor (Unit Structures), Sunny Murray, Sun Ra, the Jazz Composers Orchestra, Archie Shepp, Grachan Moncur III (New Africa), Dave Burrell (After Love), Bobby Few, Frank Wright (Unity), the ICP Orchestra, Albert Ayler (The Village Concerts), and the Globe Unity Orchestra. By the 1990s, Silva switched to the electronic keyboards, proclaiming that the bass no longer surprised him. Although the Bermuda-born Silva emigrated to America at a young age and has spent most of his adult life in Europe, he has been quoted at saying he always considered himself BermudianJanuary 22, 1939 ~ Operatic mezzo-soprano Peggy Ann Jones born in Newark-on-Trent, UK ~ Best known for her association with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, joining the group at age 19 and remaining for some fifteen years. Initially, Jones was a member of the chorus and played small roles to eventually star in major roles in operas such as Iolanthe, The Mikado, The Yeomen Of The Guard, and Ruddigore. Jones departed the company in 1973 on account of an ill health, yet in later years would resume performing including at several WS Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan festivals and notably in the original cast of The Phantom Of The Opera ~ Jones passed away in 2024
January 22, 1938 ~ Road manager, author Joe Esposito, full name Joseph Carmine Esposito, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Road manager for Elvis Presley and consultant for several of Presley's movies, having met the singer while serving in the military with him stationed in Friedberg, West Germany. Esposito would become a lifelong friend, serve as best man at Presley's wedding, and is considered one of the premier sources on Presley. After the singer's death in 1977, Esposito has authored several books on his time with Presley, notably Good Rockin' Tonight (20 Years On The Road With Elvis) published in 1994 ~ Esposito passed away in 2016
January 22, 1937 ~ Songwriter Al Kasha, full name Alfred Kasha, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Closely associated with songwriting partner Joel Hirschhorn, with whom he won an Academy Award for Best Original Song twice, namely with The Morning After from The Poseidon Adventure in 1972 and We May Never Love Like This Again from The Towering Inferno in 1975. Has also written for musicals, TV, and pop, rock, R&B artists including Aretha Franklin (Operation Heartbreak), Neil Diamond, Donna Summer, Charles Aznavour (Dance In The Old-fashioned Way), Bobby Darin, Jackie Wilson (My Empty Arms), and Peppermint Rainbow ~ Kasha passed away in 2020January 22, 1933 ~ Jazz drummer Jean Louis Viale born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France ~ Worked with Sacha Distel, René Urtreger, Jimmy Gourley, Bobby Jaspar, Henri Renaud, Clifford Brown, Frank Foster, Stan Getz, Stéphane Grappelli, Gigi Gryce, Thelonious Monk, Jimmy Raney, Django Reinhardt, Zoot Sims, Martial Solal, René Thomas, George Wallington, Barney Wilen, Lester Young, Raymond Fol, Johnny Griffin, Roger Guérin, Ivan Jullien, Jim Hall, Barney Kessel, Benny Bailey, Jack Diéval, and Slide Hampton ~ Viale passed away in 1984
January 22, 1931 ~ Samuel Cook, commonly known as R&B, gospel, soul singer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter Sam Cooke born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA ~ One of the all-time most important, influential, admired R&B, soul singers, credited by some critics as the “inventor” of soul music. Paved the way for artists such as Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding. Member of the Soul Stirrers. As a solo artist known for songs such as You Send Me, Cupid, Another Saturday Night, A Change Is Gonna Come, Wonderful World, Chain Gang, Twistin' The Night Away and Bring It On Home To Me ~ Cook passed away in 1964
January 22, 1929 ~ Ronald Richard Pratley, commonly known as producer, manager, promoter Ron Richards, born in London, UK ~ Best known for discovering British pop, baroque pop group the Hollies, signing them to Parlophone in 1963. Pratley would produce most of the band's output from the early 1960s through the late 1970s, including their 1969 cross-Atlantlic top 10 hit He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother ~ Pratley passed away in 2009
January 22, 1924 ~ James Louis Johnson, commonly known as trombonist JJ Johnson born in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA ~ Leader and sideman. One of the earliest bebop trombonists. As a composer known for standards such as Wee Dot, Lament and Enigma. Worked with Kai Winding, Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, Clifford Brown, Bennie Green, André Previn, Milt Jackson, Joe Pass, Al Grey, Cannonball Adderley, Count Basie, Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday, Elvin Jones, Howard McGhee, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, and Stanley Turrentine ~ Johnson passed away in 2001January 22, 1921 ~ Violinist, composer, arranger André Hodeir born in Paris, France ~ Classically trained violinist. Formed the Jazz Groupe de Paris which also included Bobby Jaspar, Pierre Michelot and Nat Peck. Also worked with Donald Byrd, Idrees Sulieman, Frank Rehak, Hal McKusick, Eddie Costa, George Duvivier, and Annie Ross ~ Hodeir passed away in 2011
January 22, 1921 ~ Pianist, composer Arno Babajanian born in Yerevan, Armenia ~ Child prodigy. Rooted in Armenian folk music. Influenced by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei Prokofiev and Béla Bartók. Admired by peers such as Dmitri Shostakovich. Composed for piano, orchestral music, ballet, chamber music, orchestral works and for film. In addition to numerous awards had a minor planet, 9017 Babadzhanyan, named after him ~ Babajanian passed away in 1983
January 22, 1908 ~ Hamie Nickerson, commonly known as country blues, blues harpist, guitarist Hammie Nixon, born in Brownsville, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known for his association with Sleepy John Estes. Pioneered the use of the mouth harmonica as a rhythm instrument rather than as a novelty. Has worked with Little Buddy Doyle, Charlie Pickett, and Son Bonds ~ Nickerson passed away in 1984
January 22, 1903 ~ Songwriter Al Jacobs born in San Francisco, California, USA ~ Regular collaborator of Jimmie Crane, with whom he wrote Hurt. The song was first recorded by Roy Hamilton in 1954, whose version did well on the R&B charts. However, it would become best known as interpreted by Timi Yuro, who recorded the song for her debut album of the same name in 1961. Yuro's Hurt would reach No.4 Billboard Hot 100, catapult Yuro to international fame and remain her best known. Over the years, the song has been recorded by well over a 100 artists including Dinah Washington, Bobby Vinton, the Manhattans, Carly Simon, and Peabo Bryson. Aside from Timi Yuro, the song is probably most associated with Elvis Presley who regularly performed the song during his Las Vegas days and whose 1976 recording has been described as “apocalyptic”. Other songs co-written by Jacobs include I Got A Misery (Henry Starr), Love I'd Give My Life To You (Fats Waller), I Need You Now (Joni James, Les Paul, Wanda Jackson), If I Give My Heart To You (Connee Boswell, Doris Day, Nat King Cole), and My Sailor Boy (Connie Francis) ~ Jacobs passed away in 1985
January 22, 1895 ~ Irene Joy Gibbons, commonly known as blues singer, stage actress Eva Taylor, born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Dubbed “the Dixie Nightingale”. Child performer active since age three. Married to pianist, Okeh-producer Clarence Williams. Worked with Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, the Charleston Chasers, and Paul Whiteman ~ Gibbons passed away in 1977