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 27, 1933 ~ James Edward Bond Jr, commonly known as jazz double bassist, composer, arranger Jimmy Bond, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Worked with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Gene Ammons, Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins, Ben Webster, Art Pepper, Jim Hall, Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Horn, Phil Spector, Randy Newman, Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, the Jazz Crusaders, Nina Simone, Lightnin' Hopkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, Linda Ronstadt, Henry Mancini, Lou Rawls, Tony Bennett, BB King, Curtis Amy, Earl Anderza, Louie Bellson, Terry Gibbs, Joe Gordon, Irene Kral, Julie London, Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry, Frank Morgan, Gerry Mulligan, Jim Sullivan, Gerald Wilson, and Jimmy Woods ~ Bond passed away in 2012
January 27, 1930 ~ Robert Calvin Brooks, commonly known as singer Bobby Blue Bland, born in Barrelville, Tennessee, USA ~ Pivotal in soul-blues, mixing gospel with blues and R&B. Especially acclaimed for his 1961 album Two Steps From The Blues. Best known for songs such as Cry Cry Cry, I Pity The Fool, Turn On Your Lovelight, Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City, and I Wouldn't Treat A Dog The Way You Treated Me. Worked with Johnny Ace, Eddie Fisher, Junior Parker, Blues Consolidated, Bill Harvey, Joe Scott, Wayne Bennett, Michael Omartian, Steve Barri, Van Morrison, and BB King ~ Bland passed away in 2013January 27, 1929 ~ Operatic baritone Carlo Meliciani born in Arezzo, Italy ~ Closely associated with La Scala, remaining with the renowned opera house for some two decades starting in the late 1950s. Noted for his portrayal of roles from Giuseppe Verdi operas, especially a 1969 recording with the Teatro Nuovo Di Torino of Emani in the role of Don Carlo opposite Plácido Domingo in the title role ~ Meliciani passed away in 2022
January 27, 1927 ~ Classical, jazz pianist, composer, arranger Don Shirley, full name Donald Walbridge Shirley, born in Pensacola, Florida, USA ~ Actively recording since the mid 1950s. Composed organ symphonies, works for piano, strings, cello, and opera. Worked with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra ~ Shirley passed away in 2013
January 27, 1925 ~ Jerome Solon Felder, commonly known as lyricist, songwriter Doc Pomus, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Co-wrote numerous classic rock & roll hits. Frequent songwriting partner of Mort Shuman. Artists who have recorded his songs include Elvis Presley (Little Sister, Suspicion, Viva Las Vegas), the Crystals, Joe Turner, Conway Twitty, Charlie Rich, Dion & the Belmonts (A Teenager In Love), the McCoys, Gary US Bonds (Seven Day Weekend), Ben E King (Here Comes The Night), Jimmy Clanton, Del Shannon, Fabian, the Coasters (Young Blood), the Mystics, Bobby Darin, the Drifters (Sweets For My Sweet, Save The Last Dance For Me), Gene McDaniels, Marty Wilde, Jess Conrad, Ray Charles (Lonely Avenue), and Connie Francis ~ Pomus passed away in 1991January 27, 1920 ~ Velma Newsom, commonly known as R&B singer Chubby Newsom, born in where-detroit-mi-usa], Michigan, USA ~ Best known for her 1949 hit Hip Shaking Mama. Half of Bluezettes, the other half being Alberta Adams. Also worked with artists such as Paul Gayten, Dave Bartholomew, Herbert Hardesty, Ernest McLean, Frank Fields, Earl Palmer, and Tiny Bradshaw ~ Newsom passed away in 2003
January 27, 1920 ~ Classical, swing, jazz violinist, composer Helmut Zacharias born in Berlin, Germany ~ Influenced by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. Dubbed “the Magic Violinist”. Internationally best known for When The White Lilacs Bloom Again, a Billboard top 20 hit in 1956. Also known as an actor, starting in the late 1940s, usually playing the role of musicians ~ Zacharias passed away in 2002
January 27, 1920 ~ Actor, singer, bandleader Tony Martinez born in Puerto Rico ~ Fronted his own band, Tony Martinez & his Mambo, in the 1950s, with whom he appeared in the 1956 film Rock Around The Clock. Perhaps best known as an actor, noted for his role of Pepino in the TV sitcom The Real McCoys, aired on ABC from 1957 through 1962 ~ Martinez passed away in 2002
January 27, 1920 ~ Joachim Guillaume Lamothe, commonly known as country singer Willie Lamothe, born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada ~ Considered a pioneer of French-language country music Lamothe has recorded some 500 songs, both originals and translated renditions over the course of his three-decade long career starting in the mid 1940s. Well-known songs include La Promesse, Mille Après Mille, Allo Cowboy, Aux Accords Des Guitares, and Oh Ma Cherie. Lamothe has also ventured into acting for film ~ Lamothe passed away in 1992
January 27, 1918 ~ Blues singer, guitarist Elmore James born in Richmond, Mississippi, USA ~ Dubbed “the King of the Slide Guitar”. Influenced by Robert Johnson, Kokomo Arnold, Tampa Red. Known for a number of blues classics, hugely influential on future blues and rock singers and guitarists. Well known songs include The Sky Is Crying, My Bleeding Heart, Look On Yonder Wall and Shake Your Moneymaker ~ James passed away in 1963
January 27, 1914 ~ Andrew Hogg, commonly known as Texas blues, country blues guitarist Smokey Hogg, born in Westconnie, Texas, USA ~ Influenced by Big Bill Broonzy, Peetie Wheatstraw and by slide guitarist Black Ace, touring and recording the late 1930s one-off Family Trouble Blues with the latter. Best known for a number of late 1940s, early 1950s recording, both originals and Broonzy covers, such as Too Many Drivers, Long Tall Mama, Little School Girl and Penitentiary Blues ~ Hogg passed away in 1960
January 27, 1910 ~ Saxophonist Charlie Holmes born near Boston, Massachusetts, USA ~ Played clarinet and oboe for the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra in the 1920s. Switched to alto saxophone by the end of the decase and went on to play with a variety of artists including Luis Russell, Red Allen, the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, John Kirby, Cootie Williams, and Duke Ellington. Retired from music in the early 1950s. Best known for composing Sugar Hilll Function ~ Holmes passed away in 1985January 27, 1901 ~ Composer Giuseppe Verdi, full name Giuseppe Fortunini Francesco Verdi, passed away in Milan, Italy ~ Influenced by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Gioachine Rossini. Dominated the Italian opera. Best known for operas such as La Traviata, Aida and Falstaff. Briefly an elected politician sympathizing with the Risorgimenti movement, seeking the unification of Italy ~ Verdi was born in 1813
January 27, 1895 ~ George Gard Desylva, commonly known as songwriter, label executive, film producer Buddy DeSylva, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Frequent songwriting collaborator of Lew Brown and Ray Henderson. Also worked with George Gershwin, co-writing Blue Monday, a 1922 jazz opera seen as a forerunner to Porgy & Bess. Co-founded Capitol Records with Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs. Served on the ASCAP board of directors from 1922 through 1930. Would move to film production from the 1930s onwards ~ DeSylva passed away in 1950
January 27, 1895 ~ Harry Rubinstein, commonly known as pianist, songwriter Harry Ruby born in New York, New York, USA ~ Vaudeville pianist with the Bootblack Trio and the Messenger Boys Trio. Best known as a songwriter, longtime collaborator of lyricist Bert Kalmar. Together the pair was responsible for songs such as Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You) (Jack Denny, Ruth Etting, Frankie Laine), Who's Sorry Now (Bob Thompson, Milton Brown, Harry James), Three Little Words (Duke Ellington, Sam Lanin, Mel Tormé, Sarah Vaughan), and Give Me The Simple Life (Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman, Carmen McRae) ~ Rubinstein passed away in 1974
January 27, 1885 ~ Composer, songwriter Jerome Kern, full name Jerome David Kern, born in New York, New York, USA ~ One of the foremost theater composers of the early 20th century. Collaborated with lyricists such as Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Dorothy Fields, Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin, and Yip Harburg. Kern co-wrote over 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works and films. Well known songs include Ol' Man River (Jules Bledsoe, Paul Robeson, the Ravens), Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (Helen Morgan, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Shore), A Fine Romance (Guy Lombardo, Rudy Vallée, Frank Sinatra), Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Tamara, Eartha Kitt, the Platters), The Song Is You (Tullio Carminati, Mario Lanza, Rita Reys), and The Way You Look Tonight (Fred Astaire, Billie Holiday, the Dinning Sisters), I've Told Ev'ry Little Star (Walter Slezak, Margaret Whiting, Pat Boone) ~ Kern passed away in 1945
January 27, 1756 ~ Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born in Salzburg, Austria ~ One of the most prolific and influential classical composers. Child prodigy, composing since the age of 5. Composed over 600 works ~ Mozart passed away in 1791