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.
July 11, 2025 ~ Antonio Cruz Llauna, commonly known as singer Toni Cruz, passed away ~ Co-founded La Trinca with Josep Maria Mainat and Miquel Angel Pasqual, with whom he has recorded over two dozen albums from the late 1960s through the early 1990s. The trio would be one of the most popular acts to come out of Catalonia, noted for their social and political criticism coupled with humor and daring stage antics. After the group disbanded in the early 1990s, Cruz would venture into producing for TV though his work with Gestmusic, which became one of the leading production companies for TV ~ Cruz was born in 1946
July 11, 2023 ~ New wave, pop rock bassist Toni Carbone passed away ~ Member of Denovo. The band is best known for their 1987 Persuasione sophomore album, widely considered one the premier albums of 1980s Italian indie music. Following the band's disbandement in 1990 Carbone has worked primarily as a producer ~ Carbone was born in 1961July 11, 2021 ~ Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi, commonly known as rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, actor Sound Sultan, passed away ~ Regarded as one of the premier figures in Nigerian hip-hop. Merges R&B, soul, Fujii, reggae, Afrobeat. Noted for his socially conscious lyrics speakling out against poverty, corruption and bad governance. Acclaimed for his 2010 Back From The Future album. Has collaborated with Haitian star Wyclef Jean on several projects ~ Fasasi was born in 1976
July 11, 2014 ~ Bassist, double bassist Charlie Haden, full name Charles Edward Haden, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ One of the most important post-bop jazz bassists with a career spanning five decades. Helped liberate the jazz bassist to free themselves from a strictly serving role. Closely associated with Ornette Coleman, including on the pivotal albums The Shape Of Jazz To Come, Change Of The Century, Free Jazz, The Art Of The Improvisers, and This Is Our Music. As a leader especially acclaimed for his 1970 The Liberation Music Orchestra album with backing unit the Liberation Music Orchestra and his 1987 Quartet West album with Quartet West. Has also worked with Paul Bley, John Coltrane (Live At The Village Vanguard), Denny Zeitlin, Roswell Rudd, the Jazz Composers Orchestra, Gato Barbieri, John McLaughlin, Paul Motian, Keith Jarrett (Backhand), Don Cherry, Art Pepper, Robert Wyatt (Ruth Is Stranger Than Fiction), Old And New Dreams, Pat Metheny (80-81), and John Scofield ~ Haden was born in 1937
July 11, 2014 ~ Erdélyi Tamás, commonly known as drummer, producer Tommy Ramone, passed away in Queens, New York, USA ~ Initially drafted as the Ramones manager but also took on the role of drummer when Joey Ramone found out he couldn't drum fast enough. Tamás produced and drummed on the band's first three albums, The Ramones, Leave Home and Rocket To Russia, as well as on the live album It's Alive. Tamás also formed the bluegrass folk duo Uncle Monk with Claudia Tienan ~ Tamás was born in 1949
July 11, 2013 ~ Singer Charles Pope, full name Charles Walter Pope, passed away ~ Longtime member of the Tams, known for 1960s R&B hits such as Untie Me, Hey Girl Don't Bother Me, and Be Young Be Foolish Be Happy. Their 1963 single What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am) would also cross over into the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, reaching the top 10. Pope's daughter Tameka Cottle is also a singer, known as a member of 1990s multi-platinum girl group Xscape ~ Pope was born in 1936July 11, 2011 ~ Folk rock, rock & roll singer, bassist, songwriter Rob Grill, full name Robert Frank Gill, passed away in Mount Bora, Florida, USA ~ Member of rock & rolll group the Grass Roots known for late 1960s hits such as Let's Live For Today, Midnight Confessions and I'd Wait A Million Years ~ Grill was born in 1943
July 11, 2006 ~ Jazz pianist Bill Miller passed away in Montreal, Canada ~ Best known for his association with Frank Sinatra, backing the singer on stage and on record for the better part of some five decades starting in the early 1950s. Miller also performed One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) at Sinatra's funeral. Miller has also worked with Red Norvo, Mildred Bailey, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and the last years of his life with Sinatra's son Frank Sinatra Jr ~ Miller was born in 1915
July 11, 2001 ~ Singer, pianist Herman Brood passed away in Amsterdam, the Netherlands ~ One of the most recognisable rock singers in the Netherlands. First gained attention as member of Cuby & the Blizzards, present on the albums Groeten Uit Grollo and its follow-up Trippin' Thru A Midnight Blues. Would rise to fame in the 1970s with backing unit the Wild Romance, especially acclaimed for the albums Shrpitz and Cha Cha, both considered landmark albums in Dutch rock & roll ~ Brood was born in 1946July 11, 1999 ~ Helen Fogel, commonly known as pop, swing singer Helen Forrest, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Popular singer of the swing era, serving with the biggest orchestras of the day including those led by Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and by Harry James ~ Fogel was born in 1917
July 11, 1998 ~ Jazz tenor saxophonist Guy Lafitte, full name Guy Denis Ferdinand Lafitte, passed away in Tournan, France ~ Worked with Mezz Mezzrow, Big Bill Broonzy, Lionel Hampton, Emmett Berry, Wild Bill Davis, Bill Coleman, Frank Pourcel, Peanuts Holland, Hank Jones, George Duvivier, JC Heard, Sammy Price, Lucky Thompson, and Pierre Boussaguet ~ Lafitte was born in 1927
July 11, 1996 ~ Alessia Cracciolo, singer, commonly known as pop, alternative R&B, indie pop, soul singer Alessia Cara, born in Brampton, Canada ~ Released her Know-it-all debut album in 2015, spawning the hit single Scars To Your Beautiful. Also known for collaborating with Zedd on the 2017 Stay hit single and with Logic on 1-800-273-8255 the same year
July 11, 1993 ~ Benjamin Joe Houston, commonly known as Chicago blues guitarist, singer Boston Blackie, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Known for his raw, hard-edged style. Influenced by Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Elmore James, Little Milton, Bobby Blue Bland. Worked with Sweetman & the Sugar Boys, Johnny B Moore, Lee Shot Williams, Freddie King, Kansas City Red, Hubert Sumlin, Homesick James, Jimmy Dawkins, Little Walter, Eddie Shaw. Shot and killed by blues singer Tail Dragger Jones in a heated dispute over payment, Jones claimed self-defense but would be convicted for second-degree murder and served 17 months in prison ~ Houston was born in 1943
July 11, 1993 ~ Clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, bandleader Mario Bauzá, full name Mario Bauzá Cardénas, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ One of the first to introduce Cuban music to the New York jazz scene. Best known for Tangá released in 1943, considered the first Afro-Cuban jazz recording merging jazz harmony with Afro-Cuban rhythms. Member of Cab Calloway's band in the late 1930s, and the one to urge Calloway to hire Dizzy Gillespie. Would go on to lead his own ensembles, working with sidemen including Machito, Tito Puente, Bobby Capó, Chocolate Armenteros, and Willie Colón ~ Bauzá was born in 1911July 11, 1992 ~ Jazz, jazz-fusion, rock, progressive rock drummer Axel Skalstad born in Fiskum, Norway ~ Formed the trio Krokofant, considered the enfant terrible of the Norwegian music scene, with guitarist Tom Hasslan and saxophonist Jørgen Mathisen, with whom he recorded three critically acclaimed albums starting with their eponymous Krokofant debut album released in 2014, and two more collaborative albums featuring the trio supplemented with keyboardist Stale Storløkken and bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flatan. Skalstad has also appeared on albums by Sjøen, LoveLoveLove, Rune Your Day, Pekula, and Soft Ffog ~ Skalstad passed away in 2025
July 11, 1992 ~ Singer Herb Kenny, full name Herbert Cornelius Kenny, passed away in Columbia, Maryland, USA ~ Best known as member of seminal vocal R&B outfit the Ink Spots, led by his twin brother Bill Kenny, from 1945 replacing Hoppy Jones through 1951. Kenny was present on several of the band's best known including The Gypsy, To Each His Own, You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love), and You're Breaking My Heart. As a solo artist, Kenny is known for songs such as Key To My Heart, My Song, and I Miss You So ~ Kenny was born in 1914
July 11, 1991 ~ Pop singer Alice Svensson, full name Alice Cecilia Linh Svensson, born in Hanoi, Vietnam ~ Enjoyed some success in her adopted homeland Sweden after reaching the finals of the 2008 edition of the talent contest Idol. The singles Heaven's On Fire, Girlfriend, and Lady Luck would all reach top 40. The hard rock band Kiss, who had originally recorded Heaven's On Fire, would post Svensson's rendition on their websiteJuly 11, 1988 ~ Niia Bertino, mononymously know as singer, pianist, songwriter Niia, born in Needham, Massachusetts, USA ~ First gained attention in 2007, appearing on Wyclef Jean's Billboard Hot 100 top 20 Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) single which also featured Akon and Lil Wayne. Would go on to pay homage to the music of the James Bond soundtracks, performing classics from the spy movie series with a 14 piece orchestra in the early 2010. Bertino has released several albums as a solo artist, starting with I released in 2017
July 11, 1988 ~ Singer Yazz releases The Only Way Is Up, lifted off her Wanted debut album ~ A remake of the 1982 disco-tinged single by American soul singer Otis Clay, which failed to chart on either side of the pond, The Only Way Is Up issued as Yazz's debut single became a smash club hit in the singer's native UK. Originally it was suggested that electronic music duo Coldcut, with whom she had worked on Doctorin' The House released earlier the same year, would record a remake. However, they passed but did hand the song to Yazz and signed on as producers. It took the single, characterised as “annoyingly catchy” by Billboard, less than a month to reach the top of the British charts. The single also did well in Australia, New Zealand, and across Europe, reaching the top 10 in well over a dozen countries. Around the time of its release, singer Yazz explained the sentiment behind the song: “It's about being down-and-out and on the dole (unemployment benefits) but not worrying about it. Keep on doing what you want to do because you can get through in the end. It's exactly what I've done to get here now”
July 11, 1985 ~ Jazz bassist, double bassist George Duvivier passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Classically trained on violin, Duvivier's first professional steps in music were in classical musicwhen he landed the position of assistant concertmaster with the Central Manhattan Symphony Orchestra at a mere age of 16 years. However, Duvivier would soon switch to double bass and become one of the most in-demand double bassists of his day in swing, bop, and cool jazz. In the 1940s, Duvivier honed his skills backing the likes of Coleman Hawkins, Lucky Millinder, and Eddie Barefield. Following a stint in the Army, Duvivier resumed his career in the 1950s touring with Lena Horne, to go on to frequently work with Bud Powell, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Etta Jones, and Shirley Scott. Other notable associations include Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Thad Jones, Ben Webster, Pepper Adams, Jim Hall, Gloria Lynne, Lester Young, Randy Weston (Uhuru Afrika), Eric Dolphy (Out There), Gene Ammons, Tubby Hayes, Oliver Nelson, Paul Desmond, Art Farmer, Johnny Lytle, Wild Bill Davis, Sonny Stitt (Goin' Down Slow), and Joe Venuti. Outside jazz circles, Duvivier is perhaps best known for appearing on Ben E King's Spanish Harlem debut album, Sam Cooke's My Kind Of Blues, John Lennon's sophomore Imagine album, Don McLean's Homeless Brother, Janis Ian's Stars, and Barry Manilow's 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe ~ Duvivier was born in 1920
July 11, 1985 ~ Indie rock, baroque pop, alternative singer, pianist, bassist, guitarist Tobias Jesso Jr, full name Tobias Macdonald Jesso Jr, born in North Vancouver, Canada ~ Released his Goon debut album in 2015, drawing critical comparison to Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson and Emitt Rhodes. Co-wrote When We Were Young and Lay Me Down, recorded by Adele on her 25 album. Other who have recorded songs written or co-written by Jesso include Sia, Shawn Mendes, John Legend, Niall Horan, Pink, Paloma Faith, Charlie Puth, Florence + the Machine, Meghan Trainor, Haim, Ellie Goulding, Shawn Mendes, and Conan Gray
July 11, 1983 ~ Pop singer, model Marie Serneholt, full name Marie Eleanor Serneholt, born in Stockholm, Sweden ~ Rose to prominence as member of the A-Teens, originally an ABBA-tribute band known for a number of late 1990s, early 2000s Swedish top 10 hits including Mamma Mia, Super Trouper and Upside Down and Floorfiller. After the band disbanded in 2004 Serneholt released a solo solo album, 2006's Enjoy The Ride, which spawned the Swedish top 10 That's The Way My Heart Goes hit singleJuly 11, 1978 ~ Bigram John Zayas, commonly known as DJ, producer, songwriter DVLP, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Member of The-Allies DJ Crew. Best known as a producer and songwriter. Has produced or co-produced over two dozen songs for Lil Wayne including Fireman and Blunt Blowin'. Co-produced Eminem's Billboard Hot 100 2013 top 10 hit Rap God. Other notable credits include DJ Clue, Cam'ron, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Pitbull, J Balvin, and Fuego
July 11, 1978 ~ Alterntive country, folk singer, guitarist, violinist, songwriter Kathleen Edwards born in Ottawa, Canada ~ Released her Failer debut album in 2002. Best known for her 2012 Voyageur album. Has collaborated with Matt Mays, John Doe, Bryan Adams, and the Arkells. Co-wrote Good Woman of Maren Morris' Girl album released in 2019July 11, 1977 ~ Goapele Mohlabane, mononymously known as soul, R&B singer, songwriter Goapele, born in Oakland, California, USA ~ Draws from neo-soul, trip hop, jazz, and other idioms. Has recorded half a dozen albums, starting with the self-released Closer in 2001. Collaborated with artists such as E-40, Zion I, the Hieroglyphics, Dwele, Mos Def, and Hip-Hop Pantsula
July 11, 1977 ~ Synth-pop, new wave keyboardist, singer Mira Aroyo born in Sofia, Bulgaria ~ Co-founding member, co-lead singer for Ladytron, with whom she has recorded over half a dozen album starting with 604 released in 2001. The Liverpool-based band has earned critical acclaim and cult fame by paying homage to a number of retro styles including electro, new wave, and Krautrock. The band's name was taken from the Roxy Music song Ladytron
July 11, 1977 ~ Peter Anthony Morgan, commonly known as reggae singer Peetah Morgan, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Lead singer of sibling outfit Morgan Heritage, comprised of offspring of iconic reggae singer Denroy Morgan. The group has recorded over a dozen albums since the mid 1990s, and is perhaps best known for the Grammy Award-winning Strictly Roots album released in 2015. Morgan has also recorded as a solo artist, noted for his sole full-length album TUT (The Undeniable Truth) released in 2013, and has collaborated with Shane Brown, Irie Love, SunDub, and most recently with Jah Sun on the 2023 Return To Balance album ~ Morgan passed away in 2024