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 21, 2024 ~ Ellen Lucille Thomas, commonly known as Hi-NRG, disco singer Evelyn Thomas, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Discovered by British producer Ian Levine, who was scouting the USA for gospel and soul singers to promote in the UK. Thomas has recorded four albums from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s and is known for songs such as Weak Spot, Masquerade, the Supremes-cover Reflections, Standing At The Crossroads, and perhaps her best known High Energy, the latter a 1984 club hit on both sides of the Atlantic ~ Thomas was born in 1953July 21, 2023 ~ Rock bassist Neal Langford passed away ~ Member of indie rock outfit the Shins during the early 2000s, present on the band's Oh Inverted World debut album released in 2001. Langford had also worked with the band's 1990s predecessor Flake Music ~ Langford was born in 1971
July 21, 2023 ~ Anthony Dominick Benedetto, commonly known as singer Tony Bennett, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Enjoyed a career spanning eight decades, singing both pop and jazz. Has released over 70 albums including the acclaimed The Beat Of My Heart, Count Basie Swings Tony Bennett Sings with Count Basie, and I Left My Heart In San Francisco. Well-known hits include Because Of You, Cold Cold Heart, and Rags To Riches. Later on in life would rejuvenate his career through collaborations with Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, extending his appeal to younger generations ~ Benedetto was born in 1926
July 21, 2021 ~ Pianist, arranger, songwriter, producer Clarence McDonald passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA ~ Perhaps best known for co-writing Silly of Deniece Williams' 1981 My Melody album. In-demand session musician since the late 1960s, working with Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, and the Jackson 5 (I Want You Back). Present on James Taylor's Gorilla, In The Pocket and JT albums. Co-produced the Emotions' 1977 Rejoice album with Maurice White. Keyboardist and co-arranger on the Grammy Award-winning Ray Charles- Gladys Knight duet Heaven Help Us All of Charles' Genius Loves Company album. Has also worked with Monica, Erykah Badu, Barbra Streisand, Justin Timberlake, Carole King, Ella Fitzgerald, and Boz Scaggs ~ McDonald was born in 1945
July 21, 2020 ~ Annabelle McCauley Allan Short, commonly known as singer, actress Annie Ross, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ At age 14, Ross won a songwriting contest with her composition Let's Fly, the song would be recorded by Johnny Mercer. She would go on to form the vocal jazz trio Lambert Hendricks & Ross with Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks, with whom she recorded half a dozen albums through the early 1960s. Pianist Count Basie was so impressed with the trio's 1957 Sing A Song Of Basie debut album, featuring vocal renditions of Basie standards, that he happily joined them for their Sing Along With Basie sophomore album released the next year. The trio would be voted Best Vocal Group by readers of Down Beat for four consecutive years, starting in 1959, and are especially acclaimed for their 1961 High Flying With Lambert Hendricks & Ross album, which earned them a Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group. After Ross's departure in 1962, the two remaining members would seek a replacement in Yolande Bavan, renaming themselves to Lambert Hendricks & Bavan. Any hopes of a reunion of the original trio ended with Lambert's death in a road accident in 1966 ~ Short was born in 1930July 21, 2020 ~ Highland Ralph Dobson, commonly known as reggae, rocksteady singer Dobby Dobson, passed away in Coral Springs, Florida, USA ~ Dubbed “the Loving Pauper” after one of his best known songs. First gained attention as co-founder, frontman of Dobby Dobson & the Deltas, scoring the 1959 self-penned hit Cry A Little Cry. Would go on to work with acts such as the Virtues and the Sheiks before venturing out on his own, scoring hits such as That Wonderful Sound and Endlessly. Would serve as producer for the Meditations, producing the late 1970s albums Message From The Meditations and Wake Up before semi-retiring from music ~ Dobson was born in 1942
July 21, 2020 ~ Michelle Jacqueline Jeanne Fricault, commonly known as lyricist, songwriter Michelle Senlis, passed away in Paris, France ~ Wrote or co-wrote songs such as C'Est Un Jour A Naples for Dalida, Rachel for Juliette Gréco and Quatre Cents Enfants Noir for Christine Sevres. Others who recorded her songs include Edith Piaf, Leo Ferré, Marguerite Monnot, Jean Ferrat, Fabienne Thibeault, Hugues Aufray, Noëlle Cordier, Mireille Mathieu, Regine Zylberberg and Jacques Hustin ~ Senlis was born in 1933
July 21, 2020 ~ Art rock, progressive rock, post-punk singer, guitarist, keyboardist, flutist, percussionist Tim Smith, full name Timothy Charles Smith, passed away ~ Best known for fronting indie rock outfit the Cardiacs, which he co-founded with his brother bassist Jim Smith. The band would earn a cult following with their cassette-only releases and oddball performances, and is best known for Is This The Life of their 1988 A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window album, and especially acclaimed for their 1989 On Land And In The Sea album. Smith has also recorded as a solo artist, collaborated with Joanne Spratley, and served as producer for the likes of Levitation, Monsoon Bassoon, Oceansize, and the Scaramanga Six ~ Smith was born in 1961
July 21, 2019 ~ Contemporary composer Ben Johnston, full name Benjamin Burwell Johnston Jr, passed away in Deerfield, Wisconsin, USA ~ Regarded as one of the premier microtonal composers. Known for works such as Quintet For Groups, Sonnets Of Desolation, Sonata For Microtonal Piano and Suite For Microtonal Piano ~ Johnston was born in 1926
July 21, 2018 ~ Singer, songwriter Don Sanders passed away ~ Sometimes described as “folk humorist” for his witty songwriting. Enjoyed some popularity in the 1960s and 1970s on the Houston folk scene, associating with artists such as Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and with Lyle Lovett, yet never broke through nationally. Would focus on work as a radio DJ and teacher by the end of the 1970s, providing a more stable income, yet continued to record well into the 2000s ~ Sanders was born in 1943July 21, 2017 ~ Rock singer Kenny Shields passed away in Winnipeg, Canada ~ Lead singer of Streetheart. The band is best known for their 1979 disco-hybrid the Rolling Stones-cover Under My Thumb. Other well known songs include Action, Hollywood, Look In Your Eyes, and What Kind Of Love Is This ~ Shields was born in 1947
July 21, 2017 ~ Rock band Linkin Park cancel their upcoming tour ~ The day after Chester Bennington's suicide, the band cancel their upcoming tour and set up a tribute page on their website with resources for suicide prevention
July 21, 2016 ~ Bassist Lewie Steinberg, full name Lewie Polk Steinberg, passed away in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known as the original bassist for Booker T & the MG's, present on the single Green Onions b/w Behave Yourself, and the albums Green Onions and Soul Dressing. Steinberg was replaced by Donald Duck Dunn in 1965 ~ Steinberg was born in 1933
July 21, 2015 ~ Actor, folk singer, guitarist Theodore Bikel, full name Theodore Meir Bikel, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Co-founded the Newport Folk Festival. Has recorded over 30 albums as a folk singer, guitarist starting in the mid 1950s. As an actor known for roles in Moulin Rouge, My Fair Lady, The Defiant Ones, earning an Academy Award-nomination for his role in the latter. As a musical actor best known for his role as Captain Von Trapp in the original Broadway production of The Sound Of Music ~ Bikel was born in 1924July 21, 2009 ~ Country singer Brad Paisley performs at the White House ~ Considered one of country music's most outspoken liberals, Brad Paisley performs at the White House, playing his song Welcome To The Future which was inspired by Barack Obama's election
July 21, 2007 ~ Rock drummer, guitarist, songwriter Brett Ford, full name Brett Taylor Ford, passed away ~ Co-founding member of Lubricated Goat, remaining with the band through 1989. Has also worked with the Kryptonics, X, the Punjabbers, and Rattlesnake Shake ~ Ford was born in 1959July 21, 2007 ~ Harry Levy, commonly known as music manager, agent, label executive Don Arden, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Father of Sharon Osbourne. Dubbed “the Yiddish Godfather” for his aggressive and sometimes illegal business tactics. Represented artists such as Air Supply, the Small Faces, the Move, Black Sabbath and the Electric Light Orchestra ~ Levy was born in 1926
July 21, 2006 ~ Singer Herbie Kalin, full name Herbert Harry Kalin, passed away in Waldorf, Maryland, USA ~ Half of the Kalin Twins, the other half being his twin brother Harold Kalin, known for their 1958 When hit, reaching top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic. The follow-up single Forget Me Not, released shortly thereafter, also reached top 20 Billboard Hot 100. The siblings continued to record regularly through the early 1960s, but were unable to repeat their success ~ Kalin was born in 1934
July 21, 2005 ~ John William Baldry, commonly known as singer Long John Baldry, passed away in Vancouver, Canada ~ Worked with Rod Stewart, Elton John, Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies, Steampacket, and Caleb Quaye. Known for songs such as Let The Heartaches Begin and Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock & Roll ~ Baldry was born in 1941
July 21, 2001 ~ Singer Lauryn Hill tapes her MTV Unplugged TV special ~ Following her smash hit album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill tapes an unplugged set at MTV. Released as an album the next year, the album was initially met with mixed reviews. However, over time it has earned the singer critical acclaim, some critics later commenting Hill's socially conscious, politically themed songs from the set list, especially I Find It Hard To Say (Rebel), predated the BLM movementJuly 21, 1999 ~ Country singer Charley Pride receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ~ Singer Charley Pride was most successful in the early to mid 1970s, racking up some 50 Billboard Country top 10 hits including the No.1 hits I'd Rather Love You, I'm Just Me, Kiss An Angel Good Morning and It's Gonna Take A Little Bit Longer. Pride passed away in 2020
July 21, 1994 ~ Marjorie Chandler, commonly known as singer, actress Dorothy Collins, passed away in Watervliet, New York, USA ~ As a singer known for a number of mid 1950s singles, notably 1955's My Boy (Flat Top) and 1956's Seven Days. Also noted for her performance in a 1971 Broadway-production of Follies portraying Sally Durant Plummer, a one-time showgirl trapped in a disappointing marriage ~ Chandler was born in 1926
July 21, 1991 ~ Singer Whitney Houston releases My Name Is Not Susan, lifted off her I'm Your Baby Tonight album ~ Written by Eric Foster White, produced by Kenneth Babyface Edmonds and LA Reid, My Name Is Not Susan finds Whitney Houston remarkably assertive as she harshly scolds a lover who mistakenly calls out his ex-lover's name. The single was met with mixed reviews as some described the slightly out-of-character song in terms such as fresh, percolating, or thumping, while others felt the singer might not even have been moved by the song herself, going through the motions emotionlessly. Commercially, the song was a moderate success and reached top 20 in only a handful of territories including Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, and her native America, where it peaked at No.20 Billboard Hot 100. A remix was released featuring British rapper Monie Love, who had then-recently scored a hit with It's A Shame (My Sister), making Houston's remix one of the earliest pop releases to feature a rapper after Janet Jackson's Alright featuring Heavy D the previous yearJuly 21, 1990 ~ Singer, bassist, guitarist Roger Waters performs the Pink Floyd work The Wall in Berlin, Germany ~ Featuring a wide array of special guests, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters performs a live set of The Wall at the site of the Berlin wall, which came down eight months earlier
July 21, 1989 ~ Fingerstyle guitarist Mike Dawes born in Guildford, UK ~ Influenced by Michael Hedges, Pierre Bensusan, Eric Roche. First gained attention with his 2012 Gotye-cover of Somebody That I Used To Know. Would release his full-length What Just Happened debut album the following year. Has also worked with Nik Mystery, Justin Hayward, and Flux Conduct
July 21, 1989 ~ Indie folk, psychedelic rock, blues rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Ryley Walker born in Rockford, Illinois, USA ~ Virtuoso fingerstyle guitarist drawing from a wide array of idioms including folk, rock, avant-garde, jazz, and experimental music. Critically compared to Glenn Jones, John Renbourn, Davey Graham, and Martin Carthy. About a dozen albums to his name since the mid-2010s including collaborations with guitarist Bill MacKay, jazz drummer Charles Rumback, and psychedelic rock outfit Kikagaku Moyo. Walker is especially noted for the albums Primrose Green and SpiderBeetleBee, the latter a collaborative effort with MacKay