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 7, 1940 ~ Richard Starkey, commonly known as drummer Ringo Starr, born in Liverpool, UK ~ Rose to fame as member of the Beatles, one of the most important groups in the history of pop music. Though the band centered around co-leaders and primary songwriters Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and to a lesser extent George Harrison, Starr hidden behind his drum set was as much an integral part of the band as the others, driving the band's beat on about a dozen albums until their disbandement at the turn of the 1970s. Starr would usually sing lead on one song per album, perhaps most memorably on With A Little Help From My Friends, and wrote the songs Don't Pass Me By and Octopus's Garden. Following the band's dissolution, Starr has recorded well over a dozen albums as a solo artist. Starr has scored over half a dozen Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits as a solo artist, including the charttoppers Photograph and You're Sixteen, both lifted off his 1973 Ringo album. Starr's son Zak Starkey would follow in his father's footsteps, becoming a professional musician known for drumming with Johnny Marr, Icicle Works, Oasis, and with the Who, playing with the latter since the mid 1990sJuly 7, 1939 ~ Mezzo-soprano singer Elena Obraztsova, full name Elena Vasiliyena Obraztsova, born in St Petersburg, Russia ~ Has served under renowned conductors including Herbert von Karajan and Claudio Abbado, working with the latter in a 1977 La Scala performance of Don Carlos's Eboli. Also noted for performing the title role in a 1976 TV production of Carmen opposite Plácido Domingo. Has also shared stages with Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland and Ingvar Wixell ~ Obraztsova passed away in 2015
July 7, 1939 ~ Guitarist, songwriter Nico Kasanda, sometimes reffered to as Dr Nico, born in Mikalayi, Belgian Congo ~ Influential guitar virtuoso, considered a pioneer of Congolese music. Said to have inspired Jimi Hendrix. Worked with L'African Jazz prior to co-founding the soukous ensemble African Fiesta with singer Tabu Ley Rochereau in 1963, which would become one of the most popular bands in Africa ~ Kasanda passed away in [artist-nico-kasanda]
July 7, 1938 ~ Singer, conductor, songwriter Trygve Henrik Hoff born in Rognan, Norway ~ Acclaimed songwriter and storyteller known to focus on the life in northern Norway. Wrote Har EnDrøm and El Hand Å Holde i, major hits for Jørn Hoel. Others who have recorded his songs include Solfrid Hoff, the Bodø-oktetten and notably Sissel Kyrkjebø ~ Hoff passed away in 1987
July 7, 1936 ~ Conductor, clarinetist, arranger, composer Christopher Ball born in Leeds, UK ~ Started his career as clarinetist for the Hallé Orchestra. As a conductor associated with the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Ballet. Founded and directed the early music ensemble the Praetorius Consort, known for Medieval Paris (Music Of The City). Ball is also known for forming the London Baroque Trio with harpsichordist Mary Verney and bass violist Peter Vell ~ Ball passed away in 2022
July 7, 1936 ~ Audio engineer, electronic engineer Tom Oberheim, full name Thomas Elroy Oberheim, born in Manhattan, Kansas, USA ~ Best known for designing effects processors, analog synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines. Founded several audio electronics companies, most notably Oberheim Electronics. Key figure involved in the development and adoption of the MIDI standard
July 7, 1934 ~ Avant-garde trombonist, composer Vinko Globokar born in Anderny, France ~ A unique and difficult to classify composer, noted for his innovative use of unorthodox instrumental and compositional techniques, Globokar has composed over 50 pieces including orchestral works, chamber music, and vocal works. Studied with René Leibowitz and Luciano Berio. Co-founded the free improvisation groups the Free Music Group and New Phonic Art. Has performed or conducted his own compositions, as well as pieces especially written for him by the likes of Mauricio Kagel, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Toru Takemitsu, with renowned orchestras including the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, and Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Globokar is also known as a teacher, notably teaching composition at the Musikhochschule, Cologne, West Germany, for about a decade starting in the mid 1960s
July 7, 1932 ~ Jazz, jazz fusion, world keyboardist Joe Zawinul, full name Josef Erich Zawinul born in Vienna, Austria ~ Active since the mid 1950s. Jazz fusion pioneer, rising to notoriety through his associations with Miles Davis on albums such as In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew and Live/Evil, and Cannonball Adderley. Wrote Mercy Mercy Mercy, an unexpected crossover hit in 1966 for Adderley. Co-founded the Weather Report with Wayne Shorter, for whom he wrote Birdland which is regarded as one of the 1970s most recognizable jazz pieces. Eponym and leader of the Zawinul Syndicate. Other notable credits include appearances on albums by Dinah Washington (What A Diff'rence A Day Makes), Maynard Ferguson, Nat Adderley, Sam Jones (Down Home), Ben Webster, Madeline Bell, Willie Bobo, Aretha Franklin (Soul '69), Roy Ayers, the Average White Band, the Manhattan Transfer, Steps Ahead (Smokin' In The Pit), Ernestine Anderson, Jan Akkerman, and Quincy Jones ~ Zawinul passed away in 2007
July 7, 1930 ~ Country singer Doyle Wilburn, full name Virgil Doyle Wilburn, born in Hardy, Arkansas, USA ~ Child performer since the mid 1930s, alongside his younger brother Doyle Wilburn under the moniker the Wilburn Children. Discovered by Roy Acuff, who brought them to the Grand Ole Opry in 1940. Following each brother's stints in the Army, the brothers would reconvene as the Wilburn Brothers. They were offered the chance to record Heartbreak Hotel before Elvis Presley, but declined as they felt the song was “strange and almost morbid”. The duo would record well into the 1970s, backing Webb Pierce on the 1954 Billboard Country top 10 hit Sparkling Brown Eyes, and reaching the top 10 on their own with songs such as Which One Is To Blame, Trouble's Back In Town, Roll Muddy River, and Hurt Her Once For Me ~ Wilburn passed away in 1982
July 7, 1930 ~ Henry Mobley, commonly known as jazz, hard bop, soul jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley, born in Eastman, Georgia, USA ~ As a longtime associate of Horace Silver, starting on the 1955 Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers landmark album, Mobley was considered pivotal to the development of hard bop. Praised for his laid-back, subtle tone and regarded by some critics as one of the most underrated jazz saxophonists, his sound less agressive than John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins yet neither as soft as Stan Getz and Lester Young. Mobley recorded over two dozen albums as a leader, including the acclaimed Hank Mobley Quintet and Soul Station, the latter featuring Art Blakey, Wynton Kelly, and Paul Chambers, and has appeared on albums by Stan Getz, Kenny Dorham (Afro-Cuban), Dizzy Gillespie, Doug Watkins, Lee Morgan, Kenny Burrell, Art Farmer (Farmer's Market), Jackie McLean (4 5 And 6), Kenny Drew, Curtis Fuller, Johnny Griffin (A Blowin' Session), Max Roach, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd (Byrd In Flight), Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock (My Point Of View), Freddie Roach, Grant Green (I Want To Hold Your Hand), Milt Jackson, and Tete Montoliu ~ Mobley passed away in 1986
July 7, 1927 ~ Charles Elzer Loudermilk, commonly known as country singer, guitarist, songwriter Charlie Louvin, born in Section, Alabama, USA ~ Formed the Louvin Brothers with Ira Louvin, the duo considered one of the most important sibling acts of the 1940s and 1950s, influential especially on Gram Parsons, the Byrds, and Emmylou Harris. Well known songs include When I Stop Dreaming, I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby, Cash On The Barrelhead, and My Baby's Gone. Most of the Louvin Brothers catalogue was penned by Ira and Louvin, numerous of their songs becoming country standards covered by Bill Monroe, Porter Wagoner, Don Gibson, Ray Charles, Etta James, Del McCoury, Uncle Tupelo, Ralph Stanley, Dolly Parton, and Alison Krauss. In 1963, two years before Ira's death in a traffic accident, the Louvin Brothers disbanded. Louvin has since recorded prolifically as a solo artist, notably Something To Brag About issued in 1971. Later on in his career, Louvin would on occasion guest on albums by the likes of Rhonda Vincent, Melba Montgomery, Jeannie Seely, and Lucinda Williams ~ Loudermilk passed away in 2011
July 7, 1927 ~ Carl Hildin Severinsen, commonly known as jazz trumpeter Doc Severinsen, born in Arlington, Oregon, USA ~ Nicknamed “Doc” after his father, the only dentist in Arlington. Starting in high school Severinsen played with Ted Fio Rito. After graduating he toured with Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman. In 1949 Doc was hired as a NBC studio musician. He would rise to first-chair trumpeter of the Tonight Show Band and eventually lead the band, becoming one of the most popular bandleaders in America. Since the mid 1950s Severinsen has recorded extensively as sideman, collaborator, and as bandleader with artists including Chris Connor, Urbie Green, Gerry Mulligan, Tito Puente, Dinah Washington, Lena Horne, Fats Waller, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Ruth Brown, Gene Krupa, Gil Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Cab Calloway, and Tony Bennett
July 7, 1924 ~ Iris Colleen Summers, commonly known as singer, guitarist Mary Ford born in Pasadena, California, USA ~ Best known for her recordings with her husband Les Paul, scoring numerous hits during the 1950s including Tiger Rag, Vaya Con Dios, Mockin' Bird Hill, Bye Bye Blues, The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise and perhaps their best known How High The Moon, the latter topping the American charts in 1951. Prior to her marriage, she formed the western trio the Sunshine Girls with Vivian Earles and June Widener, best known for backing Jimmy Wakely ~ Ford passed away in 1977July 7, 1921 ~ Guitarist, mandolinist Ervan Coleman born ~ Best known for his close association with Herb Alpert as a member of the Tijuana Brass. Wrote the hit song Tijuana Taxi. Member of Julius Wechter's the Baja Marimba Band. Also worked the T-Bones. Coleman passed away of surgical complications. Alpert's Bud from the 1967 Herb ALpert's Ninth album was written and recorded as a tribute to Coleman, nicknamed Bud ~ Coleman passed away in 1967
July 7, 1920 ~ Singer, actress Elizete Cardoso born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ~ Discovered at age 16 by Jacob do Bandolim. Over 40 albums to her name. Best known for her 1958 Cancao Do Amor Demais album, generally regarded as the first bossa nova album. Also especially remembered for Manha De Carnaval of the 1959 Orfeu Negro soundtrack ~ Cardoso passed away in 1990
July 7, 1917 ~ Woodrow Wilson Sovine, commonly known as country singer, guitarist, songwriter Red Sovine, born in Charleston, West Virginia, . USA ~ Especially known for his truck drivin' songs, notably 1965's Giddyup Go and 1976's Teddy Bear. Had his songs covered by Del Reeves, Dave Dudley, Ferlin Husky, Boxcar Willie, Henk Wijngaard, and Tom Waits ~ Sovine passed away in 1980
July 7, 1913 ~ Joe Willie Perkins, commonly known as pianist Pinetop Perkins, born in Belzoni, Mississippi, USA ~ Accompanied some of the greatest names in blues. Perhaps best known for his association with Muddy Waters. Also worked with Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, BB King, Ronnie Earl, Bob Margolin, Carey Bell, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd ~ Perkins passed away in 2011
July 7, 1911 ~ Carl Gustaf Mauritz Nilsson, commonly known as jazz saxophonist, bandleader, composer Charles Redland, born in Södertälje, Sweden ~ Enjoyed popularity in Sweden from the 1930s onwards. Recorded with Benny Carter by the mid 1930s. Has composed music for over 80 films, as well as for radio and TV programs ~ Nilsson passed away in 1994July 7, 1908 ~ Operatic soprano Nina Dorliak born in St Petersburg, Russia ~ Married to pianist Sviatoslav Richter, with whom she worked from the early 1940s until his death in 1997 performing works by Robert Schumann, Sergei Prokofiev, Modest Mussorgsky, and Johann Sebastian Bach. Has also worked with pianists such as Konstantin Igumnov, Alexander Goldenweiser, Maria Yudina, and Maria Grinberg. Voice teacher at the Moscow Conservatory, as was her mother Xenia Dorliak ~ Dorliak passed away in 1998
July 7, 1905 ~ Violinist, violist Max Rostal born in Teschen, Austria ~ Played a wide variety of music, yet best known as a champion of contemporary works such as Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No.2, Alan Bush's Violin Concerto, and Benjamin Frankel's 1942 Violin Sonata, the latter dedicated to Rostal himself. Also well known as a teacher, associated with the Musikhochschule Köln and the Conservatory Bern ~ Rostal passed away in 1991
July 7, 1888 ~ Jazz drummer, bandleader Curtis Mosby born in Kansas City, Missouri, USA ~ Mosby played with Mamie Smith, Jake Porter, Les Hite, Henry Starr, Lawrence Brown, Marshal Royal, Wilbert Baranco, Baron Moorehead, Buck Clayton, Harlan Leonard, Roy Milton, and with Johnny Otis. Jailed two years for tax evasion ~ Mosby passed away in 1957
July 7, 1880 ~ Isidore Levkowitz, commonly known as vaudeville singer Eugene Howard, born in Neustadt, Germany ~ Formed the sibling duo the Howard Brothers with his older brother Willie Howard. The duo were among the earliest openly Jewish performers and known for their burlesque and vaudeville performances and appeared in several Broadway revues, most notably The Passing Show series starting in the early-1910s and the George Gershwin-penned Girl Crazy musical in 1930 ~ Levkowitz passed away in 1965July 7, 1860 ~ Composer, conductor Gustav Mahler born in Bohemia, Austria ~ One of the leading composers, conductors of the Romantic era. Served as a bridge between the 19th century tradition and 20th century modernism. Of Jewish descent, his music would be banned throughout much of Europe during the Nazi era. Rediscovered by new generations after the war ~ Mahler passed away in 1911
July 7, 1851 ~ Gospel composer, minister Charles Albert Tindley born in Berlin, Maryland, USA ~ Dubbed “the Prince of Preachers” and founder of one of the largest Methodist congregations serving the African-American community. Perhaps best known for penning the hymn I'll Overcome Someday, which would serve as the basis for the Civil Rights anthem We Will Overcome, also known as We Shall Overcome, recorded in various incarnations by Joe Glazer, the Limeliters, Pete Seeger, and Mahalia Jackson ~ Tindley passed away in 1933