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.
June 20, 1977 ~ Guitarist Aaron Dugan born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Worked with Roots Tonic, Matisyahu, Trevor Hall, Bootsy Collins, Amy Carrigan, John Zorn, Maya Dunietz, Chris Tunkel, Mark Giuliana, Bill Laswell, Sly & Robbie, Anders Nilson, Jaymay, Mat Maneri, Andrew d'Angelo, Cyro Baptista, Tim Lefebvre, Zeena Parkins, Nir Felder, Jeff Arnal, Mike Pride, Jason Fraticelli, and Tim Keiper
June 20, 1977 ~ Ryan Anthony Massaro, commonly known as singer, guitarist, songwriter Amos Lee, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Draws from folk, rock, pop and soul. Has opened for artists such as Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Adele, the Avett Brothers. Released his eponymous Amos Lee debut album in 2005. Best known for his 2011 Mission Bell album
June 20, 1973 ~ Camillo Wong Moreno, commonly known as alternative metal, alternative rock, post-metal, nu metal singer, guitarist, songwriter Chino Moreno, born in Sacramento, California, USA ~ Lead singer, primary lyricist for metal outfit the Deftones. Described by some as “the Radiohead of Metal” the band has recorded since the mid 1990s and is especially acclaimed for their 2000 White Pony album. Moreno has also worked with the side projects Team Sleep, Crosses, and Palms
June 20, 1971 ~ Charles E Chambers III, commonly known as house, rave, ghetto house DJ, producer DJ Funk, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Enjoyed popularity from the late 1980s onward on the Midwest underground rave scene, especially in the Chicago-Detroit area. Coined and along with Traxman, DJ Assault, and DJ Deeon pioneered ghetto house, a sound that mixed sped-up house and Miami bass with overtly sexual call and response chants taken from hip-hop. Best known for his 1999 Booty House Anthems album, which would go on to sell over a million copies. The album, the first in a three-part series, included club anthems such as Pump It, Work It, and Work Dat Body. As a significant influence on the French duo, Chambers is referenced in the Daft Punk track Teachers off their 1997 Homework debut album. In 2012, Chambers told Crack: “I'm not trying to be a super-producer, but what I do is just make stuff that's relevant to my life. I like to be at the show playing music that I'd actually like to be dancing to myself, the shit that's gonna make me happy” ~ Chambers passed away in 2025
June 20, 1971 ~ Jeordie Osbourne White, commonly known as alternative metal, industrial metal bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer Twiggy Ramirez, born ~ Influenced by the likes of Mötley Crüe. Best known for his association with Marilyn Manson, initially in the side project Mrs Scabtree and as a full member with Manson's band from 1993 through 2002. Present on some of the band's best known including the acclaimed 1996 Antichrist Superstar. White has also worked with A Perfect Circle, toured with Nine Inch Nails, fronts his own Goon Moon, and rejoined Manson in later years, both on tour and on record
June 20, 1970 ~ Musical composer, lyricist, playwright Jason Robert Brown born in Ossining, New York, USA ~ Best known for writing the musicals Parade and The Bridges Of Madison County, both of which earned him a Tony Award. Has also written or co-written musicals such as Urban Cowboy, 13, Honeymoon In Vegas, and Mr Saturday Night
June 20, 1968 ~ Pop rock sibling outfit the Bee Gees record I Started A Joke at IBC Studios, London, UK ~ Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb. Produced by Robert Stigwood and the band. Released as a single, b/w Kilburn Towers in most countries. It would be the last single featuring guitarist Vince Melouney who left the band shortly after its release in December 1968. The song would be covered a number of times, notably by Faith No More in 1998, and parodied in films and sketches
June 20, 1968 ~ Eric Dwayne Collins, commonly known as rapper, songwriter, producer RBX, born in Long Beach, California, USA ~ Guested on the seminal golden age rap albums The Chronic by Dr Dre and Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg before leaving Death Row Records over what he perceived as dubious business practices, a subject covered on his AWOL solo single. Has since recorded about half a dozen albums as a solo artist, starting with The RBX Files released in 1995
June 20, 1967 ~ Bluegrass singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter Dan Tyminski, full name Daniel John Tyminski, born in Rutland, Vermont, USA ~ Member of Union Station, best known as backing unit for bluegrass, country, gospel fiddler, singer Alison Krauss. Tyminski has also recorded as a solo artist, starting with the Green Mountain Bluegrass album released in 1985, and guested on DJ Avicii's Hey Brother 2013 Billboard Hot 100 top 20 single
June 20, 1965 ~ Ira Lonnie Loudermilk, commonly known as singer, mandolinist Ira Louvin, passed away in Williamsburg, Missouri, USA ~ Half of noted country duo the Louvin Brothers, the other half being Charlie Louvin. Influential on Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, and the Byrds. Known for songs such as When I Stop Dreaming, I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby, Cash On The Barrelhead, and My Baby's Gone ~ Loudermilk was born in 1924
June 20, 1963 ~ Composer Jeff Beal born in Hayward, California, USA ~ Has written over 30 concert works, orchestral, choral and dance compositions, some of which he has conducted with a variety of orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Also well known as a film composer with over two dozen scores to his name, noted for the 2001 Pollock soundtrack
June 20, 1963 ~ R&B girl group Martha & the Vandellas record Heat Wave at Hitsville USA, Detroit, Michigan ~ Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland Jr, with Brian and Lamont also serving as producers. Released as a single the next month, paired with A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday) on the flip side, it would reach the No.1 spot on the Billboard R&B charts
June 20, 1960 ~ New wave, new romantic, pop rock bassist John Taylor born in Solihull, UK ~ Co-founding member of Duran Duran, remaining with the band from 1978 through 1997. The band is known for a string of 1980s hits including Hungry Like The Wolf, Save A Prayer, Is There Something I Should Know, The Reflex, The Wild Boys, A View To A Kill, and Notorious. Taylor has also worked with supergroups Power Station and the Neurotic Outsiders, and recorded half a dozen albums as a solo artist starting with Feelings Are Good And Other Lies released in 1997
June 20, 1958 ~ Bernadette Jean Johnson, commonly known as guitarist Kelly Johnson, born in Edmonton, UK ~ Rose to fame as lead guitarist of all-female heavy metal outfit Girlschool from 1978 through 1984 and again from 1993 through 2000, present on hits such as Race With The Devil, Hit And Run and C'mon Let's Go ~ Johnson passed away in 2007
June 20, 1958 ~ Oscar Rabinowitz, commonly known as dance band, jazz saxophonist, violinist Oscar Rabin, passed away in London, UK ~ Eponym of the popular dance band the Oscar Rabin Band, which actually was led by Harry Davis as Rabin preferred to play the bass saxophone. Key sidemen in the ensemble included Ken Mackintosh, Eric Jupp, Kenny Clare, and Jimmy Deuchar ~ Rabinowitz was born in 1899
June 20, 1956 ~ Drummer, producer Anton Fier born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA ~ In-demand collaborator in experimental rock, jazz and alternative rock. Member of the Lounge Lizards, the Feelies, the Lodge, and briefly Richard Hell & the Voidoids. Co-founded critically acclaimed eclectic outfit the Golden Palominos known for their impressive revolving line-ups. Has also notably worked with Pere Ubu, Bill Laswell, Bob Mould, Jack Bruce, Kenji Suzuki, Ex-Blank-Ex, the Styrenes, and John Zorn ~ Fier passed away in 2022
June 20, 1954 ~ Hard rock, rock bassist Michael Anthony born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Best known as bassist for Van Halen from 1974 through 2006 replaced by Wolfgang Van Halen, with whom he recorded close to a dozen albums. The band is best known for a string of 1980s hits, including Jump, Panama, Why Can't This Be Love, and When It's Love. Anthony has also worked with Sammy Hagar, short-lived supergroup Planet Us, and Chickenfoot
June 20, 1952 ~ Rock, pop keyboardist, producer Rob van Donselaar born in Hilversum, the Netherlands ~ Worked with the Bintangs, the Oscar Benton Blues Band, Vitesse, the Wild Onions, the Prodigal Sons, Rowwen Hèze, Doe Maar, the Analogues, Danny Vera, Hallo Venray, Clouseau, Kadanz, Marcel de Groot, Henny Vrienten, Abel, Paul de Leeuw, Guus Meeuwis, and Trijntje Oosterhuis
June 20, 1949 ~ Keyboardist, singer Bob Andrews, full name Robert Charles Andrews, born in Leeds, UK ~ Recorded about half a dozen albums with early 1970s outfit Brinsley Schwarz, a band named for their guitarist of the same name. The band is credited with defining the typically British pub rock sound, a roots rock based back-to-basics movement which emerged as a reaction to the then-popular progressive rock and flashy glam-rock bands. Brinsley Schwarz is especially acclaimed for the albums Nervous On The Road and Silver Pistol. Andrews also played in Graham Parker's backing band the Rumour, co-produced Carlene Carter's 1978 eponymous Carlene Carter debut album, served as producer for a variety of acts including Jona Lewie, the La's, Katrina & the Waves, and Helen Watson, and was an in-demand session player keyboardist throughout his career with notable appearances on the tracks Right Back Where We Started From by Maxine Nightingale, I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass by former Brinsley Schwarz bandmate Nick Lowe, and Stop by Sam Brown ~ Andrews passed away in 2025
June 20, 1949 ~ Singer, songwriter Lionel Richie, full name Lionel Brockman Richie Jr, born in Tuskegee, Alabama, USA ~ Rose to fame as key member of funk, R&B band the Commodores to venture out on his own becoming one of the 1980s most successful R&B balladeers. Known for songs such as Endless Love with Diana Ross, Truly, All Night Long (All Night), Hello, Say You Say Me, Dancing On The Ceiling and Ballerina Girl
June 20, 1948 ~ Singer, bassist, keyboardist Alan Longmuir born in Edinburgh, UK ~ Best known as co-founding member the Bay City Rollers. His younger brother drummer Derek Longmuir also played with the band. Longmuir would leave the band in 1976 but return in 1978 following the departure of Pat McGlynn ~ Longmuir passed away in 2018
June 20, 1946 ~ Classical pianist André Watts born in Nuremburg, Germany ~ Recorded a wide variety of repertoire, concentrating on Romantic composers such as Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, yet also included George Gershwin. Has worked with renowned orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra ~ Watts passed away in 2023
June 20, 1945 ~ Pop, country pop, soft rock singer. guitarist, songwriter Anne Murray, full name Morna Anne Murray, born in Spring Hill, Novia Scotia, Canada ~ Married to producer Bill Langstroth since 1975, with whom she has two children. Their daughter Dawn Langstroth is also a singer. Recorded well over 2 dozen albums starting with What About Me in 1968. First female Canadian singer to top the Billboard Hot 100, achieving this feat with her You Needed Me single in 1978. Other well known songs include Danny's Song, You Won't See Me, I Just Fall In Love Again and Shadows In The Moonlight
June 20, 1942 ~ Singer, songwriter Brian Wilson, full name Brian Douglas Wilson, born in Hawthorne, California, USA ~ Co-founding member of the Beach Boys. Widely considered one of the greatest American pop composers of the 20th century, especially acclaimed for the masterpiece Pet Sounds album ~ Wilson passed away in 2025
June 20, 1940 ~ Producer Bob Porter born in Wellesleys, Massachusetts, USA ~ Studio wizzard responsible for remastering and reissuing hundreds of classic jazz, blues, and R&B recordings by the likes of Duke Ellington, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Ray Charles, and Richard Groove Holmes. Porter has also worked as a radio host and editor for magazines such as Down Beat and Cashbox ~ Porter passed away in 2021
June 20, 1940 ~ Organist, composer Jehan Alain, full name Jehan Aristide Alain, passed away in Saumur, France ~ Son of Albert Alain, brother of Olivier Alain and Marie-Claire Alain, all renowned organists. Influenced by Claude Debussy. Composed until the outbreak of World War II, serving as a dispatch rider in the French Army where he was killed in action in the Battle of Saumur ~ Alain was born in 1911