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 22, 1987 ~ Jazz trombonist Frank Rehak passed away in Badger, California, USA ~ In-demand session musician throughout the late 1960s, his career cut short by a heroin addiction and financial problems. Perhaps best known for appearing on the pivotal Miles Davis albums Miles Ahead, Porgy & Bess and Sketches Of Spain. Other notable credits include Nat Pierce, Manny Albam, Quincy Jones (This Is How I Feel About Jazz), Perry Como, Big Maybelle, Charlie Byrd, Chubby Jackson, Ruth Brown (Late Date With Ruth Brown), Creed Taylor, Woody Herman, and Gil Evans (The Individualism Of Gil Evans) ~ Rehak was born in 1926
June 22, 1986 ~ Pop rock, pop singer, songwriter Lindsay Pagano, full name Lindsay Megan Pagano, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Best known for her 2001 single Everything U R. The sing was originally used for an AOL commercial, and would later become the theme song for the WB TV show Maybe It's Me. Pagano released a sole album, Love Faith & Inspiration, the same year
June 22, 1986 ~ Singer Tom Waits' play Frank's Wild Years debuts at the Briar St Theatre, Chicago, Illinois ~ Performed by the Steppenwold Theatre Company starring Tom Waits as Frank. The play's soundtrack would be released as an album of the same name the next year
June 22, 1984 ~ Robert Williams Jr, commonly known as jazz bassist, singer Chocolate Williams, passed away in Manhattan, New York, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Led the Three Chocolates, which also included guitarist Jerome Darr and pianist Bill Spotswood, performing from the 1940s until his semi-retirement in the mid 1950s. Williams also collaborated with Rex Stewart, Herbie Nichols, and notably with Art Tatum including on the 1941 live album Onyx ~ Williams was born in 1916
June 22, 1984 ~ Jazz, swing, stride pianist Dill Jones, full name Dillwyn Owen Paton Jones, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Initially followed in his father's footsteps, pursuing a career in banking. Following a stint in the Navy, however, Jones enrolled at the Trinity College of Music, London, yet before completing his studies became a professional pianist, working with the likes of Harry Parry and Vic Lewis, including on the luxury liner the Queen Mary, sailing between New York and Southampton which gave him the chance to visit the jazz clubs in New York. Jones relocated to America by the early 1960s, to become an in-demand pianist working with Gene Krupa, Jimmy McPartland, and Bill Pemberton. Jones is also particularly known as a member of the JPJ Quartet, alongside Pemberton, Oliver Jackson, and Budd Johnson. Jones also regularly returned to play his native UK, one performance solliciting producer Hank O'Neal to say: “To me, Dill always sounded like a musical version of Dylan Thomas. He plays the piano the same as Thomas reads his poetry. And in Dill's case, it is his own songs he plays best, much the same as Thomas's finest reading were of his own work” ~ Jones was born in 1923June 22, 1981 ~ In his trial Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to the murder of singer John Lennon, who rose to fame as co-lead singer of the Beatles ~ Chapman pleads guilty to the murder of John Lennon, six months earlier outside the Dakota in New York. Mark David Chapman would be sentenced to 20 years to life, and is currently incarcerated in Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York
June 22, 1981 ~ Linda Mkhize, commonly known as rapper, producer Pro, born in Soweto, South Africa ~ Regarded as one of the pioneers of South African rap, known for rapping in a mixture of Tsotsi and English. Best known for the singles Soweto, an ode to his birthplace, and its follow-up Wozobona. Mkhize has released five albums starting with Heads & Tales in 2005 and passed away at age 37 of a seizure ~ Mkhize passed away in 2018
June 22, 1980 ~ Nikoloz Valerieovich Kocharov, commonly known as alternative rock, indie rock singer, guitarist, keyboardist, percussionist, songwriter Nika Kocharov, born in Tblisi, Georgian SSR ~ Internationally best known for representing his native Georgia twice in the Eurovision Songfestival. The first time in 2016 with the indie rock outfit the Young Georgian Lolitaz, reaching 9th place with their performance of Midnight Gold. And again in 2022 with progressive rockers Circus Mircus, failing to reach the finals with the song Lock Me InJune 22, 1979 ~ Singer, songwriter Leire Martíz, full name Leire Martíz Ochoa, born in Errenteria, Spain ~ Lead singer of pop band Leire Martíz Ochoa, joining the band in 2007 as replacement for Amaia Montero, present on albums such as A Las Cinco En El Astoria, Cometas Por El Cielo and El Planeto Imaginario
June 22, 1977 ~ Rock, poto-punk, garage rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Peter Laughner, full name Peter Ravenscoft Laughner, passed away in Cleveland, Ohio, USA ~ Influenced by Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Woody Guthrie, Tom Verlaine. Described as “probably the single biggest catalyst in the birth of Cleveland's alternative rock scene in the mid 1970s.” Perhaps best known for his work with Rocket From The Tombs and with Pere Ubu ~ Laughner was born in 1952
June 22, 1976 ~ Indie rock, post-Britpop, art punk bassist Gordon Moakes, full name Gordon Peter Moakes, born in Milton Keynes, UK ~ Best known as member of Bloc Party from 2002 through 2015, a band rooted in rock drawing from electronica and house. Present on songs such as So Here We Are/Positive Tension, Two More Years, The Prayer and Flux, all of which reached the UK top 10. The band's first four albums, starting with the band's 2005 Silent Alarm album, all reached the UK albums top 10. Moakes left the band in 2015 to focus on his work with the Young Legionnaire, which started as a side project in 2009.
June 22, 1976 ~ Singer, rapper, drummer, guitarist Jesse Sprinkle born in Seattle, Washington, USA ~ Member of pioneering Christian alternative rock outfit Poor Old Lu, co-founded with his brother Aaron Sprinkle. The band has recorded over half a dozen albums since the early 1990s, and is considered a pioneer in the Christian rock genre, drawing from grunge, funk, and psychedelic rock. Sprinkle has also worked with Sherri Youngward, Morella's Forest, Serene, Denison Witmer, Dolour, Dead Poetic (Vices), Polly Panic, Derek Joseph, and KutlessJune 22, 1976 ~ Drummer, producer Maxime Lenssens born in Ghent, Belgium ~ Has worked with Zap Mama, Axelle Red, the Arsenal, Rokia Traoré, Garland Jeffreys, Chris Whitley, Moiano, Tom Robinson, Linley Marthe, Reggie Washington, Tony Levin, Jeroen van Herzeele, Erik Vermeulen, and Erwin Vann
June 22, 1974 ~ Composer, conductor, teacher Darius Milhaud passed away in Geneva, Switzerland ~ Influenced by jazz and Brazilian music. Member of Les Six, a group of Montparnasse-based composers which also included Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Francis Poulenc and Germaine Tailleferre. Their music is considered a neoclassical reaction against both the style of Richard Wagner and the impressionist music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Milhaud is regarded as one of the key modernist composers and has tought jazz and classical composers such as Burt Bacharach, Dave Brubeck, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Iannis Xenakis ~ Milhaud was born in 1892June 22, 1973 ~ Bassist, guitarist Chris Traynor born in Long Island, New York, USA ~ Co-founding member of post-hardcore outfit Orange 9mm, remaining with the band through 1996. Has subsequently worked with Helmet, Rival Schools, Institute, and Gavin Rossdale. Perhaps best known as a member of Bush, first appearing on the album Sea Of Memories released in 2011. Traynor had previously toured with the band in the early 2000s
June 22, 1972 ~ James Elton Baker, commonly known as country singer, guitarist, songwriter Elton Britt, passed away in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Enjoyed a career spanning three decades, recording over 50 albums from the early 1940s until his death in 1972. Best known for his wartime top 10 hit There's A Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere, selling over a million copies by 1944 making Britt the first country artist to be awarded a gold record. Other well known songs include Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You), Detour, Chime Bells, Maybe I'll Cry Over You, and Pinto Pal ~ Baker was born in 1913June 22, 1970 ~ Songwriter, pianist Harry Brooks passed away in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA ~ Noted songwriter, oft in collaboration with lyricist Andy Razaff, most active from the 1920s through the early 1950s. Best known for scoring Broadway shows such as Connie's Hot Chocolates and jazz standards such as Ain't Misbehaving ~ Brooks was born in 1895
June 22, 1970 ~ Singer, songwriter, keyboardist Steven Page, full name Steven Jay Page, born in Scarborough, Canada ~ Co-founding member, lead singer, guitarist, primary songwriter of Barenaked Ladies, left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career. Also worked with Stephen Duffy, and with the Trans-Canada HighwaymenJune 22, 1970 ~ Atlanta concert by the Who delayed because Pete Townshend jokes about planting a bomb on the airplane ~ Tired of waiting for his plane to take off, guitarist Townshend jokes about planting a bomb. The plane would be completely searched and Townshend questioned, delaying the plane and as a result their Atlanta concert
June 22, 1969 ~ Frances Ethel Gumm, commonly known as singer, actress Judy Garland, passed away in London, UK ~ Child star. Would go on to enjoy a career spanning over four decades. Mother of singer Liza Minnelli. Noted for her role as Dorothy in the 1939 Wizard Of Oz film, in which she also sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Her 1961 Judy At Carnegie Hall album made her the first female to be awarded a Grammy Award for Album of the Year ~ Garland was born in 1922
June 22, 1965 ~ Country, country-pop singer Eddy Arnold records Make The World Go Away at RCA/Victor Studio, Nashville, Tennessee ~ Written by Hank Cochran. First recorded by Ray Price in 1963 as a single from the Burning Memories album. Eddy Arnold's version, produced by Chet Atkins, would be released as a single in 1965 paired with The Easy Way on the flip side and reach the Billboard top 10. Others who have recorded the song include Timi Yuro scoring a Billboard top 30 hit in 1963, Donny & Marie Osmond in 1975 and Charly McClain in 1977June 22, 1965 ~ Songwriter, lyricist, TV personality Natalia Germanou born in Athens, Greece ~ In-demand lyricist worked with Anna Vissi, Despina Vandi, Michalis Hatzigiannis, Notis Sfakianakis, Natassa Theodoridou, Lambis Livieratos, and Katy Garbi. Internationally best known for co-writing 2005 Eurovision Songfestival winner Helena Paparizou's My Number One with songwriter Christos Dantis
June 22, 1964 ~ Alternative rock, post-punk, indie pop, psychedelic rock, dance-rock singer, keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, drummer Bobby Gillespie born in Glasgow, UK ~ Drummer for the Jesus & Mary Chain from 1984 through 1986, present on the band's 1985 Psychocandy debut album. The album is considered a landmark album influential on shoegazing and alternative rock. Best known as co-founding member, lead singer, primary lyricist for alternative rock band Primal Scream, especially acclaimed for their 1991 Screamadelica albumJune 22, 1964 ~ Richard Michael Barrett, commonly known as ska punk singer Dicky Barrett, born in Providence, Rhode Island, USA ~ Frontman of ska punk, punk rock outfit the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, best known for their 1997 Let's Face It album which included the hit single The Impression That I Get
June 22, 1962 ~ Andreas Frege, commonly known as punk rock, hard rock, heavy metal singer, songwriter Campino, born in Düsseldorf, West Germany ~ Best known as lead singer of German punk rock outfit Die Toten Hosen, with whom he recorded over a dozen albums since the early 1980s. Internationally the band is best known for their 1992 Learning Eglish Lesson One album. The band have regularly sponsored social projects, particular aimed at helping children and battling racism, with Frege as an active spokesperson making regular media appearances. Frege has also ventured into acting and guested on recordings by numerous artists including Bad Religion, Los Violadores, Peter & the Test Tube Babies, and Marteria