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 3, 1936 ~ Guitarist Eddie Willis born in Grenada, Mississippi, USA ~ Influenced by Chet Atkins, Wes Montgomery, and by Albert King. Member of Motown house band the Funk Brothers. Appeared on hundreds of recordings including Please Mr Postman (the Marvelettes), The Way You Do The Things You Do (the Temptations), You Keep Me Hangin' On (the Supremes), and I Was Made To Love Her (Stevie Wonder) ~ Willis passed away 2018
June 3, 1935 ~ Singer, pianist, actor, songwriter Enzo Jannacci, full name Vincenzo Jannacci, born in Milan, Italy ~ Worked with Rocky Mountains, the Rock Boys, Adriano Celentano, Giorgio Gaber, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Bud Powell, Franco Cerri, Mina, Paolo Conte, Dario Fo, Irene Grandi, Ligabue, Renato Pozzeto, Enrico Ruggero, Roberto Vecchioni, Francesco de Gregori, Fabrizio de André, and Seltori. As a solo artist known for songs such as L'Ombrello Di Mio Fratello, Milanon Milanin, L'Armando, and La Fotografia ~ Jannacci passed away in 2013
June 3, 1935 ~ Jazz trumpeter Ted Curson born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Penned, and recorded the song Tears For Dolphy for his 1964 album of the same name, the song being an elegy for iconic saxophonist, clarinetist Eric Dolphy who died earlier the same year. The song would become widely used in films. Curson has collaborated with a host of artists including Cecil Taylor, Pepper Adams, Bill Barron, Nick Brignola, Andrew Hill, Charles Mingus, Sal Nistico, Archie Shepp, and Andrzej Trzaskowksi ~ Curson passed away in 2012
June 3, 1934 ~ Jazz trumpeter Bob Wallis born in Bridlington, UK ~ Influenced by Red Allen. Enjoyed popularity in his native UK during the traditional jazz boom of the early 1960s. Member of Hugh Rainey's Hugh Rainey's All-Stars, which briefly also included future Cream-drummer Ginger Baker. The band would be renamed to the Storyville Jazz Band by the late 1950s, with Wallis taking over leadership. Over the next few years they recorded a handful of albums, notably Everybody Loves Saturday Night, and issued several reasonably successful singles including I'm Shy Mary Ellen (I'm Shy) and Come Along Please ~ Wallis passed away in 1991
June 3, 1930 ~ Jazz singer Dakota Staton born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Best known for her single The Late Late Show, a hit in 1957 and title track of her acclaimed debut album of the same name. Staton recorded prolifically into the late 1960s, sporadically into the 2000s. She recorded her most acclaimed albums during the late 1950s and early 1960s, notably In The Night and Dynamic both released in 1958, and the live album Dakota At Storyville released in 1962 ~ Staton passed away in 2007
June 3, 1927 ~ Homer Louis Randolph III, commonly known as saxophonist Boots Randolph, born in Paducah, Kentucky, USA ~ Session musician. Member of the Mighty Handful. As a solo artist best known for his 1963 hit single Yakety Sax, which would become Benny Hill's signature tune. Has backed Elvis Presley on recording sessions and soundtracks, perhaps most notably on Return To Sender. Also present on Roy Orbison's Mean Woman Blues, Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, Jerry Lee Lewis' Turn On Your Lovelight, Al Hirt's Java, several of Chet Atkins recordings, and numerous other recordings from a wide array of pop, jazz and country artists ~ Randolph passed away in 2007
June 3, 1924 ~ James Arthur Lane, commonly known as blues harpist, guitarist, singer Jimmy Rogers, born in Ruleville, Mississippi, USA ~ Father of guitarist Jimmy D Lane. Rodgers is best known as member of Muddy Waters backing unit from 1947 through 1954. Has also recorded a number of pivotal solo recordings, notably That's All Right which has since become a blues standard, Chicago Bound, Walking By Myself and Rock This House, before gradually retiring from music by the early 1960s. Resurfaced in the early 1970s, enjoying popularity especially in Europe. Continued to perform and record until his death, passing away shortly after recording the all-star cast Blues Blues Blues album, posthumously released in 1998. The album featured musicians influenced by Rogers, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, Lowell Fulson, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and Jeff Healey ~ Lane passed away in 1997June 3, 1923 ~ Jazz drummer Al Harewood born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Worked with JJ Johnson, Kai Winding, Art Farmer, Gigi Gryce, David Amram, Betty Carter, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Lou Donaldson, Horace Parlan, Ike Quebec, Dexter Gordon, Grant Green, Stanley Turrentine, Benny Carter, Booker Ervin, Benny Golson, Betty Carter, Dodo Greene, Bobby Hutcherson, Dick Katz, Horace Parlan, Dizzy Reece, Buddy Tate, and Al Grey ~ Harewood passed away in 2014
June 3, 1923 ~ Jazz, classical clarinetist, bandleader, composer Phil Nimmons born in Kamloops, Canada ~ Best known for leading Nimmins 'n Nine for some three decades, starting in the early 1950s. Co-founded the Advanced School Of Contemporary Music in Toronto with virtuoso jazz pianist Oscar Peterson
June 3, 1906 ~ Freda Josephine McDonald, commonly known as singer Josephine Baker born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Starred in the Broadway revues Shuffle Along and The Chocolate Dandies during the 1920s. Among the most popular entertainers in pre-war Paris. First black woman to star in a major film, namely 1927's silent film The Siren Of The Tropics. Member of the French Resistance during World War II ~ Baker passed away in 1975June 3, 1904 ~ Jacob Pincus Perelmuth, commonly known as operatic tenor Jan Peerce, born in Manhattan, New York, USA ~ Active since the early 1930, starting as a tenor soloist with Radio City Music Hall. Perhaps best known for his association with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Has also worked with the Philadelphia La Scala Opera Company, and the Metropolitan Opera ~ Perelmuth passed away in 1984
June 3, 1899 ~ Johann Baptist Strauss, commonly known as composer Johann Straus II, passed away in Vienna, Austria ~ Son of composer Johann Strauss I. Composed light music, dance music, operettas. Dubbed “the Waltz King”, having composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, and quadrilles including The Blue Danube, Kaiser-Walzer and Tritsch-Tratsch Polka. Notably also remembered for the operettas Die Fledermaus and Der Zigeunerbaron ~ Strauss was born in 1825
June 3, 1897 ~ Lizzie Douglas, commonly known as blues guitarist, singer, songwriter Memphis Minnie, born in Algiers, Louisiana, USA ~ Influenced artists such as Big Mama Thornton, Jo-Ann Kelly, Erin Harpe. Known for songs such as Nothing In Rambling, Me And My Chauffeur Blues and Bumble Bee, the latter with her then-husband Kansas Joe McCoy ~ Douglas passed away in 1973
June 3, 1888 ~ Trombonist, bandleader Tom Brown born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Played with Papa Jack Laine and Frank Christian before leading bands of his own by the 1910s. Brown bragged to lead the first white band to play “Jass,” a similar claim as Nick LaRocca of the competing the Original Dixieland Jazz Band has adamantly made. Later Brown would also serve under bandleaders such as Bert Kelly and Harry Yerkes ~ Brown passed away in 1958