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.
March 1, 2026 ~ Gary Leeds, commonly known as drummer, singer Gary Walker, passed away in Essex, UK ~ Active since the early 1960s, notably working with the Standells, and with PJ Proby. Best known as member of the Walker Brothers, taking the stage name Gary Walker. The trio also included John Walker and Scott Walker, none of them actual siblings or even related, are best known for a series of 1960s recordings, enjoying popularity especially in the UK. Well-known songs include Make It Easy On Yourself and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore, both of which topped the UK charts. Walker has also recorded as a solo artist, and with his backing unit Gary Walker & the Rain, the latter including Joey Molland who would later rise to fame as a member of Badfinger. In 2009, Gary and the Walker Brothers-bandmate John Walker published their joint autobiography The Walker Brothers (No Regrets, Our Story), named after the band's 1975 No Regrets album ~ Leeds was born in 1942
March 1, 2025 ~ Angela Laverne Brown, commonly known as neo soul, R&B, soul singer, songwriter Angie Stone, passed away in Montgomery, Alabama, USA ~ Member of hip-hop trio the Sequence. Worked with Mantronix and with Lenny Kravitz prior to pursuing a solo career. Debuted in 1999 with the album Black Diamond. Best known for songs such as No More Rain In This Cloud, Wish I Didn't Miss You, Brotha and BABY featuring Betty Wright. Has collaborated with Alicia Keys, Eve, Joe, Snoop Dogg, Anthony Hamilton, Guru, Prince (U Make My Sun Shine), Omar, Macy Gray, Raphael Saadiq, and Dionne Warwick ~ Brown was born in 1961
March 1, 2025 ~ Vernice Green Jr, commonly known as jazz saxophonist Bunky Green, passed away in Jacksonville, Florida, USA ~ Green got his first big break in music in the 1950s, taking over for Jackie McLean in Charles Mingus' backing ensemble. Although Green's stint with Mingus was brief, the bass player would prove a profound and lasting influence on Green. About a dozen albums to his name as leader or co-leader, noted especially for several mid 1960s releases teaming up with the likes of Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, and Sonny Stitt, and for the late 1980s album Healing The Pain, the latter a highly acclaimed commemorative album dedicated to his late parents. Over the course of his lengthy career, Green remained an in-demand sideman present on albums by Paul Serrano (Blues Holiday), Eddie Harris, Ben Sidran, Elvin Jones (Summit Meeting), Billy Stewart, Clark Terry, Cassandra Wilson (Songbook), Fontella Bass, Travis Shook, Dave Holland, and Keith Javors. Green is also especially known as an educator, having held teaching positions at the Chicago State University and the Univeristy of North Florida, and served a term as President of the International Association for Jazz Education ~ Green was born in 1935
March 1, 2025 ~ Guitarist Joey Molland, full name Joseph Charles Molland, passed away in St Louis Park, Minnesota, USA ~ Best known as a member of Badfinger from 1969 through 1974, present on the band's best known albums including the acclaimed No Dice and its follow-up Straight Up. Molland has also also guested on pivotal 1970s albums such as George Harrison's All Things Must Pass and John Lennon's Imagine, and formed Natural Gas with Jerry Shirley in late 1974 ~ Molland was born in 1947
March 1, 2024 ~ Saxophonist Don Wise, full name Donald Grover Wise, passed away in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA ~ Recorded a handful of albums as a leader, noted particularly for Swingin' Up A Storm released in 2005. Best known for his association with Delbert McClinton, backing the singer for over two decades including on albums such as One Of The Fortunate Few, Room To Breathe, and Cost Of Living. Other notable associations include Jodi Benson, Bugs Henderson, Kevin McKendree, the Delta Riders, Todd Sharp, Teresa James, and Rob Roy Parnell ~ Wise was born in 1942
March 1, 2023 ~ Ranchera, corrido singer, actress Irma Serrano, full name Irma Consuelo Cielo Serrano Castro, passed away in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico ~ Began her career as a dancer, to become one of the most popular folk singers of the 1960s. Dubbed “la Tigressa” for her tantalizing, untamed spitfire voice. Well known for La Martina, considered a contemporary classic song of Mexican folk. Ventured into acting for film, appearing in over a dozen films, and stage, often causing controversy. Served as senator for her home state of Chiapas during the late 1990s ~ Serrano was born in 1933March 1, 2023 ~ Singer Leon Hughes passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Original member of the Lamplighters during the early 1950s. Member of the Hollywood Flames. Best known as original member of the Coasters, remaining with the group through 1958 and present on songs such as Down In Mexico, Searchin', and Young Blood. Also notably worked with Bobby Nunn as the Dukes, known for the late 1950s singles Looking For You and I Love You ~ Hughes was born in 1930
March 1, 2023 ~ Jazz clarinetist Wally Fawkes, full name Walter Ernest Fawkes, passed away in London, UK ~ Influenced by Sidney Bechet. Self-taught jazz clarinetist. First gained attention working with jazz revivalist George Webb in the 1940s. Would go on to work with Humphrey Lyttelton, who became a life-long friend. Has also collaborated with George Melly and John Chilton through the early 1970s. Also known as a political satirical cartoonist, noted for the comic Flook which ran in the Daily Mail for over three decades ~ Fawkes was born in 1924
March 1, 2022 ~ Trombonist, actor Conrad Janis passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Best known for playing the role of Frederick McConnell, Mindy's father on the sitcom Mork & Mindy. As a musician known for keeping traditional jazz alive working with James P Johnson, Henry Goodwin, Edmond Hall, and Baby Dodds ~ Janis was born in 1928
March 1, 2022 ~ Warner McPherson, commonly known as country, country blues, gospel singer Warner Mack, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Active from the 1950 through the 1970s, enjoying his biggest successes in the 1960s. Well known songs include Is It Wrong (For Loving You), Sittin' In An All-nite Cafe, The Bridge Washed Out, Sittin' On A Rock (Cryin' In A River), Talkin' To The Wall, It Takes A Lot Of Money, How Long Will It Take and Leave My Dream Alone ~ McPherson was born in 1935
March 1, 2021 ~ Jazz drummer Ralph Peterson Jr passed away in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA ~ Started drumming at age 3, later also taking up the trumpet inspired by his father's record collection, specifically players such as Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown. Early on in his career, Peterson sat in with Art Blakey and toured with the likes of Jon Faddis, Stanley Turrentine, and Dianne Reeves. Peterson would go on to record some two dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, starting in the late 1980s, and is specifically acclaimed for the albums Ralph Peterson Presents The Fo'tet and Ornettology. As a sideman, Peterson has regularly recorded with David Murray, Uri Caine, Orrin Evans, and Wayne Escoffery ~ Peterson was born in 1962March 1, 2019 ~ Paul Nigel Vincent Yarlett, commonly known as singer Paul Williams, passed away ~ Member of Zoot Money. Subsequently worked with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, taking over for John McVie and present on the albums Looking Back and Thru The Years. Member of Juicy Lucy. Member of Tempest, appearing on the band's 1973 eponymous Tempest album. Has also worked with Aynsley Dunbar, Dick Heckstall-Smith, and Allan Holdsworth ~ Yarlett was born in 1940
March 1, 2017 ~ Singer, guitarist Hiroshi Kamayatsu passed away in Tokyo, Japan ~ Co-founded 1960s rock band the Spiders, best known for their Yuhiganaiteiru hit single. Co-founded Vodka Collins, one of the first Japanese glamrock outfits known best for Sands Of Time released in 1973. Also recorded as a solo artist, notably RTB for the anime series Sentou Yousei Yukikaze, and worked with Sans Filtre ~ Kamayatsu was born in 1939
March 1, 2015 ~ Producer, label executive Orrin Keepnews passed away in El Cerrito, California, USA ~ One of the most respected jazz producers. The Bill Evans composition Re: Person I Knew is a tribute to Keepnews, the title an anagram of his name. Keepnews has produced numerous albums, including for Kenny Drew, Randy Weston (Jazz A La Bohemia), Mundell Lowe, Sonny Rollins (The Sound Of Sonny), Coleman Hawkins, Joe Albany (Right Combination), Wilbur Ware, Thelonious Monk (Brilliant Corners), Phineas Newborn Jr, Benny Golson, Abbey Lincoln (It's Magic), Max Roach, Charlie Byrd, Johnny Griffin, Blue Mitchell (Out Of The Blue), Nat Adderley, Sam Jones (The Soul Society), Bobby Timmons, Jimmy Heath, Wes Montgomery (Movin' Along), Julian Priester, René Thomas, Barry Harris, Teri Thornton, Odetta (Odetta And The Blues), Junior Mance, Art Blakey (Caravan), Lee Konitz, and Joe Henderson ~ Keepnews was born in 1923March 1, 2013 ~ Rock, blues rock guitarist, harmonica player Jim Murray passed away ~ Original member of psychedelic blues rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service, leaving the band in late 1967 shortly before they recorded their eponymous Quicksilver Messenger Service debut album. In the early 1970s, Murray would briefly team up again with his former bandmate John Cipollina in Copperhead, and thereafter regularly sit in with them live ~ Murray was born in 1942
March 1, 1995 ~ Alternative rock, indie rock, noise rock act the Flaming Lips guest star on the TV show Beverly Hills 90210, performing their song She Don't Use Jelly at the Peach Pit ~ She Don't Use Jelly, taken off the band's 1993 Transmissions From The Satellite Heart album, had previously gained momentum after being used on the popular MTV animated show Beavis & Butthead. The song's popularity would also earn the band a guest spot on the Love Hurts episode of Beverly Hills 90210, where they perform the song at the Peach Pit, a regular hangout for the show's characters. In the show, supporting character Steve Sanders remarks on their performance: “You know, I've never been a big fan of alternative music, but these guys rocked the house.”
March 1, 1994 ~ Singer Justin Bieber, full name Justin Drew Bieber, born in Stratford, Canada ~ Signed at age 13, Bieber was initially marketed as a teen idol yet has managed to grow with his audience and established himself as a solid songwriter and hitmaker drawing from pop, dance-pop, R&B, hip hop, rap and other idioms to consistent commercial success, selling over 150 million records. Issued his My World debut EP in 2009, and its full-length follow-up My World 2.0 album the following year. The latter would debut at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 200, making the then aged 16 Bieber the youngest artist to achieve this feat. Bieber has co-written a vast amount of his songs, and has sought out a wide array of mentors, notably Ludacris, and collaborators including Chris Brown, Big Sean, will.i.am, Nicki Minaj, DJ Khaled, Gucci Mane, Benny Blanco, Shawn Mendes, and Ed Sheeran. Songs such as Boyfriend, What Do You Mean, Sorry, Love Yourself, and Stuck With U, the latter a collaborative effort with Ariana Grande, have all reached No.1 Billboard Hot 100. Over half a dozen of Bieber's albums have topped the Billboard Hot 200 album chartsMarch 1, 1994 ~ At the 36th Grammy Awards singer Whitney Houston is the big winner with awards for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance Female ~ Whitney Houston opens the ceremony night performing her rendition of the Dolly Parton-classic I Will Always Love You. She is also nominated for four and the winner of three Grammy Awards with Album of the Year for the soundtrack album The Bodyguard, and Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance Female for I Will Always Love You. Houston's Chaka Khan-cover I'm Every Woman was nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance, but lost out to Toni Braxton's Another Sad Love Song. Houston's soundtrack album hit the top position in over a dozen countries, sold over 45 million copies and became the all-time best selling soundtrack album. The movie of the same name, featuring Houston in the female lead opposite Kevin Costner, would gross over $400 million
March 1, 1993 ~ R&B, acid jazz, funk outfit Jamiroquai release their Too Young To Die sophomore single ~ The single would earn critical acclaim, frontman, lead singer Jay Kay drawing comparisons to a young Stevie Wonder, while NME described him as having “one of the most powerful and impressive soul voices across the dance spectrum in a long while”, and Record Mirror praised the record as “pure soul jazz with the funky bassline”. The single would reach top 10 in the Netherlands and the UKMarch 1, 1993 ~ Pop singer, songwriter Michele Merlo, also known as Mike Bird, born in Rosa, Italy ~ First gained attention in 2017 as contestant on the Italian talent show Amici. Following his success on the show, Merlo released his debut album, Cinemaboy, in 2019 and a sophomore album, Cuori Stupidi, in 2020. Merlo's career was cut short by his death at age 28 following complications related to leukemia ~ Merlo passed away in 2021
March 1, 1993 ~ Pop rock singer, bassist Sting releases his Ten Summoner's Tales album ~ The singer's fourth solo album explores themes of love and morality in a noticeably upbeat mood compared to his previous release, 1991's The Soul Cages which dealt with the loss of both his parents in the 1980s. Ten Summoner's Tales, the album title both a play on his own name, Gordon Sumner, and a nod to the summoner from Geoffrey Chaucer's novel The Canterbury Tales, reached top 10 in over a dozen countries, including the No.2 spot in both America and the singer's native UK. The album would earn Sting several Grammy Award nominations, winning the awards for Best Engineered Album and Best Non-Classical Album. The album's lead single, If I Ever Lose My Faith In You, would be a top 20 hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and be awarded a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop PerformanceMarch 1, 1990 ~ Singer, keyboardist Melissa Reese born in Seattle, Washington, USA ~ Released her Lissa debut EP in 2007. Best known as member of Guns 'n Roses, joining the band in 2016 replacing Chris Pitman first performing on the Not In This Lifetime tour. Has also collaborated with Bootsy Collins, Chuck D, Vanessa Carlton, Goapele, and Taylor Swift
March 1, 1989 ~ Chicago blues drummer Odie Payne passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Perhaps best remembered for backing Chuck Berry on classic rock & roll recordings such as Nadine, You Never Can Tell, and on No Particular Place To Go. Payne is closely associated with Tampa Red, and with Elmore James, appearing on over two dozen of the latter's 1950s singles. Payne was held in the highest regards by fellow drummers, admired for his use of the cowbell, lightning-fast bass drum pedal, and drum rolls, serving as a role model for many of his contemporaries. An in-demand sideman, Payne has also worked with Sleepy John Estes, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Albert King ~ Payne was born in 1926
March 1, 1988 ~ Double bassist Tommy Potter, full name Charlie Thomas Potter, passed away in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Member of Charlie Parker's classic quintet, alongside Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, and Max Roach, from 1947 to 1950. Potter rarely recorded as a leader, though Tommy Potter's Hard Funk album released in 1956 was well-received, and has worked as a sideman through the mid 1960s before semi-retiring from music. Other than Parker, notable collaborations include Gene Ammons, Al Cohn (Cohn's Tones), Bennie Green, Bud Powell (The Amazing Bud Powell Vol.1), Wardell Gray, Sonny Criss, JJ Johnson, Sonny Stitt (Kaleidoscope), Thelonious Monk, Stan Getz, Al Haig, Tommy Flanagan, Willis Jackson, Jimmy Forrest (Out Of The Forrest), and Zoot Sims ~ Potter was born in 1918
March 1, 1987 ~ Swing jazz guitarist Freddie Green, full name Frederick William Green, passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA ~ Best known for his longtime association with Count Basie, backing Basie from 1937 until his death five decades later. Green recorded two albums as a leader or co-leader, Mr Rhythm in 1955 and Rhythm Willie with Herb Ellis in 1975. Green has also regularly guested on albums by Sarah Vaughan, Buck Clayton, Joe Newman, Al Cohn, Paul Quinichette, and Harry Sweets Edison. Green, a superb accompanist, has been quoted as saying: “You should never hear the guitar by itself. It should be part of the drums so it sounds like the drummer is playing chords, like the snare is in A or the hi-hat in D-minor” ~ Green was born in 1911
March 1, 1987 ~ Kesha Rose Sebert, mononymously known as dance-pop, pop singer, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter Ke$ha born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Savvy pop singer known for her vibrant dance anthems, scoring about half a dozen Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits during the late 2000s and early-2010s. Prior to her rise to fame in her own right, Ke$ha penned This Love for the Veronicas, and provided backing vocals for Britney Spears and Flo Rida. Her 2010 Animal debut album included the Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit Tik Tok, the album itself would reach No.1 Billboard Hot 200. Subsequent hits included Your Love Is My Drug, We R Who We R, and Die Young. Kesha also notably featured on Pitbull' s Timber, a top 10 hit in over half a dozen countries including the UK and America