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 17, 1985 ~ Nathaniel De La Rosa, commonly known as hip-hop rapper, actor Bodega Bamz, born in New York, New York, USA ~ First gained attention in 2012 with the mixtape Strictly 4 My PAPIZ featuring A$AP Ferg, Tego Calderón, and the Flatbush Zombies. Would release his full-length Sidewalk Exec debut album in 2015. Has guested on recordings by Aston Matthews, A$AP Mob, Funkmaster Flex, Joell Ortiz, and 6ix9ineMarch 17, 1983 ~ Indie rock, synth-pop guitarist, keyboardist Ana Rezende, full name Ana Maria de Rezende Versiani dos Anjos, born in São Paulo, Brazil ~ Member of new rave band Cansei de Ser Sexy, present on the debut album Cansei De Ser Sexy and its follow-up Donkey
March 17, 1982 ~ Drummer, singer Sam George passed away in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Member of R&B, soul trio the Capitols, known best for their 1966 surprise hit Cool Jerk which reached top 10 on both the Billboard R&B and all-genre Billboard Hot 100 charts. Reportedly, the single was initially titled Pimp Jerk, though this was changed as producer Ollie McLaughlin feared a song with the word “pimp” in the title would be banned. Over two decades after hitting the charts, the song would regain exposure as it was used for the soundtrack to the 1992 Home Alone 2 (Lost In New York) comedy film ~ George was born in 1942
March 17, 1982 ~ Joseph Thomas Youngman, commonly known as house, electro house, progressive house producer, DJ Wolfgang Gartner, born in San Luis Obispo, California, USA ~ Had already established himself as a deep house DJ under his own name prior to adopting the moniker Gartner in the late 1990s. Not wanting to be criticised for his abrupt departure in style Youngman would not reveal his true identity until 2008. Released his full-length Weekend In America debut album in 2011, featuring guests such as Omarion, Cam'ron, will.i.am, and Eve. Has also collaborated with Deadmau5 on Animal Rights, with Skrillex on The Devil's Den, and with Tiësto on We Own The NightMarch 17, 1977 ~ Singer, fiddler, composer Jon Boden born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Best known as lead singer of Bellowhead. Also half of Spiers & Boden, the other half being John Spiers. Member of Eliza Carthy's backing unit the Ratcatchers. Also worked with Fay Hield, Sam Sweeney, Paul Sartin, Rob Harbron, Rick Foot, and the Sacconi Quartet
March 17, 1976 ~ Pianist, songwriter Jack Palmer passed away ~ Best remembered for co-writing Everybody Loves My Baby, first recorded by Aileen Stanley in 1924, and I've Found A New Baby, first recorded by the Dixie Stompers in 1926. Both songs have become jazz standards covered by hundreds of artists ~ Palmer was born in 1899
March 17, 1973 ~ Singer, drummer Caroline Corr, full name Caroline Georgina Corr born in Dundalk, Ireland ~ Dubbed the “Chick with Stick” for her role as drummer in the Celtic folk rock band the Corrs, known for songs such as Runaway, Only When I Sleep, Dreams and Breathless. Also plays the piano and a variety of traditional instruments including the bhodran
March 17, 1972 ~ Bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, full name Melissa Gaboriau Auf Der Maur, born in Montreal, Canada ~ Formed the indie rock band Tinker with Steve Durand in 1993, enjoying moderate succes. Member of Hole, notably present on the 1998 Celebrity Skin album. Toured with the Smashing Pumpkins in 2000. Released her Auf Der Maur solo debut album in 2004. Has also worked with Hand Of Doom, Indochine, Rufus Wainwright, Ric Ocasek, and Neverending White Lights
March 17, 1972 ~ Rapper Sean Price, full name Sean Duval Price, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Member of underground hip hop collective Boot Camp Clik. Formed the duo Heltah Skeltah with Jahmal Bush. Member of Random Axe. Has released four albums as a solo artist, starting with Monkey Barz in 2005. Guested on recordings by Jedi Mind Tricks, the Snowgoons, eMC, KRS One, the Wu-Tang Clan, Ill Bill, Talib Kweli, Statik Selektah, and Masta Killa ~ Price passed away in 2015March 17, 1972 ~ Indie rock singer, keyboardist, trumpeter Torquil Campbell born in Sheffield, UK ~ Co-lead singer for indie pop, indie rock band Stars, known for a string of acclaimed albums since the early 2000s. Plays melodica, trumpet, synthesizer, trumpet. Forms the duo Memphis with Chris Dumont. Has also occasionally collaborated with indie rock band Broken Social Scene. In addition to his music career, Campbell is also active as an actor and director for stage, TV and film
March 17, 1971 ~ Saxophonist, bandleader Abraham Burton born in New York, New York, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Formed Forbidden Fruit. Worked with Marc Cary, Allan Palmer, James Hurt, Billy Johnson, Yosuke Inoue, Erin McPherson, Louis Hayes, Ali Jackson, Santi Debriano, the Mingus Big Band, Art Taylor, Jack Walrath, Steve Davis, Duane Eubanks, Dusko Gojkovic, Jimmy Smith, and Horace Tapscott
March 17, 1970 ~ Aaron Freeman, also known as singer, guitarist, percussionist Gene Ween, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Best known as half of Ween, the other half being childhood friend Dean Ween. known for albums such as 1992's Push Th' Little Daisies and 1994's Chocolate And Cheese. Though never achieving much commercial success, the band's only two singles reaching the Billboard charts being Push Th' Little Daisies and Voodoo Lady, the band enjoyed a cult following and be critically acclaimed. Freeman released a solo album. Marvelous Clouds, in 2012 and shortly thereafter left the band. Stopped using the moniker Gene Ween and performed under his birth name. Formed five-piece band, Freeman, in 2014
March 17, 1970 ~ R&B outfit Gladys Knight & the Pips record If I Were Your Woman at Hitsville USA, Detroit, Michigan ~ Written by Pam Sawyer, Gloria Jones and Clay McMurray, the latter also serving as producer. Released as a single, b/w The Tracks Of My Tears, the following November it would reach No.9 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and top the Billboard R&B charts. The Gladys Knight classic would be notably covered by Alicia Keys for her 2003 sophomore The Diary Of Alicia Keys album
March 17, 1969 ~ Pop singer, guitarist, drummer, songwriter Roger Quigley, full name Roger Patrick Martin Quigley, born in Salford, UK ~ Released a handful of solo recording marked by autobiographical lyics intertwined with minor-chord guitar arpeggios, starting with his A Kind Of Loving debut EP released in 1995. Drummer for Lovewood. Formed the Montgolfier Brothers with Mark Tranmer, known best for the acclaimed The World Is Flat album released in 2002. Guested on the Southern Arts Society's 2008 Burning Sand album ~ Quigley passed away in 2020
March 17, 1967 ~ Guitarist, singer, songwriter Billy Corgan, full name William Patrick Corgan Jr, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Lead singer, guitarist, primary songwriter, sole constant member of the Smashing Pumpkins, co-founded with guitarist James Iha in 1988. The band is known for a number of critically acclaimed albums, notably Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness released in 1995. Following the band's disbandement in 2000 Corgan formed the short-lived Zwan, and recorded as a solo artist before reviving the Pumpkins moniker with a band consisting of Corgan and a revolving lineup. Corgan has also server as producer for the Cars co-lead singer Ric Ocasek, the Frogs, and Catherine, and co-wrote several tracks of Hole's 1998 Celebrity Skin including the title track
March 17, 1967 ~ Grunge, psychedelic rock, alternative rock bassist, guitarist Van Conner born in Apple Valley, California, USA ~ Co-founded the Explosive Generation with his brother guitarist Gary Lee Conner and friend drummer Mark Pickerel. With the addition of singer Mark Lanegan the band would evolve into Screaming Trees, known best for songs such as Nearly Lost You and All I Know. Drawing from hard rock and psychedelic rock, the band is widely regarded as one of the pioneering acts in grunge. Conner also founded the side projects Solomon Grundy, releasing a sole eponymous Solomon Grundy album in 1990, and Gardener, known for their New Dawning Time album released in 1999 ~ Conner passed away in 2023March 17, 1966 ~ Punk rock guitarist Michael Weber, full name Michael Peter Weber, born in Melbourne, Australia ~ Best known as founding member, lead guitarist of punk rockers the Seminal Rats. Also a member of hard rock outfit Hoss for two years before returning to Rats in 1992 playing with the band until his untimely death due to a heroin overdose in 1999. The band would break up after Weber's deaths ~ Weber passed away in 1999
March 17, 1963 ~ Elizabeth Mary Landreaux, commonly known as blues singer Lizzie Miles, passed away in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Worked with Joe Oliver, Kid Ory, Bunk Johnson, AJ Piron, Manuel Manetta, Freddie Keppard, Charlie Elgar, Herb Morand, Jelly Roll Morton, Paul Barbarin, Bob Scobey, Joe Darensbourg, and Freddie Kohlmann. Half-sister of blues singer Edna Hicks ~ Landreaux was born in 1895
March 17, 1963 ~ Bassist Michael Ivins, full name Michael Lee Ivins, born in Omaha, Nebraska, USA ~ Founded alternative rock band the Flaming Lips with Mark Coyne and Wayne Coyne, known for songs such as She Don't Use Jelly, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt.1 and The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)
March 17, 1961 ~ Songwriter, producer Alexander Bard, full name Alexander Bengt Magnus Bard, born in Motala, Sweden ~ Founded tongue-in-cheek camp disco, dance-pop outfit Army Of Lovers with Jean-Pierre Barda and La Camilla, known for hits such as Sexual Revolution, Obsession and their biggest hit Crucified
March 17, 1959 ~ Keyboardist, singer Mike Lindup born in London, UK ~ Founding member of pop-rock outfit Level 42, remaining with the band through 1994 and rejoining in 2006, known for songs such as Sun Goes Down (Living It Up), Something About You, Lessons In Love, Running In The Family, To Be With You Again and It's Over. Has also released a number of solo recordings, starting with 2000's Changes, and was a member of Da Lata since 2000
March 17, 1959 ~ Punk, rock singer, actress, writer, poet, dancer Pleasant Gehman born ~ Member of 1980s all-female punk rock band the Screamin' Sirens, which she co-founded with drummer, singer Diane Dixon. The band drew from country, punk rock, rockabilly and funk and is said to have predated what is usually referred to as alternative country. Gehman is also well known as an author, writer, poet, and actress
March 17, 1958 ~ Jazz pianist Carl Perkins passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Curtis Counce, Tiny Bradshaw, Big Jay McNeely, Miles Davis, Oscar Moore, Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Frank Morgan, Pepper Adams, Chet Baker, Victor Feldman, Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet, and Leroy Vinnegar ~ Perkins was born in 1928
March 17, 1958 ~ R&B outfit the Coasters record Yakety Yak ~ Written and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Released as a single, b/w Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart, the following month it would top both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard R&B charts. The song's saxophone solo, played by King Curtis, would inspire the 1963 Boots Randolph hit Yakety Sax
March 17, 1957 ~ Indie rock singer, drummer, guitarist Hamish Kilgour born in Christchurch, New Zealand ~ Co-founded indie rock band Clean with his brother David Kilgour, known best for their 1981 single Tally Ho. Following the band's initial disbandement Kilgour relocated to New York and formed the Mad Scene with guitarist, bassist Lisa Siegel, recording the albums A Trip Thru Monsterland and Sealight. Kilgour released his All Of It And Nothing solo debut album in 2014. Hamish would be reported missing by his family on December 1st 2022, his body found by police about one week later ~ Kilgour passed away in 2022