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 20, 1986 ~ Rachel Marie Williams, commonly known as singer, keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, songwriter Rachel Fannan, born in Thousand Oaks, California, USA ~ Co-lead singer for psychedelic rock outfit Sleepy Sun. Lead singer for Only You. Recorded as a solo artist, starting with Deeper Lurking released in 2008 going by the moniker Birds Fled From Me. Has also worked with UNKLE, Anywhere, Black Mountain, and drummed for Russian feminist protest punk rock group Pussy Riot
March 20, 1984 ~ Evgeniya Dmitrievna Lubich, commonly known as pop, pop rock, lounge singer, songwriter Jenia Lubich, born in Leningrad, Russia ~ Primarily a solo artist active since the mid 2000s. To French audiences best known for her collaboration with Nouvelle Vague, notably present on the songs Marooned and Aussi Belle Qu'une Balle of the band's 2009 NV3 album. Has also worked with Nicolas Comment, Malik Alary, Stephane Pompougnac, and Naiv
March 20, 1982 ~ Christopher August Megert, commonly known as singer, songwriter Chris August, born in Garland, Texas, USA ~ Active as a secular artist before switching to Christian music at the turn of the 2010s. Perhaps best known for Starry Night of his 2010 No Far Away album. Other well known songs include Come Now Our King, 7 x 70 and Center Of It
March 20, 1981 ~ Pop singer, songwriter Declan Bennett, full name Declan William Bennett, born in Coventry, UK ~ Member of Point Break, enjoying brief success during the late 1990s. The boy band released five singles including the UK top 10 hit Stand Tough and a sole album, Apocadelic
March 20, 1981 ~ Jazz saxophonist, composer Sonny Red passed away in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Grant Green, Blue Mitchell, Wynton Kelly, Billy Higgins, Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Yusef Lateef, Pony Poindexter, Paul Quinichette, and Frank Wess ~ Red was born in 1932
March 20, 1974 ~ Nick Barber, commonly known as alternative rock, alternative Christian rock singer, guitarist, pianist, producer, engineer Aaron Sprinkle, born in Seattle, Washington, USA ~ First gained attention as member of Poor Old Lu from 1990 through 2002. Has also recorded as a solo artist and collaborated with Rose Blossom Punch, Fair, and Blank Books
March 20, 1972 ~ Alexander Paul Kaparanaos Huntley, commonly known as indie rock, dance-punk, art rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Alex Kapranos, born in Almondsbury, UK ~ Lead singer of Franz Ferdinand, known for a string of 2000s singles including the UK top 10 hits Take Me Out, The Dark Of The Matinee and Do You Want To. Also a member of supergroups FFS and BNQT. Has worked with Yummy Fur, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Girls and served as producer for the Cribs, Citizens and RM HubbertMarch 20, 1972 ~ Jason Charles Beck, commonly known as pianist, singer Chilly Gonzales, born in Montreal, Canada ~ Fronted 1990s alternative pop band Son, which also included Mocky and Dave Szigeti. As a solo artist known for a series of rap and hip-hop-influenced albums, starting with 1999's Gonzales Uber Alles, and a series of classical-tinted instrumental albums from the mid 2000s forward
March 20, 1970 ~ Pop singer, pianist Elton John releases Border Song, lead single off his eponymous sophomore album ~ With only a handful of releases, the British singer had yet to reach the charts, anywhere. Your Song, his first single produced by Gus Dudgeon, would be the first, reaching top 40 in Canada and subsequently the bottom end of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No.92. As the song's melody and structure strongly resembled a spiritual, singer Aretha Franklin covered the song later the same year, retitled to Border Song (Holy Moses). Franklin's cover reached top 40 Billboard Hot 100, and would be included on her Young Gifted & Black album released the following year. John would get his break after a few more non-charters, when Your Song reached top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic. Elton John and Dudgeon would go on to form a longtime and fruitful relationship, with Dudgeon producing about half a dozen Billboard Hot 200 No.1 albums for JohnMarch 20, 1970 ~ Rahem Brown, commonly known as rapper Tame One, born in Newark, New Jersey, USA ~ Member of 1990s rap group the Artifacts, which also included El Da Sensei and DJ Kaos, known for songs such as Easter, C'mon Wit Da Git Down, The Ultimate (You Know The Time) and perhaps their best known Wrong Side Of Da Tracks. Has also worked with Leak Bros, the Weathermen, and the Boom Skwad ~ Brown passed away in 2022
March 20, 1969 ~ Byron Otto Thomas, commonly known as hip-hop, Southern hip-hop producer, rapper Mannie Fresh born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Formed the hip-hop duo Big Tymers with rapper Birdman. Staff producer for Cash Money. Worked with artists such as Lil Wayne, BG, TI, Mos Def, Juvenile, T-Pain, Noreaga, the Notorious BIG, Mack 10, Toni Braxton, Chamillionaire, Chingy, Tyreese, and Drake
March 20, 1968 ~ Anthony Best, commonly known as hip-hop producer Buckwild, born in the Bronx, New York, USA ~ Member of collective the Digging In The Crates Crew alongside Lord Finesse, Showbiz & AG, Diamond D, Fat Joe, Big L, and OC. Debuted as as a recording artist with the full-length album Nineteen Ninety Now in 2010, a collaboration with Celph Titled. Renowned hip-hop producer, produced or co-produced songs such as I Got A Story To Tell (the Notorious BIG), Whoa (Black Rob), How You Been (Mic Geronimo), and Mrs International (Method Man & Redman)March 20, 1968 ~ Singer, DJ, producer, songwriter Ultra Naté born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, USA ~ Known for a number of dance hits starting in the 1990s, well through the 2010s, including Joy, Show Me, How Long, Free, Found A Cure, Pressure, Desire, Get It Up (The Feeling), Love's The Only Drug, Automatic, Turn It Up, and Unconditional
March 20, 1965 ~ Singer France Gall wins the 10th edition of the Eurovision Songfestival held in Naples, Italy ~ Representing Luxembourg, France Gall wins with the song Poupée De Cire (Poupée De Son) written by Serge Gainsbourg. Runner-ups would be the UK's Kathy Kirby with I Belong in 2nd place, and France's Guy Mardel with N'Avoue Jamais in 3rd
March 20, 1964 ~ Singer Natacha Atlas born in Brussels, Belgium ~ First gained attention as singer of world fusion group Trans-Global Underground, fusing Arabic and Western music. Debuted as a solo artist with the album Diaspora in 1995. Best known for her 1999 single Mon Amie La Rose, a surprise hit in France and Belgium
March 20, 1960 ~ Singer Elvis Presley records A Mess Of Blues ~ Written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Released the following July as the B-side to It's Now Or Never. Elvis Presley is accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer DJ Fontana as well as by Hank Garland bass, Bob Moore double bass, Floyd Cramer piano, Buddy Harman aadditional drums and the Jordanaires backing vocalsMarch 20, 1956 ~ Reggae percussionist, singer Alphonso Martin born ~ Member of UK reggae group Steel Pulse, remaining with the band for over a dozen years starting in 1976. Sang lead on songs such as Shining, Your House, Reaching Out, Soul Of My Soul, Evermore
March 20, 1956 ~ Actor, comedian, director, singer Naoto Takenaka born in Yokohama, Japan ~ Best known as an actor appearing in over 50 films, and as director with over half a dozen films to his credit. Has also recorded about half a dozen albums as a singer, starting with Kawarra Katachi No Ishi released in 1984. Married to singer, actress Midori Kinouchi since 1990
March 20, 1955 ~ Singer, songwriter Mariya Takeuchi born in Taishi, Japan ~ Active since the late 1970s. Influential in city pop genre, among the best-selling artists in Japan with over 16 million records sold. Married to singer, producer, songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita. Known for songs such as Fushigi Na Peach Pie, Plastic Love, Single Again, Kokuhaku, Junai Rhapsody, Camouflage, and Inochi No Uta
March 20, 1954 ~ Reuben David Egan, commonly known as pianist, singer, songwriter David Egan born in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA ~ As a songwriter had his songs recorded by the likes of Irma Thomas (Theys Honey Do's), Etta James (Please No More), Johnny Adams (Even Now), Jimmy Witherspoon (Wake Up Call), Solomon Burke (Fading Footsteps), Percy Sledge (First You Cry), and Tab Benoit (Good To You Baby) ~ Egan passed away in 2016March 20, 1954 ~ Guitarist, singer Jim Seales born in Hamilton, Alabama, USA ~ Lead guitarist of Shenandoah from 1984 through 2014. Present on most of the band's best known including the albums The Road Not Taken released in 1989 and its follow-up Extra Mile released the following year. Well known songs include The Church On Cumberland Road, Sunday In The South, Two Dozen Roses, Next To You Next To Me and If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too), all of which would top the Billboard Country charts. The band is also known for the 1994 single Somewhere In The Vicinity Of My Heart, a collaboration with Alison Krauss giving the latter her first Billboard Country top 40 hit
March 20, 1950 ~ Drummer, percusionnist Carl Palmer, full name Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer, born in Birmingham, UK ~ One of the most revered progressive rock drummers influenced by jazz artists such as Art Blakey, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. Best known as co-founding member of supergroup Emerson Lake & Palmer along with keyboardist Keith Emerson and guitarist, bassist Greg Lake, and as member of Asia. Previously a touring drummer for the Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and co-founding member of Atomic Rooster. Other notable credits include producing Back Door's 1976 Activate and appearring on Mount Teidi of the 1982 Five Miles Out Mike Oldfield albumMarch 20, 1949 ~ Country singer Hank Williams records Wedding Bells at Castle Studio, Nashville, Tennessee ~ Written by Claude Boone. Produced by Fred Rose. Singer Hank Williams is backed by Dale Potter on fiddle, Don Davis steel guitar, Zeb Turner electric guitar, Jack Shook rhythm guitar, Velma Williams bass. Paired with I've Just Told Mama Goodbye on the B-side released as a single the following May
March 20, 1949 ~ Jazz clarinetist Irving Fazola passed away in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Influenced by Leon Roppolo and Jimmie Noone. Topped the 1940 and 1941 Down Beat polls for clarinettists, beating Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Edmond Hall. Worked with Louis Prima, Candy Candido, Sharkey Bonano, Armand Hug, Ellis Stratakos, Ben Pollack, Gus Arnheim, Glenn Miller (including on Doing The Jive), Bob Crosby, George Brunies, and Tony Almerico ~ Fazola was born in 1912
March 20, 1948 ~ Marva Maria Williams, commonly known as blues singer Marva Wright, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Sang backup for Allen Toussaint, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Bobby McFerrin, Aaron Neville, Fats Domino, Lou Rawls and Marcia Ball. As a solo artist recording steadily since her 1991 Heartbreaking Woman debut album ~ Williams passed away in 2010