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 22, 1940 ~ Jazz percussionist, composer Masahiko Togashi born in Tokyo, Japan ~ Founded the Jazz Academy. Also worked with Sadao Watanabe, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Tony Scott, Yosuke Yamashita, Ornette Coleman, Blue Mitchell, Lee Morgan, Sonny Rollins, Paul Bley, Don Cherry, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Steve Lacy, Gary Peacock, Masahiko Satoh, and Yuji Takahashi ~ Togashi passed away in 2007
March 22, 1937 ~ Film composer Angelo Badalamenti born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Best known for his work scoring films for David Lynch, including Blue Velvet, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive, and notably the TV drama series Twin Peaks. The theme of the latter earned Badalamenti a 1990 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Other credits include soundtracks for films such as A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 (Dream Warriors), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Naked In New York, and The Comfort Of Strangers. Badalamenti also composed the opening theme for the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona ~ Badalamenti passed away in 2022
March 22, 1937 ~ Trumpeter, composer Jon Hassell born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known for his Fourth World Concept series, starting with the 1980 release of Fourth World (Vol.1 Possible Music), combining minimal music, world music and electronic manipulation of the trumpet. Has collaborated with Brian Eno, the theater Of Eternal Music, Talking Heads, Farafina, Peter Gabriel, Ani DiFranco, Techno Animal, Ry Cooder, Terry Riley, David Sylvian, Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, kd Lang, Mandalay, and Jon Balke ~ Hassell passed away in 2021
March 22, 1936 ~ Folk, pop, schlager singer, guitarist, songwriter Roger Whittaker, full name Roger Henry Brough Whittaker, born in Nairobi, Kenya ~ To American audiences best known for his 1975 Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit The Last Farewell, which became a signature song and sold an estimated 11 million copies globally. Besides his warm baritone singing voice Whittaker is also noted for his whistling, specifically on songs such as Mexican Whistler. Other well known songs include Durham Town (The Leavin'), A New World In The Morning, and I Don't Believe In 'If' Anymore. Whittaker would enjoy popularity especially in Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, recording some two dozen albums in German though he did not speak the language ~ Whittaker passed away in 2023March 22, 1934 ~ Joseph Glenn Damron, commonly known as country singer, guitarist, banjoist, violinist Dick Damron, born in Bentley, Canada ~ Regarded as one of the premier Canadian country singers drawing from rockabilly, honky-tonk, and gospel. Over the course of his six-decade career, starting in the early 1960s, Damron has recorded some two dozen albums, and scored over a dozen Canadian country top 10 singles including the No.1 hits Hitch Hikin', Countryfied, Rise 'n' Shine, On The Road, and Susan Flowers. Songs written by Damron have also been recorded by the likes of Charley Pride, George Hamilton IV (Countryfied), Wilf Carter, Terry Carisse, Orval Prophet, and the Rhythm Pals. Damron is also known as an author, having penned two fictional thrillers and his autobiography The Legend And The Legacy ~ Damron passed away in 2025
March 22, 1932 ~ Country blues, gospel blues singer, guitarist, songwriter Leo Welch born in Sabougla, Mississippi, USA ~ Performed locally alongside a day job as lumberjack for three decades. Recorded half a dozen albums, starting with Sabougla Voices released in 2014. Especially known and acclaimed for his final album, The Angels In Heaven Done Signed My Name released posthumously in 2019 ~ Welch passed away in 2017
March 22, 1930 ~ Composer Stephen Sondheim, full name Stephen Joshua Sondheim, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II. Got his first succes writing lyrics for West Side Story, notably songs such as America, Maria and I Feel Pretty. Would go on to become an innovator of the musical genre, known for his unusual choice of subjects and bold, complex song structures. Has theatres named after him on New York's Broadway and in London's West End. Wrote music and lyrics for musicals such as Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, and Into The Woods. The song Send In The Clowns from 1973's A Little Night Music would instantly become a jazz standard recorded by Judy Collins, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand ~ Sondheim passed away in 2021
March 22, 1929 ~ Jazz, swing, hard bop tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson born in Monroe, Louisiana, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Rooted in swing and hard bop, incorporated elements of free jazz. Worked with the Association For The Advancement Of Creative Musicians, Vernon Thomas, Bill Fletcher, Billy Brimfield, Joseph Jarman, Douglas Ewart, Felix Blackman, Hamid Drake, Iqua Colson, Harrison Bankhead, David Boykin, Nicole Mitchell, Justin Dillard, Aaron Getsug, Josh Abrams, Fred Jackson Jr, Isaiah Sharkey, and Kidd Jordan ~ Anderson passed away in 2010March 22, 1926 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Avo Uvezian born in Beirut, French Lebanon ~ Claims to have written the music for Frank Sinatra's Strangers In The Night eventhough the song is credited to Bert Kaempfert ~ Uvezian passed away in 2017
March 22, 1922 ~ Edward F Davis, commonly known as saxophonist Eddie Lockjaw Davis, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Enjoyed popularity throughout the big band, bebop, R&B, and soul-jazz eras. Has recorded prolifically as a leader or co-leader since the mid 1950s, noted especially for the albums Very Saxy, Goin' To The Meetin', and Streetlights, and is well known for his work with Count Basie, appearing on at least some two dozen Basie albums including the landmark The Atomic Mr Basie album. An in-demand sideman throughout his four-decade spanning career, Davis has appeared on numerous albums perhaps most notably with Bennie Green (Trombone By Three), Sonny Criss, JJ Johnson, Dinah Washington (After Hourse With Miss D), Fats Navarro (Nostalgia), Arnett Cobb, Johnny Griffin, Coleman Hawkins (In A Mellow Mood), Carmen McRae, Junior Mance, Charlie Parker, Harry Sweets Edison, and Milt Jackson. Several theories as to how Davis got his nickname “Lockjaw” have been put forward, perhaps the most persistent tale being it came from his way of biting hard on the saxophone moutpiece ~ Davis passed away in 1986
March 22, 1916 ~ Actor, singer Bill Johnson born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA ~ Made his Broadway debut at age 8 in the play Shipwrecked in 1924. Vaudeville performer through the 1930. Appeared in a handful of films, notably 1939's Mr & Mrs Jesse Crawford At Home singing the songs The Very Thought Of You and I Love You Truly ~ Johnson passed away in 1957
March 22, 1916 ~ Bernard Weissman, commonly known as orchestra leader, songwriter George Wyle, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Wrote or co-wrote over 400 songs. Regularly backed Doris Day including on classic recordings such as Bewildered, Quicksilver and I Said My Pajamas (And Put On My Prayers). Perhaps best remembered for co-penning the Holiday classic It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year with Edward Pola, first recorded by Andy Williams in 1963 and covered by well over 250 artists. Wyle also co-wrote The Ballad Of Gilligan's Island with Sherwood Schwartz, used as the theme song for the popular TV-series Gilligan's Island ~ Weissman passed away in 2003
March 22, 1914 ~ Joseph Francis Burke, commonly known as arranger, composer, producer, bandleader Sonny Burke born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Formed and led the Duke Ambassadors in 1937. Worked as arranger for Charlie Spivak, and for Jimmy Dorsey. Co-wrote a number of songs now regarded as standards, such as Black Coffee, and Midnight Sun. A&R for several major labels, including Decca Records. Produced Frank Sinatra's My Way as well as Petula Clark's This Is My Song. As bandleader accompanied singers such as Dinah Shore, Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé ~ Burke passed away in 1980