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 28, 2025 ~ Kenneth Edward Rashaad Bailey, commonly known as rapper Young Scooter, passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Influenced by Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Sean Combs. Best known for Colombia, lead single off his 2012 Street Lottery mixtape. The song would be a hit in the American south including on the burgeoning Atlanta, Georgia, scene and later be notably covered by Lil Wayne. Known for his freestyle type of rapping, without writing down his lyrics, a style which the rapper himself dubbed “count music”. In a 2013 interview with Complex, Scooter was quoted as saying “when you try to think hard and write it out, that's when it's gonna be f-cked up”. Over the course of his career, the rapper has collaborated with Gucci Mane, Mike Will Made It, Young Thug, Shawty Lo, Casino, E-40, and perhaps most notably with Future, including on the latter's Jet Lag, which reached No.72 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and marked Scooter's sole appearance on the chart. Young Scooter passed away on his 39th birthday from injuries sustained while trying to flee from the police ~ Bailey was born in 1986
March 28, 2024 ~ Singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, songwriter, producer Mark Spiro passed away ~ As a solo artist, Spiro has released a little over half a dozen albums, starting with In Stereo in 1986. Though a gifted singer in his own right, Spiro is perhaps best known as a songwriter, notably co-writing Cheap Trick's Mighty Wings with Harold Faltermeyer for the Top Gun soundtrack. Songs written or co-written by Spiro have been recorded by the likes of Audrey Landers, Laura Branigan (Foolish Lullaby), Anne Murray, David Hasselhoff, Bad English (Straight To Your Heart), Julian Lennon, and Robin Zander ~ Spiro was born in 1957
March 28, 2023 ~ Keyboardist, singer, songwriter, actor, activist Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away in Tokyo, Japan ~ Considered a pioneer of electronic music, both as a solo artist and as a member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, with whom he recorded over half a dozen studio albums. As a solo artist, Sakamoto is especially acclaimed for his 1978 A Thousand Knives solo debut album and its follow-up B-2 Unit released two years later, the latter cited as a major influence on electro and hip-hop. Sakamoto is also known for composing several soundtracks, including writing and performing several pieces for the 1987 The Last Emperor film, which earned Sakamoto and fellow composers David Byrne and Cong Su an Academy Award for Best Orginal Score ~ Sakamoto was born in 1952
March 28, 2020 ~ Lulu Grace Johnson, commonly known as country singer Jan Howard, passed away in Gallatin, Tennessee, USA ~ Actively recording since the late 1950s, regularly reaching the higher echelons of the country charts with songs such as The One You Slip Around With, Evil On Your Mind, Bad Seed, Count Your Blessings Woman and Love Is Like A Spinning Wheel. Howard is also remembered for a number of duets, perhaps most notably with Wynn Stewart on The Wrong Company, and with Bill Anderson on For Loving You and If It's All The Same To You ~ Johnson was born in 1929March 28, 2019 ~ Television and film composer Maury Laws passed away in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA ~ Best known as music director for Videocraft International for about two decades starting in 1964. Conducted and scored music for animated feature films such as The Hobbit, The Flight Of The Dragons and The Wacky World Of Mother Goose ~ Laws was born in 1923
March 28, 2018 ~ Alternative rock, metal bassist, guitarist, singer Caleb Scofield, full name Caleb Mark Scofield, passed away in Bedford, New Hampshire, USA ~ Best known as bassist for Cave In, joining the band in 1998 shortly before the release of the band's Until Your Heart Stops debut album. Scofield remained with the band until his death in 2018. Has also worked with Zozobra, co-founded by Scofield in 2006, and with sludge band Old Man Gloom ~ Scofield was born in 1978
March 28, 2013 ~ Guitarist, mandolinist Hugh McCracken, full name Hugh Carmine McCracken, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Best known for his guitar parts on Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl, Eric Carmen's All By Myself, and Steely Dan's Hey Nineteen. Member of Mike Mainieri's experimental jazz-rock unit White Elephant. Member of Insect Trust. Member of Fuse One. An in-demand session musician from the 1960s onward, McCracken has appeared on numerous albums by the Left Banke, the Monkees (Pisces Aquarius Capricorn & Jones Ltd), Jimmy Rushing, Gordon Lightfoot (Did She Mention My Name), Janis Ian, Aretha Franklin (Spirit In The Dark), Gene McDaniels, Bert Sommer, John Lennon (Imagine), Roberta Flack, Barbra Streisand, Pure Prairie League, James Brown, Donny Hathaway (Extension Of A Man), Danny O'Keefe (Breezy Stories), Hall & Oates, Bob James, Paul Simon, Nancy Wilson, Henry Gross (Release), Randy Crawford, Ashford & Simpson, Billy Joel (The Stranger), David Ruffin, Nils Lofgren, Carole Bayer Sager, Garland Jeffreys, Dr John (City Lights), Loudon Wainwright III, Foreigner, Donald Fagen (The Nightfly), Michael Franks, Carly Simon, and Shawn Colvin ~ McCracken was born in 1942
March 28, 2012 ~ Banjoist Earl Scruggs, full name Earl Eugene Scruggs, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Well known for his association with guitarist, mandolinist Lester Flatt. The pair had backed Bill Monroe during the mid 1940s, and would form the Foggy Mountain Boys by 1948, and later record simply as Flatt & Scruggs. The duo recorded over a dozen albums through the late 1960s and are considered one of the finest and most influential duos in bluegrass. Well-known songs include Foggy Mountain Breakdown and The Ballad Of Jed Clampett. The pair parted ways in 1969 over artistic differences, with Scruggs leaning toward including more progressive sounds including tracks by the likes of Bob Dylan while Flatts stuck to the traditionalist bluegrass sound ~ Scruggs was born in 1924
March 28, 2012 ~ Blues harpist, singer Jerry McCain, also known as Jerry Boogie McCain, passed away in Gadsden, Alabama, USA ~ Though a formidable guitarist and singer, McCain is best known as a blues harpist, influential on the likes of Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. McCain recorded actively since the early 1950s, known for songs such as The Jig's Up, My Next Door Neighbor, She's Tough and Steady. After spending too many years in obscurity, McCain's career would resurge in the 1990s with albums such as Struttin' My Stuff, I've Got The Blues All Over Me, and notably This Stuff Just Kills Me, the latter featuring an all-star cast which included Johnnie Johnson, John Primer, Anson Funderburgh, Jimmie Vaughan, Tommy Shannon, and Chris Layton ~ McCain was born in 1930
March 28, 2012 ~ Owen Joseph Igoe, commonly known as jazz, swing, big band drummer Sonny Igoe, passed away in Emerson, New Jersey, USA ~ Active from the mid 1950s through the late 1980s. Influenced by Gene Krupa, Kenny Clarke, and Max Roach. Got his start in music while still in high school, winning a contest organized by Krupa. Igoe would go on to tour with Les Elgart, Ina Ray Hutton, Benny Goodman, and Woody Herman. Igoe has recorded with the likes of Buddy Stewart, Neal Hefti, Charlie Ventura, Tony Bennett, Billy Maxted, Chuck Wayne, Phil Napoleon, and Pee Wee Irwin. Igoe is also well known for his association with the NBC Television Orchestra during the 1960s, the orchestra serving as house band for among others The Ed Sullivan Show and The Jackie Gleason Show. Igoe's son, Tommy Igoe, is also a professional drummer and bandleader ~ Igoe was born in 1923
March 28, 2006 ~ Charles Alias, commonly known as drummer, percussionist Don Alias, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Noted for his marching band-inspired drums on Miles Runs The Voodoo Down of Miles Davis' pivotal Bitches Brew album. Also present on albums by Jeremy Steig, Elvin Jones, the Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius (Jaco Pastorius), Chick Corea, Blood Sweat & Tears, Charlie Mariano, Joni Mitchell, the Brecker Brothers, Airto Moreira, John Scofield (Loud Jazz), David Sanborn, Carla Bley (Fleur Carnivore), Roberta Flack, Kenny Kirkland, Marc Cohn (Marc Cohn), and Al Jarreau ~ Alias was born in 1939March 28, 2001 ~ Jeanette Salvant, commonly known as pianist Jeanette Kimball, passed away in Charleston, South Carolina, USA ~ Classically trained jazz pianist, with a career spanning seven decades starting in her teens. Took up the piano at age 7, was playing professionally by her mid-teens, initially in classical string ensembles. Well known for her association with Papa Celestin, backing Celestin for about a decade starting in 1926 as a member of the trumpeter's backing unit the Original Tuxedo Orchestra. Kimball married her bandmate banjoist, guitarist Narvin Kimball. After divorcing Narvin, she restarted her career in the mid 1940s. Notable associations include Buddy Charles, Herb Leary, Sidney Desvigne, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Alvin Alcorn, Paul Barbarin, Punch Miller, and Johnny St Cyr ~ Salvant was born in 1906
March 28, 2001 ~ Morris Koffman, commonly known as jazz saxophonist, flutist Moe Koffman, passed away in Orangeville, Canada ~ Early on in his career, Koffman backed artists such as Sonny Dunham and Jimmy Dorsey prior to venturing out on his own, becoming a major figure in Canadian jazz with over two dozen albums to his name. Acclaimed for his 1957 album Cool And Hot Sax, and for a number of 1970s albums featuring interpretations of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Vivaldi. Koffman's best known track is the self-penned mid 1950s surprise Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit The Swingin' Shepherd Blues, the instrumental prominently demonstrating his skills on the flute, later covered by dozens of artists including Woody Herman, Jan Garber, Floyd Cramer, Paul Revere & the Raiders, King Curtis, Duane Eddy, and Sonny Stitt ~ Koffman was born in 1928March 28, 1999 ~ Singer, songwriter, revue performer, theater director Jens Book-Jenssen, full name Jens Peter Book Jennsen, passed away in Bærum, Norway ~ Recorded prolifically in the 1930s and 1940s with some 400 recordings to his name, best known for Lysene Tennes Der Hjemme, En Litten Gyllen Ring, and De Lyse Netters Melodi. Book-Jenssen continued to perform, touring extensively, well into the 1970s ~ Book-Jenssen was born in 1910
March 28, 1995 ~ Singer Lyle Lovett and actress Julia Roberts announce they are separating after 21 months of marriage ~ The pair had met on the set of the 1992 The Player black comedy mystery film, in which both Lyle Lovett and Julia Roberts were cast. Following a three-week whirlwind romance they eloped and got married in Marion, Indiana. Less than two years later, they divorced. According to People magazine the breakup was caused by career demands. Their divorce was amicable and the couple have remained friends since. Lovett's songs Christmas Morning and The Road To Ensenada, both recorded for his 1996 The Road To Ensanada album, deal with his marriage to Roberts and their breakup
March 28, 1990 ~ R&B, new jack swing singer Johnny Gill releases Rub You The Right Way, lead single off his 1990 eponymous Johnny Gill album ~ New Edition had disbanded earlier the same year, leaving Johnny Gill to pursue a solo career. Freshly signed to Motown, he would team up with several top-notch producers and songwriters. His first solo hit, Rub You The Right Way, was written and produced by the then-in demand team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who in recent years had notably worked with Janet Jackson on her Control and Rhythm Nation 1814 albums. Gill's Rub You The Right Way would reach No.1 Billboard R&B and No.3 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. The parent album would be Gill's most successful solo album, as the follow-up My My My, written by Kenneth Babyface Edmonds and Daryl Simmons, reached No.1 Billboard R&B and hit No.10 Billboard Hot 100. Two more singles would reach top 10 Billboard R&BMarch 28, 1987 ~ Maria Augusta Kutschera, commonly known as singer Maria von Trapp, passed away in Morrisville, Vermont, USA ~ Stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. Wrote The Story Of The Trapp Family, published in 1949. The book would inspire the 1956 German film The Trapp Family which in turn inspired the 1959 Broadway musical The Sound Of Music by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and its 1965 film version starring Julie Andrews ~ Kutschera was born in 1905
March 28, 1986 ~ Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, commonly known as singer, songwriter Lady Gaga, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Rose to fame in 2007 following the release of her debut album Fame, which spawned the Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hits Just Dance and Poker Face. Germanotta has recorded steadily since to commercial succes, selling over 150 million records, drawing from electro-pop, techno, dance-pop, pop and rock. Songs such as Paparazzi, Bad Romance, Born This Way, The Edge Of Glory, Applause, Shallow, and Rain On Me have all reached top 10 Billboard Hot 100. An in-demand collaborator, she has recorded with contemporaries such as Colby O'Donis, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande, as well as with jazz singer Tony Bennett, recording the duet albums Cheek To Cheek and Love For Sale with the latterMarch 28, 1986 ~ Kenneth Edward Rashaad Bailey, commonly known as rapper Young Scooter, born in Walterboro, South Carolina, USA ~ Influenced by Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Sean Combs. Best known for Colombia, lead single off his 2012 Street Lottery mixtape. The song would be a hit in the American south including on the burgeoning Atlanta, Georgia, scene and later be notably covered by Lil Wayne. Known for his freestyle type of rapping, without writing down his lyrics, a style which the rapper himself dubbed “count music”. In a 2013 interview with Complex, Scooter was quoted as saying “when you try to think hard and write it out, that's when it's gonna be f-cked up”. Over the course of his career, the rapper has collaborated with Gucci Mane, Mike Will Made It, Young Thug, Shawty Lo, Casino, E-40, and perhaps most notably with Future, including on the latter's Jet Lag, which reached No.72 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and marked Scooter's sole appearance on the chart. Young Scooter passed away on his 39th birthday from injuries sustained while trying to flee from the police ~ Bailey passed away in 2025March 28, 1985 ~ A four-year-old Alicia Augelio Cook, later better known as singer, pianist Alicia Keys, makes her acting debut on the Slumber Party episode of the sitcom The Cosby Show ~ Keys would later become better known as a singer, pianist, and songwriter, catapulted to fame after releasing her Songs In A Minor debut album in 2001 at age 21. The album was a critical and commercial smash success, and won Alicia Keys five Grammy Awards including for Best New Artist and Song of the Year for Fallin', the album's lead single. Keys would continue to record to critical acclaim and commercial success, her first seven albums all peaking in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 200 charts. As an adult, Keys has also ventured into acting, including in the 2007 Smokin' Aces action film and notably in the drama film The Secret Life Of Bees the following year
March 28, 1981 ~ In its 9th week on the charts, Hello Again by Neil Diamond peaks at No.6 Billboard Hot 100 ~ Widely considered Neil Diamond's late-career signature ballad, Hello Again would be one of three singles of Diamond's soundtrack album for The Jazz Singer to reach top 10 in America. The film, which also featured Diamond in his acting debut, was a critical and commercial disappointement as it received poor reviews and barely made a profit. The soundtrack album, however, with all songs performed by Diamond, became Diamond best selling album. The tracks Love On The Rocks and Hello Again would be considered highlights of the album. At the time of its release, Record World stated that “Diamond's deep tenor resonates to maximum dramatic intensity”, while Billboard described Diamond's performance of the song as “poignant”March 28, 1980 ~ Singer, actor Dick Haymes, full name Richard Benjamin Haymes, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ One of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s. Brother of songwriter Bob Haymes. Worked with Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrew, Vivian Blaine, Helen Forrest, Judy Garland, the Andrews Sisters, Nelson Riddle, Bing Crosby, Gordon Jenkins, Cy Coleman, and Johnny Kay ~ Haymes was born in 1918
March 28, 1979 ~ Memphis blues singer, guitarist, songwriter Joe Willie Wilkins passed away in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Influenced Robert Nighthawk, David Honeyboy Edwards, Jimmy Rogers, Little Milton, BB King, and Albert King. Worked with Sonny Boy Williamson II, Willie Love, Elmore James, Memphis Slim, Houston Stackhouse, Howlin' Wolf, Arthur Crudup, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Walter Horton, Little Walter, Mose Vinson, Joe Hill Louis, and Floyd Jones ~ Wilkins was born ca.1921March 28, 1978 ~ Harold Johnson, commonly known as jazz trumpeter Money Johnson, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Active since the mid 1930s. Perhaps best known for backing Nat Towles. Worked with artists such as Charlie Christian, Henry Bridges, Horace Henderson, Count Basie, Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, Bull Moose Jackson throughout the 1940s, Louis Jordan, Lucky Thompson, Sy Oliver, Buddy Johnson, Cozy Cole, Mercer Ellington, Esther Phillips and Panama Francis throughout the 1950s. Member of the house band at the famed the Apollo Theatre in the 1960. Toured the USSR with Earl Hines in 1966. Would continue to record and perform until his death of a heart attack in 1978 ~ Johnson was born in 1918
March 28, 1975 ~ Singer Barbra Streisand goes backstage at his concert at The Hilton, Las Vegas, to offer Elvis Presley the male lead role in her upcoming A Star Is Born film ~ Being offered the male lead role opposite Barbra Streisand in the female lead, Elvis Presley is interested. Yet on the advice of his manager, he demands top billing and too much money, so singer Kris Kristofferson is chosen for the role instead. The film, a remake of the 1937 original, would star Streisand as an unknown singer and Kristofferson as an established rock and roll star who fall in love, only to find her career ascending while his goes into decline. A Star Is Born became a box-office hit, grossing over $80 million in America on a $6 million budget, and earned an Academy Award for its love theme Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born) sung by Streisand