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 6, 2025 ~ Brian Robertson, commonly known as punk rock bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer Brian James, passed away ~ Member of proto-punk bands London SS and the Subterraneans and glam rock outfit Bastard. Best known as member of the Damned and primary songwriter for their first two albums, Damned Damned Damned and Music For Pleasure, before departing the band in 1977. Subsequently co-founded Lords Of The New Church with Stiv Bators, remaining with the band through its disbandement in 1989. James has also recorded as a solo artist, noted most for the singles Ain't That A Shame and Why Why Why, both of which featured the Police drummer Stewart Copeland ~ Robertson was born in 1955March 6, 2022 ~ Alternative rock, grunge, post-grunge guitarist Mike Cross passed away ~ Co-founded Loudhouse, known for their sole For Crying Out Loud album released in 1991. After the departure of lead singer Kenny Mugwump the band would be renamed to Sponge. They are best known for songs such as Plowed, Molly (16 Candles Down The Drain), and Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina) ~ Cross was born ca.1965
March 6, 2022 ~ Guitarist Pau Riba, full name Pau Riba i Romeva, passed away in Tiana, Spain ~ Has recorded extensively since the late 1960s, starting in counterculture scene. Especially influential for his early work, fusing folk with psychedelia. Has collaborated with the likes of Maria Del Mar Bonet, Grup de Folk, Jaume Sisa, and Pascal Comelade. Also a well-published author, having written poems, novels, and essays ~ Riba was born in 1948
March 6, 2021 ~ Singer, actress Carmel Quinn passed away in Leonia, New Jersey, USA ~ Active in her native Ireland since her teens, most noted for working with Johnny Devlin. After relocating to America, Quinn first gained attention on Arthur Godfrey's Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts radio show in 1955. Would become a regular on Godfrey's programs through the early 1970. Also starred in numerous musical roadshows including productions of Wildcat and The Sound Of Music. Best known for her 1955 recording of Whistling Gypsy ~ Quinn was born in 1925
March 6, 2020 ~ Jazz, avant-garde jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, full name Alfred McCoy Tyner, passed away in Bergenfield, New Jersey, USA ~ One of the most celebrated and influential jazz pianists of his generation, credited with redefining the sound of modern jazz piano. Closely associated with John Coltrane, backing Coltrane from the early 1960s until Coltrane's death in 1967 including on pivotal albums such as Live At The Village Vanguard, Ballads, Live At Birdland, Crescent, and A Love Supreme. Over 60 albums to his name as a leader or co-leader, remaining relevant across the decades with acclaimed albums such as Live At Newport and Tender Moments in the 1960s, Sahara and Enlightenment in the 1970s, Dimensions and Double Trios in the 1980s, and The Turning Point and Infinity in the 1990s ~ Tyner was born in 1938
March 6, 2019 ~ Singer, guitarist, songwriter Charlie Panigoniak passed away in Rankin Inlet, Canada ~ Inuk musician known for his relections on northern life. Discovered by producer Doug Ward in the early 1970s. Awarded the the Order Of Nunavut in 2012, naming him ambassador for the Inuk people for his cultural contributions to the territory and its people ~ Panagoniak was born in 1946March 6, 2019 ~ Pianist, bandleader James Dapogny passed away in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA ~ As a musicologist, Dapogny is best known for writing extensively about Jelly Roll Morton. As a musician best known for founding and leading the Chicago Jazz Band which backed Sippie Wallace and the Chenille Sisters and included members such as Jon Erik Kellso, Mike Karoub, Russ Whitman, and Kim Cusack ~ Dapogny was born in 1940
March 6, 2017 ~ Conductor, teacher, musicologist Alberto Zedda passed away in Pesaro, Italy ~ Conductor specialized in 19th-century Italian repertoire, including opera, symphonic and chamber music. Regarded an authority on Gioachino Rossini, and founder and direct of the Accademia Rossiniana, Pesaro, Italy ~ Zedda was born in 1928
March 6, 2017 ~ Richard Adam Ziegler, commonly known as singer, songwriter Ritchie Adams, passed away ~ Lead singer of Fireflies, present on You Were Mine and I Can't Say Goodbye. Would go on to become a successful songwriter, writing or co-writing songs such as Tossin' & Turnin' (Bobby Lewis), Happy Summer Days (Ronnie Dove), The Tra La La Song (One Banana Two Banana) (Banana Splits), After The Lovin' (Engelbert Humperdinck), and The Next Hundred Years (Al Martino) ~ Ziegler was born in 1938
March 6, 2014 ~ R&B, funk, soul guitarist, singer Charles Love, full name Charles Dee Love Jr, passed away in Kansas City, Missouri, USA ~ Constant member of R&B, funk outfit Bloodstone. The band has recorded about a dozen albums, starting with their eponymous Bloodstone in 1972 which spawned their only Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit Natural High. Songs such as Never Let You Go, Outside Woman, and We Go A Long Way Back would reach top 10 Billboard R&B ~ Love was born in 1945
March 6, 2013 ~ Graham Anthony Barnes, commonly known as guitarist, singer Alvin Lee, passed away in Estepona, Spain ~ Praised for his signature lightning-fast guitar licks, and best known as original lead singer, guitarist of pivotal British blues rock outfit Ten Years After, with whom he recorded close to a dozen albums through the early 1980s including the highly acclaimed Cricklewood Green released in 1970. Alvin Lee has also recorded over a dozen albums as a solo artist, notably teamed up with Christian rock singer Mylon LeFevre for the collaborative 1973 Road To Freedom album, and has guested on albums by Jerry Lee Lewis, Splinter, George Harrison (Dark Horse), Bo Diddley, Roy Harper, the Outfield, and Chris Farlowe ~ Barnes was born in 1944
March 6, 2012 ~ Songwriter, film composer Robert B Sherman passed away in London, UK ~ Formed one of the most productive stage and film composer duos in history with his brother Richard M Sherman. Notable credits include films such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Happiest Millionaire, Charlotte's Web and The Aristocats. The brothers were awarded two Academy Awards for their work on the 1964 Mary Poppins musical fantasy film, one for the entire soundtrack and one for Best Original Song for Chim Chim Cher-ee sung by Dick Van Dyke & Julie Andrews ~ Sherman was born in 1925March 6, 2010 ~ Lo-fi, indie rock, alt-country, folk, southern gothic singer, guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, percussion, producer, songwriter Mark Linkous, full name Frederick Mark Linkous, passed away in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA ~ Fronted Sparklehorse. Also worked with Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Frank Black, Julian Casablancas, Danger Mouse, the Dancing Hoods, and Sage Francis ~ Linkous was born in 1962
March 6, 2008 ~ Gloria Adele Shain, commonly known as songwriter Gloria Shayne Baker, passed away in Stamford, Connecticut, USA ~ Perhaps best remembered for co-writing Do You Hear What I Hear with her then-husband Noël Regney, first recorded by Harry Simeone Chorale. Written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis the song would sell a quarter million copies during the Holiday season in 1962. Do You Hear What I Hear would be covered by over an estimated 500 artists of artists, notably a 1963 hit for Bing Crosby, and later covered by artists such as Pat Boone, Perry Como, and Mahalia Jackson. Other songs written or co-written by Baker have been recorded by James Darren, Bobby Vinton (Rain Rain Go Away), Wynona Carr, Lesley Gore, Ginny Arnell, and Wilma Burgess ~ Baker was born in 1923
March 6, 2006 ~ Ali Ibrahim Touré, commonly known as world music singer, guitarist Ali Farka Touré, passed away in Bamako, Mali ~ One of the internationally most acclaimed African musicians, merging traditional Malian music with American blues. Actively recording and touring since the mid 1970s with close to two dozen albums to his name. Has collaborated with Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder (Talking Timbuktu), Corey Harris and Toumani Diabaté ~ Fouré was born in 1939
March 6, 2006 ~ Rock, blues, country, jazz bassist Tom Robb, full name Thomas James Robb, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Noted for his bass playing on the 1978 Billboard Hot 100 No.5 hit I Love The Nightlife by Alicia Bridges. An in-demand session musician throughout his career, Robb has appeared on albums by Mylon LeFevre, Johnny Nash, Melissa Manchester, Dionne Warwick, Bettye LaVette (Tell Me A Lie), Deborah Allen, Tammy Wynette (Higher Ground), Marie Osmond, Vern Gosdin, Ricky Van Shelton, John Jarvis, Eddie Rabbitt, Holly Dunn, the Winans, and Crystal Gayle. Robb is also known as a member of the Marshall Tucker Band during the mid-1980s ~ Robb was born in 1948
March 6, 2001 ~ R&B group Destiny's Child release Survivor, lead single off the album of the same name ~ Beyoncé was inspired to write the song as she stumbled across a comment that compared Destiny's Child to the TV series Survivor in which contestants vote eachother off an island as three members had already left the band. The singer would take the negative comment and turned it into something positive, or as she later explained: “Survivor is basically about surviving different situations. Everyone in this world that I know, they've survived something, and I know the song is definitely inspirational. It really makes you feel strong and it really makes you feel like you can survive anything.” Survivor would be a major commercial success, reaching top 10 in well over a dozen countries. In their native America it peaked at No.2 Billboard Hot 100, making it the group's sixth American top 10 hit, and earned the group a Grammy Award
March 6, 2001 ~ Singer Janet Jackson releases All For You, lead single off the album of the same name ~ The 10th and final Janet Jackson single to reach No.1 Billboard Hot 100, All For You would become one of the biggest hits of 2001 holding the top spot for seven consecutive weeks, the longest run at No.1 that year, before being bumped off the top spot by the Labelle-cover Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink. All For You, a dance-pop track drawing from neo-soul and funk, would also earn the singer a Grammy Award and reach top 10 in well over a dozen countries including Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK. The song was written and produced by Jackson with the-regular collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and relied heavily on a sample from the 1980 Change single Glow Of Love which gave the original songwriters David Romani, Mauro Malavasi and Wayne Garfield co-writing credit on the Jackson track. Jam would later tell Songfacts: “When we did All For You and I played (Janet) the Glow Of Love sample from Change, she had never heard that song before. But she loved it”March 6, 2000 ~ Jazz drummer Ole Jacob Hansen passed away ~ Worked with Tore Sandnaes, Mikkel Flagstad, Bjorn Jacobsen, Arlid Wikstron, Kjell Karlsen, Bernt Rosengren, Idrees Sulieman, Eric Dolphy, Donald Byrd, Ditlef Eckhoff, Paul Weeden, Terje Bjørklund, Adonis, Thorgeir Stubø, Lee Konitz, Doug Raney, Laila Dalseth, Jan Erik Vold, Harald Gunhus, Knut Riisnæs, Totti Bergh, and Einar Iversen ~ Hansen was born in 1940
March 6, 1995 ~ Ska, rocksteady, ska singer Delroy Wilson, full name Delroy George Wilson, passed away in Kingston, Jamaica ~ Released his first single, the Coxsone Dodd-produced Emy Lou, at age 13. Would go on to score several hits including Dancing Mood, Rain From The Skies, This Old Heart Of Mine and It Hurts working with a host of Jamaica's top-notch producers such as Bunny Lee, Joe Gibbs and Gussie Clarke ~ Wilson was born in 1948
March 6, 1995 ~ Power metal, heavy metal drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg passed away in Hamburg, Germany ~ Best known as co-founding member of Helloween, fired from the band in 1993. Noted for his high-energy drumming and for his cheerful attitude earning him the nickname “Mr Smile”. Has also worked with Gentry and Iron Fist ~ Schwichtenberg was born in 1965
March 6, 1994 ~ Maria Amalia Mercouri, commonly known as actress, singer, activist, politician Melina Mercouri, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ As a singer best known for Hartino To Fengaraki from the Greek production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Athenes Ma Ville, and Melinaki. At the time of the coup d'ét in Greece, she was abroad and had her Greek citizenship revoked for leading the protest against the dictatorial regime. After the regime's fall in 1974 returned to Greece and co-founding the centre-left political party PASOK. Later Mercouri would serve as Minister for Culture, the first woman to do so ~ Mercouri was born in 1920
March 6, 1991 ~ Lexus Arnel Lewis, commonly known as producer, songwriter Lex Luger, born in Suffolk, Virginia, USA ~ Influenced by Dr Dre, Shawty Redd, Drumma Boy, Jazze Pha, and the Heatmakers. Co-founded production team 808 Mafia with Southside. Also half of Low Pros, the other half being A-Trak. Collaborated with Waka Flocka Flame, Kanye West, Rick Ross, MC Hammer, Ace Hood, Soulja Boy, Chingy, Sean Garrett, Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Wale, Juicy J, Snoop Dogg, and 2 ChainzMarch 6, 1991 ~ Tyler Gregory Okonma, commonly known as rapper, singer, producer, songwriter, actor Tyler the Creator, born in Ladera Heights, California, USA ~ Co-founding member of music collective Odd Future. Initially gained attention with his horrorcore-influenced sound and violent lyrics, over time moving more towards a friendlier alternative hip hop style. Has recorded as a solo artist since the late 2000s, a full-length Goblin debut album released in 2011. Perhaps best known for the late-2010s, early-2020s singles Earfquake featuring Playboi Carti, and WusYaName featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again & Ty Dolla $ign
March 6, 1990 ~ New jack swing vocal group Bell Biv DeVoe release Poison, lead single off their debut album of the same name ~ Written and produced by Elliot Straite, more commonly known as Dr Freeze, Poison would serve as the debut single for the trio of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe, all three formerly of New Edition. The single would become the trio's first of two to reach top 10 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No.3 as did their follow-up single Do Me, and the first of five consecutive Billboard R&B top 10 singles. Straite had written the song about half a decade earlier, originally intended to be used on an album of his own, yet he held on to it. The songwriter would later explain the lyrical inspiration for the song: “Most of the girls out there with nice shapes, they take advantage of that and they take a lot of people's money. They use a lot of guys and that's why I call them ‘poison’. Poison might look like a piece of candy and look really good, and when you bite into it, you're dead”