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 7, 1945 ~ Arthur Porter Taylor, commonly known as singer, songwriter Arthur Lee, born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Rose to fame as frontman of Love, known for a number of mid- to late 1960s albums, most of which initially sold only moderately but did garner a cult following. Especially noted is the band's third album, Forever Changes, which Rolling Stone ranked as 40th greatest album of all-time in 2012 ~ Taylor passed away in 2006March 7, 1945 ~ Bruce Gordon Poulsen, commonly known as singer, mandolinist, autoharpist, songwriter Hans Poulsen born in Melbourne, Australia ~ Best known for songs such as Boom Sha-la-la-lo and Light Across The Valley. Also wrote and co-wrote for others including Rose Coloured Glasses for John Farnham and Monty And Me for Zoot ~ Poulsen passed away in 2023
March 7, 1944 ~ Singer, songwriter Townes Van Zandt, full name John Townes Van Zandt, born in Fort Worth, Texas, USA ~ Penned and recorded songs widely considered to be classics such as Pancho & Lefty, For The Sake Of The Song, Tecumsah Valley, and To Live Is To Fly. Influenced a wide array of artists including Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, the Counting Crows, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Wade Bowen, Gillian Welch, Pat Green, Colter Wall, Jason Isbell, Calvin Russell, and Natalie Maines ~ Van Zandt passed away in 1997March 7, 1943 ~ Bassist, singer, songwriter Chris White, full name Christopher Taylor White, born in Barnet, UK ~ Early and longtime member of the Zombies replacing Paul Arnold. Became one of the band's main songwriters. Following the band's disbandement in 1968 would continue to work with his former bandmates including songwriting and producing solo recordings by Colin Blunstone and notably co-writing Argent's hit Hold Your Head Up with Rod Argent, a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic
March 7, 1942 ~ R&B, disco, funk bandleader, singer, drummer, songwriter, producer Hamilton Bohannon, mononymously known as Bohannon, born in Newnan, Georgia, USA ~ Recorded over a dozen albums from the early 1970s through the 1980s. Best known for Let's Start The Dance of the 1978 album Summertime Groove, the single would reach top 10 Billboard R&B ~ Bohannon passed away in 2020
March 7, 1941 ~ Singer, guitarist Al Candelaria born ~ Member of the Innocents, with whom he scored the 1960 Billboard Hot 100 top 30 hits Honest I Do and Gee Whiz. The trio is best known for teaming up with Kathy Young, with whom they scored the 1960 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit A Thousand Stars billed as Kathy Young & the Innocents
March 7, 1939 ~ Violinist, conductor, composer Amadeo Roldán, full name Amadeo Roldán y Gardes, passed away in Havana, Cuba ~ Founded the Havana String Quartet. Director, conductor, concertmaster for the Orquesta Sinfonica De La Habana and the Orquesta Filarmonica Of Havana. As a composer best known for his 1928 ballet La Rebambaramba, a pivotal work of the Afrocubanismo movement. Other well known works include Overture On Cuban Themes, El Milagro De Anaquille, and Ritmicas ~ Roldán was born in 1900March 7, 1937 ~ Jazz trombonist Roy Williams born in Salford, UK ~ Worked with Mike Peters, Terry Lightfoot, Alex Welsh, Ruby Braff, Wild Bill Davison, Bud Freeman, John Barnes, Humphrey Lyttelton, the Pizza Express All-Stars, Benny Waters, Doc Cheatham, Jim Galloway, Buddy Tate, the Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, the World's Greatest Jazz Band, Peanuts Hucko, Bent Persson, Bobby Rosengarden, Stan Barker, Bob Wilber, Digby Fairweather, Pete Strange, and Keith Smith
March 7, 1931 ~ Coloratura soprano Maddy Mesplé, full name Madeleine Mesplé, born in Toulouse, France ~ Considered the leading colaratura soprano of her day in France, enjoying popularity for over three decades starting in the early 1950s. Known for roles in productions of works such as Lakmé, The Tales Of Hoffmann, Mignon, Roméo Et Juliette, and Hamlet ~ Mesplé passed away in 2020
March 7, 1926 ~ Bernard Vasseur, commonly known as jazz trombonist Benny Vasseur, born in Neuville St Remy, France ~ Worked with Claude Bolling, Rex Stewart, Sidney Bechet, Benny Carter, Buck Clayton, Bill Coleman, Roy Eldridge, Big Chief Russell Moore, Albert Nicholas, Hot Lips Page, Django Reinhardt, Aimé Barelli, Michel Attenoux, Claude Luter, Andre Paquinet, Annie Cordy, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra, François Guin, and François Biensan ~ Vasseur passed away in 2016March 7, 1921 ~ Gospel singer Martha Bass born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Mother of soul singer Fontella Bass. Briefly toured with the Clara Ward Singers in the early 1950s and present on Wasn't It A Pity How They Punished My Lord. As a solo singer best known for her 1967 album I'm So Grateful, establishing Bass as a premier gospel singer ~ Bass passed away in 1998
March 7, 1918 ~ Vincent John Cernuto, commonly know as big band singer Bob Vincent, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Best known as featured vocalist on Al Trace's You Call Everybody Darlin', a No.1 hit in 1948. Later turned to management, working as a theatrical agent working with artists such as Wayne Newton ~ Cernuto passed away in 2005
March 7, 1917 ~ Composer Robert Erickson born in Marquette, Michigan, USA ~ One of the first American composers to create tape music, using the tape recorder as its central musical source. Influential on artists such as Morton Subotnick, Pauline Oliveros, Louise Spizizen, and Paul Dresher. Authored several books on music, perhaps most notably Sound Structure In Music published in 1975 ~ Erickson passed away in 1997
March 7, 1914 ~ Leonidas Raymond Young, commonly known as drummer Lee Young, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Baby brother of saxophonist Lester Young. Worked with Les Paul, JJ Johnson, Jean Baptiste, Mutt Carey, Fats Waller, Les Hite, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Nat King Cole, Oscar Moore, André Previn, and Dinah Washington ~ Young passed away in 2008March 7, 1911 ~ Jazz clarinetist, saxophonist Louis Cottrell Jr, full name Louis Albert Cottrell Jr, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Son of influential jazz drummer Louis Cottrell Sr. Best known for founding the Heritage Hall Jazz Band in 1971, leading the ensemble until his death in 1978. As a sideman Cottrell has recorded with artists such as Peter Bocage, Harold Dejan, Sweet Emma Barrett, Kid Howard, and Waldren Joseph ~ Cottrell passed away in 1978
March 7, 1908 ~ Trumpeter, mellophonist, singer, bandleader Nat Gonella, full name Nathaniel Charles Gonella, born in London, UK ~ Best known as founder of dance band the Georgians. Also worked with Archie Pitt, Rob Brydon, Archie Alexander, Billy Cotton, Roy Fox, Lew Stone, and Al Bowlly ~ Gonella passed away in 1998
March 7, 1906 ~ Composer, violinist Alejandro García Caturla born in Remedios, Cuba ~ Along with Amadeo Roldán a leading figure in the Afro-cubanismo movement, a nationalist music trend merging white and black culture incorporating Afro-Cuban songs, rhythms and dances. Known for works such as Tres Danzas Cubana, Bember and Obertura Cubana ~ García passed away in 1940
March 7, 1888 ~ Jazz guitarist, bassoonist, bassist, double bassist Alcide Pavageau, full name Alcide Louis Pavageau, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Originally a guitarist, Pavageau would become a fixture on the New Orleans scene after switching to bass. Especially known for his association with George Lewis throughout the 1950s and 1960s, his percussive bass lines providing a key element to the band's sound. Pavageau has also worked with Buddy Petit, Baby Dodds, Bunk Johnson, Jim Robinson, Louis Cottrell Jr (Bourbon Street Parade), Sweet Emma Barrett, Kid Howard (Kid Howard At The San Jacinto Hall), Percy Humphrey, and extensively with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Pavageau recorded one album as a leader, Slow Drag's Bunch released in 1965 ~ Pavageau passed away in 1969
March 7, 1875 ~ Composer, pianist, conductor Maurice Ravel, full name Joseph Maurice Ravel, born in Ciboure, France ~ Alongside Claude Debussy one of the leading figures of impresionism. Incorporated elements of modernism, baroque, neoclassicism and jazz. Best known for his Boléro, published in 1928 ~ Ravel passed away in 1937