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.
May 16, 1950 ~ Composer, conductor David Friedman, full name David Allen Friedman, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Composed for TV, film, stage. Best known as conductor for several Disney animated feature films including Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas. Musical director of Broadway musicals including Sarava and Song & Dance. As a composer had his songs recorded by Diana Ross, Barry Manilow, Petula Clark, Alison Krauss, Laura Branigan, and Leslie Uggams
May 16, 1948 ~ Ambient, jazz, acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Adrian Legg born in London, UK ~ Called “impossible to categorize”, acclaimed for his fingerstyle picking and held in the highest regard by peers including Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Actively recording since the mid 1970s. Noted for his 1990 Guitars And Other Cathedrals album
May 16, 1948 ~ Thomas Neal Cartnell, commonly known as rock, heartland rock, roots rock, rock & roll saxophonist Alto Reed, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Best known as longtime associate of Bob Seger and member of Silver Bullet Band, notably present on songs such as Turn The Page and Old Time Rock & Roll. Has also worked with Foghat, Grand Funk Railroad, Little Feat, Otis Rush, Jamie Oldaker, Dave Mason, Spencer Davis, Tico Torres, and George Thorogood ~ Cartmell passed away in 2020
May 16, 1947 ~ Drummer Darrell Sweet, full name Darrell Anthony Sweet, born in Bournemouth, UK ~ Co-founding member of hard rock, metal outfit Nazareth, known for songs such as Broken Down Angel, This Flight Tonight and perhaps their best known Love Hurts. Sweet died of a heart attack aged 51 while on tour and would eventually be replaced by bandmate Pete Agnew's son Lee Agnew ~ Sweet passed away in 1999
May 16, 1946 ~ Guitarist, keyboardist Robert Fripp born in Dorset, UK ~ Guitarist, co-founding member of King Crimson, known best for their 1969 masterpiece and debut album In The Court Of The Crimson King which is often hailed as one of the most important albums in progressive rock. In-demand collaborater, the number of albums he contributed to estimated as high as over 700. Has worked with David Bowie, Blondie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, and David SylvianMay 16, 1945 ~ Harmonica player, songwriter Bob Young, full name Robert Keith Young, born in Basingstoke, UK ~ Best known as unofficial fifth member of Status Quo. Crew member started writing songs for the band as early as 1963 and occasion played harmonica on recordings, such as on The Price Of Love. Co-wrote songs such as Caroline, Paper Plane and Down Down
May 16, 1945 ~ Bassist Michael Moore born in Glen Este, Ohio, USA ~ Worked with Cal Collins, Woody Evans, Woody Herman, Marian McPartland, Freddie Hubbard, Jim Hall, Jimmy Raney, Bill Evans, Benny Goodman, Jake Hanna, Warren Vaché Jr, Herb Ellis, Zoot Sims, Ruby Braff, George Barnes, Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Gene Bertoncini, Kenny Barron, Michal Urbaniak, and Dave Brubeck
May 16, 1945 ~ Pop, glam rock songwriter, producer Nicky Chinn, full name Nicholas Barry Chinn, born in London, UK ~ Frequent collaborator of Mike Chapman. Together the pair produced and wrote a substantial of era-defining hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s for artists such as Sweet (The Ballroom Blitz), Suzi Quatro (Devil Gate Drive, Stumblin' In), Mud (Dyna-mite, Tiger Feet), the Arrows (Touch Too Much), Racey (Lay Your Love On Me), Smokie (I'll Meet You At Midnight, Living Next Door To Alice), Exile (Kiss You All Over), Tina Turner (Better Be Good To Me), Huey Lewis & the News (Heart And Soul), and Toni Basil (Mickey)
May 16, 1944 ~ Drummer, percussionist Billy Cobham, full name William Emanuel Cobham Jr, born in Colón, Panama ~ Quintessential fusion drummer. Influential beyond jazz, praised by rock drummers such as King Crimson's Bill Bruford, Phil Collins and Tool's Danny Carey. Rose to fame backing Miles Davis in the late 1960s and 1970s, including on albums such as Bitches Brew and Live/Evil, and as a member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Well over two dozen albums to his name as a leader, especially acclaimed for Spectrum released in 1973. In-demand sideman, present on albums by Stanley Turrentine, George Benson (Giblet Gravy), Horace Silver (Serenade To A Soul Sister), Hubert Laws, Ron Carter (Uptown Conversation), Dreams, Freddie Hubbard (Red Clay), Roy Ayers (He's Coming), Dr Lonnie Smith, Mose Allison, Grover Washington Jr (All The King's Horses), Roberta Flack, Milt Jackson (Sunflower), Carly Simon, Roy Buchanan (A Street Called Straight), the Brothers Johnson (Look Out For No.1), and Pete Escovedo
May 16, 1939 ~ Pianist, songwriter, arranger, producer Antonio Coggio born in Savona, Italy ~ Perhaps best known for co-penning several of Claudio Baglioni's best known including Questo Piccolo Grande Amore, E Tu, Amore Bello and Poster. Early on in his career accompanied Gino Paoli including on the 1965 Paoli Dal Vivo Allo Studio D album. Would go on to serve as producer for artists such as Mia Martini, Ivano Fossati, Patty Pravo, and Stefano Rosso ~ Coggio passed away in 2021
May 16, 1932 ~ Isaac Holt, commonly known as jazz, soul drummer Redd Holt, born in Rosedale, Mississippi, USA ~ Perhaps best known for his association with Ramsey Lewis, including on the acclaimed The In-Crowd album which earned the trio a 1965 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance. In 1966 bassist Eldee Young and Holt would split from Lewis and form the Young-Holt Trio. The group would score a modest hit with Wack Wack but find their greatest success after renaming themselves to Young-Holt Unlimited, reaching Billboard Hot 100 top 10 with their instrumental single Soulful Strut. The band has been sampled hundreds of times, most often in the hip hop genre ~ Holt passed away in 2023
May 16, 1931 ~ Composer Donald Martino, full name Donald James Martino, born in Plainfield, New Jersey, USA ~ Composed orchestral works, chamber music, concertos, works for solo instruments, and vocal works. Perhaps best known for Notturno, published in 1974, which would earn him a Pullitzer Prize. Commissioned by pianist Easley Blackwood Jr to write the sonata Pianississimo, explicitly requesting that it would be one of the most difficult pieces ever written. Blackwood would never perform the piece in a live setting ~ Martino passed away in 2005May 16, 1930 ~ Classical, jazz pianist, composer Friedrich Gulda born in Vienna, Austria ~ Revered interpreter of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Other than for his accomplishments in the classical world, Gulda is also known to jazz audiences, specifically for his work with the likes of Cecil Taylor, Barre Phillips, Ursula Anders, John Surman, Albert Mangelsdorff, Stu Martin, and Fritz Pauer ~ Gulda passed away in 2000
May 16, 1929 ~ Lillie Mae Jones, commonly known as jazz, post-bop singer Betty Carter, born in Flint, Michigan, USA ~ Debuted as a solo artist with the well-received album Out There in 1958. Became a household name after duetting with Ray Charles releasing the 1960 collaborative album Ray Charles & Betty Carter which spawned the hit Baby It's Cold Outside. Had previously worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery, King Pleasure, and Ray Bryant. Carter would go on to record numerous critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums often employing and mentoring young talent early on in their career such as John Hicks, Curtis Lundy, Mulgrew Miller, Cyrus Chestnut, Dave Holland, Stephen Scott, Kenny Washington, Benny Green, and Tarik Shah ~ Carter passed away in 1998May 16, 1926 ~ Bassoonist, conductor Mordechai Rechtman born in Barmen, Germany ~ Best known as principal bassoon with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra from 1946 through 1991, with whom he notably played the Israeli national anthem Hatikvah at the signing ceremony of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. Founded the Israel Woodwind Quintet and the Philharmonic Woodwind Ensemble, also serving as the latter's music director and conductor ~ Rechtman passed away in 2023
May 16, 1922 ~ Edward Joseph Bertoiatus, commonly known as trombonist Eddie Bert, born in Yonkers, New York, USA ~ An in-demand soloist, Bert enjoyed a lengthy career mostly going unnoticed by all but his fellow musicians despite a handful of albums as a leader, specifically Encore released in 1955. Bert joined Sam Donahue's ensemble in his late teens, to go on to work with Red Norvo, Charlie Barnet, Woody Herman, Herbie Fields, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, Les Elgart, and Coleman Hawkins. Later on in his career, Bert would back the likes of Charles Mingus (Mingus At The Bohemia), Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Chubby Jackson, Boyd Raeburn, Lionel Hampton, Sal Salvador, Perry Como (Saturday Night With Mr C), Cannonball Adderley, Buddy Rich (Richcraft), Urbie Green, Manny Albam, Thad Jones, Dakota Staton, Bob James, Janis Ian (Between The Lines), Carly Simon, and Marlena Shaw ~ Bert passed away in 2012
May 16, 1919 ~ Wladziu Valentino Liberace, mononymously known as pianist Liberace born in West Allis, Wisconsin, USA ~ Child prodigy. Known for his outrageous showmanship, sporting a flamboyant presence and lifestyle both on and off stage. At the height of his fame the highest-paid entertainer in the world. Played pop standards, classical and classical crossover ~ Liberace passed away in 1987
May 16, 1916 ~ Wilbur Odell Bascomb, commonly known as trumpeter Dud Bascomb, born in Birmingham, Alabama, USA ~ Best known for his association with Erskine Hawkins. Has also worked with Duke Ellington, Lou Donaldson, Buddy Tate, James Brown (including on the 1969 Say It Loud I'm Black And I'm Proud album), and Freddie McCoy ~ Bascomb passed away in 1972May 16, 1915 ~ Carlos Guillermo Cascales, commonly known as saxophonist, bandleader Chuck Cabot, born in Querétaro, Mexico ~ Brother of jazz, big band arranger Johnny Richards. As a bandleader enjoyed popularity during the 1940s and 1950s, known for songs such as Psychopathic Sally From The San Fernando Valley, Part-Time Sweetheart, In San Francisco (Long Ago), and Come Into My Arms. Co-founded the Hollywood International Talents talent agency. From the early 1960s until shortly before his death worked as booker, concert promoter, noted for organizing the Rolling Stones first West Coast concert tour ~ Cascales passed away in 2007
May 16, 1913 ~ Woodrow Charles Herman, commonly known as big band, swing, cool jazz bandleader, saxophonist, clarinetist, singer Woody Herman, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA ~ Rose to prominence as bandleader in the 1930s. Known for songs such as At The Woodchopper's Ball, Blues In The Night, Laura, Blue Flame, Sabre Dance and Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me. Employed sidemen such as Pete Candoli, Chuck Wayne, Ralph Burns, Zoot Sims, Serge Chaloff, Al Cohn, Gene Ammons, Oscar Pettiford, Shelly Manne, Michael Moore, and Sal Nistico ~ Herman passed away in 1987