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 2, 2025 ~ Conductor, oboist Victor Aviat passed away in Berlin, Germany ~ Served as principal oboist with the Zurich Opera House, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and the Orchestra Mozart. As a conductor, Aviat is perhaps best known for conducting Jacques Offenbach's operetta Le Roi Carotte with the Opéra de Lyon which won Aviat an International Opera Award for Best Rediscovered Work in 2016. Aviat has also led the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the late 2010s, and has composed several works, most notably Sur le Danube. Aviat passed away from a brain tumour at age 42 ~ Aviat was born in 1982
May 2, 2024 ~ Jazz guitarist John Pisano passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ First gained attention in the mid 1950s, taking over for Jim Hall in Chico Hamilton's quartet. Would go on to become an in-demand session musician, and occasional leader, co-leader including forming the duo Pisano & Ruff with Willie Ruff. Other notable associations include Joe Pass, backing Peggy Lee for about a decade, and playing with Herb Alpert's renowned unit the Tijuana Brass. Pisano has also appeared on albums by the likes of Tony Bennett (The Beat Of My Heart), Ken Nordine, Sam Cooke (Ain't That Good News), Bill Perkins, Sérgio Mendes (Equinox), Pete Jolly, Ben Sidran, Dan Hicks (It Happened One Bite), the Manhattan Transfer, Nino Tempo, and Barbra Streisand. In the 1990s Pisano has performed with his wife singer Jeanne Pisano in a group called the Flying Pisanos ~ Pisano was born in 1931
May 2, 2022 ~ Folk, folk rock singer, guitarist, songwriter María José Cantilo passed away in El Bolsón, Argentina ~ Emerged in the mid-1980s, releasing her eponymous María José Cantilo debut album in 1984, to become one of the defining voices in Argentine rock of the 1980s. Has collaborated with the likes of David Lebón, Leon Gieco, Osvaldo Fattorusso, Daniel Colombres, Oscar Moro, and with her older brother Miguel Cantilo. In 1990 Cantilo would become a Playboy model gracing the cover of the May issue of the magazine's Argentina edition ~ Cantilo was born in 1953May 2, 2020 ~ Jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger Richie Cole passed away in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Active from the late 1960s onwards. Worked with Buddy Rich, Doc Severinsen, Eddie Jefferson, Nancy Wilson, Tom Waits, the Manhattan Transfer, Hank Crawford, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Kloss, Bobby Enriquez, Phil Woods, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Boots Randolph, Oliver Nelson, Anita O'Day, Red Rodney, and Janine Santana ~ Cole was born in 1948
May 2, 2019 ~ Guitarist, singer, songwriter John Starling passed away in Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA ~ Released two solo albums, 1980's Long Time Gone and 1982's Waiting On A Southern Train. Member of the Seldom Scene. Member of the Ready Section. Worked with Mike Auldridge, Ben Eldridge, Carl Jackson, Carolina Star, Emmylou Harris, Lowell George, Buddy Emmons, Claire Lynch, the Nash Ramblers, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt ~ Starling was born in 1940
May 2, 2019 ~ Harpist, composer Juan Vicente Torrealba passed away in Caracas, Venezuela ~ Formed Los Torrealberos with his brother Arturo Torrealba and son Santana Torrealba. Also recorded as a solo artist, with over 100 albums to his name. Best known for songs such as Sinfonia En El Palmar, Mujer Guayanesa, Barquisimeto, La Fillo Zaina and Solito Con The Stars ~ Torrealba was born in 1917
May 2, 2018 ~ Salvator Cucchiara, commonly known as singer Tony Cucchiara, passed away in Rome, Italy ~ Best known for songs such as Annalisa and Vola Cuore Mio. Half of folk duo Tony & Nelly, the other half being his wife Nelly Fioramonti. Also known as playwriter with several musicals to his name, starting with 1970's Cassandra 2000 ~ Cucchiara was born in 1937
May 2, 2016 ~ Jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist Alan Elsdon passed away ~ Worked with Cy Laurie, Graham Stewart, Terry Lightfoot, Kid Ory, Red Allen, Edmond Hall, Albert Nicholas, Wingy Manone, Howlin' Wolf, and Keith Nichols ~ Elsdon was born in 1934
May 2, 2013 ~ Heavy metal guitarist, singer Jeff Hanneman, full name Jeffrey John Hanneman, passed away in Henet, California, USA ~ Influenced by Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Minor Threat and the Dead Kennedys. Hanneman would rise to fame as co-lead guitarist of Slayer, the band considered one of “the Big Four” of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Hanneman has recorded about a dozen albums with the band since its inception in the early 1980s, and wrote songs for every Slayer album until his death at age 49 of liver failure ~ Hanneman was born in 1964May 2, 2011 ~ Bassist Ernest Mothle passed away in Pretoria, South Africa ~ Member of Jabula, a group of exiled South African musicians living in England, known for a number of 1970s, 1980s albums. In addition to their own work the group has also notably worked with Mike Oldfield on the albums Ommadawn, Incantations and Amarok ~ Mothle was born in 1941
May 2, 2004 ~ Rockabilly singer, guitarist, songwriter Curtis Gordon passed away in Moultrie, Georgia, USA ~ Reportedly, after winning a radio talent show Gordon dropped out of high school to pursue a career in music, only to have his parents make him return to school. However, he would moonlight with his band Pee Wee Mills & the Twilight Cowboys. Later, Gordon toured the Southeast with a Western swing band, and at age 21 would be signed as a solo artist by RCA Records producer Steve Sholes, who would later sign Elvis Presley. Heavily influenced by Ernest Tubb, Bob Wills, and Jimmie Rodgers, at the time Gordon's style merging country, Western swing and rockabilly may have been a little too much rock & roll for country lovers and a little too much country for rock & roll audiences. Unfortunately, Gordon may have never achieved the recognition he deserved, as his records charted poorly, if at all, yet he is fondly remembered by rockabilly aficionados as one of the most endearing artists of the 1950s, songs such as Rompin' And Stompin', Caffeine And Nicotine, Play The Music Louder, and Baby Please Come Home considered lost gems of the era. Financially, Gordon did manage to stay aflout though, touring with the Grand Ole Opry, opening for the likes of Ernest Tubb and Hank Snow, and later owning and operating a popular club in Mobile, Alabama, where he would continue to perform and enjoyed a solid regional following. Singer George Jones would record I've Aged Twenty Years In Five, written by Gordon and Bobby Parrish, for his 1980 I Am What I Am album, at the time regarded a comeback album for Jones and retrospectively acknowledged as one of the all-time greatest country albums. Gordon himself also briefly resurfaced in the 1980s, following a resurgence in rockabilly ~ Gordon was born in 1928
May 2, 2003 ~ Bernard Weissman, commonly known as orchestra leader, songwriter George Wyle, passed away in Tarzana, California, 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 was born in 1916
May 2, 2000 ~ Barbara Ann Martin, commonly known as country, country pop singer, guitarist, songwriter Bobbi Martin passed away in Baltimore, Maryland, USA ~ Known for songs such as Don't Forget I Still Love You, I Can't Stop Thinking Of You, For The Love Of Him, and Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight) ~ Martin was born in 1943
May 2, 2000 ~ Shirley Enid Avery, commonly known as jazz singer, pianist Teri Thornton, passed away in Englewood, New Jersey, USA ~ Quickly rose to fame at the turn of the 1960s only to fade into obscurity after a few albums and resurface to critical acclaim over three decades later. Brought up in a musical household, her mother hosting a weekly radio show, Thornton gravitated towards music early on. By the late 1950s, she was singing in clubs, with occassional sidegigs singing jingles for ads. In the early 1960s, she landed a record deal with Riverside and issued the highly acclaimed Devil May Care album, aided by a stellar cast of backing musicians including Clark Terry, Seldon Powell, Freddie Green, Wynton Kelly, and Jimmy Cobb. The album made her a critics darling and earned her peer admiration. Cannonball Adderley has been known to call her “the greatest voice since Ella Fitzgerald”. Over the next few years, Thornton would make regular TV appearances, including teaming up with Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald on the Today Show, headlined at the Birdland Jazz Club, sang Somewhere In The Night the theme song for the Naked City drama series, and recorded a few more albums. Despite critical acclaim, her records sold poorly and eventually she was dropped by her label. Thornton would fade into obscurity, performing from time to time accompanying herself on the piano, yet made her living in a series of day jobs from driving a cab to working as a booking agent. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, with the help of a newly-found manager Thornton resurfaced in the late 1990s. In 1998, she won a singing competition held by the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, beating Jane Monheit, Tierney Sutton and Roberta Gambarini, and released her well-received I'll Be Easy To Find album the following year. It would be her last, as she was diagnosed with cancer later the same year. Thornton passed away at age 65, only shortly after making one of the most remarkable comebacks in jazz history ~ Avery was born in 1934
May 2, 1998 ~ Hideto Matsumoto, commonly known as alternative rock singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter Hide, passed away in Tokyo, Japan ~ Member of Saver Tiger, known for songs such as Dead Angle and Emergency Express. Rose to fame as member of X joining the band in 1987, a band credited with pioneering visual kei. Wrote or co-wrote songs such as Celebration, Joker and Scars. After the band disbanded in 1997 Matsumoto would focus on his solo career and co-found the international supergroup Zilch. By the time of his death by suicide at age 33 Matsumoto was considered an icon, representative of rebellion against a conformist society, and his death marked as the end of an era ~ Matsumoto was born in 1964
May 2, 1994 ~ Country singer Garth Brooks releases One Night A Day, lifted off his In Pieces album ~ Left by his lover, Garth Brooks tries to get through each night, one night a day, talking to himself, listening to the radio, and calling up friends in the middle of the night to let them know he's OK. One Night A Day, written by Gary Burr and Pete Wasner, is noted for its unique jazz stylings and as Billboard remarked for its “slick, un-country singing style for this broken-hearted lament”. The saxophone is played by noted session musician Jim Horn who had previously worked with Roy Orbison, the Beach Boys, the Carpenters, Frank Sinatra, Ike & Tina Turner, Herbie Hancock, and Elton John. One Night A Day reached No.7 Billboard Country
May 2, 1989 ~ Claude August Benjamin, commonly known as songwriter, lyricist Bennie Benjamin, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Revered pop songwriter. Collaborated with composers such as Sol Marcus, and George David Weiss. Well known songs written or co-written by Benjamin include I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (Harlan Leonard, Betty Carter, Frankie Laine), Oh What It Seemed To Be (Frank Sinatra, Frankie Carle, Willie Nelson), When The Lights Go On Again (Vaughn Monroe, Gene Autry, Vera Lynn), Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (Nina Simone, the Animals, Elvis Costello), and Wheel Of Fortune (Kay Starr, Eddie Wilcox, Dinah Washington) ~ Benjamin was born in 1907May 2, 1989 ~ Singer, songwriter Graham Alexander born in Camden, New Jersey, USA ~ As a solo artist recording since the early-2010s, best known for Biggest Fan taken of his eponymous Eric Person debut album. Also known for his roles in the Broadway shows Rain (A Tribute To The Beatles) and Let It Be
May 2, 1987 ~ Indie rock singer, guitarist, pianist Justin Young, full name Justin James Hayward-Young, born in Southampton, UK ~ Co-founding member, lead singer for the Vaccines, active since the early-2010s and known best for songs such as Post Break-Up Sex, If You Wanna, No Hope, and Teenage Icon. Young has previously worked with alt-country group the Eldora Parade and punk band the Fashion Police Brutality. Has also recorded as a solo artist, going by the monniker Jay Jay Pistolet, formed the side project the Halloweens, and served as producer for Alfie Templeman
May 2, 1986 ~ Jazz drummer Wallace Bishop passed away in Hilversum, the Netherlands ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Art Sims, Jelly Roll Morton, Bernie Young, Hughie Swift, Richard M Jones, Tommy Dorsey, Erskine Tate, Earl Hines, Jimmie Noone, Coleman Hawkins, Don Redman, Phil Moore, Walter Foots Thomas, John Kirby, Sy Oliver, Sammy Price, Billy Kyle, Buck Clayton, Bill Coleman, Don Byas, Ben Webster, Kid Ory, Milt Buckner, Buddy Tate, and T-Bone Walker ~ Bishop was born in 1906
May 2, 1986 ~ Classical pianist Yeol Eum Son born in Wonju, South Korea ~ First gained serious attention as a soloist at age 18, performing the Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Lorin Maazel on their Asia tour. Would go on to work with renowned orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, and the Hague Philharmonic
May 2, 1985 ~ Trumpeter, bandleader, arranger Larry Clinton passed away in Tucson, Arizona, USA ~ Early on, while in his twenties, a popular arranger for dance orchestras including those led by Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Glen Gray, Louis Armstrong, and Bunny Berigan. As a bandleader recorded hits for the Victor Label label ranging from pop tunes and instrumentals penned by Clinton to swing adaptions of classical compositions (notably his 1938 hit My Reverie, an adaptation of Claude Debussy's Reverie with added pop lyrics sung by Bea Wain). Clinton served in the US Air Force during World War II as a pilot and resumed his career after the war, mostly leading studio bands up to the early 1960s ~ Clinton was born in 1909May 2, 1984 ~ Singer, actor, orchestra leader Smith Ballew passed away in Longview, Texas, USA ~ One of the most recognizable voices on hundreds of dance bands and jazz records starting in the late 1920. Became one of the earliest singing cowboys though a series of musical Westerns for Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, continuing in supporting roles until the 1950s ~ Ballew was born in 1902
May 2, 1981 ~ In its 12th week on the charts, Morning Train (9 To 5) by Sheena Easton hits No.1 Billboard Hot 100 ~ Sheena Easton had previously released one single, Modern Girl, which failed to make much of an impact. However, after exposure on the BBC documentary The Big Time (Pop Singer) both singles simultaneously made the UK top 10. Initially, there was some confusion as her debut single Modern Girl praised the independent woman while its follow-up Morning Train (9 To 5) told of a woman meekly sitting at home waiting for her man to return after a day's work, the latter drawing criticism from feminists. In America, Morning Train (9 To 5) would be released in early 1981 as Easton's debut single. It would become her first and only Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit. Easton would continue to record to commercial success throughout the late 1980s, scoring over half a dozen American top 10 hits
May 2, 1980 ~ Singer, keyboardist, flutist Peter Gabriel releases No Self Control, lifted off his Peter Gabriel 3 album ~ Much of the parent album, in particular No Self Control, was influenced by minimalist composer Steve Reich's Music For 18 Musicians album released in 1978. Former Genesis bandmate Phil Collins played drums on No Self Control, while Kate Bush can be heard on backing vocals. Peter Gabriel, who would later experiment with a wide array of musical influences ranging from electronic to world music, has called No Self Control one of his breakthrough tracks, musically. The single reached No.33 in the singer's native UK