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 26, 2025 ~ Richard Dean Zehringer, commonly known as rock, blues, pop rock guitarist, singer, songwriter Rick Derringer, passed away in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA ~ Rose to fame as co-founding member, lead singer of the McCoys, known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit Hang On Sloopy. The band is also known for serving as backing unit for Johnny Winter. Derringer would also go on to work with Winter's brother Edgar Winter, including producing the hit singles Frankenstein and Free Ride. Derringer recorded over a dozen albums as a solo artist, starting with All American Boy in 1973, formed the short-lived supergroup Derringer Bogert & Appice, and guested on albums by Alice Cooper (Killer), Todd Rundgren (Something/Anything), Steely Dan, Dan Hartman, Bette Midler, Kiss, Donald Fagen (The Nightfly), Bonnie Tyler, Barbra Streisand, Cyndi Lauper (True Colors), Grayson Hugh, and Joe Bonamassa ~ Zehringer was born in 1947May 26, 2025 ~ Shirly Bryce, commonly known as country singer Sherry Bryce, passed away in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA ~ Best known for her two duet albums with Mel Tillis, Living And Learning released in 1971 and Let's Go All The Way three years later. The former would spawn the hits Take My Hand and Living And Learning which peaked respectively at No.8 and No.9 on the Billboard Country charts. Bryce would record two more albums as a solo artist, yet to lesser success as her highest charting single, Don't Stop Now, stalled at No.45 Billboard Country. After retiring from the music business, Bryce would work in real estate in Florida ~ Bryce was born in 1946
May 26, 2022 ~ Pop rock, progressive rock drummer Alan White passed away in Newcastle, Washington, USA ~ Member of the Plastic Ono Band, backing John Lennon on songs such as Imagine and Instant Karma. Best known as longtime member of progressive rock outfit Yes, joining the band in 1972 as replacement for Bill Bruford. Has also worked with the likes of Balls, Circa, George Harrison, Terry Reid, Joe Cocker, Doris Troy, and Donovan ~ White was born in 1949
May 26, 2022 ~ Keyboardist, bassist Andy Fletcher, full name Andrew John Leonard Fletcher, passed away in Brighton, UK ~ Co-founded Composition Of Sound with Martin Gore and Vince Clarke. After the addition of David Gahan the band would be renamed to Depeche Mode, releasing their Speak & Spell debut album in 1981. The band would go on to become one of the leading and most certainly longest-running acts in synth-pop, new wave, dance-rock, and score hits such as Just Can't Get Enough, Everything Counts, People Are People, Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence and Condemnation ~ Fletcher was born in 1961
May 26, 2022 ~ Conductor, music director, producer Bill Walker, full name William Alfred Walker, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ After working with Jim Reeves relocated to America, only to find Reeves had died in a plane crash. Music director for The Johnny Cash Show during the late 1960s, working on some 60 episodes until the show was canceled. Led the orchestra on TNN's The Statler Brother Show for it's entire seven-year existence. Served as orchestrator, producer for the likes of Eddy Arnold (Make The World Go Away), Roy Clark, Marty Robbins, Sammi Smith (Help Me Make It Through The Night), Bobby Vinton, Bob Dylan (Copper Kettle), and Donna Fargo (The Happiest Girl In The Whole USA) ~ Walker was born in 1927
May 26, 2021 ~ Patrick Linch, commonly known as folk singer, guitarist, banjoist, songwriter Patrick Sky, passed away in Asheville, North Carolina, USA ~ Emerged from New York's Greenwich Village folk scene. Best known for his 1973 album Songs That Made America Famous, a collection of politically radical, satirical songs. It also included the first recorded version of Kuang Prabang written by close friend Dave Van Ronk ~ Linch was born in 1940May 26, 2015 ~ Don Roscoe Joseph III, commonly known as pianist Rocky Frisco, passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA ~ Best known as longtime pianist for JJ Cale. Also worked with Steve Pryor, the Empty Pockets, Brad Absher, Larry Spears, Susan Herndon, Lata Gouveia, Dustin Pittsley, Jesse Aycock, Rodney Lay, Widespread Panic, Dennis Crouch, Snuggle Naked, and Tex Waggoner ~ Joseph was born in 1937
May 26, 2012 ~ Singer Loreen wins the 57th edition of the Eurovision Songfestival held in Baku, Azerbaijan ~ Representing Sweden, Loreen wins with the song Euphoria written by Thomas Gustafsson and Peter Boström. Runner-ups would be Russia's Buranovskiye Babushki with Party For Everybody in second place, and Serbia's Zeljko Joksimovic with Nije Ljubav Stvar in thirdMay 26, 2012 ~ The 43rd edition of Pinkpop takes place in Geleen, the Netherlands ~ Day 3 of 3. Sunny and tropical warm, this year's edition would draw some 79,000 visitors in total. Included on today's, Saturday the 26th's bill would be Moss, Kyuss, Anouk, the Cure, Major Tom, the Asteroids Galaxy Tour, the Ting Tings, Will & the People, Afghan Whigs, and Ben Howard
May 26, 2012 ~ Singer Vello Orumets passed away in Tartu, Estonia ~ Best known as soloist for Laine from 1960 through 1977. The ensemble consisted of members of the Estonian State Philharmonic and is known as one of the few to have introduced Estonian pop music to other Soviet republics during the Soviet era. Subsequently Orumets was a member of Erfia from 1978 through 1988 ~ Orumets was born in 1941
May 26, 2010 ~ Singer, songwriter Lee DeWyze wins American Idol ~ Singer Lee DeWyze wins the 9th season of talent show American Idol aired on Fox. Runner-up: singer, songwriter Crystal Bowersox. Prior to his success on the show, DeWyze had released two albums, So I'm Told in 2007 and Slumberland in 2010. Following his American Idol win, DeWyze released Live It Up, which became his highest chartin album peaking at No.19 on the Billboard Hot 200 chartMay 26, 2007 ~ The 38th edition of Pinkpop takes place in Landgraaf, the Netherlands ~ Day 1 of 3. Mostly dry with some rain, this year's edition drew some 62,500 visitors in total. Included on today's, Saturday the 26th's bill would include Goose, Juliette & the Licks, Within Temptation, Marilyn Manson, the Noisettes, Wir Sind Helden, Good Charlotte, Viberider, Stevie Ann, and C-Mon & Kypski
May 26, 2004 ~ R&B singer Fantasia wins American Idol ~ R&B singer Fantasia wins the third season of talent show American Idol aired on Fox. Runner-up: country, pop singer, songwriter Diana DeGarmo
May 26, 2002 ~ Singer Marie N wins the 47th edition of the Eurovision Songfestival held in Tallinn, Estonia ~ Representing Latvia, Marie N wins with the song I Wanna co-written with Marats Samauskis. Runner-ups would be Ira Losco representing Malta with 7th Wonder in second place, and Sahlene representing Estonia with Runaway in third placeMay 26, 1997 ~ R&B, soul, pop singer, songwriter Grace Carter born in London, UK ~ Released her debut single Silence in 2017. Subsequently rose to prominence opening for Dua Lipa on Lipa's tour the same year. A full-length Why Her Not Me debut album would be released the next year
May 26, 1996 ~ The 27th edition of Pinkpop takes place in Landgraaf, the Netherlands ~ Day 2 of 3. A rainy weekend, this year's edition would draw some 59,000 visitors in total. Included on today's, Sunday the 26th's bill would include Pennywise, the Butthole Surfers, Life Of Agony, the Gathering, Hedningarna, Wicked Wonderland, Leftfield, the Fugees, Moloko, the Treble Spankers, the Easy Aloha's, and the Fun Lovin' Criminals again, the latter also having played the day before
May 26, 1994 ~ Jazz arranger Gil Fuller passed away in San Diego, California, USA ~ Active mostly in the 1930s and 1940s, Fuller wrote and arranged for bandleaders such as Les Hite, Floyd Ray, Jimmie Lunceford, Billy Eckstine, Tiny Bradshaw, Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Machito, Tito Puente, Tadd Dameron, Gil Evans, George Russell, and Dizzy Gillespie ~ Fuller was born in 1920
May 26, 1992 ~ Jazz bassist George Morrow passed away in Orlando, Florida, USA ~ Best known for his work with Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, and with Sonny Stitt. Morrow has also played with Charlie Parker, Sonny Criss, Teddy Edwards, Hampton Hawes, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Billie Holiday, Sonny Clark, Anita O'Day, Curtis Amy, and Earl Anderza ~ Morrow was born in 1925
May 26, 1990 ~ Bandleader, pianist, singer Chris McGregor passed away in Agen, France ~ Influenced by Béla Bartók, Arnold Schoenberg, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Dollar Brand. Founded and led the Blue Notes, Brotherhood Of Breath, and the Castle Lager Big Band. Played the piano solo on Poor Boy of Nick Drake's 1970 Bryter Layter album ~ McGregor was born in 1936
May 26, 1989 ~ Jazz pianist Phineas Newborn Jr passed away in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Revered pianist influenced by Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and by Bud Powell. Studied piano as well as trumpet and saxophone. First played R&B in the family band consisting of Phineas Newborn Sr, Calvin Newborn, Tuff Green, Ben Branch and future Hi-Records label executive Willie Mitchell. The band served as the house band at Plantation Inn Club, backed BB King on King's first recordings and toured with Jackie Brenston in support of Rocket '88 in 1951. Phineas would go on to back musicians such as Big Walter Horton, Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus. Phineas released his debut as a leader, Here Is Phineas, on Atlantic Records in 1956. He would continue to lead several piano trios and quartets, including sidemen such as Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Clarke, Jamil Nasser, Philly Joe Jones, Ernie Royal, Sahib Shihab, Les Spann, George Duvivier, Denzil Best, Roy Haynes, and Elvin Jones. Throughout his career he would at times be underrated and underrecorded and later be plagued by mental and physical illness, hindering his career. Despite setbacks he would eventually be seen as one of the most brilliant pianists in jazz, especially by peers and critics, and perform and record until his untimely death at 57 ~ Newborn was born in 1931
May 26, 1987 ~ Pop rock, soft rock singer Richard Marx releases Don't Mean Nothing, lead single off his eponymous debut album ~ While still only in his early twenties, at the start of his career, Don't Mean Nothing is a cynical take on the empty promises easily made by entertainment executives. Issued as his debut single, it would peak at No.3 Billboard Hot 100. The next three singles off the same album also reached top 10. Richard Marx wrote the guitar rif, but the Eagles axeman Joe Walsh played the guitar solo on the track. Marx later commented: “He only came in the studio because he heard a demo of the song and really loved the song. So I didn't know him. It was all for the right reasons. It was all just music. He heard the song, went, ‘Yeah, I really like the song, and I don't care that it's his first record.’ He was so gracious, and he spent the whole afternoon in there with me”May 26, 1984 ~ In its 11th week on the charts, Don't Waste Your Time by Yarbrough & Peoples hits No.1 Billboard R&B ~ Preceded by Don't Stop The Music back in 1981, Don't Waste Your Time would be the second and final Billboard R&B No.1 for the husband and wife duo Yarbrough & Peoples. Written by Jonah Ellis, who also co-wrote Don't Stop The Music, based on a real story. When he was 19 years old, Ellis had been dating this girl who was cheating on him, and started dating the girl who broke the news to him. A few years later, he wrote Don't Waste Your Time based on the events. In the accompanying music video for the song rapper Ice-T, who had just started his acting career, played the role of the cheating girlfriend's secret lover
May 26, 1980 ~ The 11th edition of Pinkpop takes place in Geleen, the Netherlands ~ A sunny day, some 50,000 visitors show up for this edition's bill which includes the Jam, the J Geils Band, Van Halen, the Specials, Joe Jackson, Garland Jeffreys, Raymond van het Groenewoud, and de Centimeters
May 26, 1979 ~ In its 8th week on the charts, Old Time Rock & Roll by Bob Seger peaks at No.28 Billboard Hot 100 ~ A signature song for Bob Seger, and one of the few hits he didn't write himself. The song was originally written by George Jackson and Thomas E Jones III, and presented to Seger who changed nearly all the lyrics. Seger would later comment: “I rewrote every verse you hear except for the choruses. I didn't ask for credit. My manager said: ‘You should ask for a third of the credit’, and I said: ‘Nah. Nobody's gonna like it’.” The song would enjoy renewed popularity after being used in the 1983 Risky Business film, Seger getting a big kick out of an underwear-clad Tom Cruise dancing to the song, an oft-parodied sceneMay 26, 1978 ~ Guitarist, songwriter, producer Josh Kaufman, full name Joshua David Kaufman, born in Paterson, New Jersey, USA ~ Worked with the Yellowbords, Pooja, Follow The Leader, Annie Nero, Paul Banks, Dawn Landes, Josh Ritter, Bob Weir, Hannah Cohen, Craig Finn, Bonny Light Horseman, the War On Drugs, Lisa Hannigan, and Trixie Whitley
May 26, 1978 ~ Singer Kate Bush releases The Man With The Child In His Eyes, lifted off her The Kick Inside debut album ~ Written by Kate Bush at age 13 when she was still a child herself, some half a decade before she recorded it for her debut album, The Man With The Child In His Eyes would become one of the singer's best known as well as a signature song. The song tells of a relationship between a young girl and an older man, the singer seeing the older man as an all-consuming wise man, yet still with a certain innocent quality. Issued as the second single off her debut album after Wuthering Heights, it would reach No.6 on the British charts. The song would later be covered by dozens of artists including Natalie Cole, Tina Arena, and Oliver Darley