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 27, 2023 ~ Bassoonist, conductor Mordechai Rechtman passed away in Tel Aviv, Israel ~ 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 was born in 1926
May 27, 2022 ~ Bandoneon player, composer Juan José Mosalini passed away in Taverny, France ~ Tango nuevo. Influenced avant-garde tango. Largely self-taught. Playing professionaly since his teens. Formed Tiempo Argentino. Formed Canyengues. Has also collaborated with José Basso, Leopoldo Federico, Osvaldo Pugliese, Susana Rinaldi, Edmundo Rivero, Horacio Salgán, and Daniel Binelli. In 1999, Mosalini founded the first bandoneon course in France, his adopted homeland since the mid 1970s, at the Gennevilliers Conservatory of Music ~ Mosalini was born in 1943
May 27, 2019 ~ Jose Gabriel de Souza Diniz, commonly known as singer, composer Gabriel Diniz passed away in Estancia, Brazil ~ Has released a total of three studio albums during his short career. Teamed up with Wesley Safadão for the song Acabou Acabou in 2017. Following his plane crash, killing him at age 28, had the posthumous 2019 Brazil summer hit Jenifer ~ Diniz was born in 1990
May 27, 2017 ~ Keyboardist, guitarist, singer Gregg Allman, full name Gregory LeNoir Allman, passed away in Richmond, Georgia, USA ~ Member of the Allman Brothers Band, writing or co-writing several of the band's best known including Whipping Post, Melissa, Midnight Rider. Has released about a dozen solo albums, starting with Laid Back in 1973. Has also worked with Delaney & Bonnie and Hour Glass. Married seven times, including to singer Cher from 1975 to 1979 ~ Allman was born in 1947May 27, 2016 ~ Marshall Eugene Jones, commonly known as R&B, funk bassist Marshall Rock Jones, passed away in Houston, Texas, USA ~ Co-founding member of the Ohio Untouchables, initially an R&B band which mainly served as backing unit for several artists including the Falcons and Wilson Pickett. The band would eventually be renamed to the Ohio Players and record about a dozen albums through the mid 1980s including the acclaimed Skin Tight, Fire, and Honey, their slinky, horn-augmented grooves and animated vocals making them one of the most distinctive funk outfits of the 1970s. Jones departed the band in 1984, and is present on nearly all the band's hits including Funky Worm, Skin Tight, and the Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hits Fire and Love Rollercoaster ~ Jones was born in 1941
May 27, 2015 ~ Singer the Weeknd releases The Hills, lifted off his Beauty Behind The Madness sophomore album ~ The song title and lyrics nod to Wes Craven's 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes. Upon its release The Hills received wide critical acclaim, with most reviewers praising the Weeknd's return to form. Illangelo, who co-wrote and co-produced the song, stated The Hills was their way of going back to the style of the singer's first mixtapes with “pop arrangements and chords in a faster tempo.” The single bumped the singer's own previous, more poppier single Can't Feel My Face off the Billboard Hot 100 No.1 spot to hold the top spot for six consecutive weeks. The song would also reach No.1 in the Weeknd's native Canada, and top 10 in Germany, Australia, Ireland, and the UK. Two official remixes would be released in October, one featuring Eminem, the other with rapper Nicki MinajMay 27, 2012 ~ The 43rd edition of Pinkpop takes place in Geleen, the Netherlands ~ Day 2 of 3. Sunny and tropical warm, this year's edition would draw some 79,000 visitors in total. Included on today's, Sunday the 27th's bill would be Babylon Circus, Racoon, Kyteman, Soundgarden, Linkin Park, the BossHoss, Mastodon, the Wombats, Keane, the Hungry Kids Of Hungary, the Bombay Bicycle Club, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and Chase & Status
May 27, 2011 ~ Singer, songwriter Gil Scott-Heron passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Influenced by Richie Havens, John Coltrane, Otis Redding, José Feliciano, Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, Huey Newton, Nina Simone, and by longtime collaborator Brian Jackson. Hugely influential on rap, hip-hop, spoken word, and neo-soul. Debuted in 1970 with the album Small At 125th And Lenox. Known for songs such as The Bottle, Winter In America, and The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Worked with Ron Carter, Bernard Pretty Purdie, Hubert Laws, Jerry Jemmott, David Spinozza, Horace Ott, and Ron Holloway ~ Scott-Heron was born in 1949May 27, 2007 ~ The 38th edition of Pinkpop takes place in Landgraaf, the Netherlands ~ Day 2 of 3. Mostly dry with some rain, this year's edition drew some 62,500 visitors in total. Included on today's, Sunday the 27th's bill would include Gabriel Ríos, Razorlight, Iggy Pop, Snow Patrol, Muse, Ozark Henry, Gogol Bordello, Ilse de Lange, the Lostprophets, the Nightwatchmen, Paolo Nutini, Maxímo Park, and Krezip
May 27, 2006 ~ Jazz guitarist Kenny Poole passed away ~ Worked with James Brown, Jack McDuff, Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Howard Alden, Jack Wilkins, Richard Groove Holmes, Mark Murphy, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Jimmy Raney, Mundell Lowe, Cal Collins, Howard Alden, and Jimmy Bruno ~ Poole was born in 1947
May 27, 2004 ~ Classical pianist, composer Ronald Smith, full name Ronald Bertram Smith, passed away in London, UK ~ Inluenced by Edwin Fischer. Best known for his recordings of Charles-Valentin Alkan's pieces, rekindling a public interest for Alkan's work. Smith wrote a biography of Alkan and served as President of the Alkan Society from its inception in 1977 until his death ~ Smith was born in 1922
May 27, 1996 ~ The 27th edition of Pinkpop takes place in Landgraaf, the Netherlands ~ Day 3 of 3. A rainy weekend, this year's edition would draw some 59,000 visitors in total. Included on today's, Monday the 27th's bill would include the Prodigy, Rage Against The Machine, Alanis Morissette, Therapy, Sepultura, Dog Eat Dog, the Presidents of the United States, de Heideroosjes, Radiohead, K's Choice, Bush, Skunk Anansie, Rancid, Metal Molly, the Dave Matthews Band, DJ PA, Eboman, DJ Who Cares, the Chemical Brothers, DJ Angelo, Orbital, Dave Clarke, and Underworld
May 27, 1994 ~ Robert Roland Chudnik, commonly known as trumpeter Red Rodney, passed away in Boynton Beach, Florida, USA ~ A professional musician from age 15 Rodney started in the mid 1940s employed in the big bands of leaders such as Jerry Wald, Jimmy Dorsey, Georgie Auld, Elliot Lawrence, Benny Goodman, and Les Brown. Moved onto bebop playing with Claude Thornhill, Gene Krupa, Woody Herman, and Charlie Parker. Later on Rodney worked as a bandleader, most notably and intensely associated with Ira Sullivan, served under Russ Black, struggled with a heroin addiction, gave music lessons to MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer while incarcerated on drug offences, rejuvenated his career from the early 1970s onwards, reunited with Sullivan and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, appeared on a Charlie Parker tribute album by the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, and worked as an adviser for Bird, a Parker bio-pic ~ Chudnick was born in 1927
May 27, 1990 ~ Country singer, guitarist, songwriter Brett Kissel born in Flat Lake, Canada ~ Released his Keepin' It Country debut album in 2003. Would not reach the charts until a decade later, reaching Gold status with his 2013 Started With A Song album. Best known for Airwaves, Drink About Me and A Few Good Stories, all of which topped the country charts in CanadaMay 27, 1989 ~ In its 15th week on the charts, After All This Time by Rodney Crowell hits No.1 Billboard Country ~ Spending one week atop the Billboard Country chart, After All This Time would become the fourth of five singles lifted off Diamonds & Dirt to reach the top spot. Furthermore, After All This Time earned Rodney Crowell a Grammy Award for Best Country Song. Contrary to popular belief, it took Crowell four years to complete the song
May 27, 1985 ~ The 16th edition of Pinkpop takes place in Geleen, the Netherlands ~ Sunny and humid, some 15,000 visitors show up for this edition's bill which includes Steel Pulse, Yngwie Malmsteen, King, the Stranglers, China Crisis, Chris Rea, Jason & the Scorchers, and GaGa
May 27, 1983 ~ Singer Bryan Adams releases Cuts Like A Knife, lifted off the album of the same name ~ Peaking at No.15 Billboard Hot 100, and No.12 in his native Canada, Cuts Like A Knife would be the second major hit for Bryan Adams, preceded by Straight From The Heart lifted off the same album. Adams would later reveal the song's chorus came about naturally, Adams jamming on guitar and singing “it cuts like a knife” over and over again, while Jim Vallance chimed in with “but it feels so right”. For the backing chorus the pair decided to go with a simple “na-na-na”, intentionally invoking the feel of songs such as Hey Jude by the Beatles, Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye) by Steam, and Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' by Journey. The latter may have been on the pair's collective minds, as around the same time Cuts Like A Knife was written, Adams was touring as a support act for JourneyMay 27, 1983 ~ Pop, blue-eyed soul singer Paul Young releases Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home), lifted off his No Parlez debut album ~ Written by Marvin Gaye, who recorded the song for his 1962 That Stubborn Kinda Fella album, with Motown in-house songwriters Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield. Paul Young would select the song for his debut album after the label had sent him some some songs to consider that he thought were too complex. The British singer later told the Guardian he just wanted “a simple three-chord trick with a melody”, and thought of Gaye's B-side he had heard when he was 14, slowed down the pace, and added more melancholy to the vocal. Session bassist Pino Palladino came up with the intro, based on the bassoon melody at the opening of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring. While two earlier singles of Young's debut album failed to make much of an impact, Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) catapulted the singer to national fame and reached No.1 on the British charts. Two subsequent singles of the same album, Come Back And Stay and a re-release of Love Of The Common People, would also reach top 10. Over the course of his career, Young would score about half a dozen UK top 10 hits, yet Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) remained his biggest hit and sole No.1
May 27, 1982 ~ Country singer George Strait releases Fool Hearted Memory, lead single off his Strait From The Heart sophomore album ~ Byron Hill and Blake Mevis initially wrote the song for the 1980 film The Exterminator, yet it would be rejected. Two years later, it was selected for the film The Soldier. The film's producers insisted it would be performed in the movie by a major label artist and issued as a single. Up-and-comer George Strait was chosen, as he had just scored some solid hits off his Strait Country debut album. The movie was a commercial failure, but the scene with Strait is rather memorable. Strait and his band perform the song in a honky-tonk bar as a fight breaks out, yet despite the mayhem they just keep playing. Fool Hearted Memory, produced by Mevis, would become Strait's first Billboard Country No.1 hit. Over the next three decades, Strait would score a total of 44 Billboard Country charttoppers, a record
May 27, 1977 ~ Harpist, singer, arranger, composer Aine Minogue born in Borrisokane, Ireland ~ Draws from Celtic, world, folk and new age. Debuted in 1994 with the Were You At The Rock album. Has collaborated with Tommy Makem, John O'Donohue, Michael Dowling, and Stirling Harris
May 27, 1976 ~ Chi-Ali Griffith, mononymously known as rapper Chi-Ali, born in the Bronx, New York, USA ~ Known best for his 1992 debut album The Fabulous Chi-Ali and as a member of loose hip-hop collective Native Tongues. Shot and killed his girlfriend's brother in 2001 and served a 12 years sentence for first degree manslaughterMay 27, 1974 ~ Shirley Klaris Yonavieve Edwards, commonly known as singer, songwriter Skye Edwards, born in London, UK ~ Along with Paul Godfrey and Ross Godfrey co-founding member of trip-hop, electronica, alternative R&B outfit Morcheeba, remaining with the band through 2003 and rejoining in 2009. The Godfrey brothers would work with a number of different singers during Edwards' hiatus. Edwards has also released a number of solo albums, starting with Mind How You Go in 2006
May 27, 1972 ~ Ivete Maria Dias de Sangelo Cady, commonly known as axé, reggae, pop singer, songwriter Ivete Sangalo, born in Juazeiro, Brazil ~ Original lead singer of axé, reggae, samba band Banda Eva remaining with the band until 1997 and present on their best-selling Banda Eva Ao Vivo album. Released her eponymous Ivete Sangalo debut album in 1999 and has recorded to critical acclaim and commercial succes since with over a dozen albums to her name
May 27, 1972 ~ Country, rock singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter Jace Everett born in Evansville, Indiana, USA ~ Debuted in 2005 with the single That's The Kind Of Love I'm In. Co-wrote Josh Turner's Your Man. Released a full length debut album, the eponymous Jace Everett, the next year and has been recording steadily since. Married songwriter, actress Nicole Taylor Hart in 2015
May 27, 1971 ~ Lisa Nicole Lopes, commonly known as singer Lisa Left-Eye Lopes, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Best known as one third of R&B girl group TLC, alongside Tionne T-Boz Watkins and Rozonda Chilli Thomas, producing landmark albums Ooooooohh On The TLC Tip, CrazySexyCool and FanMail and hit singles such as Baby Baby Baby, Waterfalls, Diggin' On You, No Scrubs, and Unpretty. Lopes also worked as a producer for girl group Blaque and as a solo artist scored a number of hits including Not Tonight, U Know What's Up and Never Be The Same Again, the latter a collaboration with the Spice Girls' Melanie C ~ Lopes passed away in 2002