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, 1930 ~ Country singer, songwriter Stan Coster born in Casino, Australia ~ Father of country singer Tracy Coster. Key figure in Australian country, Wrote or co-wrote dozens of songs recorded by Slim Dusty, including By A Fire Of Gidgee Coal, The Bushman's Song, and The Wobbly Boot Hotel. Others who recorded his songs include Buddy Williams, Joy McKean, John Williamson, and Gordon Parsons ~ Coster passed away in 1997
May 27, 1926 ~ Clifford Everett Shank, commonly known as saxophonist, flutist Bud Shank, born in Dayton, Ohio, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Rose to prominence playing with Stan Kenton. Sessioned for the Mamas & the Papas, playing alto flute solo on California Dreamin'. Formed the LA 4 in the 1970s, teaming up with Ray Brown, Shelly Manne and Laurindo Almeida. Also played with Shorty Rogers, Bill Perkins, Frank Morgan, Chet Baker, Elmer Bernstein, Buddy Bregman, Charlie Byrd, Gene Clark, Nat King Cole, Buddy Collette, Ron Elliott, Maynard Ferguson, Clare Fischer, Jimmy Giuffre, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Sérgio Mendes, Hugo Montenegro, Gerry Mulligan, Oliver Nelson, Harry Nilsson (on the 1975 LP Duit On Mon Dei), Anita O'Day, Patti Page, extensively with Pete Rugolo, with Boz Scaggs, Lalo Schifrin, Ravi Shankar, and Duke Ellington ~ Shank passed away in 2009May 27, 1924 ~ Roy Hartstein, commonly known as drummer, label founder Roy Harte, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Co-founded Nocturne Records and Pacific Jazz Records. Worked mostly as a sideman, including with Bobby Sherwood, Billie Rogers, George Paxton, Ike Carpenter, Vido Musso, Ziggy Elman, Dave Pell, Les Brown, Nappy Lamare, Shorty Rogers, Randy Newman, Herb Geller, Laurindo Almeida, Herbie Harper, Bud Shank, Harry Babasin, Peggy Connely, the Mastersounds, Earl Grant, Frank Capp, Jackie Kelso, Jimmy Wyble, Arnold Ross, and Willie Nelson ~ Hartstein passed away in 2003
May 27, 1923 ~ Country singer, songwriter Redd Stewart born in Ashland City, Tennessee, USA ~ Member of the Golden West Cowboys which included Eddy Arnold and Pee Wee King. Best remembered for co-writing The Tennessee Waltz with King. The song would be recorded by Patti Page, Roy Acuff, the Louvin Brothers, Elvis Presley, and by numerous others. Stewart also wrote or co-wrote songs such as Jim Reeves' That's A Sad Affair, Moon Mullican's Downstream, Hawkshaw Hawkins' Slow Poke, and Ernest Tubb's Soldier's Last Letter ~ Stewart passed away in 2003May 27, 1915 ~ Songwriter, lyricist Fred Wise born in New York, New York, USA ~ Best known for co-writing a number of songs for Elvis Presley, usually in partnership with Ben Weisman. Well known songs include Crawfish, Pocketful Of Rainbows, Summer Kisses Winter Tears, Follow That Dream, and Kissin' Cousins. Others who recorded his songs include Frankie Carle, Nat King Cole, Patti Page, and Sarah Vaughan ~ Wise passed away in 1966
May 27, 1915 ~ Virginia Louise Williams, commonly known as swing, jazz singer Midge Williams, born in Oregon, USA ~ Best known for fronting the Jazz Jesters with whom she made several well-received 1930s recordings. Worked with Al Jolson, Rudy Vallée, Raymond Scott, Frankie Newton, Buster Bailey, Charlie Shavers, Lil' Armstrong, Bunny Berigan, Harry James, John Kirby, Glenn Miller, Fats Waller, Ben Webster, and Teddy Wilson ~ Williams passed away in 1952
May 27, 1900 ~ Clarinetist Albert Nicholas born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Versatile on several reeds, mostly played clarinet. Active since the late-1910s. Nicholas has played with Buddy Petit, King Oliver, Manuel Perez, Luis Russell, Red Allen, Charlie Holmes, JC Higginbotham, Chick Webb, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton. The late 1940s Dixieland revival rejuvenated his career and he went on to team up with greats such as Art Hodes, Bunk Johnson, Kid Ory, and in particular Ralph Sutton ~ Nicholas passed away in 1973
May 27, 1900 ~ Jazz double bassist, tubist Chester Zardis born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Given his nickname “Little Bear” by pianist Fats Pichon, with whom he worked on the riverboats in the 1930s. Zardis began playing professionally in his mid-teens, joining Buddy Petit's band at age 16, much to the dislike of his family. Zardis would go on to play with Kid Rena, AJ Piron, Punch Miller, Kid Howard, Fate Marable, Count Basie, Bunk Johnson, Percy Humphrey, and George Lewis. Zardis, a colorful figure with a unique playing style, would continue to play until his death at age 90, becoming a fixture on the New Orleans, Louisiana, jazz scene. He is regularly featured in documentaries, and is the subject of three of them, Liberty Street Blues (Chester Zardis), Spirit Of New Orleans, and Three Men Of Jazz ~ Zardis passed away in 1990
May 27, 1888 ~ Composer, pianist Louis Durey, full name Louis Edmond Durey, born in Paris, France ~ Durey had been primarily self-taught, active as a composer since the early-1900s composing chamber music, choral music, orchestral music, and works for piano. Well known for L'Offrande Lyrique, published in 1914 arguably the first piece of French twelve-tone music, the piano duet Carillons, and his sole opera L'Occasion. Durey was involved with L'Album Des Six, a suite of six piano pieces each written by a member of Les Six published in 1920, yet disassociated himself from the group afterwards. During World War II, Durey was a member of the French Resistance, only to embrace hard-line communism after the war which would isolate Durey and seriously hinder his career ~ Durey passed away in 1979
May 27, 1822 ~ Composer, pianist Joachim Raff, full name Joseph Joachim Raff, born in Lachen, Switzerland ~ Largely self-taught. Worked as a schoolteacher and sent some of his composition to Felix Mendelssohn who helped him get his work published. Worked as Franz Liszt's assistent in the early 1850s. Would go on to become one of Germany's most popular composers. Best known for his Symphony No.3 (In The Forest) which by the end of the century would become one of the most played orchestral pieces ~ Raff passed away in 1882