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 30, 1964 ~ Guitarist Tom Morello, full name Thomas Baptist Morello, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Best known as member of Rage Against The Machine, with whom he recorded four albums through 2000. The band is best known for their 1992 debut single Killing In The Name which did not chart in the USA but reached the No.1 spot in the UK. Following the band's breakup by the turn of the century bandmates Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, and Morello teamed up with Soundgarden-lead singer Chris Cornell to form the Audioslave, and recorded three albums through the mid 2000s. Morello has also worked with Run-DMC, Primus, Perry Farrell, Atari Teenage Riot, Street Sweeper Social Club, Robbie Robertson, Shooter Jennings, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, and Prophets Of Rage, and released solo work under the moniker the NightwatchmenMay 30, 1964 ~ Multi-instrumentalist, composer Troy Donockley born in Workington, UK ~ Best known as member of symphonic metal band Nightwish. Has also worked with Barbara Dickson, the Bad Shepherds, Iona, Dave Bainbridge, Maddy Prior, Midge Ure, You Slosh, Auri, the Enid, Kathryn Tickell, Mostly Autumn, Roy Harper, Mermaid Kiss, Magenta, Johanna Kurkela, Mike Dawes, Ayreon, Tuomas Holopainen, Gandalf's Fist, Kamelot, Steve Hackett, and Apocalyptica
May 30, 1964 ~ Christina Claire Ciminella, commonly known as country, country pop singer, guitarist, songwriter Wynonna Judd born in Ashland, Kentucky, USA ~ First rose to prominence as half of the mother-daughter duo the Judds, the other half being Naomi Judd, known for 1980s hits such as Mama He's Crazy, Why Not Me, Girl Night Out, Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days), Turn It Loose and Let Me Tell You About Love. Ventured out on her own after Naomi retired from music for health reasons. Released her Wynonna debut album in 1992 and has gone on to a successful solo career, choosing at times a more rock-influenced path yet also venturing into soul, gospel and show tunes for good measure. Well known songs include I Saw The Light, Rock Bottom, To Be Loved By You, and What The World Need. Has collaborated with Clint Black (A Bad Goodbye), Michael English, Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, Huey Lewis, and Sam & Dave's Sam Moore
May 30, 1962 ~ Geir Jensen, commonly known as producer, electronic musician Biosphere, born in Tromsø, Norway ~ Influenced by New Order, Depeche Mode, Wire, and Brian Eno. Member of critically acclaimed synth trio Bel Canto, alongside Nils Johansen and Anneli Drecker, appearing on the albums White-Out Conditions and Birds Of Passage. Went solo in 1990 and has been recording ambient and ambient house under the moniker Biosphere ever sinceMay 30, 1962 ~ Guitarist Joey Tafolla born in San Diego, California, USA ~ Son of guitarist Noah Tafolla and singer Rosie Hamlin, both members of Rosie & the Originals. Joey was briefly a member of heavy metal group Jag Panzer before turning out a solo record, Out Of The Sun, in 1987. Has also worked with Graham Bonnet, Ken Tamplin, and Milan Polak
May 30, 1960 ~ Vocal harmony quartet the Four Voices record Sealed With A Kiss ~ Penned by Peter Udell and Gary Geld. Though the Four Voices version failed to make much of an impact on the charts, several others would make the song a hit, notably Brian Hyland reaching top 10 Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, both Gary Lewis & the Playboys and Bobby Vinton top 20 in 1968, and Australian singer Jason Donovan topping the UK charts with his 1989 cover
May 30, 1960 ~ Singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, drummer, songwriter Stephen Duffy, also known as Stephen Tin Tin Duffy, born in Birmingham, UK ~ Early member of Duran Duran, departing the band before their rise to fame in the early 1980s. As a solo artist perhaps best known for the 1985 UK top 10 hit Kiss Me. Founded and fronted the Lilac Time, which also included his brother Nick Duffy, with whom he recorded over half a dozen albums. The band was especially acclaimed for their first three albums, The Lilac Time, Paradise Circus, and & Love For All. Duffy has also co-written songs with Steven Page, notably Alcohol and Call And Answer both included on Page's band Barenaked Ladies's hit album Stunt, and co-wrote Robbie Williams's UK No.1 hit Radio
May 30, 1959 ~ Saxophonist Pietro Tonolo born in Mirano, Italy ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Franco D'Andrea, Luigi Bonafede, Larry Nocella, Massimo Urbani, Rita Marcotulli, Enrico Rava, Gil Evans, Steve Lacy, Lew Soloff, Ray Anderson, Paul Motian, Kenny Clarke, Roswell Rudd, Sal Nistico, Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, John Surman, Steve Swallow, Gil Goldstein, Barry Altschul, Joe Chambers, Henri Texler, Aldo Romano, Kenny Wheeler, Eliot Zigmund, Tony Oxley, Guido Manusardi, Luca Flores, Giovanni Tommaso, Mario Raja, Marcello Tonolo, Francesco Maciante, and the Ex-Novo EnsembleMay 30, 1958 ~ J-pop, city pop, dance-pop, pop rock guitarist, producer, songwriter Hideo Saito born in Tokyo, Japan ~ Best known for his association with pop singer Chisato Moritaka from 1987 through 1995, writing over 60 songs and producing most of her work starting with Moritaka's New Season debut album
May 30, 1958 ~ Pop singer, pianist, songwriter Marie Fredriksson, full name Gun-Marie Fredriksson, born in Ossjo, Sweden ~ Formed Roxette with Per Gessle, known for a string of late 1980s, early 1990s hits including the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits The Look, Listen To Your Heart, Dangerous, It Must Have Been Love, Joyride, and Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave). Previously sang with bands such as Strul and with the short-lived MaMas Barn. Has also recorded a number of solo albums, starting with Het Vind released in 1984 ~ Fredriksson passed away in 2019May 30, 1958 ~ Oluwashina Akanbi Peters, commonly known as guitarist, pianist, singer Shina Peters, born in Ogun, Nigeria ~ Fronted Olushina & the Twelve Fantastic Brothers. Also worked with Ebenezer Obey, Prince Adekunle, and with Segun Adewale. Known for songs such as Ijo Shina, OLuwa Yo Pese, Omo Bo, and Give Our Women Chance
May 30, 1955 ~ Nicholas Bowen Headon, commonly known as drummer Topper Headon, born in Bromley, UK ~ Member of punk, punk rock, punk-pop outfit the Clash from 1977 through his dismissal in 1982, fired for his substance abuse and succeeded by Pete Howard. Present on all of the band's albums except for their final Cut The Crap album released in 1985. Owns his nickname of Topper for his resemblance to Mickey the Monkey of the Topper comicMay 30, 1953 ~ Arthur Wilson, commonly known as actor, singer Dooley Wilson, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Best known as an actor, remembered for portraying Sam in the 1942 Casablanca feature film portraying its theme song As Time Goes By. Active as a drummer and singer, leading his own band in the 1920s touring nightclubs in London and Paris. Took up acting by the 1930s ~ Wilson was born in 1886
May 30, 1952 ~ Classical concert pianist Alexander Toradze, full name Alexander Davidovich Toradze, born in Tblisi, Georgian SSR ~ Best known for his classical Russian repertoire. Has worked with renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Marlinsky Theatre Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra ~ Toradze passed away in 2022
May 30, 1952 ~ Virtuoso pianist, conductor, composer Zoltan Kocsis born in Budapest, Hungary ~ Considered an expert on the works of Béla Bartók, whose entire works he recorded. Also included in his oeuvre are works by Claude Debussy, noted for his early 1990s recording of Images, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Johann Sebastian Bach. A celebrated soloist the world over, Kocsis has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Staatskapelle Dresden. Kocsis is also known for co-founding the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Iván Fischer ~ Kocsis passed away in 2016
May 30, 1951 ~ Pop, folk pop, pop rock singer Zdravko Colic born in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia ~ Dubbed “the Tom Jones of the Balkans” and best known for Ti Si Mi U Krvi, considered one of the all-time most endearing Yugoslavian pop ballads. Colic was a member of Ambasadori, and briefly of progressive rock band Korni Grupa, before venturing out on his own by the early 1970s. Colic has recorded over a dozen solo albums since, and is especially acclaimed for his emotionally expressive tenor voice and showmanship, earning critical acclaim and a devoted following throughout Southeastern Europe. Well known songs include Sinoc Nisi Bila Tu, Gori Vatra, Ona Spava, Vagabund, Jedna Zima Sa Kristinom, and Jastreb
May 30, 1950 ~ Roger John Barrett, commonly known as singer, guitarist, banjoist, fiddler, keyboardist Wild Willy Barrett, born in Aylesbury, UK ~ Masters a variety of genres, including folk, blues, psychedelia, pop, and punk rock. Known for his virtuoso fiddle playing and his onstage wit. As a solo artist especially acclaimed for his 1979 Call Of The Wild debut album. Closely associated with John Otway, both as the duo Otway & Barrett and guesting on several of Otway's albums. Has also worked with Amon Düül II, Keith Hudson, the Flys, and Martin DarvillMay 30, 1947 ~ Singer Georg von Trapp, full name Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp, passed away in Stowe, Vermont, USA ~ Patriarch of the Trapp Family Singers, whose life story, published in Maria von Trapp's 1949 memoir, would serve as the basis for the musical The Sound Of Music penned by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II ~ Von Trapp was born in 1880
May 30, 1946 ~ Producer, songwriter Eddy Ouwens born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands ~ Co-wrote Teach-In's Ding-a-dong, 1975 Eurovision Songfestival winner, with Dick Bakker and Will Luikinga. Also worked with acts such as Bolland & Bolland, the Shoes and Harmony. As a recording artist, under the moniker Danny Mirror he released a tribute single I Remember Elvis Presley (The King Is Dead following Elvis Presley's death in 1977. It would reach the British top 10 and spents several weeks topping the Dutch chartsMay 30, 1945 ~ Folk singer Cathy Conn born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Formed the short-lived duo Friend & Lover with then-husband Jim Post, best known for their 1968 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit Reach Out Of The Darkness. A follow-up single, If Love Is In Your Heart, would stall in the 80s on the same chart but as they were unable to repeat their earlier succes the couple and band broke up by the early 1970s
May 30, 1945 ~ Singer Gladys Horton, full name Gladys Catherine Horton, born in Gainesville, Florida, USA ~ Founder, lead singer of the Marvelettes, known for songs such as Playboy, Strange I Know, As Long As I Know He's Mine, Too Many Fish In The Sea, Don't Mess With Bill, The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game, and My Baby Must Be A Magician, all of which reached top 10 Billboard R&B. Their biggest hit, Please Mr Postman released in 1961, would be the first Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit for the Motown label ~ Horton passed away in 2011
May 30, 1944 ~ Beat guitarist, singer Lenny Davidson, full name Leonard Arthur Davidson, born in Enfield, UK ~ Member of the Dave Clark Five from 1961 through its disbandement in 1970. The band would sell over 100 million records and in their heyday be the Beatles biggest competitor. Davidson co-wrote songs such as Catch Us If You Can, Crying Over You, When. Sang lead on Everybody Knows, a UK top 10 hit in 1967
May 30, 1942 ~ Rock, blues rock guitarist, harmonica player Jim Murray born ~ Original member of psychedelic blues rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service, leaving the band in late 1967 shortly before they recorded their eponymous Quicksilver Messenger Service debut album. In the early 1970s, Murray would briefly team up again with his former bandmate John Cipollina in Copperhead, and thereafter regularly sit in with them live ~ Murray passed away in 2013
May 30, 1935 ~ Trumpeter, hornist Harry Beckett, full name Harold Winston Beckett, born in St Michael, Barbados ~ Leader and sideman. Notably worked with Charles Mingus in the 1962 All Night Long film. Closely associated with bassist Graham Collier. Would go on to become a key figure in the British free jazz scene, working with acts such as Nucleus, Brotherhood Of Breath, the Dedication Orchestra, the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, John Surman, Django Bates, Ronnie Scott, Charlie Watts, Stan Tracey, and Elton Dean ~ Beckett passed away in 2010
May 30, 1933 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Michael Garrick born in Enfield, UK ~ A graduate of English literature and a versatile pianist, Garrick is perhaps best known as a pioneer in mixing jazz with poetry recitations and for the use of jazz in large-scale choral works. Musical director of Poetry & Jazz In Concert, highlighting the literary works of several British poets. Well known for a series of jazz-choral works, starting with Jazz Praises for sextet and choir first performed in 1967. Garrick has recorded prolifically as a leader since the 1950s, has held several teaching positions including at the Royal Academy of Music and the Trinity College of Music, and has recorded about half a dozen albums with Don Rendell & Ian Carr ~ Garrick passed away in 2011