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, 1931 ~ Maria Victoria Ledesma Cuevas, commonly known as actress, singer Rosa de Castilla, born in Encarnación de Diaz, Mexico ~ One of the leading ladies of the golden age of Mexican cinema, appearing in over four dozen films starting in the early 1950s. Sang ranchera songs in most of her films. As a recording artist perhaps best known for The Sounds Of Old Mexico album released in 1956, featuring backing from Antonio Aguilar, Luis Pérez Meza, and Rosita Quintana ~ Ledesma Cuevas passed away in 2022May 30, 1930 ~ Singer, guitarist, actor Uno Loop born in Tallinn, Estonia ~ Active since the 1950s. Member of Sinilind, jazz group Metronoom, the Estonian Radio Male Quartet. Active as a solo singer since the 1960s, performing light pop, jazz, estrada music. Known for solo hits such as Loke Preerias and Mis Varvi On Armastus, and Heidy Tamme-duets such as Uued Laulud and Na-na-na ~ Loop passed away in 2021
May 30, 1927 ~ Singer Elly Stone born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Barbra Streisand's understudy for the 1962 I Can Get It For You Wholesale Broadway musical. Best known as an interpreter of Jacques Brel, notably in the revue Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris in 1968, on Broadway in 1972, and in the 1975 film version ~ Stone passed away in 2020
May 30, 1927 ~ Ellsworth McGranahan Keane, commonly known as jazz trumpeter, poet Shake Keane, born in Kingstown, West Indies ~ Rose to fame as a member of Joe Harriott's quintet, with whom he recorded about half a dozen albums including the acclaimed Free Form and Southern Horizons. Keane and Harriott also frequently worked with pianist Michael Garrick in the Poetry & Jazz In Concert road show. Keane has also recorded several albums as a leader, usually a lighter shade of jazz, starting with In My Condition released in 1961, was a key member of Kurt Edelhagen's radio orchestra, and has worked with the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band, the latter of which has been generally acknowledged as the pre-eminent European jazz ensemble of the 1960s. In the early 1970s Keane returned to his native St Vincent to take up a government position as director of culture. In 1975, Keane returned to teaching as his main profession, while continuing to write poetry ~ Keane passed away in 1997
May 30, 1926 ~ Fiddler Johnny Gimble, full name John Paul Gimble, born in Tyler, Texas, USA ~ Considered one of country's greatest fiddlers. Member of Bob Wills's backing unit the Texas Playboys. Also sessioned, toured and collaborated with Conway Twitty, Connie Smith, Marty Robbins (I'll Go On ALine), Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Chet Atkins, Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, Dale Watson, and his granddaughter Emily Gibson ~ Gimble passed away in 2015
May 30, 1926 ~ Trumpeter Tony Terran born in Buffalo, New York, USA ~ Member of highly revered collective of first call session musicians the Wrecking Crew. Has backed artists such as the Jackson 5, the Mamas & the Papas, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Ray Charles, Chicago, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Bob Dylan, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Elvis Presley, Eartha Kitt, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Madonna, Dean Martin, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, the Baja Marimba Band, the Tijuana Brass, the Carpenters, and Tom Waits. Also known for his many recordings for TV series, I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, Star Trek, The Love Boat, and films such as An Officer And A Gentleman, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and The Exorcist ~ Terran passed away in 2017
May 30, 1924 ~ Percussionist Armando Peraza born in Havana, Cuba ~ Came from humble beginnings, orphaned at a young age and forced to support himself on the streets of Havana from his early teens to become a giant in jazz, self-taught on congas and bongos, and subsequently spend nearly two decades with latin rock outfit Santana. Peraza got his start in music at age seventeen joining the band of Alberto Ruiz as a conga player despite having no musical experience. By the late 1940s, he and childhood friend Mongo Santamaria found their way to America, where Peraza became an in-demand sideman working with the likes of Machito, Charlie Parker, Pérez Prado, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, and Cal Tjader. Peraza became especially associated with George Shearing with whom he recorded two dozen albums, Peraza's technique and power as a hand drummer a key feature of the band's performances. Peraza joined Carlos Santana's latin rock outfit in 1972, first appearing on the album Caravanserai, and toured and recorded with the guitarist for nearly two decades, and wrote or co-wrote over a dozen of the band's tracks including Gitano for which Perazza sang lead. While with Santana, Perazza has also guested on albums by George Duke, Roy Buchanan, Alice Coltrane (Eternity), John McLaughlin, Rick James (Street Songs), Sister Sledge, Patti Austin, and John Lee Hooker (The Healer). Frailed by an ailing health, Peraza retired from performing in 1990, though he has on occassion teamed up with his long-time compadre since. Peraza has recorded one as album as a leader, Wild Thing released in 1968 featuring backing from bassist Chuck Rainey, saxophonist Sadao Watanabe and a young Chick Corea tingling the ivories. Upon hearing of his death, Carlos Santana dedicated a poem to Peraza that read in part: “My greatest teacher, mentor, role model. Crossed over to the other side tonight. He is now light only, no more in the body. He is free from gravity and time. Immortality is his playground. Infinity is his domain” ~ Peraza passed away in 2014May 30, 1921 ~ Alan Jacycock, commonly known as pianist Alan Clare, born in London, UK ~ Self-taught pianist. Has been playing professionally since age 15. Worked with Carlo Krahmer, Sid Phillips, Sid Milward, and Stéphane Grappelli. Best known as leader of the Alan Clare Trio teaming up with bassist Lennie Bush and drummer Tony Crombie from the mid 1950s into the 1960s ~ Clare passed away in 1993
May 30, 1919 ~ Jazz saxophonist Joe McQueen, full name Joe Leandrew McQueen, born in Ponder, Texas, USA ~ Toured with various bands throughout the USA. While passing through Ogden, Utah, the leader of the band he was in took off with the money. McQueen and his wife decided to stick around in Ogden and he had been performing locally ever since, including backing visiting musicians such as Charlie Parker, Chet Baker, Lester Young, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, and Ray Charles ~ McQueen passed away in 2019
May 30, 1914 ~ Robert J Sherwood Jr, commonly known as guitarist, trumpeter, bandleader, radio host Bobby Sherwood, born in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA ~ Replaced Eddie Lang as the guitarist for Bing Crosby in 1933 and remained with Crosby till the early 1940s. Worked as a bandleader for Judy Garland at Decca Records. Had his own big band that included Dave Pell and Kitty Kallen at Capitol Records ~ Sherwood passed away in 1981
May 30, 1909 ~ Bandleader, clarinetist Benny Goodman, full name Benjamin David Goodman, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Influenced by Jimmie Noone, Johnny Dodds, Leon Roppolo. Helped jazz into the mainstream. Noted for his The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, considered a landmark performance in the history of jazz. Trailblazing bandleader, leading one of the first racially integrated jazz groups. Catalyst for swing and bebop, explorer of classical music. Known for recordings such as He's Not Worth Your Tears, Ain't Cha Glad, I Ain't Lazy I'm Just Dreamin' featuring Jack Teagarden, Ol' Pappy featuring Mildred Bailey, Riffin' The Scotch featuring Billie Holiday, Moonglow, Take My Word, and Bugle Call Rag. Also noted for employing numerous future stars early on in their career, perhaps most notably guitar virtuoso Charlie Christian ~ Goodman passed away in 1986
May 30, 1903 ~ Songwriter, pianist Alex Kramer born in Montreal, Canada ~ Vocal coach to Joan Whitney, whom he eventually married. As a husband-wife songwriting team they would become known for penning a number of hits, notably the 1947 Jimmy Dorsey-hit High On A Windy Hill. Other successes would include Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens for Louis Jordan, Deep As The River for Harry Belafonte and Love Somebody for Buddy Clark and Doris Day ~ Kramer passed away in 1998
May 30, 1902 ~ Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, commonly known as vaudevillian, comedian, actor Stepin Fetchit, born in Key West, Florida, USA ~ First African-American to have a serious film career, enjoying popularity from the 1930s onwards. Perry's film career nearly stopped in the early 1950s as black Americans began to see his regular character as an embarrassing and harmful stereotype. Co-wrote May What He Lived For Live with Berry Gordy Jr and Esther Gordy Edwards, recorded by Liz Lands, intended to honor the memory of the then-recently assassinated President John F Kennedy ~ Perry passed away in 1985
May 30, 1901 ~ Jazz, dixieland saxophonist, composer Frankie Trumbauer, full name Orie Frank Trumbauer, born in Carbondale, Illinois, USA ~ Leading jazz saxophonist of the 1920s and 1930s. Known for songs such as Krazy Kat, Red Hot, Plantation Moods and Trumbology. Closely associated with Bix Beiderbecke and Eddie Lang, recording under the group moniker Tram Bix & Lang including the landmark recordings Singin' The Blues in 1927 and the first hit recording of the Hoagy Carmichael-penned Georgia On My Mind in 1931 ~ Trumbauer passed away in 1956
May 30, 1896 ~ Jacob Schmidt, commonly known as audeville singer, pianist Whispering Jack Smith, born in the Bronx, New York, USA ~ Popular 1920s, 1930s vaudeville and radio singer known for his intimate, understated, smooth delivery, hence the “whispering” moniker. Well-known songs include Manhattan and Me & My Shadow ~ Smith passed away in 1950
May 30, 1891 ~ Benjamin Anzelwitz, commonly known as bandleader, violinist, songwriter Ben Bernie, born in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA ~ One of the first generation of stars, alongside Paul Whiteman, Ted Lewis, Al Jolson. Started in vaudeville. First to record Sweet Georgia Brown which he co-wrote with Maceo Pinkard and Kenneth Casey, the song would become a jazz standard ~ Bernie passed away in 1943