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 6, 1987 ~ Actress, singer, dancer Adrienne Warren born in Virginia, USA ~ Made her Broadway debut in 2012 in the musical Bring It On. Would go on to feature in Shuffle Along Or The Making Of The Musical Sensation Of 1921 And All That Followed and notably in the role of Tina Turner in the biographical musical Tina. The latter, performed in London's West End in 2018 and subsequently on Broadway, earned Warren a Tony Award in 2020
May 6, 1987 ~ Roberty Rihmeek Williams, commonly known as rapper, singer, songwriter Meek Mill, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Formed the short-lived rap group the Bloodhoundz. Debuted as a solo artist in 2012 with his Dreams And Nightmares, which included the moderate hit single Amen featuring Drake. The single would cause a local upstir, Philadelphia pastor Rev. Jomo K Johnson calling for its boycott on account of the perceived blasphemic content, Mill adamantly claiming he had no such intent. Mill would continue to record consistently, notably the 2019 Billboard top 10 single Going Bad, and collaborate with artists such as NORE, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Mariah Carey, Kid Ink, DJ Khaled, and Gucci Mane
May 6, 1986 ~ Singer Cindy Daniel born in Montreal, Canada ~ Debuted in 2002 with the La Petit Indienne album. Played Elvira in the French Canadian production of Don Juan the following year. Acclaimed as an interpreter of compositions by Johnny Hallyday, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Georges Moustaki, and Louis CôtéMay 6, 1986 ~ Kristin Nicole Ritchie, commonly known as nerdcore rapper MC Router, born in Fort Worth, Texas, USA ~ Self-proclaimed “First Lady of Nerdcore” co-founded the group 1337 g33k b34t with T-Byte. Following the band's disbandement in 2006 has recorded as a solo artist and briefly worked under the moniker Krisje in the Netherlands before converting to Islam and retiring from music altogether to work as a translator
May 6, 1981 ~ Singer, songwriter Andrew Allen born in Vernon, Canada ~ Actively recording since the late 2000s. Best known for I Wanna Be Your Christmas and Loving You Tonight, both of which reached top 10 in his native Canada. The latter would land him a record deal with Epic and would be used in the soundtrack of the 2011 action thriller Abduction. Allen has also co-written songs for others including Meghan Trainor, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kaskade (Last Chance), Matt Simons, Conrad Sewell, and Daniel Skye
May 6, 1979 ~ Composer, songwriter Milton Ager passed away in Inglewood, California, USA ~ One of the premier songwriters of the 1920s and 1930s. Best remembered for penning Ain't She Sweet with frequent collaborator Jack Yellen, first recorded by Lou Gold in 1927 and covered by over 200 artists including the Dixie Demons, Fabian and Frank Sinatra. Other songs co-written by Ager include I'm Nobodys Child (Aileen Stanley, Ruth Etting, Benny Goodman), Glad Rag Doll (Sam Lanin, Ben Bernie, Kay Starr), Happy Days Are Here Again (Johnny Marvin, Jack Hylton, Patti Page), Happy Feet (Paul Whiteman, Frankie Trumbauer, Leo Reisman), and Trust In Me (Mildred Bailey, Louis Jordan, Etta James) ~ Ager was born in 1893
May 6, 1978 ~ Singer, keyboardist, percussionist Nick Littlemore, full name Nicholas George Littlemore, born in Sydney, Australia ~ Formed electronic outfit Pnau with childhood friend Peter Mayes, active since the late 1990s and best known for the mid-2010s singles Chameleon and Go Bang which would both reach top 10 in Australia. Co-wrote Sleepy Jackson's Tell The Girls That I'm Not Here of their 2003 Lovers debut album. Formed dance-punk band Teenager in 2004. Founded Empire Of The Sun, best known for their 2008 Walking On A Dream debut single. Has served as producer for the likes of David Bridie, Van She, Darren Emerson, the Lost Valentinos, Groove Armada, and MikaMay 6, 1977 ~ Indie rock, post-punk bassist, singer Archis Tiku born in Bombay, India ~ Co-founding member of indie rock outfit Maxímo Park, serving as its lead singer through 2003 and bassist through 2014. Tiku is present on the band's first five albums, which included UK top 20 hits such as Apply Some Pressure, Graffiti, Going Missing, Our Velocity, and Books From Boxes
May 6, 1976 ~ Pop rock sibling outfit the Bee Gees record Boogie Child at Le Studio, Quebec, Canada ~ Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb. Produced by the band with Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. Critically acclaimed as one of the band's “funkiest” songs. Included on the band's Children Of The World album released later the same year. Released as a single in the USA January 1977, paired with Lovers on the flip side. Used as the B-side of their UK single Children Of The World a month laterMay 6, 1974 ~ Pop singer Alana Davis born in New York, New York, USA ~ Daughter of jazz pianist Walter Davis Jr. Debuted in 1997 with her Blame It On Me album, spawning the modest radio hit 32 Flavors written and originally recorded by Ani DiFranco. Had her sophomore effort, 2001's Fortune Cookies, produced by the Neptunes
May 6, 1971 ~ Alternative rock, punk rock, post-grunge, hard rock guitarist, singer, songwriter Chris Shiflett, full name Christopher Aubrey Shiflett, born in Santa Barbara, California, USA ~ Brother of punk rock bassist Scott Shiflett. Joined the Foo Fighters in 1999, shortly after the release of the album There Is Nothing Left To Lose. Member of No Use For A Name from 1995 through 1999. Member of Me First & the Gimme Gimme's from 1995 through 2019. Has also recorded as a solo artist, starting with West Coast Town released in 2017, and guested on recordings by Ten Foot Pole, the Swingin' Utters, Viva Death, and Jesse MalinMay 6, 1971 ~ Dream pop, electronica singer Sarah Blackwood born in Halifax, UK ~ Joined Dubstar, initially a duo, in 1993, and has recorded the albums Disgraceful, Goodbye, Make It Better, and One. Joined Technique in 2002, which would evolve into Client the following year
May 6, 1971 ~ Trumpeter, singer, composer, producer Till Brönner born in Viersen, West Germany ~ Worked with Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton, Carla Bruni, Madeleine Peyroux, Luciana Souza, Kurt Elling, Melody Gardot, Sérgio Mendes, Milton Nascimento, Monty Alexander, Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, Natalie Cole, Klaus Doldinger, Al Foster, Johnny Griffin, Chaka Khan, Joachim Kühn, Nils Landgren, James Moody, Aki Takase, Take 6, Ernie Watts, George Benson, and Jeff Goldblum
May 6, 1969 ~ Philip Krokidis, commonly known as DJ, producer Phil K, born in Melbourne, Australia ~ Alongside other Melbourne acts such as NuBreed and Andy Page one of the most prominent to emerge from the Aussie Breaks music scene. Member of the Operators, the Hi-fi Bugs and Lostep. Released his Sound Not Scene solo debut album in 2000 ~ Krokidis passed away in 2020
May 6, 1968 ~ Singer Laetitia Sadier born in Vincennes, France ~ Best known as co-founding and constant member of Stereolab, considered one of the most influential avant-pop acts since the early 1990s largely due to Sadier's mesmerizing vocals. The band has recorded over a dozen albums and is especially acclaimed for their 1996 Emperor Tomato Ketchup released in 1996. Sadier has also worked with the side project Monade, recorded as a solo artist starting with The Trip, and is an in-demand collaboratorMay 6, 1967 ~ Guitarist Mark Bryan born in Silver Springss, Maryland, USA ~ Lead guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish, which he co-founded with Darius Rucker, known for becoming an “overnight success” in 1994 with the release of their Cracked Rear View debut album spawning the Billboard top 10 singles Hold My Hand, Let Her Cry and Only Wanna Be With You. The band had been together and touring excessively since 1986
May 6, 1967 ~ Michael Berrin, commonly known as rapper MC Serch, born in Queens, New York, USA ~ Rose to fame in the Golden Age of hip hop as member of 3rd Bass, one of the first interracial hip hop acts and best known for Pop Goes The Weasel of their 1991 Derelicts Of Dialect sophomore album. Has also recorded as a solo artist, noted for the singles Here It Comes and Back To The Grill of his Return Of The Product debut album. Served as executive producer for Nas' 1994 Illmatic debut album, widely considered the all-time best hip hop album
May 6, 1965 ~ Singer Frank Sinatra records Forget Domani ~ Written by Riz Ortolani and Norman Newell for the musical The Yellow Rolls Royce, in which it was introduced by Katyna Ranieri. Frank Sinatra released the song as a single, produced by Jimmy Bowen and featuring I Can't Believe I'm Losing You on the flip side. Singer Connie Francis also recorded a version around the same time, both renditions peaking in the low 70s on the Billboard Hot 100
May 6, 1965 ~ Folk, world music singer Grace Nono born in Butuan, Philippines ~ Regarded as one of the premier female singers in the Philippines. Has performed from age three onwards. Sang in several outfits ranging from jazz to punk, yet most acclaimed as a solo artist drawing from traditional Philippino music, by the 1990s earning her a stature as the voice of alternative music. Has toured well over a dozen countries throughout Asia, Europe and America. Especially acclaimed for the album Opo released in 1995
May 6, 1963 ~ Wilfred Theodore Weems, commonly known as jazz, big band bandleader, violinist, trombonist Ted Weems, passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA ~ Weems start in music came when he won a violin, although he had hped to win a pony, and started taking music lessons. In high school, Weems joined the high school band and became its director. In college, Weems and his brother Art Weems organized a small dance band, the All American Band, which would soon play semi-professionally in restaurants and performed at the inaugural ball of President Warren G Harding in 1921. Weems dropped his plan to become a civil engineer and opted to pursue a career in music instead. By 1923, Weems was recording with his big band for the RCA-Victor label. The following year, Weems scored his first hit with Somebody Stole My Gal, which sold a million copies. Weems remained popular through the late 1940s, scoring hits such as Piccolo Pete, The Man From The South, Peg O' My Heart, Mickey, and Heartaches. Weems is also noted for being the first to record My Baby Just Cares For Me in 1930, which became a standard recorded by numerous artists including most notably Nina Simone in 1959. Weems had a nose for young talent and has employed several musicians early on in their career who would later rise to prominence in their own right including whistler, singer Elmo Tanner, saxophonist and singer Red Ingle, arranger Joe Haymes who created the band's unique jazz-novelty style, and perhaps most notably Perry Como who got his first national exposure with Weems in 1936. I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now recorded in 1939 featuring Perry Como as lead vocalist would become a hit on its re-release in 1947. Weems popularity faded by the late 1940s, after which he worked as a disc jockey in Memphis, Tennessee, later accepted a management position with the Holiday Inn hotel chain, and operated a talent agency, while on occassion still performing with a band until his death at age 61. Weems was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 1960. Weems' son Ted Weems Jr later led a revival band, sporadically performing in the 1960s and 1970s ~ Wemyes was born in 1901May 6, 1962 ~ Ian Peter Cullimore, commonly known as indie rock, pop guitarist, journalist Stan Cullimore, born in Kingston-upon-Hull, UK ~ Best known as guitarist of the Housemartins from 1983 through 1988, present on the band's best known Caravan Of Love which reached top 10 across Europe in 1986 including the No.1 spot in the UK
May 6, 1961 ~ Eurodance, eurodisco singer Patty Ryan born in Wuppertal, West Germany ~ Best known for You're My Love You're My Life of her Love Is The Name Of The Game debut album released in 1987. Other well known songs include Stay With Me Tonight, I Don't Want To Lose You Tonight, and Ohne Zweifel ~ Ryan passed away in 2023
May 6, 1960 ~ Alternative rock singer, guitarist, songwriter John Flansburgh, full name John Conant Flansburgh, born in Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA ~ Married to singer, playwright Robin Goldwasser, with whom he occasionally performs. Best known for forming the alternative rock unit They Might Be Giants with John Linnell, known for their infectious melodies and witty songwriting. The pair has been credited as vital to DIY music scene emerging from Brooklyn, New York by the mid-1980s. The band has recorded over two dozen albums, including several children's albums, since their eponymous 1986 They Might Be Giants debut album. Well known songs include Ana Ng, the UK top 20 hit Birdhouse In Your Soul, Twisting, The Statue Got Me High, Snail Shell, and Doctor Evil which was used for the soundtrack of the comedy film Austin Powers (The Spy Who Shagged Me)
May 6, 1960 ~ Keyboardist, percussionist Larry Steinbachek born in London, UK ~ Formed 1980s pop, synth-pop trio Bronski Beat with Jimmy Somerville and Steve Bronski. All members of the band were openly gay and with their songs often reflecting on gay-related issues they would become an icon of the gay community. Songs such as Smalltown Boy, Why and Hit That Perfect Beat would reach the UK top 10. Following his departure from the band Steinbachek would work as composer and theatre director ~ Steinbachek passed away in 2016
May 6, 1958 ~ Maria Dolores González Flores, commonly known as actress, singer Lolita Flores, born in Madrid, Spain ~ Daughter of flamenco guitarist El Pescaílla and singer Lola Flores. Sister of singers Antonio Flores and Rosario Flores. Rose to fame with her 1975 Amor Amor album and would continue to achieve succes in Latin America and her native Spain both as a singer and actress. Songs such as Sarandona, Lo Voy A Dividir and Si La Vida Son Dos Dias have become staples of Spanish radio