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 7, 1947 ~ Conductor Emmanuel Krivine born in Grenoble, France ~ Well known for his longtime associations with the Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France, the Orchestre National De Lyon, and the Orchestre Français des Jeunes. In 2004 Krivine founded the orchestra the Chambre Philharmonique
May 7, 1947 ~ Jazz saxophonist Joe Ford born in Buffalo, New York, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with McCoy Tyner, Sam Jones, Lester Bowie, Idris Muhammad, Chico O'Farrill, Avery Sharpe, Malachi Thompson, Steve Berrios, Charles Fambrough, Kenny Kirkland, and Jeff Tain-Watts
May 7, 1946 ~ Singer, songwriter Bill Danoff, full name William Thomas Danoff, born in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA ~ Member of the Starland Vocal Band, which also included his then-wife singer and frequent songwriting partner Taffy Nivert. The band scored a Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit in 1976 with the Danoff-penned Afternoon Delight. Danoff has also written or co-written for others, notably Boulder To Birmingham for Emmylou Harris and a number of well known songs for John Denver including Friends With You, I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado, Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas), and Take Me Home Country Roads. The latter would become a signature song for Denver and be covered by over 300 artists
May 7, 1946 ~ Gerard Nolan, commonly known as rock, punk rock drummer Jerry Nolan, born in Williamsburg, New York, USA ~ Joined the New York Dolls in 1972, replacing the late Billy Murcia. Nolan would remain with the band through 1975, leaving with Johnny Thunders to co-found the Heartbreakers. The band is considered pivotal to the development of punk rock and known especially for their sole LAMF studio album released in 1977. Nolan has also worked with the Idols, Sid Vicious, the London Cowboys, and recorded as a solo artist ~ Nolan passed away in 1992
May 7, 1946 ~ Guitarist Ray Monette born ~ Started as a session musician for Motown. Co-founded Abstract Reality, known for their Love Burns Like A Fire single. Guested on Stoney & Meatloaf, a 1971 collaborative album by a then-unknown Meat Loaf and singer Shaun Ryder, for which Monette also co-wrote the tracks She Waits By The Window, Kiss Me Again, Lady Be Mine and Jessica White. Also collaborated with Dennis Coffey, played the guitar solo on Funkadelic's I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody's Got A Thing. Perhaps best known as guitarist and singer for Rare Earth from 1971 through 2004, notably present on one of the band's most cherished singles I Just Want To Celebrate
May 7, 1946 ~ Thelma Jackson, commonly known as R&B, soul, disco singer, actress Thelma Houston, born in Leland, Mississippi, USA ~ Best known for her 1976 single Don't Leave Me This Way, originally recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes two years earlier. Houston's version would top the Billboard Hot 100 and become a disco classic popular to this day. Houston had previously recorded Do You Know Where You're Going To but the single was pulled and given to Diana Ross as the theme song for the movie Mahogany. Houston would record well into the 2010s, enjoying moderate succes on the R&B and Dance charts from time to time, as well as act in a variety of supporting roles in film and TV productions
May 7, 1945 ~ Christopher Andrew Moore, commonly known as singer, songwriter Christy Moore, born in Prosperous, Ireland ~ Hailed as one of Ireland's all-time greatest singers. Co-founded seminal folk outfit Planxty, credited with spearheading Celtic folk revival in the early 1970s. Also co-founded and fronted 1980s outfit Moving Hearts, merging traditional Irish folk with contemporary rock influences. As a solo artist Moore is especially acclaimed for his 1975 eponymous Christy Moore and his 1984 Ride On albumsMay 7, 1945 ~ Balladeer, troubadour, singer, guitarist, songwriter Ewert Ljusberg, full name Karl Ewert Alvar Ljusberg, born in Hede, Sweden ~ Actively recording since the early 1970s. Appeared in a Swedish production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. As a recording artist has collaborated with artists such as Bengt Sandh, Bernt Johansson, São Tomé, and his brother Arne Ljusberg. Assigned president of the Republic Of Jamtland, a humorous, fictitious nation, in 1989 ~ Ljusberg passed away in 2021
May 7, 1943 ~ Outlaw country, progressive country singer, guitarist, pianist Terry Allen born in Wichita, Kansas, USA ~ Especially acclaimed for his 1975 art-country Juarez debut album, a concept album once dubbed an “outlaw classic” by Rolling Stone, his Lubbock (On Everything) sophomore album and Human Remains issued in 1996. Allen is considered among the most literate country singer-songwriters to emerge from Texas, where he has spent a significant amount of his childhood, and arguably the most ambitious. While musically firmly rooted in country traditions, his lyrics and complex song cycles show a depth nearly unmatched in even the most underground of country. Allen drew inspiration from peers, many of whom mutually admired him, as well as from Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Bob Dylan. In turn, Allen has influenced artists such as Alejandro Escovedo, Robbie Fulks, Steve Earle, and Lucinda Williams. Several of Allen's songs have been recorded by others, perhaps most notably Amarillo Highway, first recorded by Bobby Bare in 1975 and later covered by Robert Earl Keen for his 1993 A Bigger Piece Of Sky masterpiece, the Allen-penned song being the only cover on the album. Others who have recorded songs written by Allen include Little Feat (New Delhi Freight Train), Eleanor McEvoy, Peter Rowan, the Fleadh Cowboys, the Austin Lounge Lizards, Cracker (Truckload Of Art), and Charlie Robison. Something Ain't Right, recorded by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne for his Uh-oh album, was written by Allen and Byrne. Besides his work as a singer, Allen is a true multimedia artist, a recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship and several National Endowment For The Arts grants, well known for his drawings and paintings, sculptures, installation art, and poetry. Allen got his start in music while doing odd jobs in college, a chance encounter landing him a spot on the popular musical TV show Shindig. Allen would later recall to Lonestar Magazine: “These two guys had this big house that they were building, adding on a couple of rooms to this mansion, and I was just doing labor. And I went up there after school one afternoon to get my check, and they had about five of us waiting in line for our checks in the living room while they were writing them in the kitchen. They had a piano in the living room, so I sat down and started playing, and one of these guys came in and went, Hey, you want to be on Shindig? And I went, Yeah!”
May 7, 1943 ~ Guitarist, producer Tom Newman, full name Thomas Dennis Newman, born in Perivale, UK ~ Member of late 1960s outfit July, known for their sole eponymous July album. Recorded over a dozen albums as a solo artist, starting with Fine Old Tom released in 1975. Co-founded Manor Studio, Oxford for the nascent Virgin Records. Best known for producing the seminal Mike Oldfield album Tubular Bells. Has also served as producer for Hatfield & the North, Sally Oldfield, Doll By Doll, and Clodagh SimondsMay 7, 1942 ~ Andres Montañez Rodriguez, salsa, bolero singer, songwriter Andy Montañez, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico ~ Rose to fame in the early 1960s as member of salsa ensemble El Gran Combo, known for songs such as Hiojas Blancas, El Barbero Loco and Vagabundo. Montañez left the band in 1977 and has recorded as a solo artist since
May 7, 1942 ~ Pianist, conductor, composer Felix Weingartner, full name Paul Felix Weingartner, passed away in Winterthur, Switzerland ~ One of the last pupils of Franz Liszt. Succeeded Gustav Mahler as director of the Vienna Hofoper, a post Weingartner held from 1907 to 1910. First conductor to make commercial recording of all nine Ludwig van Beethoven symphonies, and after Leopold Stokowski the second to record all four Johannes Brahms symphonies. Premiered Georges Bizet's long-lost Symphony In C in 1935 ~ Weingartner was born in 1863May 7, 1942 ~ Ska, rocksteady, reggae singer, songwriter Justin Hinds born in Steertown, Jamaica ~ Most popular artist on Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Records label during the mid 1960s, best known for his 1963 hit Carry Go Bring Home. The song would later be notably covered by British ska band the Selecter on their 1980 Too Much Pressure album ~ Hinds passed away in 2005
May 7, 1942 ~ Lawrencine May Collins, commonly known as country, rockabilly, rock singer, guitarist Lorrie Collins born near Sapulpa, Oklahoma, USA ~ Girlfriend of singer and teen idol Ricky Nelson during the late 1950s, both on the TV show The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet and in real life. Sister of Larry Collins, with whom she performed through the 1960s under the moniker the Collins Kids and best known for their signature song Just Because ~ Collins passed away in 2018
May 7, 1939 ~ Johnny Mastrangelo, commonly known as doo-wop, R&B singer Johnny Maestro, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Original lead singer of the Crests, one one the first interracial groups and known for songs such as 16 Candles, The Angels Listened In, Trouble In Paradise. Maestro departed the band in 1960 to pursue a solo career, scoring moderate hits throughout the remainder of the decade. Would go on to front Brooklyn Bridge from 1968 onwards, notably known for the 1969 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit Worst That Could Happen ~ Mastrangelo passed away in 2010
May 7, 1938 ~ William Henry Jackson, commonly known as blues guitarist, banjoist, singer Papa Charlie Jackson, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Perhaps best known for accompanying some of the most famous classic blues singers including Ida Cox, Hattie McDaniel and notably Ma Rainey. Has also recoirded with Big Bill Broonzy and Blind Blake, the latter a longtime idol of his. As a solo artist known for a number of 1920s recordings, notably Airy Man Blues, Papa's Lawdy Lawdy Blues, Shave 'Em Dry and Salty Dog Blues ~ Jackson was born in 1887
May 7, 1931 ~ Songwriter Jerry Chesnut born in Harlan County, Kentucky, USA ~ Revered songwriter known for songs such as A Good Year For The Roses (Alan Jackson, George Jones, Elvis Costello). T-R-O-U-B-L-E (Elvis Presley, Travis Tritt), A Dime At A Time (Del Reeves), Another Place Another Time (Jerry Lee Lewis), It's Four In The Morning (Faron Young), Holding On To Nothing (Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton), Miles And Miles From Nowhere (Arthur Alexander), They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy (Loretta Lynn), and Weakness In A Man (Waylon Jennings, Roy Drusky) ~ Chesnut passed away in 2018
May 7, 1931 ~ Theresa Veronica Breuer, commonly known as singer Teresa Brewer, born in Toledo, Ohio, USA ~ Actively performing from a young age forward, her mother entering Brewer in a contest when she was just two years old, the young singer would be an immediate hit with audiences. At age seven, she was touring the country with the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, a talent contest stemming from Major Bowes' popular radio show. Brewer would record prolifically, enjoying popularity especially during the 1950s, her oeuvre incorporating pop, country, jazz, R&B, musical and novelty songs. Among her best known songs are the 1950 No.1 hit Music Music Music, as well as Ricochet Rock-o-Shay, Baby Baby Baby, and Jilted. When booked at a Las Vegas venue in 1971, Elvis Presley sent a messenger to Brewer's dressing room because he wanted to meet her, as Presley wanted to tell her the first song he performed in public, singing for his classmates while in his early teens, was Brewer's Till I Waltz Again With You. At some point, Brewer slowed down her career, opting to raise her children instead, yet she continued to make appearances from time to time. In a 1991 interview with the Toledo Blade, Brewer commented she didn't need to be in the spotlight to be happy: “I enjoy it when I am on the stage, but I don't need it.” Brewer resurfaced in the 1980s with a series of jazz albums, including tribute albums to Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and Fats Waller, aided by stellar casts which at times included musicians such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie. Softly I Swing, issued in 1993, featuring saxophonist David Murray, double bassist Ron Carter, pianist Kenny Barron, and drummer Grady Tate, is widely considered one of Brewer's finest albums. Brewer's second marriage was to producer and label executive Bob Thiele, whom she met when he was working for Coral producing Buddy Holly. Brewer has never recorded after Thiele's death in 1996. Brewer was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 1960 ~ Brewer passed away in 2007May 7, 1926 ~ Arthur Lee Stevenson, commonly known as blues drummer, singer Kansas City Red, born in Drew, Mississippi, USA ~ Pivotal in development of urban blues. Worked with David Honeyboy Edwards, Robert Nighthawk, Sunnyland Slim, Big Walter Horton, Johnny Shines, Earl Hooker, Blind John Davis, Johnny Man Young, Robert Lockwood Junior, Eddie Taylor, Floyd Jones, Elmore James, Easy Baby, and Jimmy Reed ~ Stevenson passed away in 1991
May 7, 1923 ~ Singer, songwriter Jim Lowe, full name James Ellsworth Lowe, born in Springfield, Missouri, USA ~ Best known for his 1956 hit The Green Door and for writing Gambler's Guitar, a million-seller for Rusty Draper. Also a radio host and personality, considered an export on popular music of the 1940s and 1950s ~ Lowe passed away in 2016
May 7, 1922 ~ Actor, bandleader, saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger Lew Anderson, full name Lewis Burr Anderson, born in Kirkman, Iowa, USA ~ To TV fans best known as the third actor to portray Clarabell the Cow on the TV show Howdy Doody from 1954 to 1960. Also known as accomplished jazz saxophonist and bandleader working with artists such as Bob Millikan, Chuck Winfield, Eddie Bert, Frank Strozier, Dave Weckl, John Fedchock, Greg Gisbert, Milt Hinton, and Bobby Rosengarden ~ Anderson passed away in 2006
May 7, 1919 ~ Walter Ferguson Byfield, commonly known as calypso singer, songwriter Walter Ferguson, born in Guabito, Panama ~ Revered calypso songwriter enjoying a career spanning seven decades. Self-taught on several instruments, including dulzaina, harmonica, ukulele, guitar, and clarinet. Wrote an estimated 200 songs, including A Sailing Boat, Cabin In The Wata, Callaloo, and Carnaval Day ~ Byfield passed away in 2023May 7, 1914 ~ Songwriter, film composer John Elliott born in Gowanda, New York, USA ~ Reportedly wrote or co-wrote over 600 songs for motion pictures, most notably for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans films. Co-wrote with Sonny Burke, Harold Spina (Dinah Shore's It's So Nice To Have A Man Around The House), and with Lew Quadling (Bing Crosby's Sam's Song) ~ Elliott passed away in 1972
May 7, 1910 ~ Guitarist, singer Teddy Bunn, full name Theodore Leroy Bunn, born in Freeport, New York, USA ~ Reportedly, Bunn played solely by ear as he never learned to read notes. Bunn made his recording debut in the late 1920s, backing Fats Pichon and Red Allen, and shortly thereafter with Duke Ellington. Within weeks, he would team up with the Six Jolly Jesters, an ensemble consisting of some of Duke Ellington's sidemen, a kazooist, and a washboard player. Bunn is perhaps best known for his 1930 recordings with the Washboard Serenaders, including Teddy's Blues named for Bunn, as a key member of the Spirits Of Rhythm, led by Leo Watson, and for his association with the Washboard Rhythm Kings. Bunn is also noted for being one of the very first ever to record for the Blue Note label, both as a soloist and as a member of the Port Of Harlem Jazzmen. Over the course of his career Bunn has led his own groups, perhaps most notably the Waves Of Rhythm in the mid 1940s, and worked with artists such as Fats Waller, King Oliver, Lizzie Miles, Victoria Spivey, Red McKenzie, Jimmie Noone, Tommy Ladnier, JC Higginbotham, Sidney Bechet, Georgia White, Lionel Hampton, Big Joe Turner, Edgar Hayes, Jack McVea, Hadda Brooks, and Louis Jordan. Sadly, Bunn's career stalled in the 1960s due to his rapidly deteriorating health, a series of heart attacks and finally a stroke in 1970 leaving him partially blind and crippled. Yet, although perhaps somewhat forgotten today, among jazz aficionados Bunn is remembered as one of the finest guitarists of his generation with a vast and wide body of work in swing, stride, blues, jump blues, and R&B. On his widely praised virtues as an accompanist and inspired improviser, Bunn has been quoted as saying: “I can usually sense what the cats are going to play a split second before they do it” ~ Bunn passed away in 1978
May 7, 1905 ~ Jazz violinist, conductor, musical director, composer Georgie Stoll, full name George Martin Stoll, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA ~ Best known for his work during the Golden Age of musicals from the 1940s through the 1960s, joining Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1937. Musical director, conductor for musical films such as Honolulu, Ice Follies Of 1939 and Babes In Arms. Has worked with the likes of Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Gene Kelly, and Frank Sinatra. Also involved in some of the later Elvis Presley films, notably Viva Las Vegas and Spinout ~ Stoll passed away in 1985