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.
November 11, 2023 ~ Actress, singer Conny Van Dyke, sometimes credited as Connie Van Dyke, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Best known as an actress and TV personality, notably starring in the neo noir film Framed, she also had the distinction of being one of the first white singers to be signed to Motown in the early 1960s, while still only in her mid-teens. She cut a few sides for the label, Oh Freddy and It Hurt Me Too, the latter penned and first recorded by Marvin Gaye, before by her own account her music career came to an end after her mother became concerned she might become romantically attracted to one of her black labelmates. Van Dyke recorded two albums in the mid 1970s as a country artist, Conny Van Dyke and Conny Van Dyke Sings For You, but with lack of promotion her music did not get much attention ~ Van Dyke was born in 1945November 11, 2023 ~ Singer Luis Carlos Gil passed away ~ Formed the trio Trigo Limpio with Iñaki de Pablo and Amaya Saizar, the latter later replaced by Patricia Fernández. The trio enjoyed popularity during the 1970s and 1980s, recording about half a dozen albums. Internationally they are best known for representing their native Spain at the 1980 Eurovision Songfestival, where they reached 12th place with Quédate Esta Noche ~ Gil was born ca.1951
November 11, 2022 ~ Pop rock guitarist, songwriter Chris Koerts passed away in Le Chalard, France ~ Co-founding member of Earth & Fire and along with his twin brother keyboardist Gerard Koerts primary songwriter of the band, known for a string of 1970s hits. Songs such as Seasons, Ruby Is The One, Wild And Exciting, Invitation, Storm And Thunder, Memories, Maybe Tomorrow Maybe Tonight, Love And Life, Thanks For The Love, and Weekend would all reach top 10 in the band's native Netherlands ~ Koerts was born in 1947
November 11, 2022 ~ Post-punk, rock guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, percussionist Keith Levene, full name Julian Keith Levene, passed away in Norfolk, UK ~ Co-founded the Clash yet departed the band before they began recording. Co-wrote What's My Name, featured on the band's eponymous The Clash debut album. Co-founded Public Image Ltd with Johnny Rotten, remaining with the band through 1983. Levene has also worked with the Flowers Of Romance, Cowboys International, Pigface, and recorded as a solo artist ~ Levene was born in 1957November 11, 2022 ~ Robert Noakes, commonly known as folk, country singer, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter Rab Noakes, passed away in Glasgow, UK ~ Well over a dozen albums to his name, starting with Do You See The Lights released in 1970. Guested on Can I Have My Money Back, Gerry Rafferty's solo debut album released in 1971. Frequent collaborator of Fraser Speirs. Has also worked with the Varaflames, which also included Pick Withers ~ Noakes was born in 1947
November 11, 2022 ~ Singer, guitarist, actor Sven-Bertil Taube, full name Sven-Bertil Gunnar Evert Taue, passed away in London, UK ~ Son of songwriter Evert Taube, whose songs he frequently recorded. Well over thirty albums to his name starting with 1954's Swedish Folk Songs And Ballads. Especially known for his interpretations of 18th-century songwriter Carl Michael Bellman, collected on two albums released in the early 1960s ~ Taube was born in 1934
November 11, 2021 ~ Drummer Graeme Edge, full name Graeme Charles Edge, passed away in Saratosa, Florida, USA ~ Drummer, co-founding member of the Moody Blues, best known for their 1964 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit Go Now and the 1967 single Nights In White Satin. Edge wrote or co-wrote songs such as Late Lament, In The Beginning, Beyond, Balance and Procession. Following their 1974 world tour the band would go on a hiatus for a number of years, during which time Edge fronted the Graeme Edge Band, known for the albums Kick Off Your Muddy Boots and Paradise Ballroom. The former featured Ginger Baker co-drumming with Edge on the track Gew Janna Woman ~ Edge was born in 1941
November 11, 2021 ~ Progressive rock, jazz fusion guitarist John Goodsall passed away ~ Playing professionally since age 15. Worked with Babylon, Juicy Lucy, Colosseum and the Alan Bown Set early on in his career. Best known for his stints with Atomic Rooster and with Brand X which also included drummer Phil Collins. Has also worked with Zoo Drive, Bill Bruford, the Fire Merchants, the Long Beach Mercenaries, Tami Lynn, Franz Pusch, Leon Alvarado, and Cymbalic Encounters ~ Goodsall was born in 1953
November 11, 2020 ~ Jazz, R&B saxophonist, oboist, bassist Andrew White, full name Andrew Nathaniel White III, passed away in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA ~ Leader and sideman, active in classical music, jazz, and R&B. Noted for his 1976 Maxine Spotts And Brown album. To pop audiences perhaps best known for his association with the 5th Dimension, serving as the band's principal electric bassist from 1970 through 1976. Has also worked with the American Ballet Theatre, the Fourth Way (The Sun And Moon Have Come Together), Stevie Wonder, the Weather Report (Sweetnighter), McCoy Tyner, Gerry Rafferty, Elvin Jones, and Julius Hemphill, White is also known as an author, notably writing Trane And Me published in 1981 on the music of jazz icon John Coltrane ~ White was born in 1942
November 11, 2020 ~ Country singer Thomas Rhett releases What's Your Country Song, lifted off his Country Again (Side A) album ~ Inspired by Thomas Rhett's road travels across the United States, the lyrics include a series of questions directly referencing the titles of well over a dozen other country songs. Rhett has stated the song started as a joke when he referenced his father Rhett Akins' That Ain't My Truck and grew from there. Parker Welling, who co-wrote the song, would recall to the Tennessean: “I don't prefer songs that do the title thing, but we were like should we do it? Should we not? So the compromise we came to was the chorus wouldn't do it. And if we did it in the verses, it needed to make sense as if we were not putting titles in it. So like, we had to connect these titles in a way that if you didn't know the title, the story still made sense.” Preceded by Die A Happy Man released in 2015, What's Your Country Song would be Rhett's second single to top the Billboard Country chart
November 11, 2019 ~ Jamar Antonio Stamps, commonly known as rapper Bad Azz, passed away in Murrieta, California, USA ~ First gained attention as member of the LBC Crew and alongside Kurupt in the collective DPGC. Released his Word On Tha Streets solo debut album in 1998. Continued to record through the early 2000s. Resurfaced in 2009 releasing Thug Pound, a collaborative album with Bizzy Bone ~ Stamps was born in 1975November 11, 2016 ~ Guitarist, bassist, songwriter Doug Edwards passed away in Vancouver, Canada ~ Best known as a member of Skylark, co-penning their 1972 hit Wildflower. Later Edwards was a member of the Hometown Band and Chilliwack. He also guested on Glass Tiger's Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone and on the Poppy Family's Which Way You Going Billy ~ Edwards was born in 1946
November 11, 2016 ~ Jazz, jazz fusion, pop bassist Victor Bailey passed away in Stafford, Virginia, USA ~ Known for his signature scat-bass solos. Member of Steps Ahead, present on the albums Magnetic and Vibe. Member of the Weather Report from 1982 through 1986. As a leader recorded about half a dozen albums, starting with Bottoms Up released in 1989. Has also worked with Dennis Chambers, Omar Hakim, Metro, and Joe Zawinul ~ Bailey was born in 1960
November 11, 2014 ~ Henry Lee Jackson, commonly known as rapper Big Bank Hank, passed away in Englewood, New Jersey, USA ~ Discovered by Sylvia Robinson. Best known as member of Sugarhill Gang known for their crossover hit Rapper's Delight. Also manager of local hip-hoppers the Cold Crush Brothers and of Grandmaster Caz ~ Jackson was born in 1956
November 11, 2014 ~ Blues harpist, singer Johnny Dyer passed away in San Dimas, California, USA ~ Took up the harmonica at age 7, inspired to take up the harmonica after hearing Little Walter on the radio. Worked with Smokey Wilson, George Harmonica Smith, Jimmy Reed, and JB Hutto, before retiring from music by the 1960s. Resurfaced in the 1980s, collaborating with artists such as Shakey Jake Harris, Harmonica Fats, and Rod Piazza. Has recorded a handful of albums since, notably Shake It released in 1995 ~ Dyer was born in 1938
November 11, 2013 ~ William Adamson, commonly known as pop rock drummer Billy Adamson, passed away in France ~ Longtime drummer for the Searchers, joining the band in 1969 after their most famous period. Present on acclaimed albums such as the eponymous 1979 The Searchers album and 1981's Love's Melodies. Adamson would depart the band in 1998 to spend more time with his family ~ Adamson was born in 1944
November 11, 2013 ~ Country music publisher Bob Beckham, full name Robert Joseph Beckham, passed away in Hermitage, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known as head of Combine Music Publishing from 1964 through 1989. Mentor and father figure to numerous Nashville-based songwriters. Pivotal to the careers of Kris Kristofferson and Dennis Linde. Helpful to generations of others including Dolly Parton, Dennis Linde, Larry Gatlin, Tony Joe White, and Billy Swan ~ Beckham was born in 1927
November 11, 2011 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Michael Garrick passed away in Harefield, 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 was born in 1933November 11, 2002 ~ Post-punk, new wave rock outfit the Cure play the first of two consecutive nights at Tempodrom, Germany ~ The band perform three albums, 1982's Pornography, 1989's Disintegration, and 2000's Bloodflowers, in its entirety one after the other each night, the songs being played in the order in which they appeared on the albums. The performance would be released on DVD the following year as Trilogy
November 11, 1999 ~ Mildred Elizabeth Cummings, commonly known as R&B, jazz singer, songwriter Little Miss Cornshucks, passed away in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA ~ Never became a household name yet was invaluably influential on other singers such as Lavern Baker, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Wynona Carr, Billy Wright, and Johnnie Ray. Known for songs such as Papa Tree Top Blues, Gonna Leave Here Walkin', When Mommy Sings A Lullaby, Cornshuck's Blues, True (You Do Not Love Me) and her signature song So Long ~ Cummings was born in 1923
November 11, 1998 ~ Western swing, country fiddler, singer Wade Ray, full name Lyman Wade Ray, passed away in Sparta, Illinois, USA ~ Early Western swing fiddler, singer, bandleader noted for including sidemen such as Kenneth Carllile and Curly Chalker early on in their careers. First to record Let Me Go Devil, penned by Jenny Lou Carson inspired by Hank Williams' battle with alcoholism and premature death. It would be instantly covered, using the original title, by Georgie Shaw, Johnny Bond and by Tex Ritter. It would become a jazz, pop standard after being rewritten to Let Me Go Lover at the insistence of producer Mitch Mitchell who felt the original “devil” would be too depressing for pop audiences ~ Ray was born in 1913November 11, 1997 ~ Ellsworth McGranahan Keane, commonly known as jazz trumpeter, poet Shake Keane, passed away in Oslo, Norway ~ 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 was born in 1927
November 11, 1996 ~ Blues rock, rock singer Jo Baker passed away in Oakland, California, USA ~ Best known for her association with Elvin Bishop. Baker had previously sung at a jam session with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, of which Bishop was a member. However, the two lost touch. Some years later, when Bishop was in need of a singer, he placed an ad in Rolling Stone saying “Jo Baker, wherever you are, please call Elvin Bishop” followed by a San Francisco telephone number. Baker would appear on four of Bishop's albums, including the acclaimed Let It Flow, making Baker somewhat of an anomaly as a black female in an otherwise all-male white band. Baker has also recorded three albums with Stoneground, and guested on albums by Stephen Miller, Taj Mahal, and Quicksilver. Due to health issues, Baker retired from music in the early 1990s, passing away a few years later at age 44. Baker was named after singer, dancer Josephine Baker ~ Baker was born in 1948
November 11, 1993 ~ Trumpeter, bandleader Erskine Hawkins, full name Erskine Ramsay Hawkins, passed away in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, USA ~ One of the swing era's most respected bandleaders, Hawkins enjoyed popularity throughout the early 1950s, over time venturing into a more R&B-infused sound while still remaining firmly rooted in jazz. Perhaps best remembered for co-writing and first recording Tuxedo Junction, which has become a standard covered by well over 150 artists including Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Duane Eddy, Quincy Jones, King Curtis, and Chet Atkins. Other well known recordings include Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams, Don't Cry Baby, Tippin' In, and After Hours. Vocalists who have sung with his orchestra include Ida James, Delores Brown, and Della Reese. Hawkins would continue to perform, albeit it with smaller ensembles, into the 1980s ~ Hawkins was born in 1914
November 11, 1991 ~ Singer Michael Jackson releases Black Or White, lifted off his Dangerous album ~ Written and produced by Michael Jackson and Bill Bottrell, who had previously worked with Jackson on the albums Victory and Bad. The song would spend seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts, making it Jackson's 12th solo No.1 hit. When Black Or White reached the top spot it would tie Jackson with the Supremes in third place for most No.1 hits after the Beatles and Elvis Presley. Contrary to common belief, Guns 'n Roses guitarist Slash is not present on Black Or White. The guitarist would later comment: “It just doesn't sound like me, anyone would know that. It's not the guitar sound you would expect from me, but somehow I got pigeonholed as the guy who played on that song.” Slash did guest on other Jackson songs though, perhaps most notably on Give Into Me, another track off the Dangerous album