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 20, 1981 ~ Singer, dancer, model, actress, TV personality Kimberley Walsh born in Bradford, UK ~ Rose to fame as member of Girls Aloud, a girl group assembled though the ITV Popstars The Rivals talent show in 2002. The group became one of the few UK reality television acts to achieve continued success, recording five albums through the end of the decade selling over 4 million copies in the UK alones. Songs such as Sound Of The Underground, I'll Stand By You, Walk This Way with the Sugababes, and The Promise would all top the charts in their native UK. Following the band's disbandement in 2013, Walsh released her Centre Stage solo albumNovember 20, 1981 ~ Rock, hard rock, heavy metal singer, songwriter Ronnie Romero born in Santiago, Chile ~ Perhaps best known as lead singer of Rainbow since 2015. Has also worked with Santelmo, Aria Inferno, Voces Del Rock, the Lords Of Black, Walter Giardino's Temple, the Ferrymen, Coreleoni, Vandenberg, the Michael Schenker Group, Intelligent Music Project, and Sunstorm
November 20, 1981 ~ Indie rock, indie folk singer, guitarist Scott Hutchison, full name Scott John Hutchison, born in Edinburgh, UK ~ Founding member, frontman, primary songwriter for Frightened Rabbit, with whom he recorded about half a dozen albums. The band, which includes his brother Grant Hutchison on drums, is known for their sparse arrangements and Hutchison's plaintive singing. They are especially acclaimed for their The Midnight Organ Fight album released in 2008. Following a social media post, stating: “Be so good to everyone you love. It's not a given. I'm so annoyed that it's not. I didn't live by that standard and it kills me. Please, hug your loved ones,” and a second post “I'm away now. Thanks”, Hutchinson would go missing. His body would be discovered the next day by police ~ Hutchinson passed away in 2018November 20, 1978 ~ Composer Chris Opperman born in New York, New York, USA ~ Best known for his association with Steve Vai and Mike Keneally, including orchestrating their music for performances with het Metropole Orkest. Has also worked with Beer For Dolphins. Acclaimed as a solo artist though, starting with 1998's Oppy Music Vol.1 (Purple Crayon), merging alternative rock with heavy influences from 20th-century composers such as Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Anton Webern and Frank Zappa
November 20, 1977 ~ Country, neotraditionalist country, gospel singer, guitarist Josh Turner born in Hannah, South Carolina, USA ~ Rooted in church gospel, founding the gospel quartet Thankful Hearts in his youth. Moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music, debuting his self-penned Long Black Train at the Grand Ole Opry in 2001, receiving a standing ovation. The song would also serve as the title track and second single of his 2003 debut album, instantly propelling him to national fame. Turner would continue to record to critical acclaim and commercial success, regularly reaching the higher echelons of the Billboard Country charts with songs such as Your Man, Would You Go With Me, Firecracker, Why Don't We Just Dance, All Over Me and Hometown Girl
November 20, 1977 ~ Rock, experimental rock, jazz, classical, opera singer, producer, film composer Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari born in Bologna, Italy ~ Notably a member of Obake, alongside Massimo Pupillo and Eraldo Bernocchi, Balázs Pándi. Wrote the soundtrack for the 2009 La Torre Riflette video installation. Has collaborated in one role or another with numerous artists including Bill Laswell, System Of A Down's Serj Tarkian, Nils Petter Molvær, Eivind Sarset, Jamie Saft, Porcupine Tree's Colin Edwin, Markus Stockhausen, Trevor Dunn, Giovanni Lindo Ferretti, Cristina Donà, Gianluca Petrella, Stale Storløkken, and Hamid Drake
November 20, 1976 ~ Country singer Waylon Jennings releases Are You Ready For The Country, lifted off the album of the same name ~ Penned and first recorded by Neil Young as an album track for his 1972 Harvest album. Though the original version clearly is more blues than country, some critics have wondered whether Young was asking his audience to follow him into country music. Regardless, about half a decade later Waylon Jennings reinterpreted whatever Young may have meant and made it all about country, actually asking the question by slightly changing the lyrics from “Are you ready for the country, because it's time to go” to “Are you ready for the country, are you ready for me”. The Jennings single would spend fourteen weeks on the Billboard Country charts, peaking at No.7, making it his fifteenth top 10 single
November 20, 1975 ~ David Paden Marchand, commonly known as singer Davey Havok, born in Rochester, New York, USA ~ Lead singer of rock band AFI, synth-pop group Blaqk Audio, hardcore punk outfit XTRMST, and new wave group Dreamcar. Has also worked with Son Of Sam, Tiger Army, the Transplants, the Nerve Agents, and the Dance Hall CrashersNovember 20, 1975 ~ Singer Dierks Bentley, full name Frederick Dierks Bentley, born in Phoenix, Arizona, USA ~ Released his eponymous Dierks Bentley debut album in 2003, spawning the Billboard Country No.1 hit What Was I Thinkin'. Has consistently recorded to critical acclaim and chart success since, racking up several more country charttoppers including Come A Little Closer, Settle For A Slowdown, Feel That Fire, Home and Somewhere On A Beach
November 20, 1975 ~ Anti-folk, folk punk, indie rock singer, songwriter Jeffrey Lewis born in New York, New York, USA ~ Emerged from the 1990s anti-folk movement in New York. Released his full-length The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane debut album in 2001. Praised for his literate songwriting, often showing self-deprecating humor, and an off-kilter singing style. Has opened for the likes of Stephen Malkmus, Devendra Banhart, Jarvis Cocker, Frank Black, and Cornershop. Has collaborated with the Bundles, Kimya Dawson, and Diane Cluck. Lewis is also known as a comic book artistNovember 20, 1971 ~ Punk rock, alternative rock, hip-hop bassist, guitarist, singer Rob Johnson, full name Robert Arthur Johnson, born in Edmonton, Canada ~ Played in local bands until joining skate punk band the Wheat Chiefs in 1992 and later the same year SNFU. Sang lead on Gaggle Of Friends of the 1996 FYULABA. Also known under the moniker Freshbread in several hip-hop projects. Founded hard rock band Air Raid Siren with drummer Sean Stubbs
November 20, 1970 ~ Jazz saxophonist Don Stovall passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Started on the riverboats in the 1920s with Dewey Jackson and Fate Marable. Would go on to become one of the great alto-saxophonists of the 1940s, working with the likes of Sammy Price, Snub Mosley, Eddie Durham, Cootie Williams, and Red Allen. Retiring from music altogether at his prime by the early 1950s, Stovall has sadly been largely forgotten ~ Stovall was born in 1913
November 20, 1970 ~ Psychedelic rock, experimental, anti-folk, rock percussionist, guitarist Joel Gion born in San Francisco, California, USA ~ Best known as tambourine player for the Brian Jonestown Massacre from 1994 through 1999, rejoining on occasion in later years. Has also recorded as a solo artist, his 2014 Apple Bonkers album co-produced by Jonestown members Collin Hegna and Rob Campanella
November 20, 1970 ~ Malik Isaak Taylor, commonly known as rapper Phife Dawg born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Reformed hip-hop, bridging the gap between jazz and hip-hop and paving the way for alternative hip-hop, in the 1990s as member of A Tribe Called Quest alongside Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jarobi White. Well known songs include I Left My Wallet In El Segundo, Bonita Applebum, Can I Kick It, Check The Rhime, Jazz (We've Got), Scenario featuring Leaders Of The New School, Electric Relaxation, and Stressed Out featuring Faith Evans. Following the disbandement in the late 1990s Taylor released a solo solo album, 2000's Ventilation (Da LP), and would become an in-demand collaborator working with numerous artists from rap, hip-hop, spoken word and R&B ~ Taylor passed away in 2016November 20, 1967 ~ Fazli Teoman Yakupogiu, mononymously known as rock singer, songwriter Teoman, born in Alucra, Turkey ~ Active since the mid-1980s. Member of Mirage. As a solo artist broke through in 1996 with the song Ne Ekmek Ne De Su and has recorded to warm reception and commercial succes since. Well known songs include Paramparca, Sende Once Senden Sonra, 17 and Papatya, the latter notably featuring backing vocals from rock singer Özlem Tekin
November 20, 1966 ~ Producer, songwriter, keyboardist Kevin Gilbert, full name Kevin Matthew Gilbert, born in Sacramento, California, USA ~ Also known under the moniker Matthew Delgado. Best known for his solo work in various progressive rock projects, as member of the short-lived Toy Matinee and for collaborating with Sheryl Crow on her acclaimed Tuesday Night Music Club debut album ~ Gilbert passed away in 1996
November 20, 1965 ~ Michael Louis Diamond, commonly known as rapper Mike D, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Co-founding member of the Beastie Boys, known for songs such as (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party), Hey Ladies, So What'cha Want, Sabotage, Intergalactic, and Ch-check It Out. Diamond has also remixed for Moby and Björk
November 20, 1965 ~ Yoshiki Hayashi, mononymously known as drummer, pianist Yoshiki, born in Tateyama, Japan ~ Influenced by rockers Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden, punk bands such as the Exploited, the Sex Pistols, Gauze, classical composers Franz Schubert, Arnold Schoenberg and Sergei Rachmaninoff, and drummers John Bonham and Cozy Powell. Founder and frontman of rock band X. Would go on to become one of Japan's most innovative and influential composers working in classical music, rock, heavy metal and pop. Recorded as a solo artist starting with the classical Eternal Melody album, released in 1993, working with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Beatles-producer George Martin. Has also collaborated with SKIN, U2's Bono, will.i.am, Queen's Roger Taylor and Brian May, Kiss-bassist Gene Simmons, and operatic soprano Sarah BrightmanNovember 20, 1963 ~ Jazz tenor saxophonist Don Braden born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA ~ As a leader Braden released albums since the early 1990s, starting with The Time Is Now in 1991. Has performed, toured and recorded with artists such as the Harper Brothers, Dr Lonnie Smith, Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Out Of The Blue, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Freddie Hubbard, JJ Johnson, Tom Harrell, and Art Farmer
November 20, 1962 ~ Progressive metal, progressive rock singer Andy Kuntz born in Kaiserlautern, Germany ~ Best known as co-founding member of Vanden Plas. Has also worked with Abydos and Missa Mercuria and played in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar
November 20, 1962 ~ Bassist, guitarist, clarinetist, singer Gail Ann Dorsey born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Closely associated with David Bowie, backing Bowie from 1995 up to his death in 2016. Also worked with The The, Tears For Fears, the National, Lenny Kravitz, Bryan Ferry, Boy George, the Indigo Girls, Khaled, Jane Siberry, Skunk Anansie lead singer Skin, Gwen Stefani, Charlie Watts, Seal, Gang Of Four, Susan Werner, Ani DiFranco, Dar Williams. Has released a number of solo albums, starting with Corporate World in 1988
November 20, 1962 ~ New age pianist, composer, author Robin Spielberg born in New Jersey, USA ~ Founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company, with whom she acted in dozens of plays and composed the music for several productions. As a pianist has well over a dozen albums to her credit starting with Heal Of The Hand released in 1993. Spokesperson for American Music Therapy Association and in-demand speaker on the importance of music therapy, giving seminars, workshops and TEDx talks
November 20, 1962 ~ Blues rock, jam rock drummer Todd Nance born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA ~ Co-founding member of Widespread Panic, with whom he recorded about a dozen studio albums starting with the acclaimed Space Wrangler released in 1988. Nance departed the band in 2016 to be succeeded by Duane Trucks. Member of side project Brute, with whom he recorded two albums. Nance also co-founded supergroup Barbara Cue, and guested on albums by Jerry Joseph (Conscious Contact), Michael Houser, Daniel Hutchins, and Bloodkin ~ Nance passed away in 2020
November 20, 1962 ~ Post-punk, roots rock singer, songwriter Tommy Womack born in Sturgis, Kentucky, USA ~ Best known as member of Government Cheese from 1985 through 1992. Subsequently a member of the short-lived the Bis-Quits, known for their sole eponymous The Bis-Quits album released in 1993. Has also recorded as a solo artist, starting with Positively Na Na released in 1998, and had his songs recorded by the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Jason Ringenberg, Dan Baird, David Olney, Todd Snider, Kevin Fowler, and Scott KempnerNovember 20, 1961 ~ Jazz drummer Jay Rosen born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Best known as member of Trio X alongside Joe McPhee and Dominic Duval. Has also collaborated with Ivo Perelman, Vinny Golia, Jon Irabagon, the Cosmosamatics, the Resonance Impeders, Andrew Cheshire, John Gunther, Herb Robertson, Steve Swell, Paul Smoker, Chris Kelsey, and Gebhard Ullmann
November 20, 1961 ~ Pianist, singer Jim Brickman born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA ~ As a solo artist best known for his 2003 Peace and his 2009 Faith albums, both nominated for a Grammy Award. In-demand collaborator, has worked with Lady Antebellum, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, Leslie Odom Jr, Martina McBride, Megan Hilty, Delta Goodrem, Olivia Newton-John, John Oates, Five For Fighting, Michael Bolton, Gerald Levert, Jane Krakowski, and Richie McDonald