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 21, 2023 ~ Jazz, tango, nuevo tango guitarist, composer Horacio Malvicino passed away in Concordia, Argentina ~ Studied medicine but decided to pursue a career in music, bitten by the jazz, tango bug playing in the renowned jazz club the Bop Club Argentino in Buenos Aires. Influenced by Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, and Benny Goodman. Most closely associated with Astor Piazzolla, including in Piazzolla's pioneering 1950s nuevo tango line-ups. Malvicino would lead several ensembles from the 1960s onward, notably the Horacio Malvicino Jazz Quintet, and has composed numerous soundtracks ~ Malvicino was born in 1929
November 21, 2022 ~ John Peter Wilkinson, commonly known as guitarist, singer, songwriter Wilko Johnson, passed away in Westcliff-on-Sea, UK ~ Fingerstyle punk, punk-pop, pub rock guitarist. Influenced Paul Weller. Core member of Dr Feelgood, known best for their 1979 Milk And Alcohol single. Also worked with the Solid Senders, Ian Dury's band the Blockheads, Roger Daltrey, and Mick Farren ~ Wilkinson was born in 1947
November 21, 2021 ~ Pianist, guitarist, singer Yul Anderson passed away in Sacramento, California, USA ~ Son of singer John Kassandra. Influenced by Mahalia Jackson, BB King, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Johann Sebastian Bach. Opened for Earthquake, Eddie Money and Ray Charles while still in his early teens. Known for merging gospel, blues, R&B, adding elements of classical music. Social activist, organized several intercultural events. Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 ~ Anderson was born in 1958
November 21, 2017 ~ Talvin Wayne Cochran, commonly known as soul singer Wayne Cochran, passed away in Miramar, Florida, USA ~ Having befriended Otis Redding Cochran played bass guitar on Redding's early recording of Shout Bamalama and its B-side Fat Girl. Cochran was dubbed the “White Knight of Soul” and is perhaps best known for the 1961 hit Last Kiss ~ Cochran was born in 1939
November 21, 2013 ~ Composer Bernard Parmegiani passed away in Paris, France ~ Known for his electronic or acousmatic music. Studied mime from 1957 to 1961, a period he later regarded as important to his work as a composer. Worked with Iannis Xenakis, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, the Third Ear Band, and François Bayle. Cited as a major influence by later acts such as Aphex Twin, Autechre and Sonic Youth ~ Parmegiani was born in 1927
November 21, 2013 ~ R&B singer Pharrell Williams releases Happy, written and recorded for the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack ~ At this point in his career, Pharrell Williams had enjoyed success as a producer and songwriter, notably as half of the duo the Neptunes, and as lead vocalist of NERD. Yet, as a solo artist he had yet to score that one major hit that would make him a household name. Happy, written and recorded for the soundtrack to the animated film Despicable Me 2 did just that. The single would top the charts in well over a dozen countries, including the Netherlands, the UK, and America, where it held the top spot for ten consecutive weeks before being dethroned by John Legend's All Of Me. At the time of its release, Happy received universal acclaim with reviews ranging from “unbelievably catchy” to “contagiously peppy and brilliantly simple”. However, some retrospective reviews would be more critical, deeming Happy as a fine enough song for a children's film, yet repetitive and running its chorus back without a proper bridge. Nevertheless, the song still holds true to this day and made Williams a household name
November 21, 2012 ~ Jazz pianist Austin Peralta, full name Austin Topper Peralta, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Classically trained child prodigy. Played with Chick Corea and Hank Jones at age 15. Led the Eighty-Eights, known for the albums Maiden Voyage and Mantra released while in his mid-teens. Other notable associations include Adam Rudolph, Tim Riles, Shafiq Husayn, Erykah Badu (New Amerykah Pt.2 (Return Of The Ankh)), Anthony Crawford, Thundercat, and Flying Lotus. Died at a mere age 22, the coroner's report indicating the most likely cause of death was viral pneumonia aggravated by a combination of alcohol and drugs ~ Peralta was born in 1990November 21, 2010 ~ José Antonio Rezende de Almeida Prado, commonly known as classical composer, pianist Almeida Prado, passed away in São Paulo, Brazil ~ Wrote over 400 compositions, most notably Pequenos Funerais Cantantates and Hileia Um Mural Da Amazonia. Hailed by conductor João Carlos Martins as possibly the most important Brazilian composer of all-time ~ Prado was born in 1943
November 21, 2007 ~ Guitarist Paul Fox, full name Paul Richard Fox, passed away in UK ~ Best known as founding member of UK punk outfit Ruts. Also a member the Dirty Strangers, who recorded two albums featuring guests Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Worked with the Choir Militia, the Screaming Lobsters, the Fluffy Kittens, Mat Sargent, and the Riffs ~ Fox was born in 1951
November 21, 2005 ~ Rapper Ne-Yo releases So Sick, lifted off his In My Own Words debut album ~ Written by Ne-Yo with the production duo Stargate, So Sick is a love song about being tired of hearing love songs, as each reminds him of a love gone wrong. The rapper would later explain: “It's about the first time I fell in love with a girl in a way that I completely screwed it up. So it was a story that I didn't have to think really hard about putting it together. A lot of heartbreak went into that song, so that's why I think a lot of people dug it the way they did, because you can feel it.” The single would reach top 10 in close to a dozen countries, including the top spot in the UK and the rapper's native America
November 21, 2003 ~ Alessandro Carmelo Randazzo, commonly known as singer, producer, songwriter, arranger Teddy Randazzo passed away in Orlando, Florida, USA ~ First gained attention as a member of the Three Chuckles, initially as an accordionist and switching to lead vocals quickly, with whom he scored the 1954 hit Runaround, followed by a few modest hits, and the band subsequently made appearances in the 1956 films The Girl Can't Help It and Rock Rock Rock. As a solo artist, Randazzo would score several moderately successfull singles. However, he would become best known as a songwriter, initially often in partnership with Bobby Weinstein. Steve Lawrence scored a Billboard Hot 100 No.9 hit with Pretty Blue Eyes. Little Anthony & the Imperials recorded over a dozen of the songwriter duo's songs including Goin' Out Of My Head which peaked at No.6 on the pop charts and would be covered by over an estimated 400 artists with combined sales of over 100 million copies. It's Going To Take A Miracle was also intended for Little Anthony & the Imperials, yet given to the Royalettes instead whose 1965 single was a modest hit. The song would later be a hit for Deniece Williams. Towards and during the 1970s, Randazzo would regularly partner with other songwriters, resulting in songs such as Forgot To Remember (Frank Sinatra), Falling Apart At The Seams (the Manhattans), Half A Love (the Chi-lites), and Love Vibration (Joe Simon). As a songwriting duo, Randazzo and Weinstein would be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007, some fifty years after they first teamed up ~ Randazzo was born in 1935
November 21, 1999 ~ Alvin Welch, commonly known as pop singer Alvin Cash, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Fronted Alvin Cash & the Crawlers, known for mid 1960s recordings such as the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit Twine Time, The Barracuda, The Philly Freeze, and Keep On Dancing. Following the band's disbandement by the late 1960s, Cash has recorded a handful of singles as a solo artist, and acted in several blaxploitation films including Pete Wheatstraw and Black Bart ~ Welch was born in 1939
November 21, 1995 ~ Homer Robert Eanes Jr, commonly known as bluegrass, country guitarist, singer Jim Eanes, passed away in Martinsville, Virginia, USA ~ Bluegrass balladeer active since the early 1940s, starting as backing musician for Roy Hall. Well known for penning and first recording I Wouldn't Change You If I Could in the late 1950s, a hit song for Ricky Skaggs some two decades later. Others who recorded songs written or co-written by Eanes include Flatt & Scruggs (Baby Blue Eyes), Ralph Stanley, the Dillards (Bending The Strings), Mac Wiseman, and George Jones ~ Eanes was born in 1923
November 21, 1995 ~ Pop rock, punk rock, new wave guitarist, keyboardist Matthew Ashman, full name Matthew James Ashman, passed away in London, UK ~ Joined Adam & the Ants in 1978, appearing on the band's debut album Dirk Wears White Sox released in 1979. Would depart the band along with bandmates drummer David Barbarossa and bassist Leigh Gorman to form Bow Wow Wow, complemented with singer Annabella Lwin. The band would become known for the singles Go Wild In The Country and the Strangeloves-cover I Want Candy ~ Ashman was born in 1960
November 21, 1992 ~ Rock & roll, punk rock, post-punk singer, drummer, guitarist, songwriter Ricky Williams, also known as Ricky Tractor, passed away in El Camino, California, USA ~ Original singer for Flipper, credited with naming the band though he left before they made any recordings. Has also worked with Crime, Sleepers, and with the Toiling Midgets ~ Williams was born in 1956
November 21, 1992 ~ Classical, jazz flutist Severino Gazzeloni passed away in Cassino, Italy ~ Best known for his three decade tenure as principal flutist of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra. Gazzelloni had compositions written especially for him by Luciano Berio (Sequenza I For Solo Flute), Pierre Boulez, Bruno Maderna, and Igor Stravinsky. Gazzelloni has also performed in jazz settings, and has tutored artists such as Abbie de Quant, Norma Beecroft and Eric Dolphy. The latter would name a track off his acclaimed 1964 Out To Lunch album, the seven-minute-plus track Gazzelloni, for his tutor ~ Gazzelloni was born in 1919
November 21, 1988 ~ Pop, dance-pop singer Tiffany releases her Hold An Old Friend's Hand sophomore album ~ Though not as big a hit as her eponymous Tiffany debut album, which reached No.1 Billboard Hot 200 and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits, the singer's follow-up nevertheless was a commercial success. The album was met with mixed reviews, some praising it as well-crafted while others criticized the calculated production. The album, however, did sell over a million copies, peaking at No.17 Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Its lead single All This Time would be Tiffany's fourth and final Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit, peaking at No.6. The album's second single, Radio Romance, would be a major hit in the UK, where it peaked at No.13. Tiffany's popularity was fading though, and despite recording over half a dozen more albums through the 2020s the singer would be unable to repeat her chart success as a teenager
November 21, 1987 ~ In its 12th week on the charts, Mony Mony by Billy Idol hits No.1 Billboard Hot 100 ~ First recorded by Billy Idol for his 1981 Don't Stop EP. Idol had originally intended to cover the classic Shout, originally a hit for the Isley Brothers in the late 1950s, but opted for Mony Mony instead, a cover of the late 1960s Tommy James & the Shondells hit. Idol's 1981 single made little impact. However, when he released it as a live version in 1987 off his Vital Idol compilation album, it became his biggest American hit. Coincidentally, when Idol's Mony Mony reached No.1, it replaced Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now, which was also a cover of a Shondells song. Years later, Idol would reveal his fondness for Mony Mony, the original Shondells track had been playing in the background during an early sexual encounter of hisNovember 21, 1985 ~ Jazz, funk, soul saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist Calvin A Johnson Jr born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Debuted as a leader with the album Jewel's Lullaby in 2012. In-demand sideman, has toured or recorded with acts such as Harry Connick Jr, Sam's Funky Nation, Aaron Neville, Irvin Mayfield, Bob French, Courtney Bryan, and Mystikal
November 21, 1985 ~ Singer, songwriter, actress Carly Rae Jepsen born in Mission, Canada ~ Performed the lead in several of her high school's musicals before her studies at the Canadian College Of Performing Arts, pursuing a career in the musical theatre. First gained serious attention in 2007 placing third on the talent contest Canadian Idol. Would release her folk-influenced Tug Of War debut album the following year. Broke through to mainstream, achieving international recognition, in 2012 with the teen-pop, dance-pop hit Call Me Maybe, a charttopper in over a dozen countries including the UK, the United States and her native Canada, taken of her Kiss sophomore album
November 21, 1984 ~ Folk, blues, country singer, guitarist Willy Mason born in New York, New York, USA ~ Actively recording since the mid 2000s. Enjoys popularity especially in the UK, his 2004 Where The Humans Eat debut album and its 2007 If The Ocean Gets Rough both reaching the top 40. Well-known songs include Oxygen, So Long, Save Myself, and We Can Be Strong featuring KT TunstallNovember 21, 1982 ~ Elisabeth Corrin Maurus, commonly known as pop rock, country folk singer, guitarist, songwriter Lissie, born in Rock Island, Illinois, USA ~ Released her debut EP Why You Runnin' in 2009, her full lenght Catching A Tiger debut album released the following year. Best known and critically acclaimed for the 2016 My Wild West album, her third studio album
November 21, 1980 ~ Alternative rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Ben Gautrey, full name Benedict Gautrey, born in Tokyo, Japan ~ Fronted the Cooper Temple Clause, known for songs such as Promises Promises, Blind Pilots and Homo Sapiens. After the band disbanded in 2007 Gautrey would go on to form Type Two Error with bandmate Kieran MahonNovember 21, 1980 ~ Metal singer Tim Lambesis, full name Timothy Peter Lambesis, born in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA ~ Best known as founding member, frontman of As I Lay Dying. Also worked with Society's Finest, Point Of Recognition, Sworn Enemy, and Bleeding Through