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 23, 2020 ~ Country singer, guitarist Hal Ketchum, full name Hal Michael Ketchum, passed away in Fischer, Texas, USA ~ Earned critical acclaim and peer admiration for his poignant and literate yet unadorned story-telling. Released close to a dozen albums, starting with Threadbare Alibis in 1988. Though never a major star, Ketchum did find mainstream success mostly during the 1990s with about a dozen Billboard Country top 40 hits, his best known Small Town Saturday Night, Past The Point Of Rescue, and Hearts Are Gonna Roll all peaking at No.2. Ketchum retired from music in 2019 following a diagnosis of dementia ~ Ketchum was born in 1953November 23, 2016 ~ Songwriter Fred Stobaugh passed away in Peoria, Illinois, USA ~ One hit wonder, retired truck driver Stobaugh became a viral sensation in 2013 with the song Oh Sweet Lorraine, written for his then recently departed wife of 73 years ~ Stobaugh was born in 1917
November 23, 2016 ~ Road manager, author Joe Esposito, full name Joseph Carmine Esposito, passed away in Calabasas, California, USA ~ Road manager for Elvis Presley and consultant for several of Presley's movies, having met the singer while serving in the military with him stationed in Friedberg, West Germany. Esposito would become a lifelong friend, serve as best man at Presley's wedding, and is considered one of the premier sources on Presley. After the singer's death in 1977, Esposito has authored several books on his time with Presley, notably Good Rockin' Tonight (20 Years On The Road With Elvis) published in 1994 ~ Esposito was born in 1938
November 23, 2015 ~ Banjoist, guitarist Clive Palmer, full name Clive Harold Palmer, passed away in Penzance, UK ~ Best known as founding member of the Incredible String Band, teaming up with Robin Williamson, later joined by Mike Heron. Also worked with the Famous Jug Band, Wizz Jones, Stockroom 5, Tim Welland, John Bidwell, the Temple Creatures, Chrissie Quayle, and the Clives Original Band ~ Palmer was born in 1943
November 23, 2015 ~ Singer, trumpeter, hornist Cynthia Robinson passed away in Carmichael, California, USA ~ Co-founding, constant member of Sly & the Family Stone, notably present on hits such as Dance To The Music and I Want To Take You Higher. Cousin of Larry Graham, bandmate in both Family Stone and Graham Central Station. Robinson has also guested on albums by Funkadelic (The Electric Spanking Of War Babies), Flash Cadillac, Dorothy Norwood, Robert Cray, Rose Stone, and Prince. Robinson would be described as “the original hypeman” by Questlove of the Roots ~ Robinson was born in 1944
November 23, 2010 ~ Lutenist, banjoist, guitarist, musicologist James Tyler, full name James Henry Tyler, passed away ~ Helped pioneer an early music revival with over 50 recordings to his name. Has notably collaborated with the New York Pro Musica, and performed with Sidney Beck's Consort Players for President John F Kennedy at the White House. Has formed the New Excelsior Talking Machine ragtime ensemble, for which he played banjo, and the London Early Music Group ~ Tyler was born in 1940
November 23, 2009 ~ Country outfit the Zac Brown Band release Highway 20 Ride, lifted off their The Foundation album ~ Described as an “honest but not syrupy” song by critics, Highway 20 Ride tells of a divorced father riding down the highway every other weekend to pick up his son. Wyatt Durrette, a regular songwriting partner of Zac Brown, based the song on his own experiences after his former wife and son moved away, as he told the Boot: “She moved back to where she was from in South Carolina, and the halfway point was Augusta. I was bartending and took every other weekend off to spend time with him. It was a very painful time in my life, not having enough time together and having to bring him back. I worried about how he will perceive me as a father. Am I doing the right thing? I was going through all the things everybody goes through in that situation.” The song reached No.1 Billboard CountryNovember 23, 2008 ~ Blues harpist, singer, guitarist Robert Lucas passed away in Long Beach, California, USA ~ Played the blues harmonica backing artists such as Bernie Pearl, Big Joe Turner, George Harmonica Smith, Pee Wee Creighton, Lowell Fulson, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, and Percy Mayfield. Founded Luke & the Locomotives. Fronted Canned Heat from the mid- to late 1990s ~ Lucas was born in 1962
November 23, 2006 ~ Anita Belle Colton, commonly known as jazz singer Anita O'Day, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Dubbed the “Jezebel of Jazz” O'Day has worked with Max Miller, Gene Krupa, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Dinah Washington, George Shearing, Cal Tjader, Thelonious Monk, and Benny Goodman ~ Colton was born in 1919
November 23, 2006 ~ Rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock guitarist, singer April Lawton passed away ~ Best known for fronting early 1970s outfit Ramatam, which briefly included Jimi Hendrix-drummer Mitch Mitchell and Blues Image guitarist Mike Pinera. Lawton left the band after two albums, Ramatam and In April Came The Dawning Of The Red Suns, both commercially disappointing ~ Lawton was born in 1948
November 23, 2001 ~ R&B, soul singer OC Smith, full name Ocie Lee Smith, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Best known for his 1968 recording of Little Green Apples, which reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 10. Other well known songs include The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp, Friend Lover Woman Wife, Daddy's Little Man and Baby I Need Your Loving ~ Smith was born in 1932
November 23, 1996 ~ Kermit Lane, commonly known as pianist Ken Lane, passed away in Lake Tahoe, California, USA ~ Co-wrote Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes, first recorded by Peggy Lee in 1947 and covered by well over 100 artists inlcuding Dinah Washington, Brenda Lee, Sarah Vaughan, and Frank Sinatra, probably most closely associated with the latter. Also well known as Dean Martin's accompaniest during the late 1960s and early 1970s on The Dean Martin Show aired on NBC. Composed the music for Lucy Gets Lucky, a 1975 TV movie starring Lucille Ball. Lane's daughter, Robin Lane is a rock singer ~ Lane was born in 1912
November 23, 1994 ~ Songwriter, singer Tommy Boyce, full name Sidney Thomas Boyce, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ First gained attention in the late 1950s penning Be My Guest, a Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit for Fats Domino. Also co-wrote Curtis Lee's Pretty Little Angel and Under The Moon Of Love. Best known for teaming up with Bobby Hart, notably known for penning several of the Monkees' best known including Theme From The Monkees and Last Train To Clarksville. Others who have recorded the duo's songs include Chubby Checker (Lazy Elsie Molly), Jay & the Americans (Come A Little Bit Closer), Paul Revere & the Raiders (I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone), the Leaves (Words), and Little Anthony & the Imperials (Hurt So Bad) ~ Boyce was born in 1939
November 23, 1992 ~ Destiny Hope Cyrus, commonly known as singer, child actress Miley Cyrus, born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Cyrus first rose to fame in the early 2000s, and became a teen idol through the title role in Disney Channel's Hannah Montana TV series. As a singer, Cyrus debuted with her Meet Miley Cyrus album in 2007, and has recorded consistenly since. Well known songs include 7 Things, Climb, Party In The USA, Wrecking Ball, and Flowers. Over the course of her career, Cyrus has collaborated numerous artists including the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Future, Ariana Grande, Lana Del Rey, Artists For Haiti, Bret Michaels, Rock Mafia, Snoop Lion, will.i.am, Mike Will Made It, Lolawolf, the Flaming Lips, and Mark Ronson. Cyrus was given the nickname “Miley”, derived from “Smiley”, in her youth as she smiled a lot as an infant
November 23, 1992 ~ Singer, songwriter, fiddler, music publisher Roy Acuff, full name Roy Claxton Acuff, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known for co-founding Nashville music publishers Acuff/Rose Music together with Fred Rose, quintessential music publishers to the country genre, and responsible for advancing the careers of artist sich as Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and the Everly Brothers ~ Acuff was born in 1903November 23, 1986 ~ Saxophonist, percussionist Svein Overgaard, full name Svein Arne Overgaard, passed away in Oslo, Norway ~ Member of the Norwegian resistance during World War II. As a musician worked with Fred Lange-Nielsen, Per Gregersen, Finn Westbye, Arvid Gram Paulsen, Pete Brown, Einar Gustavsen, and Robert Normann ~ Øvergaard was born in 1912
November 23, 1983 ~ Gastón Dalmau Arroquy, commonly known as actor, singer, guitarist Gastón Dalmau, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina ~ Played the role of Ramiro Ordónez in the TV series Casi Angeles. Singer, guitarist in the Teen Angels along with several other cast members, known for songs such as Hoy Quiero, Vuelvo A Casa, El Lugar Real, Navidad, Mieda A Perderte, Que Llegue Tu Voz, and Loco
November 23, 1979 ~ Judith Lynne Sill, commonly known as folk, baroque pop, folk rock singer, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter Judee Sill, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Influenced by Johann Sebastian Bach. Though the depth of her faith is debatable Sill wrote lyrics about Christian themes such as rapture and redemption. First artist to be signed to the Asylum label. Recorded two albums, 1971's Judee Sill and 1973's Heart Food, and demos for a third before dying at age 35 of a drug overdose. Though never commercially successful and only gaining limited recognition during her lifetime, Sill has been cited as an influence by artists such as Nick Lowe, Liz Phair, Warren Zevon, Robin Pecknold, and Daniel Rossen. Sill was referenced in or is the object of several songs, notably Laura Veirs' Song For Judee, Aaron Lee Tasjan's Judee Was A Punk, and the Fleet Foxes' Sunblind ~ Sill was born in 1944
November 23, 1979 ~ Rock group Pink Floyd release Another Brick In The Wall (Part II), lifted off their The Wall album ~ The band rarely released singles, as they felt their songs were best appreciated in the full context of an album. However, producer Bob Ezrin convinced the band to release Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) as it could easily stand on its own without hurting album sales. And so it did, the single became a No.1 hit in numerous countries including America and the band's native UK, while the album would still sell over 20 million copies. Roger Waters, the band's co-lead vocalist and the song's sole songwriter, would later temper the general perception of the song as being anti-education: “You couldn't find anybody in the world more pro-education than me. But the education I went through in boys' grammar school in the '50s was very controlling and demanded rebellion. The teachers were weak and therefore easy targets. The song is meant to be a rebellion against errant government, against people who have power over you, who are wrong. Then it absolutely demanded that you rebel against that”
November 23, 1979 ~ New wave, post-punk, pop rock band the Police release Walking On The Moon, lifted off their Reggatta De Blanc sophomore album ~ Singer Sting wrote the song when he was drunk one night after a concert in Munich. The single, paired with Visions Of The Night on the flip side, would become the band's second UK No.1 hit, following Message In A Bottle earlier the same year. The singer later disclosed of the night in Munich: “I was drunk in a hotel room in Munich, slumped on the bed with the whirling pit when this riff came into my head. I got up and started walking round the room, singing ‘Walking round the room, ya, ya, walking round the room’. That was all. In the cool light of morning I remembered what had happened and I wrote the riff down. But Walking Round The Room was a stupid title so I thought of something even more stupid which was Walking On The Moon”November 23, 1978 ~ Singer, songwriter Alison Mosshart, full name Alison Nicole Mosshart, born in Vero Beach, Florida, USA ~ Member of Discount from 1995 through 2000. Co-founded the Kills with Jamie Hince. Member of supergroup Dead Weather since 2009 alongside Jack White, Jack Lawrence, and Dean Fertita. Also guested on recordings by Placebo, Primal Scream, Carla Azar, the Forest Rangers, and the Mini Mansions
November 23, 1974 ~ In its 9th week on the charts, I Can Help by Billy Swan hits No.1 Billboard Hot 100 ~ Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge had given Billy Swan a small RMI organ as a wedding present. Just playing around with it, Swan came up with the chorus “I can help” and within a few minutes he had written the lyrics. Issued as his debut single, the song would reach the No.1 spot on both the Billboard Country and all-genre Billboard Hot 100 charts, and do well abroad reaching the top position in over half a dozen countries including Norway, the Netherlands, and Australia. I Can Help would remain his sole Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit, yet he would continue to be in-demand as a session musician and songwriter. I Can Help, Swan's one major hit, would be covered by dozens of artists including Loretta Lynn, Elvis Presley, Patti Page, and Tom Jones. Contrary to common belief, the RMI organ given to him as a wedding present was not the organ used on the final cut of the song. The applause at the end of the song is the studio crew and musicians praising Swan for finishing the song while a playful dog kept tugging at his legs during the recordingNovember 23, 1974 ~ Jazz guitarist Frode Kjekstad born in Lier, Norway ~ Married to jazz singer Aina Fridén. Has collaborated with Dr Lonnie Smith, Eric Alexander, Mike LeDonne, Joe Farnsworth, Byron Landham, Alberto Marsico, Frank Foster, Johnny Griffin, Don Menza, Mark Nightingale, Claire Martin, Deborah Brown, Wendell Brunious, and Sandvika Storband
November 23, 1973 ~ Ranchera singer, songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez, full name José Alfredo Jiménez Sandoval, passed away in Mexico City, Mexico ~ Laid the foundation for modern Mexican music. Discovered in the late 1940s by singer Miguel Aceves Mejía. Has written over an estimated 1,000 songs, the most famous being Yo, Ella, Paloma Querida, Tu Y La Mentira, Media Vuelta, El Rey, El Jinete, Si Nos Dejan, Tu Recuerdo Y Yo, El Hijo Del Pueblo, Cuando El Destino, and Camino De Guanajuato ~ Jiménez was born in 1926November 23, 1972 ~ Drummer Chris Adler, full name Christopher James Adler, born in Washington DC, USA ~ Best known as co-founding member of Lamb of God. Also closely associated with Megadeth. Has also worked with Calibra, Cry Havoc, Jettison Charlie, Grouser, Testament, Protest The Hero, Thaikkudam Bridge, Firstborne, Blotted Science, and Nitro
November 23, 1972 ~ Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, commonly known as rapper Kurupt, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Influenced Kool Moe Dee, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem. Formed the duo Dogg Pound with Daz Dillinger, best known for the 1995 Let's Play House hit single featuring Michel'le. Released his full-length Kuruption solo debut album in 1998. Has worked with HRSMN, DJ Quik, DPGC, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Lost Boyz, and Nate Dogg