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 30, 1956 ~ Songwriter Jean Schwartz passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Frequent collaborator of William Jerome. Wrote or co-wrote songs such as I'm A Member Of The Midnight Crew (Eddie Morton), Chinatown My Chinatown (Grace Kerns, Milton Brown), Rock-a-bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody (Al Jolson, Judy Garland, Jackie Wilson), Trouble In Paradise (Eddy Duchin), Trust In Me (Wayne King, Mildred Bailey, Louis Jordan, Etta James), and Wild Romantic Blues (Jane Green) ~ Schwartz was born in 1878
November 30, 1956 ~ Texas blues guitarist, singer, songwriter Smokin' Joe Kubek born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Backed Freddie King while still in his teens. Closely associated with Bnois King. Released his solo debut single, the Freddie King/Sonny Thompson-penned Driving Sideways b/w the Doyle Bramhall-penned The Other Side Of Love, in 1985. Released his full-length debut album, Steppin' Out Texas Style, in 1991 and has released over a dozen albums since ~ Kubek passed away in 2015
November 30, 1955 ~ Vaudeville pianist, songwriter Al Goodhart passed away ~ Perhaps best known for co-writing I Apologize, a hit for Bing Crosby in 1931 and covered by numerous artists including Billy Eckstine, Jackie Wilson, Aretha Franklin, and Bobby Vinton. Other songs co-penned by Goodhart include Auf Wiedersehen My Dear (Jack Denny, Bert Ambrose, Russ Columbo), I Saw Stars (Freddy Martin, Joe Haymes, Etta Jones), and Serenade Of The Bells (Sammy Kaye, Jo Stafford, Gene Autry) ~ Goodhart was born in 1905
November 30, 1955 ~ William Michael Albert Broad, commonly known as punk rock, glam rock, dance-punk, post-punk singer, guitarist, songwriter Billy Idol, born in Stanmore, UK ~ Briefly a member of Chelsea before co-founding Generation X with bandmate Tony James, best known for the 1979 single and UK top 20 hit King Rocker. As a solo artist Idol would reach succes in the USA, starting with the Billboard Hot 100 top 30 hit Hot In The City taken of his eponymous 1982 Billy Idol album. Subsequent hits would include White Wedding, Eyes Without A Face, Flesh For Fantasy, To Be A Lover, Sweet Sixteen and Mony MonyNovember 30, 1954 ~ Bassist George McCardle born in Melbourne, Australia ~ Member of the Little River Band from 1976 through 1979, present on some of the band's best known including the 1977 album Diamantina Cocktail which gave the band its first and only Australian No.1 hit with Help Is On Its Way, and its 1978 Sleeper Catcher follow-up album
November 30, 1954 ~ Singer Jeannie Kendall born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Formed the country duo the Kendalls with her father Royce Kendall, known for a string of late 1970s to mid-1980s recordings including the Billboard Country No.1 hits Heaven's Just A Sin Away, Sweet Desire and Thank God For The Radio ~ Kuykendall passed away in [artist-jeannie-kendall]
November 30, 1953 ~ Singer June Pointer, full name June Antoinetta Pointer, born in Oakland, California, USA ~ Founding member of sibling outfit the Pointer Sisters, known for songs such as Yes We Can Can, Fire, Happiness, He's So Shy, Slow Hand and I'm So Excited. Released a solo album, Baby Sister, in 1983 spawning the modest hit Ready For Some Action ~ Pointer passed away in 2006November 30, 1952 ~ Jazz percussionist, pianist, composer Chris Joris born in Mechelen, Belgium ~ Son of opera singer Jan Joris. Member of avant-garde rock group Aksak Maboul, present on the band's 1977 Onze Danses Pour Combattre La Migraine debut album. Also worked with Bula Sangoma, David Linx, Frank Vaganee, Ernst Vranckx, Yannick Peeters, Art Farmer, Toots Thielemans, and Steve Lacy
November 30, 1951 ~ Kabasele Yampanya, commonly known as rumba, soukous singer, bandleader, songwriter Pépé Kallé, born in Leopoldville, Belgian Congo ~ Prominent figure in African music. Dubbed “the Elephant of African Music” for his stature, standing tall at 210 cm (6'11). Has worked with the Orchestre Bamboula, L'African Jazz, Bella Bella and Lipua Lipua. Left the latter in 1972 to form the Empire Bakuba with Dilu Dilumona and Papy Tex, the band would become one of the most popular bands in Zaire known for hist such as Dadou and Sango Ya Mawa ~ Kallé passed away in 1998November 30, 1950 ~ Singer, songwriter Adele Tyler born ~ Best known for co-writing Bobbie Sue with Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Wood Newton, and her husband Dan Tyler. The 1982 single, recorded by the Oak Ridge Boys for their album of the same name, would top the Billboard Country charts and reach No.12 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 making it the second and final single by the Oak Ridge Boys to have a serious impact with mainstream audiences, preceded by Elvira the previous year. The Tylers' son William Tyler is a guitarist, known as a member of Lambchop and Silver Jews and subsequently as a solo artist
November 30, 1948 ~ Pianist, singer, songwriter Richard Smallwood born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Member of Vision. Had his songs recorded by Destiny's Child, Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark Sheard. Has collaborated with Leontyne Price, Kim Burrell, Kelly Price, Chaka Khan, Tramaine Hawkins, and Aretha Franklin
November 30, 1947 ~ Folk, pop, world music singer, songwriter Ann Mortifee born in Durban, South Africa ~ Blends folk, musical theatre, sacred and world music. Released her solo debut, Baptism, in 1975. Worked with Michel Legrand, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and her husband Paul Horn
November 30, 1945 ~ Bassist, pianist, singer Johnny Dyani, full name Johnny Mbizo Dyani, born in East London, South Africa ~ Member of the Blue Notes, South Africa's first racially integrated jazz band. Founded and fronted Earthquake Power. Founded Xaba with Mongezi Feza and Okay Temiz. Has also recorded as a solo artist and collaborated with a wide array of artists including Steve Lacy, Don Cherry, Louis Moholo (Spirits Rejoice), David Murray, Joe Bonner, Abdullah Ibrahim, Khan Jamal (Three), Chris Joris, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Per Henrik Wallin, and Chris McGregor ~ Dyani passed away in 1986
November 30, 1945 ~ Bassist, singer Roger Glover, full name Roger David Glover, born in Brecon, UK ~ Member of Episode 6. Rose to fame as member of Deep Purple from 1969 through 1973, rejoining in 1984. Present on some of the band's best known including the pivotal 1970 Deep Purple In Rock album. Reportedly came up with the title for their iconic Smoke On The Water hit, thus inspiring the song's lyrics written by Ian Gillan. Glover left the band in 1973, along with Gillan, after the band's second Japanese tour. Would release his The Butterfly Ball And The Grasshopper's Feast solo debut album the following year, spawning the feelgood single Love Is All featuring Ronnie James Dio as lead vocalist. Would spend the remainder of the 1970s producing acts such as Judas Priest, Nazareth, Elf, Status Quo, David Coverdale. Joined Rainbow in 1979, remaining with the band through 1984
November 30, 1943 ~ James Jay Barnes, commonly known as soul, pop, R&B singer JJ Barnes, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Member of the Holidays, which also included Steve Mancha and Edwin Starr of later War fame, known best for their 1966 Billboard R&B top 10 hit I'll Love You Forever. The following year Barnes would also score a Billboard R&B top 10 hit as a solo artist with Baby Please Come Back Home. Subsequent singles would fail to repeat the succes. His earlier solo recordings, such as the early 1960s Just One More Time and Please Let Me In, made little impact at the time but would later become Northern soul favorites in the UK ~ Barnes passed away in 2022November 30, 1943 ~ Singer Oscar Harris born in Albina, Suriname ~ By far the most popular Surinam-born singer in the Netherlands during the 1970s. Best known for the Dutch top 10 Try A Little Love and Soldiers Prayer as a member of the Twinkle Stars and Song For The Children as a solo artist
November 30, 1943 ~ Folk rock, rock & roll singer, bassist, songwriter Rob Grill, full name Robert Frank Gill, born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Member of rock & rolll group the Grass Roots known for late 1960s hits such as Let's Live For Today, Midnight Confessions and I'd Wait A Million Years ~ Grill passed away in 2011
November 30, 1939 ~ Conductor, violinist Walter Weller born in Vienna, Austria ~ Formed and fronted string quartet the Weller Quartet. Worked with orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna State Opera, the Sinfonieorchester Basel, the Spanish National Orchestra, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Valencia Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish National Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ~ Weller passed away in 2016November 30, 1937 ~ Electronic composer Eduard Artemeyev, full name Eduard Nikolayevich Artemeyev, born in Novosibirsk, Russia ~ One of the first composers to utilize a synthesizer, and as such regarded as a pioneer of electronic music. Outside of Russia best known for his film scores, with well over two dozen soundtracks to his name including Solaris, At Home Among Strangers, Stalker, Siberiade, and Burnt By The Sun ~ Artemeyev passed away in 2022
November 30, 1937 ~ Country, country pop singer, guitarist Frank Ifield, full name Francis Edward Ifield, born in Coventry, UK ~ Scored a string of early 1960s hits including I Remember You, Lovesick Blues, Wayward Wind, I'm Confessin' That I Love You, and Please, all of which reached top 30 in his native UK. Ifield, known for frequently incorporating yodeling, has recorded some two dozen albums over his career, enjoying popularity throughout the mid-1980s in both the UK and Australia. In 1986, Ifield contracted pneumonia, which resulted in removal of part of a lung and damage to his vocal cords, seriously pausing his career as he recovered ~ Ifield passed away in 2024November 30, 1937 ~ Singer, producer, label executive Jimmy Bowen, full name James Albert Bowen, born in Santa Rita, New Mexico, USA ~ As a rockabilly singer known for 1950s recordings such as I'm Stickin' With You and Warm Up To Me Baby. Turned to production in the 1960s, working with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bert Kaempfert, Sammy Davis Jr, and Dino Desi & Billy
November 30, 1937 ~ R&B, soul singer Luther Ingram, full name Luther Thomas Ingram, born in Jackson, Tennessee, USA ~ Co-penned Respect Yourself, an early 1970s Billboard Hot 100 top 20, Billboard R&B top 10 hit, and signature song for the Staple Singers. As a singer, Ingram recorded about half a dozen albums through the mid-1980s. Well known songs include My Honey And Me, Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One), You Were Made For Me, I'll Be Your Shelter (In Time Of Storm), Always, and Do You Love Somebody, all of which reached top 20 Billboard R&B. Ingram's biggest hit, (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right released in 1972, would also cross over to the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, where it reached top 10 ~ Ingram passed away in 2007November 30, 1936 ~ Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano, commonly known as singer, actress Lucha Villa, born in Camargo, Mexico ~ Popular mostly during the 1950s and 1960s. Known for songs such as Media Vuelta, La Cruz Del Cielo and Viva Quien Sabe Querer
November 30, 1934 ~ Surf producer, label founder, label executive Anthony J Hilder born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Surf producer turned conspiracy theorist author and film and radio maker. Musically known for producing records such as Jim Waller's Surfing Wild, the Original Surfaris' LP Bombora, supervising recordings of the Revels Surf, for founding several labels including CT Records, and for working at a number of others including Kent Records, Modern Records, and Impact Records. Hilder later turned conspiracy theorist around subjects involving 9/11, the Illuminati and NWO ~ Hilder passed away in 2019
November 30, 1932 ~ Bassist, double bassist Bob Moore, full name Bob Loyce Moore born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ First call session bassist, reportedly appearing on over an estimated 17,000 recordings, including most of Patsy Cline's Decca Records recordings such as I Fall To Pieces, Crazy and She's Got You. Moore has frequently arranged for Roy Orbison, plays the bass intro on Roger Miller's King Of The Road, and has worked with Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brenda Lee, Patti Page, Moby Grape, and Quincy Jones. Occasionally Moore recorded as a solo artist, most notably scoring a Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit in 1961 with the instrumental Mexico, which sold over two million copies worldwide ~ Moore passed away in 2021