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 8, 1944 ~ Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, commonly known as singer Bonnie Bramlett, born in Alton, Illinois, USA ~ Formed Delaney & Bonnie with her husband Delaney Bramlett, known for songs such as Comin' Home, Never Ending Song Of Love and Only You Know And I Know. Has also worked with Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, the Everly Brothers, Carly Simon, Dickey Betts, the Allman Brothers Band, Steve Cropper, Emmylou Harris, Hank Williams Jr, Rita Coolidge, Dwight Yoakam, the Charlie Daniels Band, and Reese Wynans
November 8, 1942 ~ Keyboardist, songwriter Donnie Fritts, full name Donald Ray Frits, born in Florence, Alabama, USA ~ Best known for his association with Kris Kristofferson. Also worked with Rick Hall, Billy Sherrill, Dan Penn, Arthur Alexander, David Briggs, Jerry Carrigan, Norbert Putnam, Jerry Wexler, Willie Nelson, Spooner Oldham, Waylon Jennings, Delbert McClinton, Tony Joe White, Sammy Creason, Lee Roy Parnell, and John Prine. As a songwriter, Fritts had his songs recorded by Joe Simon, Bonnie Koloc, Charlie Rich (You're Gonna Love Yourself In The Morning), the Box Tops, Dolly Parton (We Had It All), and Dusty Springfield (Breakfast In Bed) ~ Fritts passed away in 2019
November 8, 1929 ~ Songwriter, producer Bert Berns, full name Bertrand Russell Berns, born in the Bronx, New York, USA ~ Wrote or co-wrote songs such as Twist And Shout (the Top Notes, the Isley Brothers, the Tremeloes, the Who), Piece Of My Heart (Erma Franklin, Janis Joplin, Dusty Springfield), Here Comes The Night (Lulu, Them, David Bowie, Dwight Yoakam), Hang On Sloopy (the Vibrations, the McCoys), and Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Solomon Burke, the Rolling Stones, the Blues Brothers) ~ Berns passed away in 1967
November 8, 1927 ~ Mary Jean Loutsenhizer, commonly known as jazz singer Chris Connor, born in Kansas City, Missouri, USA ~ Sang with bands led by Claude Thornhill, Jerry Wald, and Stan Kenton in the early 1950s. Signed with Bethlehem in 1953 and released dual LPs, Sings Lullabies Of Birdland and Sings Lullabies For Lovers, making her the label's best-selling solo artist. Moved to Atlantic Records in 1955, becoming the label's first white female jazz singers, producing a string of well-polished albums through the early 1960s working with some of the days best musicians. Connor spent the remainder of the 1960s and 1970s recording for various labels. ~ Connor passed away in 2009
November 8, 1927 ~ Clara Ann Fowler, commonly known as pop, country pop singer Patti Page, born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA ~ Best-selling female singer of the 1950s. Scored over a dozen million-sellers. Best known for songs such as Confess, With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming, All My Love (Bolero), I Went To Your Wedding, Changing Partners, Allegheny Moon, and perhaps her best known The Tennessee Waltz ~ Fowler passed away in 2013November 8, 1927 ~ Jazz pianist Stan Seltzer, full name Stanley Wilson Seltzer, born in Aurora, Illinois, USA ~ Child prodigy. Student of Vladimir Horowitz. Ibluenced by Oscar Peterson, Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock. Best known as a concert and backing pianist in Chicago, Hollywood and Las Vegas and notably as the house pianist in Ricky's Lounge, Alhambra. As a recording artist known for a sole album, Excitement released in 1960 ~ Seltzer passed away in 2000
November 8, 1921 ~ Jerome Haynes, commonly known as guitarist Jah Jerry, born in Kingston, Jamaica ~ Worked woth the Jocelyn Trott Orchestra, Val Bennett, Prince Buster, Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, King Edwards, Lyndon Pottinger, the Skatalites, Rico Rodriguez, Tommy McCook, Supersonics, Fred Locks, Cornell Campbell, the Abyssinians, the Drumbago All-Stars, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Millie Small, Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, Toots & the Maytals, Derrick Morgan, and Stranger Cole ~ Haynes passed away in 2007
November 8, 1921 ~ Jerome Albert Link Heinz, commonly known as operatic bass singer Jerome Hines, born in Hollywood, California, USA ~ Made his operatic debut at the San Francisco Opera in 1941, portraying the role of Monterone in Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto. Would Anglicise his surname to Hines due to the prevalent anti-German sentiment at the start of World War II. Best known for his longtime association with the Metropolitan Opera from 1946 through 1987, his stage presence and a stentorian voice. His 1946 Met debut would make him the first US-born singer to tackle the role of Gudonov, the title role in Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Gudonov. He would reprise the role in 1968 at the Bolshoi Theatre, famously for Soviet leader Nikita Kruschev on the eve of the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis ~ Heinz passed away in 2003November 8, 1913 ~ Arnold Dwight Moore, commonly known as blues, gospel singer, songwriter, pastor Gatemouth Moore, born in Topeka, Kansas, USA ~ Worked with Bennie Moten, Tommy Douglas, Walter Barnes, Ida Cox, Ma Rainey, and Bertha Hill. As a songwriter had his songs recorded by Louis Jordan, Lonnie Johnson, Johnny Otis, Rufus Thomas, Jimmy Witherspoon, and by BB King who once called Moore “one of the greatest blues singers ever” ~ Moore passed away in 2004
November 8, 1909 ~ Country singer, songwriter Scotty Wiseman, full name Scott Greene Wiseman, born in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA ~ Formed the duo Lulu Belle & Scotty with his wife Lulu Belle, one of the most popular country acts of the 1930s and 1940s. Lovingly dubbed “the Sweethearts of Country Music”, they are best known for Have I Told You Lately That I Love You. Penned by Wiseman, the tune would be recorded by well over 150 artists including Tex Ritter, Bing Crosby, Eddie Cochran, Jim Reeves, Elvis Presley, Patti Page, Willie Nelson, Ringo Starr, and Roger Whittaker ~ Wiseman passed away in 1981
November 8, 1890 ~ Romantic composer, pianist, organist, teacher César Franck, full name César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck, passed away in Paris, France ~ Earned a reputation as a formidable improviser. Organist of the the Basilica Of St Clotilde, Paris, a position he held from 1858 until his death. Joined the the Paris Conservatoire as a professor, where his pupils included Ernest Chausson, Vincent d'Indy, Henri Duparc, Albert Renaud, and Louis Vierne. Prolific composer, and while many of his works were met with resistance, Franck is widely remembered for a number of works composed later in life including Symphony In D Minor, Sonata For Violin And Piano In A Major, Piano Quintet In F Minor, and the symphonic poem Le Chasseur Maudit ~ Franck was born in 1822November 8, 1883 ~ Composer, poet, author Arnold Bax, full name Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, born in Streatham, UK ~ Closely associated with pianist Harriet Cohen. At the time regarded as an important yet isolated figure, his works rediscovered after his death. Best known for his symphonic poem Tintagel. Wrote symphonies, choral music, vocal music, chamber music and piano music ~ Bax passed away in 1953