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.
October 10, 1979 ~ Mya Marie Harrison, mononymously known as singer, songwriter, actress Mya, born in Washington DC, USA ~ Debuted in 1998 with the eponymous Mya album, spawning the hit It's All About Me featuring Sisqó. Featured on the Pras hit Ghetto Supastar (THat Is What You Are which also featured Ol' Dirty Bastard. Collaborated with Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim and Pink on the Billboard Hot 100 charttopper Lady Marmalade, a remake of the Labelle-classic. As a solo artist also known for Take Me There, Case Of The Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do), and FreeOctober 10, 1978 ~ Drummer Alex Thomas born in Lutterworth, UK ~ Worked with Bolt Thrower, Squarepusher, Air, Badly Drawn Boy, Groop Dogdrill, the New Young Pony Club, UNKLE, Saint Etienne, Bat For Lashes, Anna Calvi, Earl Shilton, Adem, Supreme Vagabond Craftsman, Philip Selway, John Cale, and Bloc Party
October 10, 1978 ~ Big band bandleader Ralph Marterie passed away in Dayton, Ohio, USA ~ His first job as a bandleader was for the US Navy during World War II. Would go on to work as bandleader with ABC Radio and regularly reach the higher echelons of the charts during the early 1950s, including a number of covers of traditional pop and rock & roll songs such as Crazy Man Crazy, Pretend, Caravan. As a composer best known for Dancing Trumpet, Dry Marterie and Carla ~ Marterie was born in 1914October 10, 1968 ~ Scott Iallaci, commonly known as hip-hop DJ, producer, remixer DJ Skribble, born in Elmont, New York, USA ~ Member of Young Black Teenagers. Co-wrote the 1996 musical Hip Hop Wonderland with Bill Irwin. Appeared on Wyclef Jean's The Carnival solo debut album. Released his full-length Traffic Jams debut album in 1997
October 10, 1965 ~ Jazz double bassist George Tucker, full name George Andrew Tucker, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Sideman. Worked with Earl Bostic, John Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Eric Dolphy, Clifford Jordan, Horace Parlan, Booker Ervin, Jerome Richardson, Junior Mance, Melba Liston, Stanley Turrentine, Dexter Gordon, Shirley Scott, Dave Lambert, John Hendricks, Yolande Bavan, Coleman Hawkins, Jaki Byard, Kenny Burrell, Ted Curson, Lou Donaldson, Curtis Fuller, Bennie Green, Slide Hampton, John Handy, Etta Jones, Gildo Mahones, Pony Poindexter, and Jimmy Witherspoon ~ Tucker was born in 1927
October 10, 1965 ~ Singer, actress, songwriter Rebecca Pidgeon born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA ~ Best known as an actress. As a singer as a member of Brish folk outfit Ruby Blue, appearing on two albums, 1987's So Unlike Me and 1988's Bloomsbury Blue. Debuted as a solo artist in 1994 with the album The Raven and has recorded steadily since, at time backed by Billy Preston and Walter Becker. Has guested on recordings by Luciana Souza, Madeleine Peyroux and Chris Connelly
October 10, 1963 ~ Jazz trumpeter, bassist, drummer, composer Brad Goode born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Barrett Deems, Ernie Krivda, Jack DeJohnette, Von Freeman, Curtis Fuller, Sheila Jordan, Paa Kow, Rony Barrak, Richie Cole, Matt Dusk, Fred Hess, Mollie O'Brien, Joanie Pallatto, Sax Appeal, and Steve Vining
October 10, 1962 ~ Bluegrass banjoist, guitarist Sammy Shelor born in Meadows Of Dan, Virginia, USA ~ Best known for fronting the Lonesome River Band, joining the band in 1990. Present on the band's best known including the albums Old Country Town and Talkin' To Myself. Has also recorded as a solo artist and is an in-demand session musician and collaborator, has worked with the Virginia Squires, Linda Lay, Larry Rice, Ronnie Bowman, Butch Robins, Exit Thirteen, Don Rigsby, the Country Gentlemen, Jimmy Gaudreau, Bobby Osborne, and Alan JacksonOctober 10, 1961 ~ Bassist, singer Martin Kemp born in Islington, UK ~ Longtime member of Spandau Ballet, known for songs such as Musclebound, True, Gold, Only When You Leave and Through The Barricades, all of which reached the UK top 10
October 10, 1961 ~ Rock drummer Scott Hoffman born in Fort Myers, Florida, USA ~ Best known for his stint with 38 Special drumming with the band from 1992 to 1997. Also worked with O-Town, Down Ime, the Chris Hicks Band, AJ McLean, Mindi Abair, James Taylor, and Jerry Douglas
October 10, 1960 ~ Singer, pianist, guitarist, bassist, drummer Eric Martin, full name Eric Lee Martin, born in San Francisco, California, USA ~ Frontman of Mr Big, best known for their 1991 hit To Be With You co-written by Martin. Has also worked with Tak Matsumoto, Michael Bolton, Todd Rundgren, Europe (co-wrote All Or Nothing), Laura Branigan, Sammy Hagar, Ted Nugent, and Debbie Gibson
October 10, 1960 ~ Pop, rock, gypsy jazz, bluegrass guitarist, singer, songwriter George Cole born in San Francisco, California, USA ~ Lead guitarist for 1980s pop outfit Beatnik Beatch, known for the albums At The Zula Pool and Beatnik Beatch. Member of the Big Blue Hearts from 1997 through 2000. Toured with Joe Walsh. Mentored Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt. Eponym and leader of gypsy jazz band the George Cole Quintet
October 10, 1960 ~ Jazz pianist John Beasley born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Louisiana ~ Session musician. Has released solo albums since the early 1990s. Has backed a wide array of jazz and pop artists including Miles Davis, Steely Dan, Chaka Khan, James Brown, the Spice Girls, Dianne Reeves, Sérgio Mendes, Freddie Hubbard, Queen Latifah, Lee Ritenour, Mike Stern, and Ivan Lins
October 10, 1958 ~ Jazz, smooth jazz keyboardist, composer Alex Bugnon born in Montreux, Switzerland ~ Nephew of Donald Byrd. Released his debut album, Love Season, in 1988 to critical acclaim and has recorded steadily since
October 10, 1958 ~ Country, outlaw country singer Tanya Tucker born in Seminole, Texas, USA ~ One of the few childhood stars who matured into a longtime career in music. Notched her first hit, Delta Dawn, in 1972 at age 13. Would regularly hit the higher echelons of the country charts well throughout the 1990s. Also known for songs such Would You Lay With Me In A Field Of Stone, Lizzie & The Rainman, San Antonio Stroll, Here's Some Love, Texas (When I Die), Can I See You Tonight, One Love At A Time, If It Didn't Come Easy, My Arms Stay Open All Night, Down To My Last Teardrop, It's A Little Too Late, Soon, and Hangin' In
October 10, 1957 ~ Revered songwriter Tony Arata, full name Anthony Michael Arata, born in Savannah, Georgia, USA ~ Known for writing or co-writing hit songs for Suzy Bogguss, Garth Brooks (The Dance), Lee Roy Parnell (I'm Holding My Own), Clay Walker (Dreaming With My Eyes Open), Patty Loveless (Here I Am), Trisha Yearwood, Jim Glaser (The Man In The Mirror), Emmylou Harris, Tanya Tucker (Same Old Story), and Hal Ketchum (Satisfied Mind)
October 10, 1956 ~ Neo-bop pianist, singer Johnny O'Neal born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Influenced by Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. Worked with Cleveland Eaton, Ray Reach, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Nancy Wilson, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, and Art Blakey
October 10, 1954 ~ Hard rock, glam metal, pop rock singer David Lee Roth born in Bloomington, Indiana, USA ~ Co-founding member, lead singer of Van Halen, remaining with the band through 1984 and rejoining in later years. Active as a solo artist since the mid-1980s, scoring Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hits with California Girls, Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody, Yankee Rose and Just Like Paradise
October 10, 1954 ~ Rock, pop singer, keyboardist, film composer Václav Patejdl, also known as Vaso Patejdl, born in Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia ~ Co-founding member of Elán, one of the most popular Czech acts of the 1980s, with whom he recorded four albums before departing on amicable terms in 1984 to focus on solo projects. Rejoined the band in 1996, to remain a member until his death. Over half a dozen albums as a solo artist, starting with Chlapcensky Usmev released in 1986. Has also written songs for other artists including Beáta Dubasová, Marika Gombitová, and Banket. The latter's Po Schodoch would later become a hit when rerecorded as a solo single by its lead singer Richard Müller. Patejdl also composed several soundtracks, notably for the 1985 movie Fontana Pre Zuzanu and the award-winning 2015 fairy tale film The Seven Ravens ~ Patejdl passed away in 2023
October 10, 1953 ~ James Ure, commonly known as keyboardist, guitarist, singer Midge Ure born in Glasgow, UK ~ Enjoyed popularity from the 1970s onward serving in bands such as Silk, Thin Lizzy, the Rich Kids and Visage, the latter especially known for the pivotal 1980 hit Fade To Grey. Best known for fronting Ultravox from 1980 through 1987, scoring the uk top 10 hits Vienna, All Stood Still and Dancing With Tears In My Eyes. Ure has also recorded as a solo artist, notably the UK No.1 If I Was of his 1985 The Gift album. Co-wrote and co-produced the Band Aid charity single Do They Know It's Christmas. Co-wrote Phil Lynott's Yellow Pearl, which served as the theme of Top Of The Pops for much of the 1980s
October 10, 1950 ~ Rock, country singer, guitarist, songwriter Tim Krekel, full name Timothy Joseph Krekel, born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA ~ Released well over half a dozen albums as a singer, starting with Crazy Me released in 1979. In-demand songwriter, his songs recorded by artists such as Dr Feelgood, Terri Gibbs (Ain't Nobody), Crystal Gayle, Alan Jackson (Anywhere On Earth You Are), Patty Loveless, Martina McBride (Cry On The Shoulder Of The Road), the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Delbert McClinton (Blues As Blues Can Get), Kim Richey, Aaron Tippin, Jason & the Scorchers (I Can't Help Myself), and Marshall Chapman ~ Krekel passed away in 2009October 10, 1949 ~ Singer, actress, producer Jessica Harper born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Best known as an actress, appearing in over 20 motion pictures including Pennies From Heaven, Woody Allen's Stardust Memories and Love & Death and Steven Spielberg's The Minority Report. As a singer known for a string of albums containing children's songs and for backing Dan Hicks on his Beatin' The Heat released in 2000
October 10, 1948 ~ Percussionist, singer Cyril Neville, full name Cyrille Garrett Neville, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Joined his brother Art Neville in R&B, funk outift the Meters in the early 1970s to record five albums with the band, starting with Struttin', until its disbandement in 1977. Both brothers, as well as Charles Neville and Aaron Neville, would take part in the recording sessions of the commercially unsucessful but critically acclaimed The Wild Tchoupitoulas by the Wild Tchoupitoulas, a Mardi Gras Indian group led by their uncle George Landry, after which the four siblings would form the Neville Brothers. Neville would record over half a dozen albums with the sibling outfit through the early 2000s, including the highly acclaimed Yellow Moon in 1989. Cyril Neville has also recorded as a solo artist, at times aided by one or more of his siblings, and has notably guested on several recordings by his older brother Aaron Neville as well as on albums by Bob Dylan, Daniel Lanois (Acadie), Jimmy Buffett (Boats Beaches Bars & Ballads), Edie Brickell, Willie Nelson (Teatro), the Wild Magnolias (Life Is A Carnival), Dr John, Tab Benoit (Fever For The Bayou), Jim McIntosh, Mike Zito, Stanton Moore, and Michael KaeshammerOctober 10, 1948 ~ Josiane Grizeau, commonly known as singer Séverine, born in Paris, France ~ Internationally best known for winning the 1971 Eurovision Songfestival, representing Monaco with the song Un Banc Une Arbre Une Rue written by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Yves Dessca
October 10, 1947 ~ David John Crooks, commonly known as reggae, rocksteady singer Dave Barker, born in Kingston, Jamaica ~ Briefly a member of the Techniques. Formed the duo Dave & Ansell Collins, known for their international hit Double Barrel. Released a string of solo recordings including the hits Shock Of A Mighty and Spinning Wheel. Has also worked with Chain Reaction, the Selecter, and the Riffs
October 10, 1947 ~ Singer Nina Matviienko, full name Nina Mytrofanivna Matviienko, born in Nedilyshche, Ukranian SSR ~ Considered a pivotal voice in Ukrainian folk. Member of the Ukrainian State Folk Choir from 1966 through 1991. Member of folk trio Zoloti Kliuchi. Well-known for her 2017 performance with the Lviv National Opera of Yevhen Stankovych's folk opera When The Fern Blooms. The opera had been banned during the Soviet era, the recording featuring Matviienko would be streamed online following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine ~ Matviienko passed away in 2023