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 12, 1971 ~ The musical, rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, opens on Broadway, telling the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus ~ Initially unable to get backing for a stage production, composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice released it as a concept album. The play opens at the Mark Hellinger Theatre amid protests from religious groups, but proves very successful earning five Tony Award nominations. The show has been reprised in several stage productions the world for over five decades. In 1973, a film version is released. The original album would sell some seven million copies over the next decade. The original Broadway production, the film, and the album featured Yvonne Elliman, who would later score a massive hit with If I Can't Have You from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, in the role of Maria Magdalena
October 12, 1971 ~ Vincent Eugene Craddock, commonly known as singer, guitarist, songwriter Gene Vincent, passed away in Newhall, California, USA ~ Iconic rock & roll, rockabilly singer backed by the Blue Caps, which at times included rhythm guitarist Willie Williams, bassist Jack Neal, drummer Dickie Harrell, and guitarist Cliff Gallup. Best known for writing and first recording the rock & roll classic Be-bop-a-lula in 1956 ~ Craddock was born in 1935
October 12, 1969 ~ Alternative country, country, country rock, bluegrass, folk violist, violinist, fiddler, mandolinist, bassist, singer Martie Maguire, full name Martha Elenor Maguire, born in York, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Co-founding member of the Dixie Chicks, with whom she recorded over half a dozen albums, including the acclaimed Wide Open Spaces and its follow-up Fly. The band has scored the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits Long Time Gone, Landslide, and Not Ready To Make Nice. Formed the country, folk duo the Court Yard Hounds with her sister and Chicks bandmate Emily Robison, releasing their eponymous Court Yard Hounds debut album in 2010
October 12, 1967 ~ Ray David Grammont, commonly known as reggae singer Tonton David, born in Paris, France ~ Soul-influenced raggamuffin singer, actively recording since his 1991 Le Blues De La Racaille debut album. Touching on social subjects, including unemployment, poverty and racism, he became a figurehead for a generation of disenchanted French youth. Well known songs include Peuples Du Monde, Sur Et Certain, Chacun Sa Route, Pour Tout Le Monde Pareil, and Fugitifs with rai singer Cheb Mami ~ Grammont passed away in 2021
October 12, 1965 ~ Pop, rock, folk, country singer, songwriter Bob Schneider born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA ~ Sang lead for Ugly Americans in the mid-90s, including as an opening act for the Dave Matthews Band. Co-founded funk outfit the Scabs in the late 1990s. Recording as a solo act since 1999, initially under the moniker Lonelyland, earning acclaim for his 2001 Lonelyland album and his 2004 I'm Good Now album
October 12, 1965 ~ Jazz trombonist Luis Bonilla born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Sideman and leader. Moved to New York in the late 1980s in hope of playing with Art Blakey. Has aided artists as diverse as Lester Bowie, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, Astrud Gilberto, Willie Colón, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Tito Nieves, Phil Collins, Tony Bennett, Alejandro Sanz, Diana Ross, Marc Anthony, La India, Mary J Blige, Paquito d'Rivera, the Garcia Brothers, Donny McCaslin, Bebo Valdes, and Gerald Wilson. Recorded his first album as a leader in the early 1990sOctober 12, 1964 ~ Gospel singer, pianist, songwriter Kurt Carr born in Hartford, Connecticut, USA ~ Accompanied Andráe Crouch, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Yolanda Adams, and Kirk Franklin. Started his own gospel ensemble in the late 1980s. Best known for a number of mid 2000s albums, notably 2005's One Church Project and 2008's Just The Beginning
October 12, 1964 ~ Girl group the Ronettes release Walking In The Rain, noted among others for its then-novice use of sound effects ~ Written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and producer Phil Spector. The original 1964 single, a Billboard R&B top 10 and Billboard Hot 100 top 30 hit for the Ronettes, included sound effects of thunder and lightning, a novice effect that earned sound engineer Larry Levine a Grammy Award nomination. The song would be covered by a number artists, perhaps most notably by Jay & the Americans in 1969 who took it to No.19 Billboard Hot 100, surpassing the original which had peaked at No.23. Others who recorded the song include the Walker Brothers, the Partridge Family with David Cassidy on lead vocals, and electropop duo ErasureOctober 12, 1963 ~ In its 4th week on the charts, Sugar Shack by Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs hits No.1 Billboard Hot 100 ~ Written by Keith McCormack and his aunt Faye Voss over breakfast, the song tells of the singer successfully courting a girl at the coffeehouse, the “Sugar Shack”, and eventually ending up marrying her. The New Mexico band the Fireballs were a band that enjoyed popularity playing instrumentals, most notably Torquay and Bulldog which both had reached top 40 Billboard Hot 100. For Sugar Shack, however, they would team up with singer Jimmy Gilmer who had led his own rockabilly band before joining the Fireballs. The song is noted for its distinctive whistling riff, played by producer Norman Petty on a vintage Hammond Solovox organ. Sugar Shack would become the band's best known and sole Billboard Hot 100 charttopper, spending five weeks atop the charts. Shortly after it became a hit, Georgia Lynn released Sugar Shack Queen, an answer song sung from the perspective of the girl in the song
October 12, 1962 ~ Christopher Stephen Botti, commonly known as jazz, smooth jazz, pop trumpeter Chris Botti, born in Portland, Oregon, USA ~ Debuted as a solo artist with the album First Wish in 1995. Worked with Paul Simon, Michael Brecker, Incognito, Sting, Bobby Colomby, Aretha Franklin, Marc Cohn, Bette Midler, Renee Olstead, James Taylor, Michael Bublé, Toni Braxton, Aaron Neville, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart, Natalie Cole, and Vince Gill
October 12, 1959 ~ Hard bop jazz trumpeter Michael Philip Mossman born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Early in his career toured with Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell. Sessioned with Styx. Played with Lionel Hampton, Art Blakey and Machito before joining Out Of The Blue in 1985. Has since worked as leader, co-leader and as sideman, collaborating with artists such as Toshiko Akiyoshi, Horace Silver, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Slide Hampton, Michel Camilo, Mario Bauzá, Eddie Palmieri, the Philip Morris Superband, Benny Carter, Antonio Hart, Joe Zawinul, and Roscoe MitchellOctober 12, 1955 ~ Rock, power pop singer, guitarist, songwriter Pat DiNizio, full name Patrick Michael DiNozio, born in Plainfield, New Jersey, USA ~ Co-founded the Smithereens in 1980, known for songs such as Behind The Wall Of Sleep, In A Lonely Place, A Girl Like You, and Too Much Passion. The band has also collaborated with artists such as Belinda Carlisle, Julian Lennon, Lou Reed, and Suzanne Vega ~ DiNizio passed away in 2017
October 12, 1954 ~ Jazz guitarist Ed Cherry born in New Haven, Connecticut, USA ~ Studio musician best known for his long association with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Cherry has also collaborated with Paquito d'Rivera, Jon Faddis, Hamiet Bluiett, Henry Threadgill, John Patton, Charles Williams, and Paula West. Cherry has released albums as a leader since the mid 1990sOctober 12, 1954 ~ Singer, songwriter José Guadalupe Esparza born in Durango, Mexico ~ Lead singer of Bronco. As a songwriter had his songs covered by Antonio Aguilar, Dulce, Lupita Piñeda, Alejandro Fernández, Los Humildes, Mandingo, the Banda Machos, the Guardianes Del Amor, Los Rieleros Del Norte, and Pesado
October 12, 1954 ~ Leval Alphonso Thompson, commonly known as reggae singer, producer Linval Thompson, born in Kingston, Jamaica ~ As a singer known for his 1970s recordings working with producers such as Lee Scratch Perry and Bunny Lee. As a producer played a key role in the 1980s, facilitating in the early dancehall days working with artists such as Dennis Brown, Cornell Campbell, the Wailing Souls, Barrington Levy, and Trinity
October 12, 1948 ~ Singer, guitarist Rick Parfitt, full name Richard john Parfitt, born in Woking, UK ~ Rhythm guitarist of Status Quo, with whom he recorded well over two dozen albums from the band's inception in 1967 until shortly before his death some five decades later. The band, one of the longest-running British acts, managed to stay relevant through the ages, and are considered one of the most energetic live acts. Some have dismissed the band for repeating the same formula again and again, an argument to which Parfitt has been known to once have replied: “People try to dismiss what we do but they can't. People have terrible goes at us about the music being simple when it's not really. It appears simple perhaps in its chording but generally, to actually play what we play and how we play it, it's not simple. It's bloody hard work.” Over the course of their career, the band has scored close to two dozen UK top 10 hits ~ Parfitt passed away in 2016
October 12, 1946 ~ Bassist, composer, arranger, producer Daryl Runswick born in Leicester, UK ~ Worked with Dick Morrisey, Johnny Dankworth, Lionel Grigson, Pete Burden, Ian Hamer, Tubby Hayes, the London Jazz Four, the Alan Parsons Project, Elton John, the London Sinfonietta, the Nash Ensemble, the King's Singers, Pierre Boulez, Ornette Coleman, Simon Rattle, Sarah Vaughan, Blossom Dearie, Ray Russell, Barbara Dickson, and Georgie FameOctober 12, 1942 ~ Bassist, singer James Dewar born in Glasgow, UK ~ Influenced by Ray Charles and Otis Redding. Best known as bassist for Stone The Crows and as lead singer and bassist for the Robin Trower Band. Has recorded one solo album, Stumbledown Romancer which notably featured organist Matthew Fisher, recorded in the 1970s but not released until 1998 ~ Dewar passed away in 2002
October 12, 1942 ~ David Melvin English, commonly known as R&B singer Melvin Franklin, born in Montgomery, Alabama, USA ~ Bass singer, founding member of Motown group the Temptations, remaining with the band until 1994. Along with Otis Williams the only one to never leave the group. Sang lead on songs such as I Truly Truly Believe, Silent Night, The Prophet and Ol' Man River ~ English passed away in 1995
October 12, 1935 ~ Margaret Louise Ebey, commonly known as country singer, songwriter Margie Singleton, born in Coushatta, Louisiana, USA ~ Enjoyed popularity on the country charts from the late 1950s through the late 1960s. Best known for songs such Eyes Of Love, Old Records, the George Jones-duets Did I Ever Tell You and The Waltz Of The Angels, and the Faron Young-duet Keeping Up With Joneses
October 12, 1935 ~ Singer Sam Moore, full name Samuel David Moore, born in Miami, Florida, USA ~ Half of soul duo Sam & Dave, the other half being Dave Prater, known for songs such as Hold On I'm Coming, Soul Man and I Thank You ~ Moore passed away in 2025
October 12, 1934 ~ Singer, songwriter James Sugarboy Crawford born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Best known as author and original recording artist of Iko Iko, originally titled Jock-a-mo later covered by a host of artists including the Dixie Cups, Dr John, the Neville Brothers, James Booker, Belle Stars, the Grateful Dead, Cowboy Mouth, Warren Zevon, Long John Baldry, Aaron Carter, and Cyndi Lauper. The song stands as a classic of New Orleans R&B and remains popular to this day ~ Crawford passed away in 2012October 12, 1933 ~ Salvatore Zito, commonly known as pianist, conductor Torrie Zito, born in Utica, New York, USA ~ Married to singer Helen Merrill, with whom he also worked. Stepfather of singer, songwriter Alan Merrill. Brother of drummer Ronnie Zito. Acclaimed for conducting and arranging on the pivotal Morgana King Miss Morgana King album. To pop audiences, Zito is perhaps best remembered for arranging the strings on John Lennon's 1971 Imagine album ~ Zito passed away in 2009
October 12, 1932 ~ Concert, Lieder soprano singer Adele Stolte born in Sperenburg, Germany ~ Regarded as among the finest singers to interpret the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Stolte has performed and recorded with the Thomanerchor, the Bern Symphony Orchestra, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Stolte is also well known for co-founding the quartet the Leipziger Bachsolisten with Gerda Schriever, Hans-Joachim Rotzsch, and Hermann Christian Polster in 1964, was a staff member of Neue Bachgesellschaft, and has taught classes in Poland and notably at the Berlin University of the Arts. Although primarily known as an interpreter of Johann Sebastian Bach, Stolte has also performed works by composers such as Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Strauss, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Heinrich Schütz, and George Frideric Handel. In 2007, Stolte was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany ~ Stolte passed away in 2020
October 12, 1929 ~ Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp, commonly known as R&B singer Nappy Brown, born in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA ~ Among the first wave of African-American artists to appeal to white audiences. Known for songs such as Little By Little, Night Time Is The Right Time, It Don't Hurt No More and perhaps his best known Don't Be Angry ~ Culp passed away in 2008