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 17, 1942 ~ Singer, guitarist, songwriter Jim Seals, full name James Eugene Seals, born in Sidney, Texas, USA ~ Member of the Champs. Wrote It's Never Too Late, recorded by Brenda Lee as the B-side of her 1961 You Can Depend On Me single. Best known as half of the duo Seals & Crofts, the other being Dash Crofts, scoring 1970s Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits with Summer Breeze, Diamond Girl and Get Closer ~ Seals passed away in 2022October 17, 1941 ~ Bassist Alan Howard born in Dagenham, UK ~ Founding member of the Tremeloes, staying with the band from 1958 through 1972, the band's most successful period scoring UK hits such as Do You Love Me, Candy Man, I Want Candy, Silence Is Golden, and Even The Bad Times Are Good
October 17, 1941 ~ Singer, songwriter Earl Thomas Conley born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ One of the most popular country artists of the 1980s, scoring more hits than Alabama or Ronnie Milsap. Throughout the 1970s Conley recorded but to little success. Did write hits for others though, including Conway Twitty and Mel Street. Conley scored his first Country Top 40 single, Dreamin's All I Do, in 1979 and would start entering the Top 10 within two years, starting with Silent Treatment in 1980 and Fire & Smoke in 1981. For the remainder of the decade nearly every Conley single would top the US Country charts. All but one, namely Too Many Times, a duet with the Pointer Sisters member Anita Pointer which peaked at No.2. Over the course of his career Conley worked extensively with producer Nelson Larkin, songwriter Randy Scruggs, and has collaborated with Emmylou Harris, Keith Whitley and Blake Shelton ~ Conley passed away in 2019October 17, 1936 ~ Beatrice Bertha Benjamin, commonly known as jazz, vocal jazz, soul jazz singer Sathima Bea Benjamin, born in Claremont, South Africa ~ Active since the 1950s. Influenced by Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald. Closely associated with Duke Ellington. Worked with Arthur Klugman, Kippie Moeketski, Carlos Ward, Stephen Scott, Kenny Barron, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Ben Riley, and with her husband Dollar Brand ~ Benjamin passed away in 2013
October 17, 1934 ~ Emmanuel Rodriguez, commonly known as ska and reggae trombonist Rico Rodriguez, born in Havana, Cuba ~ One of the first ska musicians. Worked with Count Ossie, Karl Pitterson, Prince Buster, Lloyd Daley, Dada uari, Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, Vincent Chin, Harry Mudie, the Members, the Specials (including on Message To You Rudy and Ghost Town), Jools Holland, and Paul Young ~ Rodriguez passed away in 2015
October 17, 1933 ~ Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers, commonly known as singer the Singing Nun, born in Laeken, Belgium ~ Nun and member of the Dominican Order in Belgium. As a singer known for the 1963 novelty hit Dominique which became an international hit topping the charts in several countries including America. Besides English Deckers has recorded and released French, Dutch, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese versions of the song ~ Deckers passed away in 1985
October 17, 1925 ~ Songwriter, producer Ted Jarrett, full name Theodore Roosevelt Jarrett Jr, born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ A&R scout for Tennessee Records. Wrote It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day), a hit for Louis Brooks and later recorded by Hank Ballard and Ruth Brown. Wrote Love Love Love, a 1955 hit for Webb Pierce. Wrote and produced You Can Make It If You Try, a hit for Gene Allison and notably covered by the Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy and Gene Vincent. Has also produced artists such as Christine Kittrell, the Fairfield Four, Larry Birdsong, Roscoe Shelton, and the Avons ~ Jarrett passed away in 2009
October 17, 1923 ~ Jazz, pop, rock, R&B guitarist Barney Kessel born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA ~ Active since the early 1940s, initially working with artists such as Charlie Barnet, Artie Shaw, and Charlie Parker. Over 40 albums to his name as leader or co-leader since the mid 1950s, especially acclaimed for Some Like It Hot released in 1959. Noted for his guitar play on Julie London's Cry Me A River of her 1955 Julie Is Her Name album. Present on over half a dozen of Billie Holiday's albums including Lady Sings The Blues. Other notable collaborations include Sonny Rollins, Art Tatum, Buddy DeFranco, Charlie Byrd, and Herb Ellis. To non-jazz audiences known for his extensive studio work in the 1960s, appearing on albums by Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Sonny & Cher, the Beach Boys (Pet Sounds), the Righteous Brothers, and Ike & Tina Turner ~ Kessel passed away in 2004
October 17, 1909 ~ William Randolph Cole, commonly known as jazz drummer Cozy Cole, born in East Orange, New Jersey, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Best known for the hits Topsy I and its follow-up Topsy II. Renowned rock drummer Cozy Powell chose his stage name in honor of Cole. Cole worked with Wilbur Sweatman, Jelly Roll Morton, Blanche Calloway, Benny Carter, Willie Bryant, Stuff Smith, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Earl Bostic, Nat King Cole, Shorty Rogers, Wingy Manone, Jimmy McPartland, and Rex Stewart ~ Cole passed away in 1981October 17, 1901 ~ Leeds Collins, commonly known as trumpeter Lee Collins, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Worked with the Young Eagles, the Columbia Band, the Tuxedo Brass Band, Louis Armstrong, Papa Celestin, Zutty Singleton, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, the Astoria Hot Eight, Luis Russell, Dave Peyton, the Chicago Rambler, Johnny Dodds, Baby Dodds, Mezz Mezzrow, Lovie Austin, Jimmy Bertrand, Bertha Hill, Kid Ory, Art Hodes, and Joe Sullivan ~ Collins passed away in 1960