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 22, 2025 ~ Synth-pop, new wave keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, percussionist, singer Dave Ball, full name David James Ball, passed away ~ Formed the synth-pop duo Soft Cell with Marc Almond, known for a string of early 1980s hits including the UK top 10 hits Tainted Love, Bedsitter, Say Hello Wave Goodbye, Torch, and What. After the duo disbanded in 1984, Ball has recorded as a solo artist, served as producer for Vicious Pink, Rose McDowall, Kylie Minogue, Gavin Friday, and Anni Hogan, and as remixer for the likes of David Bowie, Vanessa-Mae, and Erasure ~ Ball was born in 1959
October 22, 2023 ~ Bassist, songwriter Gregg Sutton passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Member of Lone Justice. Probably best known for co-writing Stop, Sam Brown's breakthrough hit. Used as the title track and sophomore single of her 1988 debut album, the track would initially only have modest success. Its re-release the following year, however, reached top 10 in over a dozen countries, including her native UK, and catapulted the singer to fame. Others who recorded songs co-written by Sutton include Joe Cocker, Maria McKee (Breathe), Prairie Oyster, the Jeff Healey Band, Curtis Stigers, Charles & Eddie, Billy Ray Cyrus (How Much), and the Bonedaddys ~ Sutton was born in 1949October 22, 2021 ~ David Blatt, commonly known as rock & roll, pop singer Jay Black, passed away in Queens, New York, USA ~ Lead singer of Jay & the Americans, with whom he scored about a dozen Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hits during the latter half of the 1960s. She Cried, Come A Little Bit Closer, Cara Mia, and This Magic Moment would all reach top 10 ~ Blatt was born in 1938
October 22, 2021 ~ Conductor, opera director, musicologist, composer Udo Zimmermann passed away in Dresden, Germany ~ Perhaps best known as director of the Leipzig Opera and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. As a composer internationally recognised for the one-act chamber opera Die Weisse Rose premiered in 1967, telling of the killing of siblings Hans Scholl and Sophie Scholl by the nazis for leading the non-violent resistance group Die Weisse Rose ~ Zimmermann was born in 1943
October 22, 2020 ~ Country singer Margie Bowes, full name Margie Marie Bowes, passed away in Brentwood, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known for her 1959 country hit Poor Old Heartsick Me. Other well known songs include My Love And Little Me and Little Miss Belong To No One. Briefly married to Doyle Wilburn of the Wilburn Brothers ~ Bowes was born in 1941
October 22, 2019 ~ Singer, guitarist Don Baskin passed away ~ Member of Syndicate Of Sound, known for their single Little Girl which would reach the Billboard top 10 in 1966. The band would record a number of other singles, notably Rumors and Brown Paper Bag, but would be unable to replicate the success of Little Girl ~ Baskin was born in 1946
October 22, 2019 ~ Dixieland, swing trombonist, vibraphonist George Masso passed away ~ Enjoyed a long, yet somewhat underrated career interspered with stints as a music teacher for financial stability. Inspired to take up the trombone after hearing Lou McGarrity play on Benny Goodman's Yours. Perhaps best known for his work with Jimmy Dorsey during the late 1940s. Close to a dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, acclaimed especially for the 1993 collaborative album Let's Be Buddies with Dan Barrett. Other notable associations include Wild Bill Davison, Buck Clayton, Charlie Ventura, Eddie Miller, the World's Greatest Jazz Band, Maxine Sullivan, and the Lawson-Haggart Band ~ Masso was born in 1926
October 22, 2017 ~ Trumpeter, flugelhornist Atle Hammer passed away in Oslo, Norway ~ Towering figure on the Oslo jazz scene known for several international collaborations. Trained in the USA as a civil engineer and worked at the Norwegian State Railways before establishing himself as the leading trumpeter in Norway in the 1950s. Played with a host of artists including Erik Amundsen, Mikkel Flagstad, Egil Kapstad, Laila Dalseth, Pepper Adams, George Russell, Red Holloway, Bjarne Nerem, James Moody, Terje Venaas, Elvin Sannes, Tom Olstad, Harald Bergersen, Erling Aksdal, Thorgeir Stubø, and the Per Husby Quintet ~ Hammer was born in 1932
October 22, 2017 ~ Rock guitarist, songwriter, producer George Young, full name George Redburn Young, passed away in Singapore ~ Founding member of the Easybeats, known for the 1967 hit Friday On My Mind. Founding member of Flash & the Pan, known for the 1976 hit Hey St Peter. As a producer and songwriter regularly collaborated with Harry Vanda, working with acts such as the Malcolm Hook Roll Band, John Paul Young (Love Is In The Air), Rose Tattoo and notably producing a vast amount of AC/DC's early work, the band including Young's brothers Angus Young and Malcolm Young ~ Young was born in 1947October 22, 2013 ~ Hip hop, hyphy, pop rapper Tyga releases Wait For A Minute featuring Justin Bieber ~ Intended as a single off Tyga's The Gold Album (18th Dynasty), from which it was ultimately excluded. The single would be a modest hit, failing to reach the top half of the Billboard Hot 100. Commenting on his collaborator Justin Bieber, Tyga commented: “He's in this transition period. I felt like when me and Chris Brown did Deuces, it was like a moment. I feel like this would be a big moment for both of us with this song”
October 22, 2010 ~ Dennis Anthony Leopold Simpson, commonly known as singer, actor Denis Simpson, passed away in Toronto, Canada ~ Original bass singer of the Nylons from 1978 through 1979, leaving the band before they became commercially successful. Best known as a an actor and TV personality, notably as the host of The Polka Dot Door TV show ~ Simpson was born in 1950
October 22, 2010 ~ Electropop, dance-pop singer Ke$ha releases We R Who We R, lifted off her Animal debut album ~ The single would reach top 10 in over half a dozen countries, including the No.1 spot in both the UK and America. The singer was inspired to write We R Who We R after having read about a surge in suicide rates amongst gay teenagers in America, Ke$ha wrote the song as criticism of the people having to hide themselves, having to pretend to be someone other than who they are. She had hoped the song would become a pride anthem: “I wanted to inspire people to be themselves. It's a celebration of any sort of quirks or eccentricities”October 22, 1998 ~ Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr, commonly known as rapper, singer, songwriter Roddy Ricch, born in Compton, California, USA ~ First gained attention with his 2018 single Die Young. Has collaborated with Nipsey Hussle (Racks In The Middle) and Mustard (Ballin'). Released his full-length debut album, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, in 2019 spawning the hit single The Box
October 22, 1994 ~ James Miller, commonly known as producer Jimmy Miller, passed away in Denver, Colorado, USA ~ Best known for his association with several of Steve Winwood's bands, namely the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith, and for frequently producing the Rolling Stones from the late 1960s through the early 1970s including some of their most critically acclaimed albums including Beggars' Banquet, Let It Bleed and Exile On Main St. Has also worked with artists such as Delaney & Bonnie, Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Kracker, the Plasmatics, Motörhead, Primal Scream, Johnny Thunders, and Jo Jo Laine ~ Miller was born in 1942
October 22, 1992 ~ Sheyaa Bin Abraham Joseph, commonly known as rapper 21 Savage, born in London, UK ~ Atlanta-based rapper gained local attention with the 2015 mixtape Slaughter Tape before breaking through the next year with the EP Savage Mode, produced by Metro Boomin', spawning the singles X and No Heart. Released his solo debut album, Issa Album, in 2017 which debuted at No.2 on the Hot 200
October 22, 1991 ~ R&B singer Shanice releases I Love Your Smile, lead single off her Inner Child sophomore album ~ Produced by industry veteran Narada Michael Walden, who co-wrote the song with Jarvis La Rue Baker, Sylvester Jackson, and Shanice, the cheerful I Love Your Smile would be the singer's biggest hit, by far. It reached top 10 in over a dozen countries including Australia, Canada, and Ireland, and topped the charts in the Netherlands. In the UK, Shanice's original release underperformed, stalling at No.55. However, a later Drizabone remix would reach No.2. In the singer's native America, it would top the Billboard R&B charts and peak at No.2 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 where it was held off the top spot by the George Michael and Elton John duet Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. In 1993, the song would also be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Performance, with the award going to The Woman I Am by Chaka KhanOctober 22, 1990 ~ Blues singer, guitarist Arthur Big Boy Spires passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Fronted the Rocket Four, known for their 1952 recording Murmur Low. The single sold poorly but is today seen as a classic of the Chicago blues genre. It featured a three-guitar line up consisting of Spires, Eddie El and Earl Dranes, and maracas by Willie Big Eyes Smith. Spires has also worked with Lightnin' Hopkins in the late 1930s ~ Spires was born in 1912
October 22, 1986 ~ Rock singer, actress, comedian Jane Dornacker, full name Jane Carroll Dornacker, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Fronted Leila & the Snakes, known for songs such as Rock & Roll Weirdos and Pyramid Power. Also worked with the Tubes, serving as the band's touring backing singer and dancer and co-writing Don't Touch Me There ~ Dornacker was born in 1947
October 22, 1986 ~ Guitarist, composer Thorgeir Stubø passed away in Narvik, Norway ~ Regarded by some of the best Norwegian guitarist of all time. Father of jazz guitarist Håvard Stubø and jazz singer Kjersti Stubø, grandfather of electronic musician Mathias Stubø. Has backed artists such as Jan Garbarek, Knut Riisnæs, Svein Christiansen, and Arild Andersen. As a leader best known for his 1986 Rhythm'a'ning album, recorded live in Tromsø ~ Stubø was born in 1943
October 22, 1985 ~ Kevin Michael Seward, commonly known as pop, R&B singer, songwriter Kevin Michael, born in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Cites Prince, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder as main influences. Released his eponymous Wyclef Jean-produced Kevin Michael debut album in 2007. Featured as the wedding singer in the romantic comedy 500 Days Of Summer, performing the Etta James-cover At Last
October 22, 1985 ~ Mawuli Kulego, commonly known as rapper Lazee, born in Malmö, Sweden ~ First gained serious attention in Swedish urban underground with his 2006 mixtape It Is What It Is, 5000 copies handed out free of charge. Would release his full-length Setting Standards in 2008. Known best for songs such as Rock Away, Drop Bombs, Pusherman featuring J'son and Hold On featuring Neverstore
October 22, 1985 ~ Drummer, singer Zac Hanson born in Arlington, Virginia, USA ~ Member of pop rock unit Hanson, centered around Zac and his brothers Isaac Hanson and Taylor Hanson. The band shot to fame with their Billboard Hot 100 No.1 debut single Mmmbop of their 1997 Middle Of Nowhere album while all three brothers were still in their early to mid-teens. The single I Will Come To You of the same album also reached top 10. The siblings recorded about a dozen albums since, but failed to repeat their earlier successOctober 22, 1984 ~ Singer, songwriter Anca Pop born in Moldova Noua, Romania ~ Debuted in 2017 with her eponymous studio album, Anca Pop, which spawned the singles Free Love, Super Cool, Ring Around, and Loco Poco ~ Pop passed away in 2018
October 22, 1983 ~ Disco, soul singer, songwriter Keith Barrow, full name Keith Errol Barrow, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Penned Teach Me (Something About Love), a modest mid 1970s hit for Blue Magic. Recorded three albums as a solo artist until his untimely death of AIDS-related complications at age 29, starting with the Bobby Eli-produced eponymous Keith Barrow in 1977. Barrow is fondly remembered among disco aficionados for songs such as Mr Magic Man, You Know You Want To Be Loved, Turn Me Up, and Physical Attraction ~ Barrow was born in 1954
October 22, 1977 ~ In its 14th week on the charts, Cold As Ice by Foreigner peaks at No.6 Billboard Hot 100 ~ Lifted off the band's debut album, Cold As Ice initially was a replacement for another album track. It became the band's second Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit, preceded by Feels Like The First Time which reached No.4. The band's guitarist Mick Jones, who co-wrote the song with lead singer Lou Gramm, would later say the song wasn't about any one girl in specific, though “there was one girl at school that dumped me, so maybe that trauma stayed with me over the years and subconsciously filtered in,” adding that the other contributing factor was that it was about minus 20 degrees in New York at the time they were writing it, which may have fed into the atmosphere. Both at the time of its release and retrospectively Cold As Ice earned critical acclaim, especially for its pounding piano and intro, considered by some to be one of the signature riffs in classic rock history