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.
September 15, 1931 ~ Label executive Jac Holzman born in New York, New York, USA ~ Label executive asssociated with Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records. Signed acts such as the Doors, Love, Josh White, Carly Simon, the Stooges, MC5, Harry Chapin, and Bread
September 15, 1930 ~ Songwriter, bandleader Hoagy Carmichael records Georgia On My Mind in New York, New York ~ Music written by Hoagy Carmichael, lyrics Stuart Gorrell. Released as a single, featuring One Night In Havana on the flip side. Notably covered by Ray Charles in 1960, included on the album The Genius Hits The Road, and by Willie Nelson in 1978, included on Stardust, a collection of American standards
September 15, 1928 ~ Julian Edwin Adderley, commonly known as jazz, hard bop, soul jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, born in Tampa, Florida, USA ~ Best known for his 1966 soul jazz single Mercy Mercy Mercy, which became a surprise crossover hit reaching top 20 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Closely associated with Miles Davis, notably on the quintessential jazz albums Milestones and Kind Of Blue. Davis in turn backed Adderley on his acclaimed 1958 Somethin' Else album. Adderley has also worked with his brother Nat Adderley, Charles Lloyd, Yusef Lateef, Bobby Timmons, Victor Feldman, Joe Zawinul, George Duke, Walter Booker, and Victor Gaskin ~ Adderley passed away in 1975September 15, 1923 ~ Jazz double bassist Arvell Shaw born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Best known for his association with Louis Armstrong, intermittently working with Armstrong from the mid 1940s through the mid 1950s, including for the acclaimed 1956 High Society musical comedy film. Other associations include Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins (Lover Man), Herb Hall, Dorothy Donegan (The Many Faces Of Dorothy Donegan), and Rahsaan Roland Kirk ~ Shaw passed away in 2002
September 15, 1921 ~ Jazz arranger, composer Gene Roland born in Dallas, Texas, USA ~ As a bandleader known for his sole Jazzville Vol.4 album released in 1957. Best known for his association with Stan Kenton, serving as one of only two arrangers to write for Kenton in all four decades of the band's existence, the other being Ken Hanna. Roland plays piano, trumpet, trombone, and mellophonium, and has worked with Lionel Hampton, Lucky Millinder, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Giuffre, Woody Herman, Georgie Auld, Count Basie, Charlie Barnet, Claude Thornhill, and Artie Shaw ~ Roland passed away in 1982
September 15, 1918 ~ Julius Russell, commonly known as comedian, poet, dancer Nipsey Russell, born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Best known as a TV personality appearing on numerous game shows from the 1960s through the 1990s and a regular on Late Night With Conan O'Brien during the show's early years. To pop audiences known for starring as the Tin Man in the 1978 film version of The Wiz alongside Ted Ross, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross ~ Russell passed away in 2005
September 15, 1915 ~ Jazz guitarist Al Casey, full name Albert Aloysius Casey, born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA ~ Child prodigy. Played violin and ukulele before settling on guitar. Best known for his association with pianist Fats Waller, backing Waller from 1933 until his death in 1943. Also worked with Fletcher Henderson, King Curtis, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Helen Humes, and recorded over half a dozen albums as a leader or co-leader ~ Casey passed away in 2005September 15, 1913 ~ Roger Ramirez, commonly known as jazz pianist, composer Ram Ramirez, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico ~ Co-wrote Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be), a jazz standard most closely associated with Billie Holiday. Worked with Monette Moore, Rex Stewart, Sid Catlett, Willie Bryant, Ella Fitzgerald, Frankie Newton, Charlie Barnet, John Kirby, Duke Ellington, and T-Bone Walker ~ Ramirez passed away in 1994
September 15, 1907 ~ Big band bandleader, arranger, composer Larry Wagner born in Ashland, Oregon, USA ~ Best known for his association with Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra including writing or co-writing hits such as Whistler's Mother-in-law, No Name Jive and Turn Back The Hands Of Time ~ Wagner passed away in 2002
September 15, 1906 ~ Walter E Rollins, commonly known as songwriter Jack Rollins, born in Scottdale, Arizona, USA ~ Best known for co-writing the Christmas classic Frosty The Snowman with Steve Nelson, first recorded by Gene Autry in 1950, and covered by hundreds of artists including Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Ella Fitzgerald, the Ronettes, Brenda Lee, the Jackson 5, and Lynn Anderson. Other songs co-written by Rollins include Peter Cottontail (Mervin Shiner, Jimmy Wakely, Rosemary Clooney), A Prison Without Walls (Eddy Arnold, Little Roy Wiggins), Heart Of A Clown (Wade Ray, Sammi Smith, Willie Nelson), and I Don't Hurt Anymore (Hank Snow, Dinah Washington, Janis Martin) ~ Rollins passed away in 1973
September 15, 1903 ~ Singer, songwriter, fiddler, music publisher Roy Acuff, full name Roy Claxton Acuff, born in Maynardville, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known for co-founding Nashville music publishers Acuff/Rose Music together with Fred Rose, quintessential music publishers to the country genre, and responsible for advancing the careers of artist sich as Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and the Everly Brothers ~ Acuff passed away in 1992September 15, 1890 ~ Composer, pianist Frank Martin born in Geneva, Switzerland ~ Wrote for orchestra, ballet, chamber music, organ, choral music, operas. Closely associated with Emile Jacques-Dalcroze. Founded the Chamber Music Society Of Geneva ~ Martin passed away in 1974
September 15, 1876 ~ Bruno Schlesinger, commonly known as conductor, pianist, composer Bruno Walter, born in Berlin, Germany ~ Widely considered one of the great conductors of the 20th century. Fled Germany in 1933, naturalized French citizen in 1938, settled in America the next year. Has worked closely with Gustav Mahler. Held positions at prestigious orchestras including the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Salzberg Festival, the Vienna State Oper, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin ~ Schlesinger passed away in 1962