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 24, 2023 ~ Guitarist, guitar teacher Barry Olivier passed away in San Francisco, California, USA ~ Part of the Berkeley folk scene from the 1950s onward. Best known as founder and director of the Berkeley Folk Music Festival, an annual event that ran from 1958 through 1970. Over the years artists performing at the event would include Alan Lomax, Doc Watson, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Mance Lipscomb. Olivier has also worked as a guitar teacher and is reported to have given John Fogerty, who would later rise to fame as frontman of rock outfit Creedence Clearwater Revival, his first guitar lessons ~ Olivier was born in 1935
September 24, 2023 ~ Classical violinist Felix Ayo, full name Felix Ayo Losada, passed away in Rome, Italy ~ Best known as founder of the Italian ensemble I Musici, formed in 1951 and known for their interpretations of Baroque works, particularly compositions by Antonio Vivaldi and Tomaso Albinoni. Founding member of the Quartetto Beethoven di Roma, with whom he toured extensively. An in-demand soloist, Ayo has also performed with numerous renowned orchestras, taught at the Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia, Rome, and frequently served as juror on international music competitions ~ Ayo was born in 1933
September 24, 2022 ~ Farrell Sanders, commonly known as free jazz, avant-garde jazz, world fusion saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Closely associated with John Coltrane, first appearing on the 1965 Ascension album. Considered by some the heir of Coltrane. Known for his spiritual-themed style. Well over two dozen albums to his name as a leader, especially acclaimed for the albums Karma, Journey To The One and Rejoice. Has collaborated with the likes of Leon Thomas, Alice Coltrane, Tisziji Muñoz, Michael Mantler, Carla Bley, Don Cherry, Benny Golson, Norman Connors, McCoy Tyner, Randy Weston, Sun Ra, Gary Bartz, Larry Young, and Sonny Sharrock ~ Sanders was born in 1940September 24, 2022 ~ Sue Graham, commonly known as producer, band manager Sue Mingus, passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Widow of bassist, pianist, bandleader Charles Mingus, whom she met in 1964 and married two years later. Following his death in 1979, Graham would establish herself as band manager and producer of several Mingus tribute bands keeping the legacy alive. Managed and produced acts such as the Mingus Dynasty, the Mingus Big Band and the Mingus Orchestra, and published educational books, sheet music and her memoir recounting her life with Mingus ~ Graham was born in 1930
September 24, 2017 ~ TV producer, musical theater producer, record producer Jack Good passed away in Oxfordshire, UK ~ As a TV producer responsible for early popular music shows on British TV, including Six Five Special and Wham. As a music manager represented artists such as Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, Jess Conrad, and Cliff Richard ~ Good was born in 1931
September 24, 2016 ~ Stanley Dural Jr, commonly known as R&B, zydeco singer, accordionist, organist Buckwheat Zydeco, passed away in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA ~ One of the few zydeco artists to achieve lasting mainstream success. Started in 1950s backing artists such as Joe Tex, Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Clifton Chenier. Known for collaborations with a wide array of artists including Eric Clapton, U2, the Boston Pops, Yo La Tengo, Warren Haynes, Sonny Landreth, Trombone Shorty, JJ Grey, and Steve Berlin ~ Dural was born in 1947
September 24, 2014 ~ Conductor, harpsichordist, author, musicologist Christopher Hogwood, full name Christopher Jarvis Haley Hogwood, passed away in Cambridge, UK ~ Leading figure in the early music revival of the late 20th century. Co-founded the Early Music Consort with David Munrow. Founded the Academy of Ancient Music, known for their performances of baroque and classical music using period instruments. Artistic director of the Handel And Haydn Society. Has also conducted renowned companies such as the Berlin State Opera, La Scala, and the Royal Opera House ~ Hogwood was born in 1941
September 24, 2014 ~ Country singer Priscilla Mitchell passed away in Tennessee, USA ~ Active since the 1950s, initially a rock & roll backing singer for NRC Records. Married to guitarist, singer Jerry Reed from 1959 until his death. As a solo artist best known for her 1965 Love's Eternal Triangle duet album with country singer Roy Drusky, which spawned the Billboard Country No.1 single Yes Mr Peters. The follow-up album, Together Again released the next year, would be less successful and produce no hit singles. Mitchell would cut a few more solo singles through the end of the decade ~ Mitchell was born in 1941
September 24, 2010 ~ Label founder, producer, concert promoter Dick Griffey, full name Richard Gilbert Griffey, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Talent coordinator on the famed Soul Train TV show. Co-founded Soul Train Records with Don Cornelius in 1974. After buying Cornelius out, the label would be renamed SOLAR Records. The company would play a major role in developing the funk-oriented R&B sounds of the 1970s and 1980s, enjoying succes with artists such as the Whispers, Lakeside, Midnight Starr, Calloway, and the Deele. The label would also launch the careers of singer Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, future music executive LA Reid, and producers, songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. From 1974 until his death in 2010, Griffey was married to singer Carrie Lucas, who also recorded for the label ~ Griffey was born in 1938
September 24, 2002 ~ Rock, folk, blues singer, guitarist, banjoist, songwriter Tim Rose, full name Timothy Alan Patrick Rose, passed away in London, UK ~ Alongside Cass Elliott of future the Mamas & the Papas-fame and James Hendricks, Rose was a member of the Big 3, with whom he recorded the albums The Big 3 and The Big 3 Live At The Recording Studio. After Elliot and Hendricks secretly married, the trio folded and Rose set out on a promising solo career. Two gigs opening for the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane would land him a record deal, leading to his eponymous Tim Rose debut album released in 1967. The album contained what would become his best known, early renditions of Morning Dew and Hey Joe as well as his self-penned The Banjo Song. The latter would later serve as the basis for the Shocking Blue Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit Venus. Though subsequent albums would be warmly received by critics, they sold poorly and Rose relocated to the UK where he spent a large portion of his career to limited success, aided by sidemen who would eventually become more famous than him including Felix Pappalardi, John Bonham, and John McVie. Rose would continue to record through the late 1970s, followed by stints working as a stockbroker and teacher, and return to music by the mid-1980s ~ Rose was born in 1940September 24, 1991 ~ Folk singer, songwriter Peter Bellamy, full name Peter Franklyn Bellamy, passed away in Keighley, UK ~ Co-founding member of the Young Tradition with Royston Wood and Heather Wood, no relation. The trio recorded three albums through the late 1960s, The Young Tradition, So Cheerfully Round, and Galleries, and unlike other British folk outfits of the era are known for their traditional material and stripped down sound. The group would split in 1969 over artistic differences, with Bellamy wanting to pursue pure traditional music. Bellamy has since recorded as a solo artist, his Mainly Norfolk solo debut album released while still with the band, earning critical acclaim and enjoying a small yet devoted fanbase. Bellamy committed suicide at age 46, broke, unable to land gigs, and depressed with the state of his career, yet his death baffled many in the folk community. Bellamy is perhaps best remembered for his 1977 folk ballad opera The Transports, and has been acknowledged as a major influence by the likes of Damien Barber, Oli Steadman, and Bellowhead frontman Jon Boden ~ Bellamy was born in 1944
September 24, 1990 ~ British pop rock outfit the Beautiful South release A Little Time, lead single off their Choke sophomore album ~ The band's sole UK No.1 hit, also reaching top 20 in several other countries including Austria, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands. At the time of its release, the song was warmly received by critics, some pointing out the band's sardonic humour, while Music Week praised it as “a tale of a crumbling relationship”. The songwriters themselves have given different interpretations about the song's meaning, Paul Heaton has stated that A Little Time is about relationships in general, while David Rotheray characterized it as an unconvential love songSeptember 24, 1987 ~ Nicholaus Joseph Williams, commonly known as rapper, songwriter Trinidad James, born in Port Of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago ~ Influenced by Jay-Z, Cam'ron, TI, and Young Jeezy. As a recording artist, best known for his 2012 All Gold Everything single which reached top 40 Billboard Hot 100. Williams would go on to co-write songs for Mark Ronson (Uptown Funk), Bhad Babie, and Fifty Fifty, and guest on songs by Gucci Mane, A$AP Ferg, August Alsina (I Luv This Shit), Travis Porter, Earlly Mac, and David Banner
September 24, 1984 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Taylor Eigsti born in California, USA ~ Child prodigy and faculty staff member at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, Stanford, California, since age 15. Recorded over half a dozen albums since the late 1990s, especially acclaimed for his Grammy Award-winning Tree Falls released in 2023. In addition to his impressive jazz resume, Eigsti has orchestrated and composed for symphony orchestras, and performed with renowned orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra. As a sideman and collaborator, Eigsti has appeared on albums by Erin Boheme, Anton Schwartz (Radiant Blue), David Benoit, Herbie Hancock, Ben Wendel (Simple Song), Eric Harland, Stix Hooper, Gretchen Parlato (The Lost And Found), Sara Leib, Dayna Stephens (That Nepenthetic Place), and Chris BottiSeptember 24, 1981 ~ Miguel Angel Durán Jr, commonly known as merengue, bachata, urban, R&B, Latin trap singer, songwriter Fuego, born in Washington DC, USA ~ Influenced by Latin singers such as Frankie Ruiz, Juan Luis Guerra, and Héctor Lavoe, as well as American rap acts such as Tupac Shakur, the Notorious BIG, and Bone Thugs 'n Harmony. Has released several mixtapes during the late-2000, leading up to his full-length La Musica Del Futuro debut album in 2010, and has recorded to commercial success since. Well known songs include Que Buena Tu Ta, Ya Te Olvide, and Cuanda Suena El Bling, the latter a reworking of Drake's Hotline Bling hit
September 24, 1980 ~ Art rock, art pop, indie pop, indie rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Anna Calvi, full name Anna Margaret Michelle Calvi, born in London, UK ~ Influenced by artists as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, Maria Callas, the Smiths, the Rolling Stones, Nick Cave, Scott Walker, Claude Debussy, and Maurice Ravel. Released her eponymous Anna Calvi debut album to critical acclaim in 2011. Has worked with Brian Eno, John Congleton, Jherek Bischoff, Amanda Palmer, Nick Launay, Martyn P Casey, and Adrian UtleySeptember 24, 1980 ~ Pop, R&B, hip-hop keyboardist, drummer, producer, film composer Sidney Miller born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Founding member of Malbec. Keyboardist of hip-hop outfit the Knux. As a producer known under the moniker Speakerbomb and a frequent collaborator of Alex Jacke and Jesse McCartney. Has worked with LA Riot Music, Freddie Gibbs, Lupe Fiasco, Missy Elliott, Jonathan Davis, and Jully Black
September 24, 1978 ~ Singer, actress Ruth Etting passed away in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA ~ Dubbed “America's sweetheart of song”, Etting enjoyed popularity especially during the 1920s and 1930s working in stage, radio, and film. Best known for the signature songs Shine On Harvest Moon, Ten Cents A Dance, and Love Me Or Leave Me. Other well known songs include Back In Your Own Backyard, Button Up Your Overcoat, Mean To Me, and Exactly Like You. Etting never took formal voice lessons, and said she had patterned her styling after Marion Harris, but created her own style by alternating tempos. Etting's life was the basis for the 1955 fictionalized film Love Me Or Leave Me starring Doris Day as Etting. Shortly before her death, Etting said she thought the screen portrayal of her was too tough and that Jane Powell would have been a better choice for the lead ~ Etting was born in 1896
September 24, 1976 ~ Yevgeny Leonidovich Dishel, commonly known as anti-folk, indie pop singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, percussionist Jack Dishel, born in Russia ~ Frontman of indie folk outfit the Moldy Peaches, best known for the track Anyone Else But You which gained notoriety after being used in the soundtrack of the 2007 coming-of-age comedy-drama film Juno. Dishel has also recorded a number of solo albums under the moniker the Only Son, starting with The Drop To The Top released in 2006. Dishel married singer Regina Spektor in 2011
September 24, 1975 ~ Singer Diana Ross releases Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To), lifted off her Mahogany soundtrack album ~ Preceded by Lady Sings The Blues, which accompanied the Billie Holiday biopic of the same name, Mahogany for the film of the same name would be the second soundtrack album by Diana Ross, who played the lead role in both movies. Like most of the tracks of the album, the main theme Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To) was co-written and produced by stockbroker turned songwriter Michael Masser, who had previously co-penned Touch Me In The Morning and Last Time I Saw Him for Ross. Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To) would reach No.1 Billboard Hot 100, and earned Masser and co-writer Gerry Goffin an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song
September 24, 1970 ~ Avant-garde jazz, free jazz saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock born in Stadtlohn, Germany ~ Closely associated with Brazilian singer Monica Vasconcelos, with whom she has recorded several albums starting with Nóis released in 1994, and co-founded As Meninas. Laubrock has also appeared on albums by Tito Lopez, F-IRE Collective, David Axelrod, Tom Rainey, Paradoxical Frog, Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis (Capricorn Climber), Andrew Drury, Johnathon Crompton, Nate Wooley, Satoko Fuji, and Myra Melford (For The Love Of Fire And Water). As a leader, Laubrock is especially acclaimed for her Roulette Of The Cradle album released in 2015September 24, 1969 ~ Alternative metal, nu metal percussionist, drummer, singer, songwriter Shawn Crahan, full name Michael Shawn Crahan, born in Des Moines, Iowa, USA ~ Sole constant member of Slipknot, with whom he has recorded over half a dozen albums including the acclaimed eponymous Slipknot sophomore album released in 1999. The band is said to have influenced acts such as Demon Hunter, Of Mice & Men, and Asking Alexandria, and is best known for songs such as Duality, Vermillion and Dead Memories. Crahan has also recorded with his side projects To My Surprise and Dirty Little Rabbits, and directed the 2016 action thriller Officer Downe based on the comic series of the same title
September 24, 1966 ~ In its 5th week on the charts, Cherish by the Association hits No.1 Billboard Hot 100 ~ The band enjoyed some fame in their native Los Angeles, and had scored a notable hit with Along Comes Mary, which had reached No.7 Billboard Hot 100. However, it was the follow-up Cherish that made them a household name across America. The single would spend three consecutive weeks atop the pop charts, before being bumped off the top spot by Reach Out I'll Be There by the Four Tops. The song is often misinterpreted as a straightforward love song and as such has become a wedding favorite. A closer listen, however, reveals how poor of a choice that would be, as the protagonist does tell his love interest he “cherishes her” but it is uncertain what that means, while the girl is simultaneously being courted by “a thousand other guys”. Which might not make it the best fit for a wedding song. Retrospectively, Stereogum further pointed out how Cherish may feature a sickly-sweet melody, but it “backs up a somewhat creepy lyric about fixating too hard on a girl”. Regardless, the song is fondly remembered as one of the most endearing of its day, has become a radio staple popular to this day, and despite the common misinterpretation remains a favorite at weddings and slow dances
September 24, 1966 ~ Alternative rock singer Carrie Akre born in Seattle, Washington, USA ~ One of the few female lead singers in early 1990s male-dominated grunge, known for her thunderous vocals. Fronted Hammerbox, with whom she recorded the albums Hammerbox and Numb. Subsequently fronted Goodness, with whom she recorded three more albums including their 1995 eponymous Goodness, which featured a guest performance from Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready on the track Electricity Electricity. Akre would later team up again with McCready in the Rockfords, known for their 2000 The Rockfords album. Akre has also released several albums as a solo artist
September 24, 1965 ~ Drummer, producer, engineer Janet Weiss, full name Janet Lee Weiss, born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Formed the duo Quasi with Sam Coomes, later expanded to a trio with Joanna Bolme. Best known for her association with Sleater-Kinney, remaining with the band through 2019. Has also notably worked with Stephen Malkmus including on the 2011 Mirror Traffic album, the Shins, and with all-female supergroup Wild Flag alongside Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony and Rebecca Cole. Other credits include the Furies, Bright Eyes, the Go-Betweens, Sarah Dougher, and Elliott SmithSeptember 24, 1965 ~ Jazz saxophonist, composer Njal Olnes born in Sogndal, Norway ~ Worked with the Dingobats, Trygve Seim, Håvard Lund, Eirik Hegdal, Thomas Dahl, Mats Eilertsen, Sverre Gjørvad, the African Pepperbirds, Bjorn Ole Solberg, Vigleik Storaas, Erlend Slettevol, Matthis Kleppen, Tor Haugerud, Kenneth Kapstad, Michael Francis Duch, Kjetil Moster, and BMX
September 24, 1965 ~ British rockers the Rolling Stones release Get Off Of My Cloud b/w I'm Free as a stand-alone single ~ The band have said that Get Off Of My Cloud is a reaction to their suddenly greatly enhanced popularity and deals with their aversion to people's expectations of them after the success of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, which was the band's first Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit. Get Off Of My Cloud would be their second. The band's guitarist Keith Richards would later comment: “I never dug it as a record. The chorus was a nice idea, but we rushed it as the follow-up. We were in Los Angeles, and it was time for another single”September 24, 1965 ~ Singer Wanda Jackson records The Box It Came In in Nashville, Tennessee ~ Written by Vic McAlpin. Produced by Ken Nelson. Included on the 1966 album Reckless Love Affair and released as a single, featuring Look Out Heart on the B-side, in January 1966. It would be the first major hit for Wanda Jackson since 1961 and start a string of Billboard Country charting singles through 1971