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 29, 2024 ~ Martin Barnes, commonly known as pop singer, guitarist, songwriter Martin Lee, passed away ~ Initially hired as a staff writer by music publisher Tony Hiller, yet when it turned out Lee could also sing Hiller asked him to join Brotherhood Of Man, a group managed by Hiller. The group would become best known for Save Your Kisses For Me, a delightfully cheerful ditty co-written by and featuring Lee on lead vocals chosen to represent the UK at the 1976 Eurovision Songfestival. Following their win at the contest, leaving France's Catherine Ferry and Monaco's Mary Christy respectively in second and third place, the song would reach No.1 in over half a dozen countries including the Netherlands, Norway, and the UK. Over the next few years, Brotherhood Of Man scored several more hits at home, notably Angelo and Figaro, before their popularity waned. Despite not recording since the early 1980s, the band continued to perform to enthousiastic crowds until retiring in 2020 ~ Barnes was born in 1946
September 29, 2023 ~ Recording engineer Jon Fausty passed away ~ Has produced and engineered recordings in the USA, Canada, Cuba, and Europe, best known for his work on some of the most sucessful Latin albums of all time over a career spanning six decades. Has worked on albums by Sabu Martinez, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, Ricardo Ray (Jala Jala Y Boogaloo), Willie Colón, Machito, Bobby Valentín, the Fania All-Stars, Ray Barretto (The Message), Ismael Miranda, Mongo Santamaria, the Lebrón Brothers, Rubén Blades, Willie Rosario, Jerry González (The River Is Deep), and Gato Barbieri ~ Fausty was born in 1949September 29, 2023 ~ Progressive rock, space rock, jam rock drummer Ron Howden passed away ~ Co-founding member of Nektar, with whom he recorded about a dozen albums. The band's 1969 Journey To The Centre Of The Eye debut album consisted of a single song running over 40 minutes, with the last 100 seconds of the first side repeated at the beginning of the second side to maintain continuity. The band is especially acclaimed for their work through the mid 1970s, noted for albums such as Remember The Future, Sounds Like This, and Down To Earth. Howden has co-written several of the band's songs, including King Of Twilight which was later covered by Iron Maiden and used as the B-side for their 1984 Aces High single ~ Howden was born in 1945
September 29, 2021 ~ Jazz pianist, music director, composer Mike Renzi, full name Michael Ernest Renzi, passed away in Newport, Rhode Island, USA ~ Best known as longtime music director for Peggy Lee and Mel Tormé. Has also worked with Lena Horne, Cynthia Crane, Maureen McGovern, Grady Tate, Ruth Brown, Laverne Butler, Blossom Dearie, Trudy Desmond, Ann Burton, Meredith D'Ambrosio, Jane Harvey, Jørn Hoel, Hilary Kole, Gene Lees, Jay Leonhart, Gloria Lynne, Liza Minnelli, Gerry Mulligan, and Was (Not Was) ~ Renzi was born in 1941
September 29, 2021 ~ Guitarist, songwriter, producer Olivier Libaux passed away in Paris, France ~ Founded rock band Les Objets with Jérôme Rousseaux in 1989, known for their 1989 La Normalité and 1994 Qui Est Qui albums. Would go on to become an in-demand collaborator working with the likes of Carla Bruni, Alex Gopher, Dominique Dalan, Jean-François Coen, and Helena Noguerra. Released his L'Heroine Au Bain solo debut album in 2003. Also known for founding Nouvelle Vague, covering punk and new wave songs in a bossa nova style usually employing young female lead singers most of whom did not know the original version ~ Libaux was born in 1964
September 29, 2020 ~ Singer, songwriter, actress, activist Helen Reddy, full name Helen Maxine Reddy, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Active since the late 1960s. Dubbed “the Queen of '70s Pop.” Known best for her I Don't Know How To Love Him and her signature song and feminist anthem I'm A Woman, the former initially released as the B-side of her 1970 I Believe In Music single. Other well known songs include Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress), You And Me Against The World, Angie Baby and Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady, all of which reached top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 ~ Reddy was born in 1941
September 29, 2020 ~ Morris Mac Davis, singer, guitarist, songwriter, commonly known as Mac Davis, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ As a songwriter best known for a number of songs most notably recorded by Elvis Presley, including In The Ghetto, Don't Cry Daddy, and Memories and A Little Less Conversation, the last two co-written with Billy Strange. Other artists who recorded his songs include Bobby Goldsboro (Watching Scotty Grow), Vikki Carr, Nancy Sinatra (God Knows I Love You), OC Smith, Jerry Wallace (The Closest I Ever Came), Kenny Rogers, BJ Thomas (I Believe In Music), the Tams, Roy Drusky (Play Me A Little Traveling Music), and Helen Reddy. As a recording artist Davis himself would regularly reach the charts, mostly in the 1970s, with songs such Stop And Smell The Roses, One Hell Of A Woman, Rock 'n Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life), Burnin' Thing, It's Hard To Be Humble and perhaps his best known Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me ~ Davis was born in 1942
September 29, 2020 ~ Smooth jazz, jazz-funk, funk bassist Rocco Prestia, full name Francis Rocco Prestia Jr, passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA ~ Cited James Jamerson and Bootsy Collins as influences. Perhaps best known as member of funk outfit Tower Of Power from 1968 through 1977, rejoining in later years. Notably present on some of the band's best known including the 1973 hit What Is Hip. As a solo artist released his sole Everybody On The Bus album in 1999 ~ Prestia was born in 1951
September 29, 2019 ~ Pianist, keyboardist, arranger, producer Larry Willis, full name Lawrence Elliott Willis, passed away in Baltimore, Maryland, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Perhaps best known as a member of Blood Sweat & Tears from 1972 through 1977, first appearing on the New Blood album. Has also worked with Jackie McLean, Nat Adderley, Gary Bartz, Cindy Blackman, Carla Bley, Jerry González, Roy Hargrove, Louis Hayes, Jimmy Heath, Joe Henderson, Richard Groove Holmes, Clifford Jordan, Robin Kenyatta, Hugh Masekela, Carmen McRae, Lee Morgan, Alphonse Mouzon, David Fathead Newman, and Woody Shaw ~ Willis was born in 1942
September 29, 2018 ~ Otis Rush Jr, commonly known as blues guitarist, singer Otis Rush, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Important 1950s blues guitarist, merging Chicago blues with R&B-influences. Influential on Michael Bloomfield, Peter Green and Eric Clapton. Known for songs such as I Can't Quit You Baby, Double Trouble and All Your Love (I Miss Loving) ~ Rush was born in 1934
September 29, 2015 ~ Saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer Phil Woods, full name Philip Wells Woods, passed away in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Benny Goodman, Billy Joel (alto sax solo on Just The Way You Are), Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Franco Ambrosetti, Manny Albam, Benny Bailey, Louie Bellson, Gene Krupa, Bob Brookmeyer, Kenny Burrell, Gary Burton, Benny Carter, Al Cohn, Art Farmer, Gil Evans, Stéphane Grappelli, Milt Jackson, Michel Legrand, Herbie Mann, Thelonious Monk, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Oliver Nelson, Pony Poindexter, Sahib Shihab, Jimmy Smith, and George Wallington ~ Woods was born in 1931September 29, 2011 ~ Sylvia Vanterpool, commonly known as singer, producer, label executive, songwriter Sylvia Robinson, passed away in Secaucus, New Jersey, USA ~ Half of Mickey & Sylvia, the other half being guitarist Mickey Baker. Co-founded Sugarhill Records. Produced Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight (1979). Produced Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's The Message (1982) ~ Vanterpool was born in 1935
September 29, 2009 ~ Country, country pop singer Miranda Lambert releases Revolution, which would become her third consecutive Billboard Country No.1 album ~ Miranda Lambert's second consecutive Billboard Hot 200 top 10 album, and her third consecutive to top the Billboard Country charts. Apart from the Billboard Country No.1 hits The House That Built Me and Heart Like Mine, the album's highlights include the Fred Eaglesmith-cover Time To Get A Gun featuring guest vocalist Chris Stapleton, and the John Prine-cover That's The Way That The World Goes Round featuring Randy Scruggs. Other guests on the album include Buddy Miller, Ashley Monroe, and Blake Shelton. Revolution would be nominated for Best Country Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards, losing out to Lady Antebellum's Need You Now, and win Album of the Year at the Academy Of Country Music Awards as well as at the Country Music Association Awards
September 29, 2009 ~ R&B singer Toni Braxton releases Yesterday, lead single off her Pulse album ~ Produced by DJ Frank E, who co-wrote the song with Toni Braxton, Jerome Armstrong, Terrence Battle, and Michael White. Issued as a the lead single off Braxton's seventh studio album, it was generally received to positive reviews. However, some critics felt Yesterday bore too close a resemblance to specific Beyoncé tracks as Digital Spy compared it to Halo and the Los Angeles Times felt the song “cribs it twinkly emo-soul texture, and some if its airy melody from Broken-Hearted Girl.” The American release featured labelmate Trey Songz, yet in other territories the original version with only Braxton's vocals was issued. Although treasured by some of the singer's older fans, the song reminiscent of Braxton's hits a decade earlier, Yesterday only became a modest hit. The single would be Braxton's last to reach top 20 on the Billboard R&B charts, where it peaked at No.12, and missed the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 altogether
September 29, 2002 ~ Milton Sims Newbury Jr, commonly known as country, folk, folk-rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Mickey Newbury, passed away in Springfield, Oregon, USA ~ Revered by peers. Acclaimed for a number of late 1960s, early 1970s albums especially 1972's Frisco Mabel Joy which included An American Trilogy, a song later popularized by Elvis Presley. Though Newbury never became a household name, several songs of his have become well known as recorded by others including Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings (Don Gibson, Tom Jones), San Francisco Mabel Joy (the Box Tops, Waylon Jennings), Here Comes The Rain Baby (Roy Orbison, Eddy Arnold), Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In (Jerry Lee Lewis, Kenny Rogers, Bettye LaVette), and Sweet Memories (Andy Williams, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles) ~ Newbury was born in 1940
September 29, 1994 ~ Jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger David Van Kriedt passed away in Newcastle, Australia ~ Worked with the Jazz Workshop Ensemble which would eventually evolve into Dave Brubeck octet. Appears on Stan Kenton's pivotal Contemporary Concepts album alongside Charlie Mariano, Carl Fontana, Bob Fitzpatrick ~ Van Kriedt was born in 1922September 29, 1994 ~ Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, commonly known as singer Halsey, born in Washington, New Jersey, USA ~ Featured vocalist on the 2016 the Chainsmokers hit Closer. As a solo artist had three albums, 2015's Badlands, 2017's Hopeless Fountain Kingdom and 2020's Manic, reach the top 10 of Billboard Hot 200 album charts. Has collaborated with BTS, G-Eazy, Big Sean, Stefflon Don, Benny Blanco, Kelsea Ballerini, Marshmello, and Juice WRLD
September 29, 1990 ~ Jazz drummer, singer Freddie Kohlmann passed away in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Worked with AJ Piron, Joe Robichaux, Papa Celestin, Sam Morgan, Albert Ammons, Stuff Smith, Earl Hines, Lee Collins, Louis Armstrong, the Jambalaya Four, Billie Holiday, Art Hodes, Louis Cottrell Jr, the Dukes Of Dixieland, the Onward Brass Band, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Albert Nicholas, Art Hodes, Bob Wilber, Harry Connick Jr, Dr John, Chris Barber, the Excelsior Brass Band, and the Heritage Hall Jazz Band ~ Kohlman was born in 1918
September 29, 1988 ~ Guitarist, bassist, pianist, percussionist, singer Ian Crawford, full name Ian Miles Crawford, born in Eugene, Oregon, USA ~ Founded rock & roll outfit the Contestants. Released his solo debut album, Grand Wheel, in 2018. Best known as a backing musician, notably known as a guitarist associated with CAB, Panic At The Disco, Never Shout Never, and the Academy Is. Has also worked with the Stamps, Play For Keeps, Dallon Weekes, and Ashbury
September 29, 1984 ~ Theodore Samuel Reig, commonly known as producer, A&R reoresentative, promoter, manager Teddy Reig, passed away in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA ~ Produced Charlie Parker's first recordings as a leader, for Savoy Records in November 1945. Has also worked with Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Don Byas, Erroll Garner, Dexter Gordon, JJ Johnson, Lester Young, Bud Powell, Quincy Jones, Redd Foxx, Sonny Stitt, Lee Morgan, and Maynard Ferguson ~ Reig was born in 1918
September 29, 1981 ~ Suzanne Christine Crowshaw, commonly known as actress, singer, TV personality Suzanne Shaw, born in Bury, UK ~ Became a member of Hear'say after winning the ITV contest Popstars in 2000. The band would score the UK top 10 hits Pure & Simple, The Way To Your Love, Everybody and Lovin' Is Easy. After the band's disbandement in 2002 Shaw would go on to become an in-demand musical actress
September 29, 1980 ~ Folk, alternative rock, post-hardcore singer, guitarist, pianist, songwriter Dallas Green, full name Dallas Michael John Albert Green, born in St Catherines, Canada ~ Singer, rhytm guitarist for post-hardcore band Alexisonfire from 2001 to its disbandement in 2011. Has recorded as a solo artist under the moniker City & Colour, a reference to his name, Dallas being a city, Green a colour. Has also collaborated with Pink under the moniker You & Me releasing the album Rose Ave in 2014. Guested on recordings by Jude the Obscure, Straight Reads The Line, Dear & Departed, Lights Action, and Nashville Skyline
September 29, 1980 ~ Country, country pop singer Kenny Rogers releases Lady, which would become his first Billboard Hot 100 charttopper ~ Written and produced by Lionel Richie, Lady would be the first major hit for Richie outside of the Commodores and considerably boosted the careers of both Richie and Kenny Rogers. The song reached No.1 Billboard Hot 100, a first for Rogers, and would sell over a million copies in America alone. Looking back on the collaboration, Rogers has commented: “The idea was that Lionel would come from R&B and I'd come from country, and we'd meet somewhere in pop”
September 29, 1980 ~ R&B, funk, disco outfit Kool & the Gang release Celebrate, the band's twelfth studio album ~ The band continued the direction started on their previous album, Ladies Night, gravitating ever more towards pop and smooth R&B. Again, this album, like its predecessor, was met with critical scepticism, Record Mirror going so far as to state “there's no soul sound on this album, just plenty of precise modern dance music”. Yet it gave the band their first and only Billboard Hot 100 No.1 with Celebration, in retrospect cited by some as the ultimate party track of the early 1980s. The song remains a popular party track and radio staple to this day, decades laterSeptember 29, 1978 ~ Pop, country singer, guitarist, drummer, bassist, keyboardist Kurt Nilsen, full name Kurt Erik Nilsen, born in Bergen, Norway ~ First gained attention in 2003 winning the the Norwegian edition of the talent contest Pop Idol aired on TV2. Would also win a one-off international edition of the show the next year, featuring winners of various national shows. His 2003 I debut album would top the album charts in Norway
September 29, 1978 ~ Avant-garde metal, experimental rock singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, flutist, percussionist, songwriter Toby Driver born in Meriden, Connecticut, USA ~ Best known for fronting avant-garde metal bands Maudlin Of The Well and Kayo Dot. Also an in-demand collaborator for a wide array of rock, metal acts, and active as a solo artist starting with the album In The L L Library Loft released in 2005