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 3, 1936 ~ Piedmont blues singer, guitarist Casey Bill Weldon records We Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town ~ Originally recorded as a solo piece featuring Casey Bill Weldon on vocal and acoustic guitar, the song became a classic covered by numerous artists, sometimes retitled to I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town or The Outskirts Of Town. Over the years, covers and adaptations have been recorded by the likes of Louis Jordan, Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Jack Montrose, Ray Charles, the Everly Brothers, Lou Rawls, a young Rod Stewart on the B-side of his 1964 single Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Albert King, the Allman Brothers Band, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, BB King, and Willie Nelson
September 3, 1935 ~ Singer Dorothy Masuka born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe ~ Zimbabwe-born South African jazz singer popular in the 1950s. When her songs became more serious, such as Dr Malan mentioning controversial laws it was banned. Eventually Matsuka would be exiled for over 30 years starting in 1961 ~ Matsuka passed away in 2019
September 3, 1934 ~ Fred Christian, commonly known as blues singer, guitarist, songwriter Freddie King, born in Gilmer, Texas, USA ~ Rooted in Texas blues and Chicago blues. Hugely influential, especially on guitarists. Known for songs such as You've Got To Love Her With A Feeling, I'm Tore Down and perhaps most notably the instrumental Hide-away. King has also worked with Jimmy Rogers, Robert Lockwood Junior, Eddie Taylor, Hound Dog Taylor, Willie Dixon, Memphis Slim, Little Walter, Magic Sam, and Sonny Thompson ~ Christian passed away in 1976September 3, 1933 ~ Composer Roland Kayn born in Reutlingen, Germany ~ Co-founded the Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Di Nuova Consonanza, a pivotal free improvisation group active in the mid 1960s. As a solo artist known for his lengthy works of cybernetic music, most notably his 14-hour composition A Little Electronic Milky Way Of Sound posthumously released on 16 CDs in 2017 ~ Kayn passed away in 2011
September 3, 1932 ~ Granville William Roker, commonly known as hard bop, bebop drummer Mickey Roker, born in Miami, Florida, USA ~ While living in Philadelphia, where he was raised, Roker played with visiting jazz musicians before relocating to New York by the late 1950s to become a sought-after session drummer, including for a while as member of the house band at Blue Note Records. Perhaps best known for his work with Dizzy Gillespie during the 1970s, including on the acclaimed Dizzy's Big 4 album which also featured Ray Brown and Joe Pass. Other notable credits include Gigi Gryce, Ray Bryant, Sonny Rollins, Junior Mance (Junior's Blues), Ben Webster, McCoy Tyner, Irene Kral (Better Than Anything), Stanley Turrentine (The Spoiler), Blue Mitchell (Boss Horn), Lee Morgan (The Procrastinator), Milt Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver (Serenade To A Soul Sister), Duke Pearson (Now Hear This), Charles Kynard, Cedar Walton, Randy Brecker (Score), Bobby Hutcherson, Donald Byrd, Jon Faddis, Hank Jones (Groovin' High), JJ Johnson, and Shirley Scott ~ Roker passed away in 2017September 3, 1930 ~ R&B, doo-wop singer, songwriter Aaron Collins born in Kress City, Arkansas, USA ~ Member of the Jacks, known for 1955's Why Don't You Write Me. Member of the Cadets, known for the 1956 hit Stranded In The Jungle. Member of the Flares, known for Foot Stomping released in 1961. As a solo artist released a sole solo album, 1957's Calypso USA, which included the singles Pretty Evey and Rum Jamaica Rum ~ Collins passed away in 1997
September 3, 1929 ~ Manager, impresario Larry Parnes, full name Laurence Maurice Parnes, born in London, UK ~ First major British rock manager, especially successful during the 1950s and early 1960s. Aided the careers of artists such as Billy Fury, Vince Eager, Lance Fortune, Johnny Gentle, and Nelson Keene. His reputation would later be tarnished, many artists claiming they were exploited ~ Parnes passed away in 1989
September 3, 1926 ~ Jazz saxophonist Ernie Henry, full name Ernest Albert Henry, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Active since the late 1940s. Recorded three albums as a leader shortly before his death of a heroin overdose at age 31. Has worked with Tadd Dameron, Fats Navarro, Charlie Ventura, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie (At Newport), Illinois Jacquet, Thelonious Monk (Brilliant Corners), Charles Mingus, Kenny Dorham, Kenny Drew, Wynton Kelly, Wilbur Ware, Art Taylor, and Philly Joe Jones ~ Henry passed away in 1957
September 3, 1925 ~ Blues singer, guitarist Charley Booker born in Moorhead, Mississippi, USA ~ Recorded a handful of singles in the early 1950s, most notably No Ridin' Blues in 1952. Worked with Willie Love, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Little Milton, Ike Turner, and Houston Boines ~ Booker passed away in 1989
September 3, 1925 ~ Henry William Thompson, commonly known as guitarist, singer, songwriter Hank Thompson born in Waco, Texas, USA ~ Smooth baritone vocals backed by the Brazos Valley Boys, a hybrid of fiddles, electric guitars, steel guitars. Had his first hit in 1952 with The Wild Side Of Life. It contained the memorable line “I didn't know God made honky tonk angels”, solliciting the JD Miller-penned It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels. Also known for songs such as Whoa Sailor, Waiting In The Lobby Of Your Heart, Rub-a-dub-dub, and Wake Up Irene ~ Thompson passed away in 2007September 3, 1921 ~ Nii Lante Augustus Kwamiah Quaye, commonly known as jazz singer, pianist Cab Kaye, born in London, UK ~ Mixed blues, stride piano and scat singing with his Ghanaian heritage. Son of music hall singer Doris Balderson and bandleader Ernest Mope Desmond. First gained attention in a song contest winning a touring spot with Billy Cotton. Kaye would go on to record close to a dozen albums as a leader, and become a trailblazer for black British musicians and racial equality in the music business. Notable associations include Humphrey Lyttelton, Kenny Ball, Ronnie Scott, and Shirley Bassey ~ Quaye passed away in 2000
September 3, 1918 ~ Country singer, pianist, accordionist Jimmy Riddle, full name James Lawrence Riddle, born in Dyersburg, Tennessee, USA ~ Among a loose collective dubbed the Nashville A-Team, consisting of Nashville's finest session musicians. Member of Roy Acuff's the Smoky Mountain Boys from 1943 onwards. Also known for regularly appearing on the country and comedy TV show Hee Haw, first aired in 1969, where he became known for the art of eefing, a vocal technique similar to beatboxing ~ Riddle passed away in 1982
September 3, 1916 ~ Herman Alpert, commonly known as jazz bassist Trigger Alpert, born in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA ~ Worked with Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Bud Freeman, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Jerry Jerome, Bernie Leighton, Ray McKinley, Frank Sinatra, Muggsy Spanier, Don Elliott, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Krupa, Mundell Lowe, Buddy Rich, Artie Shaw, the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Al Cohn, Urbie Green, Tony Scott, Ed Shaughnessy, Zoot Sims, Joe Wilder, Hank Jones, Sonny Igoe, and Chuck Wayne ~ Alpert passed away in 2013September 3, 1915 ~ Singer, songwriter, pianist John Chatman, commonly known as Memphis Slim, born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known for his late 1940s recording Every Day I Have The Blues, which has since become a blues standard recorded by numerous artists including Count Basie and BB King ~ Chatman passed away in 1988
September 3, 1891 ~ Music director, conductor Doc Cook born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA ~ Best known for leading Doc Cook's Dreamland Orchestra, which at times included musicians such as Freddie Keppard, Jimmie Noone, Johnny St Cyr, Zutty Singleton, Joe Poston, Andrew Hilaire, and Luis Russell. Also frequently collaborated with Eubie Blake, including arranging the 1952 revival of Shuffle Along musical ~ Cook passed away in 1958
September 3, 1887 ~ Trumpeter Frank Christian, full name Frank Joseph Christian, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Worked with Papa Jack Laine, Johnny Fischer, Alcide Nunez, Eddie Edwards, Johnny Stein, the Original New Orleans Jazz Band, and Gilda Gray ~ Christian passed away in 1973