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 30, 2023 ~ Funk, R&B, blues drummer Russell Batiste Jr, full name David Russell Batiste Jr, passed away in LaPlace, Louisiana, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Formed the trio Porter Batiste Stoltz with bassist George Porter Jr and guitarist Brian Stoltz. Has also worked with the Funky Meters, Walter Wolfman Washington, Vida Blue, Harry Connick Jr, Champion Jack Dupree, Robbie Robertson, Maceo Parker, Papa Grows Funk, and the Nuclear Rhythms ~ Batiste was born in 1965
September 30, 2023 ~ Classical pianist, teacher, author Russell Sherman passed away in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA ~ Debuted at the Town Hall, New York, at age 15. Would go on to become an in-demand soloist, working with renowned orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Artist-in-residence and longtime teacher at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston. As an author known for his collection of short essays on piano playing related concerns, titled Piano Pieces published in 1996 ~ Sherman was born in 1930September 30, 2022 ~ Conductor, composer Colin Touchin, full name Colin Michael Touchin, passed away in Warsaw, Poland ~ Composed oratorios, sinfoniettes, and works for wind bands and choral groups. As a teacher taught at Cheltham's School Of Music and the University Of Warwick. Founded and conducted the Spires Philhamonic Orchestra And Chorus ~ Touchin was born in 1953
September 30, 2022 ~ Keith Lamar Johnson, commonly known as gospel singer, songwriter Keith Wonderboy Johnson, passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, USA ~ Earned the nickname “Wonderboy” while still a child for his vocal prowess. Straddled the line between traditional and contemporary gospel. Over a dozen albums to his name, starting with Through The Storm released in 1998. Best known for his 2000 Live And Alive album. Well known songs include I Wouldn't Know You, Let Go Let God and True Love ~ Johnson was born in 1972
September 30, 2021 ~ Composer Carlisle Floyd, full name Carlisle Sessions Floyd, passed away in Tallahassee, Florida, USA ~ Wrote about a dozen operas typically set in in the American South, themed around post-civil war South, the Great Depression and rural life. Best known for Susannah, a Biblical story transcribed to rural Tennessee and written for a Southern dialect. Its 1956 performance at the New York City Opera met with mixed reviews, some degrading it to “folk opera” while others considered it a masterpiece. It would quickly become one the most performed American operas ~ Floyd was born in 1926September 30, 2021 ~ Jazz saxophonist, composer Lennart Åberg passed away in Helsingborg, Sweden ~ Founded jazz fusion group Rena Rama in 1972. Perhaps best known for his association with George Russell backing Russell in the 1980s, notably on the 1983 The Essence Of George Russell album alongside Jon Christensen, Arild Andersen and Jan Garbarek. Has also recorded as a solo artist and taught jazz history at the Royal College Of Music, Stockholm ~ Åberg was born in 1942
September 30, 2019 ~ Opera singer Jessye Norman, full name Jessye Mae Norman, passed away in Manhattan, New York, USA ~ Debuted with the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1968 following winning an ARD International Music Competition. Would go on to sing with renowned orchestras including La Scala, the Opera Company Of Philadelphia, the Metropolitan Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Paris Opera, and the Royal Opera ~ Norman was born in 1945
September 30, 2017 ~ Producer, songwriter, &R director, label executive Frank Slay, full name Frank Conley Slay Jr, passed away ~ Frequent songwriting partner of Bob Crewe during the late 1950s and 1960s, the pair being responsible for songs such as Silhouettes and Daddy Cool for doo-wop outfit the Rays, and Tallahassee Lassie for Freddy Cannon. Slay would become A&R director for Swan Records in 1961 and continue to work with Cannon. Other notable production credits include Strawberry Alarm Clock's Incense And Peppermints and Sugarloaf's Don't Call Us (We'll Call You), both of which reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 respectively in 1967 and 1974 ~ Slay was born in 1930September 30, 2017 ~ Folk revival guitarist, banjoist, fiddler Tom Paley, full name Allan Thomas Paley, passed away in Brighton, UK ~ Influential on Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Best known for his work with the New Lost City Ramblers during the 1950s and 1960s. Following his departure from the band in the early 1960s founded the Old Reliable String Band with Roy Berkeley and Artie Rose before relocating to Europe ~ Paley was born in 1928
September 30, 2015 ~ Folk rock guitarist, mandolinist, banjoist, keyboardist, singer Simon Cowe passed away in Toronto, Canada ~ Best known as member of Lindisfarne from its inception in 1970 until 1973 and again from 1978 through 1993. Present on the band's most acclaimed albums, 1970's Nicely Out Of Tune debut album and its 1971 Fog On The Tyne follow-up. Following his initial departure from the band formed Jack The Lad with Rod Clements and Ray Laidlaw, appearing on the band's first three albums including the eponymous Jack The Lad released in 1974 ~ Cowe was born in 1948
September 30, 2014 ~ Singer Ariana Grande releases Love Me Harder featuring the Weeknd, lifted off her My Everything sophomore album ~ The first version written by Max Martin, Peter Svensson, Ali Payami and Savan Kotecha, Love Me Harder would be sent to the Weeknd who added his touches and sent it back: “It was a great song, but it was a little generic. I couldn't hear myself on it. So I changed it and made it dark.” The end result finds Ariana Grande and the Weeknd, known for explicit tunes about his sexual exploits, trading verses about keeping the girl happy by loving her harder. It would be a career booster for the Weeknd, as the collaborative single reached No.7 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first American top 10 hit for the CanadianSeptember 30, 2013 ~ Thomas Scott, commonly known as country, rockabilly singer, guitarist Ramblin' Tommy Scott, passed away in Toccoa, Georgia, USA ~ Worked with Charlie Monroe and Curly Seckler. As a solo artist known for a number of 1950s, early 1960s recordings venturing more into rockabilly, notable singles including Rockin' And Rollin', Dance With Her Henry and Dig Me Little Mama ~ Scott was born in 1917
September 30, 2013 ~ Zulema Cusseaux, mononymously known as disco, R&B singer, songwriter Zulema, passed away in Tampa, Florida, USA ~ Sang backup for Aretha Franklin. Member of Faith Hope & Charity. Debuted as a solo artist with the eponymous Zulema in 1972. Toured as opening act with Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Earth Wind & Fire, and Sly Stone ~ Cusseaux was born in 1947
September 30, 2011 ~ Singer Katy Perry releases The One That Got Away, lifted off her Teenage Dream album ~ The song tells of the singer and her boyfriend getting matching tattoos only to find out later he has his removed. Katy Perry has stated she wrote the bittersweet heartbreak ballad about “when you promise someone forever, but are not able to follow through”. The single would reached No.3 Billboard Hot 100
September 30, 2011 ~ Marvin Tarplin, commonly known as R&B, soul guitarist Marv Tarplin, passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA ~ Member of the Miracles from the 1950s through 1973. Co-wrote several of the band's best known, notably The Tracks Of My Tears, My Girl Has Gone, I Like It Like That, Going To A Go-Go and The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage. Also co-wrote a number of well known R&B songs for others including Marvin Gaye's Ain't That Peculiar and I'll Be Doggone ~ Tarplin was born in 1941September 30, 2006 ~ Classical hornist, composer Georges Barboteu, full name Georges Yves Barbateu, passed away in Paris, France ~ Best known for his recordings with Jean-François Paillard's chamber orchestra, including Michael Haydn's horn concerto, Joseph Haydn's double horn concerto, and Georg Philipp Telemann's D concerto. Has also worked with the Algiers Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, and was a member of the quintet Ars Nova ~ Barboteu was born in 1924
September 30, 2006 ~ Dobroist Josh Graves passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Best known for introducing the resonator guitar, commonly known as dobro, in bluegrass music. Member of Flatt & Scruggs' backing unit the Foggy Mountain Boys. Also worked with the Pierce Brothes, Mac Wiseman, Kenny Baker, and the Masters ~ Graves was born in 1927
September 30, 2004 ~ Theater director, songwriter Jacques Levy passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Frequently collaborated with Roger McGuinn, notably on the single Chestnut Mare of the Untitled album. Perhaps best known for co-writing the majority of songs on Bob Dylan's Desire album, including Hurricane and Isis ~ Levy was born in 1935
September 30, 1999 ~ Anna Mae Darden, commonly known as jazz singer, bandleader Anna Mae Winburn, passed away in Hempstead, New York, USA ~ Best known as bandleader of the all-female the International Sweethearts Of Rhythm, one of the few racially integrated dance-bands of the swing era. Previously Winburn had performed under the monniker Anita Door as a solo act, and played guitar for a number of territory bands including with Red Perkins and Lloyd Hunter, and had led the Oklahoma based the Kansas City Blue Devils, later renamed the Cotton Club Boys, which at some point included renowned guitarist Charlie Christian. Winburn took the reigns of the International Sweethearts Of Rhythm in 1941 and led the ensemble until her departure in 1948. Looking back on first being introduced to the all-female ensemble, Winburn has been quoted as saying: “What a bunch of cute little girls, but I don't know whether I could get along with that many women or not.” The band would enjoy popularity especially during World War II and would regularly compete in “battles of the sexes” with prominent male bands of the day, including ensembles led by Fletcher Henderson, Erskine Hawkins, and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1949, shortly after Winburn semi-retired from music after getting married, the band broke up although in later years Winburn would reach various incarnations using the same bandmoniker and variations, albeit it to lesser success ~ Darden was born in 1913
September 30, 1998 ~ Country singer Faith Hill releases Let Me Let Go, lifted off her Faith album ~ Issued as the third single off her Faith, and after This Kiss the second to top the Billboard Country charts. The single earned Faith Hill a Grammy Award-nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, losing out to Shania Twain's Man I Feel Like A Woman. Singer Vince Gill can be heard on backing vocals. The song can be interpreted in more than one way, as the song's co-writer Dennis Morgan later explained: “Something interesting about this song is, we had an idea what the song was about when we were writing it, clearly about a former relationship. But I've had people come up to me and tell me they related it to their battle with alcohol and drugs. Let Me Let Go, they thought it was so powerful, almost talking to the drug or alcohol. ‘I want to let go of you. Just give me the permission, or do something rotten to finally take me over that line.’ That was a real interesting perspective, Somebody taking lyrics how we did not intend it”
September 30, 1997 ~ Singers Barbra Streisand and Céline Dion record the duet single Tell Him ~ Written by Linda Thompson, Walter Afanasieff and David Foster, the latter two also serving as producers. Released as a single the following November it would reach top 10 in over 15 countries outside the USA. Despite warm critical reception the song did not fare too well in America, most likely due to releases being pulled back at the last moment and high-profile performances, such as at the 40th Grammy Awards ceremony, falling through on account of Streisand contracting the flu once again. Both singers had included the song on their albums, Barbra Streisand on Higher Ground and Céline Dion on Let's Talk About LoveSeptember 30, 1993 ~ Easy listening, jazz pianist, conductor, arranger, composer Ronnie Aldrich, full name Ronald Frank Aldrich, passed away in Clatterbridge, UK ~ Prolific pianist recording extensively from the 1940s onwards, notably with his orchestra the Squadronaires. Also worked with the BBC Radio Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra, served as musical director at Thames Television and is perhaps best known as musical director of Benny Hill Show ~ Aldrich was born in 1916
September 30, 1991 ~ The French music magazine Les Inrocktupibles releases the Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan (The Songs Of Leonard Cohen), featuring the Canadian's songs interpreted by some of the most respected rock artists of the day ~ The album title is a play on the Leonard Cohen song title I'm Your Man. The French issue of the album opens with the House Of Love's Who By Fire. For the American release the order would differ, so that REM, then one of the biggest rock acts, led the album with their version of First We Take Manhattan. The album contains two different covers of Tower Of Song, one by Robert Forster, one by Nick Cave edited down from an hour-long jam session. Other artists who contributed to the album include the Pixies, Lloyd Cole, and John Cale, the latter with most likely the first recorded cover of Hallelujah later recorded by over an estimated 500 artists
September 30, 1991 ~ Mathew Madiro, commonly known as heavy metal drummer Mat Madiro, born in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Served as drum technician for Trivium for two years when replacing Nick Augusto as drummer in the midst of a 2014 tour, leaving Madiro only 24 hours to learn all the drum parts. Present on the band's 2015 Silence In The Snow album. Joined From Ashes To New in 2017, first appearing on the band's The Future album released the following year
September 30, 1989 ~ Composer Virgil Thomson passed away in Manhattan, New York, USA ~ Instrumental in the development of “the American Sound” in classical music. Wrote symphonies, opera, ballet, film scores and chamber music. Known best for works such as Four Saints In Three Acts, The Plow That Broke The Plains, the Pullitzer Prize-winning soundtrack to Louisiana Story, and for his late opera Lord Byron ~ Thomson was born in 1896