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 9, 2024 ~ Singer, guitarist, actress Caterina Valente passed away in Lugano, Switzerland ~ Sings in various languages including French, German and English. Known for songs such as Malagueña, The Breeze And I, Dreh Dich Nicht Um, Gans Paris Traumt Von Der Liebe. Over the course of her lengthy career, Valente has collaborated with a wide array of artists including Kurt Edelhagen, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Perry Como, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Claus Ogerman, Tommy Dorsey, Sy Oliver, Buddy Rich, and Edmundo Ros ~ Valente was born in 1931September 9, 2022 ~ Carol Valère, commonly known as pop singer, songwriter Carol Arnauld, passed away in Chalon-sur-Saône, France ~ Considered a one-hit wonder for C'Est Pas Facile taken of her 1986 eponymous Carol Arnauld debut album. The song tells of her struggle with her brother's death, killed by a reckless driver. The single would reach top 10 in her native France ~ Valère was born in 1961
September 9, 2022 ~ Bluegrass mandolinist Herschel Sizemore, full name Herschel Lee Sizemore, passed away in Roanoke, Virginia, USA ~ As a solo artist best known for penning and first recording the mandolin instrumental Rebecca, named after his mother. Member of the Dixie Gentlemen from 1957 through 1965. Subsequently a member of the Shenandoah Cut-Ups, Country Grass which also included Ricky Skaggs, the Dixie Pals and the Bluegrass Cardinals. Guested on recordings by Rual Yarbrough, Jim Eanes, David Parmley, and Curly Seckler ~ Sizemore was born in 1935September 9, 2022 ~ Violinist Jorja Fleezanis, full name Jorja Kay Fleezanis, passed away ~ Best known as concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1989 through 2009. At the time of her appointment only the second female in the USA to hold such a title. Premiered John Adams' Violin Concerto in 1994, with then-music director Edo de Waart leading the orchestra. Married to classical music critic and author Michael Steinberg ~ Fleezanis was born in 1952
September 9, 2022 ~ Jazz, jazz fusion drummer Trevor Tomkins, full name Trevor Ramsey Tomkins, passed away ~ Backed Don Rendell for most of the 1960s and early 1970s. Would go on to work with Nucleus, David Becker, Henry Lowther, Gilgamesh (Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into), and Alan Gowen ~ Tomkins was born in 1941
September 9, 2020 ~ Saxophonist, singer, songwriter Ronald Bell, full name Ronald Nathan Bell, passed away on US Virgin Islands ~ Saxophonist, co-founding member of R&B, disco outfit Kool & the Gang, which also included his brother Robert Kool Bell. Wrote or co-wrote a vast amount of the band's best known songs including Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame ~ Bell was born in 1951
September 9, 2020 ~ Jazz fusion, punk, hardcore punk singer Sid McCray, full name Sidney Alexander McCray, passed away ~ Founded jazz fusion outfit Mind Power. Best known as co-founding member, lead singer of Bad Brains, one of the first American punk outfits and generally considered as pioneers of hardcore punk. McCray led the band in 1977 and 1978, leaving before the band's rise to fame ~ McCray was born in 1957
September 9, 2014 ~ Guitarist, songwriter Robert Young passed away in Hove, UK ~ Long-time member of alternative rock outfit Primal Scream, remaining with the band from its inception in 1984 through 2006. Initially the band's bassist, taking over guitar duties when Jim Beattie left shortly after the 1987 Sonic Flower Groove debut album. Has also guested on Felt's Me And A Monkey On The Moon album, released in 1989 ~ Young was born in 1964
September 9, 2008 ~ Singer Katy Perry releases Hot n Cold, lifted off her One Of The Boys album ~ Issued on the heels off her smash hit I Kissed A Girl, Perry's Hot n Cold tells of a neurotic boyfriend of whom the singer could never get a read. Katy Perry has stated the song is about a real former boyfriend of hers: “One day this person would send me a text and I would be so thrilled about it because I had been waiting for some kind of sign, a smoke signal. He would be all interested and then I would just lose him, or one day he would want to see me and then one day he wouldn't. I didn't know what was wrong with him, if he was bipolar, or if he was wearing a mood ring. I took the theme and the song kind of spilled out of me.” The single would reach top 10 in over two dozen countries. In her native America, it reached No.3 Billboard Hot 100 and earned the singer a Grammy Award nominationSeptember 9, 2005 ~ Jazz trombonist Mel Wanzo, full name Melvin Wanzo, passed away in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Best known for his longtime association with Count Basie, serving as a member of Basie's orchestra from 1969 through 1980. Has also worked with Cannonball Adderley, Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Woody Herman, and the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut ~ Wanzo was born in 1930
September 9, 2003 ~ Singer, percussionist, songrwriter, producer Bob Markley, full name Robert H Markley, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Founded psychedelic rock band the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. The band is best known for their 1968 album Volume 3 (A Child's Guide To Good And Evil), considered a landmark album in psychedelic rock ~ Markley was born in 1935
September 9, 2003 ~ Hip hop, R&B act OutKast release Hey Ya, lifted off their Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album ~ By far the Atlanta duo's biggest hit, Hey Ya would spend nine consecutive weeks atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, to be finally dethroned by their own The Way You Move featuring Sleepy Brown. OutKast's Dré had started working on Hey Ya around some four years earlier, and the song almost made it onto the duo's 2000 Stankonia album. However, it didn't make the cut and he kept rewriting the song over the next few years, eventually resulting in what would be their biggest hit. In their native America, the song would earn three Grammy Award nominations of which it won the award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Besides topping the American charts, Hey Ya, would reach top 10 in over a dozen countries including No.1 in Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Norway, and SwedenSeptember 9, 1998 ~ Singer, songwriter Lucio Battisti passed away in Milan, Italy ~ Important figure in Italian music with close to 20 albums to his name. Regularly reached the higher echelons of the Italian charts in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Best known for songs such as Mi Ritorni In Mente, Anna, Pensieri E Parole, Il Mio Canto Libero, Ancora Tu, and Una Donna Per Amico ~ Battisti was born in 1943
September 9, 1997 ~ Bandleader, mandolinist, songwriter Bill Monroe passed away in Springfield, Tennessee, USA ~ Commonly referred to as “the Father of Bluegrass,” the genre defined by Monroe. Led the Bluegrass Boys. Known for songs such as Blue Grass Breakdown, Blue Moon Of Kentucky, and Molly And Tenbrooks ~ Monroe was born in 1911September 9, 1997 ~ Pop, soul singer, pianist, songwriter Jamie Miller born in Cardiff, UK ~ First gained attention in 2017, reaching third place on the sixth season of talent show The Voice UK. Other finalists were Into The Ark, Michelle John and winner Mo Jamil. Following his success on the show Miller has released a number of singles, leading up to his Broken Memories EP in 2022
September 9, 1993 ~ Bandleader, singer Art Mooney, full name Arthur Joseph Mooney, passed away in North Miami, Florida, USA ~ Enjoyed success in the 1940s and 1950s with songs such as I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover, Baby Face, and Nuttin' For Christmas. His 1955 Honey-Babe million-seller would be used in the motion picture Battle Cry ~ Mooney was born in 1911
September 9, 1993 ~ James Deuchar, commonly known as jazz trumpeter, arranger Jimmy Deuchar, passed away in Dundee, UK ~ Taught the trumpet by John Lynch. Rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s, to become regarded as one of Britain's premier bebop trumpeters. As a leader, especially renowned for his eponymous 1953 Jimmy Deuchar album. Closely associated with Tubby Hayes, and the Clarke-Boland Big Band, recording over half a dozen albums with each. An in-demand sideman into the 1990s, Deuchar has appeared on albums by Victor Feldman, Georgie Fame, Mark Murphy, Charlie Watts (Live At Fulham Town Hall), Jack Sharpe, Chris Barber, the Jazz Couriers, Monica Zetterlund, Ronnie Scott, Johnny Keating, Allen Eager, and Zoot Sims ~ Deuchar was born in 1930
September 9, 1991 ~ Country singer, songwriter Hunter Hayes, full name Hunter Easton Hayes, born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, USA ~ Plays over 30 instruments including guitar, piano and accordion. Released his eponymous Hunter Hayes debut album in 2011, which spawned the hit single Wanted. It would make Hayes the youngest country singer to top the Billboard Country charts. Other well known songs include I Want Crazy, Everybody's Got Something But Me featuring Jason Mraz and Invisble. Has collaborated with Lady Antebellum, Victoria Justice, Brad Paisley, John Legend, the Doobie Brothers, Brett Kissel, Echosmith, and Catherine McGrath
September 9, 1991 ~ British pop group Simply Red release Something Got Me Started, lead single off their Stars album ~ Influenced by the then-popular dance-oriented sound, in particular several hits of Soul II Soul, Hucknall aimed for a programmed drum sound that didn't sound synthetic employing several new specific session musicians to achieve this. It worked, Gota Yashiki's drum programming effectively replaced the band's drummer Chris Joyce, and Heitor Pereira changed the guitar sound, putting more emphasis on rhythm than melody. Something Got Me Started would be warmly received by critics and reached top 10 across Europe, including No.5 in both Austria and the Netherlands. In the band's native UK, it fell just short of the top 10, peaking at No.11. The parent album would become a multi-platinum success, the best selling album in the UK for two years in a row and spawned two UK top 10 hits, the title track Stars peaked at No.8 and For Your Babies reached No.9
September 9, 1988 ~ Pop rock outfit Chicago release Look Away, lifted off their Chicago 19 album ~ Written by Diane Warren, who had also co-written I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love off the same album. Preceded by If You Leave Me Now and Hard To Say I'm Sorry, Look Away would become the band's third and final Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit. The song had first been offered to Cheap Trick, as their drummer Bun E Carlos would later tell Songfacts label executive Don Grierson played them two songs to consider: “He played us Look Away first, and we were like, ehm. Then he plays us The Flame and we're like, well, that ain't as bad as the first one”September 9, 1987 ~ Nick van de Wall, commonly known as DJ, songwriter Afrojack, born in Spijkenisse, the Netherlands ~ Started DJ-ing at local clubs at age 14. Known for songs such as Drop Down (Do My Dance} with the Partysquad, Take Over Control featuring Eva Simons, Can't Stop Me with Shermanology, and Ten Feet Tall featuring Wrabel. Also worked with Pitbull, NERVO, Jay Sean, and David Guetta
September 9, 1985 ~ Singer, pianist, guitarist, trumpeter, trombonist, songwriter Justin Levinson born in Vergennes, Vermont, USA ~ Son of singer, songwriter Bob Levinson. Released his 1175 Boylston debut album in 2006 while still a student at the Berklee College of Music, Boston, featuring his father on guitar, bass and drums on some of the tracks. Has recorded consistently since to critical acclaim, his earlier work critical compared to Ben Folds. Levinson is also known for writing and performing the song Love You Goodbye for the 2013 slasher film The DenSeptember 9, 1982 ~ Singer, pianist, songwriter Ai Otsuka born in Osaka, Japan ~ Learned the piano at age 4. Writes and co-produces most of her work, ranging from ballads to upbeat pop rock. Best known for her 2003 Sakuranbo hit single which stayed on the charts in her native Japan for nearly two years. Has recorded about a dozen albums since the mid 2000s and is most acclaimed for her 2008 Love Letter album
September 9, 1981 ~ Jazz keyboardist, saxophonist, violinist Fernand Coppieters passed away in Brussels, Belgium ~ Father of jazz pianist Francis Coppieters. Wored with Bistroulle-ADO, the Red Mills Ragtime Band, the Rhytmic Novelty Dance Orchestra, Fud Candrix, René Compère, Robert de Kers, Oscar Alemán, Josephine Baker, Roland Dorsay, and Willie Lewis ~ Coppieters was born in 1905
September 9, 1979 ~ Jazz double bassist Wilbur Ware passed away in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Recorded with JR Monterose, Toots Thielemans, Tina Brooks, Zoot Sims, Grant Green, Art Blakey, Sonny Clark, Walt Dickerson, Kenny Dorham, Kenny Drew, Matthew Gee, Johnny Griffin, Ernie Henry, Clifford Jordan, Herbie Mann, Blue Mitchell, Thelonious Monk, Cecil Payne, Rita Reys, and Sonny Rollins ~ Ware was born in 1923