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.
December 20, 1942 ~ Pianist, keyboardist, arranger, producer Larry Willis, full name Lawrence Elliott Willis, born in New York, New York, 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 passed away in 2019
December 20, 1942 ~ Jazz keyboardist, composer, producer Pete Levin born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Best known for his association with Gil Evans and with Jimmy Giuffre. Has also worked with Carla Bley, the Burbeck Brothers, Hiram Bullock, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Cobham, Willie Colón, Kal David, Miles Davis, Rachelle Ferrell, Bryan Ferry, Gregory Hines, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Annie Lennox, Chuck Mangione, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Jaco Pastorius, Genya Ravan, Robbie Robertson, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter, Paul Simon, Lew Soloff, John Tropea, Joe Louis Walker, Vanessa Williams, and Lenny White
December 20, 1941 ~ Folk singer, guitarist, banjoist, fiddler, songwriter Michael Hurley born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Dubbed “the Godfather of freak folk”, Hurley emerged from the 1960s Greenwich Village scene, has earned critical acclaim and would prove influential on a wide array of younger artists including Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Prince Billy, and Yo La Tengo. Hurley is especially known for the mid to late 1970s albums Have Moicy, which featured Peter Stampfel and the Holy Modal Rounders spin-off the Unholy Modal Rounders, Long Journey, and Snockgrass. Starting in the early 1960s, Hurley has recorded well over two dozen albums yet he never fully pursued a full-time musical career, working a variety of day jobs while recording and performing on the side, as he told the Guardian in 2021: “I didn't enjoy the process of applying for gigs, that determination to penetrate things, all this trouble you had to go through. I preferred playing parties. Little gatherings.” ~ Hurley passed away in 2025
December 20, 1939 ~ Banjoist, steel guitarist Bill Keith, full name William Bradford Keith, born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA ~ Joined Bill Monroe's quintessential bluegrass outfit the Blue Grass Boys in 1963. Has collaborated with Ian & Sylvia, Clarence White, David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Red Allen, the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Muleskinner, Jim Rooney, Peter Rowan, the Great Speckled Bird, the Bee Gees, Judy Collins, Marcel Dadi, and the Woodstock Mountain Revue ~ Keith passed away in 2015December 20, 1939 ~ Agathie Natalie Weston, commonly known as R&B, soul singer Kim Weston, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Known for a string of late 1960s hits both as a solo artist, Love Me All The Way and Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While), as well as for her duets with Marvin Gaye, notably It Takes Two
December 20, 1938 ~ Composer John Harbison, full name John Harris Harbison, born in Orange, New Jersey, USA ~ Composed opera, ballet, orchestral, choral, chamber and vocal works. Perhaps best known for his Pullitzer Prize-winning 1987 The Flight Into Egypt composition. Also known for the opera The Great Gatsby which the Metropolitan Opera premiered in 1999. Married to violinist Rose Mary Harbison
December 20, 1936 ~ Singer Judy Henske, full name Judith Anne Henske, born in Chippawa Falls, Wisconsin, USA ~ Dubbed “the Queen of the Beatniks” by producer Jack Nitzsche. Joined the Whiskeyhill Singers in 1961, noted for their 1962 Dave Guard & The Whiskeyhill Singers album. Member of Rosebud. As a solo artist best known for her 1969 Farewell Aldebaran album drawing from folk, psychedelia and arty pop, with her then-husband Jerry Yester ~ Henske passed away in 2022
December 20, 1930 ~ Auburn Hare, commonly known as electric blues guitarist, singer Pat Hare, born in Cherry Valley, Arkansas, USA ~ Influential on rockabilly, on British invasion stars including the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds, and through distorted power chord-driven usage of the electric guitar as early as the 1950s even seen as a precursor to heavy metal music. Served as sideman for Howlin' Wolf, James Cotton (notably the guitar solo on 1954's Cotton Crop Blues, with its use of heavily distorted power chords according to some a precursor to heavy metal), Muddy Waters, Bobby Blue Bland, and Junior Parker ~ Hare passed away in 1980
December 20, 1924 ~ Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist Arne Domnérus born in Solna, Sweden ~ Fixture on the European jazz scene during the 1950s and 1960s, and considered one of the prime Swedish bop saxophonists. As a leader especially acclaimed for albums such as 1950's Arne Domnérus And His Favourite Groups, and Fragment released some three decades later. Closely associated with Rune Gustafsson, Bengt Hallberg, Harry Arnold, and Alice Babs. Domnérus has also guested on albums by Charlie Parker, Quincy Jones, Lars Gullin, James Moody, Ake Persson, Clifford Brown, Roy Haynes, Harry Arnold, Ernestine Anderson, Benny Golson, Jimmy Witherspoon, George Russell (New York Big Band), and Putte Wickman ~ Domnérus passed away in 2008
December 20, 1912 ~ Kermit Lane, commonly known as pianist Ken Lane, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Co-wrote Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes, first recorded by Peggy Lee in 1947 and covered by well over 100 artists inlcuding Dinah Washington, Brenda Lee, Sarah Vaughan, and Frank Sinatra, probably most closely associated with the latter. Also well known as Dean Martin's accompaniest during the late 1960s and early 1970s on The Dean Martin Show aired on NBC. Composed the music for Lucy Gets Lucky, a 1975 TV movie starring Lucille Ball. Lane's daughter, Robin Lane is a rock singer ~ Lane passed away in 1996December 20, 1907 ~ Singer, songwriter Al Rinker born in Tekoa, Washington, USA ~ Began in the early 1920s as a teen performing with Bing Crosby. By the mid 1920s the pair moved to LA, eventually forming the Rhythm Boys with Harry Barris. The vocal threesome sang with Paul Whiteman's big band for three years and on their own for about a year until Crosby went solo, effectively disbanding the group ~ Rinker passed away in 1982
December 20, 1900 ~ Theodore Salvatore Fiorito, commonly known as leader, keyboardist, composer Ted Fio Rito, born in Newark, New Jersey, USA ~ Best known for a number of mid 1930s hits including My Little Grass Shack In Kealakekua and I'll String Along With You. Composed over a hundred songs collaborating with lyricists such as Ernie Erdman, Gus Kahn, Sam Lewis, Cecil Mack, Albert von Tilzer, and Joe Young ~ Fiorito passed away in 1971
December 20, 1898 ~ Irene Marie Dunn, commonly known as actress, singer Irene Dunne, born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA ~ Best known as a popular actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Aspired to become an opera singer but rejected by the Metropolitan Opera reverted to singing in musicals, including Broadway productions until scouted by RKO. Made her screen debut in the 1930 musical film Leathernecking. To this day considered one of the finest actresses to have never been awarded an Academy Award ~ Dunn passed away in 1990
December 20, 1887 ~ Abraham Olshewitz, commonly known as songwriter, music publisher Abe Olman, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA ~ Wrote or co-wrote songs such as Down Among The Sheltering Palms (the Lyric Quartet, Sammy Kaye, the Chordettes), I'm Waiting For Ships That Never Come In (Nick Lucas, Bing Crosby, Ernest Tubb), Oh Johnny Oh Johnny (the Premier Quartet, the Andrews Sisters, Dottie Dillard), and Noah's Wife (Lived A Wonderful Life) (Eddie Cantor, the Hoosier Hot Shots, Tiny Hill) ~ Olshewitz passed away in 1984December 20, 1871 ~ Composer, conductor Henry Kimball Hadley born in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA ~ As a composer best known for his overture In Bohemia and the symphonic poem Salome. As a conductor held positions at renowned orchestras such as the Seattle Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra ~ Hadley passed away in 1937