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 24, 1962 ~ Gospel singer, music director, minister Hezekiah Walker born in New York, New York, USA ~ Pastor of Brooklyn church Love Fellowship Tabernacle. Over a dozen albums to his name starting in the 1980s, leading the Church choir. Best known for the 2001 Love Is Live album
December 24, 1962 ~ Upright-bassist, composer Renaud Garcia-Fons born in Paris, France ~ Leader and sideman. Sometimes referred to as “the Niccolò Paganini of double bass”. Influenced by François Rabbath. Worked with Roger Guérin, L'Orchestre De Contrabasses, Claude Barthélemy, Jean-Louis Matinier, Michael Riessler, Sylvain Luc, Nguyên Lê, Michel Godard, Gerardo Núñez, Dhafer Youssef, and Cheb Mami
December 24, 1961 ~ Jazz saxophonist Ralph Bowen born in Guelph, Canada ~ As a child learned to play piano, clarinet and saxophone. By age 13 performed in big bands and led his own quartet. Studied with Pat LaBarbera. Recorded four albums co-leading Out Of The Blue. Did three world tours with pianist Horace Silver. Has performed and recorded with a host of artists including Orrin Evans, Jim Trompeter, Renee Rosnes, Earl Macdonald, Ralph Peterson Jr, Charles Fambrough, and Dr Anthony Branker. Bowen continues to perform and record to this dayDecember 24, 1957 ~ Synth-pop, new wave keyboardist, bassist Ian Burden, full name Ian Charles Burden, born in Sheffield, UK ~ Member of Graph. Sessioned for Human League prior to joining the band as a full-time member in 1981 and remaining through 1987. Co-wrote a vast amount of the band's early 1980s work including Love Action (I Believe In Love), The Sound Of The Crowd, Mirror Man, I Love You Too Much. Released his Loot solo debut album in 1990
December 24, 1956 ~ Singer, flutist Maggie Boyle born in London, UK ~ Worked with John Renbourn, Ship Of Fools, Grace Note, Steve Tilston, Incantation, the Sergeant Early Band, Ralph McTell, Jez Lowe, Pete Coe, Paul Downes, Jon Boden, Peter Bellamy, Bert Jansch, John McCormick, John Drury, Gordon Tyrrall, Mike Deavin, Pauline Cato, Damien Barber, and Mick Ryan ~ Boyle passed away in 2014
December 24, 1956 ~ Jazz saxophonist Ralph Moore born in London, UK ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Horace Silver, Roy Haynes, Darrell Grant, Freddie Hubbard, Gene Harris, Kevin Eubanks, Kenny Barron, Billy Hart, Bobby Hutcherson, Jimmy Knepper, Oscar Peterson, Valery Ponomarev, Rob Schneiderman, Superblue, and Cedar Walton
December 24, 1956 ~ Reggae, jazz, house singer Zeitia Massiah, full name Zeitia Silveta Massiah, born in Saint John, Barbados ~ Lead singer of Arizona, best known for their 1993 transatlantic dance hit Slide On The Rhythm. Sang backup on record and tour for artists such as Barry Manilow, Kim Wilde, Michael Bolton, Climie Fisher, Paul Weller, Tom Jones, Eikichi Yazawa, and Johnny Hallyday
December 24, 1954 ~ Marimba player, recording manager Harry Yerkes passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Though largely forgotten today considered by to have predated jazz fusion. Provided a link between ragtime and early jazz, many of his work better classified as light classical. Enjoyed popularity with a number of ensembles bearing his name, often playing a behind the scene role as band managaer, organizer, producer. Best known for founding the Yerkes Jazarim Orchestra and the Yerkes Marimbaphone Band, peaking in the late-1910s and early 1920s ~ Yerkes was born in 1872
December 24, 1954 ~ Mezzo-soprano singer, actress Karla Burns born in Wichita, Kansas, USA ~ First gained serious attention starring as Queenie in a 1982 production of Show Boat, earning her a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award. Has worked in opera, musical theater and TV included with renowned orchestras such as the Metropolitan Opera, the Paris Opera, the Teatro Real, the Cairo Opera House, the London Sinfonietta and the Royal Shakespeare Company ~ Burns passed away in 2021December 24, 1952 ~ Jazz trumpeter Michael Ray born in Trenton, New Jersey, USA ~ Married to jazz singer Laranah Phipps. Worked with Patti LaBelle, the Delfonics and the Stylistics prior to joining Sun Ra's backing unit in 1978, first appearing on the New Steps album. Following Ra's death in 1993 remained with the Arkestra under the guidance of Marshall Allen. Has also worked with Phish, Stanton Moore, the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Widespread Panic, U2, and Porno For Pyros
December 24, 1950 ~ Elizabeth Brown Larsen, commonly known as contemporary classical composer Libby Larsen, born in Wilmington, Delaware, USA ~ Closely associated with the Minnesota Orchestra, appointed composer-in-residence in 1983 making her the first woman to serve as resident composer with a major orchestra
December 24, 1949 ~ Composer, keyboardist Ray Colcord born in New York, New York, USA ~ Film and TV composer. Known for series such as The Facts Of Life, My Two Dads, Dinosaurs, Boy Meets World, and for films such as Killer By Nature and Heartwood. Before turning to composing Colcord worked as a session musician, and notably appeared on Lou Reed's 1974 live album Rock 'n Roll Animal as well as on Don McLean's 1971 acclaimed American Pie album ~ Colcord passed away in 2016December 24, 1947 ~ Pub rock singer Paul Shuttleworth born in London, UK ~ Fronted 1970s pub rock outfit the Kursaal Flyers, best known for Little Does She Know which reached top 20 in the band's native UK in 1977. Shuttleworth co-wrote the song with bandmates guitarist Graeme Douglas and drummer Will Birch
December 24, 1946 ~ Rock keyboardist Ron Altbach, full name Ronald Steven Altbach, born in Olcott, New York, USA ~ Member of King Harvest, noted for his Wurlitzer electric piano intro on Dancing In The Moonlight. The single would reach top 20 Billboard Hot 100. Altbach has also sessioned for the Beach Boys, for whom he co-wrote Belles Of Paris, She's Got Rhythm, and Alone On Christmas Day. Member of Celebration, led by Mike Love ~ Altbach passed away in 2023
December 24, 1945 ~ Guitarist John Till born in Stratford, Canada ~ Closely associated with Janis Joplin, serving as member of Joplin's backing unit the Full Tilt Boogie Band and present on the I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama album. Till also backed Joplin at the famed the Woodstock Music and Art Fair concert ~ Till passed away in 2022
December 24, 1945 ~ Ian Fraser Kilmister, commonly known as heavy metal, hard rock singer, bassist Lemmy Kilmister, born in Stoke-on-Trent, UK ~ Founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter of Motörhead, a pivotal British hard rock act known for the hit single Ace Of Spades and the UK charttopping album No Sleep Till Hammersmith. Prior to his rise to fame with Motörhead, Kilmister had worked as a roadie for both Jimi Hendrix and the Nice, and was a member of Hawkwind through the mid 1970s, including singing lead vocals on their hit Silver Machine. Other notable associations include the Rocking Vickers, Sam Gopal, Robert Calvert, Head Cat, Keli Rave, and Wendy O Williams ~ Kilmister passed 2015
December 24, 1944 ~ Jingle writer, film composer, singer, label founder, label executive Mike Curb, full name Michael David Curb, born in Savannah, Georgia, USA ~ Founded Curb Records, which merged with MGM Records by the late 1960s. Scored the music for films such as The Wild Angels, Savage Seven, The Sidehackers. Scored a number of hits including Burning Bridges co-written with Lalo Schifrin and used as the theme of the film Kelly's Heroes, and Sweet Gingerbread Man under the moniker the Mike Curb Congregation. Wrote and produced for Roy Orbison, Marie Osmond, Lou Rawls, Sammy Davis Jr, and Solomon Burke. Also known as a politician, serving as Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979 to 1983
December 24, 1944 ~ Trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, bandleader Woody Shaw born in Laurinburg, North Carolina, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Influenced by Louis Armstrong and Harry James. Played with Willie Bobo, Chick Corea, Joe Farrell, Eric Dolphy, Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, Dexter Gordon, Art Taylor, John Bodwin, René Urtreger, Jacques Thollot, Jef Gilson, Larry Young, Billy Brooks, Horace Silver, Jackie McLean, Booker Ervin, Andrew Hill, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Max Roach, Bennie Maupin, Ron Carter, George Cables, Gary Bartz, Clint Houston, Lenny White, Anthony Braxton, Arthur Blythe, Muhal Richard Abrams, Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Mulgrew Miller, Larry Willis, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Steve Turre ~ Shaw passed away in 1989
December 24, 1943 ~ Guitarist Volker Kriegel born in Darmstadt, Germany ~ Considered a key figure in European jazz-rock. Closely associated with the Dave Pike Set. As a leader especially acclaimed for his 1971 Spectrum album. Co-founding member of the United Jazz+Rock Ensemble, with whom he recorded over half a dozen albums. As a sideman has collaborated with Klaus Doldinger, Emil Mangelsdorff, Don Sugarcane Harris, and Scott Hardkiss ~ Kriegel passed away in 2003
December 24, 1940 ~ Songwriter, violinist, pianist Billy Hill, full name William Joseph Hill, passed away in Boston, Massachusetts, USA ~ Best remembered for writing classic Western songs such as They Cut Down The Old Pine Tree, Wagon Wheels, Empty Saddles and perhaps most notably The Glory Of Love. The latter would be recorded by artists such as Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee, Otis Redding, and Paul McCartney ~ Hill was born in 1899December 24, 1939 ~ Folk singer, bhodran player, guitarist, promoter, band manager, label founder, producer Robin Morton born in Armagh, Northern Ireland ~ Iconic figure in folk and Celtic folk. Co-founded the Boys Of The Lough in 1967 with Tommy Gunn and Cathal McConnell, remaining with the band through 1979. Manager of the Battlefield Band from 1980 until his death four decades later. Founded Temple US Records as well as Kinmor Publishing ~ Morton passed away in 2021
December 24, 1937 ~ Hard bop, post bop tenor saxophonist Bernt Rosengren born in Stockholm, Sweden ~ Leader and sideman. Actively recording since the 1960s, acclaimed for a number of quintessential Swedish jazz albums notably 1965's Stockholm Dues and 1974's Notes From Underground. Worked with George Russell, Don Cherry, Muvaffak Maffy Falay, Doug Raney, Horace Parlan, Lester Bowie, Arne Domnérus, Krzysztof Komeda, Tomasz Stańko, and Idrees Sulieman ~ Rosengren passed away in 2023
December 24, 1936 ~ Bandleader, pianist, singer Chris McGregor born in Somerset West, South Africa ~ Influenced by Béla Bartók, Arnold Schoenberg, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Dollar Brand. Founded and led the Blue Notes, Brotherhood Of Breath, and the Castle Lager Big Band. Played the piano solo on Poor Boy of Nick Drake's 1970 Bryter Layter album ~ McGregor passed away in 1990
December 24, 1935 ~ Composer Alban Berg, full name Alban Maria Johannes Berg, passed away in Vienna, Austria ~ Despite a relatively small oeuvre remembered as one of the most important 20th century composers known for merging Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Best known for his 1924 opera Wozzeck, his 1926 Lyric Suite for strings and his 1935 Violin Concerto ~ Berg was born in 1885December 24, 1933 ~ Clarinetist Lorenzo Tio Jr passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Son of Lorenzo Tio Sr and nephew of Louis Papa Tio, both clarinetists with whom he worked as the Three Tios. Has also worked with Manuel Perez, AJ Piron, Jelly Roll Morton, Clarence Williams ~ Tio was born in 1893