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.
February 19, 1955 ~ Free jazz, avant-garde, post bop saxophonist, clarinetist David Murray born ~ Leader and sideman. Influenced by Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Paul Gonsalves. Founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet. In-demand collaborator, recording prolifically since the mid 1970s. Has worked with Olu Dara, James Newton, Lester Bowie, Johnny Dyani, Butch Morris, Henry Threadgill, John Purcell, James Blood Ulmer, Jack DeJohnette, McCoy Tyner, Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, the Clarinet Summit, Bobby Few, Hilton Ruiz, Pharoah Sanders, and the Music Revelation EnsembleFebruary 19, 1954 ~ Rock, hard rock, pop rock bassist Francis Buchholz born in Hanover, Germany ~ Best known as member of the Scorpions from 1973 through 1992, including on hit singles such as Still Loving You, Wind Of Change and Send Me An Angel. Also worked with Dawn Road, Dreamtide, and Phantom V ~ Bucholz passed away in 2026
February 19, 1952 ~ Progressive rock, hard rock, italo disco keyboardist, songwriter, film composer Claudio Simonetti born in São Paulo, Brazil ~ Son of pianist, conductor, composer Enrico Simonetti. Influenced by Keith Emerson, Brian Auger, Rick Wakeman, Tony Banks. Member of progressive rock outfit Goblin. Well known for his soundtracks for cult and horror films, notable credits including The New Barbarians, Midnight Killer, Body Count, and The Versace Killer. Has also dabble in Italo disco in the late 1970s, most notably with the group the Crazy GangFebruary 19, 1951 ~ Horace Hinds, commonly known as reggae, roots reggae singer Horace Andy, born in Kingston, Jamaica ~ Regarded as one of the most influential Jamaican singers. Known for songs such as Government Land, Angel, Spying Glass and Five Man Army, the latter a collaboration with British trip hop outit Massive Attack
February 19, 1951 ~ Free improvisation, experimental violinist, composer Jon Rose, full name Jonathan Anthony Rose, born in Maidstone, UK ~ Primarily known as a violinist, yet also plays cello, fence, keyboards and custom-built experimental instruments. Multimedia artist. Acclaimed as one of Australia's most imaginative violinists. Has collaborated with the likes of Jim Denley, Louis Burdett, Simone de Haan, Veryan Weston, Rik Rue
February 19, 1950 ~ Rock, hard rock, progressive rock guitarist, singer Andy Powell born in London, UK ~ Best known as co-lead guitarist, co-founding member of Wishbone Ash. Widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in rock. Has guested on recordings by George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Kashif, Cilla Black, Stewart Copeland, and Renaissance
February 19, 1948 ~ Peter John Sadler, commonly known as punk rock, new wave, post-punk guitarist, songwriter Arthur Kadmon, born in Stockport, UK ~ Member of a number of late 1970s, 1980s new wave, post-punk bands including Manicured Noise, Ludus, the Distractions. Briefly worked with the Fall, present on Hard Life In Country of their 1982 Room To Live album
February 19, 1948 ~ Bassist, guitarist Mark Andes born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Early member of Canned Heat, leaving the band before they were signed. Co-founding member of Spirit, present on the band's first four albums. Formed Jo Jo Gunne with bandmate Jay Ferguson and his brother guitarist Matt Andes. Andes appeared on the band's debut album and Run Run Run, one of the band's best known singles. Andes would go on to work with Firefall, Kim Carnes, Joe Walsh, Dan Fogelberg, Trevor Rabin, Frank Banali, Heart, Robert Mirabal, Ian McLagan, Alejandro Escovedo, Jo Carol Pierce, and Kenny Cordray
February 19, 1948 ~ Guitarist Tony Iommi, full name Anthony Frank Iommi, born in Birmingham, UK ~ Lead guitarist, primary songwriter, co-founding and sole constant member of heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath. On his last day of work in a sheet metal factory lost the tips of two right hand fingers, which crucially impacted his playing style. Released his Iommi debut album. Briefly played with progressive rock outfit Jethro Tull in the late 1960s, yet does not appear on any of the band's recordings. Has collaborated with Deep Purple and Sabbath-bassist Glenn Hughes, with Ian Gillan under the group moniker WhoCares, and with Heaven & Hell in the 2000s which also included Sabbath members Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward
February 19, 1946 ~ Guitarist Paul Dean born in Vancouver, Canada ~ Lead guitarist, co-founding member of Loverboy, known for a string of 1980s hits including The Kid Is Hot Tonite, When It's Over, Hot Girls In Love and Lovin' Every Minute Of It. The band's two best known songs, 1980's Turn Me Loose and 1981's Working For The Weekend, remain arena rock classics and staples of classic rock radio to this day. Prior to his rise to fame with the band Dean has worked with Scrubbaloe Caine and with Streetheart
February 19, 1944 ~ Rognvald Andrew Mathewson, commonly known as jazz double bassist, bass guitarist Ron Mathewson, born in Lerwick, UK ~ Mentored by folk guitarist, bassist Peerie Willie Johnson. Closely associated with Kenny Clarke and Francy Boland in the 1960s and subsequently Tubby Hayes through the early 1970s. Mathewson has also appeared on albums by Ray Russell, Gordon Beck, Ray Nance (Huffin' & Puffin'), Charles Tolliver (Impact), Phil Woods, Michel Legrand, Benny Waters (When You're Smiling), Flavio Ambrosetti, Bud Freeman, Gary Windo, and the Chitinous Ensemble ~ Mathewson passed away in 2020February 19, 1943 ~ Rock, progressive rock drummer Laurie Allan born in London, UK ~ Best known for his associations with Delivery and Gong in the early 1970s. Noted for appearing on several Robert Wyatt albums, including on the 1974 Rock Bottom album and its 1975 follow-up Ruth Is Stranger Than Fiction. Has also worked wuth the First Real Poetry Band, Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Gunter Hampel, John McLaughlin, Ralph McTell, and Bert Jansch
February 19, 1943 ~ Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, commonly known as soft rock, pop rock singer, songwriter Lou Christie, born in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Known particularly for his distinctive falsetto vocal delivery, Christie enjoyed a good run from the early to the late 1960s, interrupted by a stint in the Army. Christie co-wrote a vast amount of his material with Twyla Herbert, a classically trained musician some twenty years his senior, including his sole Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit Lightnin' Strikes. Other well known songs include The Gypsy Cried, Two Faces Have I, Rhapsody In The Rain, and I'm Gonna Make You Mine. Beyond his heyday, Christie would continue to record albeit it to lesser commercial success. However, he continued to perform well into his 70s, making him a popular act on the oldies circuit ~ Sacco passed away in 2025
February 19, 1942 ~ Singer, songwriter, producer Phil Coulter born in Derry, Northern Ireland ~ Perhaps best known for co-writing Sandie Shaw's Puppet On A String with Bill Martin, which won the UK the 1967 Eurovision Songfestival. Others who recorded songs written or co-written by Coulter include Them, Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band, Lee Drummond, Maggie Fitzgibbon, Cliff Richard (Congratulations), and Cilla Black
February 19, 1940 ~ Singer. songwriter Bobby Rogers, full name Robert Edward Rogers, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Best known as longtime member of the Miracles. Wrote or co-wrote several of the band's best remembered, including That's What Love Is Made Of and Going To A Go-Go, as well as hits for other Motown artists such as the Temptations (The Way You Do The Things You Do), Mary Wells (What Love Has Joined Together), the Contours (First I Look At The Purse), and Marvin Gaye (One More Heartache) ~ Rogers passed away in 2013
February 19, 1940 ~ William Robinson Jr, commonly known as singer, songwriter Smokey Robinson born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Founding member of lead singer of the Miracles remaining with the band until 1972, present on some of the band's best known including You've Really Got A Hold On Me, I Second That Emotion, Baby Baby Don't Cry and The Tears Of A Clown. Also served as label executive, eventually rising to VP, and staff songwriter at Motown writing or co-writing songs for Mary Wells, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Brenda Holloway, the Marvelettes, and Marvin Gaye. Robinson has been recording as a solo artist since his split from the Miracles
February 19, 1938 ~ Composer, songwriter Richard Whiting, full name Richard Armstrong Whiting, passed away in Beverly Hills, California, USA ~ Wrote or co-wrote songs such as Eadie Was A Lady (Ethel Merman, Cab Calloway, Paul Whiteman), Louise (Ben Pollack), She's Funny That Way (Gene Austin, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra), On The Good Ship Lollipop (Vincent Rose, Wingy Manone, Ruth Brown), Too Marvelous For Words (Glen Gray, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole), I'll Dream Tonight (Dick Powell, Eddy Duchin), Sleepy Time Gal (the Jazz Pilots, Chick Bullock, Art Lund), and My Ideal (Maurice Chevalier, Maxine Sullivan, Dinah Washington) ~ Whiting was born in 1891
February 19, 1936 ~ Blues harpist, singer Sam Myers, full name Samuel Joseph Myers, born in Laurel, Mississippi, USA ~ Worked with Jimmy Rogers, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Hound Dog Taylor, Robert Lockwood Junior, Elmore James. Wrote Sleeping In The Ground, which was covered by Blind Faith, Eric Clapton, and Robert Cray. Myers resurged in the mid-1980s, joining Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets and staying with the band for the two decades until his death ~ Myers passed away in 2006February 19, 1934 ~ Michael Applebaum, commonly known as violist Michael Tree, born in Newark, New Jersey, USA ~ Founding member of the Marlboro Trio. Founding member of the Guarneri Quartet. Violin and viola soloist with renowned orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra ~ Applebaum passed away in 2018
February 19, 1926 ~ Music critic Michael Kennedy, full name George Michael Sinclair Kennedy, born in Manchester, UK ~ Chief classical music critic for the Daily Telegraph from 1986 through 2005, and of the Sunday Telegraph from 1989 through 2005. Has written a number of biographies, including on composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Edward Elgar, John Barbirolli, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Benjamin Britten ~ Kennedy passed away in 2014
February 19, 1925 ~ Flutist, teacher, author Walfrid Kujala born in Warren, Ohio, USA ~ Closely associated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with whom he played from 1954 until 2002, the majority of his tenure on the piccolo. Kujala has also worked with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, served as a teacher at the Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, wrote numerous articles for the Instrumentalist, and was a founding secretary and later president of the National Flute Association ~ Kujala passed away in 2024
February 19, 1924 ~ Composer, arranger André Popp, full name André Charles Jean Popp, born in Fontenay-le-Comte, France ~ Best known for his association with Juliette Gréco, orchestrating a number of Gréco's 1950s and 1960s albums, and for co-penning a number of Eurovision Songfestival entries, namely Jacqueline Boyer's 1960 winning Tom Pillibi, Rachel's 1964 Le Chant De Mallory and Vicky Leandros's 1967 L'Amour Est Blue (Love Is Blue). The latter would notably be covered in an instrumental version by Paul Mauriat who took it to the top of the Billboard charts the following year ~ Popp passed away in 2014February 19, 1909 ~ Agnes Cunningham, commonly known as folk pianist, accordionist Sis Cunningham, born ~ Known for her leftist views. Performer and publicist of left-wing folk and protest songs. Co-founded the Red Dust Players in 1939. Briefly a member of the Almanac Singers alongside Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Founder and editor of Broadside magazine, considered a vital part of the 1960s folk scene publishing songs by Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Janis Ian, Tom Paxton, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Malvina Reynolds and othes ~ Cunningham passed away in 2004
February 19, 1897 ~ Jazz trumpeter Johnny Dunn born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Critically compared to King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. One of the first to use a plunger, a style copied by Tricky Sam Nanton, the effect later became known as the wah-wah effect. Best known for his work in the 1920s with Perry Bradford, Mamie Smith, Jelly Roll Morton, James P Johnson, Fats Waller, Noble Sissle, Elmer Chambers, Charlie Dixon, Herb Flemming, Sam Wooding, Garvin Bushell, and Edith Wilson. Retired from music by the late 1920s. His style out of fashion and largely forgotten Dunn would pass away of tuberculosis at age 40 ~ Dunn passed away in 1937