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.
July 24, 1939 ~ Jazz saxophonist Charles McPherson born in Joplin, Missouri, USA ~ Bebop torchbearer remaining relevant for five decades. Rose to fame backing bassist Charles Mingus, taking over for Eric Dolphy in the early 1960s and appearing on over a dozen albums since including the acclaimed Pithecanthropus Erectus, Mysterious Blues, and Reincarnation Of A Lovebird. McPherson has recorded some two dozen albums as a leader, noted specifically Be-Bop Revisited, Free Bop, and Come Play With Me. As a sideman, McPherson has appeared on albums by Eric Dolphy (Candid Dolphy), Art Farmer, Pat Bowie, Don Patterson, Barry Harris (Bull's Eye), Eddie Jefferson (Come Along With Me), Bobby Jones, Red Rodney, Charles Tolliver (Impact), Sam Jones, Kenny Drew, and Larry VuckovichJuly 24, 1936 ~ Singer Bing Crosby, backed by Georgie Stoll & Orchestra, records Pennies From Heaven at Recordings Incorporated, California, USA ~ Written by Arthur Johnston and Johnny Burke for the 1936 film Pennies From Heaven. Released as a single, b/w Let's Call A Heary A Heart, Bing Crosby's reendition would top the pop charts. The song would go on to be recorded by numerous artists including Doris Day, Tony Bennett, Dinah Washington, Big Joe Turner, the Skyliners, and Guy Mitchell
July 24, 1935 ~ Max Duane Barnes, commonly known as country songwriter Max D Barnes, born in Hard Scratch, Iowa, USA ~ Noted songwriter who penned or co-penned songs for Conway Twitty (Red Necking Love Making Night), Delbert McClinton (Every Time I Roll The Dice), Keith Whitley (Ten Feet Away), Randy Travis (Storms Of Life, I Won't Need You Anymore (Always & Forever)), Vern Gosdin (Chiseled In Stone, If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)), Pam Tillis (Don't Tell Me What To Do), Vince Gill (Look At Us), and Eddy Raven (Joe Knows How To Live) ~ Barnes passed away in 2004
July 24, 1922 ~ Operatic bass-baritone Bernard Ladysz born in Wilno, Poland ~ Member of the Polish resistance during World War II. Performed in the world premiere of The Devils Of Loudon with the Hamburg State Opera. Appeared alongside Maria Callas in a 1959 recording of Lucia Di Lammermoor conducted by Tullio Serafin. Played title roles in Don Giovanni and Boris Gudonov ~ Ladysz passed away in 2020July 24, 1922 ~ Country singer, guitarist, songwriter Lawton Williams born in Troy, Tennessee, USA ~ Penned Fraulein, a hit for Bobby Helms in 1957. Also wrote Hank Locklin's Paper Face and Geisha Girl, Jim Reeves' Senor Santa Claus, Floyd Tillman's It Just Tears Me Up, and Bobby Bare's Shame On Me. As a singer known for just two charting singles, Anywhere There's People and Everything's OK On The LBJ ~ Williams passed away in 2007
July 24, 1921 ~ Jazz, hard bop, avant-garde jazz, third stream pianist, composer, film composer Billy Taylor, full name William Edward Taylor Jr, born in Greenville, North Carolina, USA ~ Recorded prolifically since the mid 1940s, especially acclaimed for the albums Cross Section, My Fair Lady Loves Jazz, and Live At Storyville. Taylor is also particularly well known as an educator, broadcaster, lecturer, and founder of the Jazz Foundation Of America, an organization dedicated to saving the homes of jazz and blues musicians. According to jazz critic Leonard Feather, Taylor is “almost indisputably the world's foremost spokesman for jazz.” ~ Taylor passed away in 2010July 24, 1921 ~ Operatic tenor Giuseppe di Stefano born in Motta Sant' Anastasia, Italy ~ Dubbed “the Golden Voice” and generally regarded as one of the all-time greatest Italian singer active from the 1940s through the 1990s. Served as an inspiration and role model for Luciano Pavarotti. Frequent counterpart to Maria Callas, notably in 1950s recordings of operas such as Lucia Di Lammermoor, Tosca, Pagliacci, and Rigoletto ~ Di Stefano passed away in 2008
July 24, 1917 ~ Conductor, trumpeter, composer, arranger Robert Farnon born in Toronto, Canada ~ Revered by his peers. Influential on Quincy Jones. Called “the greatest writer for strings in the world” by André Previn. Arranged and conducted for artists such as Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra Sings Great Songs From Great Britain), Lena Horne (Lena (A New Album), Tony Bennett (Snowfall), and Sarah Vaughan (Vaughan With Voices). Composed scores for over 40 movies. ~ Farnon passed away in 2005
July 24, 1916 ~ Big band singer Bob Eberly born in Mechanicville, New York, USA ~ Best known for his work with Jimmy Dorsey including on classics such as It's The Dreamer In Me, and for his duets with Helen O'Connell such as Green Eyes and Tangerine. Other notable recordings include Besame Mucho with Kitty Kallen and Love Letters with Enoch Light's Orchestra. Eberly's brother Ray Eberly is also a singer, known for his work with Glenn Miller ~ Eberly passed away in 1981July 24, 1911 ~ Saxophonist, songwriter Guy Wood born in Manchester, UK ~ Perhaps best remembered for co-writing Till Then with Eddie Seiler and Sol Marcus, a hit for the Mills Brothers and covered by numerous artists including Ray Peterson, Sammy Davis Jr, James Brown, Al Martino, Pat Boone, Ruby & the Romantics, and Michael Bublé ~ Wood passed away in 2001
July 24, 1909 ~ Swing, jazz trumpeter Joe Thomas, full name Joseph Lewis Thomas, born in Webster Groves, Missouri, USA ~ One of the most in-demand trumpeters of the 1930s and 1940s. Worked with Cecil Scott, Fletcher Henderson, Fats Waller, Benny Carter, Joe Sullivan, Teddy Wilson, Claude Hopkins, Buck Clayton, Vic Dickenson, Coleman Hawkins, and Rex Stewart ~ Thomas passed away in 1984
July 24, 1904 ~ Film composer Leo Arnaud, full name Noël Léon Marius Arnaud, born in Lyon, France ~ Best known for composing Bugler's Dream, used as theme music for the Olympic games by networks ABC and NBC starting in 1964. Has worked as a film composer, arranger, orchestrator for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1936 through 1966 ~ Arnaud passed away in 1991July 24, 1880 ~ Composer Ernest Bloch born in Geneva, Switzerland ~ Regarded as on the all-time greatest Swiss composers. Composed for orchestra, piano, strings, cello, flute, chamber music. Especially noted for his Concerto Grosso No.1 for string orchestra with piano premiered in 1925 ~ Bloch passed away in 1959