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 5, 1948 ~ Locksley Alphonso Green, commonly known as drummer, singer Jesse Green, born in St James, Jamaica ~ Member of reggae outfit the Pioneers. Drummed with Jimmy Cliff in the late 1970s. Internationally best known for a number of mid 1970s disco hits, namely Nice And Slow, Flip and Come With Me
July 5, 1948 ~ Rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Larry Wagner, full name Lawrence Jay Wagner, born ~ Lead singer, guitarist for late 1960s rock outfit the Fraternity Of Man, with whom he recorded the albums Fraternity Of Man and Get It On. The band is remembered for Don't Bogart Me, also known as Don't Bogart That Joint, which was used in the soundtrack of the cult road movie Easy Rider
July 5, 1945 ~ Rock, glam rock singer Andy Ellison born in Finchley, UK ~ Best known as frontman of Jet, Radio Stars and notably of the short-lived John's Children. The latter was a 1960 pop art, mod rock band known for their outrage stage antics, once booted off a tour for upstaging the headline act the Who. The band, seen as a precursor to glam rock and best known for their 1967 Desdemona single, also included Marc Bolan of future T.Rex fameJuly 5, 1945 ~ Bassist, guitarist Dick Scoppettone born in Santa Cruz, California, USA ~ Member of Harper's Bizarre, known for a string of sunshine pop covers of standards and contemporary pop hits, noted for their 1967 Billboard Hot 100 top 20 single The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) originally recorded by Simon & Garfunkel. All band members actually played in the Tikis but the single and its subsequent debut album were released under the new moniker as not to upset their fanbase
July 5, 1943 ~ Jaime Royal Robertson, commonly known as guitarist, singer, songwriter Robbie Robertson, born in Toronto, Canada ~ Best known as lead guitarist of the Band. Wrote or co-wrote songs such as The Weight, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and Up On Cripple Creek. As a solo artist best known for Broken Arrow and Somewhere Down The Crazy River, both taken of his eponymous 1987 Robbie Robertson solo debut album. The album would feature appearances by his former bandmates as well as Peter Gabriel, and U2's Bono and the Edge ~ Robertson passed away in 2023July 5, 1942 ~ Drummer, singer Ammon Tharp, full name Ammon Chester Tharp, born in Norfolk, Virginia, USA ~ Longtime member of Bill Deal & the Rhondels, who enjoyed their greatest success in the late 1960s merging blue-eyed soul with beach music. They are best known for the 1969 Billboard Hot 100 top 30 hit What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am). Other charting songs included May I, I've Been Hurt, and Nothing Succeeds Like Success. The band disbanded in the mid 1970s but would later reform ~ Tharp passed away in 2017
July 5, 1942 ~ Singer Darron Stankey, full name Darron Ronald Stankey, born ~ Member of harmony vocal group the Innocents, known for a number of late 1950s, early 1960s hits including Honest I Do and Gee Whiz. The group would be paired with singer Kathy Young, providing backing vocals to Young's A Thousand Stars which reached the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 ~ Stankey passed away in 2005
July 5, 1942 ~ Highland Ralph Dobson, commonly known as reggae, rocksteady singer Dobby Dobson, born in Kingston, Jamaica ~ Dubbed “the Loving Pauper” after one of his best known songs. First gained attention as co-founder, frontman of Dobby Dobson & the Deltas, scoring the 1959 self-penned hit Cry A Little Cry. Would go on to work with acts such as the Virtues and the Sheiks before venturing out on his own, scoring hits such as That Wonderful Sound and Endlessly. Would serve as producer for the Meditations, producing the late 1970s albums Message From The Meditations and Wake Up before semi-retiring from music ~ Dobson passed away in 2020
July 5, 1940 ~ Jazz saxophonist Arthur Blythe, full name Arthur Murray Blythe, born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Chico Hamilton, Gil Evans, Lester Bowie, Jack DeJohnette, McCoy Tyner, Steve Reid, the Leaders, Synthesis, Santi Debriano, Joey Baron, Jack DeJohnette, Chico Freeman, the Music Revelation Ensemble, the World Saxophone Quartet, and Interface ~ Blythe passed away in 2017
July 5, 1938 ~ Rockabilly singer, songwriter Ronnie Self born in Tin Town, Missouri, USA ~ As a singer known for his sole charting single, Bop A Lula, a modest hit in 1958. Best known as a songwriter, responsible for songs such as I'm Sorry, Sweet Nothin's and Everybody Loves Me But You all of which were hits for Brenda Lee ~ Self passed away in 1981
July 5, 1938 ~ Thomas Leslie Garrett, commonly known as producer Snuff Garrett, born in Dallas, Texas, USA ~ Became a staff producer at Liberty Records in 1959 eventually rising to head of A&R. Has worked with Johnny Burnette, Bobby Vee, Gene McDaniels, Buddy Knox, Walter Brennan, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Del Shannon, the Monkees, Phil Spector, Leon Russell, Lenny Waronker, Sonny & Cher, Cher, Tommy Tedesco, Sonny Curtis, Vicki Lawrence, Tanya Tucker, and Johnny Mann SIngers ~ Garrett passed away in 2015
July 5, 1938 ~ Marion Brittingham, commonly known as R&B, soul singer Tina Britt, born in Smyrna, Delaware, USA ~ Known for half a dozen singles, her best known being 1965's The Real Thing written by Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Jo Armstead and a sole album, Blue All The Way, released in 1969
July 5, 1937 ~ Country banjoist, guitarist Bobby Thompson born in Converse, South Carolina, USA ~ In-demand session musician, mostly active from the 1960s through the 1980s. Member of Area Code 615, alongside Weldon Myrick and Charlie McCoy. Has appeared on albums by the likes of the Monkees, Charley Pride, Dottie West, Willie Nelson (Yesterday's Wine), the Everly Brothers, Donna Fargo, Johnny Cash, Ferlin Husky, Waylon Jennings (The Ramblin' Man), the Pointer Sisters, the Statler Brothers, Ronnie Milsap, Jimmy Buffett, Eddie Rabbitt, Dolly Parton (Jolene), Mickey Newbury, the Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis (When Two Worlds Collide), Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, and Neil Young ~ Thompson passed away in 2005
July 5, 1935 ~ Singer, guitarist, banjoist Shirley Collins, full name Shirley Elizabeth Collins, born in Hastins, UK ~ Sister of pianist, organist Dolly Collins, with whom she regularly collaborated. Active since the late 1950s. Leading figure in the British folk revival of the 1960s and 1970s. Has worked with the Albion Band, the Young Tradition, Davey Graham, the Etchington Steam Band, and Current '93
July 5, 1934 ~ Singer Bing Crosby records Love In Bloom ~ Written by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin. First recorded by Bing Crosby with Irving Aaronson & his Commanders for Brunswick Records. Introduced in the film She Loves Me Not. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song, losing out to Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers' Continental from the The Gay Divorcee film
July 5, 1927 ~ Label executive Stan Lewis, full name Stanley Joseph Lewis, born in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA ~ Former record shop owner founded Jewel Records. Co-penned Dale Hawkins's Susie Q said to be a tribute to Stan's daughter Susan. As a label owner and producer Lewis has worked with artists such as Fontella Bass, Buster Benton, Brady Blade, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Charles Brown, the Carter Brothers, Clarence Fountain, Peppermint Harris, Lowell Fulson, Mickey Gilley, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Pigmeat Markham, Bobby Rush, the Soul Stirrers, Dorothy Norwood, Little Johnny Taylor, Big Joe Turner, Ike & Tina Turner, and Young-Holt Unlimited ~ Lewis passed away in 2018July 5, 1926 ~ Composer Kenneth Gaburo, full name Kenneth Louis Gaburo, born in Somerville, New Jersey, USA ~ Professor of music at the University Of Illinois, the University Of California, the University Of Iowa. Founded Lingua Press, publishing scores, books, and films. As a composer perhaps best known for his Flow Of U, a minimalist composition for three voices published in 1974 ~ Gaburo passed away in 1993
July 5, 1924 ~ Cellist János Starker born in Budapest, Hungary ~ Child prodigy. Closely associated with the Budapest Opera, the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra ~ Starker passed away in 2013
July 5, 1920 ~ Carmelita Madriaga, commonly known as singer, songwriter Carmen Costa, born in Trajano de Moraes, Brazil ~ At age 15, Madriaga moved to Rio de Janeiro where she found employ as a maid at the house of singer Francisco Alves. Alves encouraged her to sing and participate in radio contests. Soon she would team up with composer Henricão, with whom she recorded several hits including Onde Está O Dinheiro, Dance Mais Um Bocado, and Samba Meu Nego. In the early 1940s, Costa would enjoy her first solo hit with Está Chegando A Hora, an adaptation of the traditional Mexican folk song Cielito Lindo. Costa would go on to record extensively throughout the remainder of her lengthy career, and is perhaps best known for being the first to record Casinha Da Marambala in 1944, a song later covered by numerous artists including Elza Soares, Elis Regina, and Leonardo Ribeiro ~ Madriaga passed away in 2007
July 5, 1913 ~ Overton Amos Lewis, commonly known as blues, R&B singer, guitarist, songwriter Smiley Lewis, born in DeQuincy, Louisiana, USA ~ Known for about half a dozen 1950s singles, most notably Tee Nah Nah, Blue Monday, I Hear You Knocking and One Night Of Sin. The latter would be covered by Elvis Presley with slightly altered, less risque lyrics as One Night. Smiley's I Hear You Knocking would be covered by over a hundred artists, including notably retro rock and roll singer Dave Edmunds in 1970, whose single reached No.4 Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in the UK ~ Lewis passed away in 1966