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.
June 14, 1978 ~ Julian Clifton Matlock, commonly known as dixieland, jazz saxophonist, clarinetist Matty Matlock, passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Played with Ben Pollack, joining the band in 1929 as replacement for Benny Goodman. Joined Bob Crosby's band in 1935, working with both Crosby's main band and the smaller the Bobcats ensemble. Also worked with Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Heindorf, and Beverly Jenkins ~ Matlock was born in 1907
June 14, 1978 ~ Jazz, blues, R&B bassist, tubist Quinn Wilson, full name Quinn Brown Wilson, passed away in Evanston, Illinois, USA ~ Worked with Tiny Parham, Walter Barnes, Jelly Roll Morton, Erskine Tate, Earl Hines, Jimmie Noone, Lefty Bates, John Lee Hooker (including on the acclaimed The Folk Lore Of John Lee Hooker), and Franz Jackson ~ Wilson was born in 1908
June 14, 1977 ~ Jazz, pop bandleader, saxophonist Bob Chester passed away in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Known for songs such as Wait Till The Sun Shines Nelie, Madellaine, Not A Care In The World and With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair. Employed sidemen such as Alec Fila, Nick Travis, Lou Mucci, Conrad Gozzo, Herbie Steward, Peanuts Hucko, Irv Kluger, Dolores O'Neill, Kathleen Lane, Betty Bradley, Gene Howard, Bill Darnell, Stu Brayton, and Bob Haymes ~ Chester was born in 1908
June 14, 1975 ~ In its 11th week on the charts, Sister Golden Hair by America hits No.1 Billboard Hot 100 ~ Like their previous Billboard Hot 100 charttopper A Horse With No Name, Sister Golden Hair has an enigmatic quality and lots of harmony. Band member Gerry Beckley, the song's sole songwriter, would later comment on its meaning, intentionally left open to multiple interpretations: “John Lennon famously said, ‘We don't know what these songs are about till people tell us.’ So all of our songs, including A Horse With No Name, are open to interpretation. But Sister Golden Hair was a relationship song and there is a variety of elements. We always combine them as songwriters so that they're not verbatim, word for word, for a particular circumstance. Poetic license we call it”
June 14, 1971 ~ Rock singer, songwriter Billie Myers born in Coventry, UK ~ Best known for Kiss The Rain, a top 20 hit on both sides of the Atlantic, taken of her self-penned debut album Growing Pains. It would be featured in the TV series Dawson's Creek. A follow-up single, Tell Me, did reasonably well and Myers continued to write and record but no recordings would match the success of Kiss The Rain
June 14, 1969 ~ Lorenzo Jerald Patterson, commonly known as rapper, producer, songwriter MC Ren, born in Compton, California, USA ~ Member of pivotal rap group NWA joining the band in 1987, acclaimed for their 1988 Straight Outta Compton debut album. The band would be among the earliest and most controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, known for their misogynyst views and glorification of drugs and crime as evidenced in songs such as Gangsta Gangsta and Fuck Tha Police
June 14, 1969 ~ Swing, jump blues, R&B singer, guitarist Wynonie Harris passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Closely associated with Lucky Millinder. Considered a precursor to rock & roll, enjoying a streak of hits from the mid 1940s through the early 1950s. Particularly influential on Elvis Presley, who covered his 1948 hit Good Rockin' Tonight. Other well known songs include Who Threw The Whiskey In The Jar, Playful Baby, All She Wants To Do Is Rock, and Sittin' On It All The Time ~ Harris was born in 1915June 14, 1968 ~ Pop rock sibling outfit the Bee Gees record Kilburn Towers ~ Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb. Produced by Robert Stigwood and the band. The flute sound on the track is actually Maurice on the mellotron. Released the following December as the B-side of I Started A Joke recorded 6 days later
June 14, 1968 ~ Country guitarist, singer Ernest Stoneman, full name Ernest Van Stoneman, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, USA ~ Early influential country singer, active since the mid 1920s. Resurfaced in the 1960s with the family outfit the Stonemans, known best for Tupelo County Jail, The Five Little Johnson Girls, Back To Nashville Tennessee and Christopher Robin ~ Stoneman was born in 1893
June 14, 1966 ~ Bassist Otti van der Werf born ~ Brother of saxophonist Bo van der Werf, with whom he worked in Octum. Has also worked with Laurent Blondiau, Kris Defoort, Pierre van Dormael, Pierre Vaiana, Dré Pallemaerts, Jeroen van Herzeele, Axelle Red, and DAAN
June 14, 1965 ~ Producer, engineer Trina Shoemaker, full name Kathryn Shoemaker, born in Joliet, Illinois, USA ~ Produced, engineered, mixed recordings for a wide array of artists including the Queens Of The Stone Age, Emmylou Harris, Something For Kate, Nanci Griffith, Kristin Hersh, and the Indigo Girls. Noted for being the first woman engineer awarded a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, namely for her work on Sheryl Crow's 1998 The Globe Sessions album
June 14, 1958 ~ Pianist Kenny Drew Jr born in New York, New York, USA ~ Son of Kenny Drew. Cited Thelonious Monk as influence. Leader and sideman. Worked with Bob Berg, Charnett Moffett, Al Foster, Terence Blanchard, Cody Moffett, Buster Williams, Marvin Smitty Smith, Christian McBride, Winard Harper, Wallace Roney, Ralph Moore, George Mraz, David Sánchez, Lewis Nash, Joshua Redman, Eddie Gomez, Bill Stewart, Lynn Seaton, Michael Philip Mossman, Ravi Coltrane, Steve Nelson, Tony Reedus, Peter Washington, Larry Coryell, Jon Burr, Hal Melia, the Mingus Big Band, Carl Allen, Steve Slagle, Stanley Turrentine, Daniel Schnyder, Jack Walrath, Ron McClure, Bubba Brooks, Warren Vaché Jr, Paul F Kendall, Johnny Griffin, Butch Miles, Jeff Rupert, Paquito d'Rivera, Richard Drexler, and Kevin Celebi ~ Drew passed away in 2014June 14, 1958 ~ Nicholas Eede, commonly known as pop, power pop singer, guitarist, keyboardist Nick Van Eede born in Cuckfield, UK ~ Lead singer of Cutting Crew, known for songs such as I've Been In Love Before, One For The Mockingbird, Everything But My Pride and their best known (I Just) Died In Your Arms, the latter a Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hit in 1986
June 14, 1957 ~ Rock, country drummer, percussionist Chad Cromwell born in Paducah, Kentucky, USA ~ Founding member of the Fortunate Sons, known for their eponymous 2004 Fortunate Sons album. In-demand collaborator, has worked with Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Joe Walsh, Joss Stone, Bonnie Raitt, Crosby Stills & Nash, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Lady Antebellum, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Boz Scaggs, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Miranda Lambert, Peter Frampton, Rodney Crowell, Stevie Nicks, Alison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Allison Moorer, Dolly Parton, Lee Ann Womack, Kenny Chesney, and Joe Bonamassa
June 14, 1957 ~ Maxwell Alexander Fraser, commonly known as trip hop, electronica, trance rapper, singer, songwriter Maxi Jazz, born in Brixton, UK ~ Founding member, lead singer of Faithless, known for UK top 10 hits such as Salva Mea, Insomnia, God Is A DJ, We Come 1 and One Step Too Far featuring Dido. Has also recorded as a solo artist and guested on recordings by Jason Rebello, Tiësto, Benji Boko, and Robbie Williams ~ Fraser passed away in 2022
June 14, 1955 ~ Julio Cesar Rojhas Lopez, commonly known as salsa singer, songwriter Tito Rojas, born in Humucao, Puerto Rico ~ One of Puerto Rico's most beloved salsa singers with a career spanning over four decades. Especially acclaimed for his Alegrias Y Penas album, released in 1999. Well known Rojas hits include Esperandote, Humildemente, Pal' Pueblo, Como Tú, and Ella Se Hizo Deseo, the latter notably re-recorded in 2015 as a duet with Ivy Queen ~ Lopez passed away in 2020June 14, 1952 ~ John Kirk, commonly known as jazz bassist, trombonist, tuba player John Kirby, passed away in Hollywood, California, USA ~ Led a popular chamber jazz sextet in the late 1930s and early 1940s known for songs such as Loch Lomond and the first recorded version of Undecided, the latter becoming a jazz standard covered by Chick Webb, the Dandridge Sisters, Django Reinhardt's the Quintette du Hot Club, and the Ames Brothers ~ Kirk was born in 1908
June 14, 1949 ~ Pop rock, progressive rock drummer Alan White born in Pelton, UK ~ Member of the Plastic Ono Band, backing John Lennon on songs such as Imagine and Instant Karma. Best known as longtime member of progressive rock outfit Yes, joining the band in 1972 as replacement for Bill Bruford. Has also worked with the likes of Balls, Circa, George Harrison, Terry Reid, Joe Cocker, Doris Troy, and Donovan ~ White passed away in 2022
June 14, 1949 ~ Rock bassist, keyboardist, violinist, guitarist, singer Jim Lea, full name James Whild Lea, born in Wolverhampton, UK ~ Co-founding member of Slade, remaining with the band through 1992 and present on most of the band's best known including Coz I Love You, Take Me Bak 'Ome, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, Cum On Feel The Noize, Merry Xmas Everybody and My Oh My
June 14, 1948 ~ Disco, R&B singer, actress Linda Clifford born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Known for a number of late 1970s, early 1980s disco hits including Runaway Love, If My Friends Could See Me Now, Gypsy Lady, Red Light and Shoot Your Best Shot. To soul aficionados best known for The Right Combination, a collaborative album with Curtis Mayfield released in 1980
June 14, 1946 ~ Pub rock, roots rock, folk singer, guitarist Ernie Graham born in Belfast, Northern Ireland ~ First gained attention in the mid 1960s playing with Tony & the Telstars. Member of Eire Apparent, known for their 1969 sole Sunrise album produced by Jimi Hendrix. Released his sole solo album, Ernie Graham, in 1971. Graham has also worked with the People, Help Yourself, and Clancy ~ Graham passed away in 2001
June 14, 1945 ~ Producer, arranger, label executive John Carter, full name John S Carter Jr, born in East St Louis, Illinois, USA ~ First gained attention in the mid 1960s co-writing That Acapulco Gold for the Rainy Daze and subsequently Incense And Peppermints for Strawberry Alarm Clock, the latter reaching No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. Would go on to work for Atlantic Records and Capitol Records as an A&R executive. Helpful in advancing the careers of Bob Seger, specifically with the album Night Moves, and the Steve Miller Band. Signed artists such as Sammy Hagar, Bob Welch, and the Motels. Best known for relaunching the career of Tina Turner signing and guiding Turner through the recording of Private Dancer. The album would go on to sell over 20 million copies and bring Turner back to superstar status ~ Carter passed away in 2011
June 14, 1943 ~ Dewey Lindham Oldham Jr, commonly known as R&B, soul, rock organist, songwriter Spooner Oldham, born in Center Star, Alabama, USA ~ In-demand session musician, present on recordings by Aretha Franklin, Delaney Bramlett, Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, the Everly Brothers, Dickey Betts, JJ Cale, Wilson Pickett, and Maria Muldaur. Renowned songwriter, mostly in partnerhip with Dan Penn. Artists who have recorded songs written by the duo include Jimmy Hughes, Sandy Posey, Percy Sledge (It Tears Me Up), James Carr, Irma Thomas, Bobby Moore, the Sweet Inspirations (Sweet Inspiration), the Box Tops (Cry Like A Baby), Merrilee Rush, Janis Joplin (A Woman Left Lonely), Freddy Weller, Bob Luman, and Arthur AlexanderJune 14, 1942 ~ Soul singer, pianist Garland Green, full name Garfield Green Jr, born in Dunleith, Mississippi, USA ~ Known for songs such as Don't Think I'm A Violent Guy, Plain And Simple Girl and Jealous Kind Of Fella, the latter reaching the Billboard top 20 in 1969 ~ Green passed away in 2026