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 30, 1939 ~ Pianist, producer, songwriter Tony Hatch, full name Anthony Peter Hatch, born in Pinner, UK ~ Staff producer for Top Rank Records and Pye Records. Best known for his associations with Petula Clark, including penning her signature song Downtown, and Jackie Trent, to whom he was married from 1967 through 2002. Has also worked with Adam Faith, Josh MacRae, Garry Mills, the Searchers, the Settlers, the Viscounts, the Brook Brothers, the Montanas, and Sweet Sensation
June 30, 1938 ~ Jazz, new age pianist, flutist Chris Hinze, full name Christiaan Herbert Hinze, born in Hilversum, the Netherlands ~ Worked as a pianist with Boy Edgar in the 1960s. Switched to flute, fronting his own the Chris Hinze Combination by the 1970s transcribing Baroque music to jazz settings. Best known for his work from the 1980s onwards moving into Tibet and Asian-influenced electronic and New age music. Appears on recordings by Joachim Kühn, Charlie Mariano, Sigi Schwab, Zbigniew Seifert, Sly & Robbie, Rick van der Linden, Rob de Nijs, Thijs van Leer, and Laurens van Rooyen
June 30, 1936 ~ Singer, guitarist, pianist Dave Van Ronk, full name David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Important figure in 1960s folk music revival. Nicknamed “the Mayor of MacDougal Street”, a street located in New York's Greenwich Village. Drew from blues, gospel, rock, jazz, swing, and ragtime. Held in the highest regards by peers including Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and Joni Mitchell. Has recorded prolifically since the late 1950s, and is especially acclaimed for the albums Black Mountain Blues, Dave Van Ronk Folksinger, and Sunday Street ~ Van Ronk passed away in 2002
June 30, 1935 ~ Producer, label executive Mike Berniker born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Critically acclaimed producer with a career spanning four decades. First gained serious attention in the early 1960s producing Barbra Streisand's first three albums, the Grammy Award-winning The Barbra Streisand Album, The Second Barbra Streisand Album and The Third Album. Produced People, Streisand's first major hit. Also noted for signing Hall & Oates and Juice Newton to RCA Records. Has also worked with Perry Como, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, and Johnny Mathis ~ Berniker passed away in 2008
June 30, 1931 ~ Pianist Andrew Hill born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ While in his early teens, Hill was encouraged to further himself in music by Earl Hines, and composer Bill Russo, the latter introducing him to classical composer Paul Hindemith with whom Hill studied for two years. Gigged with visiting jazz musicians including Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. Hill has recorded well over two dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, notably Judgement, his 1965 Point Of Departure masterpiece, and Passing Ships, and has served as sideman on quintessential albums by Walt Dickerson (To My Queen), Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Joe Henderson, Hank Mobley (No Room For Squares), Bobby Hutcherson (Dialogue), Tony Williams (Emergency), Joe Chambers, and Sam Rivers ~ Hill passed away in 2007
June 30, 1925 ~ Jazz trumpeter Wallace Davenport, full name Wallace Foster Davenport, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ One of the few traditional jazz trumpeters of the 1930s to remain relevant for decades, branching out into swing, bop, gospel, and R&B over a career spanning eight decades. Started in the Young Tuxedo Brass Band at age 13, going on to tour and record with Papa Celestin, Roy Brown, Lionel Hampton, Mezz Mezzrow, Count Basie, Ray Charles (The Genius Sings The Blues), Lloyd Price, Phil Upchurch (Feeling Blue), Junior Wells, George Wein, Panama Francis, and Larry Darnell ~ Davenport passed away in 2004
June 30, 1917 ~ Singer, dancer, actress Lena Horne, full name Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at age 16, starting a career in music, stage, film and TV that spanned over 6 decades. As a singer best known for songs such as One For My Baby And One More For The Road, Deed I Do and Love Me Or Leave Me. Announced her retirement from music in 1980 only to come back the next year with her one-woman show The Lady And Her Music which ran 300 performances on Broadway. Horne would continue to record and sporadically perform well into the 1990s ~ Horne passed away in 2010June 30, 1908 ~ Jazz trumpeter, composer Grady Watts born in Texarkana, Texas, USA ~ Best known as a member of the Casa Loma Orchestra from 1931 through 1942, for whom he also penned or co-penned a number of songs including Rhythm Man, You Ain't Been Livin' Right, I Remember, and Touch And Go ~ Watts passed away in 1986
June 30, 1767 ~ Pianist, composer, music publisher Peter K Moran born in Dublin, Ireland ~ Probably the earliest classical composer from Ireland to emigrate to the United States. Known for compositions such as The Carrier Pigeon, Kinlock Of Kinlock, Swiss Waltz, Stantz Waltz, and Suabian Air ~ Moran passed away in 1831