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.
March 10, 1896 ~ Jazz, pop pianist, songwriter Peter De Rose born in New York, New York, USA ~ Best known for penning Deep Purple as a piano instrumental, first recorded by Paul Whiteman in 1934. Lyrics would later be added by Mitchell Parish. The song would be recorded by well over 200 artists including Guy Lombardo, Art Tatum, Duke Ellington, Billy Ward & the Dominoes, and Toots Thielemans. The band Deep Purple had named themselves after the song, a favorite tune of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother. Other artists who recorded songs written or co-written by De Rose include Fletcher Henderson, Ted Lewis (Have You Ever Been Lonely), Billie Holiday, Vaughn Monroe, Louis Prima (Buona Sera (Good Night)), and Bing Crosby ~ De Rose passed away in 1953
March 10, 1892 ~ Composer Arthur Honegger, full name Arthur Oscar Honegger, born in Le Havre, France ~ Member of Les Six, a name give to six composers living and working in Montparnasse. Probably best known for Antigone, an opera in three acts premiered in 1927. Honegger also composed orchestral music, oratorios, ballets, and chamber music ~ Honegger passed away in 1955
March 10, 1870 ~ Singer, comedian, songwriter George Honey Boy Evans born in Pontlottyn, UK ~ Best known for co-writing In The Good Old Summertime with Ren Shields. The song would be a hit in 1902 for both William Redmond and JW Myers. In later years it would be covered by Uncle Dave Macon, the Andrews Sisters, Chet Atkins, and the Osmond Brothers ~ Evans passed away in 1915
March 10, 1832 ~ Pianist, conductor, composer Muzio Clementi, full name Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi, passed away in Evesham, UK ~ Influenced by Domenico Scarlatti, Joseph Haydn, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ignazio Cirri. Dubbed “the Father of the Piano” best known for his piano sonatas, especially Sonatinis Op.36, which would serve as a model for both contemporary and later composers ~ Clementi was born in 1752