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 15, 1938 ~ Jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with George Coleman, Harold Mabern, Frank Strozier, Johnny Ace, Bobby Blue Bland, Howlin' Wolf, BB King, Ornette Coleman, Billy Higgins, Scott LaFaro, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson, Gerald Wilson, Celebration, Charles Mingus, Cannonball Adderley, Jack DeJohnette, Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee, the Beach Boys, Brad Mehldau, John Abercrombie, and Maria Farantouri
March 15, 1937 ~ Jazz trumpeter, scat singer Ward Pinkett, full name William Ward Pinkett Jr, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Active during the Harlem Renaissance. Worked with King Oliver, James P Johnson, Chick Webb and with Jelly Roll Morton. Plagued by alcoholism Pinkett was admired as a musician but regarded as an unreliable band member. In poor health he died of pneumonia at age 30 ~ Pinkett was born in 1906March 15, 1935 ~ Trumpeter Fred Mills, full name William Frederick Mills, born in Guelph, Canada ~ Best known for his association with the Canadian Brass quintet, playing with the ensemble from 1972 through 1996. Also worked with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and the New York City Opera Orchestra ~ Mills passed away in 2009
March 15, 1929 ~ Clarence Smith, commonly known as blues, boogie-woogie pianist Pinetop Smith, passed away in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Best known for his 1928 recording Pinetop's Boogie Woogie, foreshadowing rock & roll and considered the song to have named the boogie-woogie genre. The song would become hugely popular after Smith's death, in particular due to a 1938 cover by Tommy Dorsey, becoming Dorsey's best-selling record. It would also be covered by several artists including Bing Crosby and Count Basie, and serve as the basis for Mess Around, a 1957 Ray Charles hit ~ Smith was born in 1904
March 15, 1927 ~ Honky-tonk singer Carl Smith born in Maynardville, Tennessee, USA ~ First husband of June Carter. Father of Carlene Carter. Known for songs such as Let's Live A Little, If The Teardrops Were Pennies, Loose Talk, Are You Teasing Me, Hey Joe, You Are The One, and Air Mail To Heaven. Smith has also notably collaborated with Molly O'Day and Skeets Williamson ~ Smith passed away in 2010
March 15, 1926 ~ Contemporary composer Ben Johnston, full name Benjamin Burwell Johnston Jr, born in Macon, Georgia, USA ~ Regarded as one of the premier microtonal composers. Known for works such as Quintet For Groups, Sonnets Of Desolation, Sonata For Microtonal Piano and Suite For Microtonal Piano ~ Johnston passed away in 2019
March 15, 1921 ~ Vincenzo Bucci, commonly known as jazz bassist Vinnie Burke, born in Newark, New Jersey, USA ~ Lost the use of a finger and switched from violin and guitar to double bass. Played with Joe Mooney, Tony Scott, Cy Coleman, the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Tal Farlow, Marian McPartland, Don Elliott, Vic Dickensen, Gil Melle, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Mehegan, Chris Connor, Eddie Costa, Bobby Hackett, Urbie Green, Joe Puma, and Gerry Mulligan ~ Bucci passed away in 2001March 15, 1919 ~ Producer, artist manager, label executive George Avakian born in Armavir, Kuban Peoples Republic ~ A major force in de development of the US recording industry worked with artists such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Dave Brubeck, Eddie Condon, Keith Jarrett, Erroll Garner, Buck Clayton, Sonny Rollins, Paul Desmond, Edith Piaf, Johnny Mathis, John Cage, Alan Hovhaness, and Ravi Shankar ~ Avakian passed away in 2017
March 15, 1916 ~ Bandleader, trumpeter Harry James, full name Harry Haag James, born in Albany, Georgia, USA ~ Enjoyed his biggest popularity in the late 1930s and the 1940s. Served under Ben Pollack and Benny Goodman before starting his own big band in 1939. Best known for his 1941 hit You Made Me Love You ~ James passed away in 1983
March 15, 1912 ~ Samuel John Hopkins, commonly known as electric blues, country blues, folk blues guitarist Lightnin' Hopkins, born in Centerville, Texas, USA ~ Praised for his fingerstyle technique paired with free and loose phrasing. Regarded as one of the most importan country blues guitarists and a major influence on rock guitarists. Toured and recorded extensively. Known for songs such as T-Model Blues, Tim Moore's Farm and Back To New Orleans (Baby Please Don't Go) ~ Hopkins passed away in 1982
March 15, 1907 ~ James Dugald McPartland, commonly known as jazz, dixieland cornetist Jimmy McPartland, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Married to pianist Marian McPartland. Replaced Bix Beiderbecke in the Wolverines. Worked with Ben Pollack, Russ Columbo, Harry Reser, George Wein, Eddie Condon, Art Hodes, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, and Tommy Dorsey ~ McPartland passed away in 1991
March 15, 1905 ~ Blues, vaudeville singer, dancer Bertha Hill, also known as Bertha Chippie Hill, born in Charleston, South Carolina, USA ~ Best known for her association with Louis Armstrong on a number of mid-1920 recordings including Pratt City Blues, Low Land Blues, Kid Man Blues, Georgia Man and Trouble In Mind. Also worked with Ethel Waters, Lonnie Johnson, Scrapper Blackwell, Leroy Carr, Lovie Austin, and Art Hodes ~ Hill passed away in 1950March 15, 1883 ~ Ragtime, vaudeville pianist, songwriter, musical director Ford Dabney, full name Ford Thompson Dabney, born in Washington DC, USA ~ Important figure in pre-jazz era. Best remembered for co-writing Shine, a 1932 hit for Bing Crosby and the Mills Brothers. The song would become a standard, recorded by numerous others ~ Dabney passed away in 1958
March 15, 1873 ~ Organist, pianist, composer David Vaughan-Thomas, also known as Pencerdd Vaughan, born in Glamorgan, UK ~ Though his music is now seldom performed has been described as leading native Welsh musician of his time, bridging the Victorian era to more modern times. Drawing from Welsh literature and folklore, known best for works such as Llyn Y Fan, A Song For St Cecilia's Day, The Bard, and Ysbryd Y Mynydd ~ Thomas passed away in 1934
March 15, 1869 ~ Tenor singer John Bieling born in New York, New York, USA ~ Dubbed “the Canary” for the purity of his tone. Enjoyed popularity through the mid-1910s both as a member of several renowned vocal groups including the American Quartet, and the Haydn Quartet, appearing on songs such as In The Good Old Summer Time, You're The Flower Of My Heart, and By The Light Of The Silv'ry Moon, and as a solo singer, scoring hits with In The Sweet Bye And Bye and Over The Hills And Far Away ~ Bieling passed away in 1948