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 19, 1939 ~ Jazz pianist Mike Longo, full name Michael Josef Longo, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Best known for his work with Dizzy Gillespie. Also worked with Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, Adam Rafferty, Ben Brown, Ray Mosca, and Lee Konitz
March 19, 1937 ~ Clarence Henry II, commonly known as R&B singer Clarence Frogman Henry born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Started learning piano as a child, with Fats Domino and Professor Longhair as main influences. Known for his trademark croak, earning him the nickname “frogman”. Scored several late 1950s, early 1960s R&B hits, notably Ain't Got No Home, You Always Hurt The One You Love and perhaps his best known (I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do, the latter reaching top 10 on both the Billboard R&B and all-genre Billboard Hot 100 charts ~ Henry passed away in 2024
March 19, 1928 ~ Clarence Otto Pauling, commonly known as singer, songwriter, producer Clarence Paul, born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA ~ Co-founding member of doo-wop outfit the 5 Royales. Best known as a songwriter and producer, closely associated with Motown. Served as mentor and main producer to Stevie Wonder during Wonder's teenage years. Writing credits include Hitch Hike (Marvin Gaye), Fingertips (Wonder), You've Been In Love Too Long (Martha & the Vandellas), Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead (the Marvelettes), Just A Little Understanding (the Contours), and Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do (Wonder, Aretha Franklin) ~ Pauling passed away in 1995
March 19, 1928 ~ Rachel Eleanora Goldberg, commonly known as vaudeville singer, comedian, actress Nora Bayes, passed away in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Popular vaudeville performer, singer from the 1900s through the 1920s. Perhaps best remembered for introducing Shine On Harvest Moon in the 1908 Ziegfeld Follies revue. The song, written by Bayes and her husband Jack Norworth, has since become a pop standard recorded by numerous artists including the Boswell Sisters, the Chordettes, Coleman Hawkins, Teresa Brewer, Bing Crosby, the Isley Brothers, Leon Redbone, and Bobby Bare ~ Goldberg was born in 1880March 19, 1928 ~ Folk revival guitarist, banjoist, fiddler Tom Paley, full name Allan Thomas Paley, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Influential on Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Best known for his work with the New Lost City Ramblers during the 1950s and 1960s. Following his departure from the band in the early 1960s founded the Old Reliable String Band with Roy Berkeley and Artie Rose before relocating to Europe ~ Paley passed away in 2017
March 19, 1926 ~ William Randall Henderson, commonly known as jazz singer, actor Bill Henderson, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Worked with Ramsey Lewis, Horace Silver, Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Smith, Count Basie, Yusef Lateef, Eddie Harris, Booker Little, Wynton Kelly, Eddie Higgins, Tommy Flanagan, Joe Diorio, Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen, Joyce Collins, Jerry Coleman, Pete Christlieb, Joey Baron, Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson, Charlie Haden, Mike Melvoin, Chico Hamilton, Dave Mackay, and Tom Azarello ~ Henderson passed away in 2016March 19, 1925 ~ Bandleader Ben Bernie and the Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra record Sweet Georgia Brown ~ Bernie recorded the first version of Sweet Georgia Brown, written by Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard and Kenneth Casey. It would spent several weeks atop the charts and become a jazz standard covered by numerous artists, notably Bing Crosby in 1932, Charlie Parker with Dizzy Gillespie in 1943, and as an instrumental by Brother Bones in 1949. The latter would be adopted by the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team as their theme song. Other artists who recorded the song would include Anita O'Day, Tony Sheridan backed by the Beatles in 1964, Nancy Sinatra, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roberta Flack
March 19, 1921 ~ Jazz bassist Harry Babasin, full name Yervant Harry Babasin Jr, born in Dallas, Texas, USA ~ Leader and sideman, nicknamed “the Bear”. Worked with Herb Ellis, Charlie Fisk, Jimmy Joy, Bob Strong, Billie Rogers, Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Boyd Raeburn, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Frank Devol, Jerry Gray, Roy Harte, Bud Shank, Dodo Marmarosa, Oscar Pettiford, and John Banister ~ Babasin passed away in 1988
March 19, 1921 ~ Irene Amburgey, commonly known as country, gospel singer, guitarist, songwriter Martha Carson, born ~ At times referred to as “the Rockin' Queen of Happy Spirituals” enjoying popularity in the 1950s with gospel-country tunes such as Satisfied, Journey To The Sky, and Saints And Chariot. Cited by Elvis Presley as in influence on his gospel singing ~ Amburgey passed away in 2004
March 19, 1917 ~ Dillon Russell, commonly known as jazz double bassist Curley Russell, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Though largely forgotten today, Russell was an important figure in the early years of bebop, appearing on several key recordings. Nicknamed “Curley” for his curly hair. Hardly a soloist, but a fine accompanist able to keep up with the rapid tempoes. Russell has worked with Don Redman, Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Tadd Dameron, George Wallington, Al Cohn (Cohn's Tones), Bud Powell, Stan Getz, Buddy DeFranco, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk (We See), Dexter Gordon, Horace Silver, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, Johnny Griffin (A Blowin' Session), and Sonny Stitt. Parker's composition Donna Lee is named for Russell's daughter. In the latter half of the 1950s, Russell drifted away from jazz into R&B, retiring from music altogether by the end of the decade ~ Russell passed away in 1986March 19, 1914 ~ James Joseph Bennett, commonly known as blues shouter, saxophonist Buster Bennett, born in Pensacola, Florida, USA ~ Worked with Lester Melrose, Big Bill Broonzy, Yas Yas Girl, Monkey Joe, Washboard Sam, Jimmie Gordon, Sammy Price, Arrington Thornton, Duke Groner, Wild Bill Davis, Israel Crosby, Pee Wee Jackson, and Tom Archia ~ Bennett passed away in 1980
March 19, 1894 ~ Loretta Mary Aiken, commonly known as comedienne, singer Moms Mabley, born in Brevard, North Carolina, USA ~ Although as a black woman her wages were meager, Mabley was one of the most successful entertainers of the Chitlin Circuit, a collection of venues throughout the Midwest that billed African American entertainers during the era of racial segregation. Came out as a lesbian in the early 1920s, making her one of the first openly gay comedians. Later on in her career music would become a regular part of her act, and she scored a Billboard Hot 100 top 40 in 1969 with Abraham Martin & John, originally a top 10 for Dion the previous year. The feat would make Mabley, then age 75, the oldest living singer to score a US top 40 hit. Mabley would continue to perform until shortly before her death at age 81 ~ Aiken passed away in 1975March 19, 1873 ~ Pianist, organist, composer, conductor Max Reger, full name Johann Baptist Josepg Maximilian Reger, born in Brand, German Empire ~ Initially primarily a composer of Lieder, chamber music and choral music, later turning to orchestral compositions such as Variations And Fugue On A Theme By Mozart, Gesang Der Verklärten, and Hebbel Requiem ~ Reger passed away in 1916