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.
November 16, 1936 ~ Winfred Lorenzo Lovett, commonly known as R&B singer Winfred Blue Lovett, born in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA ~ Co-founding member of R&B, soul outfit the Manhattans best known for their 1976 Kiss And Say Goodbye, Billboard Hot 100 charttopper, written by the group's primary songwriter Lovett and arranged and co-produced with the group by noted Philly soul musician Bobby Martin. Lovett remained with the group from its inception in 1962 through 1990 ~ Lovett passed away in 2014
November 16, 1931 ~ Folk singer, banjoist, guitarist Bob Gibson, full name Samuel Robert Gibson, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Key figure in late 1950s, early 1960s folk revival. Best known for his 1961 Gibson & Camp At The Gate Of Horn album. Had his songs recorded by Harry Belafonte, the Limeliters, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Peter Paul & Mary, Simon & Garfunkel, the Byrds, Smother Brothers, Phil Ochs, and the Kingston Trio ~ Gibson passed away in 1996
November 16, 1931 ~ Blues, Chicago blues guitarist, singer Hubert Sumlin, full name Hubert Charles Sumlin, born in Greenwood, Mississippi, USA ~ Best known for his longtime association with Howlin' Wolf, backing the blues singer from the late 1950s up to Wolf's death in 1976. Sumlin would continue with other Wolf sidemen under the moniker the Wolf Gang through 1980 as well as release solo albums, at times collaborating with Henry Gray, Calvin Fuzz Jones, Sam Lay, Colin Linden, Pinetop Perkins, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Levon Helm, David Johansen, James Cotton, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd ~ Sumlin passed away in 2011November 16, 1927 ~ R&B pianist, singer Clayton Love born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Fronted his own blues outfit the Shufflers in the early 1950s. Would go on to play with Ike Turner's the Kings Of Rhythm, singing lead vocals on songs such as Do You Mean It, She Made My Blood Run Cold and The Big Question, all considered songs helpful in defining 1950s R&B ~ Love passed away in 2010
November 16, 1927 ~ Lyricist, songwriter Norman Gimbel born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Co-wrote songs such as Killing Me Softly With His Song first recorded by Lori Lieberman, later popularized by Roberta Flack, Ready To Take A Chance Again for Barry Manilow, Canadian Sunset for Andy Williams, and the Academy Award-winning It Goes Like It Goes recorded by Jennifer Warnes for the soundtrack to the 1979 Norma Rae drama film ~ Gimbel passed away in 2018
November 16, 1923 ~ Jazz, blues drummer Francis Clay born in Rock Island, Illinois, USA ~ Influential on British Invasion musicians such as Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood. Best known for his associations with Muddy Waters and James Cotton. Also worked with Gypsy Rose Lee, Jay McShann, Charlie Parker, Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Otis Spann ~ Clay passed away in 2008
November 16, 1921 ~ Songwriter Ben Weisman, full name Benjamin Weisman, born in Providence, Rhode Island, USA ~ Probably best known for co-penning over 50 songs for Elvis Presley, usually partnering up with either Aaron Schroeder or Fred Wise. Well known Presley songs include Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do, Crawfish, Pocketful Of Rainbows, I Slipped I Stumbled I Fell, Follow That Dream and Change Of Habit. Others who have recorded his songs include Guy Mitchell, Nat King Cole, Patti Page, Carl Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Dusty Springfield, Barbra Streisand, Evie Sands, and Shirley Bassey ~ Weisman passed away in 2007
November 16, 1916 ~ Sidney Denis Prechner, commonly known as producer, radio personality, music critic Denis Preston, born in Stoke Newington, UK ~ Not contracted to a particular label and described as “Europe's first independent record producer”. Influential in British jazz and skiffle from the 1940s through the 1960s. Active member of the anti-racism, anti-fascism movement. Produced records by artists such as Chris Barber, Acker Bilk (Stranger On The Shore), Alex Welsh, Frank Holder, Sandy Brown, Al Fairweather, Terry Lightfoot, Kenny Baker, Humphrey Lyttelton (Bad Penny Blues), Roger Whittaker, Wout Steenhuis, Joe Harriott, Stan Tracey, Amancio d'Silva, and Guy Warren ~ Prechner passed away in 1979November 16, 1912 ~ Jazz double bassist Al Lucas, full name Albert Bennington Lucas, born in Windsor, Canada ~ Worked with Kaiser Marshall, the Royal Sunset Orchestra, Hot Lips Page, Coleman Hawkins, Eddie Heywood Jr, Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, James P Johnson, JJ Johnson, Ben Webster, Erroll Garner, Eddie South, Illinois Jacquet, Sonny Stitt, Leo Parker, Charles Thompson, Maurice Simon, Shadow Wilson, Ruby Braff, Charlie Byrd, Teddy Wilson, Bill Doggett, Dexter Gordon, and Oliver Nelson ~ Lucas passed away in 1983
November 16, 1911 ~ Elmer Dunham, commonly known as trumpeter, trombonist Sonny Dunham, born in Brockton, Massachusetts, USA ~ Starting in the late 1920s Dunham worked with bandleaders such as Ben Bernie, Paul Tremain, Glen Gray (as a member of the Casa Loma Orchestra) as a trombonist, trumpeter, singer and arranger. Dunham repeatedly tried his luck as a bandleader, forming mostly short-lived ensembles untill the late 1950s. ~ Dunham passed away in 1990
November 16, 1910 ~ Albert French, commonly known as bandleader, banjoist Papa French, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Longtime member of New Orleans outfit the Tuxedo Brass Band, led by the renowned Papa Celestin. Following Celestin's death in 1954, trombonist Eddie Pierson would take over leadership until his death in 1958, after which leadership of the band fell to French who led the band until his death. French's son drummer Bob French would lead the band from 1977 until 2012. French senior is also especially noted for his 1965 A Night At Dixieland Hall live album, featuring backing from Jeanette Kimball, Louis Barbarin, Joe Thomas, Waldren Joseph, Wendell Eugene, and Alvin Alcorn ~ French passed away in 1977November 16, 1909 ~ Violist, arranger Watson Forbes, full name Watson Douglas Buchanan Forbes, born in St Andrews, UK ~ Got his start in music playing with the Stratton Quartet, renamed to the Aeolian String Quartet after the departure of George Stratton. Co-leader of the London Symphony Orchestra at the start of World War II. Professor of viola and chamber music at the Royal Academy Of Music conservatory. Head of music for BBC Scotland, credited for safeguarding and expanding the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. As a recording artist perhaps best known for Arthur Bliss' Viola Sonata and Alan Richardson's Sussex Lullaby. Father of composer Sebastian Forbes and singer Rupert Forbes ~ Forbes passed away in 1997
November 16, 1908 ~ Benjamin F Thigpen, commonly known as jazz drummer Ben Thigpen, born in Laurel, Mississippi, USA ~ Father of drummer Ed Thigpen. Ben played with Bobby Boswell, Doc Cheatham, Charlie Elgar, J Frank Terry, and extensively with Andy Kirk. Thigpen stayed with Kirk from 1930 to 1947, alongside noted pianist, composer Mary Lou Williams, also a member of Kirk's ensemble. After 1947 Thigpen led his own quintet. He also recorded with Singleton Palmer in the 1960s ~ Thigpen passed away in 1971
November 16, 1901 ~ Jesse Albert Stone, commonly known as R&B pianist, arranger, producer, songwriter Charles Calhoun, born in Atchison, Kansas, USA ~ Best known for penning Shake Rattle & Roll. First recorded in 1954 by blues shouter Big Joe Turner, and covered by numerous artists including Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Conway Twitty, Sam Cooke, and Buddy Holly, the song is one of a select few to be frequently named as the first rock & roll song. Calhoun has also made a number of memorable recordings himself, perhaps most notably the oft covered Smack Dab In The Middle, and has written or co-written songs recorded by Alvino Rey, Lucky Millinder, Ray Charles (Losing Hand), the Drifters (Money Honey), Lavern Baker, Amos Milburn, Ruth Brown (As Long As I'm Moving), Chuck Willis, Connie Francis, and Roy Hamilton. Producer and Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun is said to once have commented Calhoun “did more to develop the basic rock & roll sound than anybody else.” ~ Stone passed away in 1999
November 16, 1895 ~ Composer, violist, violinist, conductor Paul Hindemith born in Hanau, Germany ~ Major exponent of the Neue Sachlichkeit movement. Known for works such as Das Marienleben, Schwanendreher, Mathis Der Maler, Symphonnic Metamorphosis Of Themes By Carla Maria Von Weber. The nazis had a complicated relationship with Hindemith, some classifying his music as “degenerate” atonal music, others arguing he would make a fine example of a modern German composer. His music would be banned in 1936 ~ Hindemith passed away in 1963
November 16, 1873 ~ William Christopher Handy, commonly known as cornetis, songwriter WC Handy, born in Florence, Alabama, USA ~ Self-proclaimed “Father of the Blues”. Helped popularize Blues. Regarded as one of the monst influential songwriters. Best known for penning songs such as St Louis Blues (Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Count Basie, Guy Lombardo), and Beale Street Blues (Earl Fuller, Marion Harris, Jack Teagarden) ~ handy passed away in 1958