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 2, 1944 ~ Keyboardist Keith Emerson, full name Keith Noel Emerson, born in Todmorden, UK ~ Considered one of the most important British rock keyboardists and a key figure in progressive rock. First gained attention in the late 1960s as co-founding member of the Nice, blending rock, jazz and classical music. Departed the band in 1970 to form Emerson Lake & Palmer, one of the first progressive rock supergroups. The band is best known for the pivotal Emerson Lake & Palmer 1970 debut album and Brain Salad Surgery released in 1973. Following the band's initial disbandement by the end of the decade Emerson has recorded as a solo artist and composed over half a dozen soundtracks, notably Nighthawks released in 1981 ~ Emerson passed away in 2016
November 2, 1942 ~ Virginia Mazarro, commonly known as pop, country pop singer, songwriter Ginny Arnell, born in New Haven, Connecticut, USA ~ Was paired with a then-unknown Gene Pitney in the late 1950s while both were still in their teens, the duo performing and recording under the moniker Jamie & Jane. The duo's sole two singles, Snuggle Up Baby and Faithful Our Love, both co-written by Pitney and Mazarro would fail to chart. Both artists would venture out onto solo careers, Mazarro reaching only modest success despite some of her songs, notably I Wish I Knew What Dress To Wear, critically described as classic melodrama of the teen girl genre. Arnell retired from music by the mid 1960s to marry and raise a familyNovember 2, 1942 ~ Pop singer, songwriter Jimmy Bilsbury, full name James Robert Bilsbury, born in Liverpool, UK ~ Perhaps best known for co-writing the Boney M hit Belfast with Drafi Deutscher and Joe Menke. Member of the Magic Lanterns. Co-founding member of the Les Humphries Singers, present on the band's 1976 Eurovision Songfestival entry Sing Sang Song, generally considered one of the all-time worst Eurovision songs ~ Bilsbury passed awy in 2003
November 2, 1942 ~ Operatic soprano Ruth Falcon born ~ Debuted with the New Orleans Opera in 1968 playing the role of Frasquita in Carmen. Would go on to work with the New Orleans Opera, the New York City Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, the Paris Opera, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Teatro Colón, and the Opera De Monte Carlo ~ Falcon passed away in 2020
November 2, 1941 ~ Bruce Cripps, commonly known as guitarist Bruce Welch born in Bognor Regis, UK ~ School friend of Hank Marvin, with whom he would regularly collaborate. Best known as co-founding member of the Shadows, backing band for Cliff Richard. Wrote or co-wrote several of Richard's biggest hits, perhaps most notably Summer Holiday. In-demand producer and songwriter, including for his once-fiancée Olivia Newton-John who would reach top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic with Please Mr Please, previously recorded by Welch himselfNovember 2, 1940 ~ Singer, guitarist Hugo Raspoet born in Ganshoren, Belgium ~ Best known for his signature song Helena (1970) and for Evviva Il Papa (1969), the latter banned from radio for criticizing the Pope. A radio DJ, Johan Anthierens, protesting the ban would be fired for reading the lyrics on-air ~ Raspoet passed away in 2018
November 2, 1938 ~ David Blatt, commonly known as rock & roll, pop singer Jay Black born in New York, New York, USA ~ Lead singer of Jay & the Americans, with whom he scored about a dozen Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hits during the latter half of the 1960s. She Cried, Come A Little Bit Closer, Cara Mia, and This Magic Moment would all reach top 10 ~ Blatt passed away in 2021
November 2, 1937 ~ Doo-wop, R&B singer Earl Speedo Carroll born in New York, New York, USA ~ Fronted the Cadillacs, best known for the 1955 doo-wop classic Speedoo which gave Carroll his nickname. Joined the Coasters in 1961, leaving the group in the 1980s to reform the Cadillacs ~ Carroll was born in 2012November 2, 1936 ~ Singer, keyboardist, songwriter Max Crook, full name Maxfield Doyle Crook, born in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA ~ Best known for his association with Del Shannon, co-writing several of Shannon's hits and notably present on the 1961 Runaway single ~ Crook passed away in 2020
November 2, 1935 ~ Guitarist, guitar teacher Barry Olivier born ~ Part of the Berkeley folk scene from the 1950s onward. Best known as founder and director of the Berkeley Folk Music Festival, an annual event that ran from 1958 through 1970. Over the years artists performing at the event would include Alan Lomax, Doc Watson, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Mance Lipscomb. Olivier has also worked as a guitar teacher and is reported to have given John Fogerty, who would later rise to fame as frontman of rock outfit Creedence Clearwater Revival, his first guitar lessons ~ Olivier passed away in 2023
November 2, 1931 ~ Saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer Phil Woods, full name Philip Wells Woods, born in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Benny Goodman, Billy Joel (alto sax solo on Just The Way You Are), Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Franco Ambrosetti, Manny Albam, Benny Bailey, Louie Bellson, Gene Krupa, Bob Brookmeyer, Kenny Burrell, Gary Burton, Benny Carter, Al Cohn, Art Farmer, Gil Evans, Stéphane Grappelli, Milt Jackson, Michel Legrand, Herbie Mann, Thelonious Monk, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Oliver Nelson, Pony Poindexter, Sahib Shihab, Jimmy Smith, and George Wallington ~ Woods passed away in 2015
November 2, 1928 ~ Jazz saxophonist Herb Geller, full name Herbert Arnold Geller, born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Veteran of the 1950s Los Angeles jazz scene, with over two dozen albums to his name as a leader recording well into the 2000s. Especially acclaimed for 1955's Outpost Incident and 1993's The Herb Geller Quartet. In-demand sideman, present on quintessential albums by Shorty Rogers, Clifford Brown, Dinah Washington (Dinah Jams), Bill Holman, Maynard Ferguson, the Lighthouse All-Stars, Larance Marable (Tenorman), Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, Anita O'Day, Quincy Jones (This Is How I Feel About Jazz), Marty Paich, Lena Horne (Stormy Weather), Chet Baker, Ray Brown (Bass Hit), Jeri Southern, Bill Holman, Benny Goodman, Art Pepper (Plus Eleven), and Buddy DeFranco ~ Geller passed away in 2013
November 2, 1924 ~ Recording engineer Rudy van Gelder, full name Rudolph van Gelder born in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA ~ Revered recording engineer. Worked with just about anyone in jazz including on key albums such as A Love Supreme (John Coltrane), Walkin' (Miles Davis), Saxophone Colossus (Sonny Rollins), and Song For My Father (Horace Silver). Also recorded sessions with Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, and Grant Green ~ Van Gelder passed away in 2016
November 2, 1921 ~ Singer Pearl Carr, full name Pearl Lavinia Carr, born in Exmouth, UK ~ Formed a duo with her husband Teddy Johnson. Prior to their marriage in 1955 both had been successful solo performers, but teamed up they would enjoy their greatest success as regular performers on stage and in a variety of British TV shows throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Internationally the couple are best known for representing their native UK at the 1959 Eurovision Songfestival, reaching second place with Sing Little Birdie. Later Johnson commented that upon winning the national finals, they had never heard of the international contest and had no idea they were going to have to represent their country: “We had no idea whatsoever. They gave us the dates for Cannes and I just hoped we had them available. As it happened, we did.” ~ Carr passed away in 2020
November 2, 1915 ~ Armenuhi Manoogian, commonly known as singer Kay Armen, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Enjoyed popularity mostly during the 1940s and 1950s. Appeared in the 1955 musical film Hit The Deck. As a singer known best for songs such as Be Good To Yourself, My Love And I and It's A Sin To Cry Over You ~ Manoogian passed away in 2011
November 2, 1913 ~ Big band singer, saxophonist, drummer Harry Babbitt born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Joined the orchestra of Kay Kyser in 1936. Sang lead on hits such as Three Little Fishies, Slow Boat To China, Jingle Jangle Jingle and The White Cliffs Of Dover. Featured in a number of Kyser films. Also sang on the 1948 Spike Jones novelty hit All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth ~ Babbitt passed away in 2004November 2, 1911 ~ Juan Manuel Cascales, commonly known as arranger, bandleader Johnny Richards, born in Tolua, Mexico ~ Brother of saxophonist, bandleader Chuck Cabot. Pivotal arranger especially known for his association with Stan Kenton (in particular Cuban Fire, and Kenton's West Side Story). Richards also worked with Charlie Barnet, Hugo Loewenstern and Harry James and released several albums as a bandleader ~ Cascales passed away in 1968
November 2, 1909 ~ Professional whistler Fred Lowery born in Palestine, Texas, USA ~ Blind professional whistler best known for his 1939 version of Indian Love Call, which sold 2 million copies, and the 1954 hit High & Mighty with conductor Leroy Holmes, which peaked at No.9 Billboard. Lowery performed with Horace Heidt and Vincent Lopez in the 1930s and 1940s. Over the course of his career Lowery whistled at Carnegie Hall and at the White House ~ Lowery passed away in 1984
November 2, 1899 ~ Film, television, stage actor, singer Walter Woolf King born in San Francisco, California, USA ~ Started singing professionally at a young age, performing initially mostly in churches. Would become a popular baritone in stage musicals and operettas from the late 1910 onwards, eventually moving to a career in film. Probably best remembered for appearing in supporting roles, notably playing the villain in the Marx Brothers movies A Night At The Opera and Go West ~ King passed away in 1984
November 2, 1890 ~ Jazz pianist, songwriter Henry Ragas born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Best known as founder of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, often considered to be the first jazz ensemble. Present on recordings such as Bluin' The Blues, Clarinet Marmalade, At The Jazz Band Ball, Sensation Rag, and perhaps their best known Tiger Rag. Died in the 1919 flu epidemic. The band would continue with J Russell Robinson taking Ragas' place ~ Ragas passed away in 1919