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 20, 1939 ~ Comedian, songwriter, singer, guitarist Dick Smothers born in New York, New York, USA ~ Formed the duo the Smother Brothers with his brother Tom Smothers. Tom felt he wasn't good enough a musician so they added comedy to their routine
November 20, 1937 ~ Ruth Meckler, commonly known as classical pianist Ruth Laredo, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA ~ Married to conductor Jaime Laredo. Showed musical promise from a young age, and vowed to become a concert pianist after seeing Vladimir Horowitz in concert at age 8. Well known for her recordings of works by Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Maurice Ravel ~ Meckler passed away in 2005
November 20, 1934 ~ Jazz, traditional jazz trumpeter Colin Smith, full name Colin Ranger Smith, born in London, UK ~ Best known as longtime accompanist for Acker Bilk, starting in the late 1950s. From 1977 onwards also played with John Picard, Ian Stewart, Dick Morrisey, and the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts in an ad-hoc ensemble that would evolve into Rocket 88. Other notable associations include Terry Lightfoot, Cy Laurie, Tony Coe, Bob Wilber, and the Pizza Express All-Stars ~ Smith passed away in 2004
November 20, 1934 ~ Nouhad Wadioe Haddad, commonly known as singer Fairuz, born in Beirut, Lebanon ~ Leading singer in history of Arab music. Active since the late 1940s. Shot to fame in 1952 with the song Itab and has since become the highest-selling Arab artist with a career spanning six decades, headlining renowned venues, recording some 1500 songs, selling over 150 million records
November 20, 1934 ~ Francisco Ibáñez, commonly known as singer, guitarist, songwriter Paco Ibáñez born in Valencia, Spain ~ Fled to France with his family after the Spanish Civil War due to his father's association with the anarcho-syndicalist CNT union. Ibáñez himself would become known as a rebel artist during the social unrest in Paris in May 1968. Never wrote any of his lyrics yet transcrbed famous poems to music, especially poems by the likes of Federici Garcia Lorca, Luis Cernuda and Rafael Alberti. Also known as a fine interpreter of songs by French singer and poet Georges Brassens. Debuted in 1964 with the acclaimed Paco Ibáñez album and has recorded to a devoted fan base and admiration of peers through most of the 1960s and 1970s
November 20, 1930 ~ Claude Putman Jr, commonly known as singer, songwriter Curly Putman, born in Princeton, Alabama, USA ~ Though a fine singer in his own right, Putman is best known as songwriter. Songs written or co-written by Putman include Green Green Grass Of Home (Johnny Darrell, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley), Dumb Blonde (Dolly Parton), D-I-V-O-R-C-E (Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Kitty Wells), Our House Is Not A Home (Lynn Anderson), I Wish I Could Hurt That Way Again (Kenny Rogers, John Conlee, Millie Jackson), and He Stopped Loving Her Today (Johnny Russell, George Jones, Johnny Paycheck) ~ Putman passed away in 2016November 20, 1929 ~ Conductor, pianist, arranger Raymond Lefèvre born in Calais, France ~ Best known for The Day The Rains Came, and for his rendition of the Michel Polnareff-penned Soul Coaxing (Ame Caline), the latter an international hit in 1968. Lefèvre has also worked with Frank Pourcel, Dalida, Claude François, Richard Anthony, Peter van Eyck, and Paul Mauriat ~ Lefèvre passed away in 2008
November 20, 1925 ~ Shirley Luster, commonly known as jazz, cool jazz singer June Christy, born in Springfield, Illinois, USA ~ Sang with the orchestras of Boyd Raeburn, Benny Strong, and notably Stan Kenton, including on the latter's How High The Moon and his biggest hit Tampico. As a solo singer, Christy is best known for her 1954 Something Cool solo debut album, with backing from Pete Rugolo's orchestra which included her husband Bob Cooper and Bud Shank. Though somewhat forgotten over time, the album sparked the vocal cool movement of the 1950s. Christy would later comment it was “the only thing I've recorded that I'm not unhappy with” ~ Luster died in 1990
November 20, 1916 ~ Musical director, choral conductor John McCarthy, full name Eugene Patrick John McCarthy, born in London, UK ~ Co-founded the Ambrosian Singers with Denis Stevens, a choral group known best for their association with the BBC. The group would also serve as a training ground for artists such as Heather Harper, Dorothy Dorow, Margaret Price, Robert Tear, and John Shirley-Quirk. McCarthy also served as the chorus master for the London Symphony Orchestra for most of the 1960s ~ McCarthy passed away in 2009
November 20, 1916 ~ Singer Virginia Verrill, full name Catherine Virginia Verrill, born in Santa Monica, California, USA ~ Daughter of vaudeville entertainer Aimee McLean-Verrill, with whom she appeared on-stage at a mere 5 months old. Has also sung with family friend Paul Whiteman when she was 3 years old. Would go on to enjoy popularity as a big band and radio singer, hosting her own Vocals By Verrill radio show by 1937. Has worked with the orchestras of David Brockman, Johnny Green, Orville Knapp. Also ghost-sang in Hollywood films for female stars perhaps most notably for Jean Harlow in the mid 1930s films Reckless and Suzy. Verrill retired from show business in 1942 ~ Verrill passed away in 1999November 20, 1894 ~ Pianist, conductor, composer Anton Rubinstein, full name Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein, passed away in St Petersburg, Russian Empire ~ Brother of pianist, composer Nikolai Rubinstein. Considered one of the foremost 19th-century piano virtuosos, best known for his series of historical recitals covering the history of piano music. Has written piano concertos, symphonies, chamber music and opera, most notably The Demon published in 1871 ~ Rubinstein was born in 1829
November 20, 1850 ~ Composer Arthur Goring Thomas born in Sussex, UK ~ Composed choral music, orchestral music, song and duets, cantatas, ballets and operas. Best known for his 1885 Nadeshda opera. Committed suicide at age 41 ~ Thomas passed away in 1892