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 23, 1934 ~ Jazz bassist Victor Gaskin born in the Bronx, New York, USA ~ Worked with Paul Horn, Red Mitchell, the Jazz Crusaders, Curtis Amy, Dupree Bolton, Buddy Collette, Shelly Manne, Bud Shank, Cannonball Adderley, Duke Ellington, Billy Taylor, Johnny Hartman, Hank Jones, Monty Alexander, Herbie Mann, John Mayall, and Oliver Nelson ~ Gaskin passed away in 2012November 23, 1933 ~ Composer, conductor Krzysztof Penderecki born in Debica, Poland ~ Internationally acclaimed. Wrote operas, orchestral works, concertos, choral music, chamber music. Known best for works such as Threnody To The Victims Of Hiroshima, St Luke Passion, Polish Requiem, Anaklasis and Utrenja ~ Penderecki passed away in 2020
November 23, 1929 ~ Gloria Wilson, commonly known as jazz singer Gloria Lynne, born in Harlem, New York, USA ~ Worked with the Enchanters, the Delltones, Wild Bill Davis, Ernie Wilkins, the Earl May Trio, Marty Paich, and Stanley Turrentine. As a solo artist best known for recordings such as The Impossible, I Wish You Love, and Watermelon Man, the latter co-written with Herbie Hancock ~ Wilson passed away in 2013
November 23, 1928 ~ Musical composer Jerry Bock, full name Jerrold Lewis Bock, born in New Haven, Connecticut, USA ~ Frequent writing partner of lyricist Sheldon Harnick, the duo acclaimed for musicals such as Fiorello, Fiddler On The Roof, and The Apple Tree. Bock spoke at the funeral of Fiddler playwright Joseph Stein just 10 days before his own death at age 81 ~ Bock passed away in 2010
November 23, 1926 ~ Guitarist RL Burnside born in Harmontown, Mississippi, USA ~ Performed, albeit part-time, for most of his life but success eluded him until collaborations with Jon Spencer in the mid 1990s drew attention and brought his gritty, rough blues, blues-rock to new audiences. Started touring with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in 1995, both as an opening act and sitting in with the band. The collaborative A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey would be released the next year and lauded by critics, Billboard writing it “sounded no other blues album ever released” and gaining praise from musicians such as Bono and Iggy Pop. It turned out to be Burnside's big break. Subsequent albums would feature his rough blues-rock rooted in old blues styles such as rural blues, hill country, Delta and Chicago blues, but drawing from idioms as diverse as punk, techno, hip-hop and downtempo ~ Burnside passed away in 2005
November 23, 1925 ~ Songwriter, arranger Johnny Mandel born in New York, New York, USA ~ Wrote or co-wrote songs recorded by Irene Kral, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee (Close Enough For Love), Irene Kral (Don't Look Back), Anita O'Day, Julie Andrews (Emily), Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Diane Schuur, Shirley Horn (Solitary Moon), and Michael Feinstein ~ Mandel passed away in 2020
November 23, 1921 ~ Jazz guitarist, composer, arranger, producerr Jack Marshall, full name Jack Wilton Marshall, born in El Dorado, Kansas, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Staff producer at Capitol Records during the late 19500s and 1960s. Produced albums by Howard Roberts and Jack Sheldon. Composed for TV series such as The Munsters, penning the theme, and movies such as Thunder Road, The Giant Gila Monster and Kona Coast. Has guested on recordings by Laurindo Almeida, Benny Carter, Judy Henske, Harry James, Barney Kessel, Jody Miller, Marian Montgomery, Louis Prima, Shorty Rogers, and Jack Teagarden ~ Marshall passed away in 1973November 23, 1918 ~ Theodore Samuel Reig, commonly known as producer, A&R reoresentative, promoter, manager Teddy Reig, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Produced Charlie Parker's first recordings as a leader, for Savoy Records in November 1945. Has also worked with Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Don Byas, Erroll Garner, Dexter Gordon, JJ Johnson, Lester Young, Bud Powell, Quincy Jones, Redd Foxx, Sonny Stitt, Lee Morgan, and Maynard Ferguson ~ Reig passed away in 1984
November 23, 1896 ~ Singer, actress Ruth Etting born in David City, Nebraska, USA ~ Dubbed “America's sweetheart of song”, Etting enjoyed popularity especially during the 1920s and 1930s working in stage, radio, and film. Best known for the signature songs Shine On Harvest Moon, Ten Cents A Dance, and Love Me Or Leave Me. Other well known songs include Back In Your Own Backyard, Button Up Your Overcoat, Mean To Me, and Exactly Like You. Etting never took formal voice lessons, and said she had patterned her styling after Marion Harris, but created her own style by alternating tempos. Etting's life was the basis for the 1955 fictionalized film Love Me Or Leave Me starring Doris Day as Etting. Shortly before her death, Etting said she thought the screen portrayal of her was too tough and that Jane Powell would have been a better choice for the lead ~ Etting passed away in 1978November 23, 1875 ~ Edward Smackels Jr, commonly known as lyricist, songwriter Ed Rose born in Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ Best known for writing the lyrics of Oh Johnny Oh Johnny, music composed by Abe Olman, recorded by the Premier Quartet, the Andrews Sisters, Bonnie Baker, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzgerald ~ Smackels passed away in 1935