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.
September 29, 1975 ~ Singer Jackie Wilson collapses on-stage at the Latin Casino, Cherry Hill, New Jersey ~ Wilson was one of the featured acts in Dick Clark's Good Ol' Rock & Roll Revue and suffered a heart attack in the middle of the opening lines of Lonely Teardrops, singing “my heart is crying.” Reaching for his chest and collapsing on the stage, the crowd initially cheered, thinking it was part of the act. Jackie Wilson would be rushed to the hospital and subsequently remain in a coma until his death 9 years later
September 29, 1974 ~ Wilhelmina Madison Goodson, commonly known as jazz singer, pianist Billie Pierce, passed away in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Married to De De Pierce, with whom she also worked. Influenced by Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Bessie Smith from an early age, although her orthodox Baptist parents disapproved of anything other than hymns. Has worked with AJ Piron, Alphonse Picou, Emile Barnes, George Lewis, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band ~ Goodson was born in 1907September 29, 1974 ~ Electronic, trip hop, indie pop, house producer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter Liam Howe, full name Liam Coverdale Howe, born in Hartlepool, UK ~ Co-founded electronic music band Sneaker Pimps, best known for their 1996 Becoming X debut album which spawned the singles 6 Underground and Spin Spin Sugar. Has gone on to become an in-demand producer for the likes of Lana Del Rey, Marina & the Diamonds, Ultrafox, FKA Twigs, Ellie Goulding, and Tom Vek
September 29, 1970 ~ Jason Lewis, commonly known as rapper AMG, born in Inglewood, California, USA ~ First appeared on DJ Quik's 1991 album Quik Is The Name. Released his own debut album, Bitch Betta Have My Money, later the same year. Known for his sexually explicit lyrics. Would collaborate with DJ Quik in 2007 under the collaborative moniker the Fixxers but the project would be shelved after releasing one single Can U Werk Wit Dat
September 29, 1969 ~ Raúl Alejandro Escajadillo Peña, commonly known as singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter Aleks Syntek, born in Mérida, Mexico ~ Derived his stage name from being called “el sin teclados” meaning “the keyboard-less” by his friends, having to borrow keyboards from his friends. Member of La Gente Normal before venturing out on his own. Released his De Noche En La Ciudad debut album in 2001, which would reach Gold status, and has recorded steadily since. Well known songs include Sexo Pudor Y Lagrimas, La Tormenta and Corazones Invencibles. Has collaborated with Ana Torroja, Steve Porter, Kylie Minogue, Miguel Bosé, and Malu
September 29, 1969 ~ Power pop, alternative rock guitarist, drummer Jon Auer, full name Jonathan Paul Auer, born ~ Best known for co-founding power pop band the Posies with Ken Stringfellow, the band drawing heavily from Merseybeat with additional influences such as Hüsker Dü, XTC, Elvis Costello and Squeeze. Has also worked with Sky Cries Mary, Big Star, Lucky Me, Jean Jacket Shotgun and with the Squirrels, and recorded as a solo artist. Has served as producer for the likes of You Am I, Monostereo, Love Battery, Redd Kross, Truly, and TADSeptember 29, 1968 ~ Jazz pianist, arranger Eddie Wilcox passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Arranger for Jimmie Lunceford from the 1920s until Lunceford's death in 1947. Took over the orchestra, serving as co-leader with Joe Thomas, through the early 1950s. Founded R&B Raecox label in the 1950s. Also worked as executive for Riviera Records and Derby Records ~ Wilcox was born in 1907
September 29, 1968 ~ Twin brothers Luke Goss and Matt Goss born in Lewisham, UK ~ Drummer Luke and singer, songwriter Matt would first gain attention as members of Bros, initially aided by bassist Craig Logan, known for late 1980s hits such as When Will I Be Famous, Drop The Boy and I Owe U Nothing
September 29, 1967 ~ Alternative rock, indie rock singer, pianist, guitarist, percussionist Brett Anderson, full name Brett Lewis Anderson, born in Haywards Heath, UK ~ Lead singer, primary lyricist of Suede, known for UK top 10 hits such as Animal Nitrate, Trash, Beautiful Ones, Electricity. Also fronted Tears amd recorded several albums as a solo artist starting with the eponymous Brett Anderson album released in 2007
September 29, 1964 ~ British pop, rock group the Beatles record I Don't Want To Spoil The Party at EMI Studios, London, UK ~ Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, primarily by the formerr. Produced by George Martin. Used in the feature film A Hard Day's Night and on the accompanying album. In the USA also used as the B-side of Eight Days A Week, released in February 1965September 29, 1964 ~ Gustave Molvik, commonly known as hard rock, glam rock singer Taime Downe, born in Seattle, Washington, USA ~ Lead singer, sole constant member of hard rock outfit Faster Pussycat, best known for House Of Pain of their 1989 Wake Me When It's Over sophomore album. Following the band's disbandement in 1992 Downe has worked with Pigface, guested on Skid Row's Psycho Therapy, and founded industrial rock band the Newlydeads
September 29, 1963 ~ Alternative rock, funk metal, progressive rock bassist, singer Les Claypool, full name Leslie Edward Claypool, born in Richmond, California, USA ~ Lead singer, bassist, sole constant member of funk metal outfit Primus, known best for their breakout 1991 Sailing The Seas Of Cheese sophomore album. Member of supergroups Oysterhead and Colonel Claypool's Bucket Of Bernie Brains. Fronted experimental rock groups Frog Brigade and the Fancy Band. Formed the duo Duo De Twang with Brian Kehoe, and the duo Claypool-Lennon Delirium with Sean Lennon. Has also worked with Sausage, Holy Mackerel, Blind Illusion, Tom Waits, Alex Lifeson, and Limp BizkitSeptember 29, 1963 ~ British rockers the Rolling Stones embark on their first ever tour, starting at the Victoria Theatre, London, UK ~ The then still relatively unknown band embark on their first ever tour, a package tour headlined by the Everly Brothers for the first five dates, replaced by Little Richard thereafter, and Bo Diddley. In total the tour consisted of 30 dates through early November, with two concerts per date, and the Rolling Stones playing a ten-minute set per concert. Other performers on the package tour included Mickie Most and Julie Grant
September 29, 1963 ~ Laurent Morhain, commonly known as singer Solal born in Lorient, France ~ Discovered by Michel Sardou. Would go on to perform in numerous musicals, perhaps most notably in the rol of Tristan in a 2000 production of Tristan Et Yseult and as Leopold Mozart, the father of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in a 2008 production of Mozart L'Opera Rock
September 29, 1961 ~ Jazz pianist, keyboardist Dave Kikoski born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Opus 5, Roy Haynes, Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, Billy Hart, George Garzone, Barry Finnerty, Red Rodney, Craig Handy, Ralph Moore, Didier Lockwood, Joe Locke, , Olivier Ker Ourio, the Mingus Big Band, Toninho Horta, Eddie Gomez, Al Foster, Alex Acuña, John Patitucci, Larry Grenadier, Pat Martino, and Alexander CiaffySeptember 29, 1961 ~ Singer, guitarist, songwriter Scott Weinrich, full name Robert Scott Weinrich, born in Maryland, USA ~ Influenced by the Monkees, the Beatles, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, the Stooges. Helped develop doom metal. Influential in stoner rock and punk rock. Best known as co-founder of the Obsessed. Member of doom metal outfit Saint Vitus. Has also worke with Shrinebuilder, Dave Grohl's project Probot, the Bullring Brummies, and recorded as a solo artist
September 29, 1958 ~ Country, folk singer, guitarist, violinist, pianist, flutist, songwriter Lynn Miles born in Cowansville, Canada ~ Active since the late 1980s. Released her full-length Chalk This Up To The Moon debut album in 1991. Best known for her song Remembrance Day, used in a video by the Canadian Armed Forces. Critically acclaimed for her Unravel album released in 2001
September 29, 1958 ~ Composer, conductor Michael Ching born in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA ~ Has held positions with orchestras such as the Houston Grand Opera Studio, the Florida Grand Opera, the Texas Opera Theatre, and the Opera Memphis. As a composer, Ching is known mostly for a number of operas, notably an a capella adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which premiered in 2011
September 29, 1958 ~ Alternative rock, post-punk singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, percussionist Mick Harvey, full name Michael John Harvey, born in Rochester, Australia ~ Best known for his longtime association with Nick Cave, including in Boys Next Door, the Birthday Party and the Bad Seeds. Has also worked with Crime & the City Solution, Anita Lane, the Wallbangers and with PJ Harvey, composed for films and recorded as a solo artist
September 29, 1957 ~ Rock & roll singer Buddy Holly and his backing unit the Crickets record Maybe Baby in Clovis, New Mexico, USA ~ Written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, the latter also producing. Included on the album The Chirping Crickets. Released as a single b/w Tell Me How the following year. The single would reach top 20 on both sides of the Atlantic. Holly lead vocals and guitar, Niki Sullivan rhythm guitar, Joe Mauldin contrabass, Jerry Allison drums
September 29, 1957 ~ Singer, guitarist, songwriter Sokratis Malames born in Sykia, Greece ~ Over a dozen albums to his name, starting with Aspromavres Istories released in 1989. Known for songs such as Thiasos, Kirki and Adeio Domatio. Has collaborated with artists as diverse as Manolis Rasoulis, Dionyssis Tsaknis, BD Foxmoor, Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Thanos Mikroutsikos, and Takis Vouis
September 29, 1952 ~ Trumpeter Roy Campbell Jr, full name Roy Sinclair Campbell Jr, born in Los Angeles, California, USA ~ Considered a trumpet virtuoso, Campbell first gained serious attention in 1970s free jazz, regularly working with the likes of Jemeel Moondoc, William Parker, Don Cherry, Peter Brötzmann, and Matthew Shipp, spending a significant portion of his career on the European jazz scene. After his return to America by the early 1990s, Campbell has recorded about a dozen albums as a leader including the acclaimed New Kingdom and Now, the latter with his avant-garde jazz ensemble Other Dimensions In Music. Over the course of his lengthy and varied career, Campbell has also appeared on albums by Billy Bang, Ehran Elisha (The Kicker), the Die Like A Dog Quartet (From Valley To Valley), Dave Hillyard, Yuko Fujiyama (Re-Entry), Spring Heel Jack, the Nu-Band, David First (Universary), and Joe Maneri ~ Campbell passed away in 2014
September 29, 1950 ~ Ali Mahammed, commonly known as Oromo, world music singer, guitarist, songwriter Ali Birra, born in Dire Dawa, Ethiopian Empire ~ Regarded as the most popular Oromo icon, an ethnic group mostly native to the Oromia region. Other than in his native Oromo language Birra also sang in Amharic, Harari and Somali. Actively recording since the early 1970s. Well known songs include Hin Yaadin, Asabalee, Ammalelee, and Gamachu ~ Mahammed passed away in 2022September 29, 1949 ~ Michael Ray Martin, commonly known as country singer Martin Delray, born in Texarkana, Arkansas, USA ~ Recorded two albums in the early 1990s. Perhaps best known for his Johnny Cash-cover Get Rhythm of his debut album of the same name, featuring Cash on guest vocals, and for Sometimes She Forgets, the latter notably covered by Travis Tritt, Steve Earle, and the Dead Ringer Band
September 29, 1948 ~ Singer, guitarist Mark Farner, full name Mark Fredrick Farner, born in Flint, Michigan, USA ~ Lead singer, guitarist, primary songwriter for Grand Funk Railroad, known for the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits We're An American Band, The Loco-Motion, Some Kind Of Wonderful and Bad Time. The band name is a play on the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, a line that runs through the band's home town of Flint, Michigan. Farner had previously played with Terry Knight & the Pack and the Bossmen. After Grand Funk's initial disbandement in 1976 Farner has recorded as a solo artist, toured with Ringo Starr & his All-Starr Band and fronted several Grand Funk reincarnationsSeptember 29, 1948 ~ Rock singer, guitarist Mike Pinera, full name Carlos Michael Pinera, born in Tampa, Florida, USA ~ Fronted Blues Image, known for Ride Captain Ride lifted off their Open sophomore album. The single, written by Pinera and the band's keyboardist Skip Konte, would be their sole single to reach top 40, peaking at No.4 Billboard Hot 100. After the band folded, Pinera would go on to work with Iron Butterfly, Ramatam which also included Jimi Hendrix-drummer Mitch Mitchell, Cactus, Alice Cooper, and with supergroup the Classic Rock All-Stars. As a solo artist, Pinera is perhaps most noted for his 1979 Forever album, which spawned the minor hit Goodnight My Love ~ Pinera passed away in 2024