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 7, 1946 ~ Singer Alfa Anderson born in Augusta, Georgia, USA ~ Member of Chic, initially as a backing singer starting on the band's eponymous Chic debut album, which spawned the hits Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah) and Everybody Dance. Following the departure of Norma Jean Wright, Anderson assumed a role of co-lead singer, notably present on songs such as Le Freak, I Want Your Love, and At Last I'm Free. Prior, during, and after her tenure with Chic, Anderson also provided backup vocals for the likes of Nat Adderley, Roy Buchanan, Sister Sledge, including on the hit We Are Family, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Bryan Ferry, BB King, Sheena Easton, Jellybean, Jody Watley, and NRBQ. Anderson also recorded as a solo artist, noted especially for her 1986 Alpha's Beta album which spawned the club hit Love And Understanding, and formed the spiritual group the Voices Of Shalom with her husband bassist Eluriel Barfield, releasing the albums Messages and Daily Bread with the latter ~ Anderson passed away in 2024
September 7, 1943 ~ Singer, songwriter Frank Crumit passed away in New York, New York, USA ~ Vaudeville, radio performer. Made his stage debut at age 5 in a minstrel show. Appeared in the 1918 Broadway musical Betty Be Good. As a solo artist and songwriter especially popular during the 1920 and early 1930s scoring hits with Frankie & Johnny, A Gay Caballero, The Prune Song, There's No One With Endurance Like The Man Who Sells Insurance and I Learned About Women From Her. Married to singer, musical actress Julia Sanderson in 1928, with whom he would also work as a radio team lovingly dubbed “the Singing Sweethearts of the Air” ~ Crumit was born in 1889
September 7, 1941 ~ Daniel Dorisse, commonly known as jazz, blues vibraphonist, bandleader Dany Doriz, born in Boissy-St-Leger, France ~ Worked with Mickey Baker, Don Byas, Dominique Chanson, Bill Coleman, Peanuts Holland, Memphis Slim, Tete Montoliu, Albert Nicholas, Gérard Badini, Charles Barrie, Al Jones, Michel Sardaby, Yannick Singer, Georges Arvanitas, Lou Bennett, Milt Buckner, Wild Bill Davis, Michel Dennis, Lionel Hampton, Eddie Jones, Duffy Jackson, and Butch Miles
September 7, 1941 ~ Rock, folk rock singer, guitarist, songwriter Michael Peter Smith born in South Orange, New Jersey, USA ~ On par with John Prine and Steve Goodman, though never became a household name. Best known for penning and first recording The Dutchman, popularized by Goodman and covered by numerous artists including Suzy Bogguss, John McDermott, the New Kingston Trio, Tom Russell, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Over a dozen albums to his name including collaborations with Anne Hills, James Lee Stanley, Jamie O'Reilly and several with Barbara Barrow ~ Smith passed away in 2020September 7, 1940 ~ Operatic tenor Giuseppe Giacomini born in Vieggiano, Italy ~ Made his debut in 1966 in Vercelli starring as Pinkerton in a production of the Giacomo Puccini-opera Madame Butterfly. Would go on to work with renowned orchestras and opera houses including the Staatsoper Munchen, the Teatro Colón, La Scala, and the Metropolitan Opera ~ Giacomini passed away in 2021
September 7, 1940 ~ Pop, country singer, songwriter Ronnie Dove, full name Ronald Eugene Dove, born in Herndon, Virginia, USA ~ Active since the late 1950s. Best known for a number of mid 1960s Billboard top 20 hits including Right Or Wrong, One Kiss For Old Times Sake and A Little Bit Of Heaven. Would occasionaly hit the country charts in the 1970s and 1980s
September 7, 1939 ~ Benjamin William Latimore, mononymously known blues, R&B singer, pianist, songwriter Latimore, born in Charleston, Tennessee, USA ~ Known for songs such as the 1973 T-Bone Walker-cover Stormy Monday, the 1974 gender-modified Gladys Knight-cover If You Were My Woman and perhaps his best known Let's Straighten It Out later the same year. Would score a number of moderate single hits throughout the mid-1980s and release albums well throughout the 2010s. Has also worked as a sesion pianist, notably on the Joss Stone albums The Soul Sessions and Mind Body & Soul
September 7, 1936 ~ Charles Hardin Holly, commonly known as singer, songwriter Buddy Holly, born in Lubbock, Texas, USA ~ Quintessential 1950s rock & roll singer. Influenced later artists such as Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, the Hollies, Marshall Crenshaw, and Linda Ronstadt. Known for songs such as That'll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, Rave On and Not Fade Away. Passed away in the same plane crash that killed Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson, an event that became known as “the day the music died” ~ Holly passed away in 1959
September 7, 1934 ~ James Milton Campbell Jr, commonly known as R&B, electric blues, soul, funk singer, guitarist Little Milton, born in Inverness, Mississippi, USA ~ Best known for Who's Cheating Who, Let Me Down Easy, That's What Love Will Do, So Mean To Me, What It Is, and perhaps his best known the 1959 hit record We're Gonna Make It. Influenced by T-Bone Walker. Worked with the Rhythm Aces, and Ike Turner. As a producer, Campbell helped bring Albert King and Fontella Bass to fame ~ Campbell passed away in 2005
September 7, 1930 ~ Saxophonist Sonny Rollins born in New York, New York, USA ~ Regarded as one of the most important tenor saxophonists in jazz with over sixty albums as a leader over a seven-decade career. Wrote a number of jazz standards including St Thomas, Oleo, Doxy and Pent-up House. Especially acclaimed for his 1956 breakthrough album Saxophone Colossus, considered one of the all-time greatest jazz albums. Also appeared on albums by Art Farmer, Miles Davis (Bags Groove), Thelonious Monk (Brilliant Corners), Abbey Lincoln, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Gary Burton, and JJ Johnson (Looking Back)September 7, 1929 ~ Jazz pianist, composer, arranger Harry South born in Fulham, UK ~ Worked with Joe Harriott, Dizzy Reece, Tony Crombie, Tubby Hayes, Les Condon, Joe Temperley, Sammy Walker, Lennie Dawes, Ashley Kozak, Dick Morrisey, Phil Seamen, Keith Christie, Ronnie Scott, Ian Carr, Georgie Fame, Humphrey Lyttelton, Buddy Rich, Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy Witherspoon, Annie Ross, Vic Ash, Jimmy Deuchar, Sonny Stitt, and Jimmy Witherspoon ~ South passed away in 1990
September 7, 1926 ~ Aaron Harold Schröder, commonly known as songwriter, producer, publisher Aaron Schroeder, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Founded Musicor Records. Discovered and managed Gene Pitney. Penned or co-penned over 1500 songs. Had his first success as a songwriter with At A Sidewalk Penny Arcade, a 1948 hit for Rosemary Clooney. Wrote or co-wrote several hits for Elvis Presley, including the Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hits I Got Stung, A Big Hunk O' Love, It's Now Or Never, Stuck On You, and Good Luck Charm. Others who recorded songs written or co-written by Schroeder include Guy Mitchell, Johnnie Ray (No Wedding Today), Carl Perkins, Conway Twitty, the Isley Brothers (I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door), Gene Vincent, Brook Benton, Bobby Vee (Rubber Ball), and Dusty Springfield ~ Schroeder passed away in 2009
September 7, 1920 ~ Guitarist, composer, arranger Al Caiola born in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA ~ Worked prolifically as a studio musician during the 1950s. Became a recording star in his own right in the 1960s, scoring hits such as The Magnificent Seven and Bonanza. Spanned a variety of music genres and has worked with some of the biggest names in music including Elvis Presley, Ray Conniff, Ferrante & Teicher, Frank Sinatra, Percy Faith, Buddy Holly, Mitch Miller, and Tony Bennett ~ Caiola passed away in 2016
September 7, 1912 ~ Trumpeter Alvin Alcorn born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ~ Worked with the Sunny Side Syncopators, Don Albert, Paul Barbarin, Sidney Desvigne, Papa Celestin, Octave Crosby, Kid Ory, Chris Barber, Louis Cottrell Jr, and with the Olympia Brass Band on the Bond Live & Let Die soundtrack. Alcorn would also play a minor part in the film as a killer. ~ Alcorn passed away in 2003
September 7, 1897 ~ Avrum Sherman, commonly known as songwriter Al Sherman, born in Kyiv, Russian Empire ~ Prolific Tin Pan Alley-songwriter perhaps best remembered for co-writing For Sentimental Reasons with Edward Heyman and Abner Silver, first recorded by Kay Kyser in 1926 with vocalist Ginny Simms. The song would become a standard, recorded by numerous artists including Tommy Dorsey, Mildred Bailey, and Patti Page. Others who recorded songs written or co-written by Sherman include Ruth Etting, Gene Austin, Vernon Dalhart, Helen Kane, Maurice Chevalier, Rudy Vallée, Billie Holiday (It's Like Reaching For The Moon), Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Peggy Lee (Save Your Sorrow For Tomorrow), Kay Starr, Doris Day, Helen Humes, Cyndi Lauper (He's So Unusual), and Diana Krall. Sherman's sons Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman would both follow in their father's footsteps and also become professional songwriters ~ Sherman passed away in 1973