Chapter 01 — Today in music
On a day like today November 13
2015
The Bataclan tragedy: live music's darkest night
During an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan in Paris, a terrorist attack kills 90 people in the audience, part of the coordinated attacks that struck the city. Live music, that space of communion above all others, was attacked at its heart. The venue's reopening a year later, with Sting, was an act of resistance.
Eagles of Death Metal
1894
Bennie Moten is born, whose orchestra Count Basie inherited after a fatal operation
On November 13, 1894, Bennie Moten was born in Kansas City, pianist and leader of the best orchestra in the Midwest through the 1920s. His band defined Kansas City swing, with its looser rhythmic base than New York's. In 1935 he went in for a routine tonsillectomy; the surgeon cut where he should not have and Moten died on the table. His pianist, Count Basie, took over the orchestra.
Bennie Moten
Count Basie
1939
Idris Muhammad is born, one of the drummers most plundered by hip-hop
On November 13, 1939, Leo Morris was born in New Orleans and learned to play by imitating the parades in his neighbourhood. At sixteen he recorded with Fats Domino. He played on the Rascals' "Groovin'", on soul and spiritual jazz records, and converted to Islam, changing his name to Idris Muhammad. His loose drum patterns, with a pulse nobody can imitate, sit underneath dozens of rap songs.
Idris Muhammad
1940
“Fantasia” premieres: Disney and Stokowski bring the orchestra to the masses
“Fantasia” premieres in New York: Walt Disney's gamble on animating classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski. It was also a technical pioneer, introducing Fantasound, forerunner of stereo and surround sound in theaters. A flop at release, it is now a classic that brought Bach and Stravinsky to millions who would never enter a concert hall.
Leopold Stokowski
Walt Disney
1944
Timmy Thomas is born, who recorded a worldwide hit alone with an organ and a drum box
On November 13, 1944, Timmy Thomas was born in Indiana. In 1972 he walked into a Miami studio with no band and recorded "Why Can't We Live Together" with the only things he had: a Lowrey organ and its built-in rhythm box. That enormous emptiness, with no bass and no real drums, is what makes the song. It sold two million copies and forty years later Drake used it whole as the backing for "Hotline Bling".
Timmy Thomas
Drake
1942
John P. Hammond is born, whose 1965 band had Hendrix and half of The Band at once
On November 13, 1942, John Paul Hammond was born in New York, son of the producer who discovered Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan. He went into acoustic blues on his own, without trading on the name. In 1965 he put together a backing band that now looks impossible: Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm, future members of The Band, and an unknown guitarist called Jimi Hendrix.
John P. Hammond
Jimi Hendrix
Robbie Robertson
1949
Terry Reid is born, who turned down Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple in the same year
On November 13, 1949, Terry Reid was born in Cambridge, a singer whom Jimmy Page offered in 1968 the job of fronting the band he was putting together. Reid said no, because he had a tour booked, and recommended an unknown called Robert Plant. Shortly afterwards he turned down Deep Purple as well. He was left with a cult career, albums other musicians admire and the most expensive anecdote in rock.
Terry Reid
Led Zeppelin
Robert Plant
1973
Bruno Maderna dies, who conducted at six and founded Italy's first electronic studio
On November 13, 1973, Bruno Maderna died in Darmstadt at 53. He had been a prodigy: at six he was conducting orchestras in Italian theatres. As an adult he founded, with Luciano Berio, the phonology studio in Milan, Italy's first electronic music laboratory, and became the conductor who premiered what nobody else would touch. He died of cancer in the middle of a concert season.
Bruno Maderna
Luciano Berio
1982
Kumi Koda is born, who released twelve singles in twelve consecutive weeks
On November 13, 1982, Kumi Koda was born in Kyoto, daughter of a teacher of traditional Japanese music. She became one of her country's best-selling artists with a deliberately provocative image the Japanese industry was not used to tolerating. In 2005 she did something unheard of: she released twelve singles in twelve consecutive weeks, one every Friday, and all of them entered the top ten.
Kumi Koda
1993
Julia Michaels is born, who wrote half the radio before daring to sing
On November 13, 1993, Julia Michaels was born in Iowa. At seventeen she was already writing songs for other people. Before she turned twenty-five she had signed "Sorry" for Justin Bieber, "Good for You" for Selena Gomez and dozens more. She sang the demos herself, and in 2017 someone suggested she release one exactly as it was: "Issues" sold millions and forced her to build a career of her own.
Julia Michaels
Justin Bieber
Selena Gomez
One ephemeris a day, one editorial a week. Zero spam, pure archive.