Today's Birthdays in Music

  • 1604 Johan IV, King of Portugal (1640-56), composer, and musicologist, born at Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa, Vila Viçosa, Portugal (d. 1656)
  • 1668 Francesco Gasparini, Italian baroque composer (Ambleto; Missa Canonica), born in Camaiore, Republic of Lucca (d. 1727)
  • 1673 Pedro Vaz Rego, Portuguese composer and poet, born in Campo Maior, Portugal (d. 1736)
  • 1715 Charles-Joseph van Helmont, South Netherlands organist and composer, born in Belgium, Austrian Netherlands (d. 1790)
  • 1740 Johann Georg Roser, Austrian composer and kapellmeister, born in Naarn im Machland, Upper Austria (d. 1797)
  • 1752 José Maurício, Portuguese organist, and sacred music and modinha (love song) composer, born in Coimbra, Portugal (d. 1815)
  • 1767 Leonhard von Call, Austrian guitarist, mandolin virtuoso, and composer, born in Eppan an der Weinstraße, South Tyrol, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1815)
  • 1785 Pierre-Joseph-Guillaume Zimmermann, French pianist, music teacher, and composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1853)
  • 1809 Fredrik Pacius, German-Finnish composer (Finnish and Estonian national anthems), conductor, and music educator, known as "the Father of Finnish music", born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1891)
  • 1816 Johannes Verhulst, Dutch composer and conductor, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1891)
  • 1847 Constantin Dimitrescu, Romanian composer (Dans ţănănesc), born in Blejoi, Romania (d. 1928)
  • 1872 Anna Held, Polish-born French actress and singer (A Parisian Model), born in Warsaw (d. 1918)
  • 1873 Max Reger, German concert pianist, organist, composer (Hebbel Requiem), and professor (Royal Conservatory - Leipzig, 1907-16), born in Brand, Kingdom of Bavarian, German Empire (d. 1916)
  • 1879 Joseph Haas, German late romantic opera composer (Tobias Wunderlich, Totenmesse), born in Maihingen, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire (d. 1960)
  • 1883 Josef Matthias Hauer, Austrian composer and music theorist, born in Wiener Neustadt, Austria (d. 1959)
  • 1892 Robert Denzler, Swiss concert pianist, conductor, champion of contemporary music, and composer, born in Zurich, Switzerland (d. 1972)
  • 1904 Tadeusz Zygfryd Kassern, Polish composer and cultural attache, born in Lviv, Poland (d. 1957)
  • 1906 Normand Lockwood, American composer (The Closing Doxology; The Hanging Judge), and educator, born in New York City (d. 2002)

Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994)

Irish-English composer, notably of string quartets, and contemporary music promoter, born in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England

  • 1907 Marc Vaubourgoin, French composer, conductor, and musicologist, born in Caudéran, France (d. 1983)
  • 1912 Lavere "Buster" Harding, Canadian-American jazz pianist, composer and arranger (Count Basie; Dizzy Gillespie; Billie Holiday), born in North Buxton, Ontario (d. 1965)
  • 1912 Russ Case, American orchestra leader (Julius La Rosa Show), born in Hamburg, Iowa (d. 1964)
  • 1914 James "Buster" Bennett, American blues saxophonist and blues shouter, born in Pensacola, Florida (d. 1980)
  • 1917 Constantin "Dinu" Lipatti, Romanian classical pianist and composer, born in Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania (d. 1950)
  • 1919 Lennie Tristano, American jazz pianist (The New Tristano), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1978)
  • 1921 Harry Babasin, American jazz bassist and cellist (Dodo Marmarosa Trio), and archivist (Los Angeles Theaseum), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 1988)
  • 1921 Robert McFerrin, Sr., American operatic baritone (Metropolitan Opera, 1955-58; singing voice for Sidney Poitier in film "Porgy and Bess"), born in Marianna, Arkansas (d. 2006) [1]
  • 1923 Janine Dacosta, French classical pianist, born in Bordeaux, France (d. 2021)
  • 1928 (Allan Thomas) "Tom" Paley, American folk musician (New Lost City Ramblers), born in New York City (d. 2017)
  • 1928 Clarence Paul [Pauling], American songwriter, and record producer (Motown; Stevie Wonder - "Fingertips"), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (d. 1995)
  • 1929 Herman van San, Belgian classical and electro-acoustic composer, born in Mechelen, Belgium (d. 1975)
  • 1929 Robert Muczynski, American classical pianist, composer (Time Pieces), and educator, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2010)
  • 1930 Bill Henderson, American jazz singer ("Señor Blues"), and actor (Dreams - "Torpedo"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2016)
  • 1936 Amancio D'Silva, Goan-Indian jazz guitarist and composer, born in Bombay, British India (d. 1996)
  • 1936 Birthe Wilke, Danish pop singer (Eurovision Song Contest, 1957 & 1959), born in Vesterbro, Denmark
  • 1937 Clarence "Frogman" Henry, American R&B pianist and singer ("Ain't Got No Home"; "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1942 Jeff Neighbour, American rock bassist, and ukulele player (Joy of Cooking), born in Mason City, Washington
  • 1942 Robin Luke, American rockabilly singer ("Susie Darlin'"), and later college professor, born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1944 Joseph Celli, American experimental composer, oboist, and international reed player (Korean hojok and piri; Indian mukha vina; Japanese hickirick), born in Bridgeport, Connecticut
  • 1944 Myung-Wha Chung, Korean concert cellist (Chung Trio), and educator, born in Seoul, Japanese Korea
  • 1944 Tom Constanten, American rock keyboardist (Grateful Dead, 1968-70 - Aoxomoxoa), born in Long Branch, New Jersey
  • 1946 Paul Atkinson, British rock guitarist (The Zombies - "She's Not There"; "Time Of The Season"), and record company executive, born in Cuffley, Hertfordshire (d. 2004)
  • 1946 Ruth Pointer, American pop and R&B singer-songwriter (The Pointer Sisters - "I'm So Excited"), born in Oakland, California
  • 1948 Peep Lassmann, Estonian concert pianist, and educator (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, 1992-present), born in Tartu, Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
  • 1950 Curtis Fowlkes, American jazz and session trombonist, singer, and band leader (The Jazz Passengers; Lounge Lizards), born in NYC (d. 2023)
  • 1951 Derek Longmuir, Scottish rock drummer (Bay City Rollers - "Saturday Night"), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • 1952 Gerard Huerta, American graphic designer and album cover artist (CBS Records - AC/DC, Boston, Blue Oyster Cult, Rupert Holmes), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1953 Billy Sheehan, American rock bassist (Talas; Mr Big - "To Be With You"; David Lee Roth), born in Buffalo, New York
  • 1953 Ricky Wilson, American rock guitarist (B-52's - "Rock Lobster"; "Love Shack"), born in Athens, Georgia
  • 1959 Anthony Marinelli, American session keyboardist and synthesizer player (Michael Jackson; Sigue Sigue Sputnik), film, television, and advertising composer, born in Burbank, California
  • 1959 Terry Hall, British rock-ska-pop singer (Specials; Fun Boy Three; Vegas), born in Coventry, England (d. 2022)
  • 1960 Eliane Elias, Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger (Dreamer; Around The City), born in São Paulo, Brazil
  • 1964 Yoko Kanno, Japanese keyboard and accordion player, arranger, jazz, pop music (Seatbelts), and soundtrack composer (Cowboy Bebop), born in Sendai, Japan
  • 1966 James "Big Jim" Wright, American Grammy and Dove Award-winning keyboardist, composer, arranger, and record producer (Sound of Blackness; Mariah Carey), born in Rockford, Illinois (d. 2018)
  • 1966 Michael Urbano, American session and touring drummer (John Hiatt; Smash Mouth; Ligabue), born in Sacramento, California
  • 1969 Gary Jules, American singer and songwriter, born in Fresno, California
  • 1975 Brann Dailor, American heavy metal drummer (Mastodon), born in Rochester, New York
  • 1975 Vivian Hsu, Taiwanese pop singer-lyricist (Black Biscuit - "Timing"), actress (The Knot), and model, born in Fengyuan District, Taiwan
  • 1976 Zach Lind, American drummer (Jimmy Eat World - "The Middle"), born in Mesa, Arizona
  • 1980 Mikuni Shimokawa, Japanese pop singer-songwriter, born in Shinhidaka, Japan
  • 1983 Ana Rezende, Brazilian rock guitarist and keyboard player (CSS), and film director, born in São Paulo, Brazil
  • 1990 Tanja Tzarovska, Macedonian singer (The Passion of the Christ; Troy), and songwriter, born in Resen, Yugoslavia


Famous Musicians