- 1631 Vincenzo De Grandis, Italian composer and priest, born in Ostra, Papal States (d. 1708)
- 1660 Johann Kuhnau, Bohemian composer (Biblical Sonatas), kapellmeister, novelist, and lawyer, born in Geising, Kingdom of Bohemia (d. 1722)
- 1672 Andre Cardinal Destouches, French composer (Les élémens), born in Paris, France (d. 1749)
- 1708 Johann George Reutter, Austrian composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1772)
- 1752 Johann Friedrich Kranz, German composer, born in Stuttgart, Duchy of Württemberg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1810)
- 1757 Alessandro Rolla, Italian violin and viola player and composer, teacher of Paganini, born in Pavia, Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia (d. 1841)
- 1778 Joseph Funk, early American composer, born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (d. 1862)
- 1812 Gavril Yakimovich Lomakin, Russian composer and teacher, born in Borisk-ovka, Russia (d. 1885)
- 1815 Robert Volkmann, German composer and pedagogue, born in Lommatzsch, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1883)
- 1818 Francis Henry Brown, American teacher and composer (popular pre civil war composer), born in Newburyport, Massachusetts (d. 1891)
- 1835 José Marraco y Ferrer, Catalan church musician and composer, born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 1913)
- 1878 Carl Ehrenberg, German composer, kapellmeister, and pedagogue, born in Dresden, German Empire (d. 1962)
- 1885 Carlos Salzedo, French-American piano prodigy, harpist, composer, educator (Curtis Institue; Juilliard), and new music advocate (co-founder of International Composers' Guild), born in Arcachon, France (d. 1961)
- 1892 Mateusz Gliński, Polish conductor, musicologist (Scriabin, Chopin), composer, and pedagogue (Winsdor University), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1976)
- 1900 Andres Sas, Belgian-Peruvian composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1967)
- 1900 Leo Robin, American songwriter ("Thanks For The Memory"; "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend"), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1984)
- 1901 Willem Pelemans, Flemish composer, and music critic, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1991) [some sources give birthdate as April 8]
- 1902 James "Rosy" McHargue, American jazz clarinetist, and vocalist (Ted Weems Orchestra; The Wolverines), born in Danville, Illinois (d. 1999)
- 1908 Vano Muradeli, Soviet Georgian composer (The Great Friendship; Our Leader), and pedagogue, born in Gori, Georgia, Imperial Russia (d. 1970)
- 1911 Phyllis Tate, English composer, born in Buckinghamshire, England (d. 1987)
- 1919 Paula Kelly, American big band singer (The Modernaires), born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, (d. 1992) [1]
- 1921 "Big" Walter [Horton], American blues harmonica player (Everybody's Fishin'), born in Horn Lake, Mississippi (d. 1981) [some sources cite year as far back as 1917]
- 1921 Andrew Imbrie, American contemporary classical composer, and pianist, born in New York City (d. 2007)
- 1922 Dorothy Donegan, American boogie-woogie, swing jazz, and classical pianist, and vocalist, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1998)
- 1924 Charlie Rouse, American hard bop tenor saxophonist (Thelonious Monk Quartet; Sphere), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1988)
- 1927 Gerry Mulligan, American saxophonist and orchestra leader (Jazz On A Summer Day), born in Queens, New York City (d. 1996)
- 1928 Bob Efford, British jazz and session baritone saxophonist and reed player, born in London (d. 2019)
- 1928 Will Gaines, American-British tap dancer, born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 2014)
- 1929 André Previn, German-American conductor (London Symphony), film score composer (My Fair Lady), and jazz pianist, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2019)
- 1929 Art Taylor, American jazz drummer (Bud Powell, Red Garland, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd), bandleader (Taylor's Wailers), and writer (Notes and Tones), born in New York City (d. 1995)
- 1929 Edison Vasalievich Denisov, Russian avant-garde composer (Sun of the Incas), born in Tomsk, Siberia (d. 1996)
- 1929 Joi Lansing [Joyce Brown], American model, film and television actress (Touch Of Evil; Bob Cummings Show), and nightclub singer, born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 1972)
- 1929 Willis Hall, British screenwriter and dramatist (Torn Curtain; Billy; Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure), born in Hunslet, Leeds, England (d. 2005)
- 1931 Joan Carlyle, Welsh operatic soprano (Covent Garden, 1955-76), born in Upton on the Wirral, Cheshire, England (d. 2021)
- 1934 Guy Peellaert, Belgian graphic artist, photographer (Rock Dreams), movie poster and album cover designer (David Bowie - "Diamond Dogs'; Rolling Stones - "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll"), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 2008)
- 1934 Horace Tapscott, American jazz pianist and composer (Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, 1961-98), born in Houston, Texas (d. 1999)
- 1934 Reijo Jyrkiainen, Finnish composer, born in Suistamo, Finland
- 1936 Manfred Schoof, German free jazz trumpeter and composer (Globe United Orchestra), and educator, born in Magdeburg, Germany
Billy Dee Williams (87 years old)
1937 American stage and screen actor (Brian's Song; Lady Sings the Blues; Mahogany; The Empire Strikes Back), painter, and singer, born in New York City
Merle Haggard (1937-2016)
American country singer-songwriter ("Mama Tried"; "If We Make It Through December"; "Okie from Muskogee"), born in Oildale, California
- 1939 Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, American blues guitarist, and singer, born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2019)
- 1940 Donald Myrick, American saxophonist ("If Leaving Me Is Easy"; "One More Night"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1993)
- 1941 (William) Louis Shelton, American session guitarist and music producer, born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- 1941 Gheorghe Zamfir, Romanian pan flute player, born in Găești, Romania
- 1942 Anita Pallenberg, Italian model and actress credited as the muse of the Rolling Stones, born in Rome, Italy (d. 2017)
- 1944 Felicity Palmer, British mezzo-soprano (English National Opera; Welsh National Opera), and music professor (Royal College of Music), born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
- 1944 John Stax [Fullagar], British rock bassist, and harmonica player (Pretty Things, 1963-67 - "Don't Bring Me Down"; "Cry To Me"), born in Crayford, Kent, England
- 1946 Danny Kortchmar, American session guitarist, producer and songwriter (James Taylor, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Don Henley), born in New York City
- 1947 Rosemary Ann Butler, American session singer (Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Warren Zevon, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Jackson Browne), born in California
- 1947 Tony Connor, British drummer (Hot Chocolate - "You Sexy Thing"), born in Romford, England
- 1951 Ralph Cooper, Australian drummer (Air Supply, 1976-88 - "All Out of Love"), born in Coffs Harbour, Australia
- 1952 Stephen Barber, American musician, arranger, and composer, born in Abilene, Texas
- 1952 Udo Dirkshneider, German heavy metal ringer (Accept, 1976-87 - "Balls to the Wall"; U.D.O.), born in Wuppertal, West Germany
- 1953 Christopher Franke, German musician and composer (Tangerine Dream), born in Berlin, Germany
- 1953 Patrick Doyle, Scottish film composer (Artemis Fowl; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Thor), born in Uddingston, Scotland
- 1956 Hal Willner, American music producer (Lost In The Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill; Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films; The Carl Stalling Project), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2020)
- 1960 John Pizzarelli, American jazz guitarist, vocalist, and record producer, born in Paterson, New Jersey
- 1960 Warren Haynes, American rock and blues guitarist (The Allman Brothers Band), born in Asheville, North Carolina
- 1961 Gene Eugene [Andrusco], Canadian-American actor, singer-songwriter (Adam Again; Lost Dogs), and record producer, born in Fort Frances, Ontario (d. 2000)
- 1964 Amy Jo Ellis, American country-folk singer-songwriter ("Welcome The Day"), born in Modjeska Canyon, California
- 1964 Johnny Dee [DiTeodoro], American heavy metal drummer (Britny Fox - "Boys in Heat"; "King Kobra"), born in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
- 1965 Black Francis [Charles Thompson IV], American singer and songwriter (Pixies; Frank Black), born in Boston, Massachusetts
- 1968 Vanessa Lann, American composer (Dancing to an Orange Drummer), born in Brooklyn, New York
- 1973 Rie Miyazawa, Dutch-Japanese actress (Seven Day's War; Twilight Samurai), and J-pop singer ("Dream Rush"), born in Tokyo, Japan
- 1975 Dannon Phillip Pampolina, rAmerican apper and drummer (The Party), born in Houston, Texas
- 1976 Georg Hólm, Icelandic rock bassist (Sigur Rós), born in Iceland
- 1978 Armen Nalbandian, Armenian-American jazz pianist, composer, and activist, born in Manchester, England
- 1978 Martin Mendez, Uruguayan-Swedish progressive-metal bassist (Opeth), born in Montevideo, Uruguay
- 1978 Myleene Klass, British pop-opera singer, born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
- 1978 Robert Glasper, American jazz, neo-soul, and R&B pianist, songwriter, arranger, and producer, born in Houston, Texas
- 1982 Michael Guy Chislett, Australian-American rock and Christian music guitarist (The Academy Is...2007-11; Hillsong United, 1998-present), born in Skipton, Australia
- 1984 Max Bemis, American rock singer-songwriter (Say Anything), and comic-book writer, born in New York City
- 1985 Garrett Zablocki, American rock guitarist (Senses Fail, 2002-11), born in New Jersey
Composers
Drummers
Guitarists
Pianists
Singers
Songwriters