Musicians Born on August 5

  • 1397 Guillaume Dufay, Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer and theorist, born in Beersel, Burgundian Netherlands (now Belgium) (d. 1474) [date disputed]
  • 1607 Philipp Friedrich Boddecker, German composer and court organist, born in Hagenau, Alsace. Holy Roamn Empire (now Haguenau, France) (d. 1683)
  • 1623 Antonio Cesti, Italian composer, singer and musician, baptized in Arezzo, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (now Italy) (d. 1669)
  • 1694 Leonardo Leo, Italian composer, born in San Vito degli Schiavi, Kingdom of Naples (now Italy) (d. 1744)
  • 1797 Friedrich August Kummer, German composer and musician, born in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen (now Germany) (d. 1879)
  • 1811 Ambroise Thomas, French opera composer (Mignon), and music professor, born in Metz, France (d. 1896)
  • 1822 Johann Georg Herzog, German composer and organist, born in Hummendorf, ingdom of Bavaria (now Germany) (d. 1909)
  • 1828 Giovanni Rossi, Italian composer, born in Borgo San Donnino, Duchy of Parma and Piacenza (now Italy) (d. 1886)
  • 1829 Heinrich Stiehl, German organist and composer, born in the Free Imperial City of Lübeck (d. 1886)
  • 1843 James Scott Skinner, Scottish composer and dancing master, born in Arbeadie, Scotland (d. 1927)
  • 1850 Anton Simon, Russian composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1916)
  • 1864 Resurreccion Maria de Azkue, Basque priest, composer and first head of the Euskaltzaindia, born in Lekeitio, Spain (d. 1951)
  • 1866 Alfred Holy, Portuguese composer and harpist (German Opera - Prague, 1885–96); Berlin Royal Opera, 1896–1903, Vienna Court Opera, 1903–13; Boston Symphony, 1913-28), born in Oporto, Portugal (d. 1948)
  • 1868 Oskar Merikanto [Ala-Kanto], Finnish pianist, organist, and composer, born in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland (d. 1924)
  • 1880 Gertrude E Durden Rush, American composer, and playwright (Black Girls Burden), born in Navasota, Texas (d. 1962)
  • 1886 Óscar Esplá Spanish composer, born in Alicante, Spain (d. 1976)
  • 1890 Erich Kleiber, Austrian-Argentine conductor (Teatro Colón, 1937-49; NBC Symphony, 1947-48), born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (d. 1956)
  • 1890 Hans Gál, Austrian-British composer (Die heilige Ente (The Sacred Duck)), born in Brunn am Gebirge, Austria (d. 1987)
  • 1900 Bodi Rapp [Johanna Goetmakers], Dutch mezzo-soprano and teacher, born in Almelo, Netherlands (d. 1977)
  • 1901 Juan Carlos Paz, Argentine composer, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1972)
  • 1909 Ernestine "Tiny" Davis, American jazz vocalist and trumpeter (International Sweethearts of Rhythm), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 1994)
  • 1910 Bruno Coquatrix, French songwriter, music impresario (Olympia Hall, Paris), and politician, born in Ronchin, France (d. 1979)
  • 1910 [Johan] Erik Lindegren, Swedish poet/librettist (Aniara), born in Luleå, Sweden (d. 1968)
  • 1914 Stjepan Sulek, Croatian violinist and composer (Coriolan), born in Zagreb, Croatia (d. 1986)
  • 1918 Betty Oliphant, British-Canadian ballerina, co-founder of National Ballet School of Canada, born in London, England (d. 2004)
  • 1926 Betsy Jolas, French-American composer, born in Paris, France
  • 1926 Jeri Southern [Genevieve Hering], American jazz singer ("You Better Go Now"; "Joey"), and pianist, born in Royal, Nebraska (d. 1991)
  • 1927 Gunnar Bucht, Swedish composer, padagogue, and musicologist, born in Stocksund, Sweden
  • 1932 Tera de Marez Oyens, Dutch composer, born in Velsen, Netherlands (d. 1996)
  • 1934 Vern Gosdin, American country singer ("Set 'Em Up Joe"), born in Woodland, Alabama (d. 2009)
  • 1941 Airto Moreira, Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist (Quarteto Novo, Miles Davis, Return to Forever), born in Itaiópolis, Brazil
  • 1942 Chuck Day (also known as "Bing" Day), American session guitarist, bassist and blues performer, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2008)
  • 1942 Rick Huxley, British rock guitarist (Dave Clark Five - "Glad All Over"), born in Dartford, England (d. 2013)
  • 1943 Sammi Smith, American country music singer ("Help Me Make It Through The Night"), born in Orange County, California (d. 2005)
  • 1943 Sandy Pearlman, American lyricist; music producer, artist manager (Blue Öyster Cult), music journalist and record company executive, born in Rockaway, Queens, New York City (d. 2016)
  • 1946 Rick van der Linden, Dutch keyboardist (Ekseption), and composer, born in Badhoevedorp, Netherlands (d. 2006)
  • 1947 Greg Leskiw, Canadian guitarist (The Guess Who, 1970-72), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1947 Rick Derringer [Zehringer], American guitarist, songwriter (The McCoys - "Hang On Sloopy"; solo - "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo".), and producer (Edgar Winter; Johnny Winter; Weird Al Yankovic), born in Fort Recovery, Ohio
  • 1947 Willie Weeks, American session and touring bass player (George Harrison; Vince Gill; Wynonna Judd; David Bowie; Eric Clapton), born in Salemburg, North Carolina
  • 1951 Jemeel Moondoc, American improvisational jazz saxophonist (Ensemble Muntu; Jus Grew Orchestra), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • 1953 Samantha Sang [Cheryl Lau Sang], Australian pop singer (Emotion), born in Melbourne
  • 1955 Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda, American rock guitarist and songwriter (Twisted Sister; Scarecrow), born in New York City
  • 1956 Ferdi Bolland, Dutch singer, guitarist (Bolland & Bolland - "Spaceman"), songwriter, and record producer, born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
  • 1959 Pete Burns, English singer (Dead or Alive - "Spin Me Round"), born in Bebington, England (d. 2016)
  • 1960 Seth Swirsky, American pop songwriter ("Tell It To My Heart"), born in Connecticut
  • 1961 Mark O'Connor, American violinist and composer of classical, jazz and bluegrass music (Appalachian Journey), born in Seattle, Washington
  • 1961 Pat Smear [Georg Ruthenberg], American rock guitarist (Foo Fighters - "Everlong"; "My Hero"), born in West Los Angeles, California
  • 1963 Mike Nocito, American rocker (Johnny Hates Jazz), born in Wiesbaden, West Germany

Adam Yauch (1964-2012)

American rap-rock vocalist (Beastie Boys -"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"), born in Brooklyn, New York

  • 1965 Jeff Coffin, American musician (Bela Fleck & the Flecktones; Dave Matthews Band), born in Massachusetts
  • 1965 Motoi Sakuraba, Japanese keyboardist, and progressive rock and video game music composer, born in Akita Prefecture, Japan
  • 1968 Terri Clark, Canadian country singer-songwriter, and guitarist, born in Montreal, Quebec
  • 1971 "Evil" Jared Hasselhoff [Hennegan], American rock bassist (Bloodhound Gang), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 1972 Christian Olde Wolbers, Belgian heavy metal bassist and songwriter (Fear Factory), born in Antwerp, Belgium
  • 1975 Eicca Toppinen, Finnish cellist (Apocalyptica), born in Vantaa, Finland
  • 1978 Nektaria Karantzi, Greek traditional music and Byzantine chant singer, born in Greece
  • 1981 Kō Shibasaki, Japanese singer and actress (47 Ronin), born in Toshima, Japan
  • 1981 Ricky Kej, Indian Grammy Award-winning new age musician, composer (Winds of Samsara; Divine Tides), and environmentalist, born in North Carolina, USA
  • 1982 Tobias Regner, German rock singer, born in Teisendorf, Bavaria, West Germany
  • 1983 Dawn Richard, American pop, and R&B singer (Danity Kane), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1997 Olivia Holt, American actress (Cloak and Dagger) and singer, born in Germantown, Tennessee
  • 1997 Yungblud [Dominic Harrison], English singer-songwriter (Weird!) and actor, born in Doncaster, England