Musicians Born in 1917

Feb 6 Liberato Firmino Sifonia, Italian composer, born in Geneva, Switzerland (d. 1995)
Feb 7 Milt Holland [Milton Olshansky], American drummer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist, and tinkle-ist (film Tinkerbell's tinkle; Bewitched - Samantha's nose tinkle), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2005)
Feb 12 Thomas Scherman, American conductor (Little Orchestra Society, 1947-75), born in New York City (d. 1979)
Feb 20 Phil Moore, American jazz pianist, arranger, and bandleader, born in Portland, Oregon (d. 1987) [1]
Feb 21 Lucille Bremer, American actress and dancer (Meet Me In St. Louis; Ziegfeld Follies), born in Amsterdam, New York (d. 1996)
Feb 21 Tadd Dameron, American jazz pianist, composer ("If You Could See Me Now"; "Lady Bird"), arranger (Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine) and bandleader, born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1965)
Feb 24 Myra Taylor (née Render), American jazz singer ("Spider and the Fly"; Wild Women of Kansas City), songwriter, and actress, born in Bonner Springs, Kansas (d. 2011)
Feb 28 George Malcolm, British keyboard player and conductor (Westminster Cathedral Master of the Music, 1947-59), born in London, England (d. 1997)

Dinah Shore (1917-1994)

Mar 1 American singer (See the USA in a Chevrolet), actress and TV personality (Dinah Shore Show; Nabisco DS Championship), born in Winchester, Tennessee

Desi Arnaz (1917-1986)

Mar 2 Cuban-American singer ("Babalú"), bandleader, actor (I Love Lucy - "Ricky Riccardo"), and television producer (The Untouchables), born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

Mar 2 John Gardner, English classical composer, born in Manchester, England (d. 2011)
Mar 7 Janet Collins, American ballerina, choreographer, and teacher, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2003)
Mar 7 Robert Erickson, American composer, born in Marquette, Michigan (d. 1997)
Mar 12 Leonard Chess [Lejzor Czyż], Polish-American blues and R&B record company executive (Chess Records), born in Motal, Poland (now Belarus) (d. 1969)
Mar 17 Brian Boydell, Irish composer, born in Howth, Ireland (d. 2000)
Mar 19 Constantin "Dinu" Lipatti, Romanian classical pianist and composer, born in Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania (d. 1950)
Mar 20 Vera Lynn, British popular music singer, known as 'the Forces' Sweetheart' ("We'll Meet Again"; "The White Cliffs of Dover"), born in East Ham, London (d. 2020)
Mar 23 Johnny Guarnieri, American stride and jazz stride pianist, and harpsichordist (The Gramercy Five; The Morey Amsterdam Show), born in New York City (d. 1985)
Mar 26 Rufus Thomas, American vaudevillian, singer-songwriter, and R&B musician known as "Mr. Swing" ("Walking the Dog", "Do the Funky Chicken"), born in Cayce, Mississippi (d. 2001)
Mar 30 Els Aarne, Estonian composer, born in Makiivka, Russian Empire (d. 1995)
Mar 30 Rudolf Brucci [Bruči], Italian-Croatian composer (Gilgamesh; Lesta), and educator, born in Zagreb, Austrian-Hungarian Empire (d. 2002)
Apr 2 Lou Monte [Scaglione], Italian-American novelty song singer-songwriter (Peppino the Italian Mouse; Dominick the Donkey), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 1989)
Apr 3 Bill Finegan, American pianist and big band arranger (Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey), composer and bandleader (Sauter-Finegan Orchestra), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 2008)
Apr 3 Tibor Andrasovan, Slovak composer, born in Slovenská Lupca, Zólyom, Austria-Hungary (d. 2001)
Apr 5 Richard Yardumian, American composer (Come Creator Spirit), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1985)
Apr 7 Egil Harder, Danish concert pianist and composer (The Blue Anemone), born in Norway (d. 1997)
Apr 12 Helen Forrest [Fogel], American big band, pop, and swing jazz singer (Artie Shaw; Benny Goodman; Harry James), born in Atlantic City, New Jersey (d. 1999) [1]
Apr 15 Pietro Grossi, Italian composer, and electronic music pioneer, born in Venice, Kingdom of Italy (d. 2002)
Apr 19 Johnny Hoes, Dutch musician and producer (Wished I'd stayed with my Mom), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 2011)
Apr 22 Yvette Chauviré, French ballerina, born in Paris (d. 2016)

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)

Apr 25 American jazz, swing, pop, and blues singer, known as "The First Lady of Song" (Verve "Songbook" series), born in Newport News, Virginia [1]

Apr 30 Bea Wain, American singer and radio host ("Deep Purple"; "Heart and Soul"), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2017)

Betty Comden (1917-2006)

May 3 American lyricist ("On The Town"; "Just In Time") and playwright, born in Brooklyn, New York

May 3 George Gaynes, Dutch-Finnish-American singer, stage and screen actor (Tootsie; Police Academy; General Hospital), born in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire (d. 2016)
May 3 James Penberthy, Australian composer, born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1999)
May 4 Edward Toner Cone, American pianist, composer and pedagogue, born in Greensboro, North Carolina (d. 2004)
May 6 Kal Mann, American lyricist ("Let's Twist Again"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2001)
May 12 Andries Antonie Rieu, Dutch conductor (Maastricht Symphony Orchestra, 1949-80), born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 1992)
May 14 Lou Harrison, American composer (La Koro Sutro), born in Portland, Oregon (d. 2003)
May 16 Geraint Jones, Welsh conductor and organist, born in Porth, Wales (d. 1998)
May 20 Francis-Paul Demillac [Enyss Djemil], French violinist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Paris, France (d. 2014)
May 22 Daniel Nagrin, American modern dancer and choreographer, born in New York City (d. 2008)
May 22 Georg Tintner, Austrian conductor, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1999)
May 25 Jimmy Hamilton, American jazz saxophonist, born in Dillon, South Carolina (d. 1994)
May 28 "Papa" John Creach, American blues violinist (Hot Tuna; Jefferson Airplane), born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania (d. 1994)
Jun 2 Max Showalter, American actor and composer (Kansas, Niagara, Stockard Channing Show in Caldwell), born in Caldwell, Kansas (d. 2000)
Jun 4 Robert Merrill [Moishe Miller], American operatic baritone (NY Metropolitan Opera, 1945-76), and actor, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2004)

Dean Martin (1917-1995)

Jun 7 American singer ("That's Amore"; "Everybody Loves Somebody"; "Sway"), comedian and actor (Martin and Lewis, The Dean Martin Show), born in Steubenville, Ohio

Jun 13 Philip Bodner, American jazz clarinetist and studio musician (also played flute, oboe, saxophone, piccolo, and English horn), born in Waterbury, Connecticut (d. 2008)
Jun 13 Simon "Si" Zentner, American jazz, session, and pop trombonist and big-band bandleader, born in New York City (d. 2000)
Jun 15 Michalis Genitsaris, Greek rebetiko singer and composer, born in Agia Sofia, Piraeus, Greece (d. 2005)
Jun 18 Akhmet Jevdet Ismail Hajiyev, Azerbaijani composer, born in Nukha, Azerbaijan (d. 2002)
Jun 23 Peter Knight, English musical arranger, conductor, and composer, born in Exmouth, Devon, England (d. 1985)
Jun 28 Willem "Wim" Sonneveld, Dutch singer considered one of the 'Great Three' of Dutch cabaret (My Fair Lady), born in Utrecht, Netherlands (d. 1974)
Jun 30 Lena Horne, American actress and Grammy Award-winning singer (Cabin in the Sky; Stormy Weather; The Wiz), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2010)
Jul 6 Hugo Cole, composer and music critic, born in London (d. 1995)
Jul 7 (Woodrow Wilson) "Red" Sovine, American country music singer ("Phantom 309"; "Teddy Bear"), born in Charleston, West Virginia (d. 1980)
Jul 7 Elton Britt [Baker], American country singer-songwriter ("There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere"; Saturday Night Jamboree), born in Zack, Arkansas (d. 1972)
Jul 9 Ted Steele, American orchestra leader (Cavalcade of Stars), born in Hartford, Connecticut (d. 1985)
Jul 14 Arthur Leavins, English violinist and concertmaster (Royal Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra), born in Leicester, England (d. 1995)
Jul 18 Henri Salvador, French-Caribbean pop singer, guitarist, and cabaret artist, born in Cayenne, French Guiana (d. 2008)
Jul 24 Robert Farnon, Canadian classical and light music composer and conductor, born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2005)
Jul 27 Bourvil [André Robert Raimbourg], French actor and singer (Le Corniaud; La Grande Vadrouille), born in Prétot-Vicquemare, France (d. 1970)
Jul 27 Moses Rascoe, American blues singer, born in Windsor, North Carolina (d. 1994)
Aug 6 Hidayat Inayat Khan, British-French classical composer, conductor and Sufi teacher, born in London, England (d. 2016)
Aug 12 Marjorie Reynolds [Goodspeed], American actress and dancer (Holiday Inn, Life of Riley), born in Buhl, Idaho (d. 1997)
Aug 16 Roque Cordero, Panamanian composer (Sonata Breve), born in Panama City (d. 2008)
Aug 17 Zhou Xiaoyan, Chinese operatic soprano and pedagogue (Shanghai Conservatory, 1949-65 and 1970-78), born in Wuhan, China (d. 2016)
Aug 22 John Lee Hooker, American blues guitarist ("Boogie Chillen"'; "Boom Boom"), born in Clarksdale, Mississippi (d. 2001)
Aug 23 Tex Williams, American country-western singer, born in Ramsey, Illinois (d. 1985)
Sep 1 Velma Middleton, American jazz vocalist (Louis Armstrong's big bands and small groups), born in Holdenville, Oklahoma (d. 1961)
Sep 2 Laurindo Almeida, Brazilian classical, jazz and Latin guitarist and composer (developed bossa nova), born in Prainha, São Paulo, Brazil (d. 1995)
Sep 5 Art Rupe [Goldberg], American gospel, R&B, and early rock record producer and label executive (Specialty Records - Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Lloyd Price), born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania (d. 2022)
Sep 13 Jón Thórarinsson, Icelandic composer and musicologist, born in Gilsárteigur, Iceland (d. 2012)
Sep 13 Robert Ward, American composer (Pantaloon), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2013)
Sep 15 Richard Arnell, English classical composer, born in London, England (d. 2009)
Sep 17 Isang Yun, Korean-born German composer, born in Sancheong, Korea (d. 1995)
Sep 18 Ande Anderson, English opera director, born in South Shields (d. 1996)
Sep 26 Nelson "Cadillac" Williams, American jazz trumpeter (Tiny Bradshaw; Billy Eckstine; Duke Ellington), born in Montgomery, Alabama (d. 1973)
Sep 28 Michael Somes, British dancer (Royal Ballet, 1938-70), born in Horsley, Gloucestershire, England (d. 1994)
Sep 28 Václav Kašlík, Czech opera composer (Krakatit), conductor, and director, born in Poličná, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1989)

Buddy Rich (1917-1987)

Sep 30 American jazz drummer and bandleader (Buddy Rich Band - "Away We Go"), born in Brooklyn, New York

Oct 2 Francis Jackson, British organist, composer (East Acklam; A Time of Fire), and music director (York Minster, 1946-82), born in Malton, Yorkshire, England (d. 2022)
Oct 2 William Marshall, American singer, bandleader and actor (State Fair, Pennsylvanians), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1994)
Oct 4 Albert de Klerk, Dutch organist, composer, and conductor, born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 1998)
Oct 8 Hans Poser, German composer, born in Tannenbergsthal (d. 1970)
Oct 10 Thelonious Monk, American jazz pianist and composer ("Straight, No Chaser"; "'Round Midnight"; "Brilliant Corners"), born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina (d. 1982)
Oct 11 Franz Alphons Wolpert, German composer, born in Wiesentheid, Germany (d. 1978)
Oct 15 Paul Tanner, American trombonist (Glenn Miller Orchestra), developer and player of the Electro-Theremin (The Beach Boys - "Good Vibrations"; "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times"), and educator (UCLA), born in Skunk Hollow, Kentucky (d. 2013)
Oct 21 John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, American jazz trumpeter, a creator of bebop & modern jazz (A Night In Tunisia), born in Cheraw, South Carolina (d. 1993)
Oct 27 Carl "Bama" Warwick, American jazz trumpeter (Dizzy Gillespie; John Kirby; Woody Herman; Buddy Rich), born in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 2003)
Oct 31 Erik Routley, British Congregational minister, composer and musicologist, born in England (d. 1982)
Nov 1 Gail Reese [Virginia Vieser], American big band and radio singer (Bunny Berigan, Glenn Miller), born in New York (d. 1997)
Nov 5 Claus Adam, American composer and cellist (Juilliard Quartet), born in Sumatra, Indonesia (d. 1983)
Nov 6 András Mihály, Hungarian composer, born in Budapest (d. 1993)
Nov 7 Howard Rumsey, American jazz musician (Lighthouse Cafe), born in Brawley, California (d. 2015)
Nov 11 Julien-François Zbinden, Swiss jazz pianist, and jazz and classical composer (Monophrases), born in Rolle, Switzerland (d. 2021)
Nov 12 Jo Stafford, American pop singer (The Pied Pipers - "I'll Never Smile Again"; Tommy Dorsey - "Let's Just Pretend"; solo - "You Belong to Me"), born in Coalinga, California (d. 2008) [1]
Nov 20 Max Georg Baumann, German composer (Libertas Cruciata), born in Kronbacher, Germany (d. 1999)
Nov 20 Pam Henning [Cornelia Catharina Pamela Ingenegeren], Indonesian-Dutch cabaret dancer and actress, born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (d. 2008)
Nov 20 Ram Gopal, Indian-English dancer (Blue Peter, Purple Plain), born in Bangalore, India (d. 2003)
Nov 22 Jean-Etienne Marie, French composer of microtonal music and electroacoustics, born in Pont-l'Évêque, France (d. 1989)
Nov 24 Richard Hervig, American classical composer (Woman with a Torch; Epitaph), and teacher, born in Story City, Iowa (d. 2010)
Nov 24 Rita Corita [Hendrika Sturm], Dutch pop singer ("Koffie, koffie, lekker bakkie koffie - Coffee, coffee, nice cup of coffee"), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1998)
Nov 26 Nesuhi Ertegün, Turkish–American jazz record producer and label executive (Atlantic Records; Warner Music), born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) (d. 1989)
Nov 29 Merle Travis, American country singer, guitarist and songwriter ("16 Tons"), born in Rosewood, Kentucky (d. 1983)
Dec 2 Sylvia Syms, American jazz singer (Hello Dolly; Dream Girl; Them There Eyes), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1992)
Dec 4 Don "Pixie" Roberts, Australian jazz clarinetist, saxophone player, and record label executive (Swaggle), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1992)
Dec 8 Rufo I Wever, Aruban pianist and composer (Ca'i Organ), born in Oranjestad, Aruba (d. 1977)
Dec 11 [Dámaso] Pérez Prado, Cuban bandleader and musician, born in Matanzas, Cuba (d. 1989)
Dec 13 Dave Street [Patrick Devlin], American actor and singer (Moonrise; I Surrender Dear; Broadway Open House), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1971)
Dec 17 Louis Palange, American arranger, classical music and film score composer (Hollywood Panorama; King Dinosaur), and conductor, born in Oakland, California (d. 1979)
Dec 18 Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, American blues, jazz, and R&B alto saxophonist, born in Houston, Texas (d. 1988)
Dec 21 Andre Eglevsky, Russian-born ballet dancer & teacher (Limelight), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1977)
Dec 27 Dardanelle (Breckenbridge), American jazz pianist, vibraphonist, and singer, born in Avalon, Mississippi (d. 1997)
Dec 31 Joan McCracken, American actress, dancer and comedian (Claudie Story of a Marriage), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1961)