- 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)
About August 1917
How Old? 106 years old
Generation: Greatest Generation
Leap Year: No
Country Singers
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