Musicians Born on December 23

  • 1582 Severo Bonini, Italian composer and monk, born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (d. 1663)
  • 1644 Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco, Spanish organist, composer (La púrpura de la rosa), and maestro de capilla (Catedral de Lima, Peru, 1676-1707), born in Villarrobledo, Spain (d. 1728)
  • 1689 Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French Baroque composer, one of the 1st to work without patrons, born in Thionville, France (d. 1755)
  • 1699 Joseph Gibbs, English composer and organist, born in Colchester, England (d. 1788)
  • 1709 Jean-Noël Hamal, Walloon composer, and music director (Saint-Lambert Cathedral), born in Liège, Spanish Netherlands (d. 1778)
  • 1714 Johann Siebenkas, German composer, born in the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1781)
  • 1716 Johann Heinrich Rolle, German composer, born in Quedlinburg, Margraviate of Brandenburg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1785)
  • 1749 Johann Lukas Schubaur, German composer, and physician, baptized in Lechfeld, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1815)
  • 1763 John Davy, English composer, born at Creedy Bridge, Devon, England (d. 1824)
  • 1800 Marco Aurelio Zani de Ferranti, Italian classical guitarist and composer, born in Bologna, Cisalpine Republic (d. 1878)
  • 1812 William Hauser, American composer and minister, born in Bethania, North Carolina (d. 1880)
  • 1823 Alexandru Flechtenmacher, Romanian composer, born in Iaşi, Romania (d. 1898)
  • 1828 Mathilde Wesendonck (née Luckemeyer), German writer, poet (Tagebuchblatter), and object of composer Richard Wagner's infatuation, born in Elberfeld, Rhenish Prussia (d. 1902)
  • 1830 Adam Minchejmer, Polish composer and conductor, born in Warsaw, Russian Poland (d. 1904)
  • 1855 Alan Gray, British composer (Trinity College), born in York, England (d. 1935)
  • 1869 Hugh Allen, British organist, conductor (Bach Choir; Leeds Festival), and educator (Oxford, 1918-46-; Royal College of Music, 1918-37), born in Reading, Berkshire, England (d. 1946)
  • 1896 Alberto Hemsi, Turkish composer (Sephardic Melodies), born in Turgutlu, Ottoman Empire (d. 1975)
  • 1905 Árni Björnsson, Icelandic composer, born in Lóni, Iceland (d. 1995)
  • 1906 Ross Lee Finney, American composer (Landscapes Remembered), born in Wells, Minnesota (d. 1997)
  • 1913 Hans Henkemans, Dutch composer and teacher, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1995)
  • 1913 Leo Ketelaars, Dutch violinist and baritone oratorio vocalist, born in Maasniel, Netherlands (d. 1992)
  • 1914 Dezider Kardos, Slovak composer, born in Nadlice, Slovakia (d. 1991)
  • 1918 Jose Greco, Italian-American flamenco dancer (Holiday for Lovers), born in Montorio nei Frentani, Italy (d. 2000)
  • 1923 Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist and radio host, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2008)
  • 1923 Milt Okun, American music producer, conductor, and arranger (John Denver; Peter, Paul and Mary), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2016)
  • 1926 Raymond Daveluy, Canadian organist (St. Joseph's Montreal, 1960-2002), composer and educator, born in Victoriaville, Quebec (d. 2016)
  • 1926 Ron Gowans, Australian jazz saxophonist, born in Sydney (d. 2009)
  • 1927 (Cornelius) "Pinocchio" James, American jazz and R&B singer (Lionel Hampton Revue), born in Macon, Georgia
  • 1927 Joseph Castaldo, American composer, born in New York City (d. 2000)
  • 1928 (Murrey) "Buddy" Harman, American country music session drummer (Grand Ole Opry; Elvis Presley; Patsy Cline; Brenda Lee; Ween), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 2008)
  • 1928 Chronis Aidonidis, Greek folk and traditional music singer, born in Karoti, Greece (d. 2023)

Chet Baker (1929-1988)

American jazz trumpeter and vocalist ("My Funny Valentine"), born in Yale, Oklahoma

  • 1930 Barbara Ruick, American actress (Carousel; Fearless Fagan), and singer (Jerry Colonna Show), born in Pasadena, California (d. 1974)
  • 1934 Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor (I Solisti Veneti), born in Padua (d. 2018)
  • 1935 Esther Phillips [Jones], American R&B singer ("What A Diff'rence A Day Makes"), born in Galveston, Texas (d. 1984)
  • 1935 Johnny Kidd [Frederick Heath], British rock singer-songwriter (Johnny Kidd & Pirates - "Shakin' All Over"), born in Willesden, North London, England (d. 1966)
  • 1936 Claude Coppens, Belgian concert pianist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Schaerbeek, Belgium
  • 1940 Eugene Record, American musician (Chi Lites - "Give It Away"; "Have You Seen Her"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2005)
  • 1940 Jorma Kaukonen, American rock guitarist (Jefferson Airplane; Hot Tuna), born in Washington, D.C.
  • 1941 Tim Hardin, American singer ("If I Were A Carpenter"; "Black Sheep Boy"; "Reason to Believe"), born in Eugene, Oregon (d. 1980)
  • 1942 Friedrich Schenker, composer, born in Zeulenroda, Germany (d. 2013)
  • 1943 Derek Small, British fictional heavy metal bassist (Spinal Tap), born in Nilford-on-Null, West Midlands, England
  • 1943 Harry Shearer, American screenwriter, actor (SNL, 1975-85; The Simpsons; This Is Spinal Tap), radio host (Le Show), and musician, born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1943 Ross Edwards, Australian composer (Dawn Mantras), born in Sydney, Australia
  • 1945 Georges Aperghis, Greek composer, born in Athens, Greece
  • 1945 Ron Bushy, American rock drummer (Iron Butterfly - “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2021)
  • 1946 Edita Gruberova, Slovak operatic soprano, born in Bratislava, Slovakia (d. 2021)
  • 1949 Luther Grosvenor, English rock musician (Spooky Tooth), born in Evesham, United Kingdom
  • 1949 [Steven] Adrian Belew, American new wave and progressive rock singer and guitarist (Frank Zappa; David Bowie; King Crimson, 1981-2009; The Bears), born in Covington, Kentucky
  • 1951 Anthony Phillips, English rock guitarist (Genesis, 1967-70), born in London, England
  • 1951 Doug Stegmeyer, American rock bassist (Billy Joel Band, 1976-87), born in Flushing, Queens, New York (d. 1995)
  • 1951 Johnny Contardo, American doo-wop singer (Sha Na Na, 1971-83), born in Boston, Massachusetts
  • 1952 Hans Abrahamsen, Danish classical music composer (Let Me Tell You; Left, Alone; Schnee), born in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
  • 1956 Dave Murray, English heavy metal guitarist and songwriter (Iron Maiden), born in London, England
  • 1957 Dan Bigras, Canadian rock singer, born in Montreal, Quebec
  • 1958 Victoria Williams, American folk-rock-country singer (Loose), born in Shreveport, Louisiana
  • 1960 William Sinnot, Scottish techno-dance pop singer and musician (Shamen - "Move Any Mountain"), born in Glasgow (d. 1990)
  • 1962 Sonny Emory, American session and touring drummer (Earth, Wind & Fire, 1987-99), and music professor, born in Atlanta, Georgia

Eddie Vedder (59 years old)

1964 American rock singer (Pearl Jam - Ten; "Jeremy"), born in Evanston, Illinois

  • 1966 Stephen Layton, English conductor and music director (Trinity College Cambridge, 2006-23; City of London Sinfonia, 2010-16), born in Derby, England
  • 1967 Carla Bruni, Italian-French model and singer-songwriter, born in Turin, Italy
  • 1968 Quincy Jones III, Swedish-American musician, born in Wimbledon, London
  • 1971 Masayoshi Yamazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter, born in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
  • 1975 Yasmin Levy, Israeli Ladino singer, born in Baka, Jerusalem, Israel
  • 1977 Jari Mäenpää, Finnish heavy metal guitarist and singer (Wintersun), born in Finland
  • 1978 Esthero [Jenny-Bea Englishman] Canadian dance-rock musician and singer, born in Stratford, Ontario
  • 1981 Beth [Elisabeth Rodergas Cols], Spanish singer and actress, born in Súria, Catalonia
  • 1985 Harry Judd, British drummer (McFly), born in Chelmsford, United Kingdom
  • 1988 Eri Kamei, Japanese J-pop singer (Morning Musume), born in Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan
  • 1990 Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress, model, and singer, born in San Francisco, California

Finn Wolfhard (21 years old)

2002 Canadian actor (Stranger Things; It), and rock singer (Calpernia; The Aubreys), born in Vancouver, British Columbia