Musicians Born on March 15

  • 1754 Silvestro Palma, Italian composer, born in Barano d'Ischia, Kingdom of Naples (d. 1834)
  • 1790 Nicola Vaccai, Italian opera composer, born in Tolentino, Papal States (d. 1848)
  • 1807 Gaetano Gaspari, Italian composer, born in Bologna, Kingdom of Italy (d. 1881)
  • 1835 Eduard Strauss, Austrian dance band conductor, and composer, born in Vienna, Ausrtian Empire (d. 1916)
  • 1836 Henrique Alves de Mesquita, Brazilian composer, conductor and educator, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (d. 1906)
  • 1838 Karl Davydov, Russian cellist, and composer, born in Goldingen, Russian Empire (d. 1889)
  • 1851 Józef Surzyński, Polish organist, composer, conductor, and theologian, born in Śrem, Poland (d. 1919)
  • 1864 Johan Halvorsen, Norwegian violinist, conductor (Nationaltheatret Orchestra, 1899-1929), and composer (Bergensiana), born in Drammen, Norway (d. 1934)
  • 1864 Leslie Stuart, [Thomas Barrett], British musical theater composer (Florodora), born in Southport, Lancashire, England (d. 1928)
  • 1867 Will Rossiter, British-American songwriter, music publisher, and composer (as W.R. Williams), born in Wells, England (d. 1954)
  • 1873 David Vaughan Thomas, Welsh musician and composer, born in Ystalyfera, Wales (d. 1934)
  • 1884 Rudolf Piskáček, Czech composer, born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (d. 1940)
  • 1894 Sláva Vorlová [Miroslava Johnová], Czech composer (Bílá oblaka (White Clouds)), born in Náchod, Lands of the Bohemian Crown (d. 1973)
  • 1900 Colin McPhee, Canadian-American pianist, composer (Tabuh-Tabuhan; H2O; Mechanical Principles), and ethnomusicologist (Bali), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1964)
  • 1901 Theo Uden Masman, Dutch big band orchestra leader (The Ramblers), born in Cirebon, Dutch East Indies (d. 1965)
  • 1905 Bertha "Chippie" Hill, American blues and vaudeville singer (King Oliver's Jazz Band), born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1950)
  • 1907 Jimmy McPartland, American cornetist and musician (Magic Horn), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1991) [1]
  • 1907 Zarah Leander, Swedish actress and singer, born in Karlstad, Värmland County, Sweden (d. 1981)

Lightnin Hopkins (1912-1982)

American blues musician (Ball of Twine), born in Centerville, Texas

  • 1916 Harry James, American swing-era bandleader, trumpeter and husband to Betty Grable, born in Albany, Georgia (d. 1983)
  • 1919 Randy Brooks, American jazz trumpeter and bandleader ("Harlem Nocturne'), born in Sanford, Maine (d. 1967)
  • 1922 (Albert) Eddie Calvert, British trumpeter ("Oh, Mein Papa"; "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)"), born in Preston, Lancashire, England (d. 1978)
  • 1924 Lockrem Johnson, American pianist, composer (A Letter to Emily), educator, and music publisher, born in Davenport, Iowa (d. 1977)
  • 1926 Ben Johnston [Benjamin Burwell Johnston Jr], American microtonal composer (Gambit), born in Macon, Georgia (d. 2019)
  • 1927 Carl Smith, American country singer ("Deep Water"; "Ten Thousand Drums"; "Why, Why"), born in Maynardville, Tennessee (d. 2010)
  • 1928 Nicolas Flagello, American composer (The Judgement of St. Francis; The Passion of Martin Luther King), and conductor (Orchestra da Camera di Roma), born in New York City (d. 1994)
  • 1931 (Dominic Joseph) "D. J." Fontana, American drummer (Elvis Presley), born in Shreveport, Louisiana (d. 2018)
  • 1932 Arif Mardin, Turkish-American music producer (Atlantic Records: Aretha Franklin; Bee Gees), born in Istanbul, Turkey (d. 2006)
  • 1933 Ronald Roseman, American oboist, composer, and music professor, born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2000)
  • 1934 Danny Apolinar, cabaret performer and theatrical composer-songwriter (Do Your Own Thing), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1995)
  • 1934 Wolfgang Hufschmidt, German church musician, academic, and composer, born in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany (d. 2018)
  • 1936 Howard Greenfield, American song lyricist ("Calendar Girl"; "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"; "Love Will Keep Us Together"; theme to "Bewitched"), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 1986)
  • 1938 Charles Lloyd, American jazz and pop saxophonist, arranger, composer (Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderley, The Beach Boys), bandleader, and world music pioneer, born in Memphis, Tennessee
  • 1938 Dick Higgins, American composer, born in Cambridge, England (d. 1998)
  • 1940 Phil Lesh [Chapman], American rock bassist (Grateful Dead - "Box of Rain"), born in Berkeley, California
  • 1941 Mike Love, American vocalist (Beach Boys - "Fun, Fun, Fun"; "California Girls"), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1942 Hughie Flint, British blues-rock drummer (John Mayall & The Blues Breakers, 1964-66; Bonzo Dog Band, 1971; The Blues Band, 1979-82), born in Manchester, England
  • 1942 Montserrat Figueras, Catalan soprano and early music advocate (Hespèrion), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2011)
  • 1943 Sly Stone [Sylvester Stewart] American funk musician (Sly & The Family Stone - "Everyday People"; "Dance To The Music"), born in Denton, Texas
  • 1944 David Costell, American rock bassist (Gary Lewis and The Playboys - "This Diamond Ring"), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • 1944 Gordon "Jazz" Summers, British music manager (Wham, Snow Patrol), born in Winchester, Hampshire (d. 2015)
  • 1944 Ralph MacDonald, Trinbagonian-American jazz and R&B percussionist and songwriter ("Just the Two of Us"; "Where Is The Love"), born in Harlem, New York (d. 2011)
  • 1946 David Wall, British ballet dancer (Royal Ballet, 1966-84), and director (Royal Academy of Dancing, 1985-91), born in Chiswick, London (d. 2013)
  • 1946 Howard Scott, American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (War, 1969-94 - "Cisco Kid"; "Why Can’t We Be Friends?"), born in San Pedro, California
  • 1947 (Ryland) "Ry" Cooder, American Grammy Award-winning blues and world music guitarist and producer (Crossroads; Buena Vista Social Club), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1947 Stomu Yamash'ta, Japanese percussionist, keyboard player and traditional Japanese-progressive rock fusion composer (Go), born in Kyoto, Japan
  • 1950 Jørgen Olsen, Danish singer (The Olsen Brothers) won 2000 Eurovision Song Contest, born in Odense, Denmark
  • 1952 Howard Devoto [Trafford], British singer-songwriter (Buzzcocks; Magazine; Luxuria), born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England
  • 1955 (Daniel) "Dee" Snider, American singer, songwriter and actor (Twisted Sister), born in Astoria, Queens
  • 1955 Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge, American rock and soul singer-songwrtier (DeBarge - "Time Will Reveal"), born in Detroit, Michigan
  • 1955 Steve Lillywhite, British record producer (U2; Rolling Stones; Phish), born in Egham, England
  • 1962 Steve Coy, British rocker and producer (Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)), born in Harrow, England (d. 2018)
  • 1962 Terrence Trent D'Arby, American rock vocalist (Wishing Well), born in New York City
  • 1963 Bret Michaels [Sychak], American rock and country singer-songwriter, guitarist (Poison - "Talk Dirty to Me"), and television personality, born in Butler, Pennsylvania
  • 1964 Rockwell [Kennedy Gordy], American rock vocalist (Somebody's Watching Me), born in Detroit, Michigan
  • 1966 Klaus Paier, Austrian jazz accordionist and composer, born in Sankt Andrä, Austria
  • 1968 John Tardy, American heavy metal vocalist (Obituary - "Slowly We Rot"), born in Miami, Florida
  • 1968 Jon Schaffer, American heavy metal guitarist (Iced Earth), born in Franklin, Indiana
  • 1968 Kahimi Karie [Mari Hiki], Japanese singer-songwriter, born in Utsunomiya, Japan
  • 1968 Mark McGrath, American rock singer (Sugar Ray - "Every Morning"), born in Hartford, Connecticut
  • 1968 Sabrina [Salerno], Italian beauty queen (Miss Italy, 1984), and singer ("Boys"), born in Genoa, Italy
  • 1969 Timo Kotipelto, Finnish rock singer (Stratovarius; Kotipelto), born in Lappajärvi, Finland
  • 1972 Mark Hoppus, American rock singer and bass player (+44; blink-182), born in Ridgecrest, California
  • 1974 John "Beatz" Holohan, American drummer (Bayside), born in Long Island, New York (d. 2005)
  • 1975 Ľubica Čekovská, Slovak classical pianist and composer (Fragments and Elegies; Two Portraits), born in Humenné, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia)

will.i.am (49 years old)

1975 American singer-songwriter, rapper, musician (Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling"), born in East Los Angeles, California

  • 1977 Joe Hahn, American musician and turntablist (Linkin Park), born in Dallas, Texas
  • 1981 Young Buck [David Brown] American rapper, born in Nashville, Tennessee
  • 1982 Jordan Hastings, Canadian drummer (Alexisonfire), born in Hamilton, Ontario
  • 1985 Stefan Węgłowski, Polish composer, guitarist, and educator, born in Warsaw, Poland
  • 1987 Tatiana Shmailyuk, Ukrainian heavy metal vocalist (Jinjer -"Pisces"), born in Donetsk, Ukraine