On This Day

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Musicians Born on May 21

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  • 1633 Joseph de La Barre, French composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1678)
  • 1671 Azzolino Bernardino Della Ciaia, Italian organist and composer, born in Siena (d. 1755)
  • 1680 Frederich Karl Erbach, German composer, born in Odenwald (d. 1731)
  • 1720 Antonio Corbisiero, Italian Baroque composer, born in Marzano di Nola, Kingdom of Naples (d. 1790)
  • 1722 Wilhelm Gottfried Enderle, German composer and violinist, born in Bayreuth (d. 1790)
  • 1841 Joseph Parry, Welsh composer and musician, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales (d. 1903)
  • 1867 Désiré Pâque, Belgian organist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Liège, Belgium (d. 1939)
  • 1880 Pablo Luna, Spanish composer (De España vengo), born in Alhama de Aragón, Spain (d. 1942)
  • 1888 May Aufderheide, American ragtime composer (Dusty Rag), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 1972) [1]
  • 1890 Albert van Raalte, Dutch conductor (AVRO - Dutch Radio Orchestra, 1928-40), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1952)
  • 1898 Karel Haba, Czech composer and violinist, born in Vizovice, Moravia (d. 1972)
  • 1901 Horace Heidt, American orchestra leader (Swift Show Wagon), born in Alameda, California (d. 1986)
  • 1901 Sam Jaffe, American music and film producer (Born Free, The Fighting Sullivans), born in Harlem, New York (d. 2000)

Fats Waller (1904-1943)

American jazz organist, piano player, singer and composer ("Ain't Misbehavin'"; "Honeysuckle Rose"; "Hot Chocolate"), born in New York City [1]

Fats Waller
  • 1905 Edward Lockspeiser, British composer and musicologist (Debussy: His Life and Mind), born in London (d. 1973)
  • 1913 Gina Bachauer, Greek classical pianist of Austrian heritage, born in Athens, Greece (d. 1976)
  • 1916 Dennis Day [Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty], Irish-American tenor ("Danny Boy"), radio and television comic actor (Jack Benny Program; A Day in the Life of Dennis Day), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 1988)
  • 1920 Anthony Steel, British actor and singer (Malta Story, The Wooden Horse), born in London, England (d. 2001)
  • 1921 Leona Wood, American surrealist painter and ballet and folk dancer, born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2008)
  • 1923 Doris Mae Akers, American gospel singer-songwriter (Sky Pilot Choir - Sweet, Sweet Spirit), born in Brookfield, Missouri (d. 1995)
  • 1924 Robert Parris, American composer (Book of Imaginary Beings), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1999)
  • 1929 Charles Wadsworth, American pianist (Lincoln Center), born in Barnesville, Georgia
  • 1929 Larance Marable, American jazz drummer (Charlie Haden's Quartet West; Stan Getz; Groove Holmes), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2012)
  • 1932 Robert Sherlaw Johnson, British composer and music scholar, born in Sunderland
  • 1933 Gene “Joe” Byrd, American jazz bassist (Charlie Byrd Trio), born in Chuckatuck, Virginia (d. 2012)
  • 1933 Maurice André, French classical trumpeter and baroque revivalist, born in Alès, France (d. 2012)
  • 1934 (Elbert) "Sonny" Forriest, American guitarist (The Coasters; Ray Charles; Hank Crawford), born in Pendleton, North Carolina (d. 1999)
  • 1935 Terry Lightfoot, British clarinetist and bandleader (New Orleans Jazzmen), born in Potters Bar, England (d. 2013)
  • 1938 (Henry) Lee "Shot" Williams, American blues singer ("I Like Your Style"), born in Mississippi (d. 2011)
  • 1939 Heinz Holliger, Swiss composer, oboist and conductor, born in Langenthal, Switzerland

Tony Sheridan (1940-2013)

British singer-songwriter and guitarist who collaborated with the pre-fame Beatles ("My Bonnie"), born in Norwich, England

Tony Sheridan
  • 1941 Martin Carthy, English folk musician, born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire
  • 1941 Ronald Isley, American singer (Isley Brothers - "Twist and Shout"; "This Old Heart Of Mine"), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • 1943 Hilton Valentine, British rock guitarist (Animals - "House of the Rising Sun"), born in North Shields, Northumberland, England (d. 2021)
  • 1943 John Dalton, British rock bass player (The Kinks, 1969-76 -"Lola"; "Celluloid Heroes"), born in Enfield, Middlesex, England
  • 1943 Vincent Crane [Cheesman], British rock Hammond organist, and songwriter (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - "Fire"), born in Reading, Berkshire, England (d. 1989)
  • 1944 Marcie Blane [Blank], American pop singer (Bobby's Girl), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • 1947 Bill Champlin, American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and producer (Chicago, 1981-2009; Sons of Champlin), born in Oakland, California
  • 1948 (Gerard) "Leo" Sayer, British songwriter and singer ("You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"; "When I Need Love"), born in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England
  • 1949 Arno [Arnold Hintjens], Belgian rock singer-songwriter (TC Matic), born in Ostend, Belgium (d. 2022)
  • 1949 Rosalind Plowright, British mezzo-soprano (Aida, Senta), born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England
  • 1951 Arthur Russell, American experimental classical-pop fusion cellist, and composer, born in Oskaloosa, Iowa (d. 1992)
  • 1954 Marc Ribot, American guitarist (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, John Zorn), born in Newark, New Jersey
  • 1955 John Galvin, American rock keyboardist (Molly Hatchet), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • 1955 Stan Lynch, American rock drummer (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1976-94), producer, and songwriter, born in Gainesville, Florida
  • 1961 Tim Lever, British rock keyboardist (Dead or Alive - "You Spin Me Round"), born in Liverpool, England
  • 1962 David Crumb, American contemporary composer, and educator (University of Oregon, 1997-present), born in Colorado
  • 1963 Dave Specter, American Chicago blues and jazz guitarist, born in Chicago, Illinois
  • 1963 Greg Smith, American session and touring rock bassist (Rainbow; Alice Cooper; Wendy O. Williams, Ted Nugent), born in the USA
  • 1963 Kevin Shields, American born Irish musician (My Bloody Valentine), born in Queens, New York
  • 1968 Julie Vega, Filipina child actress and singer, born in Quezon City, Philippines (d. 1985)
  • 1972 Adriano Cintra, Brazilian dance-rock musician (CSS, 2003-11; I Love Miami), born in São Paulo, Brazil

The Notorious B.I.G. (1972-1997)

American rapper (Life After Death), born in Brooklyn, New York

The Notorious B.I.G.
  • 1974 Havoc [Kejuan Muchita], American rapper (Mobb Deep), born in Queensbridge, Queens, New York
  • 1975 Lee Gaze, Welsh guitarist (No Devotion), born in Pontypridd, Wales
  • 1976 Christopher Tin, American film, television, and video game score composer (Baba Yetu), born in Redwood City, California
  • 1976 Deron Miller, American rock musician (CKY), born in Chester, Pennsylvania
  • 1976 Kardinal Offishall [Jason Drew Harrow], Canadian rapper, born in Scarsborough, Ontario
  • 1979 Fayçal Salhi, French-Algerian jazz guitarist and oud player, born in Khenchela, Algeria
  • 1979 Gaspard Augé, French electronic-rock musician (Justice), born in Besançon, France
  • 1980 Gotye [Wouter De Backer], Belgian-Australian rock singer-songwriter ("Someone That I Used to Know"), born in Bruges, Belgium
  • 1981 Max Mutzke, German funk-pop-soul singer-songwriter and musician ("Can't Wait Until Tonight"), born in Waldshut-Tiengen, Germany
  • 1982 Tay Zonday [Adam Bahner], American singer-songwriter ("Chocolate Rain"), and YouTube personality, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • 1985 Kano [Robinson], English rapper and actor, born in London, England
  • 1985 Marco Carta, Italian pop singer, born in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
  • 1985 Mutya Buena, British pop singer (Sugababes - "Push the Button"), born in London, England
  • 1986 Myra [Quintana], Mexican-American pop singer ("Miracles Happen (When You Believe)"), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1992 Olivia Olson, American singer and actress (Love Actually - "Joanna"), born in Los Angeles, California


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