Musicians Born on May 3

  • 1649 Johann Valentin Meder, German composer, born in Erfurt, Germany (d. 1719)
  • 1708 Johann Adolph Scheibe, German music theorist and composer, born in Leipzig, Germany (d. 1776)
  • 1729 Florian Leopold Gassmann, Bohemian composer, born in Brüx, Bohemia (d. 1774)
  • 1737 Friedrich Schwindl, Dutch composer, born in Amsterdam (d. 1786)
  • 1744 Friedrich Wilhelm Weis, German physician and composer, born in Göttingen, Germany (d. 1826)
  • 1752 Braz Francisco de Lima, Portuguese composer, organist, mestre de capela, and pedagogue, born in Lisbon, Portugal (d. 1813)
  • 1819 Nicola De Giosa, Italian composer, born in Bari, Italy (d. 1885)
  • 1844 Richard D'Oyly Carte, English opera impresario (Gilbert & Sullivan operas), born in London (d. 1901)
  • 1886 Marcel Dupré, French organist and composer, born in Rouen, France (d. 1971)
  • 1902 Hugo Friedhofer, American composer, born in San Francisco, California (d. 1981)

Bing Crosby (1903-1977)

American singer ("White Christmas", "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy") and actor ("Going My Way"), born in Tacoma, Washington

  • 1910 Alceo Galliera, Italian conductor (Victoria Symphony; La Scala), and composer (The Wise Virgins and the Foolish Virgins), born in Milan, Italy (d. 1996)
  • 1911 John Rhea "Yank" Lawson, American jazz trumpeter ("Dogtown Blues"; "Stormy Weather"), born in Trenton, Missouri (d. 1995)
  • 1912 Virgil Fox, American organist, born in Princeton, Illinois (d. 1980)
  • 1915 Evencio Castellanos, Venezuelan pianist, and composer, born in Cúa, Miranda state, Venezuela (d. 1984)
  • 1916 Léopold Simoneau, French Canadian tenor, born in Saint-Flavien, Quebec, Canada (d. 2006)

Betty Comden (1917-2006)

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

  • 1917 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)
  • 1917 James Penberthy, Australian composer, born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1999)

Pete Seeger (1919-2014)

American folk singer (The Weavers - "Goodnight Irene") and activist, helped create the modern American folk music movement, born in New York City

  • 1920 John Lewis, American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer (Modern Jazz Quartet, 1952-97), born in La Grange, Illinois (d. 2001)
  • 1921 Joe Ames, American singer and actor (The Ames Brothers Show), born in Malden, Massachusetts (d. 2007)
  • 1922 Marina Svetlova, American ballerina and choreographer (Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo), born in Paris (d. 2009)
  • 1923 George Hadjinikos, Greek pianist and conductor, born in Volos, Greece (d. 2015)
  • 1924 Jane Morgan [Florence Currier], American singer ("The Day The Rains Came"; "Fascination"), stage and television actress, born in Newton, Massachusetts
  • 1924 Tom O'Horgan, American musical theater director (Hair; Jesus Christ Superstar), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2009)
  • 1928 Dave Dudley, American country singer (Six Days on the Road), born in Spencer, Wisconsin (d. 2003)

James Brown (1933-2006)

American R&B, gospel, soul and funk singer-songwriter known as 'The Godfather of Soul' ("Sex Machine"; "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag"; "Hot Pants"), born in Barnwell, South Carolina

  • 1934 Frankie Valli [Francesco Stephen Castelluccio], American singer (Four Seasons - "Sherry"; "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You"), born in Newark, New Jersey
  • 1934 Georg Kröll, German composer, born in Linz
  • 1939 Jonathan Harvey, English composer (Bhakti, Music of Stockhausen), born in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (d. 2012)
  • 1940 Conny Plank, German record producer and musician, born in Hütschenhausen, Germany (d. 1987)
  • 1941 Frank Collett [Taglieri], American jazz pianist and bandleader, born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2016)
  • 1943 Gregory Bowen, Welsh big band jazz and session trumpet player (James Bond films), born in Llangennech, South Wales
  • 1944 Pete Staples, British rock bassist (Troggs - "Wild Thing"; "Love Is All Around"), born in Andover, Hampshire, England
  • 1950 Mary Hopkin, Welsh folk singer ("Those Were the Days"; "Goodbye"), born in Pontardawe, Wales
  • 1951 Christopher Cross [Geppert], American singer-songwriter ("Arthur's Theme"; "Think Of Laura"; "Sailing"), born in San Antonio, Texas
  • 1952 Keiji Haino, Japanese rock guitarist, and singer-songwriter (Fushitsusha), born in Chiba, Japan
  • 1953 Bruce Hall, American rock bassist (Reo Speedwagon), born in Champaign, Illinois
  • 1953 Gary Young, American rock drummer (Pavement), born in Mamaroneck, New York (d. 2023)
  • 1954 Patti Boulaye [Komlosy] (née Ebigwei), Nigerian-British pop singer and stage and screen actress (Bisi, Daughter of the River), born in a taxi in Mid-Western Nigeria
  • 1955 Timmy Cappello, American rock & sax player (Tina Turner; Ringo Starr; The Lost Boys), born in Silver Lake, New York
  • 1955 Van McLain [McElvain], American rock guitarist (Shooting Star), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2018)
  • 1957 [Michael] Cactus Moser, American country singer (Highway 101), born in Montrose, Colorado
  • 1958 Dean Garcia, British session and touring guitarist and bass player (Curve, 1990-2005; Eurythmics, 1983-85), born in London, England
  • 1959 David Ball, English rock keyboardist (Soft Cell), born in Blackpool, Lancashire
  • 1968 Jay Darlington, English keyboardist (Kula Shaker), born in London
  • 1968 Shane Minor, American country music singer, born in Modesto, California
  • 1971 Josey Scott, American singer (Saliva), born in Memphis, Tennessee
  • 1975 Maksim Mrvica, Croatian pianist, born in Šibenik, Croatia
  • 1978 Paul Banks, English-American vocalist (Interpol), born in Clacton-on-Sea, England
  • 1981 Farrah Franklin, American singer (former member of Destiny's Child), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1983 Myriam Fares, Lebanese singer, Arab female artist who performs choreographed dance routines while singing, born in Kfar Chellal, Lebanon
  • 1984 Cheryl Burke, American professional dancer (Dancing with the Stars), born in San Francisco, California
  • 1985 Greg Raposo, American singer and actor, born in New York
  • 1987 Michael Kiwanuka, British singer-songwriter ("Love & Hate"), born in Muswell Hill, London, England
  • 2001 Rachel Zegler, American actress, singer and YouTuber (West Side Story), born in Hackensack, New Jersey