On This Day

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Musicians Born on May 31

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  • 1656 Marin Marais, French composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1728)
  • 1674 Friedrich Erhard Niedt, German composer, born in Jena, Duchy of Saxe-Jena (now in Thuringia, Germany) (d. 1708)
  • 1802 Cesare Pugni, Italian composer, born in Genoa, Ligurian Republic ( now Italy) (d. 1870)
  • 1804 Louise Farrenc (née Dumont), French pianist, composer and only female professor at the Paris Conservatory during the 19th century, born in Paris, France (d. 1875)
  • 1817 Édouard Deldevez, French violinist and composer, born in Paris, France (d. 1897)
  • 1866 Vladimir Rebikov, Russian pianist and composer, born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia (d. 1920)
  • 1875 Italo Montemezzi, Italian composer (L'amore dei tre re), born in Vigasio, Italy (d. 1952)
  • 1879 Mark Hambourg, Russian-British composer, born in Boguchar, Russia (d. 1960)
  • 1892 Louis Fourestier, French cellist, composer (Polynice; Patria), conductor (Paris Opera, 1938-65), and pedagogue (Paris Conservatoire, 1945-65), born in Montpellier, France (d. 1976)
  • 1892 Willem Ravelli, Dutch baritone singer (St Matthew Passion), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1980)
  • 1901 Alfredo Antonini, Italian-American Emmy Award-winning conductor (CBS Symphony; Columbia Pan-American Orchestra), and composer (The Great City), born in Alessandria, Kingdom of Ital (d. 1983)
  • 1902 Billy Mayerl, British pianist, music hall songwriter, theatre composer (Marigold), music publisher, and teacher (School of Syncopation), born in London (d. 1959)
  • 1902 Henk Schaer [Hendricus Schaareman], Dutch actor (Majoor Barbara; Lijmen), born in Delft, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands (d. 1982)
  • 1902 Ralph Wood, British composer, born in London, England (d. 1957)
  • 1904 Otto "Toby" Hardwicke, American jazz alto saxophone player (The Washingtonians, 1923-28; Duke Ellington Orchestra, 1932-46 - "Sophisticated Lady"; "In A Sentimental Mood"), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1970)
  • 1904 Stan Brenders, Belgian jazz pianist and bandleader, born in Brussels (d. 1969)
  • 1906 Hans Schaeuble, Swiss composer, born in Arosa, Switzerland (d. 1988)
  • 1908 Gene Gifford American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and arranger (Jean Goldkette; Casa Loma Orchestra), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 1970)
  • 1909 Sammy Spear, American big band trumpet player and orchestra leader (The Jackie Gleason Show), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 1975)
  • 1912 Alfred Deller, British countertenor, born in Margate, England (d. 1979)
  • 1913 Albert Delvaux, Belgian composer (Symphonia Burlesca), born in Louvain, Belgium (d. 2007)
  • 1913 Jimmy Shirley, American jazz and R&B electric guitarist, and early proponent of the Vibrola vibrato arm ("whammy bar"), born in Union, South Carolina (d. 1989)
  • 1914 Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer, best known for his film scores in the Godzilla films, born in Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan (d. 2006)
  • 1919 (Emmanual Tettey) "E.T." Mensah, Ghanaian saxophonist, known as the "King of Highlife" music (Accra Rhythmic Orchestra; The Tempos), born in Accra, West Africa (d. 1996)
  • 1926 (Heinz) "Henry" Lewy, German-American sound engineer and record producer (Joni Mitchell; Leonard Cohen; Neil Young; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Stephen Bishop; Judee Sill; The Monkees), born in Magdeburg, Germany (d. 2006)
  • 1927 (James) "Red" Holloway, American jazz tenor saxophonist, born in Helena, Arkansas (d. 2012)
  • 1928 Jacob Lateiner, Cuban-American concert pianist, and professor (Juilliard School, 1966-2010), born in Havana, Cuba (d. 2010)
  • 1929 Kip Tyler [Elwood Smith], American rockabilly singer-songwriter, and bongo player ("Ooh Yeah Baby"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1996)
  • 1929 Zoltán Aladár, Transylvanian composer, music critic and teacher (The Goat and the Three Goons), born in Homorodszentmárton, Romania (d. 1978)
  • 1931 Huby Heard, American singer-songwriter (The God Squad), born in Hamilton, Ohio (d. 2004)
  • 1931 Shirley Verrett, American mezzo-soprano (Berlioz'z Les Troyens - "Cassabdra"; Verdi's MacBeth - "Lady MacBeth"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2010) [1]
  • 1934 Karl-Erik Welin, Swedish composer, born in Genarp, Sweden (d. 1992)
  • 1935 Albert "Tootie" Heath, American jazz hard bop drummer (John Coltrane; Art Farmer; Jimmy Heath; Tete Montoliu, Yusef Lateef), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2024) [1]
  • 1938 Johnny Paycheck [Donald Lytle], American country singer ("Take This Job and Shove It"), born in Greenfield, Ohio (d. 2003)
  • 1938 Peter Yarrow, American folk singer-songwriter (Peter, Paul & Mary - "Puff (The Magic Dragon)"), born in New York City
  • 1939 Charles Drain, American soul singer, born in Eupora, Mississippi (d. 1995)
  • 1940 (August) "Augie" Meyers, American rock and Tex-Mex keyboardist, accordion player, singer-songwriter, producer (Sir Douglas Quintet; Texas Tornados), and record label owner, born in San Antonio, Texas
  • 1941 Kenneth Cooper, American harpsichordist, pianist, musicologist, and professor (Barnard College, Brooklyn, NYC), born in New York City (d. 2021)
  • 1943 Wayne Carson, American country musician and songwriter ("Always On My Mind"), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 2015)
  • 1947 (William) "Junior" Campbell, Scottish singer and guitarist (Marmalade - "I See The Rain"), born in Glasgow, Scotland

John Bonham (1948-1980)

English rock drummer (Led Zeppelin - "Whole Lotta Love"), born in Redditch, England

John Bonham
  • 1948 Mike Edwards, aka Swami Deva Pramada, British rock cellist (ELO), born in London (d. 2010)
  • 1948 Paulinho da Costa, Brazilian percussionist (Thriller; Saturday Night Fever), born in Rio de Janeiro
  • 1951 Jimmy Nalls, American session and touring rock-jazz-fusion guitarist (Sea Level), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2017)
  • 1952 Jim Vallance, Canadian songwriter, arranger and producer (Bryan Adams - "Cuts Like a Knife"; "Heaven"; "Summer of '69"), born in Chilliwack, British Columbia
  • 1952 Karl Bartos, German electronic percussionist, and composer (Kraftwerk, 1975-90; Electric Music), born in Berchtesgaden, West Germany
  • 1952 Neil Dorfsman, American Grammy Award-winning sound engineer and record producer (Dire Straits, Bruce Hornsby, Sting), born in New York City
  • 1954 Anders Hilborg, Swedish contemporary classical composer (Eleven Gates; Cold Heat), born in Sollentuna, Sweden
  • 1954 Paul Franklin, American session and touring steel guitarist (Barbara Mandrell; Vince Gill), born in Detroit, Michigan
  • 1954 Vicki Sue Robinson, American stage and screen actress, and pop singer ("Turn the Beat Around"), born in Harlem, New York (d. 2000)
  • 1955 Joe Longthorne, English singer, impressionist, and television presenter, born in Kingston upon Hull, England (d. 2019)
  • 1955 Tommy Emmanuel, Australian-American acoustic guitarist (Stevie's Blues), born in Muswellbrook, New South Wales
  • 1956 Bart van Poppel, Dutch bassist, guitarist, and singer (Duplex Johnson, 1980-85; Tambourine, 1987-92; The Analogues, 2014-), born in The Netherlands
  • 1956 Fritz Hilpert, German electro-pop musician and sound engineer (Kraftwerk, 1987-2023), born in Amberg, West Germany
  • 1962 Corey Hart, Canadian rock vocalist ("Sunglasses At Night"), born in Montreal, Quebec
  • 1963 Wendy Smith, British guitarist, keyboardist, and singer (Prefab Sprout - "The King of Rock 'n' Roll"; "When Love Breaks Down), and educator, born in Middlesborough, England
  • 1963 Wesley Willis, American punk rock singer-songwriter, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2003)
  • 1964 DMC [Darryl McDaniels], American hip-hop musician (Run-DMC - "Walk This Way"; "It's Like That"), born in New York City
  • 1964 Scotti Hill [Mulvehill], American rock guitarist (Skid Row - "18 And Lie": "I Remember You"), born in Manhasset, New York
  • 1965 DJ Casper [William Perry Jr.], American club DJ and songwriter ("Cha Cha Slide"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2023)
  • 1965 Steve White, British session and touring drummer (The Style Council; Paul Weller), born in Southwark, London, England
  • 1972 Christian McBride, American jazz bassist, composer, broadcaster (Jazz Night in America), and artistic director (Newport Jazz Festival), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 1974 Adrian Tomine, American contemporary cartoonist (Optic Nerve; The New Yorker), and album art creator (The Eels; Yo La Tango), born in Sacramento, California
  • 1977 Scott Klopfenstein, American ska and rock trumpeter and guitarist (Reel Big Fish, 1995-2011), born in Garden Grove, California
  • 1980 Andy Hurley, American drummer (Fall Out Boy - "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race"), born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
  • 1983 David Hernandez, American pop singer (American Idol), born in Phoenix, Arizona
  • 1986 Sopho Khalvashi, Georgian pop-electronic singer, born in Batumi, Adjara, Georgian SSR
  • 1986 Waka Flocka Flame [Juaquin Malphurs], American rapper (O Lets Do It), born in New York City
  • 1988 Hope Partlow, American pop and country singer, born in Drummonds, Tennessee
  • 1991 Azealia Banks, American rapper (212), born in New York City
  • 1992 VanossGaming [Evan Fong), Canadian YouTuber and music producer, born in Toronto, Canada
  • 1996 Normani [Hamilton], American singer (with Sam Smith - "Dancing With A Stranger"; solo -"Motivation"), and dancer, born in Atlanta, Georgia


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