Musicians Born on October 17

  • 1688 Domenico Zipoli, Italian organist and composer, born in Prato, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (d. 1726)
  • 1720 Maria Teresa Agnesi, Italian harpsichodist, singer, and composer, born in Milan, Habsburg Empire (now Italy) (d. 1795)
  • 1729 Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, French opera composer (La belle Arsène), born in Fauquembergues, France (d. 1817)
  • 1730 Ernestus Weinrauch, German composer (Cain and Abel), organist, and Benedictine priest, born in Donauwörth, Bavaria (now Germany) (d. 1793)
  • 1844 Miguel Nieto, Spanish composer, born in Reus, Spain (d. 1915)
  • 1860 Dionyssios Lavrangas, Greek conductor, composer, and pedagogue, born in Argostólion, Greece (d. 1915)
  • 1878 Henri Mulet, French organist, cellist, and composer (Carillon-Sortie; Esquisses Byzantines), born in Paris, France (d. 1967)
  • 1892 Herbert Howells, British organist, composer (chiefly of Anglican Church scared music), and teacher, born in Lydney, Gloucestershire England (d. 1983)
  • 1892 Otakar Jeremiáš, Czech composer and conductor, born in Písek, Bohemia (d. 1962)
  • 1893 Jean Binet, Swiss composer, snd educstor (Jaques Dalcroze method), born in Geneva, Switzerland (d. 1960)
  • 1898 Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese music teacher (Suzuki Method), born in Nagoya, Japan (d. 1998)
  • 1909 (William) "Cozy" Cole, American jazz drummer ("Topsy I"; "Topsy II"), and educator, born in East Orange, New Jersey (d. 1981)
  • 1914 Albert Markos, Romanian composer (Torso I), born in Székelykeresztúr, Hungary (now Cristuru Secuiesc, Romania) (d. 1981)
  • 1916 Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz, Polish organist and composer, born in Sierpc, Poland (d. 1998)
  • 1922 Louis Benjamin, British showman, organized Royal Variety performances, born in London, England (d. 1994)
  • 1922 Luiz Bonfá, Brazilian guitarist and composer (Black Orpheus), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (d. 2001)
  • 1923 Barney Kessel, American jazz and session guitarist (The Wrecking Crew), born in Muskogee, Oklahoma (d. 2004)
  • 1928 Ivan Marinov, Bulgarian orchestral and opera conductor, composer, and pedagogue, born in Sofia, Bulgaria (d. 2003)
  • 1929 Ram Da-Oz [Abraham Daus], Israeli composer, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2021)
  • 1930 Angelo Paccignini, Italian composer (Flou II), educator (Milan Conservatory - electronic music chair. 1969-80), and musical director (Nuova Armonia), born in Castano Primo, Italy (d. 2001)
  • 1932 Gundaris Poné, Latvian-American violinist, composer, and educator (NYU-New Paltz, 1964-94), born in Riga, Latvia (d. 1994)
  • 1933 Jeanine Deckers, Belgian singer-songwriter, and Dominican nun known as 'The Singing Nun' ("Dominique"), born in Laeken, Belgium (d. 1985)
  • 1934 Emmanuel "Rico" Rodriguez, Jamaican ska trombonist (The Specials), born in Kingston (d. 2015)
  • 1941 Alan Howard, British rock bassist (Brian Poole & The Tremeloes - "Do You Love Me?")
  • 1941 Earl Thomas Conley, American country singer ("Too Many Times"), born in Portsmouth, Ohio
  • 1941 Jim Seals, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler (Seals & Crofts - "Summer Breeze"), born in Sidney, Texas (d. 2022)
  • 1942 Gary Puckett, American pop vocalist (Gary Puckett & The Union Gap - "Woman, Woman"; "Lady Willpower"), born in Hibbing, Minnesota
  • 1943 Susan Davenny Wyner, American soprano (Walter Naumberg Prize), born in New Haven, Connecticut
  • 1946 James Ray "Jim" Tucker, American rock guitarist (Turtles - "Happy Together"), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1946 Michael Hossack, American rock drummer (The Doobie Brothers, 1971-73 & 1987-2012), born in Paterson, New Jersey (d. 2012)
  • 1949 Maurice Willis Wright, American classical composer (The Trojan Conflict) and educator (Temple University, 1980-present), born in Front Royal, Virginia
  • 1950 Sandra Reemer, Indo-Dutch pop singer ("As Love Goes"), and television presenter, born in Bandung, Indonesia (d. 2017)
  • 1957 (Giuseppe) "Pino" Palladino, Italian-Welsh session and touring rock bassist (Paul Young; The Who; John Mayer Trio), born in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

Alan Jackson (65 years old)

1958 American country singer (Here in the Real World), born in Newnan, Georgia

  • 1958 Gianmaria Testa, Italian singer-songwriter, born in Cavallermaggiore, Italy (d. 2016)
  • 1958 Howard Alden, American jazz guitarist (George Van Eps), born in Newport Beach, California
  • 1962 Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, French concert pianist (Beethoven International Piano Competition, 1986), born in Lannion, France
  • 1963 Petri Alanko, Finnish classical flute player (Finnish RSO, 1988-2012) and educator (Sibelius Academy, since 2012), born in Joensuu, Finland
  • 1967 Allen West, American heavy metal guitarist (Obituary; Southwicked), born in Brandon, Florida
  • 1967 René Dif, Algerian-Danish pop-dance singer-songwriter (Aqua - "Barbie Girl"), born in Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 1968 (David) "Ziggy" Marley, Jamaican Grammy Award-winning reggae performer (The Melody Makers), philanthropist, and son of Bob Marley, born in Kingston, Jamaica
  • 1969 Wyclef Jean, Haitian-American rapper and singer-songwriter, born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti
  • 1971 Chris Kirkpatrick, American pop countertenor ('N Sync - "I Thought She Knew"), born in Clarion, Pennsylvania on

Eminem (51 years old)

1972 American rapper and movie star (The Real Slim Shady, Stan and 8 Mile), born in St. Joseph, Missouri

  • 1972 Tarkan [Tevetoğlu], Turkish pop singer (Şımarık), born in Alzey, West Germany
  • 1974 Janne Puurtinen, Finnish keyboardist (HIM), born in Helsinki, Finland
  • 1979 Angel Bat Dawid, American composer, clarinetist, pianist, and vocalist (The Oracle: Requiem for Jazz), born in Atlanta, Georgia
  • 1979 Marcela Bovio, Mexican heavy metal singer and violinist (Stream of Passion; MaYans), born in Monterrey, Mexico
  • 1983 (Nicole) "Nikki" Lane, American country and roots-rock singer-songwriter (Highway Queen; All or Nothin'), born in Greenville, South Carolina