September 1931 in Music History

Events in Music

Radio Premiere

Sep 2 American crooner Bing Crosby makes his solo radio debut on his "15 Minutes with Bing Crosby" program broadcast on the CBS network

  • Sep 17 Operetta "Viktoria & Her Hussar" by Paul Abraham (adapted for English by Harry Graham) premieres in London at Palace Theatre

Birthdays in Music

  • Sep 1 Boxcar Willie [Travis Martin], American soldier (USAF) and singer ("King of the Road"), born in Ellis County, Texas (d. 1999)
  • Sep 3 Rudolf Kelterborn, Swiss musician and composer, born in Basel, Switzerland
  • Sep 4 Mitzi Gaynor [Francesca von Gerber], American actress, singer and dancer (Anything Goes, South Pacific), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • Sep 7 Charles Camilleri, Maltese composer (Missa Mundi), born in Ħamrun, Malta (d. 2009)
  • Sep 8 Marion Brown, American jazz alto saxophonist, (Marion Brown Quartet; John Coltrane -"Ascension"; Artie Schepp), avant garde composer, writer, and ethno-musicologist, born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2010)
  • Sep 12 George Jones, American country singer-songwriter ("Golden Rings"; "Oh Lonesome Me"), born in Saratoga, Texas (d. 2013)
  • Sep 16 Jan Johansson, Swedish jazz pianist, born in Söderhamn, Hälsingland, Sweden (d. 1968)
  • Sep 18 Anthony Bowles, British music director (Jesus Christ Superstar; Evita), born in England (d. 1993)
  • Sep 19 Brook Benton [Benjamin Franklin Peay], American soul vocalist ("It's Just a Matter of Time"; "Rainy Night in Georgia"), born in Lugoff, South Carolina (d. 1988)
  • Sep 22 Nello Santi, Italian opera conductor (Opernhaus Zürich; NY Metropolitan Opera), born in Adria, Veneto, Italy (d. 2020)
  • Sep 24 Anthony Newley, British actor and singer-songwriter (Doctor Dolittle; Goldfinger theme; Willy Wonka score), born in London, England (d. 1999)
  • Sep 26 George Chambers, American rock bassist and vocalist (Chambers Brothers - "Time Has Come Today"), born in Carthage, Mississippi
  • Sep 27 Freddy Quinn [Franz Nidl], Austrian pop singer and actor, born in Niederfladnitz, Austria
  • Sep 28 John Gilmore, American tenor saxophonist (worked with Sun Ra), born in Summit, Mississippi (d. 1995)

Deaths in Music

  • Sep 10 Alfonso Rendano, Italian composer, dies at 78
  • Sep 28 Sylvain Dupuis, Belgian conductor, composer, (Le Chant de la Création), and music educator, dies at 74