April 1936 in Music History

Events in Music

Music Premiere

Apr 11 George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes", choreographed by George Balanchine, and starring Ray Bolger and Tamara Geva, opens at the Imperial Theatre (later transfers to Majestic), NYC; runs for 515 performances

Murder of Interest

Apr 14 French singer Édith Piaf questioned after nightclub owner and her patron Louis Leplée murdered in Paris

Music History

Apr 26 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 4th Symphony

Birthdays in Music

Apr 3 Jimmy McGriff, American jazz Hammond organist, born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2008)
Apr 3 Scott LaFaro, American jazz bassist (Bill Evans Trio), born in Irvington, New Jersey (d. 1961)
Apr 4 Margo J. Sylvia (née Lopez), American pop singer (Tune Weavers - "Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby"), born in Woburn, Massachusetts (d. 1991)
Apr 5 John White, English composer and musical performer (systems music), born in Berlin, Germany
Apr 6 Manfred Schoof, German free jazz trumpeter and composer (Globe United Orchestra), and educator, born in Magdeburg, Germany
Apr 9 Jerzy Maksymiuk, Polish pianist, composer and conductor (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, 1983-93), born in Grodno, Poland
Apr 10 Bobby Smith, American pop and R&B singer (The Spinners, 1954-2013 - "Working My Way Back To You"), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2013)
Apr 13 Henryk Majewski, Polish big band jazz trumpeter (Old Timers), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 2005)
Apr 15 Héctor Quintanar, Mexican composer, born in Mexico City, Mexico (d. 2013)
Apr 17 Pete Graves, American rocker (Moonglows), born in Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 19 Csaba Szabo, Hungarian composer, born in Ákosfalva, Transylvania (d. 2003)
Apr 19 Ruby Johnson, American soul singer ("I'll Run Your Hurt Away"), born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (d. 1999)
Apr 21 Anthony Joseph Gnazzo, American electronic composer (First Things First), born in Plainville, Connecticut

Glen Campbell (1936-2017)

Apr 22 American Grammy Award-winning country-pop singer ("By The Time I Get to Phoenix"; "Wichita Lineman"; "Rhinestone Cowboy"), session guitarist (The Beach Boys; Elvis Presley; The Monkees; Phil Specter), television personality (The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour), and actor (True Grit), born in Delight, Arkansas

Apr 22 Pierre Hétu, French Canadian conductor and pianist, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1998)

Roy Orbison (1936-1988)

Apr 23 American rock singer-songwriter ("Pretty Woman"; "Only The Lonely"; Traveling Wilburys - "Handle With Care"), born in Vernon, Texas

Apr 24 (Thomas) "Tucker" Smith, American stage and screen dancer, singer and actor (West Side Story - "Ice"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1988)
Apr 26 Doug Sax, American mastering engineer (Bob Dylan, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Ray Charles), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2015)
Apr 27 Geoffrey Shovelton, English opera singer, born in Atherton, Lancashire (d. 2016)
Apr 28 John Tchicai, Danish jazz saxophonist and composer (New York Art Quartet), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2012)
Apr 29 Zubin Mehta, Indian conductor (Israel Philharmonic, 1977-2019; NY Philharmonic, 1978-91), born in 84) Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India
Apr 30 Bobby Gregg, American drummer and record producer (Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2014)

Deaths in Music

Apr 1 Mikhail Vladimirovich Ivanov-Boretsky, composer, dies at 61
Apr 11 Mitya Stillman, Russian composer and violinist, dies at 44
Apr 13 Milton Brown, American swing bandleader, dies at 32
Apr 18 Ottorino Respighi, Italian composer (The Pines of Rome; Belkis), dies at 56
Apr 18 Seaborn McDaniel Denson, American composer, dies at 82
Apr 24 Alphons Diepenbrock, Dutch composer, conductor, and essayist, dies at 73
Apr 24 Bernard van Dieren, Dutch composer, and music critic, dies at 51