Events in Music
Music Recording
1940 Glenn Miller records "Pennsylvania 6-5000"
Glenn Miller
Event of Interest
1965 Barbra Streisand stars on "My Name is Barbra" special on CBS
Barbra Streisand
Music Concert
1965 Luciano Pavarotti makes his debut at La Scala, Milan in Franco Zeffirelli's production of "La bohème" with Mirella Freni
Luciano Pavarotti
Music Awards
1969 4th Academy of Country Music Awards: Glen Campbell and Cathie Taylor win
Glen Campbell
Event of Interest
1975 John Lennon appears on "Tonight" & Ringo Starr on "Smother Brothers"
Ringo Starr
John Lennon
- 1984 "La Tragedie de Carmen" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 187 performances
- 1988 "Chess" opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 68 performances
- 1990 "Chorus Line" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 6,137 performances
- 1991 "Gypsy" opens at Marquis Theater NYC for 105 performances
- 1991 "Taking Steps" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 78 performances
- 1993 "Tango Passion" opens at Longacre Theater NYC for 5 performances
- 1996 "Big" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 193 performances
- 1997 "Jekyll & Hyde" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC
Birthdays in Music
- 1715 Franz Sparry, Austrian composer, born in Graz (d. 1767)
- 1748 Lorenz Justinian Ott, German composer, born in Dietfurt, Germany (d. 1805)
- 1750 Paul Ignaz Kürzinger, Bavarian composer, born in Mergentheim, Württemberg
- 1757 Claus Nielsen Schali, Danish violinist and composer, born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1835)
- 1826 Alexander Stadtfeld, German composer, born in Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Germany (d. 1853)
- 1848 Ludvig Schytte, Danish composer, born in Aarhus, Denmark (d. 1909)
- 1870 Hermann Suter, Swiss composer, born in Kaiserstuhl, Aargau, Switzerland (d. 1926)
- 1873 Harold Bauer, English-American pianist (Beethoven-Association), born in Kingston, England (d. 1951)
- 1892 Georges Antoine, composer
- 1892 John Jacob Niles, American composer, born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1980)
- 1906 Paul Sacher, Swiss conductor (d. 1999)
- 1914 Skuli Halldorsson, composer
- 1920 Nan Merriman, US/Neth singer (Arturo Toscanini NBC Orchestra)
- 1923 Adele Mara [Adelaida Delgado], American actress, singer and dancer (Cool Million, Wheels), born in Highland Park, Michigan (d. 2010)
- 1923 Wolfgang Steffen, composer
- 1924 Blossom Dearie, American jazz singer and pianist, born in NYC, New York
- 1926 Francis Burt, British composer, born in London (d. 2012)
- 1930 Christopher Headington, English composer, musicologist and pianist, born in London (d. 1996)
- 1932 Marek Kopelent, Czech composer, born in Prague, Czechoslovakia
- 1933 Karl Heinz Wahren, composer
- 1933 Oliver "Bops Junior" Jackson, drummer
- 1936 John Martin Tchicai, composer, (d. 2012)
- 1943 Fantastic Johnny C[orley], US singer (Boogaloo down Broadway)
- 1943 Jacques Dutronc, French singer and actor
- 1946 Glenn Ross Campbell, American steel guitarist (The Misunderstood), born in San Diego, California
- 1946 Ginette Reno, French Canadian singer, songwriter and actress
- 1947 Steve Khan, jazz musician (Christmas Waltz), born in Los Angeles, California
- 1948 Dorothée Berryman, French Canadian actress and singer
- 1953 Kim Gordon, American musician (Sonic Youth)
- 1955 Edwin "Eddie" Jobson, British rock violinist (Zappa, UK, Roxy Music-For Your Pleasure), born in Bilingham, England
- 1956 Jimmy Barnes [James Swan], Australian singer-songwriter (For the Working Class Man), born in Glasgow
- 1957 Wilma Landkroon, Dutch singer
- 1960 Wally Langdon, bassist (Bob Color)
- 1964 Noriyuki Iwadare, Japanese composer
- 1966 Too Short, American rapper
- 1968 Howard Donald, British musician
- 1972 Violent J [Joseph Bruce], American rapper (Insane Clown Posse), born in Detroit, Michigan
- 1978 Lauren Laverne, Disc jockey, television presenter and former singer
- 1986 George Nozuka, Canadian Singer/Songwriter
Melanie Martinez
1995 Melanie Martinez, American singer-songwriter (Cry Baby), born in Queens, New York
Melanie Martinez
Weddings in Music
- 1990 Guns & Roses' Axl Rose marries Erin Everly (annulled same year)
Deaths in Music
- 1770 Marie AC de Camargo, Spanish/Italian/Belgian dancer, dies at 60
- 1799 Francois Giroust, French composer, dies at 62
- 1804 Hans Gram, composer, dies at 49
- 1887 Carl Ferdinand Pohl, German-Austrian music historian and composer, dies at 67
- 1935 Alexander Campbell Mackenzie, Scottish composer, dies at 87
- 1969 Johannes Rontgen, composer, dies at 70
- 1979 Feliks Roderyk Labunski, composer, dies at 86
- 1980 Tommy Caldwell, American rocker (Marshall Tucker Band), dies in a jeep crash at 30
- 1982 Bert van Dongen [Albert Cohen], Dutch singer, impressionist and actor (Het meisje met den blauwen hoed), dies at 66
- 1988 B. W. Stevenson, American country singer, dies at 38
- 1999 Walter Gieseler, German composer, dies at 79
- 2005 Percy Heath, American jazz bassist (Modern Jazz Quartet) (b. 1923)
- 2006 Ben-Zion Orgad, Israeli composer, dies at 79
- 2007 Tommy Newsom, American bandleader (b. 1929)
- 2009 Valeria Peter Predescu, Romanian singer, dies of a heart attack at 62
- 2009 Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina (b. 1939)
- 2012 Jackie Kelso [John Joseph Kelson Jr], American jazz saxophonist and session musician, dies at 90
- 2013 János Starker, Hungarian-American cellist, dies at 88
- 2014 Dennis Kamakahi, American Grammy Award-winning musician, dies from lung cancer at 61
April in History
Oscar Wilde Presses Self-Destruct Button
When Oscar Wilde sued the Marquess of Queensberry for libel over a sodomite slur, he opened the door to social and financial ruin that would lead to his death.
April 26, 1895
Record-Breaking Sheila, the High-Flying Aviator
The Sky's was the limit for Sheila Scott who made three solo flights around the world and was the first pilot, male or female, to fly over the North Pole.
April 27, 1922
Great Sacrifice of a Plague-Ridden Village
William Mompesson, a clergyman born on this day, created a legend when he persuaded the people in a plague-ridden village to sacrifice their lives to save others.
April 28, 1639
WR Hearst – The Master of Fake News
Newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst was a towering figure of his age. Immensely wealthy, he believed he had unlimited influence, even on matters of war.
April 29, 1863