Events in Music
- 1823 "Home! Sweet Home!" by John Howard Payne is 1st sung in London
Event of Interest
1924 Arthur Honegger's "Pacifica 231" premieres
Arthur Honegger
- 1952 "Of Thee I Sing" opens at Ziegfeld Theater NYC for 72 performances
- 1952 "Shuffle Along" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 4 performances
- 1960 1st performance of Ferde Grofé's "San Francisco Suite", with Grofé conducting, in San Francisco
- 1962 Stephen Sondheim's musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" starring Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford, and directed by George Abbott, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 965 performances, and wins 6 Tony Awards
- 1970 Beatles release 12th, and final, studio album, "Let It Be", in conjunction with the film of the same name
- 1971 Courtney, Courtney, and Link's musical "Earl of Ruston" closes at Billy Rose Theater, NYC, after 5 performances
- 1976 Leonard Bernstein and Alan Jay Lerner's musical "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" closes at Mark Hellinger, NYC, after 7 performances
Album Release
1979 The Cure release their debut album "Three Imaginary Boys" (Boys Don't Cry in US, Australia)
Robert Smith
Music Awards
1985 20th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, George Strait, and Reba McEntire win
Reba McEntire
- 1988 "Oba Oba" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 46 performances
Event of Interest
1989 Paul McCartney releases remake of "Ferry Cross the Mersey" in aid of those affected by the Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool football fans
Paul McCartney
- 1994 Jim Cartwright's play "The Rise & Fall of Little Voice" closes at Neil Simon Theater, NYC after 9 performances
Music Awards
2001 36th Academy of Country Music Awards: Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill & Toby Keith win
Birthdays in Music
- 1527 Johann Walter, German composer, born in Kahla (d. 1570)
- 1673 Johann Valentin Eckelt, German composer, born in Werningshausen, Germany (d. 1732)
- 1703 Gottlob Harrer, German composer, born in Görlitz (d. 1755)
- 1742 Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz, Czech composer, born in Budenice, Zlonice, Czech Republic (d. 1790)
- 1745 Carl Philipp Stamitz, German composer, born in Mannheim, Germany (d. 1801)
- 1750 Elias Mann, American composer, born in Weymouth, Massachusetts (d. 1825)
- 1778 Johann Baptist Gansbacher, Austrian composer, born in Sterzing, Tyrol, Italy (d. 1844)
- 1806 Johann Friedrich Kittl, Czech composer, born in Orlík, Bohemia (d. 1868)
- 1815 Jean-Delphin Alard, French violinist and composer, born in Bayonne, France (d. 1888)
- 1829 Louis Moreau Gottschalk, American pianist and composer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1869)
- 1839 Adolphe-Basile Routhier, French-Canadian lyricist ("O! Canada"), born in Saint-Placide, Quebec (d. 1920)
- 1844 Hermann Gradener, German composer, born in Kiel, Germany (d. 1929)
- 1846 Oscar Hammerstein, German opera and playwright (Kohinoor), born in Stettin, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1919)
- 1886 Jef van Hoof, Flemish composer, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1959)
- 1905 Inglis Gundry, British composer, musicologist and novelist, born in Wimbledon, London (d. 2000)
- 1905 Ernest "Red" Nichols, American jazz cornetist, composer and jazz bandleader (His Five Pennies - "Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider"; "Bugler's Lament"), born in Ogden, Utah (d. 1965)
- 1906 David Van Vactor, American classical composer (Chaconne), born in Plymouth, Indiana (1994)
- 1910 Mary Lou Williams, American jazz pianist and composer (Zodiac Suite), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1981)
Robert Johnson
1911 Robert Johnson, American blues singer-songwriter, and guitarist (King of Delta Blues Singers), born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi (d. 1938)
Robert Johnson
- 1919 Soltan Hajibeyov, Azerbaijani composer and People's Artist of the USSR, born in Shusha, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (d. 1974)
- 1928 William Jay Sydeman, American avant-garde composer, born in New York City
- 1930 Heather Harper, Northern Irish operatic soprano (Britten's War Requiem), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (d. 2019)
- 1931 Charles M.Wilson, Canadian organist and composer (The Angels Of The Earth), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2019)
Ricky Nelson
1940 (Eric) "Ricky" Nelson, American pop-Rock Star ("Hello Mary Lou"; "It's Late"; "Garden Party") and actor (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), born in Teaneck, New Jersey (d.1985)
Ricky Nelson
- 1940 (Cathryn) "Toni" Tennille, American singer-songwriter, keyboardist (Captain & Tennille - "Love Will Keep Us Together") and female Beach Boy, born in Montgomery, Alabama
- 1941 Mahmoud Ahmed, Ethiopian singer, born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia [some sources cite May 18]
- 1942 (Euclid) Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood, American rock saxophonist and vocalist (Mothers Of Invention), born in Arkansas City, Kansas (d. 2011)
- 1943 Paul Samwell-Smith, British blues-rock bassist, and record producer (The Yardbirds, 1963-66 "For Your Love"), born in Richmond, Surrey, England
- 1943 Danny Whitten, American rock guitarist and songwriter (Crazy Horse; Rod Stewart - "I Don't Want To Talk About It"), born in Columbus, Georgia (d. 1972)
- 1944 Bill Legend [Fifield], British musician and rock drummer (T. Rex), born in Barking, Essex
- 1944 Dorothy Combs (Morrison), American gospel, session and touring singer (Edwin Hawkins Singers - "Oh Happy Day"; The Combs Sisters; Blues Broads), born in Longview, Texas
- 1945 Keith Jarrett, American jazz and classical pianist and composer (The Köln Concert), born in Allentown, Pennsylvania
- 1947 Felicity Lott, British lyric and operatic soprano (We Come To The River), born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
- 1948 Don "Red" Young, American session, touring keyboard and piano player, band leader, and jazz Hammond B3 organist, born in Fort Worth, Texas
- 1951 Chris Frantz, American rock drummer (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club), born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- 1951 Philip Bailey, American R&B and pop singer (Earth Wind & Fire - "Shining Star"; solo - "Easy Lover"), born in Denver, Colorado
- 1953 Billy Burnette, American rock guitarist (Fleetwood Mac, 1987-95), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- 1953 Alex Van Halen, Dutch-American rock drummer (Van Halen - "Hot For Teacher"), born in Amsterdam The Netherlands,
- 1960 Eric Brittingham, American rock bassist (Cinderella - "Heartbreak Station"; "Nobody's Fool"), born in Salisbury, Maryland
- 1964 Dave Rowntree, British drummer (Blur - "Country House"; Coffee &TV"), and politician, born in Colchester, Essex, England
- 1966 Marta Sánchez, Spanish singer (De Mujer a Mujer), born in Madrid, Spain
- 1967 James Hurt, American jazz pianist, and composer (Dark Grooves – Mystical Rhythms), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- 1968 Chris Lighty, music executive and manager (Violator), born in The Bronx New York (d. 2012)
- 1971 Chris Wolf, American actor and musician (Guys Next Door - "I've Been Waiting for You")
Enrique Iglesias
1975 Enrique Iglesias, Spanish singer-songwriter and King of Latin Pop ("Bailamos"; "Hero"), born in Madrid, Spain
Enrique Iglesias
- 1976 Martha Wainwright, Canadian-American musician and songwriter, born in Montréal, Quebec
- 1976 Ian "H" Watkins, Welsh pop singer (Steps - "Heartbeat"; "Stomp"), actor, and television personality, born in Llwynypia, Wales
- 1977 Joe Bonnamassa, American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter ("Dust Bowl"; "Redemption"), born in New Hartford, New York
- 1978 Jang Woo Hyuk, Korean singer, rapper, and dancer (HOT; JTL), and actor, born in Daegu, South Korea
- 1980 Michelle McManus, Scottish pop singer ("All This Time"), born in Glasgow, Scotland
- 1981 Björn Dixgård, Swedish rock guitarist and singer (Mando Daio), born in Falun, Sweden
- 1983 Matt Willis, British pop singer, bassist (Busted), and television personality. born in Tooting, London, England
- 1996 6ix9ine [Daniel Hernandez], American rapper and songwriter ("Trollz"), born in Brooklyn, New York (born May 8, 1996)
Weddings in Music
Deaths in Music
- 1684 Henri Dumont, Dutch composer, dies at 73 or 74
- 1818 Franz Ignaz Kaa, German composer, dies at 78
- 1829 Mauro Giuliani, Italian musician and composer, dies at 47
- 1846 Giacomo Cordella, Italian composer, dies at 59
- 1885 Pavel Křížkovský, Czech choral composer and conductor (Sts. Cyril and Methodius), dies at 65
- 1930 (Ivar) Henning Mankell, Swedish pianist and composer, dies at 61
- 1941 Heinrich Zöllner, German composer, dies at 86
- 1948 Alfred Holy, Czech composer and harpist, dies at 81
- 1959 Renato Caccioppoli, Italian mathematician and pianist, takes his own life at 55
- 1960 Hugo Alfvén, Swedish violinist, conductor, and composer (Midsommarvaka - Midsummer Vigil), dies at 88
- 1967 Laverne Andrews, American singer (The Andrews Sisters - "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"), dies at 55
- 1974 Graham Bond, British R&B musician, dies jumping under a train at 36
- 1985 Karl Marx, German composer and conductor, dies at 87
- 1990 Luigi Nono, Italian avant-garde composer (Intolleranza), dies at 66
- 1991 Jean Langlais, French organist, and composer (Missa Salve Regina), dies at 84
- 1993 Kees Deenik, Dutch singer, bandleader, and broadcaster, dies at 78-ish
- 1995 Carroll Best, American bluegrass banjo player, and educator, shot to death by his brother at 64
- 1995 Teresa Teng [Li-chun], Taiwanese pop singer("Aijin"; "The Power Of Love"; "Airport"), and actress, dies from a severe asthma attack at 42
- 1996 Jane Cowan, British cello teacher (International Cello Centre), dies at 80
- 2000 Karl-Rudi Griesbach, German composer, dies at 83
- 2006 Viola Mae Wilkerson, American pop singer ("Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now"), dies of cancer at 69
- 2008 Eddy Arnold, American country music singer ("Make The World Go Away"; "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"), dies at 89
- 2011 Cornell Dupree, American jazz and R&B session guitarist (Atlantic Records - Aretha Franklin), dies of emphysema at 68
- 2015 Jaime León, Colombian pianist, composer, and conductor Filarmónica de Bogota, 1971-78), dies at 93
- 2015 (Antoni) "Ton" Hartsuiker, Dutch pianist, composer, broadcaster, and educator, dies at 81
- 2017 Robert Gutter, American conductor and teacher (founded International Institute for Conductors, 1996), dies at 78
