Birth events
- Composer Hernando de Cabezon was born.
- Heinrich Schütz, the German composer, was born.
- The prominent Baroque composer Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber was born.
- Spanish composer Juan Bautista Jose Cabanilles was born.
- Composer Johann Pachelbel was born.
- Composer George Bohm was born.
- Baroque composer Nicola Antonio Porpora was born.
- Composer Pietro-Antonio Locatelli was born.
- English composer Maurice Greene was born.
- Composer Johann Ludwig Krebs was probably born between October 10 and 12.
- German composer Johann Christian Bach was born.
- Composer Antonio Salieri was born.
- French composer Francois de Paule Jacques Raymond de Fossa was born.
- Austrian composer Anton Diabelli was born.
- German opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer, born Jacob Liebmann Beer, was born near Berlin. He later became a major figure in European opera.
- German composer Heinrich August Marschner was born.
- Composer Wilhelm Bernard Molique was born.
- On August 14, 1810, Samuel Sebastian Wesley was born in London, England. He became a distinguished English organist and composer, best known for his contributions to Anglican church music. He served as an organist at several English cathedrals, including Hereford, Exeter, Winchester and Gloucester.
- Composer Giuseppe Verdi was born. He composed 26 operas.
- Hungarian composer Mihaly Mosonyi was born.
- Austrian composer Anton Joseph Bruckner was born.
- Composer Josef Strauss was born.
- Italian composer Amilcare Ponchielli was born.
- Composer Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was born.
- Composer Benjamin Louis Paul Godard was born.
- Composer Engelbert Humperdinck was born.
- Composer and pianist Cécile Chaminade was born in Paris, France.
- Composer Achille-Claude Debussy was born.
- Composer Alphons Diepenbrock was born.
- French composer Henri-Constant-Gabriel Pierné was born.
- Composer Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was born.
- Composer Paul Dukas was born.
- American composer Amy Marcy Cheney Beach was born.
- Louis Vierne, the French composer, was born.
- British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams is born. He becomes a major figure in English classical music.
- Composer Reynaldo Hahn was born.
- English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was born.
- Composer John Ireland was born.
- Lyricist and labor activist Joe Hill, born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund, was born in Gävle, Sweden. He later worked in the United States as a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and became famous for his labor songs, including “The Preacher and the Slave.”
- Composer and violinist Clarence Cameron White was born in Clarksville, Tennessee.
- Composer Georges Enesco was born.
- Karol Szymanowski was born.
- Louis Silvers, composer of the song "April Showers", was born in New York City.
- French composer Jacques Ibert was born.
- English poet and composer Ivor Gurney was born in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England.
- On August 14, 1892, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was born in Chingford, Essex, England. Born Leon Dudley Sorabji, he became an English composer, pianist, music critic and writer, renowned for his highly complex and often exceptionally long piano compositions.
- Composer Marie-Juliette Olga Lili Boulanger was born.
- Leon Theremin, inventor of the theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- American singer and actress Helen Morgan, best known for her portrayal of Julie La Verne in the musical “Show Boat,” was born on August 2, 1900, in Danville, Illinois.
- Louis Armstrong, jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Composer and lyricist Ned Washington was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He wrote lyrics for the songs “Wild Is The Wind” and “Theme From The Unforgiven”.
- Ray Bloch, arranger and orchestra conductor best known in part for his work on The Ed Sullivan Show, was born in Alsace-Lorraine.
- Pianist Vladmir Horowitz was born in Berdychiv, Russia.
- Austrian musicologist Leopold Nowak was born.
- American jazz pianist, composer, organist and bandleader William James “Count” Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. He became famous as the founder and leader of the Count Basie Orchestra.
- American swing and jazz musician Ernie Fields was born in Nacogdoches, Texas. He grew up in Oklahoma and became known as the bandleader of the Royal Entertainers of Tulsa.
- American Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Arthur „Big Boy“ Crudup was born in Forest, Mississippi. He became known for songs including „That's All Right (Mama)“ and „My Baby Left Me“; „That's All Right (Mama)“ was later made famous by Elvis Presley.
- Composer Paul Creston was born.
- Greta Kraus, who later became a prominent Canadian harpsichordist, was born in Vienna.
- Folk music documentarian Roger Tory Peterson was born.
- Gospel baritone singer Tarzan Cooper was born.
- Johnny Green, a four-time Academy Award-winning composer, arranger and conductor, was born in New York City. He is best known for his 1930 composition “Body and Soul.”
- Composer and arranger Hugo Winterhalter was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
- American trumpeter, bandleader and arranger Larry Clinton was born in Brooklyn, New York.
- American jazz saxophonist Lester Young was born.
- Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and director Roger MacDougall was born on August 2, 1910, in Glasgow.
- American jazz drummer and bandleader Jonathan David Samuel Jones, known as “Papa” Jo Jones, was born in Chicago. From 1934 to 1948, he was a member of Count Basie's orchestra.
- Vaughn Monroe, big-band leader, singer, trumpeter, and baritone, was born in Akron, Ohio. His signature song was “Racing With the Moon.”
- Singer, dancer and actor Gene Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Harry Mills of The Mills Brothers was born. The group made more than 2,000 recordings and sold over 50 million copies. In 1943, they reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart with “Paper Doll.”
- Bandleader of the dixieland and swing group Bob-Cats and singer Bob Crosby was born in Spokane, Washington. He was one of seven siblings; one of them was another famous artist, Bing Crosby. He founded the Bob-Cats and was Bing Crosby's younger brother.
- Jazz composer and pianist Graeme Bell was born in Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
- Singer, songwriter and pianist Ivory Joe Hunter was born in Kirbyville, Texas. He became known for R&B hits such as “I Lost My Mind,” “I Need You So” and “Since I Met You Baby”; some of his songs were later recorded by Elvis Presley.
- American baritone singer Al Hibbler, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra and later had success as a solo artist, was born.
- R&B singer and rock and roll pioneer Wynonie Harris was born in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1945 he scored his first No. 1 R&B hit with „Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well“.
- American blues singer, pianist and songwriter John Len Chatman, known as Memphis Slim, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
- American singer and actress Martha Raye was born.
- Canadian bassist Denis Harbour was born in Oka, Quebec.
- Jazz trumpeter and bandleader Les Elgart was born in New Haven, Connecticut.
- American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist John Lee Hooker was born in Coahoma County, Mississippi. He later became known for the songs “I'm in the Mood” and “Dimples” and a series of successful albums, including “The Healer” (1989), “Mr. Lucky” (1991), “Chill Out” (1995) and “Don't Look Back” (1997). He died on June 21, 2001, at the age of 83.
- Country and Western swing musician Tex Williams, born Sollie Paul Williams, was born in Ramsey, Illinois. He became particularly famous for the song “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)”, which reached number one on the chart.
- Composer Laurindo Almeida was born.
- Country music promoter Bob Neal was born. He represented Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Sonny James and Tom T. Hall, among others, and became Elvis Presley's second manager in 1955.
- Influential jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He composed numerous jazz standards, including “Round Midnight,” “Ruby, My Dear,” “Well, You Needn't” and “Blue Monk.”
- Composer, conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He became known for his Broadway work, particularly the musical “West Side Story”, and at the age of 25 conducted the New York Philharmonic. During his career he received numerous major awards.
- Folk and studio musician Alan Jardine was born.
- American radio broadcaster and occasional recording artist Paul Harvey was born.
- George Shearing was born in the Battersea district of London. He later became a British jazz pianist and composer, known among other works for the jazz compositions “Lullaby of Birdland” and “Conception”.
- Jazz singer Frieda Lipschitz, known professionally as Georgia Gibbs, was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. She became famous for hits such as “Kiss of Fire”, “Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower)” and “If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake”.
- Jazz saxophonist Irv Williams was born.
- American country singer and songwriter Ellen Muriel Deason, known as Kitty Wells and the “Queen of Country Music”, was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Her 1952 hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” made her the first female country singer to reach No. 1 on the US country chart and the first female country star. Wells died on July 16, 2012, at the age of 92.
- English singer Teddy Johnson was born. With his wife Pearl Carr, he formed an English husband-and-wife singing duo that was popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. They represented the United Kingdom at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest and finished second with “Sing, Little Birdie.”
- American jazz drummer and bandleader Art Blakey, also known as Arthur Blakey, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He worked with leading bebop musicians, including Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. In the mid-1950s, he co-founded the Jazz Messengers with Horace Silver and led the group for approximately 35 years. The band also became famous for helping develop young jazz talent. Blakey died of lung cancer on October 16, 1990, at the age of 71.
- American jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer Charlie Shavers was born in New York City. Early in his career, he gave 1917 as his birth year to circumvent child labor laws, which led to the incorrect year appearing in some older biographies.
- Rhythm and blues singer and songwriter Percy Mayfield was born, known for the songs “Please Send Me Someone to Love” and “Hit the Road Jack.”
- Influential jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer Charlie Parker, nicknamed Bird, was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He developed the innovative style known as bebop, which influenced musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.
- Guitarist Al Caiola, who frequently worked as a session musician in the 1950s, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- Richard Adler, Broadway lyricist and composer, was born in New York City.
- Herb Ellis, acclaimed jazz guitarist and member of the Oscar Peterson Trio, was born in Farmersville, Texas.
- Jazz and blues musician Buddy Collette, a tenor saxophonist, flutist and clarinetist and a founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet, was born in Los Angeles, California.
- Baskytarista, aranžér a kapelník big bandu Warren Covington se narodil ve Filadelfii v Pensylvánii.
- Country singer Webb Pierce was born in West Monroe, Louisiana. He became known, among other things, for his popular version of “In the Jailhouse Now” from 1955.
- Jimmy McCracklin was born in St. Louis, Missouri, although some sources list Helena, Arkansas, as his birthplace. He became known as an American pianist, songwriter, and singer, with hits including “The Walk” and “Just Got To Know”.
- American actress Nancy Kulp, who also had experience in musical theater, was born.
- Composer Ron Grainer was born in Queensland, Australia. He is known, among other things, as the composer of the famous Doctor Who theme.
- Ernie Freeman, bandleader and pianist, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He also worked as a session musician and contributed to recordings including Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody" and Frank Sinatra's "That's Life".
- American actress Martha Stewart, born Martha Ruth Stewart Haworth, was born in Bardwell, Kentucky. She grew up in Brooklyn and later also worked as a singer and as an actress in film and television.
- Blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas.
- American country and pop singer and songwriter Jim Reeves was born in Galloway, Texas. He was among the first country artists to achieve significant success in pop as well. He became known for the 1957 hit “Four Walls”; in 1960 he had the U.S. No. 2 hit “He'll Have To Go”, and in 1966 the UK No. 1 hit “Distant Drums”. He died on July 31, 1964, in a single-engine aircraft crash in dense fog.
- Roland Janes, an American rockabilly guitarist and music producer, was born. From 1956 to 1963 he worked with Sun Records and became a regular session guitarist on recordings by Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, Sonny Burgess and others. He died on October 18, 2013, aged 80.
- Louis Gottlieb, double bassist and bassist with The Limeliters, was born in Los Angeles, California.
- Hugh Gordon Stoker, singer with The Jordanaires, who among others backed Elvis Presley, was born in Gleason, Tennessee.
- Jazz singer Joya Sherrill was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. She became known, among other things, for the song “I'm Beginning to See the Light” with the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
- Louis Teicher of the piano duo Ferrante & Teicher was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
- American singer and pianist Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones, was born in Chicago. In 1959, she had the US single "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes" at No. 8, and in 1960 she recorded two successful duets with Brook Benton, "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" and "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)". She died on December 14, 1963, at the age of 39.
- American pianist Roger Williams was born. He had 22 hit singles and 38 successful albums.
- Songwriter Felice Bryant, born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With her husband Boudleaux Bryant, she wrote several hits for The Everly Brothers, including “All I Have to Do Is Dream”, “Wake Up Little Susie” and “Bye Bye Love”, as well as “Love Hurts” and “Raining in My Heart” for Buddy Holly.
- Singer and talk-show host Mike Douglas was born in Chicago.
- Willie “Bill” Pinkney, a singer and founding member of The Drifters, was born in Dalzell, South Carolina.
- Jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson was born in Montreal, Canada. He later became a seven-time Grammy Award winner.
- American country singer, songwriter, and guitarist Billy Grammer was born in Benton, Illinois. He became particularly known for his million-selling 1959 hit “Gotta Travel On”.
- Singer, dancer, and actor Donald O'Connor was born in Chicago, Illinois. He became famous for his role in the film “Singin' in the Rain” alongside Gene Kelly.
- American bandleader and film music composer Hugo Montenegro was born. In 1968, he had a UK number-one and US number-two hit with a cover of Ennio Morricone’s main theme from the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. He also composed the music for the 1969 western Charro! starring Elvis Presley.
- English pop pianist and composer Russ Conway was born in Bristol as Trevor Hebert Stanford. He became best known for the singles “Side Saddle” and “Roulette”, which reached number one on the charts.
- Country singer and songwriter Hank Thompson was born in Waco, Texas. His work inspired Thomas Cobb’s novel Crazy Heart and the 2009 film of the same name starring Jeff Bridges.
- American blues musician and songwriter Jimmy Reed was born in Dunleith, Mississippi. He became famous for songs including "Big Boss Man", "Baby What You Want Me to Do" and "Bright Lights, Big City". In 1964, he had the UK hit "Shame, Shame, Shame", which reached No. 45. He strongly influenced The Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley recorded his song "Baby What You Want Me to Do". Reed died on August 29, 1976.
- Tony Bennett, born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, was born in Astoria, Queens, New York City.
- American jazz singer and pianist Jeri Southern, born Genevieve Lillian Hering, was born in Royal, Nebraska.
- Voice actor and recording artist Stan Freberg was born in Pasadena, California.
- Jazz trombonist Urbie Green was born in Mobile, Alabama.
- R&B singer and songwriter Joe Jones was born, best known for the hit “You Talk Too Much.”
- Jazz trombonist Frank Rosolino was born in Detroit, Michigan.
- American jazz singer Irene Reid was born.
- American pianist, composer, and actor Max Morath, nicknamed “Mr. Ragtime”, was born in Colorado Springs.
- Violinist Cyril Reuben was born in England. He later performed with the London Symphony Orchestra.
- American jazz double bassist Ray Brown was born. He was known for his long-standing collaborations with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald. He was also a founding member of the group that later evolved into the Modern Jazz Quartet.
- Country singer and television host Porter Wagoner was born; he later introduced Dolly Parton on his television show.
- Country singer Jimmy C. Newman was born near Big Mamou, Louisiana. He became known for the 1957 hit "A Fallen Star".
- Tommy Evans, a singer with the American doo-wop and R&B group The Drifters, was born. He was a member of the lineup that released the 1957 hit “Fools Fall in Love.”
- American jazz and pop singer and actor Al Martino, born Jasper Cini, was born in Philadelphia. In 1952, he had the US and UK No. 1 hit “Here in My Heart” and portrayed singer Johnny Fontane in the 1972 film The Godfather.
- American jazz saxophonist Curtis Amy was born. In the mid-1960s, he served for three years as musical director of Ray Charles's orchestra and later worked as a session musician. He played on recordings including The Doors' "Touch Me," Carole King's Tapestry album and early Lou Rawls albums. He also worked with Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell and Smokey Robinson. He died on June 5, 2002, at the age of 74.
- Guitarist Joe Olivier, a member of Bill Haley and His Comets, is born in Maastricht, in the Dutch province of Limburg.
- Anita Jean Grilli, known as Anita Kerr, was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She was a singer, songwriter, arranger, conductor, and producer. She led the Anita Kerr Singers, who provided backing vocals for numerous performers, including Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Red Foley, Rosemary Clooney, Roy Orbison, and Willie Nelson.
- American artist, film director and producer Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He worked as a producer and manager for The Velvet Underground and designed the cover of “The Velvet Underground & Nico” and the cover of “Sticky Fingers” by The Rolling Stones.
- Herbert „Herb“ Reed, baskytarový zpěvák a zakládající člen vokální skupiny The Platters, se narodil v Kansas City v Missouri.
- American singer and entertainer Eddie Fisher was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Country singer and musician Jimmy Dean was born in Plainview, Texas.
- American singer Earlington Carl Tilghman, known as Sonny Til, was born. He became famous as the lead singer of the vocal group The Orioles.
- Singer of The Flamingos and later a member of The Dells was born.
- German avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen was born.
- American singer, songwriter and conductor Johnny Mann was born.
- Arthur Wood, keyboardist for The Climax Blues Band, was born in Staffordshire, England.
- Saxophonist Mike Elliott of The Foundations was born in Jamaica. He became known as a founding member of the soul group The Foundations, which had the 1967 UK No. 1 hit “Baby Now That I've Found You.”
- Country singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. was born, later becoming known as Buck Owens and as a pioneer of the Bakersfield sound.
- Jazz pianist Bill Evans, a major figure in post-bop jazz, was born.
- Broadway lyricist Ira Levin was born. His work included the musical “Hot Spot”.
- Bonnie Owens was born. She later became a singer associated with the group The Strangers.
- American country singer and guitarist Leroy Van Dyke was born in Mora, Missouri. He became famous for the hits “The Auctioneer” in 1956 and “Walk On By” in 1961, which reached number one on the US country chart and number five on the pop chart. “Walk On By” spent a total of 19 weeks at the top of the country chart.
- R&B singer and saxophonist Jackie Brenston was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He sang lead vocals on Ike Turner's song “Rocket 88”.
- Irish actor and singer Richard Harris was born. He was known, among other things, for the hit song “MacArthur Park”.
- American songwriter, singer and record producer Luther Dixon was born in Brooklyn, New York.
- American saxophonist, studio musician and bandleader Floyd Newman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was closely associated with Stax Records and the groups The Mar-Keys and Memphis Horns and also worked with B. B. King.
- Jazz drummer Francis Cappuccio, known as Frank Capp, was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.
- Paul Robi, a member of the American vocal group The Platters, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Platters had the UK and U.S. No. 1 hit “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” in 1959 and were among the first African-American groups to establish themselves as major chart artists. Robi died of cancer on February 1, 1989.
- American country singer Boxcar Willie, whose real name was Lecil Travis Martin, was born in Sterrett, Texas.
- Country singer Mel Tillis was born in Dover, Florida. He became famous for hits including “I Ain't Never”, “Good Woman Blues” and “Coca-Cola Cowboy”.
- R&B and pop singer Gil Hamilton, known as Johnny Thunder, was born in Leesburg, Florida.
- American blues guitarist and singer Albert Collins was born. He was known for playing a Fender Telecaster and for the nicknames “The Master of the Telecaster” and “Ice Man”. One source gives Leona, Texas, as his birthplace.
- American music producer and pedal steel guitarist Roddis “Pete” Drake was born in Augusta, Georgia. He played on numerous hits and worked with artists including Bob Dylan, Tammy Wynette, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. In 2021, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- American country singer and songwriter Dottie West, born Dorothy Marie Marsh, was born near McMinnville, Tennessee. She became a major figure in country music and helped expand opportunities for women in the genre. In 1965, she became the first female country singer to win a Grammy Award, receiving it for "Here Comes My Baby." Her duets with Kenny Rogers included "Every Time Two Fools Collide," which became her first country chart-topper in 1978. Four more Top 10 hits followed.
- Country singer and guitarist Bobby Helms was born in Bloomington, Indiana. He achieved two No. 1 hits on the country chart but became best known for the Christmas hit “Jingle Bell Rock”.
- Pop singer Max Dinning, known professionally as Mark Dinning, was born in Manchester, Oklahoma. He became famous for the hit “Teen Angel”, which reached No. 1 on the chart.
- American jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter was born in Newark, New Jersey. He became known for his work with Art Blakey and Miles Davis and as co-founder of jazz-fusion group Weather Report. He wrote several notable compositions, including “Prince of Darkness”, “Footprints” and “Sanctuary”. He won ten Grammy Awards and received the Polar Music Prize in 2017.
- Country singer Conway Twitty, whose real name was Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was born in Friars Point, Mississippi.
- He was born in Old Fort, North Carolina. He became known as a member of Bill Haley & His Comets and The Jodimars.
- American singer Richard “Rick” Lewis of The Silhouettes was born. Their doo-wop and R&B single “Get A Job” reached number one on both the US R&B and pop charts in 1958.
- Canadian singer, co-founder, and original lead singer of The Diamonds, David Somerville, was born in Guelph, Ontario. The group had 16 Billboard hits in the 1950s and early 1960s, including “Little Darlin'” and “The Stroll.”
- American singer, songwriter and manager Merle Kilgore was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He co-wrote the song “Ring of Fire” with June Carter Cash.
- Country-rock musician, songwriter and steel guitarist Peter “Sneaky Pete” Kleinow was born in South Bend, Indiana. He was one of the original members of The Flying Burrito Brothers, alongside The Byrds' Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons. He also worked with John Lennon and Joni Mitchell. He died on January 6, 2007, aged 72.
- American soul singer Sam Gooden of The Impressions was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 1965, the group had the US hit “Lilies Of The Field” at number seven.
- American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Freddie King was born in Gilmer, Texas. He became known as one of the “Three Kings of the Blues Guitar” alongside Albert King and B. B. King.
- American singer and songwriter Beverly Ross, co-writer of “Lollipop” and “The Girl of My Best Friend,” was born.
- American blues singer and guitarist James Milton Campbell, known as Little Milton, was born in Inverness, Mississippi. He became known for songs including “We're Gonna Make It” and “Baby, I Love You”. He began recording with Sun Records in 1953. He died on August 4, 2005, from complications following a stroke.
- English songwriter and record producer Geoffrey Stephens was born in London. He later wrote numerous hits and founded The New Vaudeville Band.
- Baritone singer Doc Green of The Drifters was born in Harlem, New York.
- American R&B musician James “Sugar Boy” Crawford is born. He wrote the 1954 song “Jock-A-Mo,” later made famous as “Iko Iko” in a version by The Dixie Cups.
- Hank Cochran, an influential country singer and songwriter and co-writer of the hit “I Fall to Pieces,” was born on August 2, 1935, in Isola, Mississippi.
- Country singer and songwriter Justin Tubb, son of Texas Troubadour Ernest Tubb, was born in San Antonio, Texas.
- Singer Bob Markley, controversial co-founder of the West Coast Pop Experimental Art Band, was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- American singer, songwriter and guitarist “Papa” John Phillips was born on Parris Island, South Carolina. He was best known as the leading figure of the folk-rock group The Mamas & The Papas. The group had the 1965 hit “California Dreamin'”, the US No. 1 single “Monday Monday” in 1966 and the 1967 hit “Dedicated to the One I Love”. Phillips died of heart failure on March 18, 2001, at the age of 65.
- American country and pop singer-songwriter Ronald “Ronnie” Dove was born on September 7, 1935, in Herndon, Virginia. He became known, among other things, for his popular cover of Wanda Jackson's “Right or Wrong”. In 1965, he had the US hit “One Kiss For Old Times' Sake” at No. 14.
- English actress, singer, and author Julie Andrews, born Julia Elizabeth Wells, was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. She later won an Academy Award for her leading role in “Mary Poppins” and also became famous as the star of “The Sound of Music”.
- Opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti is born in Modena, Italy. He later becomes world-famous and a member of the vocal group The Three Tenors. Among his notable successes are the recording of “Nessun Dorma” and the album The Essential Pavarotti.
- American jazz and R&B drummer Paul Humphrey is born. He played on Marvin Gaye’s album Let’s Get It On and also recorded with Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Dusty Springfield, and Marc Bolan.
- Gospel singer and songwriter Etterlene DeBarge was born. She was a member of the family vocal group DeBarge. The group's song "Rhythm of the Night" reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.
- Kenny Hodges, bassist and singer with Spanky and Our Gang, was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
- Elsbeary Hobbs, bassist and vocalist with The Drifters, was born in New York City.
- Charles Pope ze skupiny The Tams se narodil v Atlantě ve státě Georgia.
- “Godfather of go-go” Chuck Brown was born in Gaston, North Carolina. He later moved to Washington, D.C., and became a pioneer of the go-go style, best represented by his hit “Bustin' Loose”.
- R&B singer Rudy Lewis of The Drifters, born Charles Rudolph Harrell, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Blues guitarist Willie Woods, a member of Junior Walker and the All Stars, was born.
- Charles Hardin Holley, known as Buddy Holly, was born in Lubbock, Texas. His name was misspelled on his first recording contract, and he decided to keep the spelling. Holly, singer and songwriter with The Crickets, was one of the pioneers of rock'n'roll and had a major influence on The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and other stars of the 1960s. The Crickets had the US No. 1 hit “That'll Be The Day” in 1957, while Holly had the UK No. 1 single “It Doesn't Matter Anymore” in 1959 and more than 15 other UK Top 40 hits. He died at the age of 22 in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, alongside The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. Don McLean's song “American Pie” is about his death.
- American R&B and soul musician and producer Joe Simon was born in Simmesport, Louisiana. In 1975, he had the US hit “Get Down, Get Down On The Floor” at No. 8, and between 1964 and 1981 he had 51 hits on the US pop and R&B charts. He was also known for the hits “Power of Love” and “The Chokin’ Kind”. Some of his songs were later sampled by other artists, including OutKast and Lil' Kim. He died on December 13, 2021.
- American jazz drummer Billy Higgins was born. Beginning in 1958, he played on early recordings by Ornette Coleman and worked with musicians including Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Don Cherry, Milt Jackson, Pat Metheny, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. He appeared on more than 700 recordings. He died on May 3, 2001, from kidney and liver failure.
- Garth Hudson, the Canadian multi-instrumentalist, keyboardist, and saxophonist and one of the key members of The Band, was born on August 2, 1937, in Windsor, Ontario.
- American producer, songwriter and arranger Shel Talmy was born in Chicago. He produced The Who's first album and many early recordings by The Kinks, including the hit “You Really Got Me.” He also produced “My Generation” by The Who and “Friday on My Mind” by The Easybeats. He died on November 13, 2024, aged 87.
- Blues guitarist Roy Gaines was born; he later worked as a session musician and collaborated with numerous prominent artists.
- American blues guitarist Luther Allison was born.
- Scottish multi-instrumentalist Phil Shulman was born in the Gorbals district of Glasgow, Scotland. He was the eldest brother of Derek and Ray Shulman, and all three performed in the psychedelic group Simon Dupree and the Big Sound. Phil Shulman later became a member of the progressive rock band Gentle Giant, in which he performed during the 1970s.
- English drummer Clemente "Clem" Cattini was born on August 28, 1937, in north London. He became known as a member of The Tornados and later as a sought-after session musician who played on a record 44 different UK No. 1 singles.
- Bassist and session musician Joe Osborn was born in Mound, Louisiana. As a member of The Wrecking Crew, he played on recordings by The Mamas & the Papas, The Carpenters, The Association, and The 5th Dimension. He also played on “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by The 5th Dimension and was also known for his work with the studio musicians’ group known as the A-Team.
- Singer John Perkins of The Crew-Cuts was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The group was known for their 1954 hit “Sh-Boom”, a cover of the song by The Chords.
- American steel guitarist Lloyd Green, one of the prominent studio musicians of Nashville's A-Team, was born in Leaf, Mississippi. He played on more than 5,000 recording sessions and contributed to 116 country hits that reached number one. In 1988, he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.
- American doo-wop and progressive rock singer Carlo Mastrangelo was born in the Bronx, New York. He was a founding member of The Belmonts, performed with and without Dion, and later pursued progressive rock and jazz.
- American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chester “Chet” Powers was born in Danbury, Connecticut. He was also known as Dino Valenti, Dino Valente, and Jesse Oris Farrow. He was one of the lead singers of Quicksilver Messenger Service and wrote “Get Together,” which was made famous by The Youngbloods.
- Actress and singer Connie Stevens was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1960, she had the hit "Sixteen Reasons", which reached No. 3.
- David Cortez Clowney was born in Detroit, Michigan, later becoming known as Dave “Baby” Cortez.
- Musician and founding member of the rock 'n' roll group Sha Na Na was born.
- R&B and pop singer and actress Ketty Lester, best known for the 1962 hit "Love Letters", was born in Hope, Arkansas.
- Singer and songwriter Ernie Maresca, the writer of several hits by Dion, was born in the Bronx, New York.
- Country and pop singer, songwriter and producer Kenny Rogers was born in Houston, Texas. His best-known song “The Gambler” was released when he was 40 years old.
- Lyricist and producer Roger Greenaway was born in Fishponds, Bristol, Gloucestershire. He was a member of David & Jonathan and The Kestrels and became known for his songwriting partnership with Roger Cook on songs including “My Baby Loves Lovin'”, “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress”, “Gasoline Alley Bred”, “You've Got Your Troubles”, “Melting Pot”, “Good Morning Freedom”, “Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart” and “I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)”, which originally originated as a Coca-Cola advertising slogan.
- American multi-instrumentalist and singer David Freiberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He became known as a bassist and member of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.
- Mason Williams was born in Abilene, Texas. In addition to working as a comedy writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Saturday Night Live, he also worked as a guitarist and composer.
- Teen idol Jimmy Clanton was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He became known for the swamp pop and R&B hits “Just a Dream” from 1958 and “Venus in Blue Jeans” from 1962.
- Blues guitarist Earl Wade was born.
- American blues, rock, and folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist Nick Gravenites was born. He was known for his work with Electric Flag, Janis Joplin, and Mike Bloomfield. He wrote several songs for Joplin, including “Work Me, Lord,” and produced the hit “One Toke Over the Line” for Brewer & Shipley and the album “Right Place, Wrong Time” for Otis Rush, for which he was nominated for a Grammy.
- American rock 'n' roll and rockabilly singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota. He became famous for songs including “Twenty Flight Rock,” “C’mon Everybody” and “Summertime Blues,” which reached No. 8 in the US in 1958; in 1960, “Three Steps To Heaven” reached No. 1 in Britain. He experimented with multitrack recording, distortion and overdubbing as early as his first singles and played guitar, piano, bass and drums. He died on April 17, 1960, at the age of 21 in a car accident while touring in Britain; songwriter Sharon Sheeley and singer Gene Vincent were also in the car and survived the crash.
- American country singer and guitarist Johnny Duncan was born in Dublin, Texas. During his career he released 14 studio albums and had more than 30 charting singles, three of which reached No. 1.
- Jean King, an American singer with The Blossoms, is born. The group was produced by Phil Spector. She also sang with Ray Charles’s backing group the Raelettes and worked as a backing vocalist with other well-known artists.
- Jimmie Nicol, the English drummer best known for temporarily replacing Ringo Starr during The Beatles’ 1964 world tour, was born in London.
- Frankie Ford, the American rock 'n' roll and R&B singer best known for the hit “Sea Cruise,” was born in Gretna, Louisiana.
- American soul singer, songwriter, producer and arranger William Nelson “Sonny” Sanders was born in Chicago, Illinois. In 1957, he founded The Satintones, the first vocal group to sign with Motown Records.
- Americký R&B a popový zpěvák Rolan Webster Holden se narodil v Seattlu ve Washingtonu. Proslavil se hitem „Love You So“ z roku 1960.
- Phil Balsley, baritone singer with The Statler Brothers, was born in Staunton, Virginia.
- Billy Henderson, a founding member and vocalist of the American rhythm and blues vocal group The Spinners, was born in Detroit, Michigan.
- Rockabilly guitarist Ronnie Dawson was born in Dallas, Texas. He made a name for himself on the local scene in the 1950s and 1960s and gained wider attention during the rockabilly revival of the 1990s.
- English-Australian drummer Snowy Fleet, a member of The Easybeats, was born in Liverpool.
- Rock'n'roll singer Johnny Preston was born in Port Arthur, Texas. He was best known for his hit “Running Bear.”
- American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and producer Maxine Brown was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. She became known for the hits “All in My Mind” and “Funny.”
- English drummer, singer, songwriter and music producer Peter Edward “Ginger” Baker was born in Lewisham, South London, England. He became famous as co-founder of the rock group Cream, which had the UK number 11 single “I Feel Free” in 1966. He was also a member of Graham Bond Organisation, Blind Faith and Ginger Baker’s Airforce and became known for working with world music musicians, particularly for incorporating African influences. He also worked with Gary Moore, Hawkwind and Public Image Ltd.
- Country singer Harold Reid of The Statler Brothers was born in Staunton, Virginia. He co-wrote many of the group's hits, including “Bed of Rose's” and “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine”.
- American doo-wop singer Fred Milano was born in the Bronx, New York. He became best known as a member of the vocal trio Dion and the Belmonts.
- Doo-wop singer Fred Milano of The Belmonts was born in New York City. The group's name was inspired by Belmont Avenue in the Bronx, where he grew up.
- Born in Atlanta, Georgia, he was a singer and member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. He joined the group in 1959 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside the group in 1996.
- John Peel, British radio DJ, journalist and television presenter, was born John Robert Parker Ravenscroft. He was the longest-serving presenter on BBC Radio 1 and one of the most influential British DJs. He was among the first presenters to play psychedelic and progressive rock on British radio and was known for supporting artists from many genres including pop, reggae, indie rock, alternative rock, punk, hardcore punk, breakcore, grindcore, death metal, British hip hop and dance music. Peel died of a heart attack in Cusco, Peru, on October 25, 2004, at the age of 65.
- Jerry Allison, drummer of American rock and roll band The Crickets, was born in Hillsboro, Texas. He co-wrote Buddy Holly's hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue". The group had the U.S. No. 1 single "That'll Be the Day" in 1957 and the British No. 1 single "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" in 1959.
- Bobby Purify, whose real name was Ben Moore, the singer of the American R&B duo James & Bobby Purify, was born. In 1976, the duo had the American hit “I'm Your Puppet” at number six and the British hit at number 12.
- One half of the R&B vocal duo James & Bobby Purify was born in Tallahassee, Florida.
- American singer and songwriter John Stewart was born in San Diego. He became known as a member of The Kingston Trio and as the writer of The Monkees' hit “Daydream Believer,” which reached number one on the chart.
- David Allan Coe, an American country singer and songwriter, was born.
- Lolly Vegas, born Candido Vasquez, guitarist and singer of the group Redbone, was born in Coalinga, California. Redbone were among the most prominent Native American bands. In 1971, they had the British hit “The Witch Queen Of New Orleans” at No. 2, and in 1974 the U.S. hit “Come and Get Your Love” at No. 4. According to the source, Jimi Hendrix named Lolly Vegas as his favorite guitarist and greatest musical influence.
- Israeli musician and dancer Abraham Reichstadt, known as Abi Ofarim of the duo Esther & Abi Ofarim, was born.
- Colin Cooper, singer, saxophonist, and harmonica player with the Climax Blues Band, was born in Stafford, England. The band had the hit “Couldn't Get It Right.”
- Larry Knechtel, American keyboardist, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist best known as a member of The Wrecking Crew and later Bread, was born in Bell, California.
- American singer Bobby Hatfield, a member of The Righteous Brothers, was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
- American singer Rod Bernard was born; he was a pioneer of the swamp pop genre.
- Jim Sullivan was born in San Diego, California. His 1969 album U.F.O. later became a cult recording after he disappeared in the New Mexico desert in 1975.
- John Stokes was born. He became the singer and bassist of The Bachelors, who had the UK No. 1 hit “Diane” in 1964.
- He was born Darrell Crofts in Cisco, Texas, and became known as one half of Seals and Crofts.
- English pop singer Donald Arthur Fardon, known as Don Fardon, was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. Before his solo career, he was the singer of The Sorrows. He was best known for his version of “Indian Reservation”.
- American singer, songwriter and composer Johnny Nash was born in Houston, Texas. As a teenager, he regularly appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s variety show and had several minor hits, but achieved his greatest success in the 1970s with the reggae hits “I Can See Clearly Now” and “Stir It Up”, written by Bob Marley, who later also recorded it. “I Can See Clearly Now” reached number one on the US singles chart in 1972, and “Tears on My Pillow” reached number one on the UK singles chart in 1975.
- Singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer Roger Cook, a member and co-lead vocalist of Blue Mink, was born in Fishponds in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England. He was best known for his songwriting partnership with Roger Greenaway, with whom he wrote hits including “You’ve Got Your Troubles”, “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress”, “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart” and “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”. Blue Mink had the UK No. 3 single “Melting Pot” in 1970. Cook was involved in more than 80 hits that reached the UK Top 30.
- John Lantree, bassist and drummer with The Honeycombs, was born in Newbury, Berkshire, England. The Honeycombs had the UK No. 1 hit “Have I The Right” in 1964.
- Blues musician and son of John Lee Hooker was born.
- English pop and rock singer Vicki Brown was born in Liverpool. She was a member of The Vernons Girls and The Breakaways and was one of Britain's longest-serving backing singers. She appeared on recordings by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Petula Clark, The Who and George Harrison. She was the first wife of singer and musician Joe Brown and the mother of singer Sam Brown.
- American drummer Dickie Harrell was born. He became known for his work with Gene Vincent's Blue Caps, who had the 1956 hit “Be-Bop-a-Lula”. He died on May 31, 2023.
- American songwriter, music producer, and singer Ivy Jo Hunter, whose real name was George Ivy Hunter, was born in Detroit, Michigan. Together with Marvin Gaye and William “Mickey” Stevenson, he wrote the hit “Dancing in the Street” by Martha and the Vandellas and also contributed to songs for The Temptations, the Isley Brothers, and The Four Tops.
- American saxophonist and bassist Wilton Felder, a founding member of jazz group The Crusaders, was born in Houston, Texas. He played bass on The Jackson 5's hits "I Want You Back" and "ABC", as well as Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On".
- Soul singer Sonny Charles of Sonny Charles & The Checkmates, Ltd. was born Charles Hemphill. Sources disagree on his birthplace: one gives Fort Wayne, Indiana, while another gives Blytheville, Arkansas. He became known as the lead singer of the R&B group Checkmates, Ltd.
- English singer, songwriter and actress Yvonne Ann Burgess, known by her stage name Jackie Trent, was born in Newcastle. In 1965, she had the UK No. 1 hit "Where Are You Now (My Love)". Together with her husband Tony Hatch, she wrote songs for Frank Sinatra, Petula Clark, Des O'Connor, Val Doonican, Shirley Bassey, Vikki Carr and Dean Martin. She died on March 21, 2015, at the age of 74.
- American singer and songwriter Alan O'Day was born in Hollywood, California. He became best known for his own song “Undercover Angel,” which became a million-selling hit in 1977 and reached No. 1 on the US chart. He also wrote Helen Reddy's hit “Angie Baby,” which reached No. 1 in 1974, and the song “Rock and Roll Heaven,” made famous by The Righteous Brothers. He later also contributed to the music for the animated series Muppet Babies. Alan O'Day died on May 17, 2013, at the age of 72 from cancer; contemporary reports identified it as brain cancer.
- American soul singer Fred Cash was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He became known as a member of The Impressions, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
- English musician, singer-songwriter and co-founder of The Beatles, John Winston Lennon, was born in Liverpool, England. In 1956 he formed the Quarrymen, which evolved into The Beatles in 1960, and his songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney became the most successful in history. He was shot and killed by Mark Chapman in New York on December 8, 1980, aged 40.
- British singer Chris Farlowe was born in London. He was known for the hit "Out of Time", which topped the UK chart in 1966. The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Farlowe later performed with Colosseum and Atomic Rooster.
- Andrew Steele, drummer with The Herd, was born on August 2, 1941, in Hendon, northwest London.
- Doris Coley, singer with the American girl group The Shirelles, was born on August 2, 1941, in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
- Beverly Lee, a member of The Shirelles, was born in Passaic, New Jersey.
- Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist Airto Moreira was born in Itaiópolis, Brazil. He became known as a member of Quarteto Novo and also worked with Miles Davis and Return to Forever.
- Craig Douglas, born Terence Perkins in Newport on the Isle of Wight, became an English pop and rock and roll singer. Before beginning his professional music career, he worked as a milkman and became known as the “Singing Milkman”. His manager, Bunny Lewis, gave him the stage name Craig Douglas. He later became famous for his 1959 hit “Only Sixteen”, which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
- The country singer and songwriter, known for the 1964 hit “Once A Day”, was born Constance June Meador in Elkhart, Indiana.
- He was born in Los Angeles. He was a singer, songwriter and founding member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, with whom, and sometimes with Neil Young, he achieved great success. With The Byrds, he took folk-rock to a new level, while with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young he helped establish new standards for vocal harmonies. Throughout his life, he had numerous problems, mostly drug-related, and in 1986 he spent five months in prison.
- American country musician Don Rich was born, a member of Buck Owens' backing group The Buckaroos.
- American singer and songwriter Jackie DeShannon, born Sharon Lee Myers, was born in Hazel, Kentucky. She became known for songs including “What the World Needs Now Is Love” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”.
- Keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Tom Coster was born in Detroit, Michigan. He became known for his long collaboration with Carlos Santana, with whom he co-wrote the song “Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)”.
- Pete Shannon, bassist with The Nashville Teens, was born in Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
- Elliot Ingber, an American guitarist known as a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, founder of Fraternity of Man and later a member of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, was born.
- Ernest Wright, doo-wop singer of Little Anthony & the Imperials, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
- Christopher Augustine, drummer of Every Mother's Son, was born in New York City. The group is known for the 1967 hit “Come on Down to My Boat”.
- English drummer and singer Christopher Crummey, known as Chris Curtis, was born in Liverpool. He became known as a member of The Searchers in the 1960s.
- English drummer John Marshall was born. He was a founding member of the jazz-rock group Nucleus and served as the drummer of Soft Machine from 1972 to 1978. He also worked with Allan Holdsworth, Alexis Korner, Jack Bruce, and John McLaughlin.
- English guitarist and singer John McNally was born in Walton, Liverpool. He was a founding member of The Searchers, with whom he remained for more than 60 years. The group had the UK No. 1 single “Needles And Pins” in 1964 and the US No. 3 single “Love Potion Number Nine”.
- American songwriter, producer and musician Allen Toussaint was born.
- American music producer and sound engineer Elliot Mazer was born in New York City. He worked with artists including Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt.
- Ron Meagher, bassist of The Beau Brummels, was born in Oakland, California. In 1965, the group had the U.S. hit “Just A Little,” which reached No. 8.
- American rock 'n' roll singer Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans, was born in Spring Gully near Andrews, South Carolina, and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He popularized a number of dance styles, especially the Twist through the 1960 hit “The Twist,” originally recorded by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, and the Pony through his 1961 cover of “Pony Time.” His biggest UK hit was “Let's Twist Again” from 1962. “The Twist” was the first song to reach No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 twice, first in 1960 and again in 1962; this was not repeated until nearly 59 years later, when Mariah Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You” did so in December 2020. Chubby Checker also became famous for songs including “Limbo Rock” and “Pony Time.”
- Arlene Smith, singer of the African-American girl group The Chantels, was born.
- English musician Martin Murray, rhythm guitarist of the beat group The Honeycombs, was born in London.
- R&B singer Tony Silvester of The Main Ingredient was born in Colón, Panama, as Enrique Antonio Silvester. The group is best known for their 1972 hit “Everybody Plays the Fool.”
- American pop singer and songwriter Reese Francis Clifford III, known as Buzz Clifford, was born in Berwyn, Illinois. He became known for the hit “Baby Sittin' Boogie,” which reached No. 6 in the U.S. in 1961.
- English musician George Bellamy, rhythm guitarist of The Tornados, was born in Sunderland, England.
- American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey. He became famous as one half of the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. He met Art Garfunkel while they were performing in a school production of Alice in Wonderland. Together, they recorded hits including "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", and "The Boxer". Simon also enjoyed solo success with the album Graceland and the song "You Can Call Me Al".
- Country and pop singer B.J. Thomas was born in Hugo, Oklahoma. He became known for hits including “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”, “Don’t Worry Baby”, “Hooked on a Feeling” and “(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song”, all of which reached No. 1 in the U.S.
- British bassist and singer Johnny Gustafson was born in Liverpool, England. He performed with groups including The Big Three, The Merseybeats, Roxy Music, Quatermass and Ian Gillan Band.
- Guy Villari of The Regents, the original performers of “Barbara Ann,” was born in The Bronx, New York.
- Drummer and founding member of Manfred Mann Mike Hugg was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England. Manfred Mann had the UK and US No. 1 hit “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” in 1964. Hugg later became a member of Manfred Mann Chapter Three.
- British rock drummer Pete York, a founding member of The Spencer Davis Group, was born.
- R&B singer and songwriter Barbara George, known for the 1961 hit "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)", was born in Smithridge, Louisiana.
- Robert "Squirrel" Lester, founding member and second tenor of the vocal group The Chi-Lites, was born in McComb, Mississippi.
- American singer, songwriter, composer and actor Isaac Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee. He became known, among other things, for the songs “Soul Man” and “Theme from Shaft”, which reached No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 4 in the UK in 1971. In 1998, as Chef, he reached No. 2 on the British chart with “Chocolate Salty Balls”. He died on August 10, 2008, aged 65.
- Doo-wop singer Tony “Spaghetti” Micale, frontman of The Reflections, was born in the Bronx, New York. He became known for the 1964 hit “(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet”.
- Carl Mann, known for his rockabilly versions of songs including Nat King Cole's „Mona Lisa“ and The Platters' „Twilight Time“, was born in Huntingdon, Tennessee.
- Jimmy Soul, whose real name was James Louis McCleese, was born in Weldon, North Carolina. He became famous for the 1963 hit „If You Wanna Be Happy“, which reached No. 1 on the chart.
- Marshall Thompson, American singer, multi-instrumentalist and founding member of The Chi-Lites, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
- American musician and songwriter Keith Allison was born. He became best known as a member of Paul Revere & the Raiders from 1968 to 1975. He also played guitar and harmonica on the Sonny & Cher song “The Beat Goes On”.
- American singer and dancer Samuel Mendola, known as Vic Dana, was born in Buffalo, New York. He became known for 1960s hits such as “Little Altar Boy”, “I Will” and the popular cover version of “Red Roses for a Blue Lady”.
- Musician, songwriter and producer Daryl Dragon, known as “Captain” from the husband-and-wife duo Captain & Tennille, was born in Los Angeles. His father was conductor Carmen Dragon. Captain & Tennille had several hits on the US chart, including “Love Will Keep Us Together”, “Do That to Me One More Time” and “Muskrat Love”. Dragon also worked with The Beach Boys. He died on January 2, 2019, from kidney failure.
- American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Douglas Hatlelid, known as Chip Douglas, was born in San Francisco. He became known as a member of The Turtles and as a producer of The Monkees, for whom he produced hits including “Daydream Believer” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday”. The Turtles had the US No. 1 hit “Happy Together” in 1967.
- Ken Andrew, the original drummer of the Scottish pop group Middle of the Road, was born in Bearsden, Glasgow, Scotland. In 1971, the group had the UK No. 1 single “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep”; the song was among the few singles to sell more than 10 million physical copies.
- Sterling Morrison, guitarist and founding member of the rock group The Velvet Underground, was born as Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr. in East Meadow, New York.
- Al Jardine, singer, multi-instrumentalist and co-founding member of The Beach Boys, was born in Lima, Ohio.
- English singer Mike Harrison was born in Carlisle. He became known as the lead singer of the rock band Spooky Tooth.
- American soul and R&B singer Merald “Bubba” Knight, brother of Gladys Knight and a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips, was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Their first hit was a version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” in 1967. With Gladys Knight, he had the US number-one single “Midnight Train to Georgia” in 1973.
- Jazz-rock trombonist and tuba player David "Dave" Bargeron was born in Athol, Massachusetts. He became known as a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. The group had the U.S. No. 2 hit "Spinning Wheel" and the No. 12 hit "You've Made Me So Very Happy" in 1969. Their second album, "Blood, Sweat & Tears", reached No. 1 in the U.S. in 1968.
- American singer Herb Fame was born in Anacostia, Washington. He became famous as one half of the vocal duo Peaches & Herb.
- American soul and R&B singer, dancer and songwriter Richard Street, a member of The Temptations, was born in Detroit, Michigan.
- Melvin Franklin, born David Melvin English and also known as Blue, is born in Montgomery, Alabama. He becomes the bass singer and longtime member of The Temptations, a group that plays a major role in the development of soul and R&B.
- Kathy Lennon, a member of The Lennon Sisters, was born on August 2, 1943, in Los Angeles.
- David Carr, keyboardist with the British group The Fortunes, was born in Leyton, London.
- Country singer and songwriter Sammi Smith, born Jewel Faye Smith, was born in Orange County, California.
- Popová zpěvačka Lana Cantrell se narodila v Sydney v Austrálii.
- American singer Wanda LaFaye Young, also known as Wanda Rogers, was born in Inkster, Michigan. She was a member of The Marvelettes and became their lead singer in 1965.
- Ronnie Spector, singer, co-founder and frontwoman of the girl group The Ronettes, was born Veronica Bennett in New York City.
- American singer, guitarist and songwriter James Griffin, a member of Bread, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Jim Kale, born Michael James Kale, bassist for The Guess Who, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Guess Who had the US No. 1 hit “American Woman” in 1970. Jim Kale also frequently performed with The Who.
- An American jazz and rock keyboardist, producer, record label owner and music journalist was born. Early in his career, he was a member of Steve Miller Band.
- American singer and songwriter Kin Vassy was born. In addition to his solo work, he also recorded with Kenny Rogers, Frank Zappa and Elvis Presley.
- Carl Wayne, singer with The Move, whose real name was Colin David Tooley, was born in Winson Green, Birmingham, England.
- English pop singer William Howard Ashton, known as Billy J. Kramer, was born in Bootle, Lancashire, England. He became famous as the singer of Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, who were managed by Brian Epstein in the 1960s. In 1963, he had the UK number one hit “Bad to Me”, one of several Lennon–McCartney songs that The Beatles themselves did not record. In 1964, “Little Children” reached number one on the UK singles chart and number 7 in the US.
- Gospel singer, songwriter, pianist, producer, arranger and choir leader Edwin Hawkins was born in Oakland, California. With his choir, he recorded “Oh Happy Day”, the first traditional gospel song to break into the pop charts.
- John Cipollina, founder and lead guitarist of the psychedelic rock group Quicksilver Messenger Service, was born.
- Walter Lee Williams, founding member of R&B group The O'Jays, was born in Canton, Ohio. The group had, among others, the US hit “Back Stabbers” and the 1973 US number-one single “Love Train”. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1983, he became a spokesperson for the condition.
- Ann “Honey” Lantree, drummer and singer of the English beat and pop group The Honeycombs, was born in Hayes, Middlesex, England. In 1964, the group had the UK No. 1 single “Have I the Right”, produced by Joe Meek.
- American-British actor and singer David Richard Solberg, known as David Soul, was born in Chicago, Illinois. He became famous for playing Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in the television series Starsky & Hutch from 1975 to 1979, and as a singer he had the UK No. 1 single “Silver Lady” in 1976 and “Don't Give Up On Us”, which reached No. 1 in both the UK and US in 1977.
- American musician, composer, and arranger Richard "Dick" Halligan, a founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, was born in Troy, New York. Halligan was a keyboardist, flutist, and singer. In 1969, the group had the US single "Spinning Wheel" at No. 2 and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" at No. 12, while its 1968 album "Blood, Sweat & Tears" reached No. 1 in the US. In the 1970s and 1980s, Halligan composed and arranged music for a number of films. He died on January 18, 2022, in Rome at the age of 78.
- American soul and R&B singer Rosalind Ashford was born in Detroit, Michigan. She became known as a founding member of Martha and the Vandellas.
- French music producer, songwriter and singer Mark Wirtz was born. He became best known for the unfinished concept album A Teenage Opera; the project’s first single, “Excerpt from A Teenage Opera” by Keith West, reached No. 2 on the UK chart in 1967.
- British bassist Tony Jarrett of Vanity Fare was born. The group was formed in 1966 and released the million-selling hit “Hitchin' a Ride,” which became a worldwide hit in 1970.
- Roger Waters, singer, songwriter, bassist and co-founder of Pink Floyd, was born George Roger Waters in Great Bookham, Surrey, England. After Syd Barrett's departure in 1968, he gradually became the band's main lyricist and gained increasing creative control around the 1979 album "The Wall", which led to growing estrangement from his bandmates. He left Pink Floyd in 1985 and subsequently released several successful solo albums as well as the opera "Ça Ira".
- American singer Gloria Gaynor, born Gloria Fowles, was born on September 7, 1943, in Newark, New Jersey. She is best known for disco hits including “I Will Survive”, “I Am What I Am” and “Let Me Know (I Have a Right)”.
- American saxophonist Gerald “Jerry” Martini was born in Denver. He became known as a member of Sly and the Family Stone.
- American singer, guitarist and songwriter Steve Miller was born on October 5, 1943, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1966, he founded the Steve Miller Band.
- Denis D'Ell, lead singer and harmonica player of the British beat group The Honeycombs, was born on October 10, 1943. The group had a UK number-one hit in 1964 with “Have I the Right.” D'Ell died of cancer on July 6, 2005.
- American country singer Gary Gene Watson was born in Palestine, Texas. He became known for songs including "Fourteen Carat Mind," "Farewell Party" and "Love in the Hot Afternoon."
- Jazz bassist Albert Stinson was born on August 2, 1944, in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Jim Capaldi, the English drummer, singer, and songwriter, co-founder and member of Traffic and later a solo artist, was born on August 2, 1944, in Evesham, Worcestershire. His birth name was Nicola James Capaldi.
- Mark Naftalin, the American blues keyboardist, songwriter, and producer and a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Quicksilver Messenger Service, was born on August 2, 1944.
- English guitarist and songwriter John Renbourn was born. He became known for his work with Bert Jansch and as a member of the folk-rock group Pentangle.
- American singer, songwriter and guitarist Michael Johnson was born in Alamosa, Colorado. He became famous for hits including “Bluer Than Blue”, “The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder” and “Give Me Wings”.
- Vivian “Viv” Prince, drummer with The Pretty Things, was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. He later played with The Jeff Beck Group and The Denny Laine String Band and occasionally filled in on drums for concerts by The Honeycombs and The Who.
- Kevin Ayers, singer, songwriter and founding member of Soft Machine, was born in Herne Bay, Kent, England.
- American musician and drummer John Seiter was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He became known as a member of Spanky and Our Gang and The Turtles.
- Jon Povey, keyboard player with The Pretty Things, was born in London, England.
- Michael B. Tretow, a Swedish music producer, sound engineer and musician best known for his work with the Swedish group ABBA, was born. He worked as a studio manager at Polar Studios. He died on May 20, 2025, aged 80.
- Blues drummer “Uncle John” Turner, who performed with Johnny Winter's backing band, was born in Beaumont, Texas.
- Jim Brady, folk-rock singer of The Sandpipers, was born in Los Angeles, California.
- English guitarist Alan Parker was born. From the late 1960s onward, he worked as a session guitarist and played with David Bowie, Blue Mink, The Walker Brothers, CCS and Serge Gainsbourg, among others.
- American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Maureen “Moe” Tucker was born in New York City, USA. She became known as the drummer of The Velvet Underground, and her music is associated with the genres experimental rock, proto-punk, rock and roll, art rock, avant-garde and folk rock.
- American musician John Voorhis “Tim” Bogert III was born in New York City, New York. He became known as the bassist and singer of Vanilla Fudge and Cactus and as a member of the trio Beck, Bogert & Appice. He died on January 13, 2021, from cancer.
- Charles Colbert of American Breed was born. In 1967, the group had the US No. 5 single “Bend Me, Shape Me”, which became a hit for Amen Corner in the UK chart. American Breed also recorded radio advertising jingles for Coca-Cola, the United States Navy and Bell Telephone, and their television commercial for American Airlines, “Fly the American Way”, was highly successful and reached the Top 20.
- English artist Roger Dean was born. He designed album covers for groups and artists including Yes, Atomic Rooster, Uriah Heep, Gentle Giant, Greenslade, Steve Howe and Asia.
- He was born in Henderson, Texas. He was the founder and frontman of the rhythm and blues group Archie Bell & the Drells.
- American musician, drummer and singer Gary Leeds, known from The Standells and The Walker Brothers, was born.
- Gene Parsons, American drummer, banjo player, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, was born in Morongo Valley, California. He became known as a member of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers and was with The Byrds from 1968 to 1972. He is credited, along with Clarence White, with inventing the B-Bender (StringBender).
- Barbara Parritt, singer and founding member of the girl group The Toys, was born on October 1, 1944, in Wilmington, North Carolina. The group had a hit with “A Lover's Concerto” in 1965.
- American singer and songwriter Judee Sill, born Judith Lynne Sill, was born in Studio City, Los Angeles. In 1971, she became the first artist signed by David Geffen to his Asylum Records label.
- American country singer Susan Raye was born in Eugene, Oregon. She had several Top 10 hits, the best known being “L.A. International Airport” from 1971.
- Founding member and bassist of The Who, John Entwistle, also known as The Ox and Thunderfingers, was born in Chiswick, England. The Who scored the 1965 UK No. 2 single "My Generation" and more than 20 other UK Top 40 hits. Entwistle died on June 27, 2002, aged 57.
- American singer, songwriter, producer and musician Nona Hendryx was born in Trenton, New Jersey. She became known as a member of Labelle, who had the 1975 US No. 1 and UK No. 17 single "Lady Marmalade." In 1985 she wrote and recorded the Grammy-nominated song "Rock This House" with Keith Richards.
- Robert Lamm, keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and founding member of the rock band Chicago, was born in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote many of the band’s best-known songs, including “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “25 or 6 to 4,” and “Harry Truman.”
- Baskytarista, skladatel a kanadský hudebník Kerry Chater, člen skupiny Gary Puckett & The Union Gap a skladatel nominovaný na Grammy, se narodil ve Vancouveru v Britské Kolumbii v Kanadě.
- Keyboardist, songwriter and co-founder of Sparks Ron Mael was born.
- The comedian and actor was born in Waco, Texas. He is best known as a comedian and actor, but is also an acclaimed banjo player and frequently performs with the Steep Canyon Rangers.
- Gary Loizzo, frontman and member of The American Breed, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
- R&B singer Barbara Harris of The Toys was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
- Nona Hendryx, a member of Labelle, was born.
- Sarah Dash was born in Trenton, New Jersey. She became known as a member of the R&B vocal group Labelle and later pursued a solo career with the 1978 disco hit “Sinner Man.” She also became a sought-after session singer, particularly for The Rolling Stones and Keith Richards.
- English singer and songwriter Ian Gillan was born in Chiswick, London, England. He is best known as the lead singer of Deep Purple and also briefly performed with Black Sabbath. He was also a member of Episode Six, Ian Gillan Band, Gillan, Gillan & Glover and WhoCares. Deep Purple had the UK number 2 single “Black Night” in 1970 and the US number 4 single “Smoke on the Water” in 1973.
- Singer, songwriter, and producer Carmine John Granito, professionally known as Ron Dante, was born in New York. He became known as the lead singer of The Archies, and his voice was also featured in the studio group The Cuff Links. The Archies had the 1969 U.S. and UK No. 1 hit “Sugar Sugar”, while The Cuff Links reached No. 4 on the British chart that same year with “Tracy”. Dante was rarely seen as a member of these studio projects.
- English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Ken Hensley, best known as a member of Uriah Heep, was born.
- Malcolm „Molly“ Duncan, a founding member and tenor saxophonist of Average White Band, was born in Montrose, Scotland.
- Malcolm “Duke” Allured, drummer of Showaddywaddy, was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. The band had a UK No. 1 single in 1976 with their version of “Under The Moon Of Love” and a total of ten Top 10 singles.
- English multi-instrumentalist and singer Chris Copping was born in Middleton, Lancashire. He became known as a member of Procol Harum. In 1967, the group had the UK No. 1 single "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", which reached No. 5 in the US, and also had the hits "Homburg" and "Conquistador".
- American musician Robert "Bob" Welch was born in California. From 1971 to 1974 he was a member of Fleetwood Mac and later became a successful solo artist with songs including "Hot Love", "Cold World", "Ebony Eyes", "Precious Love", "Sentimental Lady" and "Hypnotized".
- Violinist Itzhak Perlman was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, then part of the British Mandate of Palestine.
- Van Morrison, born George Ivan Morrison, was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With Them, he had the British No. 2 single "Here Comes The Night" in 1965, and as a solo artist he released the album "Moondance" in 1970. His classic albums also include "Astral Weeks" and "Tupelo Honey".
- She was born in Gastonia, North Carolina. She became known for her 1963 hit “Please Don't Talk to the Lifeguard.”
- Multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger Marty Grebb was born in Chicago, Illinois. He became known as a member of the pop group The Buckinghams.
- American musician and Steppenwolf bassist George Biondo was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a member of Steppenwolf from 1970 to 1976.
- Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Al Stewart was born. He became best known for his hit “Year of the Cat.”
- English drummer Mick Underwood, who played with The Outlaws, The Herd, Episode Six and Gillan, among others, was born.
- American soul singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Donny Hathaway was born in Chicago. He became known for songs including “The Ghetto”, “Where Is the Love”, and “This Christmas”.
- American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Don McLean was born in New Rochelle, New York. He became best known for the single “American Pie,” which reached No. 1 in the United States in 1971 and in the United Kingdom in 1972. The song was inspired by the death of Buddy Holly; his other hits include “Vincent” and a cover of Roy Orbison's “Crying.”
- Antonio Martinez, born Antonio “Tony” Martínez, was born on October 3, 1945, in Madrid, Spain. He was the guitarist of the group Los Bravos, which scored the international hit “Black Is Black” in 1966; the song reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 4 in the US. With the song, Los Bravos became the first Spanish rock group to have a hit single simultaneously in the UK and the US.
- Scottish singer and songwriter Brian Connolly was born on October 5, 1945. He became famous as frontman of the glam rock group The Sweet.
- British singer Robin Shaw, whose real name was Robin George Scrimshaw and who was known as a member of The Flower Pot Men, was born in Hayes, Middlesex, England.
- English singer, songwriter, drummer, and music video director Kevin Godley was born in Prestwich, Lancashire. He became famous as a member of 10cc, with whom he had the hit “I'm Not in Love,” and later performed as part of the duo Godley & Creme.
- Butch Rillera, an American musician who later replaced Redbone's original drummer Peter DePoe, was born.
- Ray Royer, guitarist for Procol Harum, was born in the United Kingdom.
- Alan Cartwright, bassist for Procol Harum, was born on October 10, 1945, in London. He was a member of the group from 1971 to 1976 and played on four albums, including Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra from 1972. He died on March 4, 2021, at the age of 75.
- Jerry LaCroix, singer and saxophonist with Blood, Sweat & Tears and Edgar Winter's White Trash, was born in Alexandria, Louisiana. Blood, Sweat & Tears had hits including “Spinning Wheel” and “You've Made Me So Very Happy” and reached number one on the U.S. album chart in 1968. LaCroix died in 2014.
- John York Foley, bassist and guitarist known for his work with The Byrds, was born in White Plains, New York.
- American bassist Walter Powers III, who later played with The Velvet Underground, was born.
- Greg Leskiw, guitarist for The Guess Who, was born in Manitoba, Canada.
- British jazz and rock guitarist and composer Allan Holdsworth was born in Bradford, England. His work influenced, among others, Eddie Van Halen, Frank Zappa, Tom Morello and Joe Satriani.
- Marinus “Rinus” Gerritsen, bassist and keyboardist with Golden Earring, was born in The Hague, Netherlands.
- John Parry, trombonist with The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, was born.
- Mick Clarke, bassist and singer of The Rubettes, was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England.
- Michal Prokop was born. He became a singer and member of the band Framus Five.
- The bassist from Sly and the Family Stone was born in Beaumont, Texas.
- American composer, singer and lyricist Jimmy Webb was born.
- Gordon Fleet, drummer for The Easybeats, was born in Merseyside, England.
- Ralf Hütter, German musician, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer and co-founder of the electronic group Kraftwerk, was born in Krefeld, Germany. Kraftwerk are regarded as pioneers of electronic music, with major albums including “Autobahn”, “Trans-Europe Express”, “The Man-Machine” and “Computer World”. Their music combined electronic sounds with pop melodies, sparse arrangements and repetitive rhythms.
- Rock singer Jim Sohns of The Shadows Of Knight was born in Chicago, Illinois. The group was known for their popular 1966 cover version of “Gloria” by Them.
- English drummer Keith Moon was born in Wembley, London. After playing with the local group Beachcombers, he joined The Who in 1964 before their first single. With the group, he had the hit “My Generation” and more than 20 other Top 40 hits, as well as the US hit “I Can See For Miles” and the rock operas “Tommy” and “Quadrophenia”. He became famous for his wild lifestyle and died on September 7, 1978 after overdosing on Heminevrin, a drug intended to alleviate alcohol dependence.
- American singer and songwriter Valerie Simpson, one half of the songwriting and singing duo Ashford & Simpson, was born in New York. Together with Nick Ashford, she wrote songs including “Ain't No Mountain High Enough”, “You're All I Need To Get By”, “Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing” and “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)”.
- John Victory, a studio guitarist, was born.
- He was born in Douglas on the Isle of Man. He became known as a singer, songwriter and producer with the Bee Gees, which he founded with his brothers Robin and Maurice Gibb.
- Billy Preston was born in Houston, Texas. He became known as a keyboardist, singer and session musician who worked with, among others, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, as well as for his successful solo career.
- Radio announcer Marty Brennaman was born.
- American guitarist, singer and songwriter Gary Duncan was born in San Diego, California. He became known for his work with The Brogues and Quicksilver Messenger Service; Quicksilver Messenger Service was formed in San Francisco in 1965.
- Ronald LePread, bassist for the American funk and soul group The Commodores, was born. The group had the UK and US number-one single “Three Times a Lady” in 1978, as well as the hits “Easy” and “Nightshift.”
- Scottish singer and songwriter Dean Ford, born Thomas McAleese, was born in Coatbridge. He became known as the lead singer and frontman of the Marmalade.
- Singer and songwriter Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, was born in Stone Town, Zanzibar. He became internationally famous as the frontman of Queen.
- American folk-rock singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Loudon Wainwright III was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His father was journalist and Life magazine editor Loudon Wainwright Jr.
- American disco and soul singer Alfa Anderson, known as one of the lead singers of Chic, was born in Augusta, Georgia. Chic had the US No. 1 hit “Le Freak” in 1978 and the hit “Good Times” in 1979. Anderson recorded backing vocals for Roy Buchanan, Dionne Warwick, Odyssey and other artists, and her voice also appeared on the soundtrack to The Wiz. She died on December 17, 2024, at the age of 78.
- American soul singer Patricia Ann Cole, known by her stage name PP Arnold, was born in Los Angeles, California. She first performed as a backing singer with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue and later established herself as a solo artist. She had several hits, including the original version of Cat Stevens' “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” and later released singles produced by Barry Gibb. As a session singer, she also worked with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters.
- Jamaican singer and songwriter Millicent “Millie” Small was born in Clarendon, Jamaica. She became best known for the hit “My Boy Lollipop,” which reached No. 2 on both the UK and U.S. charts in 1964.
- American musician Dean Daughtry, co-founder of Atlanta Rhythm Section, was born. He was the band's only constant member until his retirement in 2020.
- British singer Russell Stone was born. In 1971, he spent one year with Brotherhood of Man and later formed the pop duo R&J Stone with his American wife, Joanne Ruby Stone.
- Actor, dancer and singer Ben Vereen was born Benjamin Augustus Middleton in Miami, Florida. He won a Tony Award for his performance in the 1973 musical “Pippin.”
- American country-folk singer, songwriter and guitarist John Prine was born in Maywood, Illinois, near Chicago. He became known for songs such as “Sam Stone” from his 1971 album John Prine. He released a total of 19 studio albums and died on April 7, 2020, from complications related to COVID-19.
- Daryl Franklin Hohl, known professionally as Daryl Hall, was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He co-founded the pop-rock duo Hall & Oates and became its lead singer. The duo scored numerous major hits, including "Maneater," which reached No. 1 in the United States in 1982. Hall was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004 and later hosted the music program Live from Daryl's House.
- American drummer, percussionist and backing vocalist Gary Mallaber was born in Buffalo, New York. He played with Steve Miller Band and Greg Kihn Band and also recorded with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, John Lennon, Peter Frampton, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger, Barbra Streisand and Warren Zevon.
- German electronic musician Klaus Schulze, formerly the drummer of Tangerine Dream, was born in Berlin.
- Paul Layton, singer and bassist with The New Seekers, was born in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England.
- Larry Morris, vocalist with the New Zealand garage rock group Larry's Rebels, was born in New Zealand.
- Guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of The McCoys Rick Derringer, born Richard Zehringer, was born in Fort Recovery, Ohio.
- American bassist and session musician Willie Weeks was born in Salemburg, North Carolina.
- Music historian and occasional songwriter Julie Nathanson was born in Manhattan, New York.
- American soul and R&B singer Barbara Mason was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She became known, among other things, for the hit “Yes, I'm Ready.”
- American singer, songwriter and actress Amanda McBroom was born in Woodland Hills, California.
- British musician, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ian Anderson, best known as the frontman of Jethro Tull, was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.
- American guitarist, singer and songwriter Gary Talley was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He became known as a founding member and lead guitarist of The Box Tops and also performed with Big Star.
- David Lasley, an American session singer, songwriter and musician, was known for his work as a backing vocalist and songwriter for artists including Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Luther Vandross, Chic, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield and Boz Scaggs. He died on December 9, 2021, aged 74.
- Trombonist, songwriter and co-founder of the rock band Chicago James Pankow was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Chicago was formed in Chicago in 1967 as The Chicago Transit Authority and shortened its name in 1970. In 1976, the band had the UK and U.S. No. 1 hit “If You Leave Me Now”.
- Carl Giammarese, lead singer and guitarist of The Buckinghams, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
- American singer and songwriter Donna Jean Godchaux, née Donna Jean Thatcher, was born in Florence, Alabama. She became best known as a member of Grateful Dead from 1972–1979, where she was the only woman in the lineup. Before that, she worked as a session singer in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and later sang with the group Southern Comfort. Her backing vocals appeared on at least two songs that reached No. 1 on the U.S. chart: Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” in 1966 and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” in 1969. She also sang on recordings by Boz Scaggs, Duane Allman, Cher, Joe Tex, Neil Diamond, and others. In 1970, she married keyboardist Keith Godchaux, who later also joined Grateful Dead. She died on November 2, 2025, at a hospice in Nashville from cancer at the age of 78.
- Folk-rock singer Linda Thompson was born in London. She became best known for her work with her then-husband, British folk-rock guitarist Richard Thompson, and later worked as a solo artist.