1858-04-20
Birth
Auguste Chapuis
Auguste Chapuis, composer was born
On This Day in Music: April 20
Pick a date, get a soundtrack
Hear the music that defined any day.
Pick a date and press play — the day's milestones, the artists behind them, and a Spotify playlist you can hear right away, no login required.
Loading highlights...
Press play on history
The soundtrack for 2026-04-20
Hit play on the day — no login needed.
Cueing up the day's playlist...
Events and playlists update instantly.
Loading events...
1705-04-20
Birth
Balthasar Schmid
Balthasar Schmid, composer was born
1947-04-20
Birth
Björn Skifs
Björn Skifs, Swedish singer (Blue Swede) was born
1929-04-20
Birth
Bob Braun
Bob Braun, Ludlow Ky, singer (Dotty Mack Show) was born
1963-04-20
Birth
Brett Edward Garsed
Brett Edward Garsed, Victoria Australia, heavy metal artist (Nelson) was born
1948-04-20
Birth
Craig Frost
Craig Frost, keyboardist (Grand Funk Railroad-Some Kind of Wonderful) was born
1895-04-20
Birth
Emile Christian
Emile Christian, American musician (d. 1973) was born
1900-04-20
Birth
Fred Raymond
Fred Raymond, composer was born
1748-04-20
Birth
Georg Michael Telemann
Georg Michael Telemann, composer was born
1924-04-20
Birth
Gerhard Samuel
Gerhard Samuel, composer was born
1748-04-20
Birth
Guillaume Albert Teniers
Guillaume Albert Teniers, composer was born
1980-04-20
Birth
Jasmin Wagner
Jasmin Wagner, German singer was born
1945-04-20
Birth
Jimmy Winston
Jimmy Winston, London, organist (Samll Facres-Itchycoo Park) was born
1725-04-20
Birth
Johann Friedrich Kloffler
Johann Friedrich Kloffler, composer was born
1761-04-20
Birth
Johann Gottlieb Karl Spazier
Johann Gottlieb Karl Spazier, composer was born
1943-04-20
Birth
John Eliot Gardiner
John Eliot Gardiner, English conductor was born
1938-04-20
Birth
Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson, Jacksonville Fla, singer (Gidget, Poetry in Motion) was born
1963-04-20
Birth
Kal Swan
Kal Swan, heavy metal rocker was born
1908-04-20
Birth
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton, orchestra leader/vibraphone improviser (Depths Below) was born
1951-04-20
Birth
Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross, NYC, rock vocalist (Dance with my Father), (d. 2005) was born
1594-04-20
Birth
Matthaus Apelles von Lowenstern
Matthaus Apelles von Lowenstern, composer was born
1949-04-20
Birth
Michal
Michal, rocker was born
1967-04-20
Birth
Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy, American drummer (Dream Theater) was born
1881-04-20
Birth
Nikolai Miaskovsky
Nikolai Miaskovsky, Novogeorievsk Poland, composer (Kirov is With Us) was born
1925-04-20
Birth
Richard Hoffmann
Richard Hoffmann, composer was born
1957-04-20
Birth
Richenel
Richenel, [Hubertus R Baars], singer/performer (Turn My Page) was born
1881-04-20
Birth
Sem Dresden
Sem Dresden, composer/conductor was born
1870-04-20
Birth
Simeon Roncal
Simeon Roncal, composer was born
1972-04-20
Birth
Stephen Marley
Stephen Marley, Jamaican musician was born
1971-04-20
Birth
Tina Cousins
Tina Cousins, English singer was born
1923-04-20
Birth
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, Puerto Rico, bandleader (Dance Mania) was born
1902-04-20
Birth
Vesselin Stoyanov
Vesselin Stoyanov, composer was born
1866-04-20
Birth
Victor Hollaender
Victor Hollaender, composer was born
1907-04-20
Birth
William Dollar
William Dollar, St Louis, ballet dancer/choreographer was born
2002-04-20
Death
Alan Dale
Alan Dale, American singer (b. 1925)
2007-04-20
Death
Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill, American jazz composer and pianist (b. 1931)
1987-04-20
Death
Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor, dancer/choreographer (Amer Ballet Theater) dies at 78
1962-04-20
Death
Arthur Harmat
Arthur Harmat, composer, dies at 76
1643-04-20
Death
Christoph Demantius
Christoph Demantius, composer, dies at 75
1695-04-20
Death
Georg Caspar Weckler
Georg Caspar Weckler, composer, dies at 63
1839-04-20
Death
Gioachino Rossini
Giuseppe Rossini, father of Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini, dies
2001-04-20
Death
Giuseppe Sinopoli
Giuseppe Sinopoli, Italian conductor and composer (b. 1946)
1956-04-20
Death
Jaap Vranken
Jaap Vranken, organist/composer (Stabat mater), dies
1869-04-20
Death
Johann Carl Gottfried Loewe
Johann Carl Gottfried Loewe, composer, dies at 72
1992-04-20
Death
Johnny Shines
Johnny Shines, Delta blues singer/guitarist, dies at 76
1956-04-20
Death
Lieven Duvosel
Lieven Duvosel, Flemish music composer (Levensschets), dies at 78
1984-04-20
Death
Mabel Mercer
Mabel Mercer, English/US singer (Fly me to the moon), dies at 84
1968-04-20
Death
Marion Weeks
Marion Weeks, singer/actress, dies of stroke at 81
1900-04-20
Death
Mebel Mercer
Mebel Mercer, popular British singer, dies
1869-04-20
Death
Piotr Studzinski
Piotr Studzinski, composer, dies at 42
1991-04-20
Death
Steve Marriott
Steve Marriott, English guitarist (Small Faces), dies in a fire at 44
2008-04-20
Death
VL Mike
VL Mike, American Rapper (b. 1976)
1981-04-20
Event
John Phillips
Rocker Papa John Phillips arrested for drug possession
1992-04-20
Event
Madonna
Madonna signs $60-million deal with Time Warner
Artist details
Loading artist details...