1952-04-08
Birth
Adam Woods
Adam Woods, rock drummer/pianist (Fixx) was born
On This Day in Music: April 8
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 2026-04-08
Hit play on the day — no login needed.
Cueing up the day's playlist...
Events and playlists update instantly.
Loading events...
1889-04-08
Birth
Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult, Chester England, conductor/composer (BBC Sym Orch) was born
1979-04-08
Birth
Alexi Laiho
Alexi Laiho, Finnish guitarist and singer (Children of Bodom, Sinergy, Kylähullut) was born
1975-04-08
Birth
Anouk
Anouk, Dutch singer was born
1843-04-08
Birth
Asger Hamerik
Asger Hamerik, [Hammerich], composer was born
1938-04-08
Birth
Barton Keith McLean
Barton Keith McLean, composer was born
1964-04-08
Birth
Biz Markie
Biz Markie, rocker (Meteor Man, Townsend Television) was born
1920-04-08
Birth
Carmen McRae (Clark)
Carmen McRae (Clark), US jazz singer/pianist (Dream of Life) was born
1974-04-08
Birth
Chino XL
Chino XL, American rapper was born
1533-04-08
Birth
Claudio Merulo
Claudio Merulo, organist/composer was born
1885-04-08
Birth
Dimitrios Levidis
Dimitrios Levidis, composer was born
1986-04-08
Birth
Erika Sawajiri
Erika Sawajiri, Japanese actress, model and singer was born
1881-04-08
Birth
Fernand Lamy
Fernand Lamy, composer was born
1928-04-08
Birth
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb, Manhattan NY, American composer, (d. 2004) was born
1708-04-08
Birth
Georg Zarth
Georg Zarth, composer was born
1692-04-08
Birth
Giuseppe Tartini
Giuseppe Tartini, Italy, violinist/composer (Trillo del Diavolo) was born
1897-04-08
Birth
Herbert Eimert
Herbert Eimert, German composer/musicologist (Glockenspiel) was born
1989-04-08
Birth
Hitomi Takahashi
Hitomi Takahashi, Japanese singer was born
1962-04-08
Birth
Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin, [Jeff Isabelle], Lafayette IN, guitarist (Guns & Roses) was born
1929-04-08
Birth
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel, Belgium, singer/actor (Pain in the A__) was born
1921-04-08
Birth
Jan Novak
Jan Novak, composer was born
1933-04-08
Birth
Jaroslav Smolka
Jaroslav Smolka, composer was born
1904-04-08
Birth
John Antill
John Antill, composer was born
1902-04-08
Birth
Josef Krips
Josef Krips, Vienna Austria, conductor (London Symph 1954-63) was born
1756-04-08
Birth
Joseph Gehot
Joseph Gehot, composer was born
1963-04-08
Birth
Julian Lennon
Julian Lennon, Liverpool UK, singer (Too Late for Goodbyes) and son of John was born
1896-04-08
Birth
Karl Hermann Pillney
Karl Hermann Pillney, composer was born
1980-04-08
Birth
Manuel Ortega
Manuel Ortega, Austrian singer was born
1928-04-08
Birth
Monty Sunshine
Monty Sunshine, jazz bandleader (Gotta Travel On) was born
1909-04-08
Birth
Olavi Pesonen
Olavi Pesonen, composer was born
1972-04-08
Birth
Paul Gray
Paul Gray, American bassist (Slipknot) was born
1941-04-08
Birth
Peggy Lennon
Peggy Lennon, Los Angeles California, singer (Lennon Sisters) was born
1697-04-08
Birth
Pierre Prowo
Pierre Prowo, composer was born
1942-04-08
Birth
Roger Chapman
Roger Chapman, Leicester, rock vocalist (Family-Family Entertainment) was born
1878-04-08
Birth
Rudolf Nelson
Rudolf Nelson, composer was born
1895-04-08
Birth
Sigurdur Thordarson
Sigurdur Thordarson, composer was born
1947-04-08
Birth
Steve Howe
Steve Howe, London, rock guitarist (Asia, Yes-Roundabout) was born
1776-04-08
Birth
Thaddaus Weigl
Thaddaus Weigl, composer was born
1880-04-08
Birth
Victor Schertzinger
Victor Schertzinger, composer/director (Uptown NY) was born
1921-04-08
Birth
Virginia O'Brien
Virginia O'Brien, Los Angeles California, actress/singer (Gus, Ziegfeld Follies) was born
1929-04-08
Birth
Walter Berry
Walter Berry, Austria singer/ex husband of Christa Ludwig was born
1896-04-08
Birth
Yip Harburg
Yip Harburg, American lyricist (d. 1981) was born
1858-04-08
Death
Anton Diabelli
Anton Diabelli, Austrian composer/publisher, dies at 76
1969-04-08
Death
Arthur Walter Kramer
Arthur Walter Kramer, composer, dies at 78
1937-04-08
Death
Arthur William Foote
Arthur William Foote, US organist/composer, dies at 84
1996-04-08
Death
Charles Donald Adams
Charles Donald Adams, singer, dies at 67
1920-04-08
Death
Charles Tomlinson Griffes
Charles Tomlinson Griffes, US composer (White Peacock), dies at 35
1870-04-08
Death
Charles-Auguste de Beriot
Charles-Auguste de Beriot, Belgian violinist/composer, dies at 68
1871-04-08
Death
Charles-Louis Hanssens
Charles-Louis Hanssens, composer, dies at 68
1991-04-08
Death
Dead (musician)
Dead (musician), Swedish metal singer (b. 1969)
1848-04-08
Death
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti, Italian composer, dies at 50
1759-04-08
Death
Francois de La Croix
Francois de La Croix, composer, dies at 76
1897-04-08
Death
George Garrett
George Garrett, composer, dies at 62
1844-04-08
Death
Ignaz Franz von Mosel
Ignaz Franz von Mosel, composer, dies at 72
1994-04-08
Death
Irene Eisinger
Irene Eisinger, singer, dies at 91
1985-04-08
Death
J. Fred Coots
J. Fred Coots, American songwriter (b. 1897)
1865-04-08
Death
John Park
John Park, composer, dies at 61
1851-04-08
Death
John Parry
John Parry, composer, dies at 75
1863-04-08
Death
Joseph Netherclift
Joseph Netherclift, composer, dies at 70
1942-04-08
Death
Kostas Skarvelis
Kostas Skarvelis, Greek songwriter (b. 1880)
1997-04-08
Death
Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro, singer, dies of ovarian cancer at 49
2010-04-08
Death
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren, British music manager and musician (b. 1946)
1736-04-08
Death
Pedro Vaz Rego
Pedro Vaz Rego, composer, dies at 63
2010-04-08
Death
Teddy Scholten
Teddy Scholten, Dutch singer (b. 1926)
1950-04-08
Death
Vaslav Fromich Nijinsky
Vaslav Fromich Nijinsky, Ukrainian ballet dancer, dies in London
1937-04-08
Death
William Henry Hadow
William Henry Hadow, composer (Studies in Modern Music), dies at 77
1986-04-08
Death
Yukiko Okada
Yukiko Okada, Japanese idol singer (b. 1967)
1876-04-08
Event
Amilcare Ponchielli
Amiliare Ponchielli's opera "La Gioconda," premieres in Milan
1991-04-08
Event
Michael Landon
Michael Landon announces he has inoperable cancer of pancreas
1781-04-08
Event
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Premiere of Mozart's violin sonata K379
Artist details
Loading artist details...