On This Day in Music: August 2

On August 2 in music history, 46 artists were born, 29 died and 5 other milestones happened, among them The Beatles (1961), Fela Anikulapo Kuti (1997) and Rick James (1991).

Pick a date, get a soundtrack

The soundtrack for August 2

Choose a date

Open in Spotify

Tomorrow's day in music →

Highlights

August 2

View all

Standout moments for this date.

The Beatles

Beatles 1st gig as house band of Liverpool's Cavern Club

Fela Anikulapo Kuti

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nigerian musician (b. 1938)

Rick James

Funk singer Rick James, arrested on sexual torture charges

Andrew Gold

Andrew Gold, Burbank, rocker (Lonely Boy) was born

Loading events...

Born on August 2

"Fat" Larry James

"Fat" Larry James, US drummer (Fat Larry's Band) was born

Andrew Gold

Andrew Gold, Burbank, rocker (Lonely Boy) was born

Andy Fairweather Low

Andy Fairweather Low, British guitarist was born

Anthony Edward Payne

Anthony Edward Payne, composer was born

Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss

Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, London, composer (Olympians) was born

Brittany Hargest

Brittany Hargest, American singer (Jump5) was born

Catherina van Rennes

Catherina van Rennes, composer was born

Cold 187um

Cold 187um, American rapper (Above the Law) was born

David Yow

David Yow, American musician (Scratch Acid, The Jesus Lizard) was born

Doris Coley

Doris Coley, rocker was born

Doris Kenner

Doris Kenner, Passaic NJ, singer (Shirelles-Soldier Boy) was born

Edward Pattern

Edward Pattern, Atlanta Ga, singer (Gladys Knight & the Pips) was born

Felix Leclerc

Felix Leclerc, composer was born

Freddie Wadling

Freddie Wadling, Swedish actor and musician (The Leather Nun, Fleshquartet) was born

Garth Hudson

Garth Hudson, Canada, pop musician (The Band-Life is a Carnival) was born

Helen Morgan [Riggins]

Helen Morgan [Riggins], Danville, Illinois, American singer/actress (Applause, Show Boat) was born

Henryck Schiller

Henryck Schiller, composer was born

Homer Banks

Homer Banks, US singer/songwriter (Be What You Are) was born

Isabel Pantoja

Isabel Pantoja, Spain, spanish singer (Genio y Figura) was born

Jan Axel Blomberg Norwegian musician (Dimmu Borgir

Jan Axel Blomberg Norwegian musician (Dimmu Borgir, Winds, Mayhem) was born

Jeremy Castle

Jeremy Castle, Oklahoma country singer and songwriter was born

Jim Capaldi

Jim Capaldi, English singer/songwriter (Traffic-Something So Strong) was born

Jimmy Lowe

Jimmy Lowe, Nashville Tenn, country singer (Pirates of Ms-Fred Jake) was born

Jimmy Pop

Jimmy Pop, American musician (The Bloodhound Gang) was born

Joe Harnell

Joe Harnell, American musician, composer and arranger (d. 2005) was born

John MacIvor Perkins

John MacIvor Perkins, composer was born

Jose Angel Lamas

Jose Angel Lamas, composer was born

Justyna Steczkowska

Justyna Steczkowska, Polish singer was born

Karl Amadeus Hartmann

Karl Amadeus Hartmann, composer was born

Kathy Lennon

Kathy Lennon, singer (Lennon Sisters) was born

Lorenzo Herrera

Lorenzo Herrera, Venezuelan singer and composer (d. 1960) was born

Marinus Adam

Marinus Adam, Dutch conductor/composer was born

Marvin David Levy

Marvin David Levy, composer was born

Massiel

Massiel, Spanish singer was born

Mihail Jora

Mihail Jora, composer was born

Mojo Nixon

Mojo Nixon, American musician and actor was born

Myrna Loy

Myrna Loy, Helena Mont, actress (Jazz Singer, Thin Man, Vanity Fair), (d. 1993) was born

Nanny I Larsen-Todsen

Nanny I Larsen-Todsen, Swedish opera singer was born

Neal Morse

Neal Morse, American musician (Spock's Beard, Transatlantic) was born

Oscar Rasbach

Oscar Rasbach, composer was born

Pauline Hall

Pauline Hall, composer was born

Pete de Freitas

Pete de Freitas, Trinidad, rock drummer (Echo & the Bunnyman) was born

Philippa Duke Schuyler

Philippa Duke Schuyler, composer was born

Richard Hallebeek

Richard Hallebeek, Dutch guitarist was born

Robert P Holdstock

Robert P Holdstock, UK, sci-fi author (Ghost Dance, Labyrinth) was born

Stanislaw Kazuro

Stanislaw Kazuro, composer was born

Died on August 2

Bjarni Thorsteinsson

Bjarni Thorsteinsson, composer, dies at 76

Brian Cole

Brian Cole, vocalist/bassist (Association), dies of overdose at 29

Carlos Chavez y Ramires

Carlos Chavez y Ramires, Mexican composer, dies at 79

Clarence Dickinson

Clarence Dickinson, composer, dies at 96

DeLois Barrett Campbell

DeLois Barrett Campbell, American gospel singer (b. 1926)

Don Tosti

Don Tosti, American musician (b. 1923)

Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek

Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, composer (Donna Diana), dies at 85

Enrico Caruso

Enrico Caruso, Italian opera singer, dies at 48

Fela Anikulapo Kuti

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nigerian musician (b. 1938)

Frank Mori

Frank Mori, composer, dies at 53

Gabriel Edouard Xavier Dupont

Gabriel Edouard Xavier Dupont, composer, dies at 36

Gheorghe Cucu

Gheorghe Cucu, composer, dies at 50

Hamish MacCunn

Hamish MacCunn, composer, dies at 48

James Hewitt

James Hewitt, composer, dies at 57

Jose Maria Castro

Jose Maria Castro, composer, dies at 71

Joseph Holbrooke

Joseph Holbrooke, English pianist/composer (3 Blind Mice), dies at 80

Leon Fleisher

Leon Fleisher died

Marguerite Piazza

Marguerite Piazza, American operatic soprano, dies at 86

Michel Berges

Michel Berges, French composer, dies of a heart attack at 44

Milton B Babbitt

Milton B Babbitt, US composer (Widow's Lament), dies at 49

Nathanael Gottfried Gruner

Nathanael Gottfried Gruner, composer, dies at 60

Nicu Covaci

Nicu Covaci died

Pietro Mascagni

Pietro Mascagni, Italian composer (Cavalleria Rusticana), dies at 81

Prospero Bisquertt

Prospero Bisquertt, composer, dies at 78

Rene Amengual

Rene Amengual, composer, dies at 42

Roger Vuataz

Roger Vuataz, composer, dies at 90

Ron Townson

Ron Townson, American singer (The Fifth Dimension) (b. 1933)

Rudolf Ganz

Rudolf Ganz, composer, dies at 95

Rudolf Maros

Rudolf Maros, composer, dies at 65

Releases & milestones on August 2

Astro

Astro released the album 'Switch On'

Rick James

Funk singer Rick James, arrested on sexual torture charges

Skeeter Davis

Betty Jack Davis, singer (w/Skeeter Davis), killed in car crash

The Beatles

Beatles 1st gig as house band of Liverpool's Cavern Club

The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins released the album 'Aghori Mhori Mei'

More standout moments in August →