On This Day in Music: February 17

1907 Birth

Alec Wilder

Alec Wilder, Rochester NY, composer (1973 ASCAP award) was born

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1850 Birth

Anton Urspruch

Anton Urspruch, composer was born

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1653 Birth

Arcangelo Corelli

Arcangelo Corelli, Fusignano Italy, violinist/comp (Concerto Grossi) was born

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1696 Birth

Baron Ernst Gottlieb

Baron Ernst Gottlieb, composer was born

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1947 Birth

Ben Cramer

Ben Cramer, Dutch vocalist (Clown) was born

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1972 Birth

Billie Joe Armstrong

Billie Joe Armstrong, singer/musician (Green Day) was born

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1933 Birth

Bobby Lewis

Bobby Lewis, rocker (Tossin' & Turnin') was born

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1974 Birth

Bryan White

Bryan White, American singer was born

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1932 Birth

Buck Trent

Buck Trent, Spartanburg SC, banjoist/singer (Hee Haw) was born

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1967 Birth

Chanté Moore

Chanté Moore, American singer was born

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1963 Birth

Dan Reed

Dan Reed, rocker/actor (HOTS, Lake Consequence) was born

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1962 Birth

David McComb

David McComb, Australia, vocalist/songwriter (Triffids) was born

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1991 Birth

Edward (Ed) Sheeran

Edward (Ed) Sheeran, Halifax England, singer-songwriter was born

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1862 Birth

Edward German (Jones)

Edward German (Jones), Whitchurch Shropshire, British composer was born

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1858 Birth

Ernest Ford

Ernest Ford, composer was born

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1831 Birth

Francisco Salvador Daniel

Francisco Salvador Daniel, composer was born

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1949 Birth

Fred Frith

Fred Frith, English guitarist/violinist/bassist (Skeleton Crew) was born

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1926 Birth

Friedrich Cerha

Friedrich Cerha, composer was born

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1816 Birth

Friedrich Wilhelm Markull

Friedrich Wilhelm Markull, composer was born

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1941 Birth

Gene Pitney

Gene Pitney, Hartford Ct, vocalist/songwriter (Town Without Pity) was born

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1667 Birth

Georg Bronner

Georg Bronner, composer was born

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1796 Birth

Giovanni Pacini

Giovanni Pacini, composer was born

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1975 Birth

Harisu

Harisu, South Korean singer, model and actress was born

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1820 Birth

Henri Vieuxtemps

Henri Vieuxtemps, Verviers Belgium, composer/teacher (Brussels Cons) was born

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1915 Birth

Homer Keller

Homer Keller, composer was born

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1754 Birth

Jan Jachym Kopriva

Jan Jachym Kopriva, composer was born

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1675 Birth

Johann Melchior Conradi

Johann Melchior Conradi, composer was born

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1939 Birth

John Leyton

John Leyton, British singer was born

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1935 Birth

Johnny Bush

Johnny Bush, country singer was born

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1948 Birth

José José

José José, Mexican singer and actor was born

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1974 Birth

Kaoru

Kaoru, Japanese musician was born

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1944 Birth

Karl Jenkins

Karl Jenkins, Welsh composer was born

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1882 Birth

Kurt Schindler

Kurt Schindler, composer was born

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1926 Birth

Lee Hoiby

Lee Hoiby, Madison Wisconsin, composer (1957 Arts & Letters) was born

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1887 Birth

Leevi Antti Madetoja

Leevi Antti Madetoja, composer was born

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1821 Birth

Lola Montez

Lola Montez, Irish dancer (d. 1861) was born

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1957 Birth

Loreena McKennitt

Loreena McKennitt, Canadian musician was born

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1697 Birth

Louis-Maurice de La Pierre

Louis-Maurice de La Pierre, composer was born

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1850 Birth

Ludwig Bonvin

Ludwig Bonvin, composer was born

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1982 Birth

Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco, American rapper was born

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1924 Birth

Margaret Truman

Margaret Truman, Mo, pres daughter/writer (Murder at FBI)/pianist was born

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1909 Birth

Marjorie Lawrence

Marjorie Lawrence, Australia, soprano (Venus-Tannhäuser) was born

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1928 Birth

Marta Romero

Marta Romero, Puerto Rican actress & singer was born

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1971 Birth

Martyn Bennett

Martyn Bennett, Canadian composer (d. 2005) was born

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1992 Birth

Meaghan Jette Martin

Meaghan Jette Martin, American child actress and singer was born

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1966 Birth

Melissa Brooke-Belland

Melissa Brooke-Belland, rocker (Voice of the Beehive-Let it Bee) was born

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1966 Birth

Michael Lepond

Michael Lepond, American musician was born

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1937 Birth

Mickey McGill

Mickey McGill, US vocalist (Dells-Love is Blue) was born

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1747 Birth

Narciso Casanovas

Narciso Casanovas, composer was born

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1913 Birth

Oskar Danon

Oskar Danon, composer was born

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1968 Birth

Patrick Uterwijk

Patrick Uterwijk, pop guitarist (Pestilence, Consuming Impulse) was born

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1920 Birth

Paul Fetler

Paul Fetler, composer was born

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1966 Birth

Quorthon

Quorthon, Swedish musician (Bathory) (d. 2004) was born

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1906 Birth

Ramon Tapales

Ramon Tapales, composer was born

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1913 Birth

Rene Leibowitz

Rene Leibowitz, composer was born

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1950 Birth

Rick Medlocke

Rick Medlocke, rock guitarist/vocalist (Blackfoot) was born

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1925 Birth

Ron Goodwin

Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor (d. 2003) was born

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1444 Birth

Rudolf Agricola

Rudolf Agricola, [Roelof Huysman], Dutch humanist/organist was born

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1962 Birth

Samuel Bayer

Samuel Bayer, American music video director was born

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1972 Birth

Taylor Hawkins

Taylor Hawkins, American musician (Foo Fighters) was born

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1970 Birth

Tim Mahoney

Tim Mahoney, American musician (311) was born

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1922 Birth

Tommy Edwards

Tommy Edwards, rock vocalist (It's All in the Game) was born

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1930 Birth

Usko Merilainen

Usko Merilainen, composer was born

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1975 Birth

Wish Bone

Wish Bone, American rapper was born

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1972 Birth

Yuki Isoya

Yuki Isoya, Japanese singer (formerly Judy and Mary) was born

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1970 Death

Alfred Newman

Alfred Newman, US composer, dies at 69

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2020 Death

Andrew Weatherall

Andrew Weatherall died

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1943 Death

Armand J. Piron

Armand J. Piron, American jazz violinist and composer (b. 1888)

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2006 Death

Bill Cowsill

Bill Cowsill, American singer (The Cowsills) (b. 1948)

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1998 Death

Bob Merrill

Bob Merrill, American composer and lyricist (b. 1921)

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1962 Death

Bruno Walter

Bruno Walter, symphony conductor (NY Philharmonic), dies at 85

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2025 Death

Chow Ching Lie

Chow Ching Lie died

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2007 Death

Dermot O'Reilly

Dermot O'Reilly, Irish-born Canadian musician, producer and songwriter (b. 1943)

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1901 Death

Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin

Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin, composer, dies at 38

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2022 Death

Fausto Cigliano

Fausto Cigliano died

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1841 Death

Ferdinando Carulli

Ferdinando Carulli, composer, dies at 70

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1815 Death

Franz Gotz

Franz Gotz, composer, dies at 59

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1972 Death

Gavril Nikolayevich Popov

Gavril Nikolayevich Popov, composer, dies at 67

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2023 Death

Gerald Fried

Gerald Fried died

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1652 Death

Gregorio Allegri

Gregorio Allegri, Italian singer/composer (Miserere), dies at about 67

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1933 Death

Henri[cus A] Viotta

Henri[cus A] Viotta, Dutch composer (Handbook of Music), dies at 84

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2020 Death

Henry Gray

Henry Gray died

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2020 Death

Ja'Net DuBois

Ja'Net DuBois died

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2025 Death

Jamie Muir

Jamie Muir died

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1995 Death

Jan Bart Klaster

Jan Bart Klaster, music editor (The Slogan), dies at 50

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1980 Death

Jerry Fielding

Jerry Fielding, composer (Bewitched, Hogan's Heroes), dies at 57

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1856 Death

John Braham

John Braham, singer/composer, dies at 81

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1903 Death

Joseph Parry

Joseph Parry, composer, dies at 61

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2026 Death

José van Dam

José van Dam died

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2020 Death

Kizito Mihigo

Kizito Mihigo died

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1732 Death

Louis Marchand

Louis Marchand, composer, dies at 63

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2021 Death

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart died

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1654 Death

Michael Lohr

Michael Lohr, composer, dies at 62

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1883 Death

Napoleon Coste

Napoleon Coste, composer, dies at 76

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1951 Death

Nikoghayos Fadeyi Tigranyan

Nikoghayos Fadeyi Tigranyan, composer, dies at 94

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1924 Death

Oskar Merikanto

Oskar Merikanto, composer, dies at 55

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1955 Death

Otto J Gombosi

Otto J Gombosi, Hungarian/US musicologist, dies at 52

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2025 Death

Paquita la del Barrio

Paquita la del Barrio died

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2006 Death

Ray Barretto

Ray Barretto, Puerto Rican musician (b. 1929)

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2025 Death

Rick Buckler

Rick Buckler died

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2026 Death

Shinya Yamada

Shinya Yamada died

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2020 Death

Sonja Ziemann

Sonja Ziemann died

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1982 Death

Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk, American jazz pianist and composer, dies at 64

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2021 Death

U-Roy

U-Roy died

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1995 Death

Uta Graf

Uta Graf, singer/teacher, dies at 80

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1939 Death

Willy Hess

Willy Hess, German violinist (b. 1859)

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1996 Death

[Elsie] Evelyn Laye

[Elsie] Evelyn Laye, actress/singer (Sun Child), dies at 95

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1904 Event

Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly," premieres in Milan

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1859 Event

Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Un Ballo in maschera" premieres in Napoli

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1932 Event

Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin's musical "Face the Music," premieres in NYC

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2002 Event

Ja Rule

'Always On Time' by R&B artist Ja Rule featuring Ashanti starts a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart.

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1969 Event

Johnny Cash

Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash record an album; it was never released.

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2023 Event

Pink

Pink released the album 'Trustfall'

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1916 Event

Sigmund Romberg

Romberg/Hanley/Atteridge/Smith' musical premieres in NYC

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2023 Event

Skrillex

Skrillex released the album 'Quest for Fire'

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1962 Event

The Beach Boys

Beach Boys introduced a new musical style with their hit "Surfin"

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1967 Event

The Beatles

Beatles release "Penny Lane" & "Strawberry Fields"

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