On This Day in Music: February 20

On February 20 in music history, 58 artists were born, 47 died and 10 other milestones happened, among them Kurt Cobain (1967), Rihanna (1988) and The Beatles (1965).

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Highlights

February 20

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Standout moments for this date.

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain, rock vocalist (Nirvana)/husband of Courtney Love was born

Rihanna

Rihanna, Barbadian singer was born

The Beatles

Beatles record "That Means a Lot"

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix, rock and roll guitarist, plays his first gig.

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Born on February 20

Adalbert Gyrowetz

Adalbert Gyrowetz, composer was born

Alan Hull

Alan Hull, singer/composer was born

Amal Hijazi

Amal Hijazi, Lebanese singer and model was born

Antonio Veretti

Antonio Veretti, composer was born

Armin Loos

Armin Loos, composer was born

Armin Schibler

Armin Schibler, Dutch Swiss composer (Devil in the Winter Palace) was born

Barbara Ellis

Barbara Ellis, Olympia Wa, rocker (Fleetwoods) was born

Barbara Laine Ellis

Barbara Laine Ellis, singer was born

Barry Wordsworth

Barry Wordsworth, conductor was born

Billy Zoom

Billy Zoom, musician was born

Brian Littrell

Brian Littrell, singer (Backstreet Boys) was born

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Buffy Sainte-Marie, Maine, folksinger (Now That the Buffalo Are Gone) was born

Carl Czerny

Carl Czerny, Vienna Austria, pianist/composer (Schule der Virtuosen) was born

Charles Broche

Charles Broche, composer was born

Charles-Auguste de Beriot

Charles-Auguste de Beriot, Belgian violinist/composer was born

Chris Thile

Chris Thile, American musician was born

Christoph Eschenbach

Christoph Eschenbach, Breslau, Germany, pianist/conductor was born

David Ackles

David Ackles, Illinois, vocalist/songwriter (American Gothic) was born

David McKinley Williams

David McKinley Williams, composer was born

Ed Graham

Ed Graham, English drummer (The Darkness) was born

Ferdinando Carulli

Ferdinando Carulli, composer was born

Franz Ignaz Beck

Franz Ignaz Beck, composer was born

Friedrich Theodor Frohlich

Friedrich Theodor Frohlich, composer was born

Fyodor Akimenko

Fyodor Akimenko, composer was born

Ian Brown

Ian Brown, English rock vocalist (Stone Roses-Made of Stone) was born

J[erome] Geils

J[erome] Geils, NYC, rock guitarist (J Geils Band-Centerfold) was born

Joel Ellis

Joel Ellis, rocker was born

Johann Peter Salomon

Johann Peter Salomon, composer was born

Johannes Schenck

Johannes Schenck, German/Neth composer, baptised was born

Jon Brant

Jon Brant, rock bassist (Cheap Trick) was born

Josef Michal Ksawery Jan Poniatowski

Josef Michal Ksawery Jan Poniatowski, composer was born

Jozef Kresanek

Jozef Kresanek, composer was born

Julius Juzeliunas

Julius Juzeliunas, composer was born

K-OS

K-OS, Canadian musician/rapper was born

Karel Janacek

Karel Janacek, composer was born

Kathy Baillie

Kathy Baillie, Morristown NJ, country vocalist (Baille Boys-Oh Heart) was born

Kee Marcello

Kee Marcello, Swedish guitarist was born

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain, rock vocalist (Nirvana)/husband of Courtney Love was born

Leon Woizikowski

Leon Woizikowski, Polish dancer/ballet master (Ballets Russes) was born

Levko Mykolayevich Revutsky

Levko Mykolayevich Revutsky, composer was born

Lew Soloff

Lew Soloff, Brooklyn New York, American rocker (Blood, Sweat & Tears) was born

Louis F M van Westerhoven

Louis F M van Westerhoven, actor/singer/opera director (Youth) was born

Mark Reilly

Mark Reilly, [Matt Bianco], rocker (Indio-Big Harvest) was born

Mary Garden

Mary Garden, Aberdeen Scotland, opera star was born

Nadine Conner

Nadine Conner, California, soprano (Carmen, Pamina-Magic Flute) was born

Nancy Wilson

Nancy Wilson, Chillicothe Ohio, jazz vocalist (Feel Like Making Love) was born

Nurv Shiner

Nurv Shiner, singer was born

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy, American musician (The Cramps) was born

Randy California

Randy California, [Wolfe], Cal, guitarist (Spirit-I Got a Line on You) was born

Riccardo Chailly

Riccardo Chailly, Milan Italy, conductor (West Berlin Symph Orch) was born

Rihanna

Rihanna, Barbadian singer was born

Robert Guyn McBride

Robert Guyn McBride, Tucson Arizona, composer (Mexican Rhapsody) was born

Roy George Elroy Josephs

Roy George Elroy Josephs, jazz dance teacher was born

Ruth Gipps

Ruth Gipps, British(?) conductor/composer was born

Terry Ilous

Terry Ilous, rock vocalist (XYZ, Cannibal Jacket) [or Jun 28] was born

Toshiro Mayuzumi

Toshiro Mayuzumi, Yokohama Japan, composer (Sphenogramme) was born

Walter Becker

Walter Becker, NYC, rock bassist (Steely Dan-Peg) was born

Yulia Volkova

Yulia Volkova, Russian singer (t.A.T.u.) was born

Died on February 20

Albert Louis Wolff

Albert Louis Wolff, composer, dies at 86

Alexander Alexandrovich Kopilov

Alexander Alexandrovich Kopilov, composer, dies at 56

Angela Luce

Angela Luce died

David Monrad Johansen

David Monrad Johansen, composer, dies at 85

Edgar "Cookie" Fairchild

Edgar "Cookie" Fairchild, bandleader (Jerry Colonna Show), dies at 76

Ernest Ansermet

Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor/composer, dies at 85

Ferenc Fricsay

Ferenc Fricsay, Hungarian conductor (b. 1914)

Fikret Dzhamil Amirov

Fikret Dzhamil Amirov, composer, dies at 61

Francisco Paolo Mignone

Francisco Paolo Mignone, composer, dies at 88

Frankétienne

Frankétienne died

Frederich Karl Erbach

Frederich Karl Erbach, composer, dies at 50

Friedrich-Wilhelm Junge

Friedrich-Wilhelm Junge died

Gene Taylor

Gene Taylor died

Gregor Aichinger

Gregor Aichinger, German composer/organist, dies at about 63

Guido Gasperini

Guido Gasperini, composer, dies at 76

Gustav Adolf Heinze

Gustav Adolf Heinze, composer, dies at 83

Herbert Menges

Herbert Menges, composer, dies at 69

Howard Brockway

Howard Brockway, composer, dies at 80

Hugh Allen

Hugh Allen, musician, dies

Ilkka Kuusisto

Ilkka Kuusisto died

Ivan Brkanovic

Ivan Brkanovic, composer, dies at 80

Jacob Gade

Jacob Gade, Danish composer(b. 1879)

Jerry Butler

Jerry Butler died

Johann Friedrich Kranz

Johann Friedrich Kranz, composer, dies at 57

Johann Joseph Emmert

Johann Joseph Emmert, composer, dies at 76

Johann Wolfgang Kleinknecht

Johann Wolfgang Kleinknecht, composer, dies at 70

John Dowland

John Dowland, composer, dies

Joni James

Joni James died

Josef Alois Ladurner

Josef Alois Ladurner, composer, dies at 81

Joseph Szigeti

Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian/US violinist, dies at 80

La Bolduc

La Bolduc, French Canadian singer and songwriter (b. 1894)

Larry H. Miller

Larry H. Miller, American businessman and owner of the Utah Jazz (b. 1944)

Martin de Ron

Martin de Ron, composer, dies at 27

Mohammed Abaamran

Mohammed Abaamran died

Nils Lindberg

Nils Lindberg died

Pam Bricker

Pam Bricker, American jazz singer and Thievery Corporation vocalist (b. 1954)

Pavel Ivanovich Dulgorukov

Pavel Ivanovich Dulgorukov, composer, dies at 57

Percy Aldridge Grainger

Percy Aldridge Grainger, Australian/US composer/pianist, dies at 78

Peter Nicolai von Wilm

Peter Nicolai von Wilm, composer, dies at 76

Ray McDonald

Ray McDonald, dancer, dies of barbituate overdose at 38

Sami Clark

Sami Clark died

Teruhiko Saigō

Teruhiko Saigō died

Toru Takemitsu

Toru Takemitsu, composer, dies at 65

Ty Longley

Ty Longley, American guitarist (Great White) (b. 1971)

Vitalij Kuprij

Vitalij Kuprij died

Vladimir Samsonov

Vladimir Samsonov died

Zachary Breaux

Zachary Breaux, American jazz guitarist (b. 1960)

Releases & milestones on February 20

George Frideric Handel

George F Handel's opera "Giulio Cesare in Egitto," premieres in London

Gioachino Rossini

Rossini's opera "Barber of Seville" premieres in Rome

Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff released the album 'Luck... or Something'

IU

IU released the album 'The Winning'

Jerome Kern

Kern, Bolton & Wodehouse's musical "Oh, Boy!," premieres in NYC

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix, rock and roll guitarist, plays his first gig.

Larry Clinton

Larry Clinton & his Orchestra record "Limehouse Blues"

Mariah Carey

33rd Grammy Awards: Another Day in Paradise, Mariah Carey

The Beatles

Beatles record "That Means a Lot"

Virgil Thomson

Virgil Thomson's opera "4 Saints in 3 Acts" opens in NYC

More standout moments in February →