1967
Birth
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain, rock vocalist (Nirvana)/husband of Courtney Love was born
On This Day in Music: February 20
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Born on February 20
1763
Birth
Adalbert Gyrowetz
Adalbert Gyrowetz, composer was born
1945
Birth
Alan Hull
Alan Hull, singer/composer was born
1977
Birth
Amal Hijazi
Amal Hijazi, Lebanese singer and model was born
1900
Birth
Antonio Veretti
Antonio Veretti, composer was born
1904
Birth
Armin Loos
Armin Loos, composer was born
1920
Birth
Armin Schibler
Armin Schibler, Dutch Swiss composer (Devil in the Winter Palace) was born
1939
Birth
Barbara Ellis
Barbara Ellis, Olympia Wa, rocker (Fleetwoods) was born
1940
Birth
Barbara Laine Ellis
Barbara Laine Ellis, singer was born
1948
Birth
Barry Wordsworth
Barry Wordsworth, conductor was born
1948
Birth
Billy Zoom
Billy Zoom, musician was born
1975
Birth
Brian Littrell
Brian Littrell, singer (Backstreet Boys) was born
1941
Birth
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, Maine, folksinger (Now That the Buffalo Are Gone) was born
1791
Birth
Carl Czerny
Carl Czerny, Vienna Austria, pianist/composer (Schule der Virtuosen) was born
1752
Birth
Charles Broche
Charles Broche, composer was born
1802
Birth
Charles-Auguste de Beriot
Charles-Auguste de Beriot, Belgian violinist/composer was born
1981
Birth
Chris Thile
Chris Thile, American musician was born
1940
Birth
Christoph Eschenbach
Christoph Eschenbach, Breslau, Germany, pianist/conductor was born
1937
Birth
David Ackles
David Ackles, Illinois, vocalist/songwriter (American Gothic) was born
1887
Birth
David McKinley Williams
David McKinley Williams, composer was born
1976
Birth
Ed Graham
Ed Graham, English drummer (The Darkness) was born
1770
Birth
Ferdinando Carulli
Ferdinando Carulli, composer was born
1734
Birth
Franz Ignaz Beck
Franz Ignaz Beck, composer was born
1803
Birth
Friedrich Theodor Frohlich
Friedrich Theodor Frohlich, composer was born
1876
Birth
Fyodor Akimenko
Fyodor Akimenko, composer was born
1963
Birth
Ian Brown
Ian Brown, English rock vocalist (Stone Roses-Made of Stone) was born
1946
Birth
J[erome] Geils
J[erome] Geils, NYC, rock guitarist (J Geils Band-Centerfold) was born
1962
Birth
Joel Ellis
Joel Ellis, rocker was born
1745
Birth
Johann Peter Salomon
Johann Peter Salomon, composer was born
1656
Birth
Johannes Schenck
Johannes Schenck, German/Neth composer, baptised was born
1954
Birth
Jon Brant
Jon Brant, rock bassist (Cheap Trick) was born
1816
Birth
Josef Michal Ksawery Jan Poniatowski
Josef Michal Ksawery Jan Poniatowski, composer was born
1913
Birth
Jozef Kresanek
Jozef Kresanek, composer was born
1916
Birth
Julius Juzeliunas
Julius Juzeliunas, composer was born
1972
Birth
K-OS
K-OS, Canadian musician/rapper was born
1903
Birth
Karel Janacek
Karel Janacek, composer was born
1951
Birth
Kathy Baillie
Kathy Baillie, Morristown NJ, country vocalist (Baille Boys-Oh Heart) was born
1960
Birth
Kee Marcello
Kee Marcello, Swedish guitarist was born
1967
Birth
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain, rock vocalist (Nirvana)/husband of Courtney Love was born
1899
Birth
Leon Woizikowski
Leon Woizikowski, Polish dancer/ballet master (Ballets Russes) was born
1889
Birth
Levko Mykolayevich Revutsky
Levko Mykolayevich Revutsky, composer was born
1944
Birth
Lew Soloff
Lew Soloff, Brooklyn New York, American rocker (Blood, Sweat & Tears) was born
1854
Birth
Louis F M van Westerhoven
Louis F M van Westerhoven, actor/singer/opera director (Youth) was born
1960
Birth
Mark Reilly
Mark Reilly, [Matt Bianco], rocker (Indio-Big Harvest) was born
1874
Birth
Mary Garden
Mary Garden, Aberdeen Scotland, opera star was born
1907
Birth
Nadine Conner
Nadine Conner, California, soprano (Carmen, Pamina-Magic Flute) was born
1937
Birth
Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson, Chillicothe Ohio, jazz vocalist (Feel Like Making Love) was born
1921
Birth
Nurv Shiner
Nurv Shiner, singer was born
1953
Birth
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy, American musician (The Cramps) was born
1951
Birth
Randy California
Randy California, [Wolfe], Cal, guitarist (Spirit-I Got a Line on You) was born
1953
Birth
Riccardo Chailly
Riccardo Chailly, Milan Italy, conductor (West Berlin Symph Orch) was born
1988
Birth
Rihanna
Rihanna, Barbadian singer was born
1911
Birth
Robert Guyn McBride
Robert Guyn McBride, Tucson Arizona, composer (Mexican Rhapsody) was born
1939
Birth
Roy George Elroy Josephs
Roy George Elroy Josephs, jazz dance teacher was born
1921
Birth
Ruth Gipps
Ruth Gipps, British(?) conductor/composer was born
1964
Birth
Terry Ilous
Terry Ilous, rock vocalist (XYZ, Cannibal Jacket) [or Jun 28] was born
1929
Birth
Toshiro Mayuzumi
Toshiro Mayuzumi, Yokohama Japan, composer (Sphenogramme) was born
1950
Birth
Walter Becker
Walter Becker, NYC, rock bassist (Steely Dan-Peg) was born
1985
Birth
Yulia Volkova
Yulia Volkova, Russian singer (t.A.T.u.) was born
Died on February 20
1970
Death
Albert Louis Wolff
Albert Louis Wolff, composer, dies at 86
1911
Death
Alexander Alexandrovich Kopilov
Alexander Alexandrovich Kopilov, composer, dies at 56
2026
Death
Angela Luce
Angela Luce died
1974
Death
David Monrad Johansen
David Monrad Johansen, composer, dies at 85
1975
Death
Edgar "Cookie" Fairchild
Edgar "Cookie" Fairchild, bandleader (Jerry Colonna Show), dies at 76
1969
Death
Ernest Ansermet
Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor/composer, dies at 85
1963
Death
Ferenc Fricsay
Ferenc Fricsay, Hungarian conductor (b. 1914)
1984
Death
Fikret Dzhamil Amirov
Fikret Dzhamil Amirov, composer, dies at 61
1986
Death
Francisco Paolo Mignone
Francisco Paolo Mignone, composer, dies at 88
2025
Death
Frankétienne
Frankétienne died
1731
Death
Frederich Karl Erbach
Frederich Karl Erbach, composer, dies at 50
2025
Death
Friedrich-Wilhelm Junge
Friedrich-Wilhelm Junge died
2021
Death
Gene Taylor
Gene Taylor died
1628
Death
Gregor Aichinger
Gregor Aichinger, German composer/organist, dies at about 63
1942
Death
Guido Gasperini
Guido Gasperini, composer, dies at 76
1904
Death
Gustav Adolf Heinze
Gustav Adolf Heinze, composer, dies at 83
1972
Death
Herbert Menges
Herbert Menges, composer, dies at 69
1951
Death
Howard Brockway
Howard Brockway, composer, dies at 80
1946
Death
Hugh Allen
Hugh Allen, musician, dies
2025
Death
Ilkka Kuusisto
Ilkka Kuusisto died
1987
Death
Ivan Brkanovic
Ivan Brkanovic, composer, dies at 80
1963
Death
Jacob Gade
Jacob Gade, Danish composer(b. 1879)
2025
Death
Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler died
1810
Death
Johann Friedrich Kranz
Johann Friedrich Kranz, composer, dies at 57
1809
Death
Johann Joseph Emmert
Johann Joseph Emmert, composer, dies at 76
1786
Death
Johann Wolfgang Kleinknecht
Johann Wolfgang Kleinknecht, composer, dies at 70
1626
Death
John Dowland
John Dowland, composer, dies
2022
Death
Joni James
Joni James died
1851
Death
Josef Alois Ladurner
Josef Alois Ladurner, composer, dies at 81
1973
Death
Joseph Szigeti
Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian/US violinist, dies at 80
1941
Death
La Bolduc
La Bolduc, French Canadian singer and songwriter (b. 1894)
2009
Death
Larry H. Miller
Larry H. Miller, American businessman and owner of the Utah Jazz (b. 1944)
1817
Death
Martin de Ron
Martin de Ron, composer, dies at 27
2020
Death
Mohammed Abaamran
Mohammed Abaamran died
2022
Death
Nils Lindberg
Nils Lindberg died
2005
Death
Pam Bricker
Pam Bricker, American jazz singer and Thievery Corporation vocalist (b. 1954)
1845
Death
Pavel Ivanovich Dulgorukov
Pavel Ivanovich Dulgorukov, composer, dies at 57
1961
Death
Percy Aldridge Grainger
Percy Aldridge Grainger, Australian/US composer/pianist, dies at 78
1911
Death
Peter Nicolai von Wilm
Peter Nicolai von Wilm, composer, dies at 76
1959
Death
Ray McDonald
Ray McDonald, dancer, dies of barbituate overdose at 38
2022
Death
Sami Clark
Sami Clark died
2022
Death
Teruhiko Saigō
Teruhiko Saigō died
1996
Death
Toru Takemitsu
Toru Takemitsu, composer, dies at 65
2003
Death
Ty Longley
Ty Longley, American guitarist (Great White) (b. 1971)
2024
Death
Vitalij Kuprij
Vitalij Kuprij died
2024
Death
Vladimir Samsonov
Vladimir Samsonov died
1997
Death
Zachary Breaux
Zachary Breaux, American jazz guitarist (b. 1960)
Releases & milestones on February 20
1724
Event
George Frideric Handel
George F Handel's opera "Giulio Cesare in Egitto," premieres in London
1816
Event
Gioachino Rossini
Rossini's opera "Barber of Seville" premieres in Rome
2026
Event
Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff released the album 'Luck... or Something'
2024
Event
IU
IU released the album 'The Winning'
1917
Event
Jerome Kern
Kern, Bolton & Wodehouse's musical "Oh, Boy!," premieres in NYC
1960
Event
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix, rock and roll guitarist, plays his first gig.
1940
Event
Larry Clinton
Larry Clinton & his Orchestra record "Limehouse Blues"
1991
Event
Mariah Carey
33rd Grammy Awards: Another Day in Paradise, Mariah Carey
1965
Event
The Beatles
Beatles record "That Means a Lot"
1934
Event
Virgil Thomson
Virgil Thomson's opera "4 Saints in 3 Acts" opens in NYC
More standout moments in February →
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