1941
Birth
Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart, [Don Van Vliet], rocker (Bongo Fury, Shiny Beast) was born
On This Day in Music: January 15
On January 15 in music history, 44 artists were born, 44 died and 5 other milestones happened, among them Captain Beefheart (1941), Charo [Maria Baeza] (1951) and Gene Krupa (1909).
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1951
Birth
Charo [Maria Baeza]
Charo [Maria Baeza], Spanish-American actress, comedienne and flamenco guitarist (Chico and the Man, Love...
1909
Birth
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman's drummer (Sing Sing Sing) was born
1929
Birth
"Queen Ida" Guillory
"Queen Ida" Guillory, Ziadaco music was born
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Born on January 15
1929
Birth
"Queen Ida" Guillory
"Queen Ida" Guillory, Ziadaco music was born
1960
Birth
Aaron Jay Kernis
Aaron Jay Kernis, American composer was born
1987
Birth
Aria C Jalali
Aria C Jalali, American musician was born
1871
Birth
Bertram Shapleigh
Bertram Shapleigh, composer was born
1953
Birth
Boris Blank
Boris Blank, rocker (Yello) was born
1941
Birth
Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart, [Don Van Vliet], rocker (Bongo Fury, Shiny Beast) was born
1939
Birth
Charles Christopher Steel
Charles Christopher Steel, composer was born
1951
Birth
Charo [Maria Baeza]
Charo [Maria Baeza], Spanish-American actress, comedienne and flamenco guitarist (Chico and the Man, Love Boat) was born
1962
Birth
Conrad Lant
Conrad Lant, English musician was born
1950
Birth
David Lynn Jones
David Lynn Jones, Bexar Ark, country singer (Bonnie Jean) was born
1965
Birth
Derek B
Derek B, rocker (Bullet from a Gun) was born
1942
Birth
Edward "Sonny" Bivins
Edward "Sonny" Bivins, US singer (Manhattans-Kiss & Say Goodbye) was born
1909
Birth
Elie Siegmeister
Elie Siegmeister, NYC, composer (Plough & the Stars) was born
1932
Birth
Enrique Raxach
Enrique Raxach, composer was born
1909
Birth
Enrique Sasal y Chapi
Enrique Sasal y Chapi, composer was born
1742
Birth
Eugene Godecharle
Eugene Godecharle, composer was born
1929
Birth
Eva Badura-Skoda
Eva Badura-Skoda, composer was born
1927
Birth
Francis Routh
Francis Routh, composer was born
1892
Birth
Frank Hutchens
Frank Hutchens, composer was born
1909
Birth
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman's drummer (Sing Sing Sing) was born
1845
Birth
Heinrich Vogl
Heinrich Vogl, composer was born
1981
Birth
Howie Day
Howie Day, American singer was born
1961
Birth
Iris DeMent
Iris DeMent, Paragould Ar, country singer (Our Town) was born
1893
Birth
Ivor Novello (David Ivor Davies
Ivor Novello (David Ivor Davies, Cardiff Wales, composer/writer/actor (Truth Game) was born
1896
Birth
Jacobo Ficher
Jacobo Ficher, composer was born
1878
Birth
Johanna Muller-Hermann
Johanna Muller-Hermann, composer was born
1730
Birth
John Malchair
John Malchair, composer was born
1733
Birth
Joseph Lederer
Joseph Lederer, composer was born
1979
Birth
Ken Chu
Ken Chu, Taiwanese singer-actor and taichi champ was born
1967
Birth
Lisa Lisa
Lisa Lisa, [Velez], rock vocalist (& Cult Jam) was born
1935
Birth
Malcolm Frager
Malcolm Frager, St Louis, Missouri, pianist was born
1951
Birth
Martha Davis
Martha Davis, California, vocalist/guitar (Motels-Only the Lonely, Shame) was born
1952
Birth
Melvyn Gale
Melvyn Gale, rocker (ELO) was born
1913
Birth
Miriam Hyde
Miriam Hyde, Australian composer (d. 2005) was born
1931
Birth
Murad Kazhlayev
Murad Kazhlayev, composer was born
1964
Birth
Osmo Tapio Räihälä
Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer was born
1959
Birth
Pete Trewavas
Pete Trewavas, Middlesbrough, bassist, (Marillion-Clutching at Straws) was born
1947
Birth
Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman, rocker (Stock Aitken & Waterman-Road Block) was born
1981
Birth
Pitbull
Pitbull, American rapper was born
1906
Birth
Rezso Kokai
Rezso Kokai, composer was born
1908
Birth
Roberta Bitgood
Roberta Bitgood, composer was born
1948
Birth
Ronnie Van Zant
Ronnie Van Zant, rocker (Lynyrd Skynyrd) was born
1925
Birth
Ruth Slenczynska
Ruth Slenczynska, Sacramento, California, pianist was born
1979
Birth
Young Dro
Young Dro, American rapper was born
Died on January 15
1967
Death
Albert Szirmai
Albert Szirmai, composer, dies at 86
1998
Death
Amos "Junior" Wells
Amos "Junior" Wells, blues musician, dies at 63
1755
Death
Azzolino Bernardino Della Ciaia
Azzolino Bernardino Della Ciaia, composer, dies at 83
1765
Death
Carlmann Kolb
Carlmann Kolb, composer, dies at 61
2022
Death
Carmela Corren
Carmela Corren died
1744
Death
Charles-Hubert Gervais
Charles-Hubert Gervais, composer, dies at 72
1992
Death
Dee Murray
Dee Murray, English bassist (b. 1946)
2025
Death
Diane Langton
Diane Langton died
1987
Death
Dolores Hawkins
Dolores Hawkins, singer (Guy Mitchell Show), dies at 58
2023
Death
Doris
Doris died
2003
Death
Doris Fisher
Doris Fisher, American singer and songwriter (b. 1915)
1904
Death
Eduard Lassen
Eduard Lassen, composer, dies at 73
1926
Death
Enrico Toselli
Enrico Toselli, composer, dies at 42
1909
Death
Ernest Reyer
Ernest Reyer, composer, dies at 85
1961
Death
Francesco Maria Saraceni
Francesco Maria Saraceni, composer, dies at 49
1788
Death
Gaetano Latilla
Gaetano Latilla, composer, dies at 77
1924
Death
Geza Zichy
Geza Zichy, composer, dies at 74
1775
Death
Giovanni Battista Sammartini
Giovanni Battista Sammartini, composer, dies
1915
Death
Guillaume Couture
Guillaume Couture, composer, dies at 63
1994
Death
Gyorgy Cziffra
Gyorgy Cziffra, Hungarian/French pianist (Chopin/Liszt), dies at 72
1994
Death
Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson, rock vocalist (Everybody's Talkin'), dies at 52
1816
Death
Henry Harington
Henry Harington, composer, dies at 88
1864
Death
Isaac Nathan
Isaac Nathan, UK-Australian composer (b. 1792)
1973
Death
Jef Alpaerts
Jef Alpaerts, Flemish pianist/conductor, dies at 68
1812
Death
Johannes Herbst
Johannes Herbst, composer, dies at 76
2022
Death
Jon Lind
Jon Lind died
1844
Death
Joseph Mazzinghi
Joseph Mazzinghi, composer, dies at 78
1998
Death
Junior Wells
Junior Wells, blues harpist, dies at 63
1974
Death
Karel Salmon
Karel Salmon, composer, dies at 76
2026
Death
Kenny Morris
Kenny Morris died
1996
Death
Les Baxter
Les Baxter, singer/orchestra leader/composer (Born Again), dies at 73
2025
Death
Linda Nolan
Linda Nolan died
2025
Death
Melba Montgomery
Melba Montgomery died
1994
Death
Philippe Brun
Philippe Brun, jazz trumpeter, dies at 85
2026
Death
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark died
1987
Death
Ray Bolger
Ray Bolger, actor/dancer (Wizard of Oz), dies at 83
2025
Death
Raymond Thompson
Raymond Thompson died
1993
Death
Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn, American songwriter (b. 1913)
1995
Death
Sollie McElroy
Sollie McElroy, singer, dies at 61
2023
Death
Vakhtang Kikabidze
Vakhtang Kikabidze died
2005
Death
Victoria de los Angeles
Victoria de los Angeles, Catalan soprano (b. 1923)
1953
Death
Viktor Patrick Vretblad
Viktor Patrick Vretblad, composer, dies at 76
1964
Death
Weldon John "Jack" Teagarden
Weldon John "Jack" Teagarden, US jazz trombonist/singer, dies at 58
1911
Death
Wilhelm Berger
Wilhelm Berger, composer, dies at 49
Releases & milestones on January 15
2021
Event
Ashnikko
Ashnikko released the album 'Demidevil'
1866
Event
Bedřich Smetana
Bedrich Smetana's opera "Branibori v Cechach," premieres in Prague
1919
Event
Ignace Jan Paderewski
Pianist & statesman Ignace Paderewski becomes 1st premier of Poland
1915
Event
Jerome Kern
Sydney, Kern & Smith's musical "Love o' Mike" premieres in NYC
1785
Event
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozarts string quartet opus 10 premieres