1984
Event
Michael Jackson
11th American Music Award: Pat Benatar & Michael Jackson win
On This Day in Music: January 16
Pick a date, get a soundtrack
The soundtrack for January 16
Cueing up the day's playlist...
Loading highlights...
Loading events...
Born on January 16
1979
Birth
Aaliyah
Aaliyah, American singer (d. 2001) was born
1815
Birth
Adolph Trube
Adolph Trube, composer was born
1942
Birth
Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn, US singer (You'll Lose a Good Thing), was born
1942
Birth
Bill Francis Mobile Al
Bill Francis Mobile Al, rocker (Dr Hook) was born
1937
Birth
Bob Bogle
Bob Bogle, Portland, rock bassist/guitarist (Ventures-Batman Theme) was born
1919
Birth
Bob Boucher
Bob Boucher, Kent Ohio, orchestra leader (Music on Ice) was born
1943
Birth
Brian Ferneyhough
Brian Ferneyhough, composer was born
1937
Birth
Conny Vandenbos
Conny Vandenbos, Dutch singer (My rose, my little rose) was born
1868
Birth
Cyril Metodej Hrazdira
Cyril Metodej Hrazdira, composer was born
1893
Birth
Daisy Kennedy
Daisy Kennedy, Australian violinist (d. 1981) was born
1950
Birth
Damo Suzuki
Damo Suzuki, Japanese singer (Can) was born
1950
Birth
Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen, Houston Texas, dancer/actress (3 Girls 3, Lydia-Fame) was born
1922
Birth
Ernesto Bonino
Ernesto Bonino, Italian singer (d. 2008) was born
1905
Birth
Ernesto Halffter
Ernesto Halffter, composer was born
1902
Birth
Evelyn Levine
Evelyn Levine, composer was born
1928
Birth
Ezra Sims
Ezra Sims, composer was born
1672
Birth
Francesco Mancini
Francesco Mancini, composer was born
1943
Birth
Gavin Bryars
Gavin Bryars, composer was born
1972
Birth
Greg Page
Greg Page, Australian musician and actor was born
1872
Birth
Henri-Paul Busser
Henri-Paul Busser, composer was born
1894
Birth
Irving Mills
Irving Mills, American jazz music publisher (d. 1985) was born
1962
Birth
Jan Koster
Jan Koster, Dutch drummer (Sleeze Beez-Powertool) was born
1984
Birth
Jared Slingerland
Jared Slingerland, Canadian musician was born
1961
Birth
Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule, American singer-songwriter was born
1944
Birth
Jim Stafford
Jim Stafford, Eloise Fla, singer (Spiders & Snakes, My Girl Bill) was born
1971
Birth
Josh Evans
Josh Evans, actor (Ricochett, The Doors) was born
1938
Birth
Jô Soares
Jô Soares, Brazilian author, musician and TV personality was born
1804
Birth
Karl August Krebs
Karl August Krebs, composer was born
1980
Birth
Lin Manuel Miranda
Lin Manuel Miranda, American actor, composer, lyricist (In The Heights) was born
1934
Birth
Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne, Bradford, Pa, mezzo-soprano was born
1904
Birth
Max Vredenburg
Max Vredenburg, composer was born
1962
Birth
Maxine Jones
Maxine Jones, Paterson, New Jersey, American R&B singer (En Vogue) was born
1728
Birth
Niccolo Piccinni
Niccolo Piccinni, Italian composer (Buona Figliuola) was born
1981
Birth
Nick Valensi
Nick Valensi, American guitarist (The Strokes) was born
1961
Birth
Paul Raven
Paul Raven, English musician (Killing Joke) (d. 2007) was born
1962
Birth
Paul Webb
Paul Webb, rocker (TalkTalk) was born
1928
Birth
Pilar Lorengar
Pilar Lorengar, Spanish soprano (d. 1996) was born
1942
Birth
René Angélil
René Angélil, Canadian music executive was born
1951
Birth
Richard Thompson
Richard Thompson, rocker (BT Express-Here Comes the Express) was born
1934
Birth
Richard Wernick
Richard Wernick, Boston Mass, composer was born
1914
Birth
Roger Wagner
Roger Wagner, American choral musician (d. 1992) was born
1944
Birth
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap, Robbinsville NC, country singer (Legend in My Time) was born
1923
Birth
Roy Lanham
Roy Lanham, rocker (Sons of the Pioneers) was born
1959
Birth
Sade
Sade, Nigerian-born singer was born
1982
Birth
Samuel Preston
Samuel Preston, British singer (The Ordinary Boys) was born
1929
Birth
Tage Nielsen
Tage Nielsen, composer was born
1942
Birth
William Francis
William Francis, rocker was born
Died on January 16
1886
Death
Amilcare Ponchielli
Amilcare Ponchielli, Italian composer (La Gioconda), dies at 51
1934
Death
Annie Patterson
Annie Patterson, composer, dies at 65
1864
Death
Anton Schindler
Anton Schindler, German violinist/biographer (Beethoven), dies at 68
1817
Death
Antonin Josef Alois Volanek
Antonin Josef Alois Volanek, composer, dies at 55
1957
Death
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini, Italian US conductor (NBC), dies in NYC at 89
2020
Death
Barry Tuckwell
Barry Tuckwell died
2022
Death
Birju Maharaj
Birju Maharaj died
1997
Death
Charlie Alfred Galbraith
Charlie Alfred Galbraith, jazz trombonist, dies at 76
2021
Death
Claudia Montero
Claudia Montero died
1891
Death
Clement Philibert Leo Delibes
Clement Philibert Leo Delibes, composer (Lakmé), dies at 54
1998
Death
David "Junior" Kimbrough
David "Junior" Kimbrough, blues musician, dies at 67
2025
Death
David Lynch
David Lynch died
1972
Death
David Seville
David Seville, singer (Alvin & Chipmunks), dies at 52
2002
Death
Eddie Meduza
Eddie Meduza, Swedish composer (b. 1948)
1979
Death
Fred Elizalde
Fred Elizalde, composer, dies at 71
1963
Death
Gilardo Gilardi
Gilardo Gilardi, composer, dies at 73
2012
Death
Gustav Leonhardt
Gustav Leonhardt, Master Dutch harpsichordist, organist and conductor,dies at 87
2022
Death
Hana Horká
Hana Horká died
1994
Death
Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson, singer/Songwriter, dies at 52
1961
Death
Janos Viski
Janos Viski, composer, dies at 54
1919
Death
Jaroslav Jeremias
Jaroslav Jeremias, composer, dies at 19
2012
Death
Jimmy Castor
Jimmy Castor, American pop and funk musician, died of heart failure at 71.
2000
Death
John Morris Rankin
John Morris Rankin, musical entertainer (b. 1959)
1901
Death
Jules Barbier
Jules Barbier, French opera librettist (b. 1825)
2024
Death
Laurie Johnson
Laurie Johnson died
1996
Death
Marcia Davenport
Marcia Davenport, American author and music critic (b. 1903)
1703
Death
Matteo Coferati
Matteo Coferati, composer, dies at 64
2021
Death
Muammer Sun
Muammer Sun died
2021
Death
Pave Maijanen
Pave Maijanen died
2024
Death
Peter Schickele
Peter Schickele died
2021
Death
Phil Spector
Phil Spector died
1920
Death
Reginald De Koven
Reginald De Koven, composer, dies at 60
1935
Death
Richard Wetz
Richard Wetz, composer, dies at 59
2026
Death
Tony Dallara
Tony Dallara died
1969
Death
Vernon Duke
Vernon Duke, composer, dies at 65
2000
Death
Will "Dub" Jones
Will "Dub" Jones, American singer (The Coasters) (b. 1928)
2022
Death
William Cochran
William Cochran died
1995
Death
William Dillard
William Dillard, trumpeter/singer, dies at 83
2026
Death
Yoichiro Yoshikawa
Yoichiro Yoshikawa died
Releases & milestones on January 16
1976
Event
Acid Black Cherry
"Donny & Marie" [Osmond] musical variety show premieres on ABC TV
1938
Event
Benny Goodman
1st jazz concert was held at Carnegie Hall (Benny Goodman)
1978
Event
Fleetwood Mac
5th American Music Award: Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac & C Twitty
2026
Event
Kreator
Kreator released the album 'Krushers of the World'
1966
Event
Lincoln Center
Metropolitan Opera House opens in Lincoln Center
2026
Event
Madison Beer
Madison Beer released the album 'Locket'
1984
Event
Michael Jackson
11th American Music Award: Pat Benatar & Michael Jackson win
1957
Event
The Beatles
Cavern Club opens on Matthews Street in Liverpool, England, home of The Beatles' 1st appearance
More standout moments in January →
Artist details
Loading artist details...