On This Day in Music: January 21

1981 Birth

Alex Ubago

Alex Ubago, Spanish-Basque singer-songwriter was born

→

1823 Birth

Alexandre Edouard Goria

Alexandre Edouard Goria, composer was born

→

1887 Birth

Alfred Henry Ackley

Alfred Henry Ackley, composer was born

→

1981 Birth

Andy Lee

Andy Lee, Korean singer (Shinhwa) was born

→

1859 Birth

Antoni Wincenty Rutkowski

Antoni Wincenty Rutkowski, composer was born

→

1898 Birth

Avery Claflin

Avery Claflin, composer was born

→

1950 Birth

Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean, [Leslie S Charles], Trinidad, singer (Caribbean Queen) was born

→

1956 Birth

Bob Brill

Bob Brill, NYC, drummer (Berlin-You Take My Breath Away) was born

→

1926 Birth

Brian Brockless

Brian Brockless, English organist (d. 1995) was born

→

1972 Birth

Cat Power (Chan Marshall)

Cat Power (Chan Marshall), American musician was born

→

1945 Birth

Chris Britton

Chris Britton, rocker (Troggs-Rock & Roll Goldmine) was born

→

1986 Birth

Coffin Joe

Coffin Joe, English drummer ( The Horrors) was born

→

1965 Birth

Cordell Crockett

Cordell Crockett, rocker (Ugly Kid Joe-Mad Man, Too Bad) was born

→

1941 Birth

Edwin Starr

Edwin Starr, [Charles Hatcher], US singer (War) was born

→

1976 Birth

Emma Lee Bunton

Emma Lee Bunton, "Baby Spice", Finchley London, vocalist (Spice Girls) was born

→

1910 Birth

Eua Sunthornsanan

Eua Sunthornsanan, Thai composer and bandleader (d. 1981) was born

→

1926 Birth

Franco Evangelisti

Franco Evangelisti, Italian composer was born

→

1981 Birth

Gillian Chung Yan-tung

Gillian Chung Yan-tung, Hong Kong singer (Twins) was born

→

1762 Birth

Giuseppe Antonio Silvani

Giuseppe Antonio Silvani, composer was born

→

1848 Birth

Henri Duparc

Henri Duparc, French composer was born

→

1947 Birth

Jimmy Ibbotson

Jimmy Ibbotson, Penn, country singer (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) was born

→

1735 Birth

Johann Gottfried Eckard

Johann Gottfried Eckard, composer was born

→

1751 Birth

Josephus Andreas Fodor

Josephus Andreas Fodor, composer was born

→

1925 Birth

Lola Flores

Lola Flores, Cadiz Spain, singer/actress (Kuma Ching, Faraona) was born

→

1942 Birth

Mac Davis

Mac Davis, Lubbock, Texas, American country music singer-songwriter, actor (Mac Davis Show, North Dallas 40) was born

→

1775 Birth

Manuel Garcia

Manuel Garcia, composer was born

→

1970 Birth

Mark Trojanowski

Mark Trojanowski, American musician (Sister Hazel) was born

→

1939 Birth

Mary Ellen McAnally

Mary Ellen McAnally, Illinois, poet (Dance of the Zygotes) was born

→

1947 Birth

Michel Jonasz

Michel Jonasz, French singer and composer was born

→

1980 Birth

Nana Mizuki

Nana Mizuki, Japanese voice actress and singer was born

→

1944 Birth

Neely Bruce

Neely Bruce, composer was born

→

1891 Birth

Nikolay Semyonovich Golovanov

Nikolay Semyonovich Golovanov, composer was born

→

1941 Birth

Placido Domingo

Placido Domingo, Madrid Spain, opera tenor (Pinkerton-Mme Butterfly) was born

→

1947 Birth

Pye Hastings

Pye Hastings, English singer and musician (Caravan) was born

→

1801 Birth

Ramon Vilanova y Barrera

Ramon Vilanova y Barrera, composer was born

→

1941 Birth

Richie Havens

Richie Havens, Bkln, folk singer (Here Comes the Sun), (d. 2013) was born

→

1950 Birth

Richie Ranno

Richie Ranno, rocker was born

→

1977 Birth

Rick Ross

Rick Ross, American rapper was born

→

1979 Birth

Spider Loc

Spider Loc, American rapper, member of G-Unit was born

→

1978 Birth

Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin

Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin, American Singer was born

→

1814 Birth

Thomas Attwood Walmisley

Thomas Attwood Walmisley, composer was born

→

1891 Birth

Timothy Mather Spelman

Timothy Mather Spelman, composer was born

→

1921 Birth

Todor Popov

Todor Popov, composer was born

→

1909 Birth

Todor Skalovski

Todor Skalovski, composer was born

→

1920 Birth

Torsten Nilsson

Torsten Nilsson, composer was born

→

1988 Birth

William Johansson

William Johansson, Swedish composer was born

→

1972 Birth

Yasunori Mitsuda

Yasunori Mitsuda, Japanese composer was born

→

1916 Birth

[JW] Al James Woodie exander

[JW] Al James Woodie exander, songwriter/vocalist was born

→

1882 Death

Anton Emil Titl

Anton Emil Titl, composer, dies at 72

→

1884 Death

Auguste Franchomme

Auguste Franchomme, composer, dies at 75

→

2023 Death

B.G., the Prince of Rap

B.G., the Prince of Rap died

→

1985 Death

Barbara Cowsill

Barbara Cowsill, rocker (Cowsills), dies of emphysema

→

1989 Death

Billy Tipton

Billy Tipton, American musician (b. 1914)

→

1891 Death

Calixa Lavallee

Calixa Lavallee, composer, dies at 48

→

1999 Death

Charles Brown

Charles Brown, American blues singer and pianist (b. 1920)

→

1665 Death

Domenico Mazzocchi

Domenico Mazzocchi, composer, dies at 72

→

1948 Death

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, composer, dies at 72

→

2022 Death

Felicia Donceanu

Felicia Donceanu died

→

1931 Death

Felix Blumenfeld

Felix Blumenfeld, composer, dies at 67

→

1991 Death

Frank Mitchell

Frank Mitchell, actor (Music is Magic, Prairie Gunsmoke), dies

→

2025 Death

Garth Hudson

Garth Hudson died

→

1746 Death

Gottfried Kirkhoff

Gottfried Kirkhoff, composer, dies at 60

→

2021 Death

Guem

Guem died

→

1894 Death

Guillaume Jean Joseph Nicolas Lekeu

Guillaume Jean Joseph Nicolas Lekeu, composer, dies at 24

→

1851 Death

Gustav Albert Lortzing

Gustav Albert Lortzing, composer, dies at 49

→

1942 Death

Henryk Opienski

Henryk Opienski, Polish composer/musicologist/conductor, dies at 72

→

2020 Death

Herbert Baumann

Herbert Baumann died

→

1638 Death

Ignazio Donati

Ignazio Donati, Italian composer (c. 1570)

→

1984 Death

Jackie Wilson

Jackie Wilson, US singer (I Get the Sweetest Feeling), dies at 49

→

1883 Death

Jacopo Tomadini

Jacopo Tomadini, composer, dies at 62

→

1626 Death

John Dowland

John Dowland, English composer (In Darkness We Dwell), dies at 62

→

1961 Death

John Joseph Becker

John Joseph Becker, composer, dies a day before 75th birthday

→

1977 Death

John Vincent

John Vincent, composer, dies at 74

→

1959 Death

Lamar Stringfield

Lamar Stringfield, composer, dies at 61

→

1943 Death

Otakar Sini

Otakar Sini, composer, dies at 61

→

2010 Death

Paul Quarrington

Paul Quarrington, Canadian novelist, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician and educator (b. 1953)

→

2002 Death

Peggy Lee

Peggy Lee, American singer (b. 1920)

→

2025 Death

Petr Hannig

Petr Hannig died

→

2026 Death

Reza Rooygari

Reza Rooygari died

→

1888 Death

Stephan Hale Alonzo Marsh

Stephan Hale Alonzo Marsh, composer, dies at 83

→

1992 Death

William T "Champion Jack" Dupree

William T "Champion Jack" Dupree, US boxer/pianist, dies at 81

→

1977 Death

Zoltan Vasarhelyi

Zoltan Vasarhelyi, composer, dies at 76

→

2022 Event

AURORA

AURORA released the album 'The Gods We Can Touch'

→

1987 Event

B.B. King

BB King donates his 7,000 record collection to U of Mississippi

→

2022 Event

Billy Talent

Billy Talent released the album 'Crisis of Faith'

→

1927 Event

Charles Gounod

1st national opera broadcast from a US opera house (Gounod's 'Faust', Chicago)

→

1993 Event

Fela Kuti

Nigerian singer Fela Kuti arrested on suspicion of murder

→

1904 Event

Leoš Janáček

Leos Janacek's opera "Jenufa," premieres in Brno

→

2025 Event

Minnie

Minnie released the album 'Her'

→

1956 Event

Victor Borge

"Comedy in Music (Victor Borge)" closes at Golden NYC after 849 perfs

→

2022 Event

Years & Years

Years & Years released the album 'Night Call'

→