On This Day in Music: January 26

On January 26 in music history, 50 artists were born, 28 died and 11 other milestones happened, among them Eddie Van Halen (1955), Whitney Houston (1987) and Spice Girls (1998).

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Highlights

January 26

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Standout moments for this date.

Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen, Nijmegan Neth, rock guitarist (Van Halen-Jump, 1984) was born

Whitney Houston

14th American Music Award: Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie & Alabama

Spice Girls

25th American Music Award: Spice Girls & Babyface win

Andrew Ridgeley

Andrew Ridgeley, England, rock guitarist (Wham-Wake Me Up) was born

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Born on January 26

A N Solomons

A N Solomons, chairman (Singer & Friedlander) was born

Alice Babs

Alice Babs, Swedish singer was born

Andrew Ridgeley

Andrew Ridgeley, England, rock guitarist (Wham-Wake Me Up) was born

Andy Hummell

Andy Hummell, Memphis Tn, rock bassist (Big Star) was born

Anita Baker

Anita Baker, Toledo Oh, singer (Giving You the Best That I Got) was born

Arthur Hervey

Arthur Hervey, composer was born

B James Lowry

B James Lowry, rocker (Boys Band) was born

Bert Heerink

Bert Heerink, Amsterdam, rock vocalist was born

Charlie Gillingham

Charlie Gillingham, American musician (Counting Crows) was born

Corky Laing

Corky Laing, rocker (Mountain) was born

David Briggs

David Briggs, rock guitarist (Little River Band-Help is on it's Way) was born

Derek Holt

Derek Holt, rocker (Climax Blues Band) was born

Eddie Ballantine

Eddie Ballantine, Chicago, orchestra leader (Don McNeill TV Club) was born

Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen, Nijmegan Neth, rock guitarist (Van Halen-Jump, 1984) was born

Emmanuel Aloys Forster

Emmanuel Aloys Forster, composer was born

Ervin Major

Ervin Major, composer was born

Frantisek Chaun

Frantisek Chaun, composer was born

Frederick Corder

Frederick Corder, composer was born

Huey "Piano" Smith

Huey "Piano" Smith, pianist (Having a Good Time) was born

Jacqueline du Pré

Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist (d. 1987) was born

Jazzie B

Jazzie B, [Beresford Romeo], English rapper (Soul II Soul-Feel Free) was born

Jean Knight

Jean Knight, vocalist (Mr Big Stuff) was born

Jimmy Van Heusen

Jimmy Van Heusen, songwriter (Love & Marriage) was born

Johann Friedrich Ludwig Sievers

Johann Friedrich Ludwig Sievers, composer was born

Johann Jakob Wolleb

Johann Jakob Wolleb, composer was born

Johannes Driessler

Johannes Driessler, composer was born

Karl Ristenpart

Karl Ristenpart, German conductor (d. 1967) was born

Kirk Franklin

Kirk Franklin, American singer was born

Lisa Boray

Lisa Boray, [Schulte Nordholt], Dutch singer (Lovers Until the End) was born

Lothar Jensch

Lothar Jensch, composer was born

Lucia Mendez

Lucia Mendez, Mexico, spanish singer (Lucia es Luna Moreno) was born

Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams, singer was born

Maria Augusta von Trapp

Maria Augusta von Trapp, Austria, singer, inspired "Sound of Music" was born

Marijan Lipovsek

Marijan Lipovsek, composer was born

Marshall Lieb

Marshall Lieb, rocker (Teddy Bears) was born

Matt Heafy

Matt Heafy, American musician (Trivium) was born

Mia Rose

Mia Rose, British-Portuguese singer was born

Michel Sardou

Michel Sardou, French singer was born

Norbert Schultze

Norbert Schultze, composer was born

Norman Lamont Hassan

Norman Lamont Hassan, British reggae musician (UB40-Red Red Wine) was born

Peter Kenton Winkler

Peter Kenton Winkler, composer was born

Peter Ronnefeld

Peter Ronnefeld, composer was born

Pradip Somasundaran

Pradip Somasundaran, Indian playback singer was born

Ronnie Hilton

Ronnie Hilton, singer (Moonraker) was born

Stephane Grappelli

Stephane Grappelli, French jazz/violinist was born

Tom Keifer

Tom Keifer, rock guitarist/vocalist (Cinderella-Heartbreak Station) was born

Warren Frank Benson

Warren Frank Benson, composer was born

William Hayes

William Hayes, composer was born

Willie Adler

Willie Adler, American guitar player was born

Zbigniew Penherski

Zbigniew Penherski, composer was born

Died on January 26

6 Dogs

6 Dogs died

Alain Bancquart

Alain Bancquart died

Bob Shane

Bob Shane died

Cesare Pugni

Cesare Pugni, composer, dies at 67

Charlie Louvin

Charlie Louvin, American musician (b. 1927)

Christian Gottlob Neefe

Christian Gottlob Neefe, German organist/composer, dies at 49

Dean Brown

Dean Brown died

Ernst Stankovski

Ernst Stankovski died

Fran Lhotka

Fran Lhotka, composer, dies at 78

Georg von Pasterwiz

Georg von Pasterwiz, composer, dies at 72

Gladys Horton

Gladys Horton, American musician and singer, member of the group The Marvelettes (b. 1944)

Grace Moore

Grace Moore, American soprano/actress (One Night of Love), dies at 48

Guillaume Poitevin

Guillaume Poitevin, composer, dies at 59

Henry Jay Lewis

Henry Jay Lewis, conductor, dies at 63

Ignaz Friedman

Ignaz Friedman, composer, dies at 65

Jay C. Higginbotham

Jay C. Higginbotham, American musician (b. 1906)

Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach

Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, composer, dies at 62

Kazuyoshi Akiyama

Kazuyoshi Akiyama died

Kenneth Wannberg

Kenneth Wannberg died

Lubov Orlova

Lubov Orlova, actress (Moscow Laughs, Man of Music, Tanya), dies at 72

Ludmila Ferber

Ludmila Ferber died

Luigi Denza

Luigi Denza, composer, dies at 75

Richie Beirach

Richie Beirach died

S P Leary

S P Leary, Texan Blues drummer (Muddy Waters), dies at 67

Shinichi Suzuki

Shinichi Suzuki, music teacher (Suzuki Method), dies at 99

Sly Dunbar

Sly Dunbar died

Stevie Plunder

Stevie Plunder, Australian musician (b. 1963)

Wiktor Labunski

Wiktor Labunski, composer, dies at 78

Releases & milestones on January 26

Ado

Ado released the album 'Kyōgen'

Andrew Lloyd Webber

"Phantom of the Opera" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 4,000+ perfs

Claude-Michel Schonberg

"Les Miserables" opens at Musichall Theatre, Duisburg

Francis Poulenc

Bernanos & Poulenc's opera "Dialogue des Carmelites," premieres

Gaetano Donizetti

Gaetano Dinozetti's opera "Lucrezia Borgia," premieres in Milan

Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss's opera "Die Rosenkavalier" premieres, Dresden

Spice Girls

25th American Music Award: Spice Girls & Babyface win

The Good Men

"Few Good Men" closes at Music Box Theater NYC after 497 performances

The Smile

The Smile released the album 'Wall of Eyes'

Whitney Houston

14th American Music Award: Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie & Alabama

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart's opera "Cosi Fan Tutte" premieres in Vienna

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