1955
Birth
Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen, Nijmegan Neth, rock guitarist (Van Halen-Jump, 1984) was born
On This Day in Music: January 26
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Born on January 26
1930
Birth
A N Solomons
A N Solomons, chairman (Singer & Friedlander) was born
1924
Birth
Alice Babs
Alice Babs, Swedish singer was born
1963
Birth
Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew Ridgeley, England, rock guitarist (Wham-Wake Me Up) was born
1951
Birth
Andy Hummell
Andy Hummell, Memphis Tn, rock bassist (Big Star) was born
1958
Birth
Anita Baker
Anita Baker, Toledo Oh, singer (Giving You the Best That I Got) was born
1855
Birth
Arthur Hervey
Arthur Hervey, composer was born
1958
Birth
B James Lowry
B James Lowry, rocker (Boys Band) was born
1953
Birth
Bert Heerink
Bert Heerink, Amsterdam, rock vocalist was born
1960
Birth
Charlie Gillingham
Charlie Gillingham, American musician (Counting Crows) was born
1948
Birth
Corky Laing
Corky Laing, rocker (Mountain) was born
1951
Birth
David Briggs
David Briggs, rock guitarist (Little River Band-Help is on it's Way) was born
1949
Birth
Derek Holt
Derek Holt, rocker (Climax Blues Band) was born
1907
Birth
Eddie Ballantine
Eddie Ballantine, Chicago, orchestra leader (Don McNeill TV Club) was born
1955
Birth
Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen, Nijmegan Neth, rock guitarist (Van Halen-Jump, 1984) was born
1748
Birth
Emmanuel Aloys Forster
Emmanuel Aloys Forster, composer was born
1901
Birth
Ervin Major
Ervin Major, composer was born
1921
Birth
Frantisek Chaun
Frantisek Chaun, composer was born
1852
Birth
Frederick Corder
Frederick Corder, composer was born
1934
Birth
Huey "Piano" Smith
Huey "Piano" Smith, pianist (Having a Good Time) was born
1945
Birth
Jacqueline du Pré
Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist (d. 1987) was born
1963
Birth
Jazzie B
Jazzie B, [Beresford Romeo], English rapper (Soul II Soul-Feel Free) was born
1943
Birth
Jean Knight
Jean Knight, vocalist (Mr Big Stuff) was born
1913
Birth
Jimmy Van Heusen
Jimmy Van Heusen, songwriter (Love & Marriage) was born
1742
Birth
Johann Friedrich Ludwig Sievers
Johann Friedrich Ludwig Sievers, composer was born
1613
Birth
Johann Jakob Wolleb
Johann Jakob Wolleb, composer was born
1921
Birth
Johannes Driessler
Johannes Driessler, composer was born
1900
Birth
Karl Ristenpart
Karl Ristenpart, German conductor (d. 1967) was born
1970
Birth
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin, American singer was born
1956
Birth
Lisa Boray
Lisa Boray, [Schulte Nordholt], Dutch singer (Lovers Until the End) was born
1916
Birth
Lothar Jensch
Lothar Jensch, composer was born
1955
Birth
Lucia Mendez
Lucia Mendez, Mexico, spanish singer (Lucia es Luna Moreno) was born
1953
Birth
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams, singer was born
1905
Birth
Maria Augusta von Trapp
Maria Augusta von Trapp, Austria, singer, inspired "Sound of Music" was born
1910
Birth
Marijan Lipovsek
Marijan Lipovsek, composer was born
1939
Birth
Marshall Lieb
Marshall Lieb, rocker (Teddy Bears) was born
1986
Birth
Matt Heafy
Matt Heafy, American musician (Trivium) was born
1988
Birth
Mia Rose
Mia Rose, British-Portuguese singer was born
1947
Birth
Michel Sardou
Michel Sardou, French singer was born
1911
Birth
Norbert Schultze
Norbert Schultze, composer was born
1958
Birth
Norman Lamont Hassan
Norman Lamont Hassan, British reggae musician (UB40-Red Red Wine) was born
1943
Birth
Peter Kenton Winkler
Peter Kenton Winkler, composer was born
1935
Birth
Peter Ronnefeld
Peter Ronnefeld, composer was born
1967
Birth
Pradip Somasundaran
Pradip Somasundaran, Indian playback singer was born
1926
Birth
Ronnie Hilton
Ronnie Hilton, singer (Moonraker) was born
1908
Birth
Stephane Grappelli
Stephane Grappelli, French jazz/violinist was born
1962
Birth
Tom Keifer
Tom Keifer, rock guitarist/vocalist (Cinderella-Heartbreak Station) was born
1924
Birth
Warren Frank Benson
Warren Frank Benson, composer was born
1708
Birth
William Hayes
William Hayes, composer was born
1976
Birth
Willie Adler
Willie Adler, American guitar player was born
1935
Birth
Zbigniew Penherski
Zbigniew Penherski, composer was born
Died on January 26
2021
Death
6 Dogs
6 Dogs died
2022
Death
Alain Bancquart
Alain Bancquart died
2020
Death
Bob Shane
Bob Shane died
1870
Death
Cesare Pugni
Cesare Pugni, composer, dies at 67
2011
Death
Charlie Louvin
Charlie Louvin, American musician (b. 1927)
1798
Death
Christian Gottlob Neefe
Christian Gottlob Neefe, German organist/composer, dies at 49
2024
Death
Dean Brown
Dean Brown died
2022
Death
Ernst Stankovski
Ernst Stankovski died
1962
Death
Fran Lhotka
Fran Lhotka, composer, dies at 78
1803
Death
Georg von Pasterwiz
Georg von Pasterwiz, composer, dies at 72
2011
Death
Gladys Horton
Gladys Horton, American musician and singer, member of the group The Marvelettes (b. 1944)
1947
Death
Grace Moore
Grace Moore, American soprano/actress (One Night of Love), dies at 48
1706
Death
Guillaume Poitevin
Guillaume Poitevin, composer, dies at 59
1996
Death
Henry Jay Lewis
Henry Jay Lewis, conductor, dies at 63
1948
Death
Ignaz Friedman
Ignaz Friedman, composer, dies at 65
1973
Death
Jay C. Higginbotham
Jay C. Higginbotham, American musician (b. 1906)
1795
Death
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, composer, dies at 62
2025
Death
Kazuyoshi Akiyama
Kazuyoshi Akiyama died
2022
Death
Kenneth Wannberg
Kenneth Wannberg died
1975
Death
Lubov Orlova
Lubov Orlova, actress (Moscow Laughs, Man of Music, Tanya), dies at 72
2022
Death
Ludmila Ferber
Ludmila Ferber died
1922
Death
Luigi Denza
Luigi Denza, composer, dies at 75
2026
Death
Richie Beirach
Richie Beirach died
1998
Death
S P Leary
S P Leary, Texan Blues drummer (Muddy Waters), dies at 67
1998
Death
Shinichi Suzuki
Shinichi Suzuki, music teacher (Suzuki Method), dies at 99
2026
Death
Sly Dunbar
Sly Dunbar died
1996
Death
Stevie Plunder
Stevie Plunder, Australian musician (b. 1963)
1974
Death
Wiktor Labunski
Wiktor Labunski, composer, dies at 78
Releases & milestones on January 26
2022
Event
Ado
Ado released the album 'Kyōgen'
1988
Event
Andrew Lloyd Webber
"Phantom of the Opera" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 4,000+ perfs
1996
Event
Claude-Michel Schonberg
"Les Miserables" opens at Musichall Theatre, Duisburg
1957
Event
Francis Poulenc
Bernanos & Poulenc's opera "Dialogue des Carmelites," premieres
1833
Event
Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Dinozetti's opera "Lucrezia Borgia," premieres in Milan
1911
Event
Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss's opera "Die Rosenkavalier" premieres, Dresden
1998
Event
Spice Girls
25th American Music Award: Spice Girls & Babyface win
1991
Event
The Good Men
"Few Good Men" closes at Music Box Theater NYC after 497 performances
2024
Event
The Smile
The Smile released the album 'Wall of Eyes'
1987
Event
Whitney Houston
14th American Music Award: Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie & Alabama
1790
Event
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart's opera "Cosi Fan Tutte" premieres in Vienna
More standout moments in January →
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