On This Day in Music: March 17

On March 17 in music history, 64 artists were born, 30 died and 10 other milestones happened, among them The Beatles (1965), U2 (2023) and Nat "King" Cole (1919).

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Highlights

March 17

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Standout moments for this date.

The Beatles

The Beatles announce their film is named "8 Arms to Hold on to You" (Help)

U2

U2 released the album 'Songs of Surrender'

Nat "King" Cole

Nat "King" Cole, Montgomery Ala, singer (Unforgettable, Mona Lisa) was born

Billy Corgan

Billy Corgan, American musician (Smashing Pumpkins) was born

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Born on March 17

Adam Wade

Adam Wade, Pitts Pa, singer (Tony Orlando & Dawn) was born

Alcide Nunez

Alcide Nunez, American jazz clarinetist (d. 1934) was born

Alfred Newman

Alfred Newman, New Haven, composer (Love is a Many Splendored Thing) was born

Billy Corgan

Billy Corgan, American musician (Smashing Pumpkins) was born

Brian Boydell

Brian Boydell, composer was born

Casey Siemaszko

Casey Siemaszko, Chicago IL, actor (Biloxi Blues, 3 O'Clock High) was born

Clare Grogan

Clare Grogan, rocker (Altered Images-Happy Birthday) was born

Clarence Collins

Clarence Collins, US singer (Imperials-Tears on my pillow) was born

D Arendo

D Arendo, [Arend Honhoff], Dutch pianist/composer (Eleonora) was born

Dick Curless

Dick Curless, singer/songwriter was born

Dimitris Poulikakos

Dimitris Poulikakos, Greek composer, singer and actor was born

Edino Krieger

Edino Krieger, composer was born

Edward Harper

Edward Harper, composer was born

Elis Regina

Elis Regina, Brazilian singer (d. 1982) was born

Erhard Grosskopf

Erhard Grosskopf, composer was born

Fran Byrne

Fran Byrne, rocker was born

Frederic Ayers

Frederic Ayers, composer was born

Georg Osterreich

Georg Osterreich, composer was born

Guillermo Uribe Holguin

Guillermo Uribe Holguin, composer was born

Harold Brown

Harold Brown, Long Beach Ca, rock drummer (War-Summer, Galaxy) was born

Harold Morris

Harold Morris, composer was born

Horace Wadham Nicholl

Horace Wadham Nicholl, composer was born

Ian Gomm

Ian Gomm, rock guitarist was born

Jan David Holland

Jan David Holland, composer was born

Janet Patricia Gardner

Janet Patricia Gardner, Juneau Alaska, rocker (Vixen-Rev It Up) was born

John La Montaine

John La Montaine, Oak Park Ill, composer (Pulitzer 1959), (d. 2013) was born

John Sebastian

John Sebastian, NYC, singer (Loving Spoonful, Welcome Back Kotter) was born

Josef Rheinberger

Josef Rheinberger, Vaduz Liechtenstein, opera composer (Munich Conser) was born

Justin Hawkins

Justin Hawkins, British singer (The Darkness) was born

Kenneth S Goldstein

Kenneth S Goldstein, folklorist/enthomusicologist was born

Ladislaw Kupkovic

Ladislaw Kupkovic, composer was born

Lesley-Anne Down

Lesley-Anne Down, London, actress (A Little Night Music, Moonraker) was born

Marc Gunn

Marc Gunn, poet, podcaster, and Celtic musician (Brobdingnagian Bards) was born

Maurice Ingvar Karkoff

Maurice Ingvar Karkoff, composer was born

Melissa Auf der Maur

Melissa Auf der Maur, Canadian musician was born

Michael Peter Finnissey

Michael Peter Finnissey, composer was born

Mike Lindup

Mike Lindup, British rock keyboardist/singer (Level 42-Hot Water) was born

Nat "King" Cole

Nat "King" Cole, Montgomery Ala, singer (Unforgettable, Mona Lisa) was born

Nick Peros

Nick Peros, Canadian composer was born

Nikos Xydakis

Nikos Xydakis, Greek musician and composer was born

Pat Lloyd

Pat Lloyd, rocker was born

Pat McCauley

Pat McCauley, N Ireland, rock drummer (Them) was born

Pattie Boyd

Pattie Boyd, English photographer and author (Mrs George Harrison/Mrs Eric Clapton) was born

Paul Black

Paul Black, American rock singer was born

Paul Kantner

Paul Kantner, SF California, rock singer/guitarist (Jefferson Airplane) was born

Paul Overstreet

Paul Overstreet, Van Cleave Miss, country singer (Daddy's Come Around) was born

Petrus Laurentius Wockenfuss

Petrus Laurentius Wockenfuss, composer was born

Q T Macon

Q T Macon, blues vocal/guitar was born

Radie Britain

Radie Britain, composer was born

Raffaele d' Alessandro

Raffaele d' Alessandro, composer was born

Ray Ellington

Ray Ellington, British singer (d. 1985) was born

Rena Jones

Rena Jones, rock vocalist was born

Roxy Dora Petrucci

Roxy Dora Petrucci, Rochester Minn, rock drummer (Vixen-Rev It Up) was born

Rudolf Nureyev

Rudolf Nureyev, Russia, ballet dancer/choreographer (Kirov) was born

Sayed Darwish

Sayed Darwish, composer was born

Scott Gorham

Scott Gorham, Irish hard rock guitarist (Thin Lizzy-21 Guns) was born

Stephen Dodgson

Stephen Dodgson, composer was born

Stephen Gately

Stephen Gately, Dublin Ireland, Irish singer (Boyzone) was born

Sulkhan Ivanovich Nasidze

Sulkhan Ivanovich Nasidze, composer was born

Tamara Geva

Tamara Geva, dancer was born

Van Conner

Van Conner, rocker (Screaming Trees) was born

Vito Picone

Vito Picone, rocker (Elegants) was born

Wally Stocker

Wally Stocker, London, rock vocalist/guitarist (Babys-Missing You) was born

Yury Chernavsky

Yury Chernavsky, Russian-born Composer and Producer was born

Died on March 17

Adolph Trube

Adolph Trube, composer, dies at 42

Alex Chilton

Alex Chilton, American musician (b. 1950)

Antón García Abril

Antón García Abril died

Aurelio Martínez

Aurelio Martínez died

Bob Blue

Bob Blue, American singer/songwriter (b. 1948)

Candido Jose Ruano

Candido Jose Ruano, composer, dies at 42

Charlie Gillett

Charlie Gillett, British musicologist and radio presenter (b. 1942)

Conrado del Campo y Zabaleta

Conrado del Campo y Zabaleta, composer, dies at 73

Ernest Gold

Ernest Gold, Austrian composer (b. 1921)

Freddie Redd

Freddie Redd died

Fromental Halevy

Fromental Halevy, [Elie Levy], French opera composer, dies at 62

Fuzzy Haskins

Fuzzy Haskins died

George William Warren

George William Warren, composer, dies at 73

Gerald Freedman

Gerald Freedman died

James Scott Skinner

James Scott Skinner, composer, dies at 83

Joaquin Valverde

Joaquin Valverde, composer, dies at 64

Juan de Sesse y Balaguer

Juan de Sesse y Balaguer, composer, dies at 64

Lance Reddick

Lance Reddick died

Nikolas Asimos

Nikolas Asimos, Greek counter-culture composer and singer (b. 1949)

Petter Conrad Boman

Petter Conrad Boman, composer, dies at 56

Raffaele d' Alessandro

Raffaele d' Alessandro, composer, dies on 48th birthday

Ramon Carnicer y Batlle

Ramon Carnicer y Batlle, composer, dies at 65

Rick Grech

Rick Grech, rocker (Blind Faith, Traffic), dies at 44

Roger Bennett

Roger Bennett, American Southern Gospel performer (b. 1959)

Rudolf G Escher

Rudolf G Escher, Dutch composer (Vrai Visage de la Paix), dies at 68

Sandra Crouch

Sandra Crouch died

Sunnyland Smart

Sunnyland Smart, jazz/blues singer/pianist (Delta Blues), dies at 87

Terry Stafford

Terry Stafford, American singer (b. 1941)

Walter Lang

Walter Lang, composer, dies at 69

William Henry Squire

William Henry Squire, composer, dies at 91

Releases & milestones on March 17

All Time Low

All Time Low released the album 'Tell Me I'm Alive'

Bladee

Bladee released the album 'Crest'

Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys released the album 'New England Forever'

Ecco2k

Ecco2k released the album 'Crest'

Garth Brooks

18th People's Choice Awards: Garth Brooks & Reba McEntire

Giuseppe Verdi

"Macbeth" opera premieres in Florence

György Ligeti

Ligeti's opera "Le Grand Macabre," premieres in Stockholm

Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers & L Hart's musical "Girl Friend," premieres in NYC

The Beatles

The Beatles announce their film is named "8 Arms to Hold on to You" (Help)

U2

U2 released the album 'Songs of Surrender'

More standout moments in March →