On This Day in Music: May 3

On May 3 in music history, 46 artists were born, 35 died and 3 other milestones happened, among them Bing Crosby (1903), James Brown (1933) and Garth Brooks (1994).

Pick a date, get a soundtrack

The soundtrack for May 3

Choose a date

Open in Spotify

Tomorrow's day in music →

Highlights

May 3

View all

Standout moments for this date.

Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby, Tacoma Wash, actor and singer (White Christmas, Going My Way) was born

James Brown

James Brown, Barnwell, South Carolina, American soul singer (Hot Pants, Living in America) and originator...

Garth Brooks

29th Academy of Country Music Awards: Garth Brooks wins

Sia

Sia released the album 'Reasonable Woman'

Loading events...

Born on May 3

Alceo Galliera

Alceo Galliera, composer was born

Betty Comden

Betty Comden, American lyricist, (d. 2006) was born

Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby, Tacoma Wash, actor and singer (White Christmas, Going My Way) was born

Braz Francisco de Lima

Braz Francisco de Lima, composer was born

Bruce Hall

Bruce Hall, Champaign Ill, rock bassist (Reo Speedwagon) was born

Cactus Moser

Cactus Moser, Montrose Co, country singer (Highway 101-Cry Cry Cry) was born

Cheryl Burke

Cheryl Burke, American professional dancer was born

Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross, [Geppert], Texas, singer (Sailing, Arthur's Theme) was born

David Ball

David Ball, Blackpool, rock keyboardist (Soft Cell) was born

David Evatt Tunley

David Evatt Tunley, composer was born

Evencio Castellanos

Evencio Castellanos, composer was born

Farrah Franklin

Farrah Franklin, American singer (former member of Destiny's Child) was born

Florian Leopold Gassmann

Florian Leopold Gassmann, composer was born

Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli, [Castelluccio], Newark NJ, singer (Four Seasons-Sherry) was born

Freidrich Wilhelm Weis

Freidrich Wilhelm Weis, composer was born

Friedrich Schwindl

Friedrich Schwindl, composer was born

Gary Young

Gary Young, American drummer (Pavement) was born

Georg Kroll

Georg Kroll, composer was born

George Hadjinikos

George Hadjinikos, Greek pianist and conductor was born

Greg Raposo

Greg Raposo, American pop/rock singer was born

Hugo Friedhofer

Hugo Friedhofer, composer was born

James Brown

James Brown, Barnwell, South Carolina, American soul singer (Hot Pants, Living in America) and originator of funk music (d. 2006) was born

James Penberthy

James Penberthy, composer was born

Jay Darlington

Jay Darlington, London England, keyboardist (Kula Shaker) was born

Jean-Baptiste Krumphultz

Jean-Baptiste Krumphultz, composer was born

Joe Ames

Joe Ames, American singer (d. 2007) was born

Johann Adolph Scheibe

Johann Adolph Scheibe, German music theroist/composer was born

Johann Valentin Meder

Johann Valentin Meder, composer was born

John Rhea "Yank" Lawson

John Rhea "Yank" Lawson, trumpeter was born

Jonathan David Harvey

Jonathan David Harvey, English composer (Bhakti, Music of Stockhausen) was born

Joseph Lichtman Layton

Joseph Lichtman Layton, dancer was born

Josey Scott

Josey Scott, American singer (Saliva) was born

Konrad "Conny" Plank

Konrad "Conny" Plank, German record producer and musician was born

Maksim Mrvica

Maksim Mrvica, Croatian pianist was born

Marcel Dupré

Marcel Dupré, French organist and composer (d. 1971) was born

Mary Hopkin

Mary Hopkin, South Wales, singer (Those Were the Days) was born

Myriam Fares

Myriam Fares, Lebanese singer was born

Nicola De Giosa

Nicola De Giosa, composer was born

Nikolay N Tcherepnin

Nikolay N Tcherepnin, St Petersburg, composer of ballets, songs [OS] was born

Paul Banks

Paul Banks, American vocalist (Interpol) was born

Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger, NYC, folk singer (Weaver, Goodnight Irene) was born

Peter Staples

Peter Staples, rocker (Troggs-Wild Thing) was born

Richard D'Oyly Carte

Richard D'Oyly Carte, England, opera impresario (Ivanhoe) was born

Shane Minor

Shane Minor, American singer was born

Van McLain

Van McLain, rocker (Shooting Star) was born

Virgil Fox

Virgil Fox, American organist (d. 1980) was born

Died on May 3

Adolfo Fumagalli

Adolfo Fumagalli, composer, dies at 27

Adolphe Charles Adam

Adolphe Charles Adam, French composer/critic (Giselle), dies at 52

Anna Guarini

Anna Guarini, Italian singer (b. 1563)

Anthony Philip Heinrich

Anthony Philip Heinrich, composer, dies at 80

Billy Higgins

Billy Higgins, American drummer (b. 1936)

Boris Porena

Boris Porena died

Candelario Huizar

Candelario Huizar, composer, dies at 82

Carlo Zuccari

Carlo Zuccari, composer, dies at 87

Dave Greenfield

Dave Greenfield died

Elizabeth Lennox

Elizabeth Lennox, radio singer, dies of heart seizure at 98

Evgeny Svetlanov

Evgeny Svetlanov, Russian composer and pianist (b. 1928)

Ferdinando Paer

Ferdinando Paer, composer, dies at 67

Frank Hoyt Losey

Frank Hoyt Losey, composer, dies at 59

Hany Shaker

Hany Shaker died

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, Austrian violist/composer, dies at 59

Hiroyuki Watanabe

Hiroyuki Watanabe died

Imre Vincze

Imre Vincze, composer, dies at 42

Jasmin Stavros

Jasmin Stavros died

Jean Alambre

Jean Alambre died

Josef Rudolf Zavrtal

Josef Rudolf Zavrtal, composer, dies at 73

Kazuo Aichi

Kazuo Aichi died

Leonhard Paminger

Leonhard Paminger, composer, dies at 72

Leonid Leonidovich Sabaneyev

Leonid Leonidovich Sabaneyev, composer, dies at 86

Les Harvey

Les Harvey, rocker, dies

Leslie Heward

Leslie Heward, composer, dies at 45

Linda Lewis

Linda Lewis died

Lloyd Price

Lloyd Price died

Michel Merlet

Michel Merlet died

Milford Dolliole

Milford Dolliole, pioneer jazz drummer, dies at 90

Mohammed Abdel Wahab

Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egyptian singer and composer (b. 1907)

Narciso Yepes

Narciso Yepes, Spanish classical guitarist (b. 1927)

Olof Wilhelm Udden

Olof Wilhelm Udden, composer, dies at 68

Otto Winter-Hjelm

Otto Winter-Hjelm, composer, dies at 93

Rosalind Elias

Rosalind Elias died

William Beale

William Beale, composer, dies at 70

Releases & milestones on May 3

Garth Brooks

29th Academy of Country Music Awards: Garth Brooks wins

Sia

Sia released the album 'Reasonable Woman'

Tom Jones

Harvey Schmidt/Tom Jones' musical "Fantasticks," premieres in NYC

More standout moments in May →