On This Day in Music: May 31

On May 31 in music history, 49 artists were born, 28 died and 8 other milestones happened, among them Elvis Presley (1989), The Beatles (1977) and Dick Dale (1958).

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Highlights

May 31

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Standout moments for this date.

Elvis Presley

1st presentation of rock n roll Elvis awards

The Beatles

"Beatlemania" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 920 performances

Dick Dale

Dick Dale invents "surf music" with "Let's Go Trippin"

Darryl McDaniels

Darryl McDaniels, American musician (Run-D.M.C.) was born

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Born on May 31

Akira Ifukube

Akira Ifukube, composer was born

Aladar Zoltan

Aladar Zoltan, composer was born

Alexander Cruden

Alexander Cruden, compiler of a concordance to King James Bible was born

Alfredo Antonini

Alfredo Antonini, American conductor and composer (d. 1983) was born

Andy Hurley

Andy Hurley, American musician (Fall Out Boy) was born

Augie Mayer

Augie Mayer, rocker (Sir Douglas Quintet) was born

Bart van Poppel

Bart van Poppel, Dutch bassist/guitarist/singer (Tambourine) was born

Billy Mayerl

Billy Mayerl, composer was born

Cesare Pugni

Cesare Pugni, composer was born

Charles Drain

Charles Drain, singer was born

Chet Gierlach

Chet Gierlach, music publisher/composer was born

Corey Hart

Corey Hart, Montreal Canada, vocalist (I Wear My Sunglasses at Night) was born

DMC

DMC, rocker was born

Darryl McDaniels

Darryl McDaniels, American musician (Run-D.M.C.) was born

David Hernandez

David Hernandez, American singer was born

Debbie Moore

Debbie Moore, founder/CEO (Pineapple Dance Studios) was born

Edouard Deldevez

Edouard Deldevez, composer was born

Emmanual Tettey Mensah

Emmanual Tettey Mensah, musician was born

Friedrich Erhard Niedt

Friedrich Erhard Niedt, composer was born

Fritz Hilpert

Fritz Hilpert, German musician and sound engineer (Kraftwerk) was born

Henk Schaer

Henk Schaer, [Hendricus JM Schaareman], actor/conductor was born

Hope Partlow

Hope Partlow, American Singer was born

Italo Montemezzi

Italo Montemezzi, composer was born

Jacob Lateiner

Jacob Lateiner, Havana Cuba, pianist/professor (Juiliard) was born

Jeanne-Louise Farrenc

Jeanne-Louise Farrenc, composer was born

Johan Brouwer

Johan Brouwer, Dutch pianist/writer/resistance fighter was born

John Bonham

John Bonham, Redditch England, drummer (Led Zeppelin-Stairway to Heaven) was born

Johnny Paycheck

Johnny Paycheck, Greenfield OH, singer (Take This Job & Shove It) was born

Karl Bartos

Karl Bartos, German musician (Kraftwerk, Electronic) was born

Karl-Erik Welin

Karl-Erik Welin, composer was born

Kenneth Cooper

Kenneth Cooper, NYC, harpsichordist/professor (Barnard, Bkln) was born

Louis Fourestier

Louis Fourestier, composer was born

Marin Marias

Marin Marias, composer was born

Mark Hambourg

Mark Hambourg, composer was born

Nancy Shade

Nancy Shade, American soprano was born

Ralph Walter Wood

Ralph Walter Wood, composer was born

Red Holloway [James]

Red Holloway [James], Helena, Arkansas, jazz tenor saxophonist, (d. 2012) was born

Scott Klopfenstein

Scott Klopfenstein, American musician (Reel Big Fish) was born

Scotti Hill

Scotti Hill, Manhasset NY, rock guitarist (Skid Row-Psycho Love) was born

Shirley Verrett

Shirley Verrett, New Orleans, mezzo-soprano (Cassandra-Les Troyens) was born

Sopho Khalvashi

Sopho Khalvashi, Georgian musical artist was born

Tommy Emmanuel

Tommy Emmanuel, Australian Guitarist CGP was born

Vicki Sue Robinson

Vicki Sue Robinson, American singer (d. 2000) was born

Vladimir Ivanovich Rebikov

Vladimir Ivanovich Rebikov, composer was born

Wendy Smith

Wendy Smith, rocker (Prefab Sprout-2 Wheels Good) was born

Wesley Willis

Wesley Willis, American musician (d. 2003) was born

Willem Ravelli

Willem Ravelli, baritone singer was born

William H Campbell Jr

William H Campbell Jr, rocker was born

Wolfgang Lesser

Wolfgang Lesser, composer was born

Died on May 31

Aino Bāliņa

Aino Bāliņa died

Alexander Lang

Alexander Lang died

Benjamin Lees

Benjamin Lees, American composer (b. 1924)

Billy Strayhorn

Billy Strayhorn, American composer, pianist and arranger (b. 1915)

Bob Northern

Bob Northern died

Dave "Baby" Cortez

Dave "Baby" Cortez died

Ed Mann

Ed Mann died

Eduardo Toldra

Eduardo Toldra, composer, dies at 67

Elsbeary Hobbs

Elsbeary Hobbs, singer, dies at 59

Emmanuel "Manny" Klein

Emmanuel "Manny" Klein, trumpeter, dies at 86

Franz Joseph Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer (Jahreszeiten), dies at 77

Heinrich Schwemmer

Heinrich Schwemmer, composer, dies at 75

Henri Casadesus

Henri Casadesus, French violist/composer (viola d'amour), dies at 67

Herva Nelli

Herva Nelli, soprano, dies at 85

Ingram Marshall

Ingram Marshall died

Johnnie Taylor

Johnnie Taylor, American singer (b. 1938)

Jose Vianna da Motta

Jose Vianna da Motta, composer, dies at 80

KK

KK died

Kelly Joe Phelps

Kelly Joe Phelps died

Kátya Tompos

Kátya Tompos died

Lil Loaded

Lil Loaded died

Lula Mae Hardaway

Lula Mae Hardaway, American songwriter, mother of singer Stevie Wonder (b. 1930)

Raoul Gunsbourg

Raoul Gunsbourg, composer, dies at 95

Robert Quine

Robert Quine, American guitarist (b. 1941)

Suman Kalyanpur

Suman Kalyanpur died

Tito Puente

Tito Puente, American musician (b. 1923)

Vatroslav Lisinski

Vatroslav Lisinski, composer, dies at 34

Étienne Roda-Gil

Étienne Roda-Gil, French songwriter and screenwriter (b. 1941)

Releases & milestones on May 31

Bad Omens

Bad Omens released the album 'Concrete Jungle (The OST)'

Dick Dale

Dick Dale invents "surf music" with "Let's Go Trippin"

Elvis Presley

1st presentation of rock n roll Elvis awards

Marcus & Martinus

Marcus & Martinus released the album 'Unforgettable'

Original Dixieland Jazz Band

1st jazz record released (Dark Town Strutters Ball)

Shaboozey

Shaboozey released the album 'Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going'

The Beatles

"Beatlemania" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 920 performances

Tomorrow X Together

Tomorrow X Together released the album 'The Chaos Chapter: Freeze'

More standout moments in May →