On This Day in Music: May 4

On May 4 in music history, 58 artists were born, 24 died and 4 other milestones happened, among them Dick Dale (1937), Umm Kulthum (1904) and Beastie Boys (2012).

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Highlights

May 4

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Standout moments for this date.

Dick Dale

Dick Dale, American guitarist was born

Umm Kulthum

Umm Kulthum, Egyptian singer (official Date of Birth) (d. 1975) was born

Beastie Boys

MCA [Adam Yauch], Beastie Boys vocalist, dies from cancer at 47

Ella Fitzgerald

1st Grammy Awards: Perry Como & Ella Fitzgerald win

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Born on May 4

Anjeza Shahini

Anjeza Shahini, Albanian singer was born

Anthony Fedorov

Anthony Fedorov, American singer was born

Assi Rahbani

Assi Rahbani, Lebanese composer and author was born

Carlo Rainaldi

Carlo Rainaldi, composer was born

Charles Hague

Charles Hague, composer was born

Charles-Louis-Joseph Hanssens

Charles-Louis-Joseph Hanssens, composer was born

Colin Bass

Colin Bass, British bassist (Camel) was born

Cvjetko Rihtman

Cvjetko Rihtman, composer was born

Darryl Hunt

Darryl Hunt, English pop bassist (Pogues-Pair of Brown Eyes) was born

David LaFlamme

David LaFlamme, Utah, electric violinist (It's a Beautiful Day) was born

Dick Dale

Dick Dale, American guitarist was born

Dimiter Petkov

Dimiter Petkov, composer was born

Dynam-Victor Fumet

Dynam-Victor Fumet, composer was born

Ed Cassidy

Ed Cassidy, American musician (Spirit) was born

Edmund Hart Turpin

Edmund Hart Turpin, composer was born

Edward Toner Cone

Edward Toner Cone, composer was born

Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek

Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, Vienna Austria, composer (Donna Diana) was born

Fausto Razzi

Fausto Razzi, composer was born

Franz Stanislaus Spindler

Franz Stanislaus Spindler, composer was born

Frederick Jacobi

Frederick Jacobi, composer was born

Gennadi Rozhdestvensky

Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Moscow Russia, conductor (USSR State Radio) was born

George Wadenius

George Wadenius, rocker (Blood, Sweat & Tears) was born

Gregg Alexander

Gregg Alexander, American musician (New Radicals) was born

Hans Ulrich Lehmann

Hans Ulrich Lehmann, composer was born

Hector King

Hector King, Mexican singer-songwriter was born

Jackie Jackson

Jackie Jackson, [Sigmund], Gary In, rocker (Jackson 5-ABC) was born

Jay Aston

Jay Aston, rocker was born

Josef Kohaut

Josef Kohaut, composer was born

Julian Barratt

Julian Barratt, English comedian and musician, one half of The Mighty Boosh was born

Julie Budd

Julie Budd, Bkln, singer (Child of Plenty) was born

Lance Bass

Lance Bass, American singer (*NSYNC) was born

Lou Brown

Lou Brown, Bkln, orchestra leader (Jerry Lewis Show) was born

Marianne von Martinez

Marianne von Martinez, composer was born

Mary Ann McCall

Mary Ann McCall, singer was born

Maurice "Moe" Purtill

Maurice "Moe" Purtill, jazz drummer was born

Maynard Ferguson

Maynard Ferguson, Verdun Quebec, jazz trumpeter (Roulette) was born

Mick Mars

Mick Mars, American guitarist (Mötley Crüe) was born

Mike Dirnt [Michael Ryan Pritchard]

Mike Dirnt [Michael Ryan Pritchard], Berkeley, California, American musician (Green Day) was born

Mátyás Seiber

Mátyás Seiber, Budapest Hungary, composer (Scherzando) was born

Nickolas Ashford

Nickolas Ashford, SC, singer (Ashford & Simpson-Solid as a Rock) was born

Oleta Adams

Oleta Adams, American singer was born

Pablo Ruiz

Pablo Ruiz, Buenos Aires Arg, spanish singer was born

Pedro Saenz

Pedro Saenz, composer was born

Peggy Santiglia McGannon

Peggy Santiglia McGannon, NJ, rocker (Angels) was born

Randy Travis

Randy Travis, Marshville NC, country singer (Diggin' Up Bones) was born

Rasheeda

Rasheeda, merican hiphop singer was born

Robert Ellis Orrall

Robert Ellis Orrall, American singer was born

Roberta Peters

Roberta Peters, NYC, operatic soprano (NY Met) was born

Ron Carter

Ron Carter, jazz bassist (Ron Carter Meets Bach) was born

Ronnie Bond

Ronnie Bond, drummer (Troggs-Wild Thing) was born

Sharon Jones

Sharon Jones, Augusta Georgia, soul/funk singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings) was born

Stella Parton

Stella Parton, sister of Dolly Parton/singer (A Woman's Touch) was born

Tat'yana Petrovna Nikolayeva

Tat'yana Petrovna Nikolayeva, composer was born

Tirso Cruz III

Tirso Cruz III, Filipino actor and singer. was born

Tyagaraja

Tyagaraja, Composer of Indian classical Carnatic music (d. 1847) was born

Tyrone Davis

Tyrone Davis, US R&B singer (Are you serious) was born

Umm Kulthum

Umm Kulthum, Egyptian singer (official Date of Birth) (d. 1975) was born

Zal Cleminson

Zal Cleminson, rocker (Alex Harvey Band) was born

Died on May 4

Albin Julius

Albin Julius died

Aldir Blanc

Aldir Blanc died

Beastie Boys

MCA [Adam Yauch], Beastie Boys vocalist, dies from cancer at 47

Bengt Axel von Torne

Bengt Axel von Torne, composer, dies at 75

Camille Pleyel

Camille Pleyel, Austria piano builder/composer, dies at 66

Christian Gottfried Krause

Christian Gottfried Krause, composer, dies at 51

Claudio Merulo

Claudio Merulo, composer, dies at 71

David Cope

David Cope died

Dragan Vučić

Dragan Vučić died

George Washington Hewitt

George Washington Hewitt, composer, dies at 82

Georges Enescu

Georges Enescu, Romanian/French violist/composer (Oedipe), dies at 73

Henry Morton Dunham

Henry Morton Dunham, composer, dies at 75

Israel Citkowitz

Israel Citkowitz, composer, dies at 65

Jorge Calandrelli

Jorge Calandrelli died

Juan Maria Thomas Sabater

Juan Maria Thomas Sabater, composer, dies at 69

Jūrō Kara

Jūrō Kara died

Louis Krasner

Louis Krasner, violinist, dies at 91

Michael McClure

Michael McClure died

Nick Kamen

Nick Kamen died

Nino Sanzogno

Nino Sanzogno, composer, dies at 72

Noel Rosa

Noel Rosa, Brazilian songwriter (b. 1910)

Paul Butterfield

Paul Butterfield, singer/harmonica player, dies of drug abuse at 44

Thomas Tertius Noble

Thomas Tertius Noble, composer, dies at 85

Yūji Ōno

Yūji Ōno died

Releases & milestones on May 4

Cortis

Cortis released the album 'GreenGreen'

Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman released the album 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'

Ella Fitzgerald

1st Grammy Awards: Perry Como & Ella Fitzgerald win

George Frideric Handel

George F Handel's opera "Tolomeo, re di Egitto," premieres in London

More standout moments in May →