On This Day in Music: October 20

On October 20 in music history, 43 artists were born, 22 died and 8 other milestones happened, among them The Beatles (1965), The Rolling Stones (1964) and Cher (2023).

Pick a date, get a soundtrack

The soundtrack for October 20

Choose a date

Open in Spotify

Tomorrow's day in music →

Highlights

October 20

View all

Standout moments for this date.

The Beatles

Beatles receive a gold record for "Yesterday"

The Rolling Stones

Riot at Rolling Stones show in Paris (150 arrested)

Cher

Cher released the album 'Christmas'

Snoop Dogg [Calvin Broadus]

Snoop Dogg [Calvin Broadus], Long Beach, California, rapper (What's My Name, Gin & Juice) was born

Loading events...

Born on October 20

Al Greenwood

Al Greenwood, keyboardist (Foreigner-Feels Like the First Time) was born

Alex Nackman

Alex Nackman, musician was born

Angelo Ephrikian

Angelo Ephrikian, composer was born

Anton Bernhard Furstenau

Anton Bernhard Furstenau, composer was born

Charles Edward Ives

Charles Edward Ives, Danbury Ct, composer (Holiday Quick Step) was born

Dannii Minogue

Dannii Minogue, Melbourne Australia, singer, sister of Kylie Minogue was born

Dunja Vejzovic

Dunja Vejzovic, Croatian soprano was born

Eddie Harris

Eddie Harris, saxophonist/composer was born

Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton

Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, New Orleans, jazz pianist/composer was born

Fred Coury

Fred Coury, Johnston NY, rocker (Cinderella-Heartbreak Station) was born

Gary Jarman

Gary Jarman, English musician was born

Giora Schuster

Giora Schuster, composer was born

Grandpa [Louis M] Jones

Grandpa [Louis M] Jones, Niagra KY, country musician (Hee-Haw) was born

Hans-Otto Borgmann

Hans-Otto Borgmann, composer was born

Herman Roelstraete

Herman Roelstraete, composer was born

Ivo Pogorelic

Ivo Pogorelic, Croatian pianist was born

Ivo Pogorelich

Ivo Pogorelich, Belgrade Yugoslavia, pianist (1978 Casagrande winner) was born

Jay Siegel

Jay Siegel, Bkln, rock bassist (Tokens-Lion Sleeps Tonight) was born

Josephine McGill

Josephine McGill, composer was born

Karol Mikuli

Karol Mikuli, composer was born

Kathy Kirby

Kathy Kirby, British singer was born

Leila Josefowicz

Leila Josefowicz, Canadian classical violinist was born

Lepa Brena

Lepa Brena, famous Yugoslav singer was born

Luck Mervil

Luck Mervil, Québécois actor and singer was born

Mark King

Mark King, bass/vocalist (Level 42-Standing in the Light, Love Games) was born

Monique Hare

Monique Hare, French pianist was born

Norman Blake

Norman Blake, Scottish musician was born

Philip Knapton

Philip Knapton, composer was born

Raymond Jones

Raymond Jones, rocker was born

Ric Lee

Ric Lee, rock drummer (Ten Years After-Cannock, Staffs) was born

Ricky Byrd

Ricky Byrd, rocker (Joan Jett & Blackhearts) was born

Risa Niigaki

Risa Niigaki, Japanese singer (Morning Musume) was born

Robert Craft

Robert Craft, Kingston, NY, conductor, Stravinsky-follower was born

Rodolfo Halffter

Rodolfo Halffter, composer was born

Snoop Dogg [Calvin Broadus]

Snoop Dogg [Calvin Broadus], Long Beach, California, rapper (What's My Name, Gin & Juice) was born

Steven R "Randy" Jackson

Steven R "Randy" Jackson, US percussionist/singer (Enjoy Yourself) was born

Susanna Haavisto

Susanna Haavisto, Finnish actress and singer was born

Thomas Newman

Thomas Newman, American composer was born

Thomas Pasatieri

Thomas Pasatieri, composer was born

Tom Petty

Tom Petty, Gainesville Florida, American classic rock singer (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) was born

Tom Wisniewski

Tom Wisniewski, American guitarist (MxPx) was born

Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson, Maud Oklahoma, country singer (Let's Have a Party) was born

William Hugh Albright

William Hugh Albright, composer was born

Died on October 20

Cassie Gaines

Cassie Gaines, rocker (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 28

Charles Robert Owen Medley

Charles Robert Owen Medley, dancer/Choreographer, dies at 88

Christopher Gibbons

Christopher Gibbons, composer, dies at 61

Eino Roiha

Eino Roiha, composer, dies at 51

Emanuel Moor

Emanuel Moor, composer, dies at 68

Gabriel Groulez

Gabriel Groulez, composer, dies at 65

Hans Haselböck

Hans Haselböck died

Haydn Gwynne

Haydn Gwynne died

Henry Hiles

Henry Hiles, composer, dies at 77

Janusz Olejniczak

Janusz Olejniczak died

Jindra Kramperová

Jindra Kramperová died

Lambert-Francois Godecharle

Lambert-Francois Godecharle, composer, dies at 66

Leander Schlegel

Leander Schlegel, composer, dies at 69

Lucy Simon

Lucy Simon died

Max Bruch

Max Bruch, German composer (Kol Nidre), dies at 82

Merle Travis

Merle Travis, country singer, dies at 75

Michael William Balfe

Michael William Balfe, composer (Bohemian Girl), dies at 62

Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ivanov

Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ivanov, composer, dies at 78

Raymond Rasberry

Raymond Rasberry, pianist/singer, dies at 65

Ronnie Van Zant

Ronnie Van Zant, rocker (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 29

Shirley Horn

Shirley Horn, American singer (b. 1934)

Steve Gaines

Steve Gaines, rock guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in air crash at 28

Releases & milestones on October 20

Blink-182

Blink-182 released the album 'One More Time...'

Cher

Cher released the album 'Christmas'

Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert's 2nd Symphony in B, premieres

Irving Berlin

Musical "Mr President" opens at St James Theater New York for 265 performances

Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss completes his opera "Die Schweigsame Frau"

The Beatles

Beatles receive a gold record for "Yesterday"

The Rolling Stones

Riot at Rolling Stones show in Paris (150 arrested)

Within Temptation

Within Temptation released the album 'Bleed Out'

More standout moments in October →