Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

March 19, 1921 Tommy Cooper is born in Caerphilly, Wales.

December 12, 1920 British music publisher Dick James is born Leon Isaac Vapnick in London. His high-profile clients include Elton John and The Beatles.

October 1, 1919 Songwriter J.M. Robinson is born Jessie Mae Booker in Call, Texas.

March 15, 1919 Record producer George Avakian is born in Russia. Produced albums for Jazz artists like Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis.

December 19, 1918 Blues singer Henry Roeland "Roy" Byrd, better known as Professor Longhair, is born in Bogalusa, Louisiana.

May 3, 1917 Betty Comden is born Basya Cohen in Brooklyn. Along with her partner Adolph Green, she writes the screenplay for Singin' In The Rain along with many other musicals.

April 6, 1917 Blues harmonica player Walter Horton is born in Horn Lake, Mississippi.

March 20, 1917 Vera Lynn is born Vera Welch in East Ham, Essex, England. She becomes one of England's top entertainers during World War II, a time when she becomes an emblem of wartime spirit and national pride thanks in part to her rendition of "We'll Meet Again."

March 22, 1916 Bernard Weissman, the future George Wyle, is born in New York City. Among his compositions: the Gilligan's Island theme song.

September 3, 1915 Memphis Slim is born John Len Chatman in Memphis, Tennessee.

May 27, 1915 Lyricist Fred Wise is born in New York City. Among his compositions: "Rock-A-Hula Baby" and "Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie."

December 2, 1914 Libretto writer Adolph Green is born in New York City. Along with his partner Betty Comden, he writes lyrics for a number of musicals, including On the Town, Bells Are Ringing and Singin' in the Rain.

June 28, 1913 The British composer George Walter Selwyn Lloyd is born.

April 7, 1912 Songwriter Jack Lawrence is born Jacob Louis Schwartz in Brooklyn, New York. Co-wrote Frank Sinatra's first solo hit, "All or Nothing at All."

December 15, 1910 Producer and record executive John Hammond is born in New York City. A mainstay at Columbia Records, he champions jazz music at the label, and in 1961, signs Bob Dylan.

August 2, 1910 Scottish playwright Roger MacDougall ("The Emperor Of Lancashire") is born in Glasgow.

June 23, 1907 Eddie Pola, co-writer of the Christmas classic "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," is born in New York City.

December 31, 1905 The composer Jule Styne is born Julius Kerwin Stein in London.

March 11, 1905 Songwriter Michael Carr is born Maurice Alfred Cohen. His credits include the Shadows hit "Kon-Tiki."

May 2, 1904 Broadcaster, singer and occasional lyricist Wilfrid Coad Thomas is born in Britain. Wrote the English lyrics to "Rose, Rose, I Love You," recorded by Frankie Laine in 1951.

October 20, 1901 Film composer Frank Churchill is born in Rumford, Maine. Known for his work on Disney films, including memorable songs for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, like "Heigh-Ho."

August 15, 1901 Songwriter Ned Washington ("Wild Is The Wind," "Theme From 'The Unforgiven'") is born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

July 8, 1900 Avant-garde composer George Antheil is born Georg Johann Carl Antheil in Trenton, New Jersey.

January 28, 1900 Composer Michael Head is born Michael Dewar Head in Eastbourne, England.

January 3, 1900 Lawyer turned composer Maurice Jaubert is born in Nice, France.

January 9, 1898 Music hall star Gracie Fields is born Grace Stansfield at Rochdale, Lancashire, England.

January 25, 1897 Blind Willie Johnson, known best for "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground," is born in Pendleton, Texas.More

April 8, 1896 Edgar Yipsel Harburg, known as "Yip," is born in New York City. He co-writes many popular songs, including "Over The Rainbow" and "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime."

January 27, 1895 Film producer, record executive and occasional lyricist Buddy DeSylva is born George Gard DeSylva in New York. He co-wrote the Al Jolson hit "April Showers."

May 10, 1894 Composer Dimitri Tiomkin is born Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin in the Ukraine.