1941 in music

Events

January 5 – Ernesto Bonino makes his début on Italian radio.

January 15 – Olivier Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps is premiered by the composer and fellow prisoners-of-war in Stalag VIII-A in Silesia.

January 20 – Béla Bartók's String Quartet No. 6 is premièred in New York City.

February 11 – Glenn Miller receives his first gold disc, for Chattanooga Choo Choo.

May – Woody Guthrie writes and records "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" and "Grand Coulee Dam" among other folk songs in Portland, Oregon on a commission from the Bonneville Power Administration; these are released as The Columbia River Collection.

May 10 – London's Queen's Hall, venue for The Proms, is bombed by the Luftwaffe. The concert series relocates to the Royal Albert Hall.

August 18 – In a brutal police operation in Nazi Germany, over 300 Swing Kids are arrested, marking the end of tolerance to swing music.

Alan Lomax (working for the Library of Congress) discovers Muddy Waters and Son House, among others

Les Paul designs and builds the first solid-body electric guitar.

Enrico Gentile leaves Quartetto Ritmo. Felice Chiusano replaces him and the group is renamed Quartetto Cetra.

Dutch Leschan sisters of Trio Lescano become Italian citizens.

The National Negro Opera Company is launched in Pittsburgh, USA.

Albums released

Songs for John Doe – Almanac Singers

The Maltese Falcon – Adolph Deutsch

Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger – Burl Ives

Small Fry – Bing Crosby

Hawaii Calls – Bing Crosby, Frances Langford, Harry Owens

Crosbyana – Bing Crosby

Biggest hit songs

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1941.

Other notable recordings

"The Band Played On"- Guy Lombardo

"Blue Skies"- Frank Sinatra w. Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

"Blues In The Night"- Benny Goodman Orchestra w. Peggy Lee

"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"- Andrews Sisters

"Carolina Shout"- Fats Waller

"Geechee Joe"- Cab Calloway

"How About You?"- Judy Garland

"I Hear a Rhapsody"- Dinah Shore

"Let Me Off Uptown"- Gene Krupa Orchestra w. Anita O'Day & Roy Eldridge

"Little Man With A Candy Cigar"- Jo Stafford

"Me and My Chauffeur Blues"- Memphis Minnie

"The Muffin Man"- Ella Fitzgerald

"New San Antonio Rose"- Bing Crosby

"Roll On Columbia"- Woody Guthrie

"Take The A Train"- Duke Ellington

"You Are My Sunshine"- Gene Autry

Published popular music

"All That Meat And No Potatoes" w.m. Fats Waller & Ed Kirkeby

"The Anniversary Waltz" w. Al Dubin m. Dave Franklin

"Apollo Jump" m. Ernest Puree, Prince Robinson & Lucius "Lucky" Millinder

"Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In A Hurry" w. Johnny Mercer m. Victor Schertzinger

"Baby Mine" w. Ned Washington m. Frank Churchill nominated for Oscar, from the animated feature Dumbo,

"Be Honest With Me" w.m. Fred Rose & Gene Autry

"Blue Champagne" w.m. Jimmy Eaton, Grady Watts & Frank Ryerson

"Blues In The Night" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen

"Boa Noite" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren

"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" w.m. Don Raye & Hughie Prince

"Botch-A-Me" w. (Eng) Eddie Stanley (Ital) R. Morbelli & L. Astore m. R. Morbelli & L. Astore

"Casey Junior" w. Ned Washington m. Frank Churchill from the animated feature Dumbo

"Chattanooga Choo Choo" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren

"Cherry" w.m. Charles N. Daniels

"Chica Chica Boom Chic" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren

"Could You Please Oblige Us with a Bren Gun?" w.m. Noël Coward

"Daddy" w.m. Bobby Troup

"Deep in the Heart of Texas" w. June Hershey m. Don Swander

"Down Forget-Me-Not Lane" w.m. Horatio Nicholls, Charlie Chester & Reg Morgan

"Elmer's Tune" w.m. Elmer Albrecht, Sammy Gallop & Dick Jurgens

"Everything Happens To Me" w. Tom Adair m. Matt Dennis

"Five Guys Named Moe" w. Larry Wynn m. Jerry Bresler

"God Bless The Child" w.m. Arthur Herzog Jr & Billie Holiday

"Goodbye Mama, I'm Off To Yokohama" w.m. J. Fred Coots

"He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings" w. Eric Maschwitz m. Michael Carr

"Hey Little Hen" w.m. Ralph Butler & Noel Gay

"How About You?" w. Ralph Freed m. Burton Lane

"Humpty Dumpty Heart" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen

"The Hut-Sut Song" w.m. Leo V. Killion, Ted McMichael & Jack Owens, The Cruising Crooner

"I Could Write a Book" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst in the musical Pal Joey. Performed in the 1953 film version by Frank Sinatra.

"I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire" w.m. Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin & Eddie Durham

"I Dreamt I Dwelt in Harlem" w. Buddy Feyne m. Jerry Gray, Leonard Ware & Ben Smith

"I Don't Want To Walk Without You" w. Frank Loesser m. Jule Styne

"I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Duke Ellington

"I Guess I'll Have To Dream The Rest" w. Mickey Stoner & Martin Block m. Harold Green

"I Know Why (And So Do You)" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren

"I Remember You" w. Johnny Mercer m. Victor Schertzinger

"I Said No!" w. Frank Loesser m. Jule Styne

"I See A Million People" w. Robert Sour m. Una Mae Carlisle

"I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren

"I'll Remember April" w. Don Raye & Patricia Johnston m. Gene De Paul

"I'm Glad There Is You" w.m. Jimmy Dorsey & Paul Madeira Mertz

"Introduction to a Waltz" m. Glenn Miller, Jerry Gray & Hal Dickinson

"It Happened In Sun Valley" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Warren

"It's So Peaceful In The Country" w.m. Alec Wilder

"I Understand" w. Kim Gannon m. Mabel Wayne

"I've Got Sixpence" w.m. Elton Box & Desmond Cox

"Jenny" (aka "The Saga of Jenny") w. Ira Gershwin m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Gertrude Lawrence in the musical Lady in the Dark. Performed in the 1944 film version by Ginger Rogers

"Jersey Bounce" m. Bobby Plater, Tiny Bradshaw, Edward Johnson & Robert B. Wright

"Jim" w. Nelson Shawn m. Caesar Petrillo & Edward Ross

"Kiss The Boys Goodbye" w. Frank Loesser m. Victor Schertzinger

"Knock Me A Kiss" w.m. Mike Jackson

"Let's All Meet At My House" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen

"Let's Get Away from It All" w. Tom Adair m. Matt Dennis

"Let's Not Talk About Love" w.m. Cole Porter

"London Pride" w.m. Noël Coward

"Ma! I Miss Your Apple Pie" w.m. Carmen Lombardo & John Jacob Loeb

"Misirlou" w. (Eng) Milton Leeds, S. K. Russell & Fred Wise m. N. Roubanis

"Moonlight Cocktail" w. Kim Gannon m. C. Luckeyth "Lucky" Roberts

"My Adobe Hacienda" w.m. Louise Massey & Lee Penny

"My Ship" w. Ira Gershwin m. Kurt Weill

"My Sister and I" w.m. Hy Zaret, Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer

"Oh! Look at Me Now" w. John De Vries m. Joe Bushkin

"Please Take A Letter Miss Brown" Paul Cunningham, Ernie Burnett

"Racing With The Moon" w. Vaughn Monroe & Pauline Pope m. Johnny Watson

"Rancho Pillow" Charles Newman & Allie Wrubel

"Remember Pearl Harbor" w.m. Don Reid & Sammy Kaye

"Road To Zanzibar" w. Johnny Burke m. Jimmy Van Heusen from the film Road To Zanzibar

"Rose O'Day" w.m. Charles Tobias & Al Lewis

"Sand In My Shoes" w. Frank Loesser m. Victor Schertzinger

"The Shrine Of Saint Cecilia" w. Carroll Loveday m. Nils Perne (Jokern)

"A Sinner Kissed An Angel" w. Mack David m. Larry Shayne

"Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat" w.m. Leon René, Otis René & Emerson Scott

"So Near and Yet So Far" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Fred Astaire in the film You'll Never Get Rich.

"Starlight Serenade" w.m. Sonny Miller, Frederick Tysh & Hans May

"The Story Of A Starry Night" w.m. Jerry Livingston, Al Hoffman & Mann Curtis

"A String Of Pearls" w. Eddie De Lange m. Jerry Gray

"Sun Valley Jump" m. Jerry Gray from the film Sun Valley Serenade

"Take The "A" Train" w.m. Billy Strayhorn

"Tangerine" w. Johnny Mercer m. Victor Schertzinger

"Tenement Symphony" w. Sid Kuller & Ray Golden m. Hal Borne

"That Lovely Weekend" w.m. Ted Heath & Moira Heath

"There Goes That Song Again" Allie Wrubel

"There, I've Said It Again" w.m. Redd Evans & Dave Mann

"This Is New" w. Ira Gershwin m. Kurt Weill

"This Time the Dream's on Me" w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Priscilla Lane in the film Blues in the Night.

"(Lights Out) 'Til Reveille" w. Stanley Cowan m. Stanley Cowan & Bobby Worth

"Tonight We Love" w. Bobby Worth m. Freddy Martin & Ray Austin

"Tschaikovsky ( And Other Russians)" w. Ira Gershwin m. Kurt Weill. Introduced by Danny Kaye in the musical Lady in the Dark

"Two In Love" w.m. Meredith Willson

"Violets For Your Furs" w. Tom Adair m. Matt Dennis

"The Waiter And The Porter And The Upstairs Maid" w.m Johnny Mercer

"Walking the Floor Over You" w.m. Ernest Tubb

"We're The Couple In The Castle" w. Frank Loesser m. Hoagy Carmichael

"When I See an Elephant Fly" w. Ned Washington m. Oliver Wallace

"When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again" w.m. Wiley Walker & Gene Sullivan

"When They Sound The Last All Clear" w.m. Hughie Charles, Louis Elton

"(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" w. Nat Burton m. Walter Kent

"Why Don't We Do This More Often?" w. Charles Newman m. Allie Wrubel

"Winter Weather" w.m. Ted Shapiro

"You And I" w.m. Meredith Willson

"You Don't Know What Love Is" w. Don Raye m. Gene De Paul

Other publications

Robert van Gulik - The Lore of the Chinese Lute: An Essay in Ch'in Ideology

Compositions

Joseph Achron – Concerto for Piano Solo

Richard Addinsell – Warsaw Concerto

Hanns Eisler – Vierzehn Arten den Regen zu Beschreiben (Fourteen Ways of Describing the Rain)

Roberto Gerhard – Sinfonía homenaje a Pedrell

Reinhold Glière – Pochodnyj marš (Field march) for wind orchestra, op. 76

Harry Partch – Barstow

Sergei Prokofiev – String Quartet No. 2 in F, Op. 92

Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 7 C major, Op. 60 "Leningrad"

Lukas Foss – Concerto No. 1 for clarinet and orchestra

Opera

Benjamin Britten – Paul Bunyan

Miguel Bernal Jiménez - Tata Vasco

William Grant Still - A Bayou Legend, with libretto by Verna Arvey

Musical theater

Apple Sauce London revue opened at the Palladium on March 5

Banjo Eyes Broadway production opened on December 25 at the Hollywood Theatre and ran for 126 performances.

Best Foot Forward Broadway production opened on October 1 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and ran for 326 performances.

Get a Load of This London production opened on November 19 at the Hippodrome Theatre and ran for 698 performances.

High Kickers Broadway production opened on October 31 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for 171 performances.

It Happens on Ice Broadway Revue opened on July 15 at the Center Theatre and ran for 386 performances.

Lady Behave London production opened at His Majesty's Theatre on July 24 and ran for 401 performances

Lady in the Dark Broadway production opened on January 23 at the Alvin Theatre and ran for 467 performances.

Let's Face It! Broadway production opened on October 29 at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 547 performances.

Sons O' Fun Broadway Revue opened on December 1 at the Winter Garden Theatre and ran for 742 performances.

Musical films

Apavadu

Babes on Broadway

Birth of the Blues

Blues in the Night

The Chocolate Soldier

Dumbo

Háry János, starring Antal Páger and Margit Dajka

He Found a Star starring Vic Oliver, Sarah Churchill and Evelyn Dall

Hold That Ghost starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and featuring The Andrews Sisters and Ted Lewis and his Band

In the Navy starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Powell and The Andrews Sisters

Kiss the Boys Goodbye starring Don Ameche and Mary Martin

Lady Be Good

Moon Over Miami

Navy Blues starring Ann Sheridan, Jack Oakie, Martha Raye and Jack Haley

Playmates

Rise and Shine starring Jack Oakie, Linda Darnell, George Murphy and Milton Berle

Road to Zanzibar

San Antonio Rose starring Robert Paige, Jane Frazee, Eve Arden and The Merry Macs

Sis Hopkins starring Judy Canova, Bob Crosby, Jerry Colonna and Susan Hayward

Smilin' Through

Sun Valley Serenade

Sunny

Sweetheart of the Campus

That Certain Something

That Night in Rio

They Met in Argentina

Time Out for Rhythm

Too Many Blondes starring Rudy Vallee and Helen Parrish

Week-End in Havana

You'll Never Get Rich starring Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth and Robert Benchley. Directed by Sidney Lanfield.

You're the One starring Bonnie Baker, Orrin Tucker & his Orchestra, Edward Everett Horton and Jerry Colonna

Ziegfeld Girl

Zis Boom Bah starring Grace Hayes, Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Skeets Gallagher and Benny Rubin, and directed by William Nigh

Births

January 3 – Van Dyke Parks, singer, arranger and composer

January 9 – Joan Baez, folk singer

January 12 – Long John Baldry, R&B singer (died 2005) Blues Incorporated

January 15 – Captain Beefheart, musician and artist

January 18 – David Ruffin (The Temptations) (d. 1991)

January 20 – Ron Townson, The 5th Dimension

January 21

Plácido Domingo, operatic tenor

Richie Havens, folk singer (d. 2013)

January 24

Neil Diamond, singer-songwriter

Aaron Neville, The Neville Brothers

January 28 – Cash McCall, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

February 4 – John Steel, The Animals

February 5 – Barrett Strong, singer and songwriter

February 6 – Dave Berry, singer (Dave Berry and the Crusaders)

February 11

Earl Lewis (The Channels)

Sergio Mendes, Latin American musician

Tom Rush, folk & blues singer

February 15 – Brian Holland, songwriter

February 17 – Gene Pitney, singer and songwriter (d. 2006)

February 18

Herman Santiago (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers)

Irma Thomas, soul singer

February 20 – Buffy Sainte-Marie, singer and composer

February 24 – Joanie Sommers, singer and actress

March 6 – Palle Mikkelborg, jazz trumpeter and composer

March 8 – Ivana Loudová, composer

March 12 – Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane), (KBC Band)

March 15 – Mike Love (The Beach Boys)

March 18 – Wilson Pickett, soul singer (d. 2006)

March 22 – Jeremy Clyde, singer (Chad and Jeremy)

March 24 – Michael Masser, songwriter, composer and producer of popular music (d. 2015)

March 28 – Alf Clausen, orchestra conductor (The Simpsons)

March 30 – Graeme Edge (The Moody Blues)

April 3 – Jan Berry (Jan and Dean)

April 5

David LaFlamme, born Gary Posie, classical and rock violinist (It's a Beautiful Day)

Dave Swarbrick, folk rock fiddle player (Fairport Convention) (d. 2016)

April 8 – J.J. Jackson, VJ

April 9 – Kay Adams, country singer

April 19 – Roberto Carlos, singer

April 28

Peter Anders, The Tradewinds

Ann-Margret, actress and singer

April 30 – Johnny Farina (Santo & Johnny)

May 4 – Richard Burns (The Hondells)

May 8 – John Fred, vocalist (John Fred & His Playboy Band) (d. 2005)

May 9

Peter Birrell (Freddie & The Dreamers)

Danny Rapp (Danny and the Juniors)

May 10 – Danny Rapp, American singer (Danny & the Juniors) (d. 1983)

May 11 – Eric Burdon, R&B singer (The Animals)

May 13

Joe Brown, singer and guitarist

Ritchie Valens, singer (d. 1959)

May 18 – Lobby Loyde, Australian guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Purple Hearts, Wild Cherries, and Rose Tattoo) (d. 2007)

May 21 – Ronald Isley (The Isley Brothers)

May 24

Konrad Boehmer, composer

Bob Dylan, folk singer and songwriter

June 1 – Edo de Waart, conductor

June 2

William Guest (Gladys Knight & the Pips)

Charlie Watts, drummer (The Rolling Stones)

June 5 – Martha Argerich, pianist

June 9 – Jon Lord, keyboard player and composer (d. 2012) Deep Purple

June 10 – Shirley Owens (The Shirelles)

June 12

Chick Corea, jazz musician

Roy Harper, singer-songwriter

Reg Presley, songwriter and lead singer (The Troggs) (d. 2013)

June 13 – Esther Ofarim, singer

June 15 – Harry Nilsson, singer-songwriter (d. 1994)

June 16 – Lamont Dozier, songwriter

June 23 – Robert Hunter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Grateful Dead)

July 5 – Terry Cashman, record producer and singer-songwriter

July 7 – Jim Rodford (Argent)

July 9 – Donald McPherson (Main Ingredient)

July 16 – Desmond Dekker, reggae musician (d. 2006)

July 17

Spencer Davis, instrumentalist (The Spencer Davis Group)

Gribouille, singer (d. 1968)

July 18

Lonnie Mack, rock and blues guitarist (d. 2016)

Martha Reeves, vocalist

July 19 – Vicki Carr, singer

July 22

Estelle Bennett (The Ronettes) (d. 2009)

George Clinton, American musician

July 25 – Manny Charlton (Nazareth)

July 26 – Brenton Wood, singer-songwriter

July 28 – Riccardo Muti, conductor

July 30 – Paul Anka, singer and songwriter

August 2 – Doris Coley (The Shirelles)

August 3 – Beverly Lee (The Shirelles)

August 4 – Timi Yuro, soul singer (d. 2004)

August 14 – David Crosby (The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash)

August 19 – Alain Boublil, librettist

August 20 – Dave Brock (Hawkwind)

August 21

Tom Coster (Santana)

Jackie DeShannon, singer-songwriter

August 24 – Kenny Rogers, country musician

August 26 – Chris Curtis (The Searchers)

August 30 – John McNally (The Searchers)

September 8 – Donald Drowty (Dante & the Evergreens)

September 9 – Otis Redding, soul singer (d. 1967)

September 10 – Christopher Hogwood, conductor and harpsichordist (d. 2014)

September 13 – David Clayton-Thomas, vocalist (Blood, Sweat & Tears)

September 14 – Alberto Naranjo, arranger and composer

September 19 – Cass Elliot, singer (d. 1974)

September 21 – Dickey Lee, country singer-songwriter

September 24 – Linda McCartney (Wings) (d. 1998)

September 26 - Salvatore Accardo, Italian violinist and conductor

October 2 – Ron Meagher (The Beau Brummels)

October 3 – Chubby Checker, singer

October 13 – Paul Simon, singer-songwriter

October 17

Alan Howard (The Tremeloes)

James Seals (Seals and Crofts)

October 21

Manfred Lubowitz (Manfred Mann)

Steve Cropper, Booker T. & the M.G.'s

October 24 – Helen Reddy, singer

October 28

Curtis Lee, singer

Hank Marvin, guitarist (The Shadows)

October 30 – Otis Williams, vocalist (The Temptations)

November 2

Brian Poole, singer (The Tremeloes)

Bruce Welch, guitarist and singer (The Shadows)

November 5 – Art Garfunkel, singer

November 6 – Doug Sahm (Sir Douglas Quintet)

November 8 – Simon Standage, baroque violinist

November 9 – Tom Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

November 13 – Odia Coates, singer (d. 1991)

November 16 – Dan Penn, American singer-songwriter and producer

November 21 – David Porter, soul musician

November 24

Pete Best, Beatles' original drummer

Donald "Duck" Dunn (Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Blues Brothers)

November 27 – Eddie Rabbitt (Amos Garrett)

November 29 – Denny Doherty, folk singer (The Mamas & the Papas) (d. 2007)

December 2 – Tom McGuinness, English pop musician (Manfred Mann)

December 10

Kyu Sakamoto, Japanese singer and actor (d. 1985)

Peter Sarstedt, Indian-born British singer-songwriter (d. 2017)

Chad Stuart, English folk rock singer (Chad & Jeremy)

December 12 – Tim Hauser, American singer (The Manhattan Transfer) (d. 2014)

December 18 – Sam Andrew, American rock musician (Big Brother & The Holding Company)

December 19 – Maurice White, American R&B musician (Earth, Wind and Fire) (d. 2016)

December 27

Les Maguire, English pop pianist (Gerry & the Pacemakers)

Mike Pinder, English rock keyboard player (The Moody Blues)

December 29 – Ray Thomas, English rock musician (The Moody Blues)

date unknown – Marvell Thomas, African American Memphis blues keyboardist

Deaths

January 10 – Frank Bridge, composer, 61

January 23 – Dobri Hristov, composer, 65

February 13 – Blind Boy Fuller, blues musician

February 15 – Guido Adler, musicologist

February 19 – Sir Hamilton Harty, conductor and composer, 61

February 21 – La Bolduc, Québécois singer, 46 (cancer)

March 11 – Sir Henry Walford Davies, composer, 71

March 12 – Ernst Décsey, music critic, 70

March 17 – Wassily Sapellnikoff, pianist

March 20 – Oskar Baum, music teacher and writer

March 27 – Primo Riccitelli, Italian composer, 65

April 6 – Henry Burr, popular singer

April 17 – Al Bowlly, popular singer

April 19 – Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer and teacher

April 21 – Agustín Bardi, tango composer, pianist and violinist, 56 (heart attack)

May 1

Julia Claussen, operatic mezzo-soprano

Howard Johnson, lyricist

May 18 – Milka Ternina, Croatian dramatic soprano

May 23 – Slavko Osterc, Slovenian composer

June 17 – Johan Wagenaar, organist and composer, 78

June 29 – Ignacy Jan Paderewski, pianist and composer, former Prime Minister of Poland, 80

July 5 – Oskar Fried, conductor and composer

July 8 – Philippe Gaubert, composer and conductor, 62

July 10 – Jelly Roll Morton, jazz pianist, 55 (asthma

July 30 – Hugo Becker, cellist, 78

August 16 – John Coates, operatic tenor

September 19 – Enrique Saborido, tango pianist and composer, 64

October 8

Helen Morgan, US singer and actress, 41 (cirrhosis of the liver)

Gus Kahn, US lyric writer, 54

October 26 – Victor Schertzinger, violinist and composer, 53 (heart attack)

October 29 - Edmée Favart, operatic soprano, 62

October 30 – Leon "Chu" Berry, jazz saxophonist, 33 (car accident)

November 1 – Félix Mayol, singer, 68

November 16 – Miina Härma, organist and composer, 77

November 25 – Henri Christiné, composer,

November 29 – Gennaro Papi, Italian opera conductor, 54

December 3 – Christian Sinding, composer, 85

December 21 – Peetie Wheatstraw, blues singer, 39 (car accident)

December 22 – Jurgis Karnavičius, composer, 57

December 24 – Siegfried Alkan, composer, 83

date unknown

Amalia Paoli, operatic soprano

William H. Potstock, music teacher and composer