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Famous 19th Century American Musicians

Vote for Your Favourite 19th Century American Musicians

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 1 
Arnold Schoenberg
(One of the Most Influential Composers of the 20th Century)
Arnold Schoenberg
9
Birthdate: September 13, 1874
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria
Died: July 13, 1951
Austrian-born composer Arnold Schoenberg was part of the German Expressionist Movement and led the Second Viennese School. Being Jewish, he was banned by the Nazis and later became an American citizen. Known for his twelve-tone technique, he coined the term developing variation and formed motifs without a centralized melodic idea.
 2 
Ma Rainey
(Street artist, Musician)
Ma Rainey
12
Birthdate: April 26, 1886
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Columbus, Georgia, United States
Died: December 22, 1939
 3 
Lead Belly
(Folk and blues singer)
Lead Belly
3
Birthdate: January 23, 1888
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mooringsport, Louisiana, United States
Died: December 6, 1949
Recommended Lists:
19th Century
 4 
Charles Ives
(Composer)
Charles Ives
3
Birthdate: October 20, 1874
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Danbury, Connecticut, United States
Died: May 19, 1954
 5 
Scott Joplin
(American Composer and Pianist Known as the ‘King of Ragtime’)
Scott Joplin
4
Birthdate: November 24, 1868
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Texarkana, Texas, United States
Died: April 1, 1917
Composer and pianist Scott Joplin, or the King of Ragtime, had written more than 100 original ragtime pieces. His most iconic piece was the Maple Leaf Rag. He had also written two operas, including Treemonisha. He was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize. The film The Sting featured his compositions.
 6 
John Philip Sousa
(Conductor, Composer)
John Philip Sousa
3
Birthdate: November 6, 1854
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Died: March 6, 1932
 7 
Stephen Foster
(Composer known as the Father of American music)
Stephen Foster
3
Birthdate: July 4, 1826
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: January 13, 1864
 8 
Cole Porter
(Composer, Songwriter)
Cole Porter
30
Birthdate: June 9, 1891
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Peru, Indiana, United States
Died: October 15, 1964
Singer-songwriter Cole Porter is best known for his work in the Tony-winning musical, Kiss Me, Kate and for his hit tracks Night and Day, Got You Under My Skin, and You're the Top. He also composed for movies. His marriage to Linda Lee Thomas was a cover for his homosexuality.
 9 
George M. Cohan
(Entertainer, Playwright and Composer Who is Considered to be ‘The Father of American Musical Comedy’)
George M. Cohan
4
Birthdate: July 3, 1878
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Died: November 5, 1942
 10 
Jack Frost
(Composer)
Jack Frost
4
Birthdate: November 25, 1893
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Died: October 21, 1959
 11 
Jimmie Rodgers
(Singer-songwriter and musician)
Jimmie Rodgers
5
Birthdate: September 8, 1897
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Meridian, Mississippi, United States
Died: May 26, 1933
 12 
Jelly Roll Morton
(Pianist, Bandleader, Composer, Conductor, Jazz musician)
Jelly Roll Morton
3
Birthdate: October 20, 1890
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Gulfport
Died: July 10, 1941
 13 
Eddie Cantor
(comedian)
Eddie Cantor
3
Birthdate: January 31, 1892
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Died: October 10, 1964
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 14 
Ethel Waters
(Actor, Singer, Jazz musician, Stage actor)
Ethel Waters
3
Birthdate: October 31, 1896
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chester County
Died: September 1, 1977
 15 
Fanny Crosby
(Poet)
Fanny Crosby
3
Birthdate: March 24, 1820
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brewster, New York, United States
Died: February 12, 1915
 16 
Ira Gershwin
(Lyricist)
Ira Gershwin
3
Birthdate: December 6, 1896
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York City New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: August 17, 1983
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 17 
Jerome Kern
(Composer, Songwriter, Film score composer, Coin collecting)
Jerome Kern
3
Birthdate: January 27, 1885
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City
Died: November 11, 1945
 18 
Josef Hofmann
(Polish-American Pianist, Composer and Inventor Known For His Invention of 'Pneumatic Shock Absorbers' for Cars and Airplanes)
Josef Hofmann
2
Birthdate: January 20, 1876
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kraków, Poland
Died: February 16, 1957

Josef Hofmann was a Polish-American composer, pianist, inventor, and music teacher. From 1927 to 1938, he served as the director of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, USA. As the director of the institute, Hofmann was instrumental in recruiting musicians like Efrem Zimbalist, Marcella Sembrich, Fritz Reiner, and Isabella Vengerova. Among his pupils were Abbey Simon and Shura Cherkassky.

 19 
W. C. Handy
(Composer)
W. C. Handy
3
Birthdate: November 16, 1873
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Florence, Alabama, United States
Died: March 28, 1958
 20 
Zitkala-Sa
(Writer)
Zitkala-Sa
3
Birthdate: February 22, 1876
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Yankton Reservation, South Dakota, United States
Died: January 26, 1938
 21 
Buddy Bolden
(Musical Artist)
Buddy Bolden
3
Birthdate: September 6, 1877
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: November 4, 1931
 22 
Pierre Monteux
(Conductor)
Pierre Monteux
1
Birthdate: April 4, 1875
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: July 1, 1964
 23 
Max Steiner
(Conductor, Composer, Musician, Screenwriter, Film score composer)
Max Steiner
3
Birthdate: May 10, 1888
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna
Died: December 28, 1971
 24 
Mississippi John Hurt
(Singer)
Mississippi John Hurt
2
Birthdate: March 8, 1892
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Teoc, Mississippi, United States
Died: November 2, 1966
 25 
Lorenz Hart
(Lyricist, Composer, Playwright, Songwriter, Librettist)
Lorenz Hart
2
Birthdate: May 2, 1895
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City
Died: November 22, 1943
 26 
Big Bill Broonzy
(Singer)
Big Bill Broonzy
4
Birthdate: June 26, 1893
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lake Dick, Arkansas, United States
Died: August 15, 1958
 27 
King Oliver
(Musician)
King Oliver
2
Birthdate: December 19, 1881
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Aben, Louisiana, United States
Died: April 10, 1938
 28 
Amy Beach
(Composer)
Amy Beach
2
Birthdate: September 5, 1867
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Henniker, New Hampshire, United States
Died: December 27, 1944
 29 
Miklós Rózsa
(Composer)
Miklós Rózsa
2
Birthdate: April 18, 1907
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: July 27, 1995

Born in Hungary, Miklós Rózsa was a music prodigy and learned to play the violin at age 5. After studying music in Germany, he pursued his music career in France, the UK, and the US. He is remembered for his Academy Award-winning scores in movies such as Ben-Hur and Spellbound.

 30 
Thomas Andrew Dorsey
(Musician)
Thomas Andrew Dorsey
2
Birthdate: July 1, 1899
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Villa Rica, Georgia, United States
Died: January 23, 1993
 31 
Billy Rose
(Impresario)
Billy Rose
2
Birthdate: September 6, 1899
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: February 10, 1966
 32 
Paul Whiteman
(Bandleader)
Paul Whiteman
2
Birthdate: March 28, 1890
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
Died: December 29, 1967
 33 
E.Y. Harburg
(Lyricist)
E.Y. Harburg
2
Birthdate: April 8, 1896
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: March 5, 1981
 34 
Sidney Lanier
(Musician)
Sidney Lanier
2
Birthdate: February 3, 1842
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Macon, Georgia, United States
Died: September 7, 1881
 35 
Florence Price
(Composer)
Florence Price
2
Birthdate: 1887 AD
Birthplace: Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Died: 1953 AD
 36 
Henry Cowell
(Composer, Musicologist, Music theorist, Pianist)
Henry Cowell
2
Birthdate: March 11, 1897
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Menlo Park
Died: December 10, 1965
 37 
Tommy Johnson
(American musician)
Tommy Johnson
2
Birthdate: 1896
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Terry, Mississippi, United States
Died: November 1, 1956
 38 
Molly Picon
(Actress)
Molly Picon
2
Birthdate: February 28, 1898
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: April 5, 1992
Height: 5'0" (152 cm)
 39 
Harry Partch
(Composer)
Harry Partch
2
Birthdate: June 24, 1901
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
Died: September 3, 1974
 40 
Harry Warren
(Composer)
Harry Warren
2
Birthdate: December 24, 1893
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: September 22, 1981
 41 
Louis Moreau Gottschalk
(Composer)
Louis Moreau Gottschalk
2
Birthdate: May 8, 1829
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: December 18, 1869
 42 
Efrem Zimbalist
(Composer, Conductor, Music educator, Violinist, University teacher)
Efrem Zimbalist
7
Birthdate: April 21, 1889
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rostov-on-Don
Died: February 22, 1985
 43 
Arthur Freed
(Film producer, Composer, Screenwriter, Actor, Lyricist, Songwriter)
Arthur Freed
2
Birthdate: September 9, 1894
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Charleston
Died: April 12, 1973
 44 
Arthur Fiedler
(Conductor)
Arthur Fiedler
2
Birthdate: December 17, 1894
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Died: July 10, 1979
 45 
James P. Johnson
(American Pianist and Composer)
James P. Johnson
2
Birthdate: February 1, 1894
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
Died: November 17, 1955
 46 
James Reese Europe
(Composer)
James Reese Europe
2
Birthdate: February 22, 1880
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mobile, Alabama, United States
Died: May 9, 1919
 47 
Gus Kahn
(Composer, Songwriter, Lyricist, Film score composer)
Gus Kahn
2
Birthdate: November 6, 1886
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Koblenz
Died: October 8, 1941
 48 
Patty Hill
(Composer)
Patty Hill
1
Birthdate: March 27, 1868
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Anchorage, Kentucky, United States
Died: May 25, 1946
 49 
Victor Herbert
(Composer)
Victor Herbert
2
Birthdate: February 1, 1859
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: May 26, 1924
 50 
Edward MacDowell
(Composer and Pianist)
Edward MacDowell
2
Birthdate: December 18, 1860
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: January 23, 1908
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