February 17

Events

 * 1947 - The Voice of America begins to transmit radio broadcasts into the Soviet Union.



Births

 * 1653 - Arcangelo Corelli, Italian composer (d. 1713)
 * 1820 - Henri Vieuxtemps, Belgian composer (d. 1881)
 * 1887 - Leevi Madetoja, Finnish composer (d. 1947)
 * 1922 - Tommy Edwards, American singer (d. 1969)
 * 1925 - Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor (d. 2003)
 * 1928 - Marta Romero, Puerto Rican actress & singer
 * 1932 - Buck Trent, American banjo player
 * 1933 - Bobby Lewis, American singer
 * 1939 - John Leyton, British singer
 * 1940 - Gene Pitney, American singer (d. 2006)
 * 1944 - Karl Jenkins, Welsh composer
 * 1946 - Dodie Stevens, American singer
 * 1962 - David McComb, Australian musician (The Triffids) (d. 1999)
 * 1966 - Michael Lepond, American musician
 * 1967 - Chanté Moore, American singer
 * 1970 - Tim Mahoney, American musician (311)
 * 1971 - Martyn Bennett, Canadian composer (d. 2005)
 * 1972 - Billie Joe Armstrong, American musician (Green Day)
 * 1972 - Taylor Hawkins, American musician (Foo Fighters)
 * 1972 - Yuki Isoya, Japanese singer (formerly Judy and Mary)
 * 1974 - Kaoru, Japanese musician
 * 1974 - Bryan White, American singer
 * 1975 - Wish Bone, American rapper

Deaths

 * 1732 – Louis Marchand, French organist and harpsichordist (b. 1669)
 * 1841 – Ferdinando Carulli, Italian guitarist (b. 1770)


 * 1883 – Napoleon Coste, French guitarist and composer (b. 1806)
 * 1939 – Willy Hess, German violinist (b. 1859)


 * 1943 – Armand J. Piron, American jazz violinist and composer (b. 1888)


 * 1970 – Alfred Newman, American film composer (b. 1900)


 * 1982 – Thelonious Monk, American jazz pianist (b. 1917)


 * 2006 – Ray Barretto, Puerto Rican musician (b. 1929)


 * 2006 – Bill Cowsill, American singer (The Cowsills) (b. 1948)