Musicians & Composers
The makers of humanity's soundtrack.
records written
Contemporary era
Helen Mirren
b. July 26, 1945
British actress (born 1945)
Contemporary era
Alan Rickman
February 21, 1946 – January 14, 2016
British actor and director (1946–2016)
Contemporary era
Daniel Day-Lewis
b. April 29, 1957
British actor
Modern era
Gene Hackman
January 30, 1930 – February 18, 2025
American actor and novelist (1930–2025)
Modern era
Jane Fonda
b. December 21, 1937
American actress and activist
Contemporary era
Bill Murray
b. September 21, 1950
American actor and comedian
Contemporary era
Eddie Murphy
b. April 3, 1961
American actor and comedian
Modern era
Richard Pryor
December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005
American comedian and actor (1940–2005)
Modern era
George Carlin
May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008
American stand-up comedian (1937–2008)
Modern era
Betty White
January 17, 1922 – December 31, 2021
American actress and comedian (1922–2021)
Contemporary era
Whoopi Goldberg
b. November 13, 1955
American actress, comedian, author and television personality
Contemporary era
Samuel L. Jackson
b. December 21, 1948
American actor (born 1948)
Contemporary era
Halle Berry
b. August 14, 1966
American actress (born 1966)
Contemporary era
Tom Cruise
b. July 3, 1962
American actor and film producer (born 1962)
Modern era
Harrison Ford
b. July 13, 1942
American actor (born 1942)
Contemporary era
Sylvester Stallone
b. July 6, 1946
American actor and filmmaker (born 1946)
Contemporary era
Arnold Schwarzenegger
b. July 30, 1947
Austrian and American actor, bodybuilder, and politician (born 1947)
Contemporary era
Rowan Atkinson
b. January 6, 1955
English actor, comedian, and screenwriter (born 1955)
Contemporary era
Michelle Yeoh
b. August 6, 1962
Malaysian actress (born 1962)
Modern era
Raj Kapoor
December 14, 1924 – June 2, 1988
Indian actor and filmmaker (1924–1988)
Contemporary era
Sridevi
August 13, 1963 – February 24, 2018
Indian actress (1963–2018)
Contemporary era
Rajinikanth
b. December 12, 1950
Indian actor (born 1950)
Contemporary era
Christopher Reeve
September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004
American actor (1952–2004)
Contemporary era
Patrick Swayze
August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009
American actor, producer, singer and dancer (1952–2009)
Contemporary era
Paul Walker
September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013
American actor (1973–2013)
Contemporary era
River Phoenix
August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993
American actor and musician (1970–2026
Contemporary era
Philip Seymour Hoffman
July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014
American actor (1967–2014)
Contemporary era
Steve Irwin
February 22, 1962 – September 4, 2006
Australian zookeeper, conservationist and TV personality (1962-2006)
Modern era
Scott Joplin
March 31, 1868 – April 1, 1917
American composer, musician, pianist (1867/68-1917)
Modern era
John Philip Sousa
November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932
American conductor and composer (1854–1932)
Modern era
Bing Crosby
May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977
American singer and actor (1903–1977)
Modern era
Glenn Miller
March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944
American band leader, arranger, and composer (1904–1944)
Modern era
Benny Goodman
May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986
American jazz clarinetist and bandleader (1909–1986)
Contemporary era
Billie Eilish
b. December 18, 2001
American singer-songwriter (born 2001)
Modern era
Dizzy Gillespie
October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993
American jazz trumpeter (1917–1993)
Modern era
Thelonious Monk
October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982
American jazz pianist and composer (1917–1982)
Modern era
Django Reinhardt
January 23, 1910 – May 16, 1953
Romani-Belgian /French jazz musician (1910–1953)
Modern era
Sarah Vaughan
March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990
American jazz and classical singer (1924–1990)
Modern era
Mahalia Jackson
October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972
American gospel singer (1911–1972)
Modern era
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973
American gospel musician (1915–1973)
Modern era
Muddy Waters
April 4, 1913 – April 30, 1983
American blues musician (1913–1983)
Contemporary era
Ariana Grande
b. June 26, 1993
American singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1993)
Modern era
Etta James
January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012
American singer (1938–2012)
Modern era
Fats Domino
February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017
American pianist and singer (1928-2017)
Modern era
Ritchie Valens
May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959
American musician (1941–1959)
Modern era
Roy Orbison
April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988
American musician (1936 –1988)
Modern era
Otis Redding
September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967
American singer and songwriter (1941–1967)
Contemporary era
Al Green
b. April 13, 1946
American singer
Modern era
Smokey Robinson
b. February 19, 1940
American R&B singer, songwriter and producer (born 1940)
Modern era
Curtis Mayfield
June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999
American singer-songwriter (1942–1999)
Contemporary era
Ed Sheeran
b. February 17, 1991
English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1991)
Contemporary era
Donna Summer
December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012
American singer (1948–2012)
Modern era
Celia Cruz
October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003
Cuban singer (1925–2003)
Contemporary era
Justin Bieber
b. March 1, 1994
Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1994)
Modern era
Antonio Carlos Jobim
January 25, 1927 – December 8, 1994
Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist (1927–1994)
Modern era
Fairuz
b. November 21, 1935
Lebanese singer and actress
Modern era
Mohammed Rafi
December 24, 1924 – July 31, 1980
Indian playback singer (1924–1980)
Modern era
Kishore Kumar
August 4, 1929 – October 13, 1987
Indian singer and actor (1929–1987)
Modern era
Asha Bhosle
September 8, 1933 – April 12, 2026
Indian playback singer (1933–2026)
Contemporary era
Teresa Teng
January 29, 1953 – May 8, 1995
Taiwanese ROC singer (1953-1995)