Overview of the events of 1939 in music
Overview of the events of 1939 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1939.
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
Publications
Albums released
Biggest hit songs
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions
in the limited set of charts available for 1939.
#
|
Artist
|
Title
|
Year
|
Country
|
Chart Entries
|
1 |
Judy Garland |
Over the Rainbow |
1939 |
|
US BB 1 of 1939, Oscar in 1939, AFI 1, RYM 1 of 1939, POP 1 of 1939, RIAA 1, Scrobulate 71 of vocal, Acclaimed 497
|
2 |
Glenn Miller |
Moonlight Serenade |
1939 |
|
US BB 5 of 1939, RYM 5 of 1939, POP 5 of 1939, UK 12 – Mar 1954, Europe 12 of the 1930s, Scrobulate 53 of jazz, Italy 74 of 1954, Party 74 of 1999, Acclaimed 1202
|
3 |
Kate Smith |
God Bless America |
1939 |
|
US BB 2 of 1939, POP 2 of 1939, US 1940s 5 – Aug 1940, Europe 18 of the 1930s, RIAA 19, RYM 33 of 1939, Acclaimed 568
|
4 |
Billie Holiday |
Strange Fruit |
1939 |
|
RYM 2 of 1939, Scrobulate 25 of jazz, Europe 92 of the 1930s, Acclaimed 180, RIAA 273, WXPN 717
|
5 |
Louis Armstrong |
When the Saints Go Marching In |
1939 |
|
US BB 4 of 1939, POP 4 of 1939, RIAA 13, RYM 18 of 1939, Scrobulate 33 of swing
|
Top hits on record
Top Christmas hits
Top blues records
Published popular music
- "Address Unknown" w.m. Carmen Lombardo, Johnny Marks & Dedette Lee Hill
- "All In Fun" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern Introduced by Frances Mercer and Jack Whiting in the musical Very Warm for May
- "All or Nothing at All" w. Jack Lawrence m. Arthur Altman
- "All the Things You Are" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern from the musical Very Warm for May
- "Anatole (Of Paris)" w.m. Sylvia Fine Introduced by Danny Kaye in the revue The Straw Hat Revue
- "An Apple For The Teacher" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
- "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" w. Jack Yellen m. Sammy Fain
- "The Army Air Corps" w.m. Robert M. Crawford
- "At the Woodchopper's Ball" m. Woody Herman & Joe Bishop
- "Back In The Saddle Again" w.m. Gene Autry & Ray Whitley
- "Between Eighteenth And Nineteenth On Chestnut Street" w.m. Will Osborne & Dick Rodgers
- "Bless You" w.m. Don Baker & Eddie Lane
- "Blue Orchids" w.m. Hoagy Carmichael
- "Bluebirds In The Moonlight" w. Leo Robin m. Ralph Rainger
- "The Boys in the Back Room" w. Frank Loesser m. Frederick Hollander. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Destry Rides Again.
- "Brazil" w. (Eng) Bob Russell m. Ary Baroso
- "Careless" w.m. Lew Quadling, Eddy Howard & Dick Jurgens
- "Comes Love" w.m. Sam H. Stept, Charles Tobius & Lew Brown
- "Cuckoo In The Clock" w. Johnny Mercer m. Walter Donaldson
- "Darn That Dream" w. Eddie DeLange m. Jimmy Van Heusen
- "Day In, Day Out" w. Johnny Mercer m. Rube Bloom
- "Desert Rumba" m. John Serry, Sr.
- "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
- "Do I Love You?" w.m. Cole Porter
- "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" w. Ted Koehler m. Rube Bloom
- "Faithful Forever" w. Leo Robin m. Ralph Rainger
- "Flyin' Home" w. Sid Robin m. Lionel Hampton & Benny Goodman
- "Frenesi" w. (Eng) Ray Charles & Bob Russell m. Alberto Dominguez
- "The Gaucho Serenade" w.m. James Cavanaugh, John Redmond & Nat Simon
- "Give Him the Ooh-La-La" w.m. Cole Porter
- "Give it Back to the Indians" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Mary Jane Walsh in the musical Too Many Girls.
- "Go Fly A Kite" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
- "God Bless America" w.m. Irving Berlin
- "Good Morning" w. Arthur Freed m. Nacio Herb Brown
- "Goodnight, Children Ev'rywhere" w.m. Gabby Rogers & Harry Phillips
- "Hang Your Heart On A Hickory Limb" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
- "Heaven Can Wait" w. Eddie DeLange m. Jimmy Van Heusen
- "Heaven In My Arms" w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Jerome Kern. Introduced by Jack Whiting, Frances Mercer and Hollace Shaw in the musical Very Warm for May
- "Honey Hush" Fats Waller, Ed Kirkeby
- "Huckleberry Duck" w. Jack Lawrence m. Raymond Scott
- "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Richard Kollmar and Marcy Westcott in the musical Too Many Girls. Performed by Trudy Erwin dubbing for Lucille Ball in the 1940 film version and interpolated into the score of the 1957 film Pal Joey where it was sung by Frank Sinatra.
- "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)" m. Hoagy Carmichael w. Jane Brown Thompson
- "I Like to Recognize the Tune" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers. Introduced by Eddie Bracken, Marcy Westcott, Mary Jane Walsh, Richard Kollmar and Hal Le Roy in the musical Too Many Girls.
- "I Miss You In The Morning" w. Edgar Leslie m. Joe Burke
- "I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak" w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel
- "I Poured My Heart Into A Song" w.m. Irving Berlin
- "I Thought About You" w. Johnny Mercer m. Jimmy Van Heusen
- "I Want My Mama" w. (Port) Jararaca & Vincente Paiva (Eng) Al Stillman m. Jararaca & Vincente Paiva
- "I Went to a Marvelous Party" w.m. Noël Coward. Introduced by Beatrice Lillie in the revue Set to Music.
- "If A Grey Haired Lady Says "How's Yer Father?"" w.m. Ted Waite
- "If I Didn't Care" w.m. Jack Lawrence
- "If I Only Had a Brain" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
- "If I Only Had Wings" w.m. Sid Colin & Ronnie Aldrich
- "I'll Never Smile Again" w.m. Ruth Lowe
- "I'll Walk Beside You" w.m. Alan Murray & Edward Lockton
- "I'm Building A Sailboat Of Dreams" Cliff Friend, Dave Franklin
- "In a Mellow Tone" w. Milt Gabler m. Duke Ellington
- "In An Eighteenth Century Drawing Room" m. Raymond Scott
- "In the Middle of a Dream" w. Al Stillman m. Tommy Dorsey & Einar Swan
- "In The Mood" w. Andy Razaf m. Joe Garland
- "Is 'E An Aussie, Lizzie, Is 'E?" w.m. B. C. Hilliam & Malcolm McEachern
- "It's A Big, Wide, Wonderful World" w.m. John Rox
- "It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day" w. Sammy Timberg & Winston Sharples m. Al J. Neiburg. Introduced by the voice of Lanny Ross on the soundtrack of the animated feature film Gulliver's Travels.
- "I've Got My Eyes On You" w.m. Cole Porter
- "J'attendrai" w. (Fr) Louis Poterat (Eng) Anna Sosenko m. Dino Olivieri
- "The Jumpin' Jive" w.m. Cab Calloway, Frank Froeba & Jack Palmer
- "Katie Went To Haiti" w.m. Cole Porter
- "Kiss Me Goodnight, Sergeant-Major" Art Noel, Don Pelosi
- "The Lady's In Love With You" w. Frank Loesser m. Burton Lane
- "The Lamp Is Low" w. Mitchell Parish m. Peter De Rose & Bert Shefter
- "Leanin' On The Ole Top Rail" w.m. Charles Kenny & Nick Kenny
- "Lili Marlene" w. (Ger) Hans Leip (Eng) Tommie Connor m. Norbert Schultze
- "The Little Man Who Wasn't There" w. Harold Adamson m. Bernie Hanighen
- "Love Never Went To College" w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers
- "A Lover Is Blue" w.m. Charles Carpenter, James R. Mundy & Trummy Young
- "Lydia, The Tattooed Lady" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Groucho Marx in the film At the Circus.
- "A Man And His Dream" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
- "The Man With The Mandolin" w. James Cavanaugh & John Redmond m. Frank Weldon
- "The Masquerade Is Over" w. Herb Magidson m. Allie Wrubel
- "The Moon And The Willow Tree" w. Johnny Burke m. Victor Schertzinger
- "Moon Love" w.m. Mack David, Mack Davis & Andre Kostelanetz
- "Moonlight Serenade" w. Mitchell Parish m. Glenn Miller
- "My Dearest Dear" w.m. Ivor Novello & Christopher Hassall
- "My Prayer" w. Jimmy Kennedy m. Georges Boulanger & Jimmy Kennedy
- "Night in Sudan" w. Charles Carpenter m. Tommy Dorsey & Jimmy Mundy
- "On A Little Street In Singapore" w.m. Peter DeRose & Billy Hill
- "On The Outside Always Lookin' In" w.m. Michael Carr
- "Over The Rainbow" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Judy Garland in the film The Wizard of Oz.
- "Palms in Paradise" w. Frank Loesser m. Frederick Hollander Introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the 1940 film Typhoon.
- "Pennsylvania 6-5000" w. Carl Sigman m. Jerry Gray
- "Perfidia" w. (Eng) Milton Leeds m. Alberto Dominguez
- "Run Rabbit Run" w. Noel Gay & Ralph T. Butler m. Noel Gay
- "Scatterbrain" w.m. Johnny Burke, Carl Bean, Kahn Keene & Frankie Masters
- "She Had to Go and Lose It at the Astor" w.m. Don Raye & Hugh Prince
- "Sing A Song Of Sunbeams" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
- "Sing My Heart" w. Ted Koehler m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Irene Dunne in the film Love Affair.
- "Somewhere In France With You" w.m. Michael Carr
- "South American Way" w. Al Dubin m. Jimmy McHugh
- "South Of The Border" w.m. Jimmy Kennedy & Michael Carr
- "Stairway To The Stars" w. Mitchell Parish m. Matty Malneck
- "Start The Day Right" w.m. Al Lewis, Maurice Spitalny & Charles Tobias
- "Strange Fruit" w.m. Lewis Allan
- "Sunrise Serenade" w. Jack Lawrence m. Frankie Carle
- "Sweet Potato Piper" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
- "'Tain't What You Do" w.m. Sy Oliver & Trummy Young
- "Tara's Theme" m. Max Steiner
- "That Sentimental Sandwich" w. Frank Loesser m. Frederick Hollander
- "That Sly Old Gentleman" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
- "They Would Wind Him Up And He Would Whistle" Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby
- "This Is It" w. Dorothy Fields m. Arthur Schwartz
- ""This Is No Dream" w.m. Tommy Dorsey, Benny Davis & Ted Shapiro
- "Three Little Fishes" w.m. Saxie Dowell
- "Till The Lights Of London Shine Again" w.m. Tommie Connor, Eddie Pola
- "To You" w.m. Tommy Dorsey, Benny Davis & Ted Shapiro
- "Too Romantic" w. Johnny Burke m. James V. Monaco
- "Traffic Jam" m. Teddy McRae & Artie Shaw
- "Tuxedo Junction" w. Buddy Feyne m. Erskine Hawkins, Williams Johnson & Julian Dash
- "Two Blind Loves" w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen
- "Two O'Clock Jump" m. Harry James, Count Basie & Benny Goodman
- "Under a Blanket of Blue" w.m. Jerry Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, & Marty Symes
- "We'll Meet Again" w. Hughie Charles m. Ross Parker
- "Well, Did You Evah!" w. m. Cole Porter
- "We're Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line" w.m. Jimmy Kennedy & Michael Carr
- "What's New?" w. Johnny Burke m. Bob Haggart
- "When You Wish upon a Star" w. Ned Washington m. Leigh Harline
- "Who's Taking You Home Tonight?" w.m. Manning Sherwin & Tommie Connor from the revue Shephard's Pie
- "Wish Me Luck" w.m. Harry Parr-Davies & Phil Park
- "Wishing (Will Make It So)" w.m. B. G. De Sylva
- "You Meet The Nicest People In Your Dreams" Al Hoffman, Al Goodhart, Manny Kurtz
- "You Taught Me to Love Again" w. Charles Carpenter m. Tommy Dorsey & Henri Woode
- "You've Got That Look" w. Frank Loesser m. Frederick Hollander from the film Destry Rides Again
Classical music
Premieres
Sortable table
Composer |
Composition |
Date |
Location |
Performers
|
Bartók, Béla |
Violin Concerto No. 2 |
1939-03-23 |
Amsterdam |
Székely / Concertgebouw Orchestra – Mengelberg [1]
|
Bax, Arnold |
Symphony No. 7 |
1939-06-09 |
New York City (EXPO) |
New York Philharmonic – Boult[2]
|
Bliss, Arthur |
Piano Concerto |
1939-06-10 |
New York City (EXPO) |
Solomon / New York Philharmonic – Boult[3]
|
Boughton, Rutland |
Symphony No. 3 (1937) |
1939-01-01 |
London |
[unknown ensemble] – Pougnet [4]
|
Britten, Benjamin |
Young Apollo |
1939-08-02 |
Toronto |
Britten / Toronto Melodic Strings – Chuhaldin[5]
|
Enescu, George |
Orchestral Suite No. 3, "Villageoise" (1938) |
1939-02-02 |
New York City Carnegie Hall |
New York Philharmonic-Symphony – Enescu[6]
|
Ginastera, Alberto |
Harp Sonatina |
1939-06-26 |
Buenos Aires |
Sebastiani[7]
|
Harris, Roy |
Symphony No. 3 |
1939-02-24 |
Boston |
Boston Symphony – Koussevitzky[8]
|
Hovhaness, Alan |
Exile (Symphony No. 1) (1936) |
1939-05-26 |
London |
BBC Symphony – Heward [9]
|
Lutoslawski, Witold |
Symphonic Variations |
1939-06-17 |
Cracow |
Polish Radio Symphony – Fitelberg[10]
|
Messiaen, Olivier |
Chants de Terre et de Ciel |
1939-01-23 |
Paris |
Bunlet, Messiaen[11]
|
Prokofiev, Sergei |
Alexander Nevsky, cantata |
1939-05-17 |
Moscow |
Gagarina / Moscow Philharmonic – Prokofiev[12]
|
Prokofiev, Sergei |
Zdravitsa, cantata |
1939-12-21 |
Moscow |
USSR Radio Symphony – Golovanov[13]
|
Rosenberg, Hilding |
Symphony No. 3 |
1939-12-11 |
Stockholm |
Swedish Radio Symphony – Rosenberg[14]
|
Shostakovich, Dmitri |
Symphony No. 6 |
1939-11-21 |
Leningrad |
Leningrad Philharmonic – Mravinsky[15]
|
Stravinsky, Igor |
Le roi des étoiles, cantata |
1939-04-19 |
Brussels |
Brussels Radio Symphony – André[16]
|
Vaughan Williams, Ralph |
Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus |
1939-06-10 |
New York City (EXPO) |
New York Philharmonic – Boult[17]
|
Walton, William |
Violin Concerto |
1939-12-07 |
Cleveland |
Heifetz / Cleveland Orchestra – Rodziński[18]
|
Weinberger, Jaromír |
Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree |
1939-10-12 |
New York City |
New York Philharmonic – Barbirolli[19]
|
Xian Xinghai |
Yellow River Cantata |
1939-04-13 |
Yan'an |
[unknown ensemble] – Wu Xiling[20][21]
|
Compositions
- Babes In Arms, starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland
- Balalaika, released on December 15, starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey
- Entre el barro, starring Tito Lusiardo
- East Side of Heaven, starring Bing Crosby and Joan Blondell
- Giliw Ko, starring Mila del Sol, Fernando Poe, Sr., Ely Ramos and Fleur de Lis[22]
- Hawaiian Nights, starring Mary Carlisle, Constance Moore and Johnny Downs. Directed by Albert S. Rogell.
- Honolulu, starring Eleanor Powell, Robert Young, George Burns and Gracie Allen
- Lambeth Walk, starring Lupino Lane
- La vida es un tango, starring Tito Lusiardo
- Love Affair, starring Charles Boyer, Irene Dunne and Maria Ouspenskaya. Directed by Leo McCarey.
- Man About Town, released June 29, starring Dorothy Lamour and Jack Benny, featuring Betty Grable, Phil Harris and Matty Malneck and his Orchestra.
- The Mikado, starring Kenny Baker and Jean Colin
- Naughty but Nice, starring Ann Sheridan and Dick Powell
- Paris Honeymoon, starring Bing Crosby, Franciska Gaal, Shirley Ross and Edward Everett Horton
- Second Fiddle, starring Sonja Henie, Tyrone Power, Rudy Vallee and Mary Healy. Directed by Sidney Lanfield.
- The Star Maker, released on August 25, starring Bing Crosby
- Three Smart Girls Grow Up, starring Deanna Durbin
- Walang Sugat, starring Rosa del Rosario
- The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley.
Births
- January 3
- January 9 – Jimmy Boyd, singer and actor (died 2009)
- January 10 – Scott McKenzie, singer (d. 2012)
- January 12 – William Lee Golden, country singer (The Oakridge Boys)
- January 19 – Phil Everly (The Everly Brothers) (d. 2014)
- January 21 – Wolfman Jack, DJ (d. 1995)
- February 1
- February 9 – Barry Mann, songwriter
- February 10 – Roberta Flack, singer-songwriter and musician
- February 11 – Gerry Goffin, songwriter (d. 2014)
- February 12 – Ray Manzarek, keyboard player (The Doors) (d. 2013)
- February 16 – Czesław Niemen, Polish singer-songwriter, rock balladeer (d. 2004)
- February 28
- March 1
- March 8 – Robert Tear, tenor
- March 11 – Flaco Jiménez, accordionist and singer
- March 13 – Neil Sedaka, pianist and singer-songwriter
- March 18 – Peter Kraus, German singer
- March 27 – Beba Selimović, sevdalinka folk singer
- April 1 – Rudolph Isley, R&B singer (The Isley Brothers)
- April 2 – Marvin Gaye, soul singer (d. 1984)
- April 4 – Hugh Masekela, jazz trumpeter (d. 2018)
- April 5 – Ronnie White R&B musician and songwriter (The Miracles) (d. 1995)
- April 6 – Beverly Watkins, blues guitarist (d. 2019)
- April 16 – Dusty Springfield, singer (d. 1999)
- April 18 – Glen Hardin, rock pianist and arranger (The Crickets)
- April 20 – Johnny Tillotson, singer and songwriter
- April 21
- April 23 – Wizz Jones, guitarist, singer and songwriter
- May 1 – Judy Collins, singer
- May 3 – Jonathan Harvey, English composer (d. 2012)
- May 7
- May 9 – Nokie Edwards, rock musician (The Ventures)
- May 10 – Wayne Cochran, American singer (d. 2017)
- May 14 – Troy Shondell, American singer (d. 2016)
- May 19
- May 23 – Michel Colombier, composer and songwriter (d. 2004)
- June 6
- June 9 – Ileana Cotrubaş, operatic soprano
- June 11 – Wilma Burgess, American country music singer (d. 2003)
- June 16 – Billy "Crash" Craddock, country singer
- June 19 – Al Wilson, American soul singer (d. 2008)
- June 25 – Garech Browne, promoter of Irish traditional music (d. 2018)
- June 30 – Tony Hatch, composer, songwriter, pianist, music arranger and record producer
- July 1 – Delaney Bramlett, blues singer-songwriter (Delaney & Bonnie)
- July 2 – Paul Williams, soul singer (The Temptations) (d. 1973)
- July 3 – Brigitte Fassbaender, operatic mezzo-soprano
- July 5 – Owen Gray, Jamaican singer
- July 6 – Jet Harris, British bassist, singer and songwriter (The Shadows) (d. 2011)
- July 14
- July 16 – William Bell, born William Yarbrough, soul singer-songwriter
- July 17 – Spencer Davis, beat musician, multi-instrumentalist (The Spencer Davis Group) (d. 2020)
- July 18
- July 31 – Steuart Bedford, conductor and pianist (d. 2021)[23]
- August 4 – Frankie Ford, singer
- August 9
- August 13 – Howard Tate, American soul singer, songwriter (d. 2011)
- August 16
- August 17
- August 18
- August 19 – Ginger Baker, rock drummer (Cream) (d. 2019)
- August 24 – Ernie Wright (Little Anthony & the Imperials)
- August 25 – Robert Jager, American composer and theorist
- August 28 – Robert Aitken, composer
- August 30 – John Peel, influential disc jockey (d. 2004)
- August 31
- September 2
- September 5 – John Stewart, folk singer and songwriter (d. 2008)
- September 6 – David Allan Coe, American musician[24]
- September 7 – Riccardo Del Turco, Italian singer
- September 8 – Guitar Shorty, American blues guitarist
- September 13 – Gene Page, arranger, producer and conductor (d. 1998)
- September 17 – Shelby Flint, American singer
- September 18 – Frankie Avalon, singer and actor
- September 23 – Roy Buchanan, guitarist (d. 1988)
- September 28 – Elbridge Bryant (The Temptations) (d. 1975)
- September 30 – Len Cariou, Canadian actor and singer
- October 16 – Joe Dolan, Irish entertainer, recording artist and pop singer (d. 2007)
- October 18 – Paddy Reilly, folk musician
- October 30
- October 31 – Gordon Bok, singer-songwriter
- November 12 – Ruby Nash Curtis, R&B singer (Ruby & the Romantics)
- November 15 – Dinorah Varsi, Uruguayan classical pianist (d. 2013)
- November 17 – Yuya Uchida, singer and film actor (d. 2019)
- November 18 – Tom Johnson, minimalist composer
- November 19 – Warren "Pete" Moore, R&B singer-songwriter (The Miracles)
- November 22 – Stefan Dimitrov, Bulgarian operatic bass (d. 2004)
- November 23
- November 25 – Rais Khan, Pakistani sitarist (d. 2017)[25]
- November 26 – Tina Turner, pop singer
- November 28 – Gary Troxel, pop singer (The Fleetwoods)
- December 1 – Dianne Lennon, American singer (The Lennon Sisters)
- December 4 – Freddy Cannon, American rock musician
- December 8
- December 13 – Eric Flynn, British actor and singer (d. 2002)
- December 15 – Cindy Birdsong, soul singer (The Supremes)
- December 16 – Barney McKenna, folk musician (The Dubliners) (d. 2012)[26]
- December 17
- December 25 – Bob James, jazz keyboardist
- December 26 – Phil Spector, record producer and murderer (d. 2021)
- December 28 – Yehoram Gaon, Israeli actor and singer
- December 30 – Felix Pappalardi, rock producer and bassist (Mountain) (d. 1983)
Deaths
- January 12 – Hariclea Darclée, operatic soprano, 78
- January 16 – Abe Holzmann, composer, 64
- February 9 – Herschel Evans, saxophonist, 29 (heart disease)
- February 11 – Franz Schmidt, cellist, pianist and composer, 64
- February 12 – Potenciano Gregorio, Filipino musician, 58
- February 17 – Willy Hess, violinist, 79
- March 6 – Emma Juch, operatic soprano, 77
- March 9 – Ernie Hare, US singer, 55 (bronchopneumonia)
- March 21 – Evald Aav, Estonian composer, 39
- April 8 – Emilio Serrano y Ruiz, pianist and composer, 89
- April 21
- May 20 – Alexandra Čvanová, operatic soprano, 42 (car accident)
- June 4 – Tommy Ladnier, jazz trumpeter, 39 (heart attack)
- June 16 – Chick Webb, jazz drummer, 34
- August 3 – August Enna, composer, 80
- August 19 – Achille Fortier, composer, 74
- August 25 – Geneviève Vix, operatic soprano, 60
- October 9 – Evelyn Parnell, operatic soprano, 51 (appendicitis)
- October 14 – Polaire, singer and actress, 65
- October 16 – Ludolf Nielsen, pianist, violinist, conductor and composer, 63
- October 19 – Marie Renard, operatic mezzo-soprano, 75
- October 27 – Nelly Bromley, singer and actress, 89
- October 28 – Alice Brady, actress, 46
- October 29 – Giulio Crimi, operatic tenor, 54
- November 3 (or 4) – Charles Tournemire, organist and composer, 69
- November 9 – Charles Goulding, operatic tenor (born 1887)
- December 6 – Charles Dalmorès, operatic tenor, 68
- December 8 – Ernest Schelling, pianist, composer and conductor, 63
- December 18
- December 22 – Ma Rainey, blues singer, 53 (heart attack)
- date unknown
References