3 Famous Musicians Who Were Born and Died on the Same Exact Day

It doesn’t happen often. But sometimes, people will pass away on the day they were born. It’s a very cosmic coincidence, one that seems to almost never happen among musicians. That is, except for the following three famous music makers. Let’s look at a few famous musicians you might not have known died on the same day they were born.

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Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard was born on April 6, 1937, in Oildale, California. He later died on April 6, 2016, in Palo Cedro, California, at the age of 79. Haggard might be the most well-known and recognizable name on this list, as his career as a country musician and Bakersfield sound pioneer spanned over 50 years. He scored a whopping 38 No. 1 hits on the country charts in the US, several of which were minor crossover hits, like “Okie From Muskogee” and “If We Make It Through December”. Haggard ultimately passed away on his birthday from complications related to pneumonia.

Sidney Bechet

Sidney Bechet was born on May 14, 1897, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He later died on May 14, 1959, in Garches, France, at the age of 62. Bechet was a jazz icon and influential saxophonist, one closely associated with early 20th-century New Orleans jazz. He was considered one of the first influential soloists in jazz music and was first recorded before even Louis Armstrong. Sadly, ever-changing music tastes in popular culture more or less sabotaged his career, and he did not receive acclaim until the late 1940s. He died from lung cancer at 62 years old.

Mel Street

Mel Street was born on October 21, 1933, in Grundy, Virginia. At the age of only 45, Street passed away on October 21, 1978, in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Street was a country singer known for songs like “Borrowed Angel” and “Lovin’ On Back Streets”. Throughout his career in the 1970s, Street recorded 13 Top 20 hits on the US country charts. Street makes it to our list of musicians who were born and died on the same day, as he passed away after a lifelong battle with clinical depression on his birthday in 1978.

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