On This Day

 a bit of a twist--er

September 21st: On this Day

1961, The Beatles played a lunchtime show at The Cavern Club in Liverpool. In the evening they appeared at Litherland Town Hall in Liverpool with Gerry & the Pacemakers, and Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, admission price was 3 shillings (15 pence).

1963, Bobby Vinton started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Blue Velvet'. The single became a hit in the UK 27 years later when it reached No.2.

1968, Deep Purple made No.4 on the US singles chart with their debut single 'Hush', also a hit for Kula Shaker in 1997.

1968, Jeannie C Riley went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Harper Valley PTA'. Jeannie won a Grammy for the best female country singer of 68.

1968, Madame Tussaud's Waxworks in London gave The Beatles their fifth image change of clothes and hair in four years.

1970, Freda Payne was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Band Of Gold', the singers only UK No.1 which spent six weeks at the top of the chart.

1971, The first edition of the new BBC TV music show 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' was aired. Presented by Richard Williams, the show included; film clips of Jimi Hendrix from Monterey Festival playing 'Wild Thing', Bob Dylan playing 'Maggies Farm', plus America and Lesley Duncan 'live' in the studio. The influential show went on to enjoy a run from 1971 to 1987. According to presenter Bob Harris, the programme derived its name from a Tin Pan Alley phrase from years before. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called the old greys—doormen in grey suits. The songs they could remember and whistle, having heard it just once or twice, had passed the old grey whistle test.

1974, Barry White went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Baby', the singers first and only US solo chart topper. It made No.8 in the UK.

1974, Carl Douglas was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Kung Fu Fighting.' The song was recorded in 10 minutes, had started out as a B-side and went on to sell over 10 million and made Douglas a One Hit Wonder.

1980, During a North American tour, Bob Marley collapsed while jogging in New York's Central Park. After hospital tests he was diagnosed as having cancer. Marley played his last ever concert two nights later at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1981, Adam And The Ants were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their second No.1 'Prince Charming'.

1985, Madonna scored her first UK No.1 album with 'Like A Virgin', ten months after its release. The album spent a total 152 weeks on the UK chart.

1985, With the help Of heavy MTV exposure 'Money For Nothing' gave Dire Straits their first US No.1 single.

1986, The National Inquirer Magazine featured a picture of Michael Jackson in an oxygen chamber with a story claiming that Jackson had a bizarre plan to live until he was 150 years old.

1987, American jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius died from injuries sustained in a fight. Pastorius was trying to enter the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, Florida, (where he'd been banned), and became involved in a fight with a bouncer, Pastorius fell into a coma and was put on life support. In 2006, Pastorius was voted "The Greatest Bass Player Who Has Ever Lived" by readers in Bass Guitar magazine. Was a member of Weather Report and worked with various acts including Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock.

1991, Status Quo put themselves in the Guinness Book Of Records by appearing four venues in one day, Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham and London, performing all four in a 12-hour period.

1992, Parlophone Records released 'Creep' by Radiohead. as their debut single. The single didn't chart but featured in the majority of critics lists at the end of the year and later appeared on their first album, Pablo Honey.

1996, The Fugees scored their second UK No.1 single with 'Ready Or Not'. The chorus in the song is based on 'Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)' by The Delfonics. The Fugees previous single 'Killing Me Softly,' was so successful that the track was 'deleted' and no longer supplied to retailers whilst the track was still in the Top 20 to make way for the next single 'Ready or Not'.

2002, Pink     went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Just Like A Pill', the American singers first UK No.1.

2007, Snoop Dogg was sentenced to three years probation and 160 hours of community service after pleading guilty to carrying a collapsible baton. The rapper was arrested in September 2006 after the baton was found in his bag at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. In April 2007 he was given five years probation and 800 hours community service after pleading no contest to gun and drug charges in a Californian court.

2009, American singer John ‘Bootsie’ Wilson from The Silhouettes died. The doo wop/R&B groups single 'Get A Job' was a No.1 hit on the Billboard R&B singles chart and pop singles chart in 1958. The doo-wop revival group Sha Na Na derived their name from the song's lyrics. 'Get A Job' is included in the soundtracks of the film American Graffiti, Trading Places and Stand By Me. The Silhouettes performed in the 1986 movie Joey.

2011, A contract revealing that The Beatles refused to perform in front of a segregated audience at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California on August 31st, 1965, sold for $23,033 at an auction in Los Angeles. In addition to the desegregation clause, the contract guaranteed the band $40,000 and at least 150 police officers to provide security at the show.

2015, Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group The Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding died at the age of 67. The Bar-Kays appeared as the backing band on numerous recordings for Stax artists such as Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, The Staple Singers and Sam and Dave.

September 22nd: On this Day

1958, After receiving special permission from the US Army, Elvis Presley gave one last press conference at the Military Ocean Terminal in Brooklyn. He then joined the rest of the 3rd Armored Division on the USS General Randall for a voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany.

1962, The Springfields (Dusty Springfield her brother Tom and their friend, Tim Field) had 'Silver Threads and Golden Needles', enter the US Top 20 and became the first British vocal group to chart that high in America.

1964, Herman's Hermits were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Carole King & Gerry Goffin song 'I'm Into Something Good', the group's only UK No.1.

1965, San Francisco band The Great Society, featuring Grace Slick and her then-husband Jerry Slick on drums, made their live debut at The Coffee Gallery, North Beach, California.

1967, The Doors appeared on the Murray the K show on WPIX-TV in New York City performing 'People Are Strange' and 'Light My Fire.'

1969, A new weekly TV show 'The Music Scene' aired on ABC in the US for the first time. Stevie Wonder, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Tom Jones, Cass Elliot, James Brown, Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone were all booked to appear on the show.

1969, The Band released their self-titled album, which peaked at No.9 on the US chart, and included the tracks; 'Rag Mama Rag', 'Up on Cripple Creek' and 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down'. In 2009, the album was preserved into the National Recording Registry because the album was ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and reflects life in the United States.’

1972, David Bowie kicked of the North American leg of his Ziggy Stardust world tour at the Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio.

1973, The Rolling Stones scored their eighth UK No.1 album when 'Goats Head Soup' started a two-week run at the top of the charts. Also a US No.1.

1979, Gary Numan had his second and final UK No.1 single with 'Cars'. Also on this day Gary Numan went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Pleasure Principle.'

1979, Def Leppard had their first major live review when UK music weekly Melody Maker reviewed a gig the band had played in Wolverhampton. With a 15 year-old drummer the band had just released their debut 3-track single.

1981, American composer Harry Warren died aged 88. He wrote over 800 songs including 'I Only Have Eyes For You', (a hit for The Flamingos and Art Garfunkel), ‘You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby’, ‘Jeepers Creepers’, ‘That's Amore’ and ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’. Warren's songs have been featured in over 300 films.

1985, The first Farm Aid benefit concert was held before a crowd of 80,000 people at the Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. Organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young, the event had been spurred on by Bob Dylan's comments at Live Aid earlier in that year that he hoped some of the money would help American farmers. The star studded line-up of country stars included: Alabama, Hoyt Axton, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels Band, John Denver, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Rogers.

1990, Garth Brooks album 'No Fences' entered the US album chart. It went on to become the biggest selling country album of all time and sold over 13m copies in the first five years of release.

1990, Nirvana played their biggest gig to date when they appeared at the Motor Sports International Garage in Seattle. Drummer Dave Grohl who would audition for the band in a few days time was in the audience of 15,000 people.

1991, Bryan Adams made chart history when '(Everything I Do), I Do It For You', had its twelfth consecutive week as the UK No.1 single.

1992, Def Leppard were forced to cancel two US shows after their sound-equipment truck was found abandoned, after one of the bands driver's had attempted to rob a store. The driver was later charged of possessing drugs and criminal damage.

1999, Diana Ross was arrested on Concorde after an incident at Heathrow Airport. The singer claimed that a female security guard had touched her breasts when being frisked; Ross retaliated by rubbing her hands down the security guard.

2001, ‘A Tribute to Heroes’ was aired commercial-free on most of the major US TV networks. The live program was organised to raise money following the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and New York’s World Trade Center. Neil Young, Tom Petty, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, U2, Limp Bizkit, Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam all performed. Manning the telephones to take pledges were celebrities including Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Goldie Hawn, Robin Williams, Meg Ryan, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kurt Russell, Adam Sandler and many more.

2004, Cat Stevens, who now went by the name of Yusuf Islam, was escorted from a diverted transatlantic flight and refused entry into America by FBI agents. His name showed up on a US watch list after United Airlines Flight 919 had taken off from London. The flight landed in Maine where Islam, who was traveling with his 21-year-old daughter, was detained and questioned.

2005, Jimmy Page was made an honorary citizen of Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro for his work helping its street children. The Led Zeppelin guitarist had opened Casa Jimmy (Jimmy's House) in 1998 which had so far supported more than 300 children.

2007, The Game was given a conditional discharge at Manhattan's Criminal Court after being charged with impersonating a police officer. Police said the star told a cab driver he was an undercover officer, ordering him to run several red lights. The rapper (real name Jayceon Taylor), claimed the cab driver noticed they were being followed and asked who was in the car, He said he told the driver they were the hip-hop police, and the driver decided on his own to run the red lights.

2007, Britney Spears was charged with hit-and-run and driving without a valid licence after she was accused of hitting a parked car and driving away from a Los Angeles car park on 6 August. The owner of the car filed an accident report on 9 August at the North Hollywood Community Police Station. The city attorney's office did not know whether Ms Spears' car had been damaged, nor did he know the extent of damage to the other car.

2011, Research conducted by car maker SEAT found that Queen’s 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was the song most likely to be found on British iPods, with more than 40% of owners having the hit on their players. The Beatles had four songs in the list, a feat also matched by Coldplay. Other favourites included U2, The Killers and Rihanna.

2015, A US District Judge ruled that the original copyright to 'Happy Birthday' was invalid and the song would now be entirely in the public domain. The copyright was obtained by the Clayton F. Summy Co. from the song's writers, sisters Mildred and Patty Hill and bought for $15 million in 1988 by Warner / Chappell Music Inc.

The 1985 Farm Aid line up looks tasty.

September 25th: On this Day

1954, Elvis Presley released his second single on Sun Records, 'Good Rockin' Tonight,' a song made popular in 1948 by Wynonie Harris.

1964, The Temptations begin recording 'My Girl' which went on to be their first US number one and the first of fifteen US Top Ten hits.

1965, The Beatles cartoon series premiered on ABC TV in the US. The first story was titled 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and had the group exploring the ocean floor in a diving bell where they met a lovesick octopus.

1968, Welsh singer Mary Hopkin was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Those Were The Days'. Hopkins had signed to The Beatles Apple label after appearing on UK TV talent show Opportunity Knocks.

1969, John Lennon recorded the track 'Cold Turkey', with Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman and Yoko. Lennon presented the song to Paul McCartney as a potential single by The Beatles, but was refused and released it as a Plastic Ono Band single with sole writing credits to him.

1970, The first episode of The Partridge Family was shown on US TV, featuring Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, Susan Dey and Danny Bonaduce.

1972, Black Sabbath released their fourth studio album, 'Black Sabbath Vol. 4'. The album which features a monochrome photograph of Ozzy Osbourne with hands raised, taken during a Black Sabbath concert was originally to be titled 'Snowblind', after one of several songs referring to the band's cocaine use.

1975, Jackie Wilson had a heart attack while performing live on stage at the Latin Casino, New Jersey. Wilson collapsed into a coma suffering severe brain damage. Ironically, he was in the middle of singing one of his biggest hits, 'Lonely Teardrops' and was two words into the line, "....my heart is crying" when he collapsed to the stage, striking his head heavily. He remained semi-comatose for the nine years until his death in 1984, at the age of 49. Van Morrison wrote the song 'Jackie Wilson Said', covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

1976, Paul McCartney and Wings played a charity concert in St Marks Square, Venice to raise funds for the historic city. The night was a success but the weight of the equipment used by the group caused more damage to the square.

1980, John Bonham, drummer with Led Zeppelin, died aged 32 after a heavy drinking session. ‘Bonzo’ was found dead at guitarists Jimmy Page's house of what was described as asphyxiation, after inhaling his own vomit after excessive vodka consumption, (40 shots in 4 hours). During live sets his drum solo, ‘Moby Dick,’ would often last for half an hour and regularly featured his use of his bare hands. In 2007, Ludwig issued a limited edition drum kit in Bonham's memory.

1982, Queen made a guest appearance on US TV's Saturday Night Live, where they performed 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' and 'Under Pressure'.

1990, Drummer Dave Grohl auditioned for Nirvana and was instantly given the job. Grohl's last band Scream had recently split-up.

1992, Two fans were stabbed and 20 arrests were made after trouble broke out at a Ozzy Osbourne gig in Oklahoma City. The sale of alcohol at the concert was blamed for the incident.

1993, Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince started a two week run at No.1 in the UK with the single 'Boom! Shake The Room'. Featuring Will Smith who was a rapper and actor starring in TV show The Fresh Prince of Belle Aire in 1993.

1993, Nirvana went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'In Utero' the bands first UK No.1 album.

1995, Courtney Love was given a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, fined $1000 and ordered to attend a anger management course after being found guilty of assaulting Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna.

1999, Oasis singer, Liam Gallagher was stopped by customs officials at Heathrow airport and made to pay £1300 after not declaring a fur coat he had bought in America.

1999, Stephen Canaday of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils was killed when the vintage WW II plane he was flying in, rolled, inverted and crashed into a tree. The pilot failed to maintain speed which resulted in a stall.

1999, Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman became the first major artist to release an album on his own personalised digital MP3 player. The matchbox-sized device with no moving parts was one of the smallest of its kind in the world and featured encryption software designed in the UK to prevent piracy.

2000, Ozzy Osbourne formally requested that Black Sabbath be removed from the nomination list for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Calling the inclusion "meaningless", Osbourne went on to say "Let's face it. Black Sabbath have never been media darlings. We're a people's band and that suits us just fine."

2006, 'I Don't Feel Like Dancin' by the Scissor Sisters was at No.1 on the UK singles chart, 'Sexyback' by Justin Timberlake was at No.1 on the US charts and Sandi Thom had the Australian No.1 single with 'I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (with Flowers in My Hair).

2011, The New York Post reported that Sly Stone was living in a van, parked in the notoriously rough Los Angeles neighborhood of Crenshaw. The 68-year-old was quoted as saying "I like my small camper. I just do not want to return to a fixed home. I cannot stand being in one place. I must keep moving."

2013, Kurt Cobain's childhood home in Aberdeen, Washington went on the market. Cobain's mother Wendy O'Connor and sister Kim Cobain put up for sale the East 1st St. house, where he was raised, for $500,000, in hopes of connecting with someone who would turn it into a museum.

2015, David Gilmour's fourth studio album Rattle That Lock went to No.1 on the UK album chart. Gilmour had been writing the material for Rattle That Lock over the past five years, though he pointed out that one piano piece was recorded 18 years ago in his living room.

Interesting stuff Frank. A standard "backstage" in lots of places I played was the ladies toilet - for changing into band gear. Ladies always more salubrious than the gents, and there was never an issue nipping in for 2 minutes to stick on a different t-shirt (ie "band gear"!) before the gig started. As we rarely had anything else that could be described as a "backstage" we didn't have any backstage requirements!

September 27th: On this Day

1964, The Beach Boys made their TV debut on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on US TV where they performed 'I Get Around' and 'Wendy'.

1967, Working on new songs The Beatles recorded various parts for the new John Lennon song ‘I Am the Walrus’, and the new Paul McCartney song ‘Fool On The Hill.’ Lennon received a letter from a pupil at Quarry Bank High School, that mentioned an English teacher was making his class analyse Beatles' lyrics. Lennon, amused that a teacher was putting so much effort into understanding the Beatles' lyrics, decided to write in his next song the most confusing lyrics that he could.

1968, Pink Floyd appeared at the Queen's Hall in Dunoon, Scotland. Due to bad weather, all the ferries to Dunoon were cancelled, so Pink Floyd hired their own boat from Gourock and risked the rough seas to make the crossing, eventually appearing in front of 400 fans.

1972, Rory Storm singer from UK 60s group Rory Storm and the Hurricanes died aged 32 after taking an overdose of sleeping pills in a suicide pact with his mother. Ringo Starr played drums with Storm before joining The Beatles.

1978, Eric Clapton sponsored a West Bromwich Albion UEFA cup-tie against Galatasarey of Turkey. After the game, Eric presented each player with a gold copy of his latest album 'Slowhand''

1979, Scottish guitarist Jimmy McCullough died from a heroin overdose in his flat in Maida Vale, London, aged 26. Member of Stone The Crows, Thunderclap Newman and Wings (1974 to 1977). When 'Something in the Air' by Thunderclap Newman went to No.1 in 1969, it made McCulloch the youngest guitarist to ever play on a UK No.1 single, as he was was just sixteen years old at the time.

1980, David Bowie scored his fourth UK No.1 album with his fourteenth studio album Scary Monsters (And Supercreeps). The album featured the singles 'Ashes to Ashes and 'Fashion'.

1986, Metallica bass player Cliff Burton was crushed to death after the bands tour bus crashed between Stockholm and Copenhagen. During a European tour members from the band drew cards for the most comfortable bunk on the tour bus, Burton had won the game with an Ace of Spades and was asleep when the tour bus ran over a patch of black ice and skidded off of the road. He was thrown through the window of the bus, which fell on top of him.

1986, The Beatles track 'Twist and Shout' re-entered the US singles chart over twenty-five years after it first appeared, after the song was featured in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

1990, Dee Dee Ramone of the Ramones was arrested for possessing marijuana during a drug bust in New York's Greenwich Village.

1998, The Manic Street Preachers scored their first UK No.1 album with their fifth album 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours'.

2000, Thieves broke into Jerry Hall's Richmond home and stole jewellery worth £7000 and a laptop computer. Two of Jerry's children were asleep at the time while the ex Mrs Jagger was on stage appearing in the West End Show, The Graduate.

2003, Kylie Minogue called in police to investigate a series of threatening letters. The singer became concerned after receiving 700 letters at her home and office. The letters started as ordinary fan mail but became increasingly aggressive.

2004, Legendary record producer Phil Spector was formally charged with murder in the February 3rd, 2003 shooting of actress Lana Clarkson. He was convicted in April, 2009 and sentenced to 19 years to life in the California State prison system.

2006, Jamie Lyons, lead singer of Music Explosion, died of a heart attack at the age of 57. The band scored the garage-band classic 'Little Bit o' Soul', which spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Pop chart in 1967, peaking at #2.

2008, Pink Floyd's manager Bryan Morrison died after spending over two years in a coma. Morrison suffered severe brain injuries in a polo accident at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club, England in 2006, and never recovered. He also managed The Pretty Things and was a music publisher for Syd Barrett, The Bee Gees, Elton John, The Jam T-Rex and Wham!

2008, Metallica started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Death Magnetic', the bands ninth studio album.

2011, Tony Bennett became the oldest living person to top the US album chart when the 85-year-old's 'Duets II' album went to No.1. The record, which featured collaborations with Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, was also his first US No.1 in his 60 year career. The previous oldest performer to top the chart was Bob Dylan in 2009 with 'Together Through Life'. At the time he was 67-years old.

2012, Little Wayne became the new king of the Billboard Hot 100 by placing his 109th song on the chart as an artist. The rapper featured on Game's latest track 'Celebration.' Elvis Presley, with 108 entries, had held the title for 45 years.

On this date 1913 my father (rip) was born in the small town of Mohill, Co Leitrim.

There was a family of Gallaghers used to pass my Da's family home on their way to the back meadow.

This was back in late 50's/Early 60's when I used visit as a kid.

The farm was sold in 1962 and my grandmother and my uncle moved to Dublin.

My grandmother was a Moran.

Gerry

Gallagher a popular name in Leitrim.

I didn't know the Gallaghers in Mohill. I was too young but my Da knew them. Mohill was a small place back then and quite poor.