On This Day

September 30th: On this Day

1964, The Beatles continued recording sessions at Abbey Road for their fourth UK album Beatles For Sale, recording various takes of 'Every Little Thing', 'What You're Doing' and 'No Reply', which became the opening track on Beatles For Sale.

1965, Donovan made his US television debut on Shindig! along with The Hollies, The Turtles and the Dave Clark Five.

1965, The Rolling Stones performed at the Gaumont Theatre in Hanley, Staffordshire, UK. Also on the bill were The Moody Blues, The Spencer Davis Group, The End and The Habits. Bill Wyman produced singles and the debut album of The End, for Decca Records.

1967, The UK's first National pop radio station, BBC Radio 1 was launched in the UK to take over from the very successful pirate radio stations, which had been forced off-air by the Government. Former pirate DJ Tony Blackburn, from Radio Caroline, was the first presenter on air, with The Move's Flowers In The Rain the first record to be played.

1972, David Cassidy was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'How Can I Be Sure.' It was the star from the US TV series the Partridge Family's first UK No.1. It was originally recorded by The Young Rascals in 1967.

1974, Police were called to a Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blue Oyster Cult concert after a fight broke out between two sound engineers. The Skynyrd roadie claimed that the sound had been deliberately turned off during the bands set.

1977, Mary Ford died from cancer after being in a diabetic coma for 54 days. One-half of the husband-and-wife musical team, Les Paul and Mary Ford. Between 1950 and 1954, the couple had 16 top-ten hits; in 1951 alone, they sold six million records.

1978, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John had their second UK No.1 from the film 'Grease' with 'Summer Nights.' Seven weeks at No.1 it became the second best selling single of 1978, beaten by 'Saturday Night Fever'.

1984, The music division of Thorn EMI once said to be the greatest recording organisation in the world reported a world-wide loss of almost $5 million during the last six months.

1993, Kate Pierson from The B-52's was charged with criminal mischief and trespassing during an anti-fur protest at 'Vogue's' New York City offices.

1994, T.A.F.K.A.P. launched music channel VH1 in the UK, which gave the first airing of his new video 'Dolphin.'

1995, Mariah Carey made chart history when she started an eight week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Fantasy', making her the first female act to enter the chart in pole position.

1995, Simply Red scored their first UK No.1 single when 'Fairground' started a four-week run at the top of the charts. It was their 15th UK Top 40 hit.

1999, Chris de Burgh's web site was closed down after countless obscene messages were posted on the guestbook. One message consisted entirely of two four-letter words repeated 3500 times.

2003, An auction of the contents of Sir Elton John's London home raised more than £1.4 million. An oil painting, entitled Madison Square Park, sold for £67,200, and a 19th Century portrait of Lieutenant George Dyer, painted by James Northcote in 1817, fetched £55,200. Sir Elton sold off the items so he could redecorate his home in a more modern style.

2004, Mick Jagger held a press conference with Dave Stewart at Essex House in New York City, USA, to promote the soundtrack to the movie Alfie. The re-make of the 1966 film also featured Joss Stone, Sheryl Crow and Nadirah Nadz Seid. The track 'Old Habits Die Hard' from the soundtack by Mick Jagger and David A. Stewart won the BFCA Award, Golden Globe, Sierra Award and the World Soundtrack Award.

2006, Justin Timberlake started a two week run at No.1 on the US album chart with his second solo album 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' which also became the biggest album ever for pre-orders on iTunes.

2007, Country music singer Keith Urban crashed his motorcycle on the way to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The 39-year-old, who was not injured, said he was being followed by a photographer when the accident happened near his home in Sydney, Australia.

2007, Foo Fighters went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Echoes Silence Patience & Grace' the bands sixth studio album and second UK No.1. Reba McEntire was at No.1 on the US album chart with Reba: Duets.

2011, American guitarist and songwriter Marv Tarplin died aged 70. He was best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s who co-wrote several of their biggest hits, including the 1965 Grammy Hall Of Fame inducted 'The Tracks of My Tears'. Tarplin also worked with Marvin Gaye, The Marvelettes and The Supremes.

2016, A schoolboy from Philadelphia who skipped class to meet his musical hero handed his teacher an absence note with a difference. The typewritten note was signed by Bruce Springsteen. Fifth-grader Michael Fenerty met the star at a "meet-and-greet" in the Free Library of Philadelphia when Springsteen was in town signing copies of his new autobiography, Born to Run.

October 2nd: On this Day

1960, 'Stay' by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs entered the US chart on its way to No.1. At just 1:37, it becomes the shortest US chart topper in Rock and Roll history.

1961, Phil Spector and partner Lester Sill released the first single on their new label Philles, The Crystals’, ‘Oh Yeah Maybe Baby.’ A little over a year later, they had a No.1 hit with ‘He’s a Rebel,’ and soon after, ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ and ‘Then He Kissed Me.’

1965, Peter Paul and Mary appeared at The Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, England.

1965, The McCoys were at No. 1 on the US singles chart with ‘Hang On Sloopy’ (No.5 in the UK when released on Andrew Oldham’s new Immediate label). The song was first released by The Vibrations and called ‘My Girl Sloopy’.

1967, All six members of The Grateful Dead were busted by California narcotics agents for possession of marijuana at the groups' 710 Ashbury Street House in San Francisco, California.

1970, Pink Floyd released their fifth, and first UK No.1 album Atom Heart Mother in the UK. The original album cover shows a cow standing in a pasture with no text, nor any other clue as to what might be on the record. Storm Thorgerson, inspired by Andy Warhol's famous ‘cow wallpaper,’ has said that he simply drove out into a rural area near Potters Bar, England and photographed the first cow he saw. The cow's owner identified her name as ‘Lulubelle III’.

1971, Rod Stewart started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Maggie May / Reason To Believe', his first solo No.1. Stewarts album 'Every Picture Tells A Story' also started a four-week run on this day at No.1 on the UK and US chart.

1977, The body of Elvis Presley and his mother Gladys were moved from the cemetery where they were buried to Graceland's after an unsuccessful attempt was made to body snatch the coffin.

1980, Leaveil Degree from the soul group The Whispers started a two-year prison sentence in Boron California for his part in diamond robbery.

1982, Dire Straits started a four-week run at No.1 on UK the album charts with 'Love Over Gold'.

1982, John Cougar started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Jack and Diane', his first US No.1a No.25 hit in the UK.

1982, Musical Youth were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Pass The Dutchie'. The group were made up of Birmingham school boys, aged 11-16. The song was a cover of The Mighty Diamonds song called 'Pass The Kutchie', a slang term for a cannabis smoking pipe, but the word was changed to avoid the song being banned for it's drug reference.

1982, Peter Gabriel and Steve Hacket joined their former band mates in Genesis for a one-time benefit performance at The Milton Keynes Bowl in Buckinghamshire, England to help raise money for Gabriel's WOMAD project (World of Music, Arts and Dance).

1983, Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler was at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Jim Steinman written and produced track 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart'. It made her the only Welsh artist to score a US No.1.

1995, Oasis released their second album '(What's The Story), Morning Glory', which entered the UK chart at No.1. The album has gone on to sell over 18 million copies worldwide, and it won the award for the best British Album of the last 30 Years at the 2010 Brit Awards.

1995, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Kylie Minogue released the duet 'Where the Wild Roses Grow'. The song later won 1996 ARIA Awards: 'Single of the Year', 'Song of the Year' and 'Best Pop Release'.

1996, A Pearl Jam show in Hartford Connecticut ended in a riot when mass fighting broke out among the 30,000 strong crowds.

1998, America's singing cowboy Gene Autry died aged 91. During his career he scored 25 successive Top 10 Country hits. In 1995 it was estimated he was worth $320 million.

2001, Actor Kevin Spacey hosted Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Performers include, Alanis Morissette, Moby, Stone Temple Pilots and the Dave Mathews Band. The evening was closed with those present singing 'Give Peace A Chance'.

2002, Adam Ant escaped a prison sentence after a judge ruled that an incident in which he threatened drinkers with a replica pistol in a London pub was a result of mental illness. The 1980s pop star had been voluntarily having psychiatric treatment since the incident.

2002, Robbie Williams signed the most lucrative British record deal in history when he signed with EMI records for £80m. Asked what he was going to do with money Robbie said, "I'm going to count it all."

2003, Police were called to a suspected burglary at the Los Angeles house of Courtney Love's former boyfriend and ex-manager Jim Barber in the early hours. Ms Love was picked up in the street outside and detained - with officers noting "Miss Love's behaviour was consistent with being under the influence of a controlled substance". Shortly after her arrest, Ms Love was taken to hospital with a suspected drug overdose.

2003, A pair of trousers worn in 1984 by the late Queen star Freddie Mercury were sold to the Hard Rock Cafe for £4,230 at a Christie's auction of pop memorabilia held in London, England. A wooden sculpture of a cupboard, designed by John Lennon, claimed the highest price of the day, £28,200. Hundreds of items related to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix also went under the hammer at the sale.

2004, Billy Joel married 23-year-old Kate Lee at his Centre Island, New York mansion. It was the third marriage for Joel.

2006, British singer, songwriter Katie Melua entered the Guinness Book of Records for playing the deepest underwater concert. This took palce 303 metres below sea level on the Norwegian Statoil's Troll A platform in the North Sea. Melua and her band underwent extensive medical tests and survival training in Norway before the concert. Melua later described achieving the record as "the most surreal gig I have ever done".

2007, Britney Spears was ordered to hand over her two young children to her former husband Kevin Federline by a judge in Los Angeles. The court ruled that Federline would be given custody of Sean Preston, two, and one-year-old Jayden James, until further notice. Last month Judge Scott Gordon had said Ms Spears showed "a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol." The singer was ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol tests twice a week as part of her child custody dispute with Mr Federline.
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2009, Mumford & Sons released their debut album 'Sigh No More' in the UK. It peaked at No. 2 on 20 February 2011, in its 72nd week on the chart following its Album of the Year win at the 2011 BRIT Awards. In early 2011, the album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in the US. In the United States, it was the 3rd most digitally-downloaded album of 2011, selling 761,000 copies

2012, British session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan (born James George Tomkins) died at the age of 71. Sullivan started his career in 1959 as a member of Marty Wilde’s band and when Wilde bought Sullivan a Gibson Les Paul guitar, it was allegedly the first in Britain. Sullivan taught future Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore to play guitar, as well as helping Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe on his road to success. He featured on 55 No.1 hits, and worked with George Harrison, Frank Zappa, Thunderclap Newman, Love Affair, Long John Baldry, Marmalade and The Tremeloes. During Jimmy Page's session career, he was known as ‘Little Jim’, to differentiate him from Big Jim.

Rahenyrhythm wrote: Great stuff Frank - Richie Blackmore and Steve Howe's guitar teacher Big Jim Sullivan (who I'd heard of ok).

I first heard of Big Jim Sullivan on the TV Show " This Is Tom Jones " in the late 60's .












Edited by monarch - 02-October-2018 at 16:35

October 3rd: On this Day

1945, Elvis Presley made his first ever-public appearance in a talent contest at the Mississippi Alabama Dairy Show singing 'Old Shep', Elvis was 10 years old at the time and came second.

1958, The Biggest Show Of Stars 1958 Tour kicked off at the Worcester Auditorium in Worcester, Massachusetts. This Autumn Edition featured; Buddy Holly, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darin, The Olympics, Dion & The Belmonts, Bobby Freeman, The Elegants, Jimmy Clanton, The Danleers, Duane Eddy, Clyde McPhatter and The Coasters.

1967, American singer, songwriter Woody Guthrie died after suffering from Huntington's Chorea disease. Guthrie was a major influence on Bob Dylan and American folk music. The 70s film 'Bound For Glory' is based on his life. His best-known song is 'This Land Is Your Land', which is regularly sung in American schools.

1968, Working at Trident Studios in London, The Beatles recorded the new George Harrison song ‘Savoy Truffle’. George, Paul, and Ringo recorded just one take of the basic track (drums, bass, and lead guitar). The song was inspired by Eric Clapton's love of chocolates, particularly Mackintosh's Good News.

1978, The members of Aerosmith bailed thirty fans out of jail after they were arrested for smoking pot during an Aerosmith concert at Fort Wayne Coliseum.

1987, M/A/R/S were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Pump Up The Volume.' The first British-made house hit heavily sampled other recordings which resulted in litigation.

1991, M.C. Hammer offered a $50000 reward for the return of Michael Jackson's white glove, which had been stolen from the Motown Museum. This was part of an on-going battle between Hammer and Michael Jackson.

1991, Texas governor Ann Richards proclaimed October 3, Stevie Ray Vaughan, (Stevie Ray Vaughan's birthday), to be "Stevie Ray Vaughan Day". An annual motorcycle ride and concert in Central Texas benefits the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Scholarship Fund.

1992, Sinead O'Connor ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, on the US TV show 'Saturday Night Live', as a protest over sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. The incident happened as Sinead ended her live performance and out of nowhere, produced a photograph of Pope John Paul II, which she ripped into pieces. There was stunned silence in the studio and the station went to a commercial. NBC was fined $2.5 million dollars by the Federal Communications Commission.

1999, Akio Morita the founder of Sony electronics died aged 78. The 1979 Sony Walkman transformed both Sony and consumers across the world.

1999, Tom Jones went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Reload', making the singer the oldest artist to score a UK No.1 album with new material. The album featured the collaboration with Mousse T, 'Sexbomb', which reached No.3 on the UK Singles Chart, and was later used in an episode of The Simpsons.

2000, The Cars singer and bass player Benjamin Orr died of cancer at home in Atlanta at the age of 53. Sang lead vocals on the bands hits ‘Just What I Needed’, ‘Let's Go’ and ‘Drive’.

2000, John Lennon's assassin Mark Chapman was denied parole after serving 20 years in prison. Chapman was interviewed for 50 minutes by parole board members who concluded that releasing Chapman would 'deprecate the seriousness of the crime.'

2002, Original guitarist, vocalist from American psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly Darryl DeLoach died of liver cancer at the age of 56.

2004, UK singer Joss Stone scored her first UK No.1 album with her second release Mind Body & Soul. Stone became the youngest female singer to top the UK Albums Chart, a record previously held by Avril Lavigne.

2008, Singer, producer and songwriter Johnny J (Johnny Jackson) died after jumping from a tier in a Los Angeles jail while serving a sentence for driving under the influence. He produced Tupac Shakur's albums All Eyez on Me and Me Against the World, as well as many of Shakur's subsequent posthumous albums and Candyman.

2011, According to new scientific research, Queen's 'We Are The Champions' was found to be the catchiest song ever written. Musicologist Dr Alisun Pawley from the University of London, England, conducted research into what makes a song memorable and compiled a list of the ten "catchiest" songs of all time. During the research, they discovered that sing-along songs contained four key elements: long and detailed musical phrases, multiple pitch changes in a song's 'hook', male vocalists, and higher male voices making a noticeable vocal effort. Y.M.C.A. by the Village People, Sum 41's Fat Lip, and Europe's The Final Countdown were also in the list.

2013, The family of Michael Jackson lost a negligence case against concert promoters AEG Live over the death of the 50-year-old pop star. A jury concluded the doctor looking after Jackson ahead of his concert tour was not unfit for his job - and so AEG had not been negligent in hiring him. Jackson died in 2009 after taking an overdose of a surgical anaesthetic.

2014, A mint-condition copy of The Beatles' Please Please Me album, signed by George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr sold for $36,655 at an auction held in the US.

1969.

Creedence Clearwater Revival "Green River".

One amazing track.

Counting down to 26th ......🎸🎸🎸

Edited by Biker Pat - 04-October-2018 at 19:05

Rahenyrhythm wrote: Yeah, I love that track Pat ... That's not the track ...

Gotcha Gerry. 😜

October 6th: On this Day

1959, Jerry Keller was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Here Comes Summer'. A One Hit Wonder, Keller went on to be a vocalist for television jingles throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

1964, The Beatles spent the afternoon recording 'Eight Days A Week' at Abbey Road studios in London. Late evening was spent at The Ad Lib Club, London, partying with The Ronettes and Mick Jagger.

1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded a session for the UK BBC radio show 'Top Gear.' Stevie Wonder who was also appearing on the show jammed with Hendrix.

1967, The Doors appeared at the Cal State Gymnasium, Los Angeles, California. With The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and The Sunshine Company.

1967, Pink Floyd appeared at the Miss Teenage Brighton Contest, Top Rank Suite, Brighton, England, playing the musical interlude during the contest.

1969, George Harrison's song 'Something' was released as the "A" side of a Beatles' 45, a first for Harrison. Along with Lennon and McCartney's 'Come Together', the single went on reach No.1 on the US chart the following month. Both tracks were lifted from the Abbey Road album.

1972, During sessions at RCA Studios, New York City, David Bowie recorded 'The Jean Genie', which became the lead single from his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. The track spent 13 weeks in the UK charts, peaking at No.2, making it Bowie's biggest hit to date. The line "He's so simple minded, he can't drive his module" would later give the band Simple Minds their name.

1973, Cher started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Half-Breed', the singers second US No.1. The single didn't chart in the UK.

1978, Australia’s ‘King of rock 'n' roll’ Johnny O’Keefe died aged 43 of a heart attack. He was the first Australian rock’n’roll performer to tour the United States, and Australia’s most successful chart performer, with 29 Top 40 hits between 1958 and 1974,. O’Keefe’s 1958 hit, ‘Real Wild Child’, was covered by Iggy Pop in 1986.

1979, Buzzcocks, supported by Joy Division appeared at the Odeon Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, tickets £2.50

1979, Led Zeppelin's In Through The Out Door was at No.1 on the US album chart. Six versions of the cover were released, each depicting the same bar scene photographed from one of six different angles.

1979, 'Gotta Serve Somebody' gave Bob Dylan his twelfth US top 40 hit when it entered the chart for the first time. Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the song won Dylan the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1980.

1984, David Bowie scored his sixth UK No.1 album with 'Tonight', featuring the single 'Blue Jean'.

1991, Michael Jackson gave away the bride at Elizabeth Taylor's seventh wedding, held at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The Groom was construction worker Larry Fortensky, whom Taylor would divorce in 1997.

1998, A music industry poll was published by London Magazine 'Time Out', naming the top stars from the past 30 years. 5th place was Marvin Gaye, 4th; James Brown, 3rd; Bob Marley, 2nd; The Beatles and first place went to David Bowie

1999, Winners at The Mobo Awards included Kele Le Roc, for best newcomer and best single. Shanks & Bigfoot won best dance act. TLC won best video for 'No Scrubs'. Lauryn Hill, won best International act and Tina Turner won a Lifetime Achievement Award.

2000, Manhattan Supreme Court sentenced rapper Busta Rhymes to five years probation after pleading guilty to a gun possession charge.

2004, Britney Spears threw a full cup of cola over a photographer. The snapper was waiting to take pictures of the singer and her new husband outside a subway take-away shop in Malibu, California.

2005, A The Rolling Stones concert at the University of Virginia, in the US, was halted eight songs into the show at the Scott Stadium after police received a bomb threat targeting the stage area. A 45-minute police sweep of the area found nothing unusual, and the band completed the show. The Stones were touring to promote their latest album, 'A Bigger Bang.'

2007, Bruce Springsteen was being sued for $850,000 (£415,973) by a man who claimed he backed out of a contract to buy a horse. Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa were both named in legal documents filed in Florida by Todd Minikus. He claimed the couple pulled out of a deal to pay $650,000 (£358,097) for a horse, named Pavarotti.

2007, Queen's groundbreaking promo for their 1975 hit Bohemian Rhapsody was named the UK's best music video in a survey of music fans. Out of 1,051 adults polled by O2, 30% named the six-minute video, (which took only three hours to shoot and cost a mere £3,500 to make), their favourite.

2010, A set of John Lennon's fingerprints were seized by the FBI from a New York memorabilia dealer who intended to sell them for $100,000 (£62,621) minimum bid. The prints were taken at a New York police station in 1976 when Lennon applied for permanent US residence. The bureau believed the card was still government property and was investigating how it landed in private hands.

2011, Starship's 'We Built This City' was named 'the worst song of the 1980s' in a poll by Rolling Stone magazine. 'The Final Countdown' by the Swedish band Europe came in second and 'Lady in Red' by Chris de Burgh was third. Also making the top five were Wham!'s 'Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go)' and 'The Safety Dance' by Men Without Hats.

2016, The death of English songwriter, record producer, and musician Rod Temperton was announced. He initially made his mark as the keyboardist and main songwriter for the R&B funk/disco band Heatwave. Temperton was recruited by Quincy Jones to write songs for Michael Jackson, including 'Thriller', 'Off the Wall', and 'Rock with You'.

Totally agree re Jefferson Starship.

This was originally a great hippy rock band called Jefferson Airplane.

The only Jefferson Starship track I liked was a beautiful track called "Count On Me". A little gem.

Cecil used to play "Jane" by Jefferson Starship in the ealy 80s, lads and I reckon it's pretty good. "Starship" was their third, even more commercial, incarnation.

October 9th: On this Day

1958, Eddie Cochran recorded the classic song, 'C'mon Everybody', which became a 1959 UK No.6 single for Cochran and a 1979 hit for the Sex Pistols.

1961, Ray Charles started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Hit The Road Jack', it reached No.6 on the UK chart.

1964, The Beach Boys recorded ‘Dance Dance Dance’, with Glen Campbell playing the lead guitar intro. It would go on to become their twelfth US Top 40 hit.

1965, The Beatles started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Paul McCartney ballad 'Yesterday' giving the group their tenth US No.1. The track was not released as a single in the UK until 1976.

1969, For the first time in the history of the show, the BBC’s Top Of The Pops producers refused to air the No. 1 song, ‘Je T’aime... Moi Non Plus’, the erotic French language love song by Serge Gainsbourg and actress Jane Birkin. The song, an instrumental with the voices of Gainsbourg and Birkin apparently recorded in the act of love and superimposed over the top, caused such a stir in Britain that the original label, Fontana, dropped the record despite it being No. 2 on the charts. A small record company, Major Minor, bought the rights and saw the song climb to the top of the charts, the first French language song to ever do so.

1971, Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Maggie May', (first released as a B side to 'Reason To Believe'). The first of six UK No.1's for Stewart, spent five weeks at the top of the chart.

1971, The Who played a small, low-key show at the University of Surrey, Guildford, with guest John Sebastian joining in on harmonica on ‘Magic Bus’ ‘ the only outside musician ever to jam with The Who on stage. Backstage, the group celebrated John Entwistle’s 27th birthday.

1973, Elvis Presley and Priscilla divorced after six years of marriage. Priscilla was awarded property, $725,000 cash and $4,200 a month support.

1976, The Sex Pistols signed to EMI records for £40,000 ($68,000). The contract was terminated three months later with the label stopping production of the 'Anarchy In The UK' single and deleting it from its catalogue. EMI later issued a statement saying it felt unable to promote The Sex Pistols records in view of the adverse publicity generated over the last few months.

1976, Dr Feelgood scored their only No.1 UK album when 'Stupidity' went to the top of the charts. It was the first ever live album to go to No.1 in the UK chart in its first week of release. Some of the album was recorded at The Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea.

1976, One hit wonders Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'A Fifth Of Beethoven', it made No.28 in the UK.

1978, Belgian singer songwriter Jacques Brel died of cancer aged 49. Artists who recorded his songs include, Ray Charles, Scott Walker, Alex Harvey, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie, Nina Simone and Terry Jacks.

1981, During a North American tour The Rolling Stones played the first of two nights at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Support act was Prince, who dressed in his controversial bikini briefs and trench coat ran off stage after 15 minutes due to the crowd booing and throwing beer cans at him.

1985, Marking what would have been John Lennon's 45th birthday, Yoko Ono formally opened the three and a half acre garden at the Strawberry Fields site in New York's Central Park. The area was planted with trees, shrubs and flowers gathered from across the world and with a $1m donation from Yoko.

1988, Cliff Gallup guitarist with Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps died of a heart attack. (1956 US No. 7 & UK No. 16 single 'Be Bop A Lula').

1990, All four members of The Stone Roses were each fined £3,000 after being found guilty of criminal damage at their former record companies offices.

1993, Nirvana entered the US album chart at No.1 with 'In Utero', their third and final studio album. Kurt Cobain had originally wanted to name the album 'I Hate Myself and I Want to Die.'

1993, Take That had their second UK No.1 single with 'Relight My Fire'. The song which was written and released by Dan Hartman in 1979, where it topped the US dance charts for six weeks. The Take That version featured Scottish singer Lulu and gave her a No.1 hit nearly 30 years after her first hit in 1964.

1999, Eurythmics, George Michael, David Bowie, Robbie Williams and Bono all appeared at 'Netaid' an event to raise money for global poverty. The concerts in London, New York and Geneva were all broadcast live on the internet.

2001, A man wrecked a $300,000 sports car owned by hip-hop star Missy Elliott after losing control of the 550-horsepower vehicle and crashed into a traffic sign and a tree. Joseph Johnson had taken the Lamborghini Diablo away from the garage where it was stored without permission for a late night spin. He was later sentenced to three years in jail and ordered to pay $170,000 for the car and $1,975 for curb repairs at the site of the accident.

2003, Ambrose Kappos, 37, of New York, was charged with three counts of stalking and harassing singer Sheryl Crow. He was arrested after being accused of sneaking into New York's Hammerstein Ballroom then trying to get into Crow's limousine when she left the venue. Mr Kappos' brother said he was harmless but "infatuated" with the singer.

2007, The Imagine Peace Tower was officially unveiled in Kollafjorour Bay near Reykjav’k, Iceland. The memorial to John Lennon from his widow, Yoko Ono, consists of a tall "tower of light", projected from a white stone monument that has the words "Imagine Peace" carved into it in 24 languages.

2008, Paul McCartney, (a vegetarian for 30 years), was said to be furious when he heard that a Liverpool branch of McDonald's restaurant displayed his picture, accusing them of using it to attract customers. Sir Paul was quoted as saying "What sort of morons do McDonald's think Beatles fans are?"