On This Day

April 3rd: On this Day

1956, Elvis Presley appeared on ABC-TV's 'The Milton Berle Show' live from the flight deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego, California. He performed 'Heartbreak Hotel' 'Shake Rattle And Roll' and 'Blue Suede Shoes.' It was estimated that one out of every four Americans saw the show.

1960, During recording sessions at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee, Elvis Presley recorded ‘It's Now Or Never’, ‘Fever’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’.

1961, The Marcels started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Rodgers and Heart song 'Blue Moon', also a No.1 in the UK.

1964, Bob Dylan made his first appearance on the UK charts with The Times They Are A-Changin'. In 2004 the song was ranked No.59 on Rolling Stone's list of the '500 Greatest Songs of All Time'.

1967, Working on The Beatles Sgt. Pepper album at Abbey Road studios in London, George Harrison recorded his lead vocal on his song 'Within You Without You'. as well as a sitar part, and some acoustic guitar parts.

1969, The Doors' Jim Morrison turned himself in to the FBI in Los Angeles. He was charged on six charges of lewd behavior and public exposure at a concert in Miami on March 2nd, 1969. He was later released on $2000 bail.

1971, The Temptations scored their second US No.1 with 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)'. The track is considered one of the Temptations' signature songs, and is notable for recalling the sound of the group's 1960s recordings. It is also the final Temptations single to feature founding members Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams.

1975, Steve Miller was charged with setting fire to the clothes of a friend, Benita Diorio. When police arrived at Miller's house, Diorio was putting out the flames, Miller then got into a fight with some of the policemen and was charged with resisting arrest.

1976, A then-unknown Sex Pistols opened for The 101'ers at The Nashville Rooms in London. The 101ers were a pub rock band, notable as being the band that Joe Strummer left to join The Clash.

1979, Kate Bush kicked off the 28-date 'Tour Of Life' trek making her concert debut at Liverpool's Empire Theatre, England. Bush never set out on another tour again. She played a run of 22 shows at London's Hammersmith Apollo in 2014.

1983, After completing a 29-date UK tour, U2 appeared on BBC TV Top Of The Pops performing their latest single 'Two Hearts Beat As One'.

1990, American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan died of lung cancer. She had the 1954 US No.6 single 'Make Yourself Comfortable' and released over 50 albums. March 27, is "Sarah Lois Vaughan Day" in both San Francisco and Berkeley, California in honour of the singer.

1993, 10 years after its first release, The Bluebells had a UK No.1 single with 'Young At Heart' after the track was featured on a Volkswagen TV commercial. The song was co-written by Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey. (and recorded by Bananarama). In 2002 session musician Bobby Valentino, who performed the violin solo on The Bluebells version of the song won the right to be recognised as co-author after taking legal action.

1999, English composer Lionel Bart died from cancer aged 69. Wrote 'Living Doll' for Cliff Richard, 'Little White Bull' for Tommy Steele, composed the musical, 'Oliver' And wrote the theme song for the 1963 James Bond film From Russia With Love.

2001, Robbie Williams won the award for the most radio plays in the UK for the third year running. The singer picked up the award at the Radio Academy awards in London.

2002, Influential British avant-garde electronic musician Frank Tovey of Fad Gadget died of heart failure aged 45. Was infamous for spreading his naked body in shaving cream onstage and would play various instruments with his head.

2003, Stax records songwriter Homer Banks died aged 61. Wrote 'I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down', recorded by Sam & Dave and a UK hit for Elvis Costello. Rod Stewart, The Emotions, Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson and Johnny Taylor all covered his songs.

2006, Founder member and original drummer for The Wonder Stuff, Martin Gilks died aged 41, after losing control of his motorbike in London. Gilks was voted the best drummer on the planet in an NME poll in 1989.

2007, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards denied that he snorted the ashes of his late father. Jane Rose, Richards' manager, told MTV News the remarks were made ‘in jest’, and she could not believe they had been taken seriously. Richards had said in an interview with the NME: ‘He was cremated and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow.’ But NME interviewer Mark Beaumont was convinced that Richards was not joking when speaking to him about the alleged incident. ‘He did seem to be quite honest about it. There were too many details for him to be making it up,’ he later told BBC news.

2008, Morrissey accepted a public apology in court from Word Magazine after it suggested he was a racist and a hypocrite. The singer took Word to court after an article concerning his political views appeared in its March edition. His solicitor said the magazine now accepted that it was "absurd to accuse Mr Morrissey of being a racist" and that he was "not a hypocrite". The former Smiths frontman did not appear at London's High Court.

2008, Mariah Carey smashed Elvis Presley's US chart record by scoring the 18th number one of her career with ‘Touch My Body’, from her new album E=MC2. Carey had now surpassed Elvis Presley's 17 number ones, The Beatles still held the record with 20 US No.1 hit singles.

2011, Adele broke the record for the longest time at No.1 in the UK album chart by a female solo artist after her second album, 21 spent 10 consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. The previous record was held by Madonna with her first greatest hits record, The Immaculate Collection, in 1990.

2015, Bob Burns, the American drummer who was in the original line-up of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd died in a car crash in Georgia when his car struck a mailbox and a tree with the front of the vehicle. Burns was the only occupant of the car and was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. He appeared on the band's 'Sweet Home Alabama,' 'Gimme Three Steps' and 'Free Bird.'



Edited by monarch - 03-April-2018 at 13:13

April 9th: On this day
1963, The Beatles appeared live on the ITV show Tuesday Rendezvous, miming ‘From Me to You’ and ‘Please Please Me’ (during the closing credits). In the evening The Beatles played live at the Gaumont State Cinema, Kilburn, London.
1965, The Rolling Stones appeared on UK TV show Ready Steady Go!
1967, The Doors and The Jefferson Airplane appeared at Cheetah, Santa Monica Pier, Venice, California. This was the largest show The Doors had played to date with a crowd of over 3,000
1973, Newly signed to EMI Records, Queen played a showcase gig for their new record label at the The Marquee London.
1974, Terry Jacks was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Seasons In The Sun.' Jacks became the first Canadian to score a No.1 since Paul Anka in 1957. The song (written in French by Belgian, Jacques Brel), had English lyrics by poet Rod McKuen.
1976, American folk singer songwriter Phil Ochs, hung himself at his sister's home in Queens, New York. Wrote 'There But A Fortune', a hit for Joan Baez.
1977, ABBA went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Dancing Queen', the group's 7th US Top 40 hit and first No.1. The song was also a No.1 in the UK in 1976 and 12 other countries.
1983, David Bowie was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the title track from his latest album 'Let's Dance', his fourth UK No.1 and featuring blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. The song introduced Bowie to a new, younger audience oblivious to his former career in the 1970s and was a US No.1 hit, Bowie’s first single to reach number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
1988, Dave Prater of soul duo Sam & Dave was killed when his car left the road and hit a tree in Syracuse, Georgia, on his way to his mother's house in Ocilla. He was 50. Recorded for Stax Records from 1965 - 1968, hits included 'Soul Man' and 'Hold On, I'm Coming.'
1988, American singer and songwriter Brook Benton died aged 56. He scored over 20 US top 40 singles, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he scored hits such as ‘It's Just A Matter Of Time’ and ‘Endlessly’, and made a comeback in 1974 when he had the No.4 hit 'Rainy Night In Georgia.'
1988, Billy Ocean started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car', a No.3 hit in the UK.
1989, Rolling Stone Bill Wyman announced his forthcoming marriage to 19-year old Mandy Smith. He revealed the couple had been dating for six years.
1991, Record producer Martin Hannett died. He worked with many Manchester acts including The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, Magazine as well as U2 and The Psychedelic Furs.
1994, Take That scored their fourth UK No.1 single with the Gary Barlow penned single 'Everything Changes' the fifth single from the band's second album Everything Changes.
1997, Songwriter Mae Boren Axton died aged 82 after drowning in her bath at her home in Hendersonville, Tennessee after an apparent heart attack. Known as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville' she wrote over 200 songs including a co-writing credit on the Elvis Presley hit 'Heartbreak Hotel'. She was the mother of country singer, songwriter Hoyt Axton.
2000, Craig David went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Fill Me In'. At 18 years 11 months he became the youngest UK male solo artist to write and sing a UK No.1.
2000, Moby started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Play'. The album went on to spend 81 weeks on the chart.
2004, A man was arrested for allegedly stalking Avril Lavigne. James Speedy, 30, from Seattle, Washington, was arrested after police searched his home, he was later released on $5,000 bail. Mr Speedy had been under investigation since last summer for allegedly sending harassing letters and e-mails to the 19-year-old singer. He was later charged with stalking the singer.
2007, Country and western singer Tanya Tucker was sued by her manicurist for $300,000 (£150,000) over claims the star's dog attacked and injured her. Danielle Hobbs stated in court papers that she was bitten by Bella at the singer's Nashville home and also claimed that the alleged attack, had left her with painful and disfiguring scars on her leg. She stated that Tucker's assistant told her the dogs were "just babies" and said "they will not hurt you".
2009, Randy Cain, a founding member of US soul group The Delfonics died at his home in Maple Shade, New Jersey at the age of 63. The Philadelphia group, whose hits include 'La-La (Means I Love You)', won an R&B Grammy in 1970 for their song 'Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time'. The chorus of 'Ready or Not' by The Fugees sampled The Delfonics' 1969 hit 'Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)'.
2009, Bay City Rollers manager Tam Paton died in the bath at his Edinburgh home of a suspected heart attack. The 70-year-old, who had suffered two previous heart attacks and a stroke in recent years, was found dead in his luxury mansion. Paton had made millions through the success of the band in the 1970s, but was a far more controversial figure in recent years. He was convicted of sex offences against two boys aged 16 and 17 in 1982, and was convicted of drug dealing in 2004 after £26,000 worth of cannabis was found at his home, but was cleared on appeal.
2013, According to the Official Charts Company one billion songs had now been downloaded in the UK. Adele's 'Someone Like You' was the most downloaded single of all time in the UK, followed by tracks by Maroon 5 and Gotye. The Official Charts Company said on average more than three million tracks were now sold every week.

April 10th: On this day
1962, The Beatles former bass player Stuart Sutcliff died, (original bassist for eighteen months - January 1960 - June 1961). Sutcliff had stayed in Hamburg Germany after leaving the group. He died of a brain haemorrhage in an ambulance on the way to hospital, aged 22.
1965, A British school in Wrexham, North Wales, asked parents to please keep children in school uniform and not to send them to school in 'corduroy trousers', like the ones worn by The Rolling Stones.
1965, British acts started a run of seven weeks at the top of the US charts when Freddie and the Dreamers went to No.1 with 'I'm Telling You Now', followed by Wayne Fontana's 'Game Of Love', Herman's Hermits 'Mr's Brown' and The Beatles 'Ticket To Ride.'
1967, Marvin Gaye recorded his version of 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine'. The song was first recorded by The Miracles and had also been a million seller in 1967 for Gladys Knight and the Pips.
1970, Doors singer Jim Morrison was dragged off stage by keyboardist Ray Manzarek during a concert in Boston, after Morrison asked the audience, 'Would you like to see my genitals?'. Theater management quickly switched off the power. Morrison had been arrested in Miami a year earlier for "lewd and lascivious behavior" during a performance.
1970, 27 year-old Paul McCartney issued a press statement, announcing that The Beatles had split, (one week before the release of his solo album). McCartney said, "I have no future plans to record or appear with The Beatles again, or to write any music with John". John Lennon, who had kept his much-earlier decision to leave The Beatles quiet for the sake of the others, was furious. When a reporter called Lennon to comment upon McCartney's resignation, Lennon said, "Paul hasn't left. I sacked him."
1976, Peter Frampton went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Frampton Comes Alive', one of the biggest selling 'live' albums in rock history. It was the best-selling album of 1976, selling over 6 million copies in the US. Frampton Comes Alive! was voted "Album of the year" in the 1976 Rolling Stone readers poll. It stayed on the chart for 97 weeks.
1982, Iron Maiden scored their first UK No.1 album with The Number Of The Beast. The bands third studio album saw the debut of vocalist Bruce Dickinson and the final appearance of the late drummer Clive Burr. This was their first album to reach No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart, and be certified platinum in the US.
1984, Nate Nelson, lead vocalist for The Flamingos on their 1959 hit 'I Only Have Eyes For You', died of heart disease aged 52, a day after his wife had made a plea to his fans to find a heart for her ailing husband.
1985, Madonna kicked off her very first North American tour by playing the first of three nights at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington. The Beastie Boys opened for Madonna on this 40-date Virgin Tour.
1990, Tom Waits took Doritos Chips to court for using a 'Waits', sound-alike on radio ads. The jury awarded him $2.475 million in punitive damages, Waits comments after the case, 'now by law I have what I always felt I had...a distinctive voice.'
1994, Over 5,000 fans attended a US public memorial service for Kurt Cobain at Seattle Flag Pavilion.
1999, A charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney was held at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Among the performers were Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinead O'Connor.
2001, Bruce Springsteen won a court battle to keep the rights to his early songs. Ronald Winter of Masquerade Music had released the album 'Before The Fame' was found to be in breach of copyright. Springsteen was awarded more than £2m damages.
2001, Sean Puffy Combs was stopped by police in Golden Beach, Miami who informed him that his driving license was suspended. Combs was not arrested because he claimed he was unaware of the suspension, but he was cited for the traffic violation.
2001, Eminem was given 2 years probation and fined £1,800 and £3,600 costs after admitting carrying a concealed weapon. The charges followed an incident outside a club in Warren, Michigan last June when Eminem 'pistol whipped' John Guerra after he saw him kissing his wife.
2003, American singer Little Eva died in Kinston, North Carolina, aged 59. She had the 1962 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'The Loco-Motion'. Eva was working as a babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin who asked her to record the song they'd just written. 'The Loco-Motion' was also a hit for Grand Funk Railroad in 1974 (US No.1) and for Kylie Minogue in 1988 (US No.3).
2003, Former Oak Ridge Boys member Noel Fox died at a Nashville hospital following a series of strokes aged 63. Fox sang with the Oak Ridge boys until 1972, and later became a music business executive.
2005, The final episode of The Osbournes was aired on MTV in the UK. The show reached a peak audience of eight million at it's height during a three year run. Ozzy Osbourne was at a loss to explain its popularity, saying, "I suppose Americans get a kick out of watching a crazy Brit family like us make complete fools of ourselves every week."
2006, Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay singer Chris Martin announced they had named their second child, a boy, Moses Martin. The couple also had a daughter named Apple.
2013, Kate Bush received her CBE for services to music from the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, England. The singer-songwriter, who was catapulted to fame in 1978 when Wuthering Heights topped the charts, said she was "incredibly thrilled". The 54-year-old dedicated the award to her family and joked that it would have pride of place at the top of her Christmas tree.

April 11th: On this day
1956, Travelling from Amarillo to Nashville, the plane that Elvis Presley was flying on developed engine trouble and was forced to make an emergency landing. The incident created a fear of flying for Presley.
1961, Bob Dylan played his first live gig in New York City at Gerde's Folk City, opening for John Lee Hooker.
1963, Gerry and the Pacemakers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'How Do You Do It'' The group's first of three UK No.1's.
1964, The Beatles set a new chart record when they had 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. The songs ranged from 'Can't Buy Me Love' at No.1 to 'Love Me Do' at No. 81.
1965, Performing at the New Musical Express poll winners concert, at London's Wembley Empire Pool, England, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Animals, The Kinks, Herman's Hermits, Moody Blues, Them, Cilla Black, The Seekers and Donovan.
1966, Buffalo Springfield made their live debut at The Troubadour in Hollywood, California. The folk rock band are renowned both for their music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Buffalo Springfield were among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion.
1970, Peter Green quit Fleetwood Mac while on tour in Germany, to avoid breach of contract he agreed to finish the current tour.
1970, The Beatles started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Let It Be'. It became the group's 19th US No.1 in 6 years. The track was a No.2 hit in the UK.
1973, The Beach Boys appeared at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia. The Beach Boys were at a very low ebb in popularity in America and this show proved a financial disaster for the promoter, with less than 3,000 tickets sold for the 16,000 capacity venue. Opening act was Mothers Finest and middle of the bill was Bruce Springsteen who played a 60-minute set. Elvis Presley performed twice in the Omni and a plaque was placed on an interior wall to that effect after his death.
1977, Alice Cooper played to an audience of 40,000 in Sydney, Australia, the largest crowd to attend a rock concert in the country's history. After the show Cooper was placed under house arrest at his hotel until he posted a bond for $59,632. That amount was the sum that a promoter claimed to have paid Cooper for a 1975 Australia tour he never made. The two settled when it was found that the promoter did not fulfill his part of the agreement either.
1981, Eddie Van Halen married actress Valerie Bertinelli, co-star of the 1980s television hit, One Day at a Time. The two had met eight months earlier when Bertinelli's brother took her to a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana.
1994, Oasis released their first single 'Supersonic' which peaked at No.31 on the UK charts. However, over time it has amassed sales of over 215,000, making it their 13th biggest selling single ever in the UK. 'Supersonic' was also the band's first single to chart in the United States, where it peaked at No. 11 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
2001, Robbie Williams raised £165,000 at a charity auction with the money going to his old school in Stoke to build a performing arts block. The items sold were Robbie's personal possessions, including a toilet from a stage show, a Union Jack bikini, Tiger's head briefs, a Millennium jet pack and the hand written lyrics to 'Angels' which sold for £27,000.
2006, A member of Eminem's rap collective D12 was killed in a nightclub shooting in Detroit after an argument broke out at the CCC nightclub. Proof, (real name Deshaun Holton), was shot at a club on Eight Mile Road, made famous in Eminem's autobiographical film 8 Mile. Holton was a longtime friend of Eminem and was the rappers best man at his wedding in January of this year.
2006, June Pointer, the youngest of the four Pointer Sisters who went from teenage Gospel singers to the top of the Pop charts with such hits as 'Fire', 'Slow Hand' and 'I'm So Excited', died of cancer at the age of 52.
2013, Malawi accused Madonna of "bullying state officials" after she reportedly complained about her treatment on a visit to the country. Madonna - who has adopted two Malawian-born children had recently visited 10 primary schools funded by her charity. Madonna's manager accused Malawi's government of having a "grudge" against the singer's charity, Raising Malawi.
2014, Nirvana were enlisted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of KISS and Beatles manager Brian Epstein. REM's Michael Stipe inducted the group, saying: "Nirvana tapped into a voice that was yearning to be heard. Nirvana were kicking against the mainstream. They spoke truth and a lot of people listened."
2014, American musician and songwriter Jesse Winchester died aged 69. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, where he began his career as a solo artist. His best known songs include "Yankee Lady", "The Brand New Tennessee Waltz", "Mississippi, You're on My Mind", "A Showman's Life", and "Biloxi".
2017, J Geils, American guitarist, with The J. Geils Band died aged 71. With the J. Geils Band he had the 1982 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Centerfold', which was taken from their US No.1 1981 album Freeze Frame.
2017, British musician Toby Smith died aged 46. He was most famous for being the keyboardist and co-songwriter for Jamiroquai from 1992 until his departure in 2002. He was music producer and manager for The Hoosiers and in 2013, Smith co-produced Matt Cardle's third album Porcelain.

April 12th: On this Day

1954, Bill Haley recorded 'Rock Around the Clock' at Pythian Temple studios in New York City. Considered by many to be the song that put rock and roll on the map around the world. The song was used over the opening titles for the film 'Blackboard Jungle', and went on to be a world-wide No.1 and the biggest selling pop single with sales over 25 million. Written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers, 'Rock Around The Clock' was first recorded by Italian-American band Sonny Dae and His Knights.

1957, The 'King of Skiffle' Lonnie Donegan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Cumberland Gap.' The Scottish musician was a former member of Chris Barber's Jazz Band.

1963, Bob Dylan performed his first major solo concert at the Town Hall in New York City. Dylan played a 24 song set including 'Blowin' In The Wind', 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall', 'Highway 51' and 'Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie'.

1966, Jan Berry (Jan and Dean) was almost killed when he crashed his car into a parked truck a short distance from Dead Man's Curve in Los Angeles. Berry was partially paralysed and suffered brain damage. Berry was able to walk again after extensive therapy.

1967, Mick Jagger was punched in the face by an airport official during a row at Le Bourget Airport in France. Jagger lost his temper after The Stones were being searched for drugs resulting in them missing their flight.

1969, The 5th Dimension started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In', a No.11 hit in the UK.

1975, During an interview with Playboy Magazine David Bowie announced his second career retirement, saying, "I've rocked my roll. It's a boring dead end, there will be no more rock 'n' roll records from me. The last thing I want to be is some useless f—ing rock singer."

1989, Two DJ's on Los Angeles station KLOS asked 'what ever happened to David Cassidy' The singer called the station up and the presenters invited him onto the show. David played three songs live on air and was subsequently signed by a new record label.

1989, Garth Brooks released his self-titled debut album which was both a critical and chart success, peaking at No.13 on the Billboard 200 and No.2 on the Top Country Albums. This album contains Brooks earliest hits, including his first ever single, 'Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)', and his first No.1, 'If Tomorrow Never Comes' and the Academy of Country Music's 1990 Song of the Year and Video of the Year, 'The Dance'.

1990, The Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre announced that Asteroids 4147-4150, would be named Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr after the four members of The Beatles.

1995, Two weeks after her death, George W. Bush, (then the governor of Texas), declared "Selena Day" in Texas. The Mexican American singer Selena was murdered aged 23 by the president of her fan club Yolanda Sald'var on 31st March 1995.

1997, R Kelly started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his Grammy award winning song 'I Believe I Can Fly.' A No.2 hit in the US, the track was featured in the film 'Space Jam'.

2000, Metallica filed a suit against Napster, Yale University, The University of Southern California and Indiana University for copyright infringement.

2005, Mariah Carey released 'The Emancipation of Mimi', the album entered the US chart at number one, going six times platinum in less than a year, and subsequently became the most successful album of 2005.

2007, The Beatles company, Apple Corps, settled a £30 million ($59.2 million) royalties dispute with the band's label, EMI. The suit alleged unpaid royalties on Beatles albums based on an audit of sales between 1994 and 1999, a period which included the release of three Anthology compilations. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.

2010, The Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Ramano published a story praising The Beatles and saying that it forgave John Lennon for his 1966 comment that the group was "bigger than Jesus." Lennon told a British newspaper in 1966 - at the height of Beatlemania - that he did not know which would die out first, Christianity or rock and roll.

2012, Saxophone player Andrew Love died aged 70. He was best known for being a member of The Memphis Horns with trumpet player Wayne Jackson where the two created the signature horn sound at Stax Records on hit records by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and others such as Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield.

2014, The Pulp hit 'Common People' was voted the top Britpop anthem by listeners of BBC Radio 6 Music in the UK, beating Oasis, Blur and Suede to take the title. More than 30,000 people voted, with The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony' second and Oasis tracks 'Don't Look Back in Anger' and 'Wonderwall' in third and fourth.

2015, Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly was arrested on drugs charges after police stopped the bus in which he was travelling in Tennessee. Officers found "five coloured crystal-type rocks that tested positive for methamphetamine, as well as a small amount of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia" and handguns on board the tour bus.

2016, A US court ruled that Led Zeppelin founders Robert Plant and Jimmy Page must face trial in a copyright row over the song 'Stairway to Heaven'. The copyright infringement action had been brought by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the late Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe, who played on the same bill as Led Zeppelin in the 1960s, and claimed he should be given a writing credit on the track.

2016, A report showed that British artists including Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and Adele had helped the music industry return to meaningful growth for the first time in almost 20 years. British artists accounted for five of the top 10 selling albums during 2015, as the global music industry generated $15bn (£10.5bn).

April 13th: On this day
1962, The Beatles made their third trip to Germany for a 48-night residency at The Star Club, Hamburg. During the seven week run The Beatles had only one day off.
1965, The Beatles record the song 'Help!' during an evening recording session at Abbey Road in London. During an interview with Playboy Magazine in 1980, John Lennon recounted: "The whole Beatles thing was just beyond comprehension. I was subconsciously crying out for help".
1967, Nancy and Frank Sinatra were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Somethin' Stupid', (making them the only father and daughter to have a UK No.1 single as a team). The song was written by folk singer C. Carson Parks and originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as "Carson and Gaile". Robbie Williams recorded the song as a duet in 2001 with actress Nicole Kidman which went on to top the UK charts.
1971, The Rolling Stones released 'Brown Sugar' taken from their latest album Sticky Fingers, the first record on their own label, Rolling Stones Records, which introduced the infamous licking- tongue and lips logo.
1973, David Bowie released his sixth studio album Aladdin Sane, the name of the album is a pun on "A Lad Insane". Two hit singles included on the album preceded its release, 'The Jean Genie' and 'Drive-In Saturday'.
1973, Bob Marley and the Wailers released Catch a Fire their first album on Island Records and which is now regarded as one of the greatest reggae albums of all time. The album was also groundbreaking as its singles were released as long-playing records as against to the early reggae songs coupled with two sides.
1974, Elton John went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Bennie And The Jets', his second US No.1, it made No.37 in the UK.
1974, Paul McCartney's Band On The Run went to No.1 on the US album charts. McCartney's third US No.1, went on to sell over 6 million copies world-wide. It's commercial performance was aided by two hit singles 'Jet' and 'Band on the Run'.
1979, Thin Lizzy, released their ninth studio album Black Rose: A Rock Legend. The album, which featured guitarist Gary Moore, contained the hits 'Do Anything You Want To', 'Waiting For An Alibi' and 'Sarah', which was written with Moore about Lynott's newborn daughter.
1982, David Crosby was arrested when police found him preparing cocaine backstage in his dressing room before a show in Dallas.
1993, The first Aerosmith Day was observed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after the band were given their very own holiday.
1996, Rage Against The Machine appeared on NBC's Saturday Night Live. Their two-song performance was cut to one song when the band attempted to hang inverted American flags from their amplifiers.
2002, Thieves broke in to a house in Bexhill, Sussex and stole a hi-fi system and several CD's. They left albums by Madonna, Robbie Williams and Oasis but took the owners entire Showaddywaddy collection.
2003, The Beatles Apple Corp company was listed as Britain's fastest profit-growth firm with an annual profit growth of 194%.
2003, Madonna struck back at web sites who were offering illegal downloads of her new album, 'American Life' by flooding file-sharing networks with decoy files. When the files were opened they were greeted by the voice of Madonna asking, "What the f**k do you think you're doing?" The latest Madonna album has been kept under tight wraps to avoid piracy, with promotional copies being held back from journalists until just before the official release.
2007, Julian Lennon sold a 'significant' stake of his share in the songs his father John wrote for The Beatles to US music publishing company Primary Wave. The firm would now receive payments when any Lennon compositions were sold on CD, performed live or played on the radio. The company, who were about to market Julian Lennon's new music project, declined to reveal how much the deal was worth.
2008, Producer and drummer Clifford Davies, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his home in Atlanta, aged 59. Davies had worked with Ted Nugent from 1979-1982. It was reported that Davies was "extremely distraught" over outstanding medical bills.
2009, 68-year-old US music producer Phil Spector was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson, after a five-month retrial. He had pleaded not guilty to the second degree murder of 40-year-old Ms Clarkson, who was shot in the mouth at Spector's home in Los Angeles. During the five-month retrial, five female acquaintances testified that Spector had threatened them at gunpoint in incidents dating back to the 1970s. An earlier trial was abandoned in 2007 after a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision. Spector was remanded in custody until sentencing on 29 May 09.
2009, Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' was the most played song in public places in the past 75 years, according to a chart compiled for BBC Radio 2. Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody was at number two followed by 'All I Have To Do Is Dream' by the Everly Brothers. Wet Wet Wet's 1994 hit, 'Love Is All Around', was at number four followed by Bryan Adams's 1991 hit '(Everything I Do), I Do It For You.'
2010, Brian May launched a major new campaign to try to prevent the return of legalised blood sports to the British Countryside. The 'SAVE-ME' campaign - named after May's song, called on the British public to consider how their vote will affect the welfare of animals; and in particular fox-hunting, stag hunting and hare-coursing. The first 'SAVE-ME campaign poster was unveiled by Brian at a prime advertising site on London's West Cromwell Road.
2011, A portrait of Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett was returned to the London art gallery it had been stolen from the previous week. The late singer's former girlfriend, Libby Gausden, pleaded for its safe return and offered a reward of £2,000, and following an appeal, the image was returned undamaged and intact to the gallery by post.
2012, Five of Tom Petty's guitars were stolen from a soundstage in Culver City, California, where Petty and his band, the Heartbreakers, were rehearsing for their upcoming worldwide tour. The stolen gear included a 1967 Blonde Rickenbacker, a 1967 Epiphone Sheridan, a 1965 Gibson SG TV Jr., a Fender Broadcaster and a Dusenberg Mike Campbell Model, which belonged to Campbell himself. Petty was offering a "no questions asked" reward bounty of $7,500 to anyone with information leading to the guitars' recovery.
2013, Sir Paul McCartney topped the Sunday Times Rich List of musicians with the £680m fortune he shares with his wife Nancy Shevell. Sir Paul, whose American heiress wife is said to be worth £150m, has topped each list since 1989 when he was worth an estimated £80m. Andrew Lloyd Webber was second, with £620m, while U2 were third, with £520m. Adele topped the list for young music millionaires in Britain and Ireland with an estimated fortune of £30m.
2015, The UK's first weekly vinyl chart was launched by the Official Charts Company as sales of vinyl albums and singles continued to soar. The first official vinyl albums chart was topped by All Time Low's Future Hearts.

April 14th: On this day
1953, Lita Roza was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with '(How Much) Is That Doggie In Window.' The 27 year old singer was the NME readers' Top Female artist of 1953 and with this single became the first British female singer to top the UK singles Chart, (and the first Liverpudlian to do so).
1963, The Rolling Stones played at The Crawdaddy Club, Richmond. All four members of The Beatles were in the audience. The name of the club derived from Bo Diddley's 1960 song 'Doing the Craw-Daddy', which The Rolling Stones regularly performed as part of their set. In turn the club would inspire the name of the American music magazine Crawdaddy!
1966, The Spencer Davis Group were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Somebody Help Me', the group's second UK No.1.
1967, David Bowie's novelty record 'The Laughing Gnome' was released in the UK. The track consisted of the singer meeting and conversing with the creature of the title, whose sped-up voice (created by Bowie and studio engineer Gus Dudgeon) delivered several puns on the word "gnome". The song became a hit when reissued in 1973, despite it being radically different to his material at the time, the single made No. 6 in the UK charts.
1967, A riot broke out at Warsaw's Palace Of Culture as The Rolling Stones made their first appearance in an Iron curtain Country; police used tear gas in a battle with 2,000 fans.
1967, Polydor Records released The Bee Gees 'New York mining Disaster 1941' It was released with a promotional slogan announcing 'The most significant talent since The Beatles. The record became a Top 20 hit in the UK and US.
1969, The recording of 'The Ballad Of John and Yoko' took place, with just two Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Paul played bass, drums and piano with John on guitars and lead vocals. The song was banned from many radio stations as being blasphemous. On some stations, the word 'Christ' was edited in backwards to avoid the ban.
1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival made their live UK debut when they played the first of two nights at The Royal Albert Hall, London.
1971, The Illinois Crime Commission issued a list of 'drug-oriented records' including 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane, 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' by Procol Harum and The Beatles 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.'
1972, David Bowie released 'Starman' as a single in the UK, which became his first hit since 1969's 'Space Oddity' three years before. The song was a late addition to the album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars included at the insistence of RCA’s Dennis Katz, who heard a demo and loved the track, believing it would make a great single. The lyrics describe Ziggy Stardust bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation by an alien 'Starman'.
1973, Led Zeppelin started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with Houses Of The Holy also a No.1 in the US. The young girl featured on the cover of the album climbing naked up Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland is Samantha Gates who was 6 years old at the time of the photo shoot.
1975, After rumours that Jimmy Page, Steve Marriott, Jeff Beck or Chris Spedding variously would replace Mick Taylor as guitarist in The Rolling Stones, a press release confirmed that Ronnie Wood would be joining the band for their forthcoming American tour.
1976, Eric Faulkner of The Bay City Rollers reportedly came close to death after taking a drug overdose at their manager's house while in a state of exhaustion.
1978, Art Garfunkel started a six week run at No.1 in the UK with the theme from the film 'Watership Down', 'Bright Eyes' which went on to become the biggest selling single of the year. The song was written by the man behind The Wombles, Mike Batt.
1978, Joy Division played at the Stiff Test -Chiswick Challenge, at Raffters in Manchester, England. Future managers Rob Gretton and then journalist Tony Wilson saw the band for the first time.
1980, Gary Numan released 'The Touring Principle', the first long-form rock video to be made commercially available in the UK.
1983, The Pretenders bass player Pete Farndon died from a drug overdose. He was sacked from the group on June 14th 1982, (two days before Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott was found dead of heart failure). Farndon was in the midst of forming a new band with former Clash drummer Topper Headon when he died.
1994, Kurt Cobain was cremated at the Bleitz Funeral Home, Seattle. The death certificate listed Cobain's occupation as Poet/Musician and his type of business as Punk Rock.
1995, American actor, writer and folk singer Burl Ives died of cancer aged 85. Had hits with 'Funny Way Of Laughing', 'The Blue Tail Fly' and 'Little Bitty Tear', won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1958 film The Big Country.
1999, UK singer, songwriter and actor Anthony Newley died of cancer. Scored 12 UK Top 40 singles from 1959-1962 including the No.1 single 'Why.' He won the 1963 Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "What Kind of Fool Am I?", he was married to the actress Joan Collins from 1963 to 1971.
2001, Sean Puffy Combs, (P. Diddy), was arrested in Miami for riding a scooter in South Beach on a suspended driver's license. He was released 20 minutes later after signing a promise to appear in court.
2003, A man was arrested accused of making up a Bjork concert then selling tickets. Alex Conate allegedly sold tickets worth $14,000 at $40 each after persuading a San Diego nightclub owner that Bjork had agreed to play there. He was accused of taking the money and moving to Hawaii, where he was arrested.
2009, A planned auction of nearly 1,400 items from the former home of Michael Jackson was cancelled. A public preview of the collection had already begun in Los Angeles and the exhibition of Jackson's possessions would stay open until the end of next week. A last-minute settlement meant Jackson's belongings would now be returned to him. In response, he had dropped a lawsuit against Juliens Auctions.
2009, Former Beatle George Harrison was honoured with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Sir Paul McCartney attended the unveiling outside the landmark Capitol Records building, joining Harrison's widow Olivia and son Dhani. Eric Idle, Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and musician Tom Petty also attended the ceremony.
2013, Justin Bieber caused outrage after writing a message in a guestbook at the Anne Frank Museum, which stated he hoped the Holocaust victim would have been a fan. The 19-year-old wrote: "Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber." It provoked fierce online criticism of the Canadian singer, who was in Amsterdam as part of a tour.
2014, Latin jazz percussionist Armando Peraza died of pneumonia at the age of 89. He was a member of Santana from 1972 until the early 90s appearing on over 15 of the groups albums. Born in Lawton Batista, Havana, Cuba, Pereza played congas, bongos, and timbales.
2015, American R&B and soul singer Percy Sledge died of liver cancer at his home in Baton Rouge aged 73. The inspiration behind his 1966 US No.1 hit 'When a Man Loves a Woman', came when Sledge's girlfriend left him for a modelling career after he was laid off from a construction job in late 1965.
2017, Harry Styles's debut single 'Sign of the Times' brok Ed Sheeran's 13-week run at the top of the UK charts. The One Direction star achieved his first No.1 as a solo artist with this release - the first from his self-titled debut album.

April 15th: On this day
1964, The Beatles filmed outside shots at the Scala Theatre in Tottenham Street London for their forthcoming movie 'A Hard Day's Night'.
1967, Jimi Hendrix The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens and Engelbert Humperdink all appeared at the The Odeon, Blackpool, England, tickets cost 5 and 10 shillings, ($0.70 and $1.40).
1967, Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Somethin' Stupid'. They became the only father and daughter act ever to score a No.1 single. UB40 singer Ali Cambell covered the song in 1995 with his daughter Kibbi. Robbie Williams had a 2001 UK No.1 with his version of the song featuring Nicole Kidman.
1972, Roberta Flack started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'. Written in 1957 by political singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who was later to become his wife. At the time the couple were lovers, although MacColl was married to someone else. MacColl is the father of singer/songwriter Kirsty MacColl. The song was featured in the Clint Eastwood film 'Play Misty For Me.'
1978, Television were forced to postpone their gig at Bristol's Colston Hall after the 40 foot truck carrying their equipment was involved in a crash killing the driver.
1982, Billy Joel was reported to be in ''quite good'' condition after major surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. The singer broke his left wrist when his 1978 Harley Davidson hit a car in Long Island, New York. The hospital switchboard was jammed with calls from his fans, and Joel issued a plea through a spokesman that the calls ceased because they were ''tying up lines for those people who are really sick.''
1989, American all girl group The Bangles started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Eternal Flame.' Also a No.1 in Australia (biggest selling single of 1989) and the United States.
1996, Milli Vanilli singer Rob Pilatus was jailed for 90 days by a Los Angeles judge for three violent attacks and parole violation.
1996, The rest of Jerry Garcia's ashes were scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. A small portion had been scattered in the Ganges River in India 11 days earlier. The Grateful Dead leader had died on 9th Aug 1995.
1999, The body of Tammy Wynette was exhumed from her grave in an attempt to settle a dispute over how the country music legend died. A new autopsy was conducted on her a week after three of her daughters filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her doctor and her husband and manager, George Richey, claiming they were responsible for her death 12 months ago. Richey said he had requested the autopsy because of the allegations made against him.
2001, Punk pioneer Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Ross Hyman) singer of the Ramones died after losing a long battle with lymphatic cancer aged 49. On November 30, 2003, a block of East 2nd Street in New York City was officially renamed Joey Ramone Place.
2003, Beyonce was sued by the Wilhemina Artist Agency who claimed she hadn't paid them the commission for her L'Oreal ads. The agency claimed the singer refused to pass on the 10 percent of the $1m (£640,000), deal that was brokered by the agency.
2005, John Fred Gourrier, singer from John Fred and his Playboy Band died after a long battle with kidney disease aged 63. Had the 1967 US No.1 single 'Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)', a parody of The Beatles song 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'.
2010, After receiving some bad reviews and even enduring some boos during her performance, Whitney Houston brushed off criticism of her first show in the UK in over eleven years by insisting she was playing to a "tough crowd". She had recently been hospitalized with chronic rhinopharyngitis, which is a swelling of the membranes in the nose and throat.
2015, It was reported that Digital music revenues matched physical sales for the first time in 2014, thanks to strong growth in the streaming market. The digital market rose 6.9% to $6.9 billion (£4.6 billion), representing 46% of all global music sales. CDs, vinyl and other physical formats also accounted for 46% of the market. Pharrell Williams's 'Happy' was the most-downloaded single globally in 2014, with Taylor Swift the most popular artist.

April 16th: On this Day

1956, Buddy Holly's first single 'Blue Days, Black Nights', was released. The track was later featured on That'll Be The Day the third album from Buddy Holly. Decca, Holly’s first major record label, after failing to produce a hit single from Holly’s early recordings, packaged these 1956 tunes after he had some success with recordings from the Brunswick and Coral labels.

1964, The Rolling Stones first album was released in the UK, it went to No.1 two weeks later and stayed on the chart for 40 weeks, with 11 weeks at No.1. The American edition of the LP, with a slightly different track list, came out on London Records on 30 May 1964, subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers, which later became its official title.

1964, The Beatles filmed the 'chase scenes' for A Hard Day's Night with actors dressed as policemen in the Notting Hill Gate area of London. In the evening they recorded the title track for the film, 'A Hard Day's Night' at Abbey Road. John and Paul had the title first, and had to write a song to order, completing the track in nine takes.

1969, Desmond Dekker and the Aces were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Israelites', making Dekker the first Jamaican artist to have an UK No.1 single.

1969, Elektra Records dropped Detroit's MC5 from their label after the band took out an advertisement in a local paper that included the company logo and said; "f**k Hudsons." The band were protesting at the Michigan department store's refusal to stock their albums.

1970, The Led Zeppelin single 'Whole Lotta Love' was certified Gold in the US after selling over a million copies. The single had peaked at No. 4 on the US singles chart. In the UK Atlantic Records had expected to issue the edited version themselves, and pressed initial copies for release on 5th December 1969. However, band manager Peter Grant was adamant that the band maintain a 'no-singles' approach to marketing their recorded music in the UK, and he halted the release.

1972, The Electric Light Orchestra made their debut at The Fox and Greyhound in Croydon, London. ELO were formed to accommodate former Move members Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones. Wood departed following the band's debut record, Lynne wrote and arranged all of the group's original compositions and produced every album.

1972, Pink Floyd appeared at the Township Auditorium, Columbia, South Carolina, USA. A typical set list on this The Dark Side of The Moon tour was: The Dark Side of the Moon (entire album), One of These Days, Careful with that Axe Eugene, Echoes, Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.

1973, Paul McCartney's first television special, James Paul McCartney, was aired in America on the ABC network. The show, which includes performances by McCartney and Wings, would be broadcast in the UK on May 10th.

1977, David Soul one half of TV cop show "Starsky & Hutch", went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Don't Give Up On Us', his only US hit. Also No.1 in the UK.

1993, David Lee Roth was arrested in New York's Washington Square Park for allegedly buying a $10 bag of marijuana.

1993, Paul McCartney headlined a concert at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate 'Earth Day' along with Ringo Starr, Don Henley and Steve Miller. McCartney had last performed there as a member of The Beatles in 1965.

1994, Prince had his first UK No.1 with 'The Most Beautiful Girl In The World', (his 37th single release). It was his first release since changing his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol.

1996, KISS appeared in full make-up at the 38th Grammy Awards, where they announced a reunion tour. It would mark the first time all four members had appeared together in over fifteen years.

1997, Mark Morrison was convicted with threatening a police officer with an illegal 23,000-volt electric stun gun. The singer left Maryebone Magistrates' Court in tears after being warned he was likely to be sent to prison.

1999, Skip Spence, an original member of Jefferson Airplane and founding member of Moby Grape, died of lung cancer in a San Francisco hospital aged 52. He had battled schizophrenia and alcoholism.

2003, Jerry Lee Lewis filed for divorce from his sixth wife, Kerrie McCarver Lewis. The 67-year-old singer married Kerrie in 1984 who was the president of Lewis Enterprises Inc. fan club.

2005, OK Computer by Radiohead was voted the best album of all time in a poll by UK TV station Channel 4. U2 were in second place with The Joshua Tree and Nirvana in third with Nevermind.

2013, Edwin Shirley the co-founded Edwin Shirley Trucking, which became one of the largest music transport companies in Europe died of cancer. Brian May noted Shirley's importance to their touring operation: "Edwin was at the head of Queen's vehicle convoy for so many years I can't begin to remember how many... He was a great pal of Gerry Stickells, our illustrious Tour Manager and the two of them wrote the book on how to party on tour."

2015, An auction of part of the model railway collection owned by record producer Pete Waterman raised more than £600,000. Waterman said he was selling the collection, which included 56 Gauge 1 steam models, to fund apprenticeships at the heritage trust he runs.

April 17th: On this day
1960, Touring in the UK, 21-year-old US singer Eddie Cochran was killed when the taxi he was travelling in crashed into a lamppost on Rowden Hill, Chippenham, Wiltshire, (where a plaque now commemorates the event). Songwriter Sharon Sheeley and singer Gene Vincent survived the crash, Cochran's current hit at the time was 'Three Steps to Heaven'. The taxi driver, George Martin, was convicted of dangerous driving, fined £50, disqualified from driving for 15 years, and sent to prison for six months.
1965, Bob Dylan's second studio album 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan was at No.1 on the UK chart. The album opens with 'Blowin' in the Wind', which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary.
1970, While performing at the White House at the invitation of President Richard Nixon, Johnny Cash was asked to perform "Okie From Muskogee". Cash declined because it was not his song, but had been a hit for Merle Haggard. Instead, Cash sang his No.1 hit, 'A Boy Named Sue'.
1970, Santana began sessions for what would be their breakthrough album Abraxas at Wally Heider Recording Studio, San Francisco, California. When released in September of this year, Abraxas peaked at No.1 on the US chart.
1971, All four Beatles had solo singles in the UK charts, Paul McCartney with 'Another Day', John Lennon 'Power To The People', George Harrison 'My Sweet Lord' and Ringo Starr 'It Don't Come Easy.'
1971, Three Dog Night started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Joy To The World'. The group's second US No.1; a No.24 hit in the UK.
1973, Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of The Moon went gold in the US. The LP went on to stay in the US chart for more than ten years and became the longest charting rock record of all time.
1974, Vinnie Taylor guitarist with US rock 'n roll revival band Sha Na Na was found dead in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Charlottesville, Virginia from a drug overdose. Sha Na Na played at the Woodstock Festival, their 90-second appearance in the Woodstock film brought the group national attention. The group appeared in the movie Grease as Johnny Casino & The Gamblers.
1975, Elvis Presley bought a Convair 880 Jet formally owned by Delta Airlines for $250,000, which he re-christened Lisa Marie. Presley spent a further $600,000 refurbishing the Jet to include personal quarters, a meeting area and a dance floor.
1982, Vangelis was at No.1 on the US album chart with Chariots Of Fire, he later also won an Oscar for the album for best original score.
1983, Felix Pappalardi, producer and bass player with American rock band Mountain was shot dead by his wife Gail Collins during a jealous rage. Collins was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. Pappalardi who was 43 had produced the Cream albums 'Disraeli Gears' and 'Wheels of Fire.'
1987, Reggae drummer and percussion player Carlton Barrett of The Wailers was shot dead outside his house in Kingston, Jamaica. Joined Bob Marley and The Wailers in 1970, wrote the Marley song 'War'. Barrett was the originator of the one-drop rhythm, a percussive drumming style.
1991, Nirvana appeared at the OK Hotel in Seattle, where they played a new song, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', live for the first time. Other local bands such as Mudhoney, Tad, Mother Love Bone, and Soundgarden all appeared at the club, which has now been turned into a residential property.
1993, David Bowie went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his eighteenth studio album Black Tie White Noise. It was his first solo release in the 1990s after spending time with his hard rock band Tin Machine.
1994, Pink Floyd started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with The Division Bell, their fourth No.1 album.
1998, Linda McCartney died after a long battle against cancer. Married Paul McCartney in 1969 when she was working as a photographer. As well as a being a member of Wings, she became an animal rights campaigner and launched her own brand of vegetarian food.
2003, Earl King the New Orleans Blues guitarist died aged 69. King wrote the classic song Come On, (Let The Good Times Roll), covered by Jimi Hendrix.
2004, Kurt Cobain's Mark IV-style Mosrite Gospel guitar sold for $100,000 at the Icons of 20th Century Music auction held in Dallas, Texas. Other items sold included Elton John and Bernie Taupin's song writing piano which sold for $140,000 and a 1966 Rickenbacker guitar owned by The Byrds Roger McGuinn's sold for $99,000.
2007, Bryan Ferry was forced to make an apology after praising Nazi iconography in a German magazine. Talking to Welt am Sonntag, he said the Nazis "knew how to put themselves in the limelight and present themselves...I'm talking about the films of Leni Riefenstahl and the buildings of Albert Speer and the mass marches and the flags. Just amazing - really beautiful." British MPs asked shoppers to think twice about shopping in Marks and Spencer asking for Ferry to be dropped as the face of the M&S Autograph menswear collection. Ferry said he was "deeply upset" by the publicity surrounding the interview.
2008, Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen and a member of The E Street Band, died of cancer at the age of 58. Federici had worked with Springsteen for over 40 years, starting with Steel Mill and Child with Springsteen.
2009, Morrissey walked off stage during his set at the Coachella festival in California after declaring he could "smell burning flesh". The committed vegetarian took offence to the smell coming from nearby barbecues. Sir Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure also appeared at the event.
2016, Singer Joss Stone postponed shows in the Caribbean to be with her sick dog, which she said was "the closest thing I have to a child". She said her pet had "made it through the night" but she had to "go back and make sure she was ok".