On This Day

I completely agree Pat, a genius that had a crappy life in the end.

April 19th
1965 - James Brown
The film T.A.M.I. (Teen-Age Music International) Show featuring The Rolling Stones, Supremes, Four Tops, James Brown, The Beach Boys and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles opened in London, England under the title Teenage Command Performance.

1965 - The Beatles
The Beatles single 'Ticket to Ride' was released on Capitol records in the US. The single's label stated that the song was from the upcoming movie 'Eight Arms to Hold You' (the original name for the movie Help!).

1968 - George Harrison
John Lennon, George Harrison and their wives left the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram in Rishikesh, India two weeks before their study was complete. Ringo and Paul had already left.

1969 - Queen
Smile (later to be known as Queen ) appeared at the Revolution Club in London, England.

1974 - Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band appeared at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The gig was unadvertised by its promoter, who gambled that word-of-mouth would be enough to fill the 550-seat venue, only 250 people attended. Tickets cost $4.50 and $5.50 in advance.
1980 - R.E.M.
R.E.M. played their first gig as R.E.M. at the 11:11 Koffee Club, Athens, Georgia to 150 people. The show ended at 2am when police closed it down due to the venue being unlicensed.
1980 - Blondie
Blondie went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Call Me', featured in the Richard Gere movie 'American Gigolo', the track was also a No.1 in the UK.

1980 - Brian Johnson
32 year old English singer Brian Johnson joined Australian group AC/DC, replacing Bon Scott who had died after a drinks binge in February 1980. Johnson's first band was the Gobi Desert Canoe Club. He was also in a band called Fresh. From 1970, Johnson played with cabaret/club band The Jasper Hart Band, performing songs from the musical Hair. He and other members of the band went on to form Geordie.
1980 - Crystal Gayle
For the first time ever the Top five artists on the US country chart were all female, Crystal Gayle who was at No.1, with Dottie West, Debbie Boone, Emmylou Harris and Tammy Wynette making up the rest of the Top 5.
1985 - Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams was on the UK album chart with Reckelss. His fourth studio album was the first Canadian album to sell more than one million units within Canada. Six singles were released from the album: ‘Run to You,’ ‘Somebody,’ ‘Heaven,’ ‘Summer of '69,’ ‘One Night Love Affair,’ and ‘It's Only Love.’ All six singles made the top 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, a feat that at the time had been accomplished previously only by Michael Jackson's Thriller.
1986 - George Michael
George Michael was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Different Corner', the singers second solo No.1. Michael became the first solo act in the history of the UK chart to reach No.1 with his first two releases. The song was also credited with being the second No.1 (after 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' by Stevie Wonder), which was written, sung, played, arranged and produced by the same person.
1986 - Prince
Prince started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Kiss.' Prince also had the No.2 song 'Manic Monday', by The Bangles, which he wrote under the pseudonym 'Christopher.'
1993 - Steve Douglas
American saxophonist and flautist Steve Douglas died aged 54. He recorded with Duane Eddy, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley Willy DeVille, Bob Dylan Ramones and others.
1995 - Stone Roses
The Stone Roses played their first gig in five years when the appeared at The Rockefeller Club, Oslo, Norway.
1997 - Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson attended an unveiling of a wax statue of himself at the Grevin Museum of Wax in Paris, France. Jackson provided one of his own outfits to dress the figure.
1998 - Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut solo album Life Thru A Lens. The album spent a total of 218 weeks on the UK chart, with sales of 2.4 million copies.
2000 - Phil Collins
Phil Collins won £250,000 in a high court case over royalties with two former members of his band. The judge ruled that they had been overpaid in error but because the two musicians had no other income they would not have to pay it back.
2002 - Oasis
Police were investigating how tracks from the forthcoming Oasis album 'Heathen Chemistry' had been illegally circulated on the Internet. They thought the person responsible had access to their private recording sessions.
2003 - Conrad Leonard
The oldest working musician in Britain, Conrad Leonard died aged 104. Composer and pianist Leonard had worked with Cole Porter, Petula Clark and at the BBC during his career. Until the age of 103 years, he played the piano every Thursday at lunchtime in the Plantation Cafe at Squire's Garden Centre in Twickenham.
2005 - Richard Lewis
Richard Lewis American tenor with 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.
2005 - Elvis Presley
It was announced that two 30-second television commercials designed to attract vacationing families to Graceland to experience the "real" Elvis Presley would air nationally in the US starting in April 2006. It was the first time in the history of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. that the company has used television advertising to promote Graceland tourism.
2010 - The Beatles
A week after Catholic Church officials published an article in the Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano newspaper that said they forgive John Lennon's remarks about The Beatles being "bigger than Jesus", Ringo Starr rejected their forgiveness. The newspaper's editors had written, "The Beatles said they were bigger than Jesus and put out mysterious messages, that were possibly even Satanic... (but) what would Pop music be like without the Beatles?" Ringo was unimpressed and replied "Didn't the Vatican say we were Satanic or possibly Satanic? And they've still forgiven us? I think the Vatican, they've got more to talk about than the Beatles."
2012 - Levon Helm
Levon Helm, died of throat cancer aged 71. A drummer, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Helm formed his own high school band, the Jungle Bush Beaters, at 17, he later joined The Hawks (who became Bob Dylan's backing group) who then became known as The Band. He sang on Band classics like 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,' 'Up on Cripple Creek,' 'Rag Mama Rag,' and 'The Weight.'
2012 - Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen's former manager was jailed for 18 months for harassing the singer-songwriter. Kelley Lynch was found guilty by a Los Angeles court after a sending a torrent of expletive-strewn emails and letters to the star. She was also sentenced to five months probation and ordered to attend anger-management courses. Cohen thanked the court for the "even-handed and elegant manner in which these proceedings have unfolded".
2014 - Justin Bieber
The White House refused to comment on a campaign to deport Justin Bieber from the US. Around 275,000 people had signed a petition on its website calling for the Canadian singer to be removed from the country. The campaign had been set up in January of this year when the 20-year-old was arrested on suspicion of drink and drug-driving and illegal drag racing.

April 21st
1958 - Marvin Rainwater
US country music singer Marvin Rainwater was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Whole Lotta Woman'. Rainwater was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian, known for wearing Native American-themed outfits on stage.
1962 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Good Luck Charm', his fifth US No.1 of the 60s. Also an UK No.1 hit.
1967 - The Beatles
Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles completed the sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The final recordings were a short section of gibberish and noise which would follow 'A Day in the Life', in the run-out groove. They recorded assorted noises and voices, which engineer Geoff Emerick then cut-up and randomly re-assembled and edits backwards. At John Lennon's suggestion, they also added a high-pitch 15 kilocycle whistle audible only by dogs. These were omitted from the American version of the album.

1969 - Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin appeared at The Royal Albert Hall, London, (her first London appearance). The opening act was Yes.
1970 - Tyrannosaurus Rex
Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spooky Tooth, Jackie Lomax, Elton John (making his solo concert debut) and Heavy Jelly all appeared at The Roundhouse, London, tickets cost 25 shillings.

1973 - Tony Orlando
Tony Orlando & Dawn started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree', (it became the biggest seller of 1973, selling over 6 million copies). The song was based on a true story of a prisoner who wrote to his wife asking her to tie a yellow ribbon around an oak tree in the town square in White Oak, Georgia, if she still loved him.
1976 - The Rolling Stones
Women Against Violence Against Women called for a boycott of all Warner Communications albums because of the promotional campaign for The Rolling Stones' new album Black and Blue. The album was being promoted with a controversial advertising campaign that depicted the model Anita Russell, bruised and bound, under the phrase ‘I'm Black and Blue from the Rolling Stones - and I love it!’

1978 - Sandy Denny
UK folk singer Sandy Denny died aged 31. While on holiday with her parents in Cornwall, England, Denny was injured in a fall down a staircase. A month after the fall she collapsed at a friend's home; four days later she died in Hospital, her death was ruled to be the result of a traumatic mid-brain hemorrhage. She was a member of Fairport Convention and a solo artist. Her 1967 song 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes', was covered by Judy Collins. Denny sang on the Led Zeppelin track 'Battle Of Evermore' on the bands fourth album, (the only guest vocalist on a Led Zeppelin album).
1982 - Joe Strummer
Clash frontman Joe Strummer disappeared for three weeks, which resulted in the group cancelling a tour. The singer was found living rough in Paris, France.
1984 - Phil Collins
Phil Collins started a three week run at No.1 in the US singles chart with the theme from 'Against All Odds'. It was Phil's first US No.1, a No. 2 in the UK.
1990 - Paul McCartney
Paul McCartneyplayed in front of 184,000 fans at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Jnaeiro, creating a new world record for the largest crowd attending a rock concert.

1990 - Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O’Connor started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with her version of the Prince song 'Nothing Compares To You'. The track was also a No.1 hit in 18 other countries. The video was shot in Paris, and consists almost solely of a close-up on O'Connor's face as she sings the lyrics. Towards the end of the video, two tears roll down her face. The clip won Best Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards - the first video by a female artist to win in this category.

2000 - Neal Matthews
Neal Matthews of The Jordanaires died of a heart attack. Sang on Presley's 'Don't Be Cruel' and 'Hound Dog.' Also worked with Ricky Nelson, Patsy Cline, Red Foley, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, George Jones, Marie Osmond, Tom Jones and Merle Haggard.
2001 - Peter Buck
R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck was charged by police at Heathrow airport with being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting British Airways crew. Buck was taken into custody after landing on a flight from Seattle and questioned by police for 12 hours.

2002 - Oasis
Oasis went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Hindu Times', the bands sixth UK No.1 and the first single to be released from their fifth album Heathen Chemistry.
2004 - Shane MacGowan
Former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan was attacked in a London pub. The singer was assaulted at the Joiner's Arms pub in central London and suffered a fractured cheekbone after being kicked, punched and hit with a metal bar. Two men, aged 20 and 21, were arrested and later released on bail.
2007 - Keith Richards
Doris Richards died of cancer. The 91-year-old mother of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards bought her son his first guitar for his 15th birthday. He learned some chords from her father, Gus Dupree, a musician who instilled him with an early passion for music.
2008 - Al Wilson
American soul singer and songwriter Al Wilson died of kidney failure at the age of 68. Wilson had a number of US hits, including The 'Snake' in 1968 and 'Show and Tell' in 1974.
2013 - Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris made chart history by becoming the first artist to have eight top 10 hits from one studio album. His track 'I Need Your Love', featuring singer Ellie Goulding, climbed to No.7 on the Official UK Chart. The DJ and producer from Dumfries, Scotland had overtaken Michael Jackson, who previously held the record with seven top 10 hits from both his 1987 album Bad and his 1991 record Dangerous.
2014 - Robin Thicke
Robin Thicke's controversial hit single Blurred Lines was named the UK's most-downloaded song of all time. The song had sold 1.54 million copies since it was released in May 2013, despite criticisms of its explicit lyrics. About 20 university student unions banned the track, saying it promoted "date rape culture", an accusation Thicke consistently denied.
2015 - AC/DC
Phil Rudd, drummer of AC/DC, changed his plea to guilty on a charge of a threat to kill, in a court in Tauranga, New Zealand. The court heard Rudd was unhappy about his album's launch party and asked for a former employee to be "taken out". He had previously denied the charge. He also pleaded guilty to cannabis and methamphetamine possession. The court heard that he had fired a number of employees last August after the launch of his solo album, Head Job.
2016 - Prince
Prince was found dead at his home in Minnesota at the age of 57, after Police were summoned to his Paisley Park estate and found his body in a lift. The acclaimed and influential musician became a global superstar in the 1980s, with albums such as 1999, Purple Rain and Sign O' the Times and recorded more than 30 albums.
2016 - Adele
Adele was named as Britain's richest ever female musician, in the latest Sunday Times Rich List. A list of the top 50 music millionaires in the UK and Ireland placed the singer's £85m fortune in 30th place - an increase of £35m compared to last year.
2016 - Lonnie Mack
American rock, blues and country singer-guitarist Lonnie Mack died of natural causes in hospital near his log-cabin home, seventy miles east of Nashville, Tennessee. In the early 1960s, he was a "pioneer" in virtuoso rock guitar soloing whose recordings were pivotal to the emergence of the electric guitar as a lead voice in rock music. For this, it has been said that he launched the era of "modern rock guitar". He scored the hit single instrumentals, 'Memphis' and 'Wham!'

April 22nd
1957 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley had his custom built 'Music Gates' installed at Gracelands. The gates were designed by Abe Saucer and custom built by John Dillars Jr, of Memphis Doors inc.
1964 - The Rolling Stones
The President of The National Federation Of Hairdressers offered a free haircut to the next No.1 group in the UK pop charts. He said The Rolling Stones are the worst, one of them looks as if he's got a feather duster on his head.'

1965 - The Beatles
The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Ticket To Ride.' Taken from the film Help! it was the group's seventh UK No.1.

1966 - Bruce Springsteen
Two dozen local group's appeared at a ‘battle of the bands’ gig in Matawan Keyport Roller Drome in New Jersey. All acts performed three songs each. The Rogues won first place, second was Sonny & The Starfires, and third place went to The Castiles, (with Bruce Springsteen on vocals). The three winners were given an opportunity to perform at the Roller Drome the following week as part of a major concert headlined by The Crystals.
1966 - Reg Presley
'Wild Thing' by The Troggs (who were originally called The Troglodytes) was released in the U.S. on both the Atco and Fontana labels. The song went on to reach No.1. Fronted by Reg Presley, 'Wild Thing' became a major influence on garage rock and punk rock.

1967 - Davy Jones
In the most popular Monkee poll conducted in the music paper Disc & Music Echo, Davy Jones received 63% of the votes, Mickey Dolenz 22%, Peter Tork 8% and Mike Nesmith 7%.
1972 - Deep Purple
Deep Purple scored their second UK No.1 album with Machine Head. The album which features 'Smoke on the Water' and 'Highway Star', is often cited as a major influence in the early development of the heavy metal music genre and commercially, it was Deep Purple's most successful album.

1977 - The Jam
The Jam released their first single 'In The City', which peaked at No. 40 in the UK charts. The English punk rock/mod revival formed in Woking, Surrey, fronted by Paul Weller, achieved 18 other Top 40 hits including four UK No.1's.

1978 - Bob Marley
Bob Marley and the Wailers performed at the 'One Love Peace Concert' in Jamaica. It was Marley's first public appearance in Jamaica since being wounded in an assassination attempt a year and a half earlier.

1989 - Madonna
Madonna started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Like A Prayer', the singers seventh US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK.
1991 - Dave Matthews
The Dave Matthews Band played their first ever-live show when they appeared at The Earth Day festival in Charlottesville, Virginia.
2001 - Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Survivor.' Their second chart topper, they were the first US female band to have more than one UK No.1. The song won the trio a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Group.
2003 - Felice Bryant
Songwriter Felice Bryant died of cancer. Wrote many hits with her husband Boudleaux including; The Everly Brothers, 'Bye Bye Love', 'All I Have To Do Is Dream', 'Wake Up Little Susie' and 'Raining In My Heart' a hit for Buddy Holly. Other acts to record their song include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, Simon And Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughan, Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, Count Basie, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles.
2007 - Beyonce & Shakira
Beyonce & Shakira were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Beautiful Liar'. The track won the Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration award at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards and the song won an Ivor Novello Award for Best-Selling British Song.
2008 - Tommy Steele
It was revealed that 60s singer Tommy Steele took Elvis Presley on a secret tour of London in 1958 after Presley struck up a friendship with Steele. When the rock legend flew into London for a day, Steele apparently took him round the city, showing him famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament. For more than 50 years, Presley fans had believed the only time Elvis ever set foot in the UK was during a stop-over at Prestwick Airport in Scotland in March 1960.
2013 - Richie Havens
Richie Havens, the folk singer who opened the legendary 1969 Woodstock rock festival, died of a heart attack at 72. He died at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey.

April 23rd
1956 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore and Bill Black), played the first night of a two-week engagement (playing 2 shows a day) at the New Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas. Presley was not the typical Las Vegas Strip entertainer of the time and his shows were met with a cool reception.
1960 - Paul McCartney
The Nerk Twins appeared at The Fox And Hounds in Caversham, Berkshire, England. The Nerk Twins being John Lennon and Paul McCartney who were staying at Paul's aunt's pub.

1963 - The Rolling Stones
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones met for the first time during a Stones performance at the Crawdaddy Club. The music venue in Richmond, Surrey, also saw performances by Led Zeppelin, Long John Baldry, Elton John and and Rod Stewart.

1969 - The Beatles
The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Get Back' the group's 16th UK No.1. Credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston", it was the Beatles' only single that credited another artist, 'Get Back' was also the Beatles' first single release in true stereo in the US.

1971 - Andy Warhol
The Rolling Stones released their classic album Sticky Fingers in the UK. The band's first release on their own label via Atlantic Records, the cover was designed by Andy Warhol, who was paid $15,000 for his efforts. The LP sleeve featured a close-up of a pair of jeans with a working zip. Widely assumed to be that of Mick Jagger, the crotch photographed for the cover was actually that of actor Joe Dallesandro.

1976 - Ramones
Ramones released their eponymous debut album. The front cover depicts the band members standing in a line leaning against a brick wall, taken by Roberta Bayley. The cover was ranked No.58 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Album Covers.
1977 - Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Don't Leave Me This Way', a No.13 hit in the UK.
1978 - Sid Vicious
Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious filmed his version of 'My Way' for the Sex Pistols film 'The Great Rock n Roll Swindle.'
1979 - Doug Rauch
American bassist Doug Rauch died of a heroin overdose in San Francisco, at the age of 28. He was most famous for his work with Carlos Santana during his jazz fusion period in the early 1970s and had also worked with Carly Simon, John McLaughlin and David Bowie.
1983 - U2
U2 kicked off their 48-date 'War' North American tour at The Carolina Concert For Children benefit, Chapel Hill, Carolina.
1983 - David Bowie
David Bowie started a three week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with the Nile Rodgers produced 'Let's Dance', featuring the title track which made No. 1 on the US and UK singles chart and 'China Girl.'
1987 - Carole King
Carole King sued record company owner Lou Adler for breach of contract. King claimed that she was owed over $400,000 in royalties. She also asked for all rights to her old recordings.
1988 - Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son', their second No.1 LP.
1988 - Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison celebrated his 52nd birthday at a Bruce Springsteen concert, during which the audience sang happy birthday to him.
1988 - Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston smashed a chart record held by The Beatles and The Bee Gees when 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go', became her seventh consecutive US No.1, a No.14 hit in the UK.
1991 - Johnny Thunders
Founder member of The New York Dolls Johnny Thunders (John Anthony Genzale, Jr), died of a drug overdose. He renamed himself Johnny Thunders, after a comic book of the same name. The influential New York Dolls formed in 1972 and made just two albums. A teenage Morrissey acted as president of the UK branch of the New York Dolls fan club. Formed The Heartbreakers with Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan, and Television bassist Richard Hell.
1992 - George Michael
George Michael announced he was donating $500,000 royalties from the sale of 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', to various British and American charities.
1994 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were at No.1 on the UK album chart with The Division Bell, their fourth UK No.1 album.
1995 - The Beatles
Peter Hodgson, from Liverpool found a tape in his attic containing 16 of The Beatles earliest recordings made in 1959. The tape included 'Hello Little Girl', a Lennon-McCartney composition that the Beatles never recorded and Ray Charles' 'Hallelujah, I Love Her So'. The sessions had been made on a reel-to-reel recorder that Hodgson's father had lent to Paul McCartney.

1997 - Peter Andre
Club boss Paul Donavan was fined over £2,000 after being found guilty of tricking fans that he had Peter Andre appearing at his Club in the West Midlands. He had in fact an act called Peter Andrex a puppet who threw toilet rolls.
2008 - Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora was sentenced to three years probation after admitting to driving under the influence of alcohol. 48-year-old Sambora who was not at the court hearing would also have to attend first offender alcohol awareness classes. He was arrested in Laguna Beach after his car was seen weaving between traffic lanes.
2008 - Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse went out on a drink and drug-fuelled spree and hit and head-butted two men. After drinking all day, Amy visited the Good Mixer pub in Camden, London with Babyshambles guitarist Mik Whitnall. Inside she allegedly punched Mustapha el Mounmi in the face after he refused to give way to her at the pool table. The singer then left to visit Bar Tok in the early hours and once at the bar shouted "I am a legend get these people out. I want to take drugs." After leaving the bar a good Samaritan tried to get her a cab, but she reportedly thought he was trying to molest her and allegedly head-butted him in the face.
2012 - Chris Ethridge
American country rock bass guitarist Chris Ethridge died age 65 from pancreatic cancer. He was a member of the International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Ethridge also worked with Nancy Sinatra, Leon Russell, Delaney Bramlett, Johnny Winter, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Jackson Browne, and Willie Nelson.
2012 - Thomas "Tommy" Marth
Thomas "Tommy" Marth, the touring and studio saxophonist for the Killers, died after shooting himself in the head at his Las Vegas home. The 33-year-old musician joined the band in 2005 and played on the live tours with Brandon Flowers and co between 2008 and 2010. Tommy also performed on 2006 release Sam's Town and 2008's Day & Age.
2017 - Kerry Turman
Kerry Turman, a longtime bassist for The Temptations died of natural causes age 59 after performing at a show in Missouri. Turman had performed with The Temptations since the 1980s.
2019 - Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran was forced to knock down an outdoor sauna and ditch a huge pub sign at his £1.5 million Suffolk mansion after he failed to get planning permission. He had named his home pub after his wife Cherry Lancaster Seaborn, calling it The Lancaster Lock - but council officers weren't happy. They demanded he take down the 16ft sign after finding he'd broken planning rules during a site visit.

April 25th
1954 - Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Such A Night.' The singer's first of three UK No.1's. He became deaf in his right ear aged 13 after an accident and would later perform wearing a hearing aid. Dexys Midnight Runners' 1982 music video for 'Come On Eileen', used footage of Ray from 1954. The lyrics of the song say, "Poor old Johnnie Ray sounded sad upon the radio / he moved a million hearts in mono".
1960 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Stuck On You', his first hit single after his two-year stint in the US Army. It became his first No.1 single of the 1960s and thirteenth overall.
1967 - The Beatles
Just days after the completion of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles embarked upon their next project, recording the theme to 'Magical Mystery Tour' at Abbey Road studios in London.

1970 - Jackson Five
The Jackson Five started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'ABC'. It was the group's second US No. 1, a No.8 hit in the UK.

1974 - Pamela Courson
Pamela Courson the long-term companion of the late Jim Morrison died of a drugs overdose. It was Courson who found The Doors singer dead on July 3, 1971 in the bathtub of their apartment in Paris, France.
1977 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley made the last recordings of his life during a concert at the Saginaw, Michigan Civic Centre. Three songs from the show appeared on the posthumously released Presley album, 'Moody Blue'.
1979 - The Police
The Police made their debut on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops performing 'Roxanne'. The single which was taken from their album Outlandos d'Amour was written from the point-of-view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute.

1980 - Hugh Cornwell
Stranglers singer, guitarist Hugh Cornwell was released from a London prison after serving six weeks for possession of drugs.
1982 - Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Ebony And Ivory.' This was McCartney's 24th No.1 hit single as a songwriter. The title was inspired by McCartney hearing Spike Milligan say "black notes, white notes, and you need to play the two to make harmony folks!". It was later named as the tenth worst song of all time by Blender magazine and in 2007 was named the worst duet in history by BBC 6 Music listeners.

1987 - Madonna
Madonna went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'La Isla Bonita.' The fifth and final single from her third studio album, True Blue, made her the only female artist to score four UK No.1 singles. The song had been offered to Michael Jackson for his Bad album.
1987 - U2
U2 started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with their fifth studio album The Joshua Tree. Inspired by American tour experiences, literature, and politics, the album topped the charts in over 20 countries, and is one of the world's all-time best-selling albums, with over 25 million copies sold. The album which won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year produced the hit singles 'With or Without You', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', and 'Where the Streets Have No Name'.

1988 - Doc Mcgee
Bon Jovi's manager Doc McGee was convicted on drug offences arising from the 1982 seizure of 40,000lb of marijuana smuggled into north Carolina from Colombia. McGee was sentenced to a five year suspended prison term and a $15,000 fine.
1990 - Jimi Hendrix
The Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix played at the Woodstock festival was auctioned off for a record $295,000. His two-hour set at the 1969 festival became the longest of his career.
1994 - Eagles
The Eagles played the first of two shows where they recorded their 'Hell Freezes Over' album. Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Don Felder and Timothy B. Schmit first got back together the previous December for the making of a Travis Tritt video of their song, 'Take It Easy' The name of the album was taken from an earlier quote by Glen Frey, who responded to the question "When will the Eagles get back together?"

1997 - U2
U2's 'Pop Mart' world tour kicked off at The Las Vegas San Boyd Stadium in front of 35,000 fans. The tour featured the largest video screen in the world and would visit 80 cities around the planet.

2002 - Lisa Lopes
TLC member Lisa Lopes was killed in a car accident in La Ceiba, Honduras, aged 30. Seven other people, including Lopes' brother and sister, who were in the Mitsubishi Montero sports utility vehicle when the crash happened, were taken to a hospital. Lopes who was driving the car when it crashed had spent the past month in Honduras working on various projects including a clothing line, a new solo project and a book.
2003 - Paul McCartney
In this year's Sunday Times Rich List, Paul McCartney was confirmed as the world's richest musician with a fortune worth over £760m. Madonna was 4th in the list with £227m, Mick Jagger 6th with £175m and Elton John 7th with £170m. Ozzy Osbourne became the 24th richest musician after earning an estimated £42m from his MTV show The Osbournes. And Simon Fuller was said to have earned over £50m from sales of the 'Pop Idol' TV show.
2007 - Bobby "Boris" Pickett
American singer Bobby "Boris" Pickett died of leukaemia at the age of 69. Scored the Halloween anthem 'The Monster Mash' in 1962. The song had been banned by The BBC in the UK, deemed offensive and wasn't a hit until 1973. It was a spoof on the dance crazes popular at the time, including the Twist and the Mashed Potato.
2007 - Mick Jagger
During The Rolling Stones current world tour, aides to George Bush were told they couldn’t book a luxury five star hotel suite because Mick Jagger had already booked it. Jagger had splashed out £3,600 a night for the suite at the five-star Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria, in advance of the band's appearance there. Prior to the attempted booking, US Secret Service agents had already vetted the hotel, but to no avail.
2008 - Mariah Carey
The Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in Mariah Carey's motif colours, lavender, pink, and white, in celebration of her achievements in the world of music. Carey was the first person in history to be honoured with this event.

2009 - Snoop Dogg
A man suing rapper Snoop Dogg told a court he received a 'brutal' beating from the star's security. Richard Monroe Jr also claimed that the rapper hit him with a microphone after he climbed on stage. Mr Monroe was asking for $22m (£15m) in damages from the rapper and others. Jurors were told that as the performer started his hit 'Gin and Juice', at the White River Amphitheatre in Seattle, Mr Monroe thought there was an open invitation to go up on stage and party.

2014 - Vulfpeck
Spotify removed a album of silence by American funk band Vulfpeck from its streaming site. The band's fourth record, Sleepify, was made up of 10 tracks of silence which they encouraged fans to stream on repeat overnight. The idea was aimed at generating money so that the band could go on tour and not charge admission fees.
2016 - Nikki Sixx
Motley Crue co-founder Nikki Sixx launched a campaign asking Google to pay musicians more money when their videos appeared on YouTube. The bass player was urging Google to remember its former slogan - "Don't be evil" - in its dealings with artists.
2017 - Elton John
Sir Elton John suffered a potentially deadly bacterial infection during a tour, forcing him to spend two nights in intensive care and cancel concerts in the US. The singer became violently ill at the end of a tour of South America, requiring him to return to the UK for urgent treatment. Nine concerts that were due to be staged in Las Vegas and California were cancelled.

That sounds like a spectacular trip Pat.

That was a superb album by U2. I can never understand the hate they get - from some Irish people (well, maybe "people" isn't the right word) - on Facebook, and I assume other social media. I mean one can dislike a band, or a personality in a band, without descending to the level of abuse that's given to U2/Bono. Maybe it's just typical Irish begrudgery, or maybe something more, but I just don't get it.

Speaking of CCR Pat, John and family appeared on the TinyDesk this week (from home of course)

I figured you would be ahead of the game on anything CCR related Pat but thought I would give you the nod just in case. His children look surprisingly young for an old geezer, or maybe they are his grandkids?

April 27th
1957 - Elvis Presley
In a rare appearance outside the United States, Elvis Presley performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada where he wore his full gold lame suit for the last time.
1963 - Little Peggy March
Little Peggy March started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Will Follow Him'. At 15 years, 1 month and 13 days old, Little Peggy March became the youngest female singer to have a US No.1 record.
1965 - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan was interviewed by BBC journalist and radio presenter Jack DeManio in the Savoy Hotel, London, for the BBC’s Home Service, which was broadcast on the Today programme the following day. Later on the 27th, Dylan and Joan Baez were filmed singing the traditional song Wild Mountain Thyme in the Savoy. Parts of the interview and the song were used in the film Dont Look Back.
1966 - The Beatles
The Beatles started recording the new John Lennon song 'I'm Only Sleeping' at Abbey Road studios London, England. The song features the then-unique sound of a reversed guitar duet played by George Harrison. It was released two months earlier in the United States on the album Yesterday And Today and did not feature on the original US version of Revolver .

1967 - Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Puppet On A String', her third UK No.1 and the Eurovision Song Contest winner of 1967.
1969 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd appeared at Mothers Club in Erdington, Birmingham, England. Radio 1 DJ John Peel reviewed the gig as '...sounding like dying galaxies lost in sheer corridors of time and space'. Recordings from this show were included in the group’s 1969 album Ummagumma.
1971 - The Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead appeared at the Fillmore East in New York City. The Beach Boys also appeared on stage with the Dead, who together performed a short set of Beach Boys songs.
1974 - Bruce Springsteen
A free afternoon event was held in the parking lot of the University of Connecticut, Ice Hockey Arena in Storrs. The four acts that appeared, Aerosmith Bruce Springsteen, Fairport Convention and Fat Back. Springsteen then went on to play another gig that evening at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.
1976 - David Bowie
Customs officers on a train at the Russian/Polish Border detained David Bowie, after Nazi books and mementoes were found in his luggage. Bowie claimed that the material was being used for research on a movie project about Nazi propaganda leader Joseph Paul Goebbels.
1981 - Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr married actress and one time 'Bond girl' Barbara Bach. The pair met while filming the movie, Caveman, with Dennis Quaid and Shelley Long. In attendance at the wedding were George Harrison and Paul McCartney.

1985 - USA For Africa
USA For Africa started a three-week run at No.1 on the US chart with 'We Are The World'. The US artists' answer to Band Aid had an all-star cast including Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Ray Charles, Billy Joel and Paul Simon plus the composer's of the track, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.
1990 - Spandau Ballet
The British film drama The Krays opened. Based on the lives and crimes of the English gangster twins Ronald and Reginald Kray, the film starred Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp as Ronnie Kray Martin Kemp as Reggie Kray.
1996 - Oasis
Oasis played the first of two nights at Manchester's Maine Road football ground as a 'thank you' to their fans, the 80,000 tickets sold out in hours.
1999 - Verve
UK band The Verve announced that they had split. They scored the 1997 UK No.1 single 'The Drugs Don't Work' and their 1997 UK No.1 album 'Urban Hymns' spent over 100 weeks on the UK chart. Leader of the group Richard Ashcroft went solo scoring the 2000 UK No.3 single 'A Song For The Lovers' and the 2000 UK No.1 album 'Alone With Everybody.'

2003 - Madonna
Madonna went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'American Life', the singers eighth No.1 album. Also a US No.1 album.
2008 - The Last Shadow Puppets
The Last Shadow Puppets went to No.1 on the UK album charts with 'The Age of the Understatement', a side project of Alex Turner of Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of Liverpool band The Rascals.
2009 - Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament was the victim of a robbery outside Southern Tracks Recording studios in Atlanta, where the band were recording. Ament and a band employee had arrived at the rear of the studio when three assailants brandishing knives emerged from the woods wearing black masks and smashed the windows of a rented Jeep. The robbers grabbed a BlackBerry and Ament's passport and stole $3,000 in cash and $4,320 worth of goods.
2009 - Aerosmith
Aerosmith were to hold a free concert in Hawaii to placate angry fans who brought a legal case against them. Fans filed a class action case, which claimed the band had cancelled a sold-out show in Maui two years ago, leaving hundreds of fans out of pocket in favour of a bigger gig in Chicago. Lawyers for the would-be concert-goers said Aerosmith had now agreed to put on a new show, and would pay all expenses. Everyone who bought a ticket to the original concert would receive a free ticket.
2010 - Music Sales
Music sales in the UK had grown for the first time in six years, according to music industry body the British Phonographic Institute (BPI). Revenue increased by 1.4%, bringing the total income for 2009 to £928.8m. Download sales provided the shot in the arm, rising by more than 50% to earn £154m, compared with £101.5m in 2008.
2013 - Peter Ham
A blue plaque was unveiled at Swansea railway station, Wales, honouring Peter Ham who co-wrote 'Without You', a hit for both Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey. Ham who was a member of Badfinger were signed to The Beatles Apple Records label, (and enjoyed their biggest hit in 1970 with a Paul McCartney penned, 'Come And Get It'. Ham took his own life in 1975 at the age of 27.