On This Day

May 23rd: On this Day

1960, The Everly Brothers started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Cathy's Clown', which also spent seven weeks at No.1 in the UK. It became the Everly Brothers' biggest hit single and their third and final US chart topper, selling eight million copies worldwide.

1964, Ella Fitzgerald became the first artist to have a hit with a Beatles cover when her version of 'Can't Buy Me Love' entered the UK chart.

1970, Paul McCartney's debut solo album, 'McCartney', started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart. Apart from Linda McCartney's vocal contributions, McCartney performed (and recorded) the entire album solo. The album featured 'Maybe I'm Amazed', which Rod Stewart and The Faces featured on their 1971 album Long Player.

1970, The Beatles 12th and final studio album 'Let It Be' started a three week run at No.1 on the UK chart, featuring 'The Long And Winding Road', 'Across The Universe' and the title track.

1970, The Grateful Dead played their first gig outside the US at 'The Hollywood Rock Music Festival', in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffs, England.

1973, Jefferson Airplane were prevented from giving a free concert in Golden Gate Park when San Francisco authorities passed a resolution banning electronic instruments. The group later wrote 'We Built this City' about the ban.

1974, George Harrison announced the launch of his own record label, 'Dark Horse.'

1978, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off their 117 show Darkness Tour at Shea's Buffalo, in Buffalo, New York.

1979, Due to a record company dispute, Tom Petty was forced to file for bankruptcy owing $575,000 (£338,235). A long-running battle with his record company followed.

1982, The UK Musicians Union moved a resolution to ban synthesizers and drum rhythm machines from sessions and live concerts fearing that their use would put musicians out of work.

1987, Twelve former members of the Doobie Brothers reunited for a charity concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The show raised $350,000 for Vietnam veterans, about two-thousand of whom attended the show for free.

1991, Photographer Michael Lavine took what would be the publicity shots for Nirvana's Nevermind album at Jay Aaron Studios in Los Angeles. The idea for the front cover shot of the baby swimming was taken after Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl saw a TV documentary on water babies and was taken by Kirk Weddle. Several babies were used; five-month old Spencer Eldon's photo came out best.

1992, A statement issued by Freddie Mercury's attorneys stated that Mercury had bequeathed the majority of his estate (£10 million - $17 million) to his long-time friend Mary Austin.

2000, Noel Gallagher walked out on his band Oasis during a European tour. The move was put down to a series of burst-ups with his brother Liam. The band drafted in replacement guitarist Matt Deighton for the rest of the European dates.

2002, 'Up For Grabs' opened at London's Wyndham's Theatre featuring Madonna in the lead role. The first night crowd complained that the singer was lacking in vocal power and strained to hear her lines.

2002, Winners at the 47th Ivor Novello awards included, Dido for Songwriter of the year, Best song went to U2, 'Walk On.' Kylie Minogue won The Dance Award and Most Performed Work and International Hit for 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head.' Hear'say won Bestselling UK single for 'Pure And Simple'. Mick Hucknall won Outstanding Song collection and Kate Bush was awarded Outstanding Contribution to British music.

2006, The King of Sweden presented the surviving members of Led Zeppelin with the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm recognising them as "great pioneers" of rock music. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were joined by the daughter of drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980. The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group ABBA who named it after his record label, Polar Records.

2009, Amy Winehouse cancelled her appearance at a concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Island Records. The event, scheduled to take place on 31st May at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire, had now been cancelled completely, her management said.

2010, The Rolling Stones scored their first UK No.1 album for 16 years with the re-release of their classic 1972 double LP Exile On Main Street. The album, which was first released in 1972, had been reissued with previously unheard tracks. Their last No.1 album was 1994's Voodoo Lounge.

2012, Erasmus MC University Medical Center in the Netherlands announced they had drawn clear links between listening to loud music, smoking marijuana and having "risky" sex. The study, published in the Official Journal of the American Academy Of Pediatrics, revealed that young people who listened to loud music on their MP3 players were more likely to have sparked up a joint in the last month. The researchers, surveyed 944 students from inner-city vocational schools aged 15 to 25.

2014, The parents of a camera assistant who was killed after being hit by a train while shooting footage for a biopic about Gregg Allman were suing the musician and the film's producers. The case claimed film-makers "selected an unreasonably dangerous site for the filming location" and failed to take actions to adequately protect the crew.

May 24th: On this Day

1956, The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland. The event was the brainchild of Marcel Baisoncon of the European Broadcasting Union. Seven countries participated and they were each allowed two songs. Both Luxembourg and the winner Switzerland used the same singer for both. Switzerland won with 'Refrain' by Lys Assia.

1962, Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Good Luck Charm' his 11th UK No.1 single. It completed his second hat-trick of chart topping singles in the UK.

1963, US blues guitarist and singer Elmore James died of a heart attack aged 45. James wrote 'Shake Your Money Maker', which was covered by Fleetwood Mac in 1968. Known as "The King of the Slide Guitar", James influenced Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Keith Richards.

1963, The Beatles recorded the first of their very own BBC radio program, "Pop Go the Beatles". The theme song for the program was a version of "Pop Goes the Weasel". The Beatles' guests for this first show were the Lorne Gibson Trio.

1966, Captain Beefheart appeared at the Whisky a Go Go. West Hollywood, California. Supported by Buffalo Springfield and The Doors.

1968, The Rolling Stones released the single 'Jumpin Jack Flash' in the UK, the track gave them their seventh UK No.1 hit. Keith Richards has stated that he and Jagger wrote the lyrics while staying at Richards' country house, where they were awoken one morning by the sound of gardener Jack Dyer walking past the window. When Jagger asked what the noise was, Richards responded: "Oh, that's Jack – that's jumpin' Jack."

1969, Bob Dylan's album Nashville Skyline peaked at No.3 in the US chart. The singer's ninth album, it also scored Dylan his fourth UK No.1. The album featured 'Lay Lady Lay', which became one of Dylan's biggest pop hits, reaching No.7 in the US, his biggest single in three years.

1969, The Beatles with Billy Preston started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Get Back', the group's 17th US 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.

1970, Peter Green played his last gig with Fleetwood Mac when they appeared at the Bath Festival, Somerset, England.

1974, David Bowie released his eighth studio album Diamond Dogs. The cover art features Bowie as a striking half-man, half-dog grotesque painted by Belgian artist Guy Peellaert. It was controversial as the full painting clearly showed the hybrid's genitalia.

1975, Earth, Wind & Fire went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Shining Star', the group's first and only US No.1.

1980, Genesis fans turning up at the Roxy Club box office in Los Angeles to buy tickets for a forthcoming gig were surprised to find the band members Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford selling the tickets themselves.

1991, Founder member of The Byrds Gene Clark died of a heart attack aged 49. Wrote The Byrds hits 'I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better', and 'Eight Miles High', member of McGuinn, Clark and Hillman and solo.

1997, Hanson started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'MMMBop', the brothers first US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK. 'MMMBop' was phenomenally successful, especially for a debut single, reaching No.1 in 27 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Mexico.

1997, The Spice Girls went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Spice', making them only the third all girl group to do so after The Supremes and The Go-Go's and the first ever UK girl group to do so.

1999, Queen singer Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, was honoured on a new set of millennium stamps issued by the Royal Mail. Mercury, who featured on the 19p stamp, was a keen stamp collector, and his collection was bought by the Post Office in 1993. The stamp marked his contribution to the Live Aid charity concert in 1985, and caused controversy by featuring a small portion of Queen’s drummer, Roger Taylor, in the background - UK stamps by tradition only carry pictures of living persons who are members of the Royal Family.

2000, A New York Judge told Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde that if she wanted her March arrest for protesting the sale of leather goods in a Gap store dismissed, she'd better keep her nose clean for the next six months.

2000, Andrea and Sharon Corr from The Corrs both collapsed in the mid-day sun whilst shooting their new video in the Mojave Desert in California. The pair were treated in hospital for heat exhaustion and were back on the set within 24 hours.

2003, Paul McCartney made his first ever live performance in Russia when he appeared in-front of 20,000 fans in Red Square.

2004, Madonna kicked off the North American leg of her Re-invention World Tour by playing three sold out nights at The Los Angeles Forum. The tour became the top grossing of the year, with ticket sales of nearly $125 million, with over 900,000 fans attending the 60 date tour. As a follower of the Kabbalah, Madonna didn't play any Friday night gigs as the teaching of the religion forbids it.

2007, Amy Winehouse, Madonna and Arctic Monkeys were among the winners at this years Ivor Novello Awards. Winehouse won best contemporary song for her hit ‘Rehab’, while Madonna collected the international hit of the year for ‘Sorry.’ Sheffield-based band Arctic Monkeys collected the best album award for ‘Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not.’

2009, Billy Joel was being sued by his former drummer for hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties. Liberty Devitto, claimed that Joel hadn't paid him proper royalties for 10 years of his work. Devitto was Joel's drummer from 1975 until 2005, when he said he was abruptly thrown out of the band. He said: "People get fired, they get severance or insurance for a certain period of time. I didn't even get a phone call. It was cold."

2010, Paul Gray, the bassist with US metal band Slipknot, was found dead in a hotel in Des Moines, Iowa. The body of the 38-year-old musician was found by an employee at the hotel in a suburb of the city. Police said foul play was not suspected, but an autopsy would be carried out. The nine members of Slipknot wore masks in public and referred to other bandmates by numbers; Gray was number two.

2017, Sonny West, one of the original members of Elvis Presley's Memphis Mafia, died of lung cancer at the age of 79. Joining Elvis in 1960, he was abruptly fired, along with his cousin Red and bodyguard Dave Hebler, in 1976 without explanation. The following year he co-authored the book Elvis, What Happened?.

Excellent stuff, 23 and 24 May. I assume Frank, you're well familiar with this track, but if not, have a listen to "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic. You may find it seems a bit dreary at the start, but stick with it - some of the lead guitar work is absolutely spine-tingling (well, I think so).

May 25th: Born on this day

1921, Born on this day, Hal David, American songwriter, pianist and arranger, who with Burt Bacharach wrote many classic songs including, 'Close To You', '24 Hours From Tulsa', 'Make It Easy On Yourself', 'Magic Moments', 'I Say A Little Prayer'. He won two Oscars for the film score to 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and for 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head'. David died from from complications from a stroke on 1st Sept 2012 aged 91.

1936, Born on this day, American soul singer and songwriter Donnie Elbert, who had a 1972 US No.22 & UK No.11 single with ‘I Can’t Help Myself, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch’ and a hit with 'A Little Piece of Leather'. He died on January 26th 1989.

1936, Born on this day, Tom T. Hall, country music singer-songwriter. Hall has written 11 No.1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including 'Harper Valley PTA' a hit for Jeannie C. Riley in 1968. He became known as 'The Storyteller,' due to his storytelling skills in his songwriting.

1942, Born on this day, Brian Davison, from English progressive rock band The Nice, who had the 1968 UK hit single an instrumental rearrangement of Leonard Bernstein's 'America'. He died on 15 April 2008.

1943, Born on this day, English rock musician John Palmer from Family who scored the 1971 UK No.4 single 'In My Own Time' and the 1973 single 'My Friend The Sun'.

1947, Born on this day, Mitchel Margo, from American male doo-wop-style vocal group The Tokens who had the 1961 US No.1 & UK No.11 single with its cover of Solomon Linda's 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'.

1948, Born on this day, Klaus Meine, from German rock band Scorpions. Their 1990 power ballad 'Wind Of Change' topped the European charts and was a No.4 hit in the US. The Scorpions hold the record for the best-selling single by a German artist and band.

1950, Born on this day, Jean Millington, from American all-female band Fanny who were active in the early 1970s. They were one of the first notable rock groups to be made up entirely of women.

1950, Born on this day, Robert Steinhardt, from American rock band Kansas, who scored the 1978 US No.3 single 'Dust In The Wind', and the 1978 hit single 'Carry On Wayward Son'. which was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No.1 in 1997.

1955, Born on this day, John Grimaldi, from English rock band Argent who had the 1972 UK No.5 single 'Hold Your Head Up' and the hit and 'God Gave Rock and Roll to You'.

1958, Born on this day, English singer, songwriter, musician Paul Weller, who with The Jam had the 1980 UK No.1 single 'Going Underground' plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles. With The Style Council the 1983 UK No.3 single 'Long Hot Summer', plus 14 other UK Top 40 singles). As a solo artist the 1995 UK No.7 single 'The Changing Man' and four UK No.1 albums. Weller has received four Brit Awards, winning the award for Best British Male twice, and the 2006 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

1959, Born on this day, Rick Smith, keyboards, from British electronic music group Underworld who had the 1996 UK No.2 single 'Born Slippy'.

1975, Born on this day, American singer, songwriter, rapper Lauryn Hill, who with The Fugees had the 1996 UK No.1 single 'Killing Me Softly'. As a solo artists had the 1998 UK No.3 single 'Doo Wop, That Thing', and the 1998 US No.1 & UK No.2 album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.

1980, Born on this day, Joe King, guitarist, vocals, from American rock band The Fray who scored the 2005 US Top 3 single ‘How to Save a Life’. The group's self-titled, second album, released in 2009, debuted at No.1 on the Billboard charts.

Also - I'm sure you know that Keith Moon suggested the name "Led Zeppelin" to the band. Can't remember the story, but I've read it as fact a couple of times.

(Apropos of nothing: embarrassing band names - I remember, a very long time ago, blushing furiously when my mother asked me what record I was listening to, and I had to say it was by Blodwyn Pig! Dunno why, that just seemed at the time to be a really stupid name. A lot worse since, I suppose ...)

May 26th: Born on this day

1904, Born on this day, George Formby, UK singing comedian and ukulele player. He made over 20 films and his best-known song is 'Leaning On A Lamp Post'. He was made an OBE in 1946, and died on March 6th 1961. Formby was a major influence on George Harrison

1920, Born on this day, American singer, actress, Peggy Lee, (real name: Norma Dolores Egstrom) who had the 1958 US No. 8 & UK No.5 single 'Fever', and worked with Benny Goodman, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones. She was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning Best Contemporary Vocal Performance for her 1969 hit ‘Is That All There Is'. She died on 21st January 2002.

1926, Born on this day, Miles Davis, jazz trumpeter and composer who had a 1959 album with Kind of Blue. He was a major influence on jazz music. Davis died on September 28th 1991.

1938, Born on this day, Jaki Liebezeit, German drummer, best known as a founding member of Can.Liebezeit died of pneumonia on 22 January 2017.

1940, Born on this day, Levon Helm, drummer and singer with The Band. He died of throat cancer aged 71 on 19th April 2012. Helm formed his own high school band, the Jungle Bush Beaters, at 17, he later joined The Hawks (Ronnie Hawkins's backing group), who then became known as The Band and also backed Bob Dylan on his US tour in 1965 and world tour in 1966. Helm sang on Band classics like 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,' 'Up on Cripple Creek,' 'Rag Mama Rag,' and 'The Weight.'

1941, Born on this day, Art Sharp, from English rock band, Nashville Teens who scored the 1964 UK No.6 single and US Top 20 hit 'Tobacco Road'.

1942, Born on this day, Ray Ennis, from British Merseybeat band The Swinging Blue Jeans who had the 1964 UK No.2 single 'Hippy Hippy Shake' and the hit and 'You're No Good'.

1945, Born on this day, English musician Verden Allen a founding member of 1970s rock band Mott The Hoople, who had the 1972 UK No.3 & US No.37 single 'All The Young Dudes' which was written for them by David Bowie. Other hits include, 'All the Way from Memphis' and 'Roll Away the Stone'.

1945, Born on this day, Gary Peterson, drummer from Canadian rock band Guess Who who had the 1970 US No.1 & UK No.19 single 'American Woman'.

1946, Born on this day, English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer Mick Ronson. He was a member of The Rats, then worked with David Bowie from 1970, (1972 UK album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars). Also worked with Mott The Hoople, Bob Dylan, and Ian Hunter. hE released the 1974 UK No.9 solo album Slaughter On Tenth Avenue. Ronson died on April 29th 1993.

1948, Born on this day, American singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, from Fleetwood Mac who scored the 1987 UK No.5 single 'Little Lies' and 1977 US No.1 single 'Dreams', taken from the world-wide No.1 album Rumours. She scored the solo, 1981 US No.1 & UK No.11 album Bella Donna, and the 1989 hit single 'Rooms On Fire'. Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975 along with her then boyfriend, Lindsey Buckingham.

1949, Born on this day, American singer-songwriter and musician Hank Williams Jr, the son of country music's greatest star. Williams began his career by following in his famed father's footsteps, covering his father's songs and imitating his father's style.

1959, Born on this day, English musician Wayne Hussey who was a member of Dead Or Alive, who had the 1985 UK No.1 single 'You Spin me round, Like A record'. He joined Sisters Of Mercy, and then became the lead singer of The Mission who had the 1988 UK No.12 single 'Tower Of Strength'.

1962, Born on this day, English singer-songwriter Colin Vearncombe, who with Black had the 1987 UK No.8 single 'Wonderful Life'. Vearncombe was involved in a road traffic accident, on Jan 10th 2016 near Cork Airport in Ireland, and placed in a medically-induced coma after sustaining serious head injuries. He died from his injuries at the intensive care unit of Cork University Hospital on 26 January 2016, at the age of 53.

1964, Born on this day, American singer, songwriter, Lenny Kravitz, who had the 1990 UK hit single 'Let Love Rule', the 1999 UK No.1 single 'Fly Away', and the 1993 UK No.1 album 'Are You Gonna Go My Way'. Worked with Mick Jagger, Madonna and David Bowie.

1967, Born on this day, Kristen Pfaff best known as the bassist for alternative rock band Hole. She was found dead on 16 June 1994 in her bathtub due to a heroin overdose aged 26. She died two months after Kurt Cobain, who was a close friend as well as the husband of Hole’s frontwoman Courtney Love.

1972, Born on this day, English rock drummer Alan White from Oasis. He is the longest serving drummer in Oasis's history, performing on four studio albums. In early 2004, White left Oasis during the early recording sessions for the band's sixth album.

1978, Born on this day, Jaheim Hoagland, (aka Jaheim), US R&B singer, (2006 US No.1 album ‘Ghetto Classics’).

1981, Born on this day, Isaac Slade, lead singer and pianist, from American rock band The Fray who scored the 2005 US Top 3 single ‘How to Save a Life’. The group's self-titled, second album, released in 2009, debuted at No.1 on the Billboard charts.

May 27th: On this Day

1957, Buddy Holly and the Crickets released their first record, 'That'll Be The Day.' A UK No.1 and US No.3 hit. The song had its genesis in a trip to the movies by Holly, Allison and Sonny Curtis in June 1956. The John Wayne film The Searchers was playing. Wayne's frequently-used, world-weary catchphrase, "that'll be the day" was the Inspiration behind the song. It was also the first song to be recorded by The Quarrymen, the skiffle group that subsequently became The Beatles.

1963, The album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was released by Columbia in the USA. Establishing Bob Dylan as a leader in the singer-songwriter genre and a supposed spokesman for the youth-orientated protest movement, it reached No.22 in the US charts and No.1 in the UK charts. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan showcased Dylan's songwriting talent for the first time and propelled him to national and international fame.

1964, Eleven boys were suspended from a school in Coventry, England for having Mick Jagger haircuts.

1977, The Sex Pistols single 'God Save The Queen' was released in the UK. Banned by TV and radio, high street shops and pressing plant workers refused to handle the record. It sold 200,000 copies in one week and peaked at No.2 on the UK charts behind Rod Stewart's 'I Don't Want to Talk About It'. There have been persistent rumours, (never confirmed or denied), that it was actually the biggest-selling single in the UK at the time, and the British Phonographic Industry conspired to keep it off the No.1 slot.

1983, The Smiths were at No.1 on the UK independent chart with their debut single 'Hand In Glove.' The Smiths recorded the track after their manager Joe Moss paid £250 for a one-day recording session at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England.

1988, Def Leppard kicked off the third leg of their North American Hysteria world tour at George M. Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska.

1989, Cliff Richard released his one hundredth single, 'The Best Of Me', which became his 26th Top 3 UK hit.

1990, The Stone Roses played at Spike Island, Widnes, Cheshire, England to a capacity crowd of 30,000. The event, considered a failure at the time due to sound problems and bad organisation, has become legendary over the years as a "Woodstock for the baggy generation."

1994, The Eagles played their first show in fourteen years when they played a show in Burbank, California. The two-and-a-half-hour show ended with two encores, closing with 'Desperado'.

1997, Oasis singer Liam Gallagher was left with cuts and bruises after a scuffle with a youth at the Tower Thistle Hotel in east London. Members of the band had been drinking at the bar when the fight broke out.

1999, Winners at the Ivor Novello song writing awards included Rod Stewart who won a Lifetime Achievement Award, Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers won songwriters of the year and Chrissie Hynde won outstanding contribution to British Music.

2000, Paula Yates was awarded £400,000 ($680,000) in an out-of-court settlement from her boyfriend Michael Hutchence fortune. Hutchence had died in 1997 INXS singer Hutchence was found dead in his hotel suite in Sydney in 1997 aged 37.

2005, Robbie Williams was voted into first place beating Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie to be named the best live solo artist. A UK nation-wide survey of 5,000 people saw the former Take That star beat music icons including Madonna, Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan. U2 were named best live band, ahead of Queen and Oasis, in a poll by Carling to celebrate the UK's live music scene.

2007, Saatchi & Saatchi were fired by Dr Martens for running an advertising campaign featuring dead rock stars such as Kurt Cobain and Sid Vicious wearing the brand's boots in heaven. David Suddens, the chief executive of Dr Martens parent company Airwear, said the brand had not commissioned the series of four print ads. "Dr Martens are very sorry for any offence that has been caused by the publication of images showing dead rock icons wearing Dr Martens boots."

2008, Sir Paul McCartney was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University in the United States. Yale's president, Richard Levin, said; The former Beatle had 'awakened a generation, giving a fresh sound to rock and roll and to rhythm and blues'. A band played Hey Jude as Sir Paul, 65, walked on stage to accept his degree.

2008, UK High street chain Woolworths announced it would stop selling CD singles in its stores saying that the format was in "terminal decline" and would be removed from the shelves from August. Sales of CD singles had fallen sharply as the popularity of downloading music from the internet had increased.

2009, A credit card company sued Courtney Love, claiming she owed more than $350,000 (£220,000). In court papers filed in Los Angeles, American Express said it had suspended Love's Amex Gold card after she "failed and refused" to make payments.

2010, Dozens of AC/DC fans needed treatment after complaining of burning eyes during a concert on the runway of Wels Airport, Wels, Austria. Around 150 fans had to be treated. Doctors found that the fans showed allergic reactions to bark mulch spread at the venue - the runway of Wels Airport, to avoid the soil getting too muddy after hours of massive rainfall.

2013, A report was published saying how many musicians were frustrated with fans filming gigs on their smartphones. Jack White and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs had both put up signs at their concerts asking people to leave their mobiles in their pockets.

2017, Gregg Allman, founding member of the The Allman Brothers Band died at the age of 69 at his home in Savannah, Georgia. Allman had suffered a recurrruence of liver cancer five years ago, died from complications of the disease. The band’s main songwriter early on, Allman contributed compositions like 'Dreams' and 'Whipping Post' to the Allman Brothers repertoire. Both songs became staples of their live shows; a cathartic 22-minute version of 'Whipping Post' was a highlight of their acclaimed 1971 live album, At Fillmore East.

May 28th: On this Day

1964, The BBC received over 8,000 postal applications for tickets for The Rolling Stones forthcoming appearance on the British TV show, Juke Box Dury.

1966, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'What Now My Love', setting a new American record with four albums in the US Top Ten. The other three were; 'South of the Border', 'Going Places' and 'Whipped Cream and Other Delights'.

1966, Percy Sledge started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'When A Man Loves A Woman'. A No.4 hit on the UK chart and No.2 when re-issued in 1987. Before the recording session, the song had no title or lyrics. The session proceeded with the expectation that Sledge would produce them for the vocal takes. When it came time to record the vocals, Sledge improvised the lyrics with minimal pre-planning, using the melody as a guide for rhythm and phrasing. The performance was so convincing that others working on the session assumed Sledge had the lyrics written down.

1966, All four Beatles spent the day with Bob Dylan in his room at the Mayfair hotel in London, England, watching rushes of D.A. Pennebakers's forthcoming documentary film, Don't Look Back, which covered Dylan's 1965 concert tour of the United Kingdom.

1969, Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull were arrested at their London home and charged with possession of cannabis, they were both later released on £50 ($85) bail.

1973, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon was on both the UK and US album charts. It remained in the US charts for 741 discontinuous weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any other album in history. (After moving to the Billboard Top Pop Catalog Chart, the album notched up a further 759 weeks, and had reached a total of over 1,500 weeks on the combined charts by May 2006).

1976, The Allman Brothers Band temporarily disbanded after Greg Allman testified against Scooter Herring, his personal road manager, who was charged with drug trafficking. Herring was subsequently sentenced to 75 years in prison. An album of previously unreleased live material was issued later in the year under the title 'Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas'.

1977, Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers played together for the first time when they performed as part of Mike Howlett's band, Strontium 90 in Paris France.

1983, Actress and singer Irene Cara started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Flashdance...What A Feeling'. Taken from the film 'Flashdance', a No.2 hit in the UK. Cara had also appeared in TV's 'Roots' and 'The Next Generation'.

1983, The four day US Festival '83' took place in California, featuring The Clash, U2, David Bowie, The Pretenders, Van Halen, Stray Cats, Men At Work, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, Willie Nelson. INXS, Joe Walsh, Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne. Over 750,000 fans attended the festival.

1983, Rapidfire appeared at Gazzarri’s On The Sunset Strip, in Los Angles. Rapidfire featured singer Axl Rose, who was seen for the first time by guitarist Slash, who was in the audience.

1990, Mitch Mitchell former drummer with The Jimi Hendrix Experience took out a High Court action against Private Eye magazine over an allegedly defamatory item. Are You Experienced?

1996, Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan was rushed to Cedars Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles after an apparent drug overdose. The singer was later arrested for possession of cocaine and heroin.

2000, Britney Spears was at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Oops!... I Did It Again'. The singer's second album also reached No.1 in thirteen other countries and has now sold over 20m copies.

2007, Right Said Fred singer Richard Fairbrass and gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, were both attacked during a march in Moscow. Trouble broke out when demonstrators tried to appeal against a ban on a gay rights march through the Russian capital. The banned march was aimed at marking the 14th anniversary of Russia decriminalising homosexuality.

2008, American guitarist Jerry Cole died aged 68. He first entered the pop music scene as one of The Champs along with Glen Campbell. Cole and Campbell later formed the Gee Cee's and released one single called 'Buzzsaw Twist'. He backed up Elvis Presley in 1974 and also worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin, The Righteous Brothers, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Lou Rawls, Gregg Allman, Lee Hazlewood, Blood Sweat & Tears, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Steely Dan, The Beach Boys and Isaac Hayes.

2015, Michael Jackson's former home, Neverland Ranch, was listed for sale for one hundred million dollars. The 2,700-acre ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California included a train station, a six-bedroom house, a 50-seat movie theater and two lakes.

More good stuff Frank. One bit jogged my memory : "anyone who had a heart" by Cilla, also made a huge impression on me aged about 9, and, along with Manfred Mann and probably a couple of other songs (including the first time I heard the original version of "She's not There", by the Zombies I think, sent me down the rabbit hole called "Music". It's nice down here, and I'm not coming back up any time soon ...

Yeah VJ, that makes sense, something along those lines...