Friday, March 12, 2010

This Date In Music History-March 12

Birthdays:

Paul Kantner - Jefferson Airplane (1942)

Liza Minnelli (1946)

James Taylor (1948)

Les Holroyd - Barclay James Harvest (1948)

Bill Payne - Little Feat (1949)

Jack Green - Pretty Things (1951)

Steve Harris - Iron Maiden (1956)

Marlon Jackson - Jackson Five (1957)

Graham Coxon - Blur (1969)

Ben Kenny - Incubus (1977)

Pete Doherty - Libertines/Babyshambles (1979)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1917, Leonard Chess, the founder of the Chess record label, home to John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Jimmy Reed. Chess died of a heart attack on October 16, 1969 (age 52).

In 1955, jazz saxophonist and composer Charlie Parker died of a heart attack in New York City while watching Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra on television. He was 34. The coroner who performed his autopsy mistakenly estimated Parker's 34-year-old body to be between 50 and 60 years of age. (After years of drug and alcohol abuse).



Born on this day in 1949, Mike Gibbins of Badfinger (died on Oct 4, 2005).


History:

The Dave Brubeck Quartet appeared for the first time at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1955.

Buddy Holly & the Crickets recorded "Maybe Baby" in 1957.

Elvis-clone, Fabian, performed his hit "Turn Me Loose" on American Bandstand in 1959.

The Beatles played at the Granada Cinema in Bedford in 1963. Also on the bill, Chris Montez and Tommy Roe. John Lennon, suffering from a heavy cold, was unable to perform, so The Beatles set was rearranged so that George and Paul could sing the parts that John usually sang.

Sgt. Barry Sadler started a five-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1966 with 'Ballads Of The Green Berets.'

In 1968, the Rolling Stones started recording their next single "Jumpin’ Jack Flash" with new producer Jimmy Miller at Olympic studios in London.



Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman at Marylebone Register Office in 1969. They then held a reception lunch at The Ritz Hotel, Paul then went to Abbey Road studios in the evening to work. George Harrison and his wife Patti were arrested on the same day and charged with possession of 120 joints of marijuana.

John Lennon made the headlines in 1974 after an incident at the Troubadour Club, LA. Out on a drinking binge with Harry Nilsson, Lennon hurled insults at the performing Smothers Brothers and punched their manager before being forcibly removed.

In 1977, the Sex Pistols were involved in a fight at London's Speakeasy Club with Bob Harris, presenter of BBC 2's The Old Grey Whistle Test resulting in one of the show's engineers needing 14 stitches in his head. Two days later Harris's solicitors contact Derek Green at A&M the bands record label. Harris's management also managed Peter Frampton, one of the label's top acts at A&M. Green discussed the matter with the company's two founders, Jerry Moss and Herb Alpert and the decision is made to cancel the Pistols contract and halt production of the bands first single, 'God Save The Queen'.

In 1983, Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler had her only UK No.1 single with a song written by Meatloaf's producer, Jim Steinman, 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart," which was also #1 in the US, (the only Welsh artist to score a US #1), Canada and Australia, the single sold over 5 million copies.

Rick Astley started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1988 with "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Nirvana and Tad appeared at the Town Pump in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1990.

Swedish group Ace Of Base started a six week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1994 with "The Sign."

Boyz II Men were at #1 on the US album chart in 1995 with 'II.'

The album "Unplugged" was released by KISS in 1996.

In 1998, Korn served a cease-and-desist demand to a Michigan assistant principal, the high school and the school district who suspended a student for wearing a T-shirt that had the band's name on it.

In 2001, Judy Garland's "Over The Rainbow" was voted the Song Of The Century in a poll published in America. Musicians, critics and fans compiled the list by the RIAA.

In 2003, the Chinese government ordered the Rolling Stones to eliminate four songs from their upcoming performances in Shanghai and Beijing. The banned songs were "Brown Sugar," "Honky Tonk Women," "Beast of Burden," and "Let's Spend the Night Together."

In 2009, hundreds of fans queued at the O2 arena in London as Michael Jackson tickets went on sale to the public. The 50-year-old pop veteran had confirmed he would be playing a 50-date residency at the venue, beginning on 8 July 2009. Some 360,000 pre-sale tickets had already sold. Organisers said the This Is It tour had become the fastest-selling in history, with 33 seats sold each minute. Prices ranged from £170 to £10,000, but tickets bought directly from the singer's website cost up to £75. Jackson had said this would be the last time he would perform in the UK.

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