Monday, March 22, 2010

This Date In Music History-March 22

Birthdays:

Composer, lyricist Stephen Sondheim (1930)

Roger Whittaker (1936)

George Benson (1943)

Tony McPhee - Groundhogs (1944)

Jeremy Clyde - Chad & Jeremy (1944)

Harry Vanda - Easybeats (1947)

Patrick Olive - Hot Chocolate (1947)

Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948)

Susanne Sulley- Human League (1963)

John Otto - Limp Bizkit (1977)

Aaron Wright North - Nine Inch Nails (1979)

Rapper Shawn Mims (1981)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1943, Keith Relf, vocals, The Yardbirds. Relf died on May 14, 1976 from an electric shock received while playing his electric guitar at home.

Born today in 1948, Randy Hobbs, bass guitarist, Johnny Winter group and the McCoys. Hobbs died on August 5, 1993 from a drug overdose (age 45).

Mark Dinning ("Teen Angel") died of a heart attack in 1986.

Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio died of lymphoma in 1991.

Singer, songwriter, producer Dan Hartman died of a brain tumor in Westport, Connecticut in 1994. Was a member of the Edgar Winter Group and wrote the band's hit "Free Ride." Had the 1978 #1 dance hit "Instant Replay," collaborated with Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, Holly Johnson and Steve Winwood.

In 2005, Rod Price, former member of Black Cat Bones and a founding member of Foghat, died after falling down a stairway at his home after suffering a heart attack. The 57 year-old English guitarist played on Foghat's highest charting US single "Slow Ride," a hit in 1976.




History:

While driving to New York for appearances on 'The Perry Como Show' in 1956, and 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' the car that Carl Perkins was traveling in was involved in an accident, putting Perkins in hospital for several months. The singer received four broken ribs and a broken shoulder, his brother Jay was killed in the accident.

Hank Williams Jr. made his stage debut in Swainsboro, GA, in 1958 at the age of eight.

The Beatles and The New York Twisters appeared at The Cavern Club, Liverpool, England in 1962.

The Beatles' first album, 'Please Please Me' was released in the UK in 1963.

Bob Dylan's first electric album 'Bring it All Back Home' was released in 1965.

Elvis Presley's 'Easy Come, Easy Go' movie opened in 1967.

US police arrested all the members from The Allman Brothers Band for heroin and marijuana possession in 1971.

Frankie Valli went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You," his first solo #1.

Led Zeppelin started a six week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1975 with 'Physical Graffiti,' the group's fourth US #1 album.

In 1976, while on the campaign trail, presidential candidate Jimmy Carter announced that he listened to the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin for inspiration while working late nights as Georgia’s governor. Despite quoting Paul McCartney’s “Yesterday,” he was elected president.

The Police were signed to A&M Records in 1978.

Also in 1978, the Rutles' "All You Need Is Cash," an affectionate spoof of the Beatles' career, was broadcast for the first time in the US.



Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall" started a four week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1980 (also #1 in the UK).

In 1984, Queen filmed the video for "I Want To Break Free" at Limehouse Studio in London, England. Directed by David Mallet, it was a parody of the northern British soap opera Coronation Street with the band members dressed in drag. Guitarist Brian May later said the video ruined the band in America, and was initially banned by MTV in the US.

Heart went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1986 with "These Dreams."

In 1989, Dick Clark stepped down as host of American Bandstand after a mere 33 years.

Puff Daddy featuring Mase started a six week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1997 with "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," his first US #1.

Britney Spears' album '...Baby One More Time' was certified triple platinum by the RIAA in 1999.

In 2004, Ozzy Osbourne was voted the nation's favorite ambassador to welcome aliens to planet Earth. The 55 year-old singer topped a Yahoo poll as the face people wanted to represent them to alien life. Umm OK if you say so....

Also in 2004, a new book claimed that Elvis Presley’s ancestors came from a small village called Lonmay in the North East of Scotland. Author Allan Morrison said he’d found evidence that Elvis’s great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was married in the village 300 years ago. And my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather invented the wheel.....

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson was charged with two counts of battery in 2004, more than three months after a New Year`s Eve scuffle with sheriff`s deputies at a Naples, FL, hotel. Deputies say the fight started when the guitarist`s son refused to get off the stage at The Ritz-Carlton, where the house band was performing. Lifeson tried to intervene when deputies escorted his son off the property.

The Black Crowes reunited for five shows at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom in 2005.

In 2005, 'Devil's Playground' was Billy Idol’s first album of new material in twelve years. He claimed Grunge’s popularity, a drug problem and no outlet for his music kept him away. The set includes numerous contributions from guitarist/collaborator Steve Stevens. "Scream" was the first single.

In 2007, Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger reported that the band's charity single "If Everyone Cared" raised more than $200,000 for Amnesty International and International Children's Awareness Canada. "If you can take that power and turn it toward positivity and awareness and trying to make a world a better place that's a great motive," says Kroeger.



Country singer Alan Jackson was at #1 on the US album chart in 2008 with his fifteenth solo album ‘Good Time.’

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