Thursday, May 6, 2010

This Date In Music History-May 6

Birthdays:

Colin Earl - Mungo Jerry (1942)

Bob Seger (1945)

Mary MacGregor (1948)

John Flansburgh - They Might Be Giants (1960)

Larry Steinbachek - Bronski Beat (1960)

Tony Scalzo - Fastball (1964)

David Narcizo - Throwing Muses (1966)

Mark Bryan - Hootie & The Blowfish (1967)

Chris Shiflett - Foo Fighters (1971)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1950, Robbie McIntosh, Average White Band. He died on August 23, 1974.

Born today in 1920, singer, actress, Peggy Lee. She 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 January 21, 2002.



Songwriter and producer Otis Blackwell died from a heart attack in 2002. He wrote the classic songs "All Shook Up," "Return To Sender," "Don't Be Cruel," "Great Balls Of Fire" and "Fever." Over the years, Blackwell's songs have sold more than 185 million copies.

The Go-Betweens singer, songwriter Grant McLennan died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane, Australia, in 2006 (age 48).

In 2009, Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Ean Evans died at his residence in Columbia, MS., after a battle with cancer. He joined Skynyrd in ’01 replacing the late Leon Wilkenson. "Ean did a lot of great stuff in his life . . . did what he loved to do," says Skynyrd singer Johnny Van Zant. "Not many people can say that." Evans was 48.


History:

Today in 1950 the song "The Third Man Theme" by Guy Lombardo topped the charts and stayed there for 11 weeks.

Chuck Berry recorded his classic cut "Rock & Roll Music" in 1957.

In 1965, in their Clearwater, Florida hotel room, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards worked out the opening guitar riff of "Satisfaction," following Richard's purchase of a Gibson fuzz-box earlier that day.

James Brown recorded the epic cut "I Got You (I Feel Good)" in 1965.

In 1966, working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recorded overdubs on "I'm Only Sleeping" and worked on various mixes of the track.

In 1971, Ike & Tina Turner earned their only gold record for their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.”

The Tyrannosaurus Rex double album 'Prophets, Seers And Sages And The Angels Of The Ages / My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair But Now Their Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows' went to #1 in the UK in 1972. It was the longest title of an album ever at the time!

Elton John's "Rocket Man" was released in 1972.



In 1973, Paul Simon set out on his first tour without partner Art Garfunkel, using The Jesse Dixon Singers as a back- up group on stage. Simon's tour of America and Europe was recorded and released as 'Live Rhymin'.

The Boomtown Rats played their first gig in England in 1977 when they appeared at Studio 51, London.

Dolly Parton made her New York singing debut in 1977.

In 1977, Led Zeppelin set a new record for the largest audience at a single-act concert. 76,229 people were at a show in Pontiac, MI.

The soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever started an 18 week run at #1 on the UK album chart in 1978, also #1 in the US. The album, which featured seven Bee Gee songs, went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide.

Fictional group Spinal Tap played a gig at New York's CBGB's in 1984.

IRS agents seize possessions from Jerry Lee Lewis' home in 1993 over $1.6 million in unpaid taxes.

Pearl Jam filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department against Ticketmaster in 1994. The charge was the company had a monopoly on the concert ticket business.

Janet Jackson went to #1 on the US album chart in 2001 with 'Janet'.

In 2002, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen was voted the UK's favourite single of all time in a poll by the Guinness Hit Singles book. "Imagine" by John Lennon was voted in at #2 and "Hey Jude" by the Beatles #3, "Dancing Queen" by Abba was fourth and Madonna "Like A Prayer" was in fifth place.



John Lennon memorabilia was auctioned by Christie's in 2004. Lennon art work, a Vox Kensington guitar and a leather collar are sold. The total value exceeds $400,000.

Audioslave became the first American rock group to perform a free outdoor concert in Cuba in 2005. An estimated 50,000 attended the event.

In 2005, coffee shop chain Starbucks banned the sale of Bruce Springsteen's latest album 'Devils and Dust 'over concerns about its adult content. The retailer - which stocked CDs at its branches in the US - said it would be promoting other albums instead.

A memorial stone in honor of the late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott was unveiled in his birthplace of Kirriemuir, Scotland in 2006. Local bands perform at the town hall in conjunction with the commemoration. Fans come from as far away as Hungary to honor the singer, who died in 1980. "The whole community has been quite behind this," says the chairman of the town's community council.

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