This Day In Music History- March 8

Birthday wishes to Randy Meisner who was born in 1947.

Ron “Pig Pigpen” McKernan, keyboardist and vocalist with the Grateful Dead, died of liver failure in 1973.

Micky Dolenz of the Monkees ("I'm A Believer") turns 63.

"Little" Peggy March ("I Will Follow Him") is 60.

Songwriter Carole Bayer-Sager ("Groovy Kind Of Love", "Midnight Blue", "Nobody Does It Better" and many others) is 61.

In 1970, Diana Ross made her first solo concert appearance, in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Elvis Presley's "Stay Away Joe" movie debuts in 1968.

In 1962, the Beatles made their British national radio debut, singing "Dream Baby", "Maybelline" and "Please Mr. Postman" on the BBC's "Teenagers' Turn" program. (Pete Best on the drums)

The Dave Clark Five make the first of 18 appearances on CBS-TV's "Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964.

Bad Company played their first gig in Newcastle, England in 1974.

Paul McCartney pleads guilty to having grown marijuana on his Scottish farm. He's fined the British equivalent of $240. The singer explains that a fan gave him the seeds, and he didn't know what kind of plants would blossom from them. (great excuse, can I use that one?)

In 1971, Radio Hanoi played Jimi Hendrix's interpretation of "The Star-Spangled Banner" to the troops after receiving the tape from activist Abbie Hoffman.

In 1968, the Fillmore East opened for business in New York at Second Avenue and Sixth Street in the East Village. The opening bill features the eclectic mix of bluesman Albert King, folkie Tim Buckley, and the San Francisco phenomenons Big Brother & the Holding Company.

Gary Numan was born in Hammersmith, England in 1958. His No. 9 single "Cars" would go on to achieve immortality in numerous advertisements.

“Proud Mary” was Creedence Clearwater Revival’s first million selling single in 1969.

Having left Spooky Tooth for a solo career, Gary Wright got a gold record for “Dream Weaver” in 1976.

In 1978, Steely Dan went platinum (sales over a million) for the first time with their “Aja” album.

Just four weeks after being released in 1959, Frankie Avalon's "Venus" topped the US singles charts.

In 1963, over 25,000 people attended the March 8th funeral for country singer Patsy Cline, killed three days earlier in a plane crash. (what a voice!)

Also in 1963, The Four Tops inked a deal with Berry Gordy's Motown label and received a $400 signing bonus.

Olivia Newton-John's "Have You Never Been Mellow" becomes her second Billboard number one record in 1975. She would go on to have three more.

Adam Faith suffered a fatal heart attack on March 8th, 2003 at the age of 62. He was one of England's major pop stars in the early 1960s and enjoyed a run of eleven British Top 20 hits prior to the arrival of the Beatles.