This Date In Music History- May 9

Birthday wishes to Lou Reed, who was born in 1945.

Grand Ole Opry member and Country Music Hall of Famer Hank Snow turns 83.

Chuck Berry started his first U.K. tour in London in 1964, supported by the Animals, Carl Perkins and the Nashville Teens. (would have loved to be there!)

Billy Joel was born in Hicksville, Long Island, N.Y. in 1949. He receives a Grammy Legends Award in 1990. His three No. 1 hits are "We Didn't Start the Fire" in 1990, "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" in 1980 and "Tell Her About It" in 1983.

Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield and Poco was born in Yellow Springs, Ohio in 1944.
Singer Tommy Roe was born in Atlanta in 1942. His No. 1 hits are "Dizzy" in 1969 and "Shelia" in 1962.

In 2001, James Myers, whose 2-minute, 8-second tune "Rock Around the Clock" is considered the granddaddy of all rock'n'roll songs, died of leukemia at age 81. Myers wrote the song with Max Freedman in 1953. Bill Haley & His Comets recorded it in 1954.

In 1939, Mahalia Jackson popularized one of Thomas Dorsey's greatest compositions, "There Will Be Peace In the Valley."

The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull and Donovan all watch Bob Dylan play Royal Albert Hall in London in 1965.

Brian Wilson held his first-ever solo concert, in St. Charles, Illinois in 1998.

In 1974, Rock critic John Landau wrote, "I saw rock 'n' roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen" (Landau later produces and manages Bruce).

Dave Prater of Sam & Dave was born in Ocilla, Georgia in 1937. The group's biggest hit is the 1967 No. 2 song "Soul Man." He died in a car accident on April 9, 1988.

"Hello Dolly," by Louis Armstrong, knocked the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the American singles chart in 1964. But at No. 2 was "Do You Want to Know a Secret." And at No. 35 was the Beatles' "Thank You Girl."

Paul Heaton, the singer with the Housemartins and the Beautiful South was born in Birkenhead, England in 1962.

Also in 1962, Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan was born in Epping, England.

Guitarist Nokie Edwards of the Ventures was born in 1939. The surf rockers went to No. 2 in 1960 with "Walk Don't Run."

Sonny Curtis, who started his career playing with Buddy Holly and wrote songs for the Everly Brothers and Hank Williams Jr., was born in Meadow, Texas in 1937.

In 1962, Brian Epstein met with EMI producer George Martin. Martin signed the Beatles to record demos on June 4, 1962. It was their first recording contract.

Tom Petersson, bassist with Cheap Trick, was born in Rockford, Illinois in 1950.

In 1959, 16 year-old Wayne Newton made his Las Vegas debut at the Freemont Hotel. That first booking, scheduled to last two weeks, stretched into three years. Newton went on to become the king of the Vegas showrooms, earning close to $20-million a year.

1970- The Guess Who hit the top spot on Billboard's Hot 100 with "American Woman". The song was born by accident when guitarist Randy Bachman was playing a heavy riff on stage after he had broken a string and the band had taken a break. The other members joined in on the jam, and Burton Cummings started singing the first thing that came into his head. A fan in the audience had it all on tape and presented it to the group after the show. It was quickly developed into a full song in the studio and ended up spending 3 weeks at the top of the US singles chart. It made #19 in the UK.

In 1988, several US department stores refuse to stock the newly released Prince album, "Lovesexy" because of its cover photo, which features a nude picture of him.

Irish singer Sinead O'Connor refused to perform on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live in 1990, after shock comedian Andrew Dice Clay was named as the host. Two years later, O'Connor did some shocking of her own when she ripped up a picture of the Pope on the same show. Great career move.

Blues singer/harmonica player Lester Butler, 39, died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles in 1998. Butler gained prominence as the front man for the Red Devils, who played a long residency at the King King in L.A. in the early '90s.

Also in 1998, Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page are musical guests on "Saturday Night Live." The two perform their collaboration "Come To Me," which borrows heavily from Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir."