Birthdays:
Jon "Bowzer" Bauman - Sha Na Na turns 63.
Pete Agnew - Nazareth (1946)
Steve Berlin - Los Lobos (1955)
Morten Harket - A-Ha (1959)
John Power - The La's
Graig Montoya - Everclear
Mark Webber - Pulp (1970)
Nas (1972)
Ashley Roberts - The Pussycat Dolls (1981)
Amy Winehouse (1983)
They Are Missed:
Born on this day in 1950, Paul Kossoff, guitar, Free. Formed Back Street Crawler. Kossoff died of a heart attack on 19th March 1976 during a flight from Los Angeles to New York.
Born today in 1949, Steve Gaines, guitar, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Killed in a plane crash on October 20, 1977.
Born on this day in 1914, songwriter Mae Boren Axton, known as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville' she wrote over 200 songs including a co-writing credit on the Elvis Presley hit "Heartbreak Hotel." Died on April 9, 1997 (age 82) after drowning in her bath at her home in Hendersonville, Tennessee after an apparent heart attack.
Cuban bandleader and composer Perez Prado died of a stroke in Mexico City in 1989. Had the US & UK 1955 #1 single "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White."
Born today in 1954, Barry Cowsill, The Cowsills. TV's Partridge Family was based on The Cowsills. Died in September 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans.
Drummer Bobby Graham who played on The Kinks hit "You Really Got Me" died in 2009 at the age of 69 after a battle with stomach cancer. Graham was also heard on The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place."
History:
In 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to the "Star-Spangled Banner." The song became the official U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.
In 1955, Little Richard entered a New Orleans recording studio to begin two days of recording. Things were not going well and during a break, Richard and his producer; Bumps Blackwell went to the Dew Drop Inn for lunch. Richard started playing the piano in the bar like crazy, singing a loud and lewd version of ‘Tutti Frutti.’ With only fifteen minutes left in the session, Richard recorded the song and coined the phrase, “a-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom.”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on UK music show Top Of The Pops in 1967.
Also in 1967, filming continued for The Beatles ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ in South West England. The Beatles searched for a quiet, secluded field in which they could conduct filming but once they'd disembarked from the bus and set up for shooting, scores of onlookers began to crowd around, causing a traffic jam that required the police to step in.
Roy Orbison's house in Nashville burnt down in 1968, his two eldest sons both died in the blaze. Orbison was on tour in the UK at the time of the accident.
In 1968, the first episode of the comic strip 'The Archies' was aired on US TV. The recording group had contributions from Ron Dante, Andy Kim, Jeff Barry and others. Rock mogul, Don Kirshner (who also brought us The Monkees), was put in charge of the studio group.
Genesis plays their first gig in Surrey, England in 1969.
During a US tour in 1971, Led Zeppelin appeared at Berkley Community Theatre, Berkley, California. The set list included: Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Since I've Been Loving You, Black Dog, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, That's the Way, Going to California, What Is and What Should Never Be and Whole Lotta Love.
Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, The Band, Jesse Colin Young and Joe Walsh all appeared at Wembley Stadium, London, England in 1974.
Eric Clapton scored a US #1 in 1974 with his version of the Bob Marley song "I Shot The Sheriff."
Stevie Wonder started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1974 with 'Fulfillingness First Finale' his second US #1.
In 1978, the Grateful Dead play the first of three shows in the shadow of the Great Pyramid in Giza. Proceeds go to the Egyptian Department of Antiquities and the Faith & Hope Society for the Handicapped.
The film Quadrophenia was released in 1979. Based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera the film featured Phil Daniels, Toyah Willcox, Ray Winstone, Michael Elphick and Sting.
The Rolling Stones “Tattoo You” featuring the inescapable “Start Me Up” enters the album charts in 1980. It goes to #1.
The first MTV Music Awards were held in New York in 1984. Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" is the big winner (deservedly so) but the Cars, Police, Van Halen and ZZ Top also take home some hardware.
John Mellencamp’s haunting “Scarecrow” made the album chart in 1985. Featuring “Small Town” and “R.O.C.K. In The USA,” the album goes multi-platinum.
Paula Abdul scored her sixth US #1 single in 1991 with "The Promise Of A New Day."
Singer Steve Earle was sentenced to 1 year in jail in 1994 after being found guilty of possession of crack cocaine.
The lyrics to the Beatles song "Getting Better’ hand-written by Paul McCartney sold for $249,200 at a Sotheby's auction in London in 1995.
The first Ozzfest (named after Ozzy Osbourne) began at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD in 1996. The annual trek becomes one of Metal’s most successful tour packages.
In 1997, over 2000 fans watched Pete Townshend unveil a English Heritage Blue Plaque at 23 Brook Street, Mayfair London, to mark where Jimi Hendrix had lived in 1968-69. Hendrix was the first pop star to be awarded with the plaque.
It was reported in 1999 that George Michael was being sued for $10m by the policeman who arrested the singer in a public lavatory. Marcelo Rodriguez claimed he was mocked in the video 'Outside' leaving him in physical distress.
The Strokes made their live debut at The Spiral in New York in 1999.
No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani married Gavin Rossdale of Bush in St. Paul's church London in 2002.
Mary J. Blige was at #1 on the US album chart in 2003 with ‘Love & Life’ the singers second US #1.
In 2005, HMV stores in Canada removed Bob Dylan CDs from their shelves in protest at the singer's deal to only sell his new album in Starbucks after he signed an exclusive contract with the coffee giant. The chain has previously boycotted CDs by Alanis Morissette and The Rolling Stones to complain at exclusive deals.
Whitney Houston filed for divorce from singer Bobby Brown in 2006, after 14 years of marriage.
The Beatles-themed movie musical, Across The Universe, began a limited theatrical release in 2007. If you like Beatles songs showing up here, there and anywhere in a movie go watch Yellow Submarine again. Besides, Yellow Submarine has a more believable plot. The soundtrack (also out) consists of Beatles covers, including performances by Joe Cocker (who had success singing Beatles songs early in his career) and Bono. The U2 frontman’s take on "I Am The Walrus" is in the film, while his rendition of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is heard during the end credits.
In 2008, Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson was one of the pilots who flew specially chartered flights after 85,000 tourists were stranded in the US, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe after Britain's third-largest tour operator went into administration. The singer, who had worked for the airline Astraeus for nine years, took up flying during a low point in his solo career after he quit the band in 1993.
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