Births
1941 Robert Zimmerman, (Bob Dylan), US folk singer, songwriter. Released over 40 albums since 1964, major influence on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones during the 60's. Biggest hit is 1965 US No.2 single 'Like A Rolling Stone', 1969 UK No.5 single 'Lay Lady Lay', 1964 UK No.1 album 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'. 2006 album 'Modern Times' entered the US chart at No.1). Also a member of The Traveling Wilburys.
1942 Derek Quinn, lead guitarist with Freddie & the Dreamers ("I'm Telling You Now," "Do the Freddy") born.
1944 Patti LaBelle (Patricia Holt) born in Philadelphia, PA.
1945 Dave Peacock, Chas & Dave, (1982 UK No.2 single 'Ain't No Pleasing You').
1946 Wishbone Ash drummer Steve Upton born.
1947 Albert Bouchard, Blue Oyster Cult, (1976 US No. 12 and 1978 UK No.16 single 'Don't Fear The Reaper').
1947 Cynthia ‘Plaster’ Caster, groupie who became famous for making plaster cast’s of rock star’s penises and breasts. Clients include Jimi Hendrix and members from MC5, Television, The Kinks and various road managers.
1962 Gene Anthony Ray, ‘Leroy’ in TV’s ‘Fame’. Axed fro the show in 1984 after his mother was jailed for running a drug ring, danced with The Weather Girls in their video of ‘It's Raining Men.’ He died on November 19th 2003.
1967 Heavy D, US rapper, (1991 UK No.2 single 'Now That We Found Love').
1969 Rich Robinson, guitar, The Black Crowes, (1991 UK No.39 single 'Hard To Handle', 1992 US No.1 & UK No.2 album 'The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion').
1969 Tommy Page, (1990 US No.1 single 'I'll Be Your Everything', No. 53 in the UK.
1976 Alessandro Cortini, keyboards, Nine Inch Nails, (2005 US No.1 album ‘White Teeth’).
Deaths
1963 Legendary blues guitarist/singer Elmore James dies of a heart attack aged 45. Wrote 'Shake Your Money Maker', Covered by Fleetwood Mac in 1968. Influenced Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Keith Richards.
1974 Jazz great Duke Ellington died aged 75. Worked with Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday.
1991 Founder member of The Byrds Gene Clark died of a heart attack aged 49.
Events
1956 The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland. The event was the brainchild of Marcel Baisoncon of the European Broadcasting Union. Seven countries participated and they were each allowed two songs. Both Luxembourg and the winner Switzerland used the same singer for both. Switzerland won with ‘Refrain’ by Lys Assia.
1962 Elvis Presley started a five week run at No.1 with 'Good Luck Charm' his 11th UK No.1 single.
1964 On "The Ed Sullivan Show," a taped Beatles performance was played. The Beatles performed "You Can't Do That" from the set of "A Hard Day's Night."
1968 The Rolling Stones released the single 'Jumpin Jack Flash'.
1969 Bob Dylan scored his 4th No.1 UK album when 'Nashville Skyline'.
1969 On UK TV, '33 & A Third Revolutions Per Monkee', with guests Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Julie Driscoll
1969 The Beatles with Billy Preston started a 5 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Get Back', the groups 17th US No.1. In 1997 Preston was jailed for 3 years for possessing cocaine.
1970 Peter Green played his last gig with Fleetwood Mac when they played at the Bath Festival, Somerset.
1974 On "Midnight Special," Richard Pryor was host to Olivia Newton-John and Boz Scaggs.
1975 Earth Wind and Fire went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Shining Star', the groups first and only US No.1.
1979 Genesis manned a box office selling tickets to their benefit show at L.A.'s Roxy.
1980 Genesis fans turning up at the Roxy Club box office in Los Angeles to buy tickets for a forthcoming gig were surprised to find the band members Collins, Banks and Rutherford selling the tickets themselves.
1980 The Tourists topped the bill at the Loch Lomond Rock Festival in Scotland.
1980 The Beat kicked off a 22-date UK tour at Friars, Aylesbury.
1982 Topper Headon left the Clash.
1982 Jefferson Starship, the Grateful Dead, Boz Scaggs, and Country Joe McDonald played at San Francisco's Moscone Center to raise money for the Vietnam Veterans Project.
1982 The Clash kicked off a 12-date UK tour at Leeds University.
1983 Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet broke up the band Yaz.
1984 US backed pirate station Laser 558, started broadcasting in the UK. Within a few months the station claimed to have over 10 million listeners.
1986 Garth Brooks and Sandy Mahl were married.
1986 Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz, and Peter Tork reunited as the Monkees. They kicked off their reunion tour at the Concord Hotel, in New York's Catskills Mountains.
1988 The debut album "Vermillion" was released by Three O'Clock.
1989 The Mavis Staples album "Time Waits For No One" was released.
1989 "Weird Al" Yankovic recorded "Generic Blues," "Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota," "Hot Rocks Polka," "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters," and "Spam." The five tracks all appeared on the soundtrack to his film "UHF."
1990 Axl Rose and Erin Everly filed for divorce. They had been married for less than a month.
1991 The Byrds founder member Gene Clark died of a heart attack
1997 Hanson started a 3 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'MMMBop', the brothers first US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK.
1997 The Spice Girls went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Spice', making them only the third all girl group to do so after The Supremes and The Go-Go's.
1998 Garbage went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Version 2.0'.
1998 The first Native American Music Awards took place at the Fox Theater at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CN.
1998 Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell proclaimed May 24th "Van Halen Day" in Philadelphia.
1999 David Bowie wrote and recorded the song "What's Really Happening" during a live Webcast. The song appeared on the album "hours."
1999 Freddie Mercury was featured on a new set of millennium stamps issued by the Royal Mail. The Queen front man who died in 1991, was featured on the 19p stamp. The singer was a keen stamp collector, and his collection was bought by the Post Office in 1993. The stamp marked his contribution to the Live Aid charity concert in 1985.
2000 A New York Judge told Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde that if she wanted her March arrest for protesting the sale of leather goods in a Gap store dismissed, she'd better keep her nose clean for the next six months.
2000 Andrea and Sharon Corr from The Corrs both collapsed in the mid-day sun whilst shooting their new video in the Mojave Desert in California. The pair were treated in hospital for heat exhaustion and were back on the set within 24 hours.
2000 Chuck D testified to the U.S. Congress about the benefits of Napster and online music distribution.
2000 Puff Daddy settled the last lawsuit that had arisen from a 1991 stampede at a New York charity event.
2002 Paul McCartney opened his first major UK art exhibition 'The Art Of Paul McCartney' at The Walker, Liverpool.
2003 Paul McCartney made his first ever live performance in Russia when he appeared in-front of 20,000 fans in Red Square.
2004 Madonna kicked off her Re-Invention Tour in 20 cities with a total of 56 shows and making it the most successful concert tour of the year with a gross of $124.5 million.
2007 Amy Winehouse, Madonna and Arctic Monkeys were among the winners at this years Ivor Novello Awards. Winehouse won best contemporary song for her hit ‘Rehab’, while Madonna collected the international hit of the year for ‘Sorry.’ Sheffield-based band Arctic Monkeys collected the best album award for ‘Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not.’
