Births
1939 Billy Henderson singer, The Detroit Spinners, (1980 UK No.1 & US No.2 single 'Working My Way Back To You'). Henderson died aged 67 from complications from diabetes on 2nd Feb 2007.
1944 Vic Prince, drummer, Pretty Things (1964 UK No.10 single 'Don't Bring Me Down').
1946 John Parry, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, (1968 UK No.5 single 'I'm The Urban Spaceman).
1946 Marinus Gerritsen, Golden Earring, (1974 UK No.7 & US No.13 single 'Radar Love').
1954 Bruce Thomas, bass, Elvis Costello and The Attractions, (1979 UK No.2 single 'Olivers Army').
1955 Benjamin Orr bass, vocals, The Cars, (1978 UK No.3 single 'My Best Friend's Girl' and 1985 UK No.4 single 'Drive'). Orr died on 3rd October 2000.
1963 Whitney Houston, singer, (1985 UK & US No.1 single 'Saving All My Love For You', 1992 UK & US No.1 single 'I Will Always Love You', plus nine other US No.1's. 20 UK top 40 singles including four No.1's).
1972 Arion Salazar, Third Eye Blind, (1997 US No.4 & UK No. 33 single 'Semi-Charmed Life').
1978 Luke Concannon, guitar and vocals, Nizlopi, (2005 UK No.1 single 'JCB Song').
Deaths
1995 Grateful Dead singer, guitarist and spiritual leader Jerry Garcia dies of a heart attack while undergoing drug rehabilitation. He was 53.
1999 Bob Herbert was killed in a car crash in Windsor. Herbert was behind the formation of The Spice Girls and Five and had managed Bros during the 80's.
2005 Marc Cohn survived being shot in the head during an attempted car jacking as he left a concert in Denver, Colorado. Cohn was struck in the temple by the bullet but it did not penetrate his skull. Police said a man tried to commandeer Cohn's tour van as it left after a show, the attacker was fleeing police after trying to pay a hotel bill with a stolen credit card.
Events
1932 Helen Morgan joined the Victor Young orchestra to record "Bill," from Broadway's "Showboat."
1953 Mantovani and his Orchestra were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Song From The Moulin Rouge.
1958 Cliff Richard started a four week residency at Butlins Holiday Camp in Clacton-On-Sea, Essex, as Cliff Richard & The Drifters.
1963 The TV program "Ready, Set!, Go!" premiered on the BBC in London, England.
1964 Bob Dylan and Joan Baez performed on stage together for the first time.
1967 'San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)' by Scott McKenzie started a four week run at No.1 in the UK.
1968 Paul McCartney recorded 'Mother Natures Son' at Abbey Road Studio's London. No other Beatles featured on the track, which was included on the 'White Album.'
1969 "Hot Fun in The Summertime," by Sly and the Family Stone, and "Easy to Be Hard" (from the Broadway production "Hair") were released.
1969 Jethro Tull scored their only UK No.1 album with their second release 'Stand Up'.
1969 During a North American tour Led Zeppelin appeared at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Jethro Tull opened for the band.
1972 Gilbert O'Sullivan receives a gold record for "Alone Again Naturally." It's Number One in the US for six weeks in the summer.
1974 Bill Chase and three members of his band were killed in a plane crash. Had the 1971 US Top 30 hit 'Get It On'.
1975 The Bee Gees started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Jive Talkin', the groups second US No.1, it made No.5 in the UK.
1975 Typically Tropical were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Barbados'.
1975 The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is the site of the first annual Rock Music Award Show. The Don Kirshner produced broadcast on CBS proves to be an alternative to the Grammys. Those taking home awards: Bad Company, the Eagles, Roger Daltrey, Joan Baez and Stevie Wonder.
1978 Muddy Waters performed at a White House picnic for U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
1980 Abba scored their eighth UK No.1 single with 'The Winner Takes It All'.
1980 AC/DC scored their first UK No.1 album with 'Back In Black'.
1982 Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," which is the theme song for the hit movie "Rocky III," goes gold.
1986 250 Gary Numan fans picketed Radio 1 in London, demanding more airtime for their favourite pop star.
1986 Queen gave what would be their last ever live performance when they appeared at Knebworth Festival.
1991 Rick James pled innocent to charges that he imprisoned, tortured and sexually assaulted a woman in his California home.
1994 During an Oasis gig at The Riverside in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Noel Gallagher was hit in the face by a man who had jumped on the stage. Noel refused to carry on appearing and a mob of 300 people attacked the bands bus as they were leaving.
2003 Nicky Byrne of Westlife married daughter of Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in France.
2005 The Magic Numbers walked out of an appearance on UK music show Top of the Pops after presenter Richard Bacon said the band had been put in a "fat melting pot of talent." The band left the studio in protest at the "derogatory, unfunny remarks".
2006 Shakira played the first date on the North American leg of her 99 date Oral Fixation world tour at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.
2007 Amy Winehouse cancelled a series of European shows after being admitted to hospital suffering from "severe exhaustion". The 23-year-old singer was taken to University College London Hospital and later discharged. In the past few weeks she had pulled out of the T in the Park festival - also citing "exhaustion", Liverpool's Summer Pops event and concerts in Norway and Denmark.
2007 Jennifer Lopez won $545,000 (Ł267,257) in a case against her first husband, who planned to publish a book claiming she had several affairs. Lopez claimed Ojani Noa had violated a previous legal settlement preventing him from revealing private details about their relationship. The star claimed Mr Noa offered not to publish the book in return for $5 million (Ł2.4m).
