Births
1940 John Stokes, The Bachelors, (1964 UK No.1 single 'Diane', plus 16 other UK Top 40 singles).
1949 Cliff Fish, bass, Paper Lace, (1974 UK No.1 single 'Billy Don't Be A Hero', 1974 US No.1 single 'The Night Chicago Died').
1951 Dan Fogelberg, US singer songwriter, (1979 album 'Phoenix'). Worked with Joe Walsh, Jackson Browne, Randy Newman. Fogelberg died on 16th Dec 2007 at his home in Maine at the age of 56 of prostate cancer.
1958 Feargal Sharkey, singer, The Undertones, (1980 UK No.9 single 'My Perfect Cousin'). Solo, (1985 UK No.1 single 'A Good Heart', a song written by Maria Mckee).
1959 Mark Nevin, singer, songwriter, Fairground Attraction, (1988 UK No.1 single 'Perfect').
1959 Michael Bradley, bass, The Undertones, (1980 UK No.9 single 'My Perfect Cousin').
1959 Danny Bonaduce, The Partridge Family, (1970 US No.1 single 'I Think I Love You', 1972 UK No.3 single 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do'). Star of VH1 show 'My Reality Breakdown.'
1982 LeAnn Rimes, US singer, (1997 US No.3 & 1998 UK No.7 single, 'How Do I Live' spent 30 weeks on the UK top 40 singles chart the first record, to do so since 'Relax' by Frankie Goes To Hollywood).
1984 Diamond Blue Smith, singer, Pretty Ricky, (2007 US No.1 album 'Late Night Special').
1984 James Morrison, UK singer, songwriter, and guitarist, (2006 UK No.1 album 'Undiscovered').
Deaths
1971 King Curtis, at the age of 37, was stabbed to death outside his New York home.
1982 Soul singer Joe Tex died of a heart attack aged 49. Had nine US Top 40 hits including the 1972 US No.2 single 'I Gotcha'.
Events
1924 "The Prisoner's Song" by Vernon Dalhart became the first country music record to sell one million copies.
1930 Guy Lombardo and his orchestra recorded "Go Home and Tell Your Mother".
1938 Robert Johnson played a show at a roadhouse outside Greenwood, MS. It speculated that Johnson was poisoned by the bar owner. Johnson died several days later.
1952 The original version of "Hound Dog" was recorded by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton.
1964 Manfred Mann had their first UK No.1 with the single 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy'.
1964 The Supremes recorded 'Baby Love', the song went on to be the groups first UK No.1 and second US chart topper.
1965 The Jefferson Airplane made its stage debut at the Matrix Club in San Francisco, CA.
1965 The Beatles single "Help!" was released.
1965 Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five was pulled of stage by fans at a concert in Chicago, breaking two ribs.
1966 The Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love" was released.
1966 Lovin' Spoonful started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Summer In The City', it made No.8 in the UK.
1966 'Revolver', The Beatles seventh album release in three years started a seven week run at No.1 on the UK charts.
1967 The Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow Joan Baez to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. because of her opposition to the Vietnam War.
1971 John Lennon flew from Heathrow Airport to New York, he never set foot on British soil again.
1975 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band started a five night run at New York's Bottom Line Club.
1976 The Clash give a private show at a rehearsal hall in Chalk Farm, London, revealing themselves to both the invited press and to the world at large.
1977 Bachman Turner Overdrive split up. Their UK hit 'You Ain' t Seen Nothing Yet' made No. 2 in Nov 74.
1977 Yes scored their second UK No.1 album with 'Going For The One'.
1979 Cheap Trick has the biggest hit of their career, "I Want You to Want Me." The song took off when it was included on the "Live at Budokan" album. The record goes gold in the US on this date.
1980 Todd Rundgren's home in Woodstock, New York was invaded by four masked men. Rundgren, his girlfriend and three houseguests were bound and gagged while the masked men strip the house of valuables.
1982 Major American record companies including CBS, Atlantic and Warner Brothers all made staff cut-backs as the industry plunged into 'the worst shape in it's history'.
1983 KC & The Sunshine Band were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Give It Up'.
1988 Robert Smith of The Cure married his childhood sweetheart, Mary Poole.
1990 Curtis Mayfield was paralyzed after a light rack fell on him before a concert in Brooklyn, NY.
1994 Over 400,000, fans attend Woodstock 94, billed as two more days of peace and music, with Dylan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, CSN&Y plus dozens of other acts, it rained.
1994 Members from Oasis and The Verve were arrested after smashing up a hotel bar and breaking into a church to steal communion wine. Both bands had been appearing at Hulsfred Festival in Sweden.
1995 Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) has surgery for a hernia.
1999 Ex Guns N' Roses member Slash was arrested accused of assaulting his girlfriend at his Sunset Boulevard recording studio by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies. He was released on bail.
1999 The movie "Detroit Rock City" opened.
2000 Melenie C went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Turn To You'.
2002 Adam Ant pleaded guilty to threatening drinkers at The Prince Of Wales Pub in London in January of this year. The former 1980's pop star had returned to the bar with a starting pistol after being refused entry. He had also thrown a car alternator through the window of the pub.
2004 'Angels' by Robbie Williams was voted the best single which should have been a number one but never was, in a poll for music channel VH1. The ballad, which reached No.4 in December 1997, beat Savage Garden's 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' and Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing.' Other songs said to have deserved a number one included Madonna with 'Ray of Light', 'Beautiful Stranger', 'Crazy For You' and 'Material Girl', Bon Jovi with 'Always' and Oasis with 'Wonderwall' and 'Live Forever'. Sir Cliff Richard's hit 'Millennium Prayer' was voted the worst number one single of all time.
2007 Amy Winehouse pulled out of two Rolling Stones gigs in Hamburg Germany citing exhaustion, British group Starsailor repelaced Winehouse for the shows.
