Births
1904 Count Basie, bandleader. Worked with Frank Sinatra as well as his own Count Basie band. Died on 26th April 1984.
1938 Kenny Rogers, singer, (1977 UK No.1 single 'Lucille', 1980 US No.1 & UK No.12 single 'Lady', plus 15 other US Top 40 hits).
1941 Tom Costello, Santana, (1970 US No.4 single 'Black Magic Woman', 1977 UK No.11 single 'She's Not There').
1944 Jackie DeShannon singer, (1969 US No.4 single 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart').
1947 Carl Giammarese, guitar, The Buckinghams, (1967 US No.1 single 'Kind Of A Drag').
1952 Joe Strummer, singer, songwriter, guitarist, The Clash, (1979 UK No. 11 single 'London Calling', 1982 US No. 8 single 'Rock The Casbah, 1991 UK No.1 single 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go', first released 1982 plus 15 other UK top 40 singles). Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros. He died on 22nd December 2002.
1954 Nick Kane, The Mavericks, (1998 UK No.4 single 'Dance The Night Away').
1954 Steve Smith, drums, Journey, (1982 US No.2 single 'Open Arms').
1957 Budgie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, (1983 UK No.3 single 'Dear Prudence', plus over 15 other UK top 40 singles), The Creatures, (1983 UK No.14 single 'Right Now').
1957 Kim Sledge, Sister Sledge, (1979 US No.2 single 'We Are Family', 1985 UK No.1 with 'Frankie').
1961 David Morales, US DJ, producer, (1998 UK No. 8 single with The Face 'Needin' U').
1967 Serj Tankian, singer, System of a Down, (2005 US No.1 & UK No.2 album 'Mezmerize').
1968 Dina Carroll, singer, (1993 UK No.3 single 'Don't Be A Stranger').
1971 Liam Howlett, Keyboards, Prodigy, (1996 UK No.1 single 'Firestarter', 1997 UK & US No.1 album 'The Fat Of The Land').
1979 Kelis Rogers, singer, (2000 UK No.4 single 'Caught Out There'). Married to American rapper Nas.
1984 Melissa Schman, Dream, (2001 US No.3 & UK No.17 single 'He Loves You Not').
Deaths
2005 Robert Moog, inventor of the synthesiser died aged 71, four months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Dr Moog built his first electronic instrument, a theremin - aged 14 and made the MiniMoog, "the first compact, easy-to-use synthesiser" in 1970. He won the Polar prize, Sweden's "music Nobel prize", in 2001. Wendy Carlos' 1968 Grammy award-winning album, Switched-On Bach, brought Dr Moog to prominence.
Events
1938 The classic song "Ain't Misbehavin'" was recorded by Fats Waller.
1961 Elvis Presley started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Something For Everybody' his sixth US No.1 album.
1965 Barry McGuire's "Eve Of Destruction" was released.
1965 The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe In Magic" was released.
1965 The Rolling Stones started a three week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Out Of Our Heads' the groups first US No.1 album.
1966 During a US tour The Beatles appeared at the Busch Memorial Stadium, St Louis, tickets cost $5.00. This was the second gig the group had played this day and they performed during a heavy rainstorm. It was this gig that convinced Paul McCartney that The Beatles should stop performing live.
1968 Tommy James and The Shondells returned to the UK No.1 position for the second Time with the single 'Mony Mony'.
1971 Appearing at the Tregye Festival Truro, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Hawkwind, Duster Bennett, Brewers Droop, Indian Summer, Graphite and second from the bottom on the bill, Queen.
1972 Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane was arrested after a fight broke out on stage during a concert when the police had been called 'pigs'. Grace Slick was 'Mace' and another group member injured at the show in Akron.
1976 It was announced by RCA Victor records that the sales of Elvis Presley records passed the 400 million mark.
1980 Linda Rondstadt made her debut on Broadway. The production was Gilber & Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance."
1982 U2 singer Bono married Alison Stewart, his girlfriend from 1975 at All Saints Church, Raheny in Ireland. U2 bassist Adam Clayton acted as Bono's best man.
1983 Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone had a four-hour brain surgery operation, after being found unconscious in a New York Street where he had been involved in a fight.
1990 Prince released the soundtrack to "Graffiti Bridge."
1990 Ratt released the album "Detonator."
1992 Sting and Trudi Styler were married.
1993 Bernie Taupin, Elton John's lyricist, married Stephanie Haymes.
1993 The soundtrack from the film 'Sleepless In Seattle' went to No.1 on the US album chart.
1994 John Denver was charged with drunken driving after crashing his Porsche into a tree.
1995 R.E.M. sued Hershey Foods, claiming the company exploited its name when it ran a "Kit Kat - R.E.M. Concert" sweepstakes in Hershey candy bars. The suit was eventually dropped.
1996 Former Talking Heads lead singer David Byrne sued to prevent the rest of the group from touring as "The Heads." The suit was settled out of court.
1997 At a press conference in the San Francisco Hard Rock Cafe, Carlos Santana unveiled a limited-edition t-shirt bearing his artwork. He autographed 500 of the shirts for distribution to foreign and domestic markets.
1997 Ex-Stone Roses drummer Alan Wren was jailed for seven days after being rude to a top Manchester Magistrate. He was before the court due to having no car insurance and lost his temper after being quizzed about his earnings.
1997 Oasis' third album 'Be Here Now', became one of the fastest selling albums ever, shifting over a million copies on the first day of release.
2002 Atomic Kitten were facing legal action after sacking Andy McCluskey, the songwriter who wrote the bands first No.1 'Whole Again.' The band were about to be dropped by Innocent records when they recorded the song that became a huge hit. The girls then wanted a bigger share of royalties, which McCluskey had turned down. Under the original deal each girl got 4p from the sale of one single.
2004 A man from Stoke-on-Trent, England, named Bryan Adams as the 'other man' in his divorce papers after years spent trying to cope with his wife's obsession with the singer. Rob Tinsley said he had to live with a 6ft cut-out of Adams which stood at the foot of the bed and posters on the bedroom walls.
2005 Staind were at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Chapter V.'
2006 German prosecutors announced that they had decided against opening an investigation into Madonna after she performed a controversial mock crucifixion scene at a concert on August 20.
