Births
1943 This day was commonly thought to be George Harrison's birthday. In 1992, Harrison was reported to have said, "I only learned recently after all these years that the date and time of my own birth have always been off by one calendar day and about a half hour on the clock." His birthday is actually March 24.
1934 US singer Johnny Burnette, (1961 UK No.3 & US No.8 single 'Your Sixteen'). He was killed in a boating accident on Clear Lake, California on 1st August 1964 aged 30.
1938 Hoyt Axton, US singer/songwriter and actor who wrote songs for Elvis Presley, Three Dog Night, John Denver, Ringo Starr and Glen Campbell. Had his own hits with ‘When The Morning Comes’ and ‘Flash Of Fire’. Acting roles included Bionic Woman and McCloud. Axton died of a heart attack on October 10th 1999, aged 61.
1942 Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul, (1967 US No.1 & UK No.10 single 'Respect, 1968 UK No.4 single 'I Say A Little Prayer' & 1987 UK No.1 single with George Michael 'I Knew You Were Waiting', plus over 15 other UK Top 40 hits).
1947 Jack Hall, Charlie Daniels Band, (1979 US No.3 & UK No.14 single 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia').
1947 Elton John, singer, songwriter, pianist, (Reginald Dwight), 1971 UK No.7 single 'Your Song', 1973 US No.1 single 'Crocodile Rock' seven other US No.1's. Biggest selling single of all time with 1997 'Candle In The Wind 97', plus over 50 UK Top 40 hit singles. Sold over 150m records worldwide.
1947 Duncan Browne, UK singer, songwriter, (1972 UK No.23 single 'Journey'). Browne died on 28th May 1993.
1949 Neil Jones, Amen Corner, (1969 UK No.1 single 'If Paradise Is Half As Nice', plus five other UK Top 40 hits).
1949 Nick Lowe, Brinsley Schwarz, Rockpile, singer, songwriter, producer and solo artist, (1978 UK No.7 single 'I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass' and 1979 UK No.12 single 'Cruel To Be Kind').
1951 Maisie Williams, Boney M, (1978 UK No.1 & US No.30 single 'Rivers of Babylon').
1960 Steve Norman, guitar, sax, Spandau Ballet, (1983 UK No.1 & US No.4 single 'True', plus 16 other UK Top 40 singles).
1966 Canadian guitarist, singer, Jeff Healey, blind from the age of one. Plays the guitar on his lap.
1969 Cathy Dennis, singer, songwriter, (1991 US No.2 & UK No.5 single 'Touch Me All Night Long'). Co- wrote 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' hit for Kylie Minogue Alo written for S Club 7, Kelly Clarkson, Brian Kennedy, Celine Dion, Ronan Keating, Janet Jackson and Britney Spears.
1971 Michael McKeegan, bass, Therapy' (1993 UK No.9 single 'Screamager').
1974 Finley Quaye, singer, (1997 UK single 'Even After All'). 1998 Brit award winner for best male solo artist.
1975 Melanie Blatt, vocals, All Saints, (1998 UK No.1 & US No.4 single 'Never Ever').
1975 Juvenile, (Terry Gray), 2004 US No.1 single feat Soulja Slim 'Slow Motion', 2006 US No.1 album ‘Reality Check’).
Deaths
1976 US singer, songwriter Jackson Browne's wife Phyllis Major committed suicide.
1978 Bill Kenny, lead singer of The Ink Spots died. UK No.10 single 'Melody Of Love.'
2006 Buck Owens, Jr. American singer and guitarist died. Pioneered the Bakersfield sound—a reference to Bakersfield, California, scored twenty number-one hits on the Billboard country music charts.
Events
1961 Elvis Presley performed his last live show for the next eight years in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The show raised $62,000 for the U.S.S. Arizona memorial fund.
1964 The Beatles made their debut on UK TV show 'Top Of The Pops' singing 'Can't Buy Me Love'.
1965 Bobby Vee, Dusty Springfield, The Searchers, Heinz and The Zombies play at The Odeon Cinema, Stockton, Cleveland,
1967 The Turtles started a 3 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Happy Together', it made No.12 in the UK.
1967 The Who made its U.S. concert debut in New York.
1968 The 58th and final episode of The Monkees TV series was broadcast in the US.
1969 John and Yoko started their 'bed-in' at The Amsterdam Hilton hotel.
1969 Roy Orbison married German born Barbara Wellhonen.
1969 John and Yoko started their 'bed-in' at The Amsterdam Hilton hotel.
1972 America started a 3 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with their debut hit 'Horse With No Name', it made No.3 in the UK. The group scored 8 other US top 40 hits during the 70's.
1972 Roberta Flack started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'First Take.'
1972 Lindisfarne started a 4 week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their debut album 'Fog On The Tyne'.
1977 Elvis Costello released his debut single 'Less Than Zero' it didn't make the Top 40.
1978 '20 Golden Greats' by Buddy Holly and The Crickets went to No.1 on the UK album chart, giving Holly his first ever No.1 LP almost 20 years since his first release in 1959.
1979 Van Halen released the album "Van Halen II."
1985 Prince won an Oscar for Best Original Score for the soundtrack for the movie "Purple Rain."
1986 Guns N' Roses signed a world-wide deal with Geffen Records.
1989 Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Anything For You'.
1989 Madonna had her 6th UK No.1 with 'Like A Prayer'. Also No.1 in the US.
1989 Mike And The Mechanics went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Living Years', (it made No. 2 in the UK).
1990 Motley Crue's Tommy Lee was arrested for mooning at the audience during a gig in Augusta and was charged with indecent exposure.
1991 Michael Jackson escorted Madonna to the Oscars.
1995 The charity record 'Love Can Build A Bridge' featuring Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton went to No.1 on the UK singles chart for 1 week.
1995 Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam was rescued after a riptide carried him 250 feet offshore in New Zealand.
1995 The charity record 'Love Can Build A Bridge' featuring Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton went to No.1 on the UK singles chart for one week.
1995 Radiohead's second album The Bends entered the UK album chart for the first time peaking at No.4.
2000 Former Bay City Rollers drummer Derek Longmuir was given 300 hours community service after being caught with a hoard of child pornography including 150 videos and 73 floppy disks.
2001 Shaggy went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Angel.'
2002 Bono made a appearance at the air rage trial of R.E.M.'s Peter Buck telling the court 'I came to court because Peter is actually famously know for being a peaceable person. I once had to twist his arm to get him to a boxing match'.
2002 The seven-year mystery of missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards took a grisly twist when human feet were found near where he vanished in 1995.
2004 In Georgia, the House of Representatives voted 134-0 to name a stretch of Interstate 85 for country music star Alan Jackson. The honor had already passed the Senate.
