Births
1894 Bessie Smith, US blues singer, 'Empress Of The Blues'. Songs include, 'Downhearted Blues', 'St Louis Blues', and 'Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out'. Died in a car accident on 26th September.
1932 Roy Clark, US singer, (1969 US No.19 single, 'Yesterday, When I Was Young').
1939 Reginald Smith (Marty Wilde), 1959 UK No.2 single 'A Teenager In Love', plus over 10 other UK Top 40 singles). Father of 80's singer Kim Wilde.
1940 Clarence Satchell, The Ohio Players, (1974 US No.1 single 'Fire'). He died on 30th December 1995.
1944 Dave Edmunds, guitar, vocals, producer, Love Sculpture, (1968 UK No.5 single 'Sabre Dance'), solo (1970 UK No.1 and US No.4 single 'I Hear You Knocking'). Member of Rockpile.
1947 Michael Chapman, Chinnichap productions, (producer and writer for Suzi Quatro, Mud).
1947 Wooly Woolsenholme, Barclay James Harvest, (eight UK Top 40 albums from 1974-87).
1962 Nick Kamen, singer, (1986 UK No.5 single 'Each Time You Break My Heart').
1965 Oscar Harrison, drums, Ocean Colour Scene, (1996 UK No.4 single 'The Day We Caught The Train', plus over 12 other Top 40 singles, 1997 UK No.1 album ‘Marchin’ Already’).
1965 Linda Perry, songwriter, producer, singer, 4 Non Blondes, (1993 UK No.2 single ‘What’s Up’, 1993 UK No. 4 album ‘Bigger Better Faster More!). Wrote ‘Beautiful’ for Christina Aguilera, plus Jewel, Courtney Love, Gwen Stefani, Sugababes, Robbie Williams, Melissa Etheridge, Gavin Rossdale have all recorded her songs.
1966 Graeme Clark, bass, Wet Wet Wet, (1994 UK No.1 single 'Love Is All Around', 15 weeks at No.1, plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles).
1966 Samantha Fox, former model, singer, (1986 UK No.3 single 'Touch Me, I Want Your Body').
1967 Frankie Poullian, bass, The Darkness, (2003 UK No.2 single ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’, 2003 UK No.1 album ‘Permission To Land’). Left the band in 2005.
1968 Edward John O'Brien, guitarist, Radiohead, (1993 UK No.7 single 'Creep', 1997 UK No.1 & US No.21 album 'OK Computer', 2000 UK & US No.1 album 'Kid A').
Deaths
2001 Punk pioneer Joey Ramone of The Ramones died after losing a long battle with lymphatic cancer. He was 49.
Events
1958 Buddy Holly's Fender Stratocaster guitar was stolen at a St. Louis concert.
1965 Cliff Richard was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Minute You're Gone.' The singers eighth UK No.1.
1966 Buffalo Springfield performed for the first time as the opening act for the Byrds in San Bernadino, CA.
1966 Appearing live at the Blackpool Odeon, Jimi Hendrix, The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens and Engelbert Humperdink, tickets 5 and 10 shillings, ($0.70 and $1.40).
1967 Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Somethin' Stupid'. They became the only father and daughter act ever to score a No.1 single. UB40 singer Ali Cambell covered the song in 1995 with his daughter Kibbi. Robbie Williams had a 2001 UK No.1 with his version of the song featuring Nicole Kidman.
1968 Aretha Franklin recorded "Think."
1969 Archie Bell of the Drells was released from military service after a tour of Vietnam.
1972 Roberta Flack started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Ewan MacColl song 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'. A No.14 hit in the UK. The song was featured in the Clint Eastwood film 'Play Misty For Me.'
1975 Appearing at Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, Kiss, Rush and the Heavy Metal Kids.
1978 Television were forced to postpone their gig at Bristol's Colston Hall after the 40 foot truck carrying their equipment was involved in a crash killing the driver.
1982 Billy Joel was seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident on Long Island, New York. He went to the hospital and stayed for over a month undergoing therapy on his injured hand.
1989 American all girl group The Bangles started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Eternal Flame.'
1989 The Fine Young Cannibals went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'She Drives Me Crazy.'
1989 Tone Loc went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Loc-ed After Dark'.
1995 Montell Jordan started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'This Is How We Do It', a No.11 hit in the UK.
1996 Milli Vanilli singer Rob Pilatus was jailed for 90 days by a Los Angeles judge for three violent attacks and parole violation.
1996 The rest of Jerry Garcia's ashes were scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. A small portion had been scattered in the Ganges River in India 11 days earlier. The Grateful Dead leader had died on 9th Aug 1995.
2001 Janet Jackson started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'All For You.'
2001 Stereophonics started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Jeep.'
2003 Beyonce was sued by the Wilhemina Artist Agency who claimed she hadn't paid them the commission for her L'Oral ads. The agency claimed the singer refused to pass on the 10 percent of the $1m (Ł640,000), deal that was brokered by the agency.
2006 T.I. was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘King’ the rappers fourth album release.
2007 Acts appearing at the Quilmes Rock festival at River stadium in Argentina included, Aerosmith, Velvet Revolver, Placebo, Keane and Evanescence.
