Births
1944 Main Ingredient vocalist Cuba Gooding, Sr. born in New York City. His children, Omar and Jr. (Oscar winner) turn to acting.
1947 Soul singer Ann Peebles born in East St. Louis. Her best known works released on Al Green's Hi Label, including "Can't Stop the Rain" and "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down."
1947 Gordon Haskell, UK singer, songwriter, King Crimson, solo, (2001 UK No.2 single 'How Wonderful You Are', 2001 UK No.2 album, 'Harry's Bar').
1947 Peter Ham, vocals, guitar, The Iveys and then Badfinger, (1970 UK No.4 single 'Come And Get It'). Ham committed suicide on 23rd April 1975.
1948 Kate Pierson of the B-52's is born.
1949 Clive Taylor, Amen Corner, (1969 UK No.1 single 'If Paradise Is Half As Nice', plus five other UK Top 40 hits).
1949 Herb Murrell, vocals, The Stylistics, (1974 US No.2 single 'You Make Me Feel Brand New', 1975 UK No.1 single 'Can't Give You Anything But My Love' plus 15 other UK Top 40 singles).
1951 Paul Frehley, guitar, vocals, Kiss, (1974 US No.5 single 'On And On' 1976 US No 11 album 'Rock and Roll Over' spent 26 weeks on the chart. 1987 UK No.4 single 'Crazy Crazy Nights').
1958 Keith DeNunzio, a one-time member of the legendary New Jersey band, the Feelies, born in Pennsylvania.
1959 Marco Pirroni of the UK band Adam & the Ants, born.
1959 Sheena Easton, UK singer, (1980 UK No.3 & 1981 US No.1 single 'Morning Train, Nine To Five').
1971 Jay DeMarcus, bassist, Rascal Flatts, (2004 US country No.2 single ‘I Melt’, 2006 US No.1 album ‘Me And My Gang’).
1972 Bob Coombes, keyboards, Supergrass, (1995 UK No.2 single 'Alright').
1979 Will Boyd, bass, Evanescence, (2003 UK No.1 & US No.5 single ‘Bring Me To Life’, 2003 UK No.1 & US No.3 album ‘Fallen’). Left the group in June 2006.
1984 Yonah Higgins, vocals, Cleopatra, (1998 UK No.3 single 'Cleopatra's Theme').
1984 Patrick Stump, lead singer, rhythm guitarist, Fall Out Boy, (2007 US No.1 album ‘Infinity on High’).
Deaths
1972 Phil King of Blue Oyster Cult is killed - shot three times in the head with a .38 - in a gambling fight in NYC.
2000 Singer Vicki Sue Robinson died. She had the 1976 disco hit 'Turn The Beat Around'.
Events
1959 Llyde Price's "Personality" was released.
1963 Little Peggy March started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Will Follow Him'.
1966 The Beatles finished recording the new John Lennon song 'I'm Only Sleeping' at Abbey Road studios London, England.
1964 John Lennon's "In His Own Write," a collection of funny poems and drawings, was published in the U.S.
1967 Sandie Shaw had her 3rd UK No.1 with the Eurovision Song Contest winner of 67, 'Puppet On A String'.
1968 Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" was released.
1969 Glen Campbell and Dionne Warwick were guests on Jose Feliciano's TV special.
1973 Opryland opened in Nashville, TN.
1975 Pink Floyd played the last of a four night run at Los Angeles' Sports Arena. A total of 511 fans were arrested over the four nights for possession of marijuana.
1976 David Bowie was detained by customs officers on a train at the Russian/Polish Border, after Nazi books and mementoes were found in his luggage.
1978 The first night of a 14-date UK tour by Blue Oyster Cult supported by Japan at the Colston Hall, Bristol.
1980 Studio 54 in New York shut down on its third anniversary of its opening.
1981 Ringo Starr married actress and one time 'Bond girl' Barbara Bach.
1985 USA For Africa started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'We Are The World'.
1988 Poison released the album "Open Up and Say...Ahh!"
1988 Queensryche released the album "Operation: Mindcrime."
1990 Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) married Erin Everly. The marriage lasted for 27 days.
1991 Christian singer Amy Grant started a 2 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Baby Baby', a No.2 hit in the UK.
1993 Prince issued a statement saying he was retiring from studio recordings to concentrate on film and other ventures.
1994 The Fillmore club reopened in San Francisco.
1994 Chicago scored their third US No.1 album with 'Chicago VII'.
1994 A man was arrested after breaking into Ace Of Base singer Jenny Berggren's home. Jenny was asleep at the time and woke up to find the man above her holding a hunting knife.
1996 Oasis played the first of 2 nights at Manchester's main road Football Club. The 80,000 tickets allotted sold out in hours.
1997 Depeche Mode went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their album 'Ultra'.
2001 A&E aired "Live By Request" in which the BeeGees performed many of their hit songs.
2003 UK boy band Busted went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'You Said No.' The band also appeared at Birmingham NIA, England with S Club 7, Dannii Minogue, Girls Aloud, Sonique, Kym Marsh, David Sneddon and S Club 7 Juniors.
2003 Madonna went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘American Life’, the singers eighth No.1 album. Also a US No.1 album.
2003 US TV’s Pop Idol winner Kelly Clarkson was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Thankful.’
2006 In Fiji, Keith Richards was admitted to a hospital after he reportedly suffered a head injury when he fell out of a palm tree.
