Births
1904 Bing Crosby, US singer who recorded an estimated 2,600 songs in his lifetime including ‘White Christmas’, which was written by Irving Berlin. Crosby had 317 other hits in the USA. Died of a heart attack on a golf course in Madrid, Spain, on October 14, 1977.
1935 Link Wray, guitarist, (1958 US No.16 single 'Rumble'). Wray was credited with inventing 'fuzz' guitar after punching a whole in a speaker giving him a distorted sound. Wray died on 5th Nov 2005 aged 76.
1936 Engelbert Humperdinck, (1967 UK No.1 and US No. 4 single 'Release Me', plus 12 other UK Top 40 hits).
1945 Goldy McJohn, Steppenwolf, (1968 US No.2 and 1969 UK No.30 single 'Born To Be Wild').
1945 Randy Cain, The Delfonics, (1968 US No.4 & 1971 UK No.19 single 'La- La Means I Love You').
1946 Bob Henrit, drums, Argent, 1972 UK No.5 single 'Hold Your Head Up'), also a member of The Kinks.
1946 Lesley Gore, singer, (1963 US No.1 & UK No.9 single 'It's My Party').
1950 Lou Gramm, vocals, Foreigner, (1985 UK & US No.1 single 'I Want To Know What Love Is').
1954 Prescott Niles, The Knack, (1979 US No.1 & UK No.6 single 'My Sharona').
1955 Jo Callis, Human League, (1981 UK No.1 & 1982 US No.1 single 'Don't You Want Me' plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles).
1961 Dr Robert, The Blow Monkeys, (1987 UK No.5 single 'It Doesn't Have To Be This Way').
1967 David McAlmont, singer, (1995 UK No.8 with Bernard Butler, 'Yes.')
1969 Ben Leach, The Farm, (1990 UK No.4 single 'All Together Now').
1985 Lily Allen, UK singer, (2006 UK No.1 single ‘Smile’, 2006 UK No.2 album ‘Alright, Still’).
Deaths
1969 Session drummer Benny Benjamin died. One of 'The Funk Brothers' played on many Tamla Motown hits including, The Four Tops, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and Stevie Wonder. Film 'Standing In The Shadows Of Motown' released in 2003.
1998 Japanese rock star Hideto Matsumoto was found hanged in the bathroom at his Tokyo apartment and died in hospital a short time later at the age of 33. His funeral, held on May 7th, was attended by over 70,000 people and required 100 police officers, 170 security guards, police boats and helicopters. 21 people were hospitalised for injuries caused by the massive crowd at his funeral.
Events
1938 Ella Fitzgerald recorded "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" with Chick Webb’s band.
1956 For the first time in "Billboard" chart history, five singles were in both the pop and the R&B top 10. The singles were Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel," Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes," Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally," the Platters' "Magic Touch," and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love."
1957 Elvis Presley recorded the Leiber and Stoller song 'Jailhouse Rock.'
1960 Production began on Elvis Presley's "G.I. Blues." It was his first post-Army movie.
1960 Ben E. King left the Drifters and signed a deal with ATCO Records.
1963 The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'From Me To You', the groups first No.1 and the first of eleven consecutive No.1's.
1964 The Rolling Stones self-titled debut album started a 12-week run at No.1 on the UK charts. The album spent a total of 51 weeks on the UK chart.
1965 The Rolling Stones made their second appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show."
1967 Appearing at The Adelphi Theatre, Dublin, The Beach Boys, Helen Shapiro, Simon Dupree And The Big Sound and Terry Reid with Peter Jay's Jaywalkers.
1969 The Who gave a press preview of their new rock opera 'Tommy' at Ronnie Scott's in London, England.
1970 One hit wonder Norman Greenbaum was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Spirit In The Sky.' Also a No.1 hit for Doctor and the Medics in 1986 and Gareth Gates in 2003.
1972 Bruce Springsteen auditioned for CBS Records A&R man John Hammond in New York. Springsteen played a short set for him in his office; Hammond was so impressed that he arranged a real audition that night at the Gaslight Club in New York for other Columbia executives. Bruce passed the audition.
1972 Les Harvey (Stone the Crow) was electrocuted on stage in Swansea, Wales. He died several hours later at the age of 25.
1977 Eric Clapton recorded "Wonderful Tonight."
1978 Appearing at The Band On The Wall, Manchester, The Fall and Slaughter And The Dogs and at London's Hackney, The Clash, The Tom Robinson Band and X-Ray Spec.
1979 The Who performed their first concert after the death of Keith Moon. Kenney Jones, formerly of the Faces, was the new drummer.
1979 The Who's movie "Quadrophenia" premiered in London.
1980 The South African government banned the Pink Floyd song "Another Brick in the Wall (PartII)."
1980 Joy Division played what would be their last gig with Ian Curtis when they appeared at Birmingham University. Curtis committed suicide two weeks later.
1981 Scottish singer Sheena Easton started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Morning Train (9 to 5)'. The title of the song was changed to avoid any confusion with the Dolly Parton hit '9 to 5', in the same year.
1981 The Beat kicked off a 17-date UK tour at Cardiff Sophia Gardens. Tickets 3.50 pounds reduced to 2.50 pounds on production of a unemployment dole card.
1982 Adam and the Ants disbanded.
1983 Spandau Ballet were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'True', the groups only No.1.
1987 Cutting Crew started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with '(I Just), Died In Your Arms', a No.4 hit in the UK.
1991 The video for the R.E.M. song 'Losing My Religion', was banned in Ireland because its religious imagery was seen as unfit for broadcast.
1991 Nirvana booked into Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California for 16 days. On a budget of $65,000 and with Butch Vig producing the band started recording what would become the ‘Nevermind’ album.
1992 little known UK duo Nirvana filed a suit against the American band of the same name claiming that they had been using the name since 1968. The dispute was settled out of court in the British bands favour.
1992 The Cure scored their first UK No.1 album with 'Wish', their 15th album release, featuring the top 10 single 'Friday I'm In Love'.
1992 Bonnie Raitt received an honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music during commencement cermonies in Boston.
1998 Loretta Lynn made the announcement backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, that she intended to return to college and get a degree.
1998 Boyzone went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'All That I Need'.
1999 Sinead O'Connor made her first performance since her ordination as Mother Bernadette when she appeared on Irish television's 'Late Late Show'.
1999 St Vincent and the Grenadines issued a *NSYNC postage stamp in honour of the boy band.
2004 D-12 were at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘D12 World.’
2004 Total Guitar magazine's readers voted Guns N' Roses' anthem ‘Sweet Child O' Mine’ as the greatest guitar riff ever ahead of Nirvana's grunge anthem ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Led Zeppelin's ‘Whole Lotta Love’ came third, followed by Deep Purple's ‘Smoke On The Water’. Total Guitar editor Scott Rowley said: "To a new generation of guitarists, Guns N' Roses are more thrilling than the *** Pistols."
2005 Eric Clapton joined former Cream members drummer Ginger Baker and bass player Jack Bruce for the first of four nights at London's Royal Albert Hall 36 years after they had split up. Tickets were changing hands for more than 500 pounds on eBay and fans had flown over from the USA to witness the reunion, which Clapton aged 60, is said to have agreed to because of the failing health of the other former members of the band.
2006 Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was released from hospital in New Zealand after the 62 year-old guitarist suffered "mild concussion" when he fell out of a coconut tree while on holiday in Fiji. He was airlifted to Auckland's Ascot Hospital for observation, where he underwent a brain scan.
2007 Almost 2,000 musicians gathered in the Polish city of Wroclaw to play a rock anthem by Jimi Hendrix. The guitarists were aiming to set a new Guinness World Record by gathering 1,876 guitarists in the city's market square to play 'Hey Joe'. Organisers say it was the biggest guitar ensemble in recorded history.
