Births
1919 Pete Seeger, US folk singer, wrote 'Turn Turn Turn', for The Byrds. 'If I Had A Hammer', hit for Peter Paul and Mary.
1933 James Brown, 'Soul Brother No.1', (1966 US No.8 and UK No.13 single 'It's A Man's World', 1986 UK No.5 single 'Living In America', 1963 album 'Live At The Apollo'). Brown died on 25th Dec 2006 died at the age of 73 after being diagnosed with severe pneumonia.
1937 Frankie Valli, singer, The Four Seasons, (1976 UK & US No.1 single 'December, 1963, Oh What A Night', solo 1978 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Grease')
1944 Pete Staples, The Troggs, (1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Wild Thing').
1948 John Richardson, The Rubettes, (1974 UK No.1 single 'Sugar Baby Love').
1950 Mary Hopkin, (1968 UK No.1 and US No.2 single 'Those Were The Days', released on The Beatles Apple label and produced by Paul McCartney, winner of TV Talent show 'Opportunity Knocks.
1951 Christopher Cross, singer, songwriter, (1981 US No.1 single 'Arthur's Theme', a No.7 UK hit in 1982).
1953 Bruce Hall, REO Speedwagon, (1981 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Keep On Loving You').
1955 Steve Jones, *** Pistols guitarist, (1977 UK No.2 single 'God Save The Queen' and 1977 UK No.1 album 'Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The *** Pistols').
1959 David Ball, Soft Cell, (1981 UK No.1 single 'Tainted Love').
1965 Simon Smith, drums, The Wedding Present, (during 1992, they released one single every month giving them twelve top 30 hits, making them the only group to score more than ten new hits in one year).
1969 Jay Darlington, Kula Shaker, (1996 UK No.2 single 'Hey Dude').
1972 Mark Morrison, UK singer, (1996 UK No.1 single 'Return Of The Mack').
1972 Josey Scott, lead singer, Saliva. Scott sang 'Hero' with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, which was used as the theme song to the 2002 film Spider-Man.
1979 Danny Foster, Hear'Say, (2001 UK No.1 single 'Pure And Simple').
1981 Farrah Franklin, singer, actress and model. Joined Destiny's Child in 2000, along with Michelle Williams replacing original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. Left Destiny's Child after five months.
Deaths
1972 Stone the Crows Les Harvey is electrocuted by a live microphone on stage at the Top Rank Ballroom, Swansea, in front of an audience of 12,000.
Events
1956 "Most Happy Fella," a musical by Frank Loesser, opened at the Imperial Theatre in New York City.
1960 "The Fantasticks" opened. The show became the longest-running musical in theater history on May 13, 1984 with performance number 10,000.
1964 Gerry & the Pacemakers made their U.S. TV debut on the "Ed Sullivan Show." They performed "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying."
1965 The Beatles spent the day filming for their forthcoming film 'Help!' on Salisbury Plain with the British Army's Third Tank Division.
1967 The Walker Brothers disbanded.
1967 Carl Wilson (Beach Boys) went to court on draft evasion charges.
1968 The Beach Boys opened their US tour on which the co.-headliner was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
1968 The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded 'Voodoo Child'. It was featured on the 'Electric Ladyland' double album and became a UK No.1 single on 21/11/70 two months after his death.
1969 Jimi Hendrix was arrested when Canadian customs officials found heroin in his bag.
1971 New York City's Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center announced that it would begin presenting rock, pop and jazz concerts as well as classical.
1975 Dawn started a 3 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'He Don't Love You, (Like I Love You)', the groups third US No.1.
1975 Mud had their 3rd and final UK No.1 single with 'Oh Boy'.
1975 Chicago started a two week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Chicago VIII', the groups third US No.1.
1975 Dawn started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'He Don't Love You, (Like I Love You)', the groups third US No.1.
1975 The Bay City Rollers Rollers started a 3 week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their 2nd album 'Once Upon A Star'
1976 David Bowie played the first of six sold out nights at Wembley, his first UK gig in three years.
1976 Paul McCartney, with his band Wings, makes his first live appearance in the US in almost 10 years at a concert in Fort Worth, Texas.
1977 Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow performed at a benefit concert for the New York Public Library.
1978 The first date of a 12-date UK tour by The Climax Blues Band supported by Dire Straits.
1980 Dexy's Midnight Runners were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Geno', a song written about soul singer Geno Washington.
1980 Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band started a six week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Against The Wind'.
1980 Sky went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Sky 2'.
1983 Kajagoogoo kicked of their first major UK tour when they appeared at The Winter Gardens, Margate.
1986 Robert Palmer went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Addicted To Love', it made No.5 in the UK. Palmer originally recorded the song as a duet with Chaka Khan but due to contractual problems her voice was removed.
1986 Dollywood (Dolly Parton's theme park) opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
1991 Andy Williams (age 60) and Debbie Haas (age 36) were married.
1997 Katrina And The Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin with the song 'Love Shine A Light', making them the first UK winners since Bucks Fizz in 1981
1997 Michael Jackson went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Blood On The Dance Floor'.
1997 The Charlatans went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Tellin' Stories'
1997 The Notorious B.I.G. started a 3 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with his posthumous hit 'Hypnotize', a No.10 hit in the UK, the rapper was gunned down and killed on March 9th, 1997.
1998 Massive Attack started a 2 week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Mezzanine'.
2000 Rapper DMX was sentenced to 15 days in jail after pleading guilty to drug possession charges, driving without a license and outstanding parking tickets. DMX was also fined $350.
2001 London based bank Coutts And Co. turned down applications from members of Oasis to open accounts on the grounds of the bands bad behaviour.
2004 the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by two musicians who claimed they were owed royalties from Ozzy Osbourne. Bassist Robert Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake had fought a long-running battle since 1997 with the Osbourne family claiming they were entitled to money from the albums ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ and ‘Diary of a Madman.’ Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager, said that the pair had "harassed" her family and had had their contributions removed from the albums because of their "abusive and unjust behaviour".
2006 the first Bob Dylan radio program was aired on XM Satellite Radio. Tracks played on his show included Blur, Prince, Billy Bragg, Wilco, Mary Gauthier, L.L. Cool J and The Streets.
