Today in Rock n' Roll History

[TimothyBFan]

1947: Benjamin Orr (Orzechowski), bassist for The Cars, was born. See my tribute in R N R Birthdays thread.

[Koala]

1963 The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'She Loves You.' 'Please Please Me' was at No.1 on the UK album chart.

1965 US newspaper The Hollywood reporter ran the following advertisement; 'Madness folk & roll musicians, singers wanted for acting roles in new TV show. Parts for 4 insane boys. The Monkees were born.

1972 Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now', the group's third UK No.1. Taken from their album 'Slayed?'

1992 Nirvana's Chris Novoselic knocked himself unconscious during the MTV music and video awards after being hit on the head with his guitar after throwing it 'up in the air'.

1992 Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," featured in the comedy 'Wayne's World,' wins Best Video from a film at the ninth annual MTV Awards. In its second return to the charts the previous April, it hit #2.

2001 Bob The Builder scored his second UK No.1 single with his version of the Lou Bega No.1 hit 'Mambo No. 5.'

2005 Liverpool City Council confirmed it was to demolish Ringo Starr's birthplace because it had "no historical significance." The house in Dingle, was one of 460 properties to be demolished for a regeneration project. The council said Madryn Street had no significance because Ringo had spent only three months of his life there.

2005 An international conference devoted to the life, work, and influence of Bruce Springsteen was held at Monmouth University, New Jersey. The festivities included various live acts, as well as keynote addresses by rock critics and figures from the music industry. More than 150 papers were presented to the course including Springsteen and American Folklore, Springsteen and Dylan's American Dreamscapes, Springsteen's Musical Legacy, Born to Run at 30-Years-Old, Springsteen and New Jersey and the Boss and the Bible.

[Koala]

1950 Joe Perry, guitar, Aerosmith is born.

1964 The Kinks third single 'You Really Got Me', was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. Future Led Zeppelin founder and guitarist Jimmy Page played tambourine on the track.

1964 Rod Stewart recorded his first single, a version of Willie Dixon's 'Good Morning Little School Girl.' Future Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones played on the session.

1965 The Byrds begin recording ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’. Unlike their first hit, ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’, members of the group itself were permitted to play instead of session musicians.

1966 The Supremes started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You Can't Hurry Love', the group's sixth US No.1. It made No.3 in the UK and gave Phil Collins a UK No.1 in 1982.

1968 The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Hey Jude', the group's 15th UK No.1 and the longest chart topper ever at seven minutes and ten seconds. The single was the first release on the group's Apple records label.

1988 Guns N' Roses started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Sweet Child O' Mine', the group's first US No.1, a No.24 hit in the UK.

1991 Nirvana’s single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was released in the US.
1997 An electric chair, which was used in Alcatraz and once owned by Andy Warhol, sold for £4,800 at an auction in Bristol. Warhol used to sit in the chair and watch horror movies.

　
　

[Koala]

1964 A 16-year-old youth won a Mick Jagger impersonation contest at The Town Hall Greenwich. The winner turned out to be Mick's younger brother Chris Jagger.

1977 David Bowie records his guest appearance on 'Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas'. Bowie and Bing perform a duet of "The Little Drummer Boy."The track became a UK No.3 hit five years later in 1982.

1987 Peter Gabriel cleaned up at this year's MTV Awards, winning best video, best male video, best concept video, best special effects and five other awards for the track 'Sledgehammer'.

2006 A study from the University of Leicester found that more than a quarter of classical music fans had tried cannabis. Researchers were trying to find out what people's taste in music revealed about their lifestyles. The UK study also revealed that blues buffs are the most likely to have received a driving penalty. Hip hop and dance music fans were more likely to have multiple sex partners and were among the biggest drug-takers surveyed. More than 2,500 people were interviewed for the study, which was published in the scientific journal Psychology of Music.

[Koala]

1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival scored their first UK No.1 album with 'Cosmo's Factory'. It enjoyed a nine-week run at No.1 in the US where it sold over three million copies.

1975 'Wish You Were Here,' Pink Floyd's long-awaited followup to 'Dark Side of the Moon,' is released. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," a side-long epic about their troubled ex-leader Syd Barrett, is its centerpiece.

1987 Michael Jackson kicked of his Bad World Tour by playing the first of three sold-out nights at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. By the end of the 123-date tour, Jackson had played to over 4million fans across fifteen countries.

1990 Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac announced they were leaving the band at the end of their current tour.

1997 Founder of the Polar Music record label, songwriter, producer and Abba's manager Stig Anderson died of a heart attack. Anderson co-wrote some of Abba’s biggest hits, such as ‘Waterloo’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘S.O.S’, ‘Fernando’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘The Name of the Game.’ His funeral was broadcast live on Swedish television an honour otherwise only reserved for distinguished statesmen or royalty.

2003 Johnny Cash, US singer songwriter died of respiratory failure aged 71. One of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, known as "The Man in Black." He traditionally started his concerts by saying, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." Had the 1969 US No.2 & UK No.4 single 'A Boy Named Sue', plus 11 other US Top 40 singles. Cash also had his own US TV show in late 60's early 70's.

[Koala]

1963 Graham Nash fell out of The Hollies van after a gig in Scotland. Nash checked to see if the door was locked, it wasn't and he fell out as it travelled at 40 m.p.h.

1969 John and Yoko flew to Canada with the Plastic Ono Band to perform at the Rock & Roll Revival Show in Toronto, Canada. The band members Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann and drummer Alan White were put together so late that they had to rehearse on the plane from England. Also making an appearance at the concert were Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, Bo Diddley, The Doors and Alice Cooper. Lennon later released his performance as the Live Peace in Toronto 1969 album.

1980 Jackson Browne scored his only US No.1 album with 'Hold Out'.
　
198 5 MTV presents the second annual "MTV Video Music Awards" from Radio City Music Hall. The host is Eddie Murphy. Glenn Frey and Don Henley win MTV Video Music Awards for "Smuggler's Blues" (Best Concept) and "Boys of Summer" (Best Video).

2000 Elton John threw a tantrum when he was set to appear at a sell-out show at the Estoril Casino near Lisbon. Elton was unhappy after the audience were slow in leaving a VIP dinner before the concert, Elton left the building and flew home on his private jet without playing a note.

[TimothyBFan]

　
198 5 MTV presents the second annual "MTV Video Music Awards" from Radio City Music Hall. The host is Eddie Murphy. Glenn Frey and Don Henley win MTV Video Music Awards for "Smuggler's Blues" (Best Concept) and "Boys of Summer" (Best Video).

[EagleLady]

2003 Johnny Cash, US singer songwriter died of respiratory failure aged 71. One of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, known as "The Man in Black." He traditionally started his concerts by saying, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." Had the 1969 US No.2 & UK No.4 single 'A Boy Named Sue', plus 11 other US Top 40 singles. Cash also had his own US TV show in late 60's early 70's.

I Always Believe He died of A broken Heart. He just couldn't go on without June

[Koala]

1979 Led Zeppelin's 'In Through the Out Door' begins its seven-week run at Number One on the US charts.

1974 Eric Clapton scored a US No.1 with his version of the Bob Marley song 'I Shot The Sheriff'.

1997 Over 2000 fans watched Pete Townshend unveil a English Heritage Blue Plaque at 23 Brook Street, Mayfair London, to mark where Jimi Hendrix had lived in 1968-69. Hendrix was the first pop star to be awarded with the plaque.

2005 HMV stores in Canada removed Bob Dylan CDs from their shelves in protest at the singer's deal to only sell his new album in Starbucks after he signed an exclusive contract with the coffee giant. The chain has previously boycotted CDs by Alanis Morissette and The Rolling Stones to complain at exclusive deals.

2008 Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson was one of the pilots who flew specially chartered flights after 85,000 tourists were stranded in the US, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe after Britain's third-largest tour operator went into administration. The singer, who had worked for the airline Astraeus for nine years, took up flying during a low point in his solo career after he quit the band in 1993.

[Koala]

1961 A group from Hawthorne, California called The Pendletones attend their first real recording session at Hite Morgan's studio in Los Angeles. The band recorded ‘Surfin’, a song that would help shape their career as The Beach Boys.

1965 The Ford Motor Company became the first automaker to offer an 8-track tape player as an option for their entire line of vehicles on sale in the US. Tapes were initially only available at auto parts stores, as home 8-track equipment was still a year away.

1970 US Vice-President Spiro Agnew said in a speech that the youth of America were being "brainwashed into a drug culture" by rock music, movies, books and underground newspapers.

1975 Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album Wish You Were Here in the UK. The album which explores themes of absence, the music business, and former band-mate Syd Barrett's mental decline peaked at #1 on both sides of the altlantic and went on to spend a total of 84 weeks on the chart.

1979 Led Zeppelin scored their sixth US No.1 album when 'In Through The Out Door' started a seven-week run at the top of the charts.

2003 Abba tribute acts overtook Elvis impersonators in the battle of British covers singers according to a survey. The Swedish group jumped from third most tributed act in 2001 to top in 2002 with imitators like Abba Fever and Voulez Vous putting on Abba shows. Elvis dropped to number two while the Beatles dropped to three. The Performing Right Society carried out the research.

2004 Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone (John Cummings) died in Los Angeles after a five-year battle with prostate cancer. Founding member of The Ramones, major influence on many punk and 90’s bands. Scored the 1977 hit single 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker'.

2008 Pink Floyd keyboard player and founder member Rick Wright died aged 65 from cancer. Wright appeared on the group's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, in 1967 alongside Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and Nick Mason. David Gilmour who joined the band at the start of 1968 said: "He was such a lovely, gentle, genuine man and will be missed terribly by so many who loved him." In 2005, the full band reunited - for the first time in 24 years - for the Live 8 concert in London's Hyde Park. Wright had also contributed vocals and keyboards to Gilmour's 2006 solo album On An Island.