Today in Rock n' Roll History

[Koala]

1925 B.B.King is born.

1963 ‘She Loves You’ by The Beatles was released by Swan Records in the US. Although the song is currently number one in the UK, ‘She Loves You’ was ignored in the US until 1964 when it would reach the top of the US Pop chart.

1970 Led Zeppelin won 'best group' in the Melody Maker readers Poll. This was the first time in eight years that The Beatles hadn't won 'best group.'

1977 29-year-old former T Rex singer Marc Bolan was killed instantly when the car driven by his girlfriend, Gloria Jones, left the road and hit a tree in Barnes, London. Miss Jones broke her jaw in the accident. The couple were on the way to Bolan's home in Richmond after a night out at a Mayfair restaurant. A local man who witnessed the crash said, 'When I arrived a girl was lying on the bonnet and a man with long dark curly hair was stretched out in the road - there was a hell of a mess.'

1989 U2 jammed with B.B. King on a boat rented for the blues legends 64th birthday in Sydney Harbour, Sydney, Australia.

1996 21 year-old Ricardo Lopez was found dead in his Hollywood apartment after committing suicide. Before his death Ricardo had mailed an acid bomb to Icelandic singer Bjork's London management.

2006 Bob Dylan was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Modern Times.’ Entering the U.S. charts at No.1, making it Dylan's first album to reach that position since 1976's Desire, 30 years prior. At 65, Dylan became the oldest living musician to top the Billboard albums chart. The record also reached number one in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.

[Koala]

1923 Hank Williams was born in Mount Olive, Alabama.

1931 The first 33 and a third LP players were launched by RCA victor at the Savoy Plaza Hotel in New York.

1956 The BBC announced the removal of Bill Haley and His Comets' ‘Rockin' Through The Rye’ from its playlist because they felt the song went against traditional British standards. The record, based on an 18th century Scottish Folk tune, was at No.5 on the UK charts.

1964 Police arrived at a Rolling Stones gig at the ABC Theatre in Carlisle, England, after a trouble broke out with the 4,000 fans at the concert.

1967 The Doors were banned from The Ed Sullivan Show after Jim Morrison broke his agreement with the show’s producers. Morrison said before the performance that he wouldn’t sing the words, “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher,” from 'Light My Fire' but did anyway. The Doors also performed their new single 'People Are Strange.'

1969 Media on both sides of the Atlantic were running stories that said Paul McCartney was dead. He was supposedly killed in a car accident in Scotland on November 9th, 1966 and that a double had been taking his place for public appearances. In fact, Paul and his girlfriend Jane Asher were on vacation in Kenya at the time.

1983 Paul Young scored his first UK No.1 album with his debut release 'No Parlez.' The album returned to the top of the charts on four other occasion's spending a total of 119 weeks on the chart.

1991 Over 4 million copies of Guns N' Roses album, 'Use Your Illusion I' and 'Use Your Illusion II' were simultaneously released for retail sale, making it the largest ship-out in pop history in the US.

[Koala]

1969 Genesis plays their first paid gig.

1970 Jimi Hendrix was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Mary Abbot's Hospital in London at the age of 27 after choking on his own vomit. Hendrix left the message 'I need help bad man', on his managers answer phone earlier that night. Rumors and conspiracy theories grew up around Hendrix’s death. Eric Burdon claimed Jimi had committed suicide, but that’s contradicted by reports that he was in a good frame of mind. In 2009, a former Animals roadie published a book claiming that Jimi’s manager had admitted to him that he arranged the murder of Hendrix, since the guitarist wanted out of his contract.

1971 The Who scored their first and only UK No.1 album with 'Who's Next', the bands sixth LP release, featuring 'Won't Get Fooled Again'.

1982 The seven-minute epic by Dire Straits 'Private Investigations' went to No.2 on the UK singles chart, held off No.1 by survivors 'Eye Of The Tiger'.

1983 Kiss appears in public for the first time without their make-up.

1993 Meat Loaf went to No.1 on the UK album chart for the first of five times with 'Bat Out Of Hell II'.

2009 Leonard Cohen collapsed on stage during a concert in Valencia in Spain and was taken to hospital. He was later discharged after doctors told him he had food poisoning. Cohen was in the middle of singing his song Bird On The Wire when he fainted, prompting the band to stop playing and rush to help him.

[Koala]

1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival scored their only UK No.1 single with 'Bad Moon Rising' a US No.2 hit. Also on this day the group started a four-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Green River.'

1973 Gram Parsons dies of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree, California.

1979 The antinuclear MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) concerts, co-organized by Bonnie Raitt, are held at New York's Madison Square Garden. Raitt performs with Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen and Otters.

1981 Simon and Garfunkel reunited for a concert in New York's Central Park. Over 400,000 fans attend the show. The performance was recorded for a record and video release.

1987 A reunited Pink Floyd, minus Roger Waters, releases 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason,' their first studio album since 1984's 'The Final Cut.'

1998 Robbie Williams' "Millennium" enters the UK charts at #1. This will also Williams' first release in the United States.

2005 Research published by Guinness World Records showed that Status Quo have had more hit singles than any other band in UK chart history. The band had scored 61 chart successes, dating from ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ in 1968 to ‘You'll Come Around’ in 2004. Queen came second with 52 hits, with the Rolling Stones and UB40 with 51 hits each.

[Koala]

1949 Chuck and John Panozzo , Styx were born
　
1969 During a meeting in London between John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Lennon announced he was leaving The Beatles.

1969 Blind Faith started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their self-titled debut album. The only release from the Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker & Rick Grech line-up also reached No.1 in the US. The only UK gig was in Hyde Park, London on 7th Jun 1969.

1969 UK music paper Melody Maker readers poll results were published. Winners included Eric Clapton who won best musician, Bob Dylan best male singer and best album for 'Nashville Skyline'. Best group went to The Beatles, Best single went to Simon and Garfunkel for 'The Boxer' and Janis Joplin won Best female singer.

1970 Jim Morrison of The Doors was acquitted on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior, but was found guilty of exposing himself during a concert at The Dinner Key Auditorium in Coconut Grove a year and a half earlier. At his trial at the Dade County Courthouse in Miami, Judge Goodman sentenced Morrison to six months hard labor and a $500 (£270), fine for public exposure and sixty days hard labor for profanity. The sentence was appealed, but Morrison was never brought to trial, as he would die in Paris France on July 3, 1971.

1975 Winners in this year’s Melody Makers Readers poll included, Robert Plant who won Best singer, Joni Mitchell, Best female singer, Yes won Best band, Genesis won Best live act, Best single, ‘I’m Not In Love, by 10cc, Best album Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin, and Brightest hope went to Camel.

1980 Queen's 'The Game' tops the album charts for the first of five weeks.

1980 Former Black Sabbath lead singer Ozzy Osbourne hits #7 in the UK with his debut solo album 'Blizzard of Ozz'.

1997 Elton John started a six week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Something About The Way You Look Tonight', and 'Candle In The Wind 97.' A re-write of his 1974 hit about Marilyn Monroe. This version was raising funds for the Diana, Princess of Wales charity, following her death in Paris. It went on to become the biggest selling single in the world ever.

[Koala]

1934 Leonard Cohen is born.

1947 Don Felder is born.

1963 Bobby Vinton started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Blue Velvet'. The single became a hit in the UK 27 years later when it reached No.2.

1968 Deep Purple made No.4 on the US singles chart with their debut single 'Hush', also a hit for Kula Shaker in 1997.

1968 Madame Tussaud's Waxworks in London gave The Beatles their fifth image change of clothes and hair in four years.

1974 Barry White went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Baby', the singers first and only US solo chart topper. It made No.8 in the UK.

1980 during a North American tour, Bob Marley collapsed while jogging in New York's Central Park. After hospital tests he was diagnosed as having cancer. Marley played his last ever concert two nights later at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1985 Madonna scored her first UK No.1 album with 'Like A Virgin', ten months after its release. The album spent a total 152 weeks on the UK chart.

1991 Dire Straits scored their fourth UK No.1 album with 'On Every Street'.

[Koala]

1962 The Springfields (Dusty Springfield her brother Tom and their friend, Tim Field) had ‘Silver Threads and Golden Needles,’ enter the US Top 20 and became the first British vocal group to chart that high in America.

1969 A new weekly TV show 'The Music Scene' aired on ABC in the US for the first time. Stevie Wonder Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Tom Jones, Cass Elliot, James Brown, Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone were all booked to appear on the show.

1973 Sweet hits #2 on the UK charts with "Ballroom Blitz."

1979 Gary Numan had his second and final UK No.1 single with 'Cars'. Also on this day Gary Numan went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Pleasure Principle.'

1979 Jackson Browne, Chaka Khan, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt and Tom Petty, appeared at Madison Square Garden, New York for two anti-nuclear benefit shows.

1991 Bryan Adams made chart history when '(Everything I Do), I Do It For You', had its twelfth consecutive week as the UK No.1 single.

2005 Jimmy Page was made an honorary citizen of Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro for his work helping its street children. The Led Zeppelin guitarist had opened Casa Jimmy (Jimmy's House) in 1998 which had so far supported more than 300 children.

[TimothyBFan]

1973 Sweet hits #2 on the UK charts with "Ballroom Blitz."

Have I ever mentioned to you all how much I like this band?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qswKeWhjaUc[/ame]

2005

Jimmy Page was made an honorary citizen of Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro for his work helping its street children. The Led Zeppelin guitarist had opened Casa Jimmy (Jimmy's House) in 1998 which had so far supported more than 300 children.

This is all thanks to his Brazilian wife, Jimena Gomez-Paratcha. Jimmy was made an honorary citizen of Rio de Janeiro.

[Koala]

1930 Ray Charles Robinson is born.

1949 Bruce Springsteen is born.

1966 The Yardbirds, with lead guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, embark upon a British tour with the Rolling Stones and Tina Turner.

1989 Milli Vanilli started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Girl I'm Gonna Miss You', the duo's second US No.1 a No.2 hit in the UK. Also today the duo went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Girl You Know It's True'.

2001 Kylie Minogue started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head.' The Australian singers 6th No.1 was It was written and produced by Cathy Dennis and former Mud guitarist Rob Davis for which the pair won an Ivor Novello Award for the most performed song of the year. 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' charted at No.1 in 40 countries.

2006 Neil Young was named artist of the year at the Americana Honors and Awards at the fifth annual event in Nashville, Tennessee. The 60-year-old singer-songwriter released the protest album Living With War this year.

[Koala]

1966 Jimi Hendrix arrived in London with manager Chas chandler on a flight from New York City. With only the clothes he was wearing, Hendrix had sold his other belongings to pay a hotel bill in New York.

1983 Billy Joel went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tell Her About It', the former boxers second US No.1, a No.4 hit in the UK.

1984 Culture Club had their second UK No.1 single with 'Karma Chameleon', which stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks and became the best-selling single of 1983. The harmonica part was played by Judd Lander, who had been a member of Merseybeat group The Hideaways in the 1960s.

1988 Bobby McFerrin started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Don't Worry Be Happy', the first a-cappella record to be a No.1. It made No.2 in the UK. ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy, was also included in the movie, Cocktail. The song would go on to win Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.