On This Day

February 16th
1957 - Pete Murray
Disc jockey Pete Murray began hosting BBC television's first Rock 'n' Roll music program The Six-Five Special, named for the time the show began, five minutes after six. The show was given air-time immediately after the abolition of what was called the Toddlers' Truce, which had seen television stop between 6 and 7pm so children could be put to bed.
1964 - The Beatles
The Beatles made their second live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, exactly one week after the first. Before an audience of 3,500 at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, The Beatles performed ‘She Loves You’, ‘This Boy’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’, and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’.

1967 - Petula Clark
Petula Clark was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Charlie Chaplin penned 'This Is My Song', the singers second and last UK No.1.
1972 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin made their Australian live debut when they kicked off a six-date tour at the Subiaco Oval, Perth. Police battled with over 500 fans who rammed locked gates trying to get into the concert. Over 4,000 fans stood outside the venue without tickets and local residents jammed police phone lines to complain about the noise.
1974 - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan started a four week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Planet Waves, his first US No.1. The album was originally set to be titled Ceremonies Of The Horsemen, a reference to the song 'Love Minus Zero / No Limit', from the 1965 album 'Bringing It All Back Home'. When Dylan decided to change the title at the last minute, the release was delayed for two weeks.
1974 - Emerson Lake and Palmer
During a tour of America the members of Emerson, Lake & Palmer were arrested in Salt Lake City after swimming naked in the hotel pool. They were each fined $75 (£44).
1974 - David Bowie
Winners in the UK music weekly Disc Readers Awards Poll; Top UK group went to Slade, Top musician, Roy Wood, David Bowie won UK and World male singer, Top single with 'Jean Genie' and album with 'Aladdin Sane', Top female singer was Lynsey De Paul and Brightest hope was won by David Essex.
1975 - Cher
Cher started her own weekly hour of a music and comedy show on CBS-TV. The singer had co-presented The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour with her former husband. Cher's new show featured a female guest each week.
1982 - The Jam
The Jam were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Town Called Malice', & 'Precious', their third No.1 spent three weeks at the top of the chart.

1985 - Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Born In The USA', his first UK No.1 album. The singers seventh studio album, was the best-selling album of 1985 in the United States (and also Springsteen's most successful album ever). The album produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles.
1991 - The Simpsons
The Simpsons were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Do The Bartman'. The song was written by Michael Jackson and Bryan Lorenand, The Simpsons became the first cartoon characters to make No.1 since the Archies hit 'Sugar Sugar' in 1969. Jackson was a massive fan of The Simpsons and had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a number one single and do a guest spot on the show.
1999 - Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams won three awards at this year's Brit's. The singer won Best British solo artist, Best Single for 'Angels' and Best Video for 'Millennium.' Manic Street Preachers won Best British Group, Natalie Imbruglia won Best International Female artist and Best Newcomer, Best International Group went to The Corrs.

2002 - George Michael
Thieves broke into George Michael's London home and stole over £100,000 ($170,000) worth of paintings, jewellery and designer clothes and drove off in his £80,000 ($136,000) Aston Martin DB7. They also caused £200,000 ($340,000) worth of damage to his home.
2004 - Doris Troy
US singer Doris Troy died. She had been a session singer with Dionne Warwick, sang on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and released an album on The Beatles Apple label. She had also had a 1964 UK No.37 single with 'Whatcha Gonna Do About It' and a 1963 US No. 10 hit 'Just One Look'. She sang back-up for many acts including The Rolling Stones, (‘You Can't Always Get What You Want’), Carly Simon's ('You're So Vain'), George Harrison, (‘My Sweet Lord’).
2005 - Kid Rock
Kid Rock was arrested for allegedly punching a DJ at a strip club in Nashville, Tennessee. Police were called to the incident but Rock escaped from the club. Shortly after, he was pulled over by an officer who got an autograph but did not do a breath test despite smelling alcohol. (The officer has since been fired). The star was eventually arrested a few hours later, taken to the night court and released on $3,000 (£1,600) bail.
2005 - Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam, the former Cat Stevens was awarded substantial damages from The Sunday Times and The Sun, after they had printed articles alleging he was involved in terrorism. Both newspapers apologized to the 56 year old musician for the "false and highly defamatory allegations." The papers also paid his legal bills and pledged not to repeat the allegations. The money awarded was given to Tsunami relief projects.

2009 - Chris Brown
Chris Brown talked about his recent arrest for the first time. The R&B singer was being investigated by police over claims he attacked a woman. In a statement Chris Brown said "I am seeking the counselling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person." There had been speculation that his girlfriend Rihanna was the woman in the attack and had been seen with bruises on her face
2015 - Lesley Gore
American singer, songwriter, actress and activist, Lesley Gore, died of lung cancer aged 68. She is best known for the 1963 US No.1 & UK No.9 single 'It's My Party' which was produced by Quincy Jones. Gore composed songs for the soundtrack of the 1980 film Fame, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for ‘Out Here on My Own’, written with her brother Michael.

Born Today In Music
February 16th
1918 - Patty Andrews
Patty Andrews from The Andrew Sisters who were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. Throughout their long career, the sisters sold over 75 million records. Their 1941 hit ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ can be considered an early example of rhythm and blues. She died of natural causes on 30 January 2013 at the age of 94.
1932 - Otis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell, American songwriter and producer, wrote ‘All Shook Up’, ‘Return To Sender’, ‘Don't Be Cruel’, ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ and ‘Fever.’ Blackwell died from a heart attack on May 6th 2002.
1935 - Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono, singer who had the 1965 UK & US No.1 single 'I Got You Babe', with Cher. Bono later became a US Congressman. He was killed on 5th January 1997, aged 62, in a skiing accident.
1939 - Harold Kalin
Harold and Herbie Kalin, The Kalin Twins who had the 1958 UK No.1 & US No.5 single 'When.' The brothers were the first twins to score a No.1 record.
1949 - Lynn Paul
Lynn Paul, singer with The New Seekers who had the 1972 UK No.1 single 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing'.
1953 - John Bradbury
John Bradbury, best known for having been the drummer in the English ska group The Specials, who co-wrote 'The Selecter', a joint 'A' side with 'Gangsters' and who had the 1981 UK No.1 single 'Ghost Town'. Bradbury died aged 62 on 28 Dec 2015.
1956 - James Ingram
James Ingram, American singer, who had the 1987 UK No.8 single with Linda Ronstadt, 'Somewhere Out There', and the 1990 US No.1 single 'I Don't Have The Heart'. Ingram also co-wrote 'P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)' the sixth single from Michael Jackson's album, Thriller and co-wrote the 1983 hit duet with Michael McDonald 'Yah Mo B There.' Ingram died on 29 January 2019 after a long battle with brain cancer age 66.
1959 - Ice-T
Ice-T, (Tracy Morrow), male rapper who had the 1993 UK No.21 single 'That's How I'm Livin'.
1961 - Andy Taylor
Andy Taylor, guitarist with Duran Duran who had the 1983 UK No.1 single 'Is There Something I Should Know' plus 25 other UK Top 40 singles including the 1984 US No.1 single 'The Reflex'. Also a member of The Power Station who had the 1985 UK No.14 single 'Some Like It Hot'.
1962 - Tony Kylie
Tony Kylie, from British new wave group The Blow Monkeys who had the 1986 hit 'Digging Your Scene' and the 1987 UK No.5 single 'It Doesn't Have To Be This Way'.
1965 - Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo, drummer with American thrash metal band Slayer who released the 1986 album 'Reign in Blood'.

1967 - Damon Reece
Damon Reece, drummer from English space rock band Spiritualized. They released the critically acclaimed 1997 Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, which NME magazine named as their Album of the Year.
1990 - The Weeknd
Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known by his stage name The Weeknd who had the 2015 US No.1 hits 'The Hills' and 'Can't Feel My Face'.

Good stuff lads, two things are brought to mind by that instalment:

- an overdose of Anadin? Really? How many of those would you have to take to kill yourself, I would have imagined they were fairly innocuous stuff, but clearly not

- I have tried, and tried, really hard, to get into Muse. They have, in theory, all the ingredients to be a band I would really love, but - I dunno what it is - I just can't get further than a vibe of "yeah, they're OK - kinda"! Strange maybe, but there you go!

February 14th
1955 - Ruby Murray
Ruby Murray was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Softly, Softly'. The Belfast-born recording and TV star of the mid 50s was the first act to score five simultaneous Top 20 hits.
1961 - The Beatles
The Beatles performed at the Cassanova Club, Liverpool, and at Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool where they played a special Valentine's Day show. Paul McCartney sang Elvis Presley's 'Wooden Heart', wearing a wooden heart pinned to his coat, covered with satin and embroidered with the names "John", "Paul", "George", and "Pete". The heart was raffled off, and the winner also won a kiss from Paul.

1968 - Bob Dylan
Manfred Mann were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Bob Dylan song 'The Mighty Quinn' which was also a No.10 hit in the US. Dylan recorded the song in 1967 during the Basement Tapes sessions, but did not release a version for another three years.
1970 - The Who
The Who appeared at Leeds University, England. The show was recorded for the bands forthcoming 'Live At Leeds' album. Since its initial reception, Live at Leeds has been cited by several music critics as the best live rock recording of all time. The University of Leeds refectory, has now been named a national landmark in the UK, commemorated with a blue plaque.

1972 - John Lennon
John Lennon and Yoko Ono started a week long run as co-hosts on 'Mike Douglas' US TV show.

1973 - David Bowie
David Bowie collapsed on stage during a concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
1977 - Janis Ian
US singer songwriter Janis Ian received 461 Valentine's day cards after indicating in the lyrics of her song 'At Seventeen', she had never received any.
1980 - Lou Reed
Lou Reed married Sylvia Morales at a ceremony in his New York apartment.
1984 - Elton John
Elton John married recording engineer Renate Blauer in Sydney, Australia. Rod Stewart and Olivia Newton-John were among the guests. The couple stayed together for four years, although John later admitted he knew he was homosexual before the marriage.

1986 - Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa appeared on an episode of the television series Miami Vice. Zappa portrayed a crime boss named 'Mr. Frankie.'

1987 - Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Livin' On A Prayer', the group's second US No.1, a No.4 hit in the UK.
1989 - Vincent Crane
English keyboardist Vincent Crane died from a deliberate overdose of Anadin tablets aged 45. He was a member of The Crazy world of Arthur Brown, who had the 1968 UK No.1 and US No.12 single 'Fire' and Atomic Rooster (with drummer Carl Palmer later of Emerson, Lake & Palmer). Atomic Rooster enjoyed success in 1971 with two hit singles, ‘Tomorrow Night’ and ‘Devil's Answer’.
1992 - Meat Loaf
The film Waynes World, which featured appearances from Meat Loaf and Alice Cooper premiered in the US. The use of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the film propelled the song to No.2 on the US singles charts nearly 20 years after its first release.

1996 - Prince
T.A.F.K.A.P. married Mayte Garcia in a Minneapolis church, he also composed a special song for his wife, 'Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother, Wife', which she heard for the first time when they had their first wedding dance. Garcia had appeared on the US television program 'That's Incredible!' at the age of 8 as the world's youngest professional belly dancer. She came to the attention of Prince in 1990 when her mother submitted a video cassette of Mayte performing. The couple split in 1998.
1999 - Buddy Knox
American singer and songwriter Buddy Knox died of lung cancer aged 65. Knox had the 1957 US No.1 & UK No.29 single 'Party Doll' which sold over one million copies becoming the first person in the rock 'n' roll era to write and record a No.1 hit. His other hits include 'Rock Your Little Baby To Sleep' and 'Hula Love'.
1999 - Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz scored his first UK No.1 single with 'Fly Away' a No.12 hit in the US. The track had been used on a TV ad for cars.

2002 - Mick Tucker
English drummer and singer Mick Tucker with glam rock band Sweet died of leukaemia aged 54. Sweet had the 1973 UK No.1 single 'Blockbuster', plus 14 other UK Top 40 singles. He was a founding member of the band Sweetshop in January 1968. "Sweetshop" was shortened to "The Sweet" in 1968.
2003 - The Beatles
Stolen reel-to-reel studio recordings by The Beatles were found in Australia. Police recovered the tapes of the bands 1968 The White Album and the Abbey Road album after they were advertised for sale in a Sydney newspaper. Australian police had been tipped off by British detectives from Operation Acetone, an investigation into thefts of original Beatles music from Abbey Road studios in London in the 1960s.

2004 - Dave Holland
Dave Holland, former drummer with Judas Priest was jailed for eight years for indecent assault and the attempted rape of a 17-year old boy. The youth, who had learning difficulties, had been taking drum lessons from Holland.
2005 - Black Sabbath
Kerrang! magazine announced the results of its readers’ poll for the best British rock albums ever. The Top 10 were: No.1, Black Sabbath’s Black Sabbath; No.2, Iron Maiden’s Number Of The Beast. Sex Pistols’ Never Mind The Bollock's, Here's The Sex Pistols; No. 4, Led Zeppelin IV; No.5, Black Sabbath’s Paranoid; No.6, Muse’s Absolution; No.7, The Clash's London Calling; No.8, Queen’s Sheer Heart Attack; No.9, Iron Maiden’s Iron Maiden and No.10, Manic Street Preachers’ The Holy Bible.
2007 - Amy Winehouse
Winners at the 27th annual Brit Awards at London's Earls Court included Muse who won Best British Live Act, British Breakthrough Act went to The Fratellis. Winner of the Best International Breakthrough Act was Orson. Take That won the first-ever live vote, when they took home the Best British Single for 'Patience.' Arctic Monkeys were named Best British Group, James Morrison was named Best British Male and Amy Winehouse won Best British Female. Justin Timberlake won Best International Male and Nelly Furtado won Best International female. The Killers won Best International Group and Best International Album for Sam's Town and Oasis won the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award.

2008 - Oasis
Oasis singer Liam Gallagher married his long-term partner, the ex-All Saints singer Nicole Appleton at a civil ceremony in London. The venue, Westminster Register Office, was where Gallagher married his first wife, Patsy Kensit, in 1997.
2010 - Doug Fieger
American singer-songwriter-musician Doug Fieger died after a long battle with cancer. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of The Knack, and co-wrote 'My Sharona', the biggest hit song of 1979 in the USA, and was Capitol Records' fastest gold status debut single since the Beatles' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' in 1964. When Fieger was 25, he met 17-year-old Sharona Alperin, who he wrote the song for, as well as later becoming Fieger's girlfriend for the next four years.
2010 - Everybody Hurts
Everybody Hurts, recorded to help Haiti's earthquake victims went to No.1 on the UK singles chart. The REM cover featured Leona Lewis, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams and Take That sold over 453,000 copies in its first week.

2016 - Adele
Adele was at No.1 on the US album chart with her third studio album 25. The album was a massive commercial success, debuting at No.1 in more than 25 markets and broke first-week sales records in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom and United States; in the US, the album sold 3.38 million copies in its first week of release, marking the largest single-week sales for an album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991.

Lol, never noticed Pat's post when I did mine there

1961 - Frank Sinatra

I never knew 'Oul Blue Eyes' created Reprise Records which those legendary musicians signed up to.

Frank, I just love this thread. Have learned so many music facts reading your posts here 👍👍


Edited by Biker Pat - 13-February-2020 at 13:35

February 12th
1956 - Dean Martin
Dean Martin was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Memories Are Made Of This'. The American actor, comedian, singer and TV hosts biggest hit. Also covered by The Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra and The Driffters.
1961 - The Miracles
The Miracles' 'Shop Around' became Motown Record's first million-selling single. It was also the label's first No.1 hit on Billboard's R&B singles chart. In the following ten years, The Miracles would have six more million sellers.

1964 - The Beatles
The Beatles returned to New York City by train from Washington, D.C. for two performances at Carnegie Hall. There was such a demand for tickets that some extra seating was arranged surrounding the stage. Tickets ranged from $1.65 to $5.50.

1965 - Donovan
Pye Records announced that they'd signed 'the British Bob Dylan', when they added Donovan to the label. The Scottish singer-songwriter produced a series of hit albums and singles between 1965 and 1970 and became a friend of leading pop musicians including Joan Baez, Brian Jones and The Beatles. He influenced John Lennon when he taught him a finger-picking guitar style in 1968.
1967 - Keith Richards
15 police officers raided Redlands the West Sussex home of The Rolling Stone Keith Richards during a weekend party. The police who were armed with a warrant issued under the dangerous drugs act took away various substances for forensic tests. George and Pattie Harrison had been at the house, but it was said that the police waited for them to leave before they raided the house in order not to bust the holder of an MBE.

1969 - Amen Corner
'(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice' by Amen Corner was at No.1 on the UK singles chart, the group's only UK No.1. The song was first offered to The Tremeloes as a potential single, who rejected it.
1970 - John Lennon
John Lennon performed 'Instant Karma!' on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops, becoming the first Beatle to have appeared on the show since 1966. Lennon wrote, recorded, and mixed his new single, all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history. Lennon later stated, "I wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch, and we're putting it out for dinner."

1972 - Al Green
Al Green went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Let's Stay Together', his only US chart topper. It was ranked the 60th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Tina Turner had a hit with the song in 1984.
1977 - The Police
The Police recorded their first single, 'Fall Out' for £150 ($255) at Pathway Studios, London, England.

1977 - Blondie, Tom Petty and the Ramones
Blondie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and the Ramones all appeared at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, California.

1977 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd released their tenth studio album Animals in the US, where it reached No.3 in the charts. The album's cover image, a pig floating between two chimneys on Battersea Power Station, was conceived by bassist Roger Waters and realised by long-time design and photographic collaborators Hipgnosis.
1989 - Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin lost a court case against Broadway producer Ashton Springer, who sued for $1 million (£0.58 million) when Aretha failed to turn up for rehearsals for the stage show Sing Mahalia Sing, blaming her fear of flying on the non appearance.
1997 - U2
U2 held a press conference in the Lingerie Department at the Greenwich Village Kmart store in Manhattan, New York City, to announce their Pop Mart world tour. The tour was set to start in Las Vegas on April 25th of this year.

2000 - Screamin Jay Hawkins
American singer, songwriter, musician Screamin' Jay Hawkins died aged 70 after emergency surgery for an aneurysm. A Golden Gloves boxing champion at 16, he was married nine times, fathered over 30 children, spent two years in jail and was temporary blinded by one of his flaming props on stage in 1976. He recorded 'I Put A Spell On You' in 1956, (which was covered by many acts including The Animals, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Nina Simone).
2003 - John Densmore
Former Doors drummer John Densmore took out legal action against The Doors keyboard player Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger for breach of contract, trademark infringement and unfair competition. The band had reformed with Ex- Cult singer Ian Astbury and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Densmore said "It shouldn't be called The Doors if it's someone other than Jim Morrison singing."
2005 - Joe Strummer
The Class 47 locomotive 47828 was named after Clash frontman Joe Strummer at a ceremony in Bristol. The diesel train, owned by Cotswold Rail, was named after the singer/guitarist who died, aged 50, in 2002.
2007 - The Police
During a press conference at West Hollywood's Whisky a Go Go club Sting confirmed that The Police were getting back together. The band were set to kick off a world tour on May 28 in Vancouver, Canada, supported by Sting's son Joe Sumner's band, Fiction Plane.

2008 - Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley's appeal against a three-year jail term for tax fraud was rejected by a US court. The 65-year-old singer of the Isley Brothers argued against being imprisoned in an Indiana jail on the grounds of age and poor health. The court heard he cashed royalty cheques belonging to his brother O'Kelly, who died in 1996 and spent millions of dollars made from undeclared performances on a yacht and two homes. Isley was ordered to pay more than $3.1m (£1.62m) to the US tax service for "pathological" evasion.
2009 - Madonna
A full frontal nude photo of Madonna taken in 1979 before she became famous, sold at auction for $37,500. The black and white picture was taken at a time when Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was a 20-year-old dancer trying to make ends meet in New York.
2014 - Rock Music
It was reported that Rock music overtook pop in UK album sales during 2013, winning a bigger share of the market for the first time in five years. Rod Stewart's Time was the best-selling album to be classified as rock by the Official Charts Company, followed by Arctic Monkeys and Bastille. In total rock accounted for 33.8% of album sales, compared with 31% for pop, said industry body the BPI. However, pop records still held the lead in single sales.
2015 - Steve Strange
Welsh singer Steve Strange, (born Steven Harrington) lead singer of Eighties pop band Visage, died aged 55 following a heart attack in hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. His band, Visage, formed in 1979 (with Rusty Egan and Midge Ure from Rich Kids, Billy Currie from Ultravox, and Barry Adamson, John McGeoch and Dave Formula from Magazine), and their breakthrough single, 'Fade To Grey', peaked at No.8 in the UK in 1981. Strange appeared in the video for David Bowie's No.1 hit ‘Ashes to Ashes’.
2017 - Adele
Adele was the biggest winner at The 59th Annual Grammy Awards with five trophies, including Album of the Year for 25, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year for 'Hello'. Adele also became the first artist in history to win all three general field awards in the same ceremony twice, previously winning all three categories in 2012. David Bowiewon Best Rock Performance, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Song and Best Recording Package for Blackstar.
2017 - Al Jarreau
American singer and musician Al Jarreau died of respiratory failure at the age of 76, just two days after announcing his retirement. During his career he received a total of seven Grammy Awards and is best known for his 1981 album Breakin' Away. He also sang the theme song of the late-1980s television series Moonlighting.

February 10th
1942 - Glen Miller
'Chattanooga Choo Choo' by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra became the first recording to be awarded a Gold record. It was actually just a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer by RCA as a publicity stunt. The actual award recognized today as a Gold Record would not be initiated for another sixteen years when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) borrowed the idea and trademarked the Gold Record. The first Gold single was awarded to Perry Como in 1958 for 'Catch A Falling Star' and the first Gold album was given to Gordon McRae for the soundtrack to 'Oklahoma'.
1967 - The Beatles
The Beatles recorded the orchestral build-up for the middle and end of 'A Day in the Life'. At the Beatles' request, the orchestra members arrived in full evening dress along with novelty items. One violinist wore a red clown's nose, while another, a fake gorilla's paw on his bow hand. Others were wearing funny hats and other assorted novelties. The recording was filmed for a possible 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' television special which was ultimately abandoned. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mike Nesmith from The Monkees and Donovan also attended the session.

1968 - Four Tops
The Four Tops 'Greatest Hits' was at No.1 on the UK album chart, the first No.1 album for the Tamla Motown label.

1971 - Carole King
American singer-songwriter Carole King released her second studio album Tapestry. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. The lead single from the album 'It's Too Late'/'I Feel the Earth Move' spent five weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The cover photograph was taken at King's Laurel Canyon home. It shows her sitting in a window frame, holding a tapestry she hand-stitched herself, with her cat Telemachus at her feet.
1972 - David Bowie
David Bowie appeared at the Tolworth Toby Jug, London, on the opening date of his Ziggy Stardust tour playing to around 60 people in the room. The character of Ziggy was initially inspired by British rock 'n' roll singer Vince Taylor. The Ziggy Stardust tour played a total of 182 dates.
1973 - Elton John
Elton John had his first UK No.1 album when 'Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player' started a six-week run at the top of the charts.

1974 - Phil Spector
Record producer Phil Spector was injured in a car crash. He needed extensive plastic surgery that dramatically altered his looks. Details of how the accident happened were kept secret.
1975 - Dave Alexander
Dave Alexander, the original bassist for The Stooges died from pneumonia aged 27. Alexander met Iggy Pop and formed The Stooges in 1967 and had a hand in arranging, composing and performing all of the songs that appeared on the band's first two albums, The Stooges and Fun House. He was fired from the band in August 1970 after showing up at a gig too drunk to play.
1977 - Clash
The Clash started recording their debut album at CBS studios in London, England. The album was recorded over three weekend sessions at CBS Studio 3 in February 1977. By the third of these sessions the album was recorded and mixed to completion, with the tapes being delivered to CBS at the start of March. It cost just £4000 to produce.
1979 - Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy', his third US No.1. (and a No.1 hit in the UK). Also today Rod started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Blondes Have More Fun.
1984 - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Frankie Goes To Hollywood were at No.1 on the UK singles chart for the third week with 'Relax.' Eurythmics had the UK No.1 album with 'Touch.'

1990 - Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Opposites Attract', her fourth US No.1, a No.2 hit in the UK.
1993 - Michael Jackson
On a special edition of the Oprah Winfrey show, Michael Jackson gave his first TV interview for 14 years, live from his Neverland Valley Ranch.
1997 - Blur
Blur released their eponymous fifth studio album. As well as lead single, 'Beetlebum', reaching the top of the UK charts the album also reached the top 20 in six other countries. The success of 'Song 2' led to Blur becoming the band's most successful album in the US where the Britpop scene had been largely unsuccessful.
1998 - Axl Rose
Axl Rose was charged with disorderly conduct following a row with a baggage handler at Arizona Airport, Rose was later released on bail.
2001 - Eminem
Police were investigating Eminem over suspected drugs offences after he appeared to consume Ecstasy pills and encouraged the audience at his Manchester show to take drugs. Over 100 gay rights protesters picketed the show.

2002 - Dave Van Ronk
American folk singer Dave Van Ronk died aged 65. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the Sixties, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of MacDougal Street". Bob Dylan recorded Van Ronk's arrangement of the traditional song ‘House of the Rising Sun’ on his first album, which The Animals turned into a No.1 UK single in 1964, helping inaugurate the folk-rock movement.
2004 - Diana Ross
Diana Ross was sentenced to two days in jail after pleading 'no contest' to a drink driving charge. She was allowed to enter her plea over the telephone from New York; her lawyer said the singer would serve her term at a prison near her Los Angeles home. Ross was arrested in December 2002 after tests indicated she was twice over the drink- drive limit.

2005 - Prince
Prince topped Rolling Stone magazine's annual list of the years biggest money earners after his 2004 tour grossed over $90 million (£53 million). Madonna came in second place after earning $54.9 million (£34.3 million) and Metallica came third with $43 million (£25.3 million).
2005 - Roger Daltrey
Who singer Roger Daltrey was awarded the CBE by The Queen at Buckingham Palace for services to the music industry.

2006 - J Dilla
American record producer and MC James Dewitt Yancey, (A.K.A. J Dilla or Jay Dee), died of a rare blood disease, at his home in Los Angeles, California. Yancey had toured Europe in 2005 performing from a wheelchair.
2008 - Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse won five prizes at this year's Grammy Awards, including song of the year and record of the year, both for her single 'Rehab', and best new artist. The UK singer was not at the Los Angeles ceremony to collect them due to visa problems. Instead, she made an acceptance speech by satellite, paying tribute to her husband, "my Blake incarcerated", who was in custody awaiting trial on charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and grievous bodily harm. Kanye West scooped four Grammy Awards, while Bruce Springsteen won three.

2014 - Chris Cornell
A Seattle woman was charged for allegedly sending Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell a number of chilling death threats and threats to harm his children. The singer was sent over 100 different messages by Elizabeth Walden who had nine different Twitter accounts. Prosecutors said the tweets constituted cyber-stalking and filed criminal charges against her.

2017 - Prince
Universal Records struck a deal to release much of the late musician Prince's private archive. Universal said the deal gave it exclusive licensing rights to Prince's "highly anticipated trove of unreleased works". It has also acquired the rights to 25 albums that Prince released through NPG Records, the label that he founded.

Born Today In Music
February 10th
1914 - Larry Adler
Larry Adler, mouth organist, worked as a soloist with many of the world's major symphony orchestras. He played with countless artists from Fred Astaire to George Gershwin and later with Elton John and Sting. Recorded the 1994 tribute album 'Glory Of Gershwin'. He died on August 7th 2001, aged 87.
1929 - Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith. Created the music for scores of classic movies and television shows ‘Star Trek’, ‘Planet of the Apes’, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ and ‘Dr. Kildare.’ He died after a long battle with cancer on July 21st 2004, aged 75.
1937 - Don Wilson
American musician Don Wilson, guitarist with The Ventures who had the 1960 UK No.4 single 'Perfidia', and the 1960 US No.2 single 'Walk Don't Run'.
1937 - Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack, US singer, songwriter, who had the 1972 US No.1 single 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', 1973 US No.1 & UK No.6 single 'Killing Me Softly With His Song'.
1940 - Jimmy Merchant
Jimmy Merchant singer with American-Puerto Rican doo wop group Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers, who had the 1956 UK No.1 & US No.6 single 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love'. They are also noted for being rock's first all-teenaged act.
1943 - Ral Donner
Ral Donner, US singer, who had the 1961 US No.4 & UK No.25 single 'You Don't Know What You've Got Until You Lose It'. Donner died on April 6th 1984.
1946 - Clifford T. Ward
Clifford T. Ward, UK, singer, songwriter who had the 1973 UK No.8 single 'Gaye'). Ward died on the 18th December 2001.
1947 - Chris Ethridge
American country rock bass guitarist Chris Ethridge. He was a member of the International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Ethridge also worked with Nancy Sinatra, Leon Russell, Delaney Bramlett, Johnny Winter, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Jackson Browne, and Willie Nelson. Ethridge died on April 23, 2012 at age 65 from pancreatic cancer.

1949 - Nigel Olsson
Nigel Olsson, drummer with the Elton John band who has played on some of John's classic albums including Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, Honky Chateau, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

1958 - Walter Afanasieff
Brazilian-American musician Walter Afanasieff known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was co-producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990. He won the 1999 Grammy Award .

Edited by monarch - 10-February-2020 at 13:40

February 8th
1964 - The Beatles
On their first full day in New York, The Beatles (minus George who had a sore throat), went for a photo-opportunity walk around Central Park. Over 400 girl fans followed The Beatles and extra police were called in to control them. Later in the day The Ronettes interviewed The Beatles for radio.

1968 - The Band Of Joy
The Band Of Joy, featuring John Bonham and Robert Plant, made their first London appearance, supporting Edwin Starr at the The Marquee Club in London, England. The Marquee was witness to the London scene of the late 60s, represented at the club by bands like the Move, The Syn, Pink Floyd, (who played the club many times), Neat Change, The In Crowd, Soft Machine and Arthur Brown.
1973 - Max Yasgur
Max Yasgur died of a heart attack aged 53. He was the owner of the dairy farm in Bethel, New York at which the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held between August 15 and August 18, 1969.
1975 - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan went to No.1 on the US chart with his 15th studio album Blood On The Tracks, his second US No.1 album. The album has become one of Dylan's all-time best-selling studio releases, with a double-platinum US certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.
1980 - David Bowie
The divorce became final between David Bowie and his wife Angie. He won custody of their son Zowie, (now known as Joe), Angie received a £30,000 ($51,000) settlement.
1981 - R.E.M.
R.E.M. made their first ever-recording sessions at Bombay Studios Smyrna, Georgia. Tracks included 'Gardening At Night', 'Radio Free Europe' and '(Don't Go Back To) Rockville.'

1983 - Kim Wilde
Winners at the second annual Brit Awards held in London included Paul McCartney who won Best British Male Solo Artist, Kim Wilde won Best British Female Solo Artist, Dire Straits won British Group, British Breakthrough Act went to Yazoo, International Act was Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Best Selling Single Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" and the Life Achievement Award went to Pete Townshend .

1986 - Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going', as featured in the film 'The Jewel Of The Nile.' The video was banned in the UK because it featured non-musician union members. Boyzone took the song to No.1 in 1999.
1990 - Del Shannon
Suffering from depression American singer songwriter Del Shannon died of self inflicted gunshot wounds. He scored the 1961 UK and US No.1 single 'Runaway', plus nine US and 12 other UK Top 40 singles. In 1963, he became the first American to record a cover version of a song by the Beatles: his version of ‘From Me to You’ charted in the US before The Beatles' version. Shannon had been working with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne and was rumoured to be replacing Roy Orbison who had recently died, in the Traveling Wilburys supergroup.
1992 - Right Said Fred
UK act Right Said Fred started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I'm Too Sexy', a No.2 hit in the UK.
1994 - Oasis
Oasis were forced to cancel their first foreign tour after they were deported from Holland. The band were involved in a drunken brawl on a cross-channel ferry resulting in members of the band being arrested and locked in the brig on the ferry.
2002 - Bob Wooler
Bob Wooler died aged 76. He was the resident DJ and booker at The Cavern Club in Liverpool during the early 1960s. Wooler introduced The Beatles to their manager, Brian Epstein.
2005 - Keith Knudson
American rock drummer, vocalist, and songwriter Keith Knudson from with The Doobie Brothers died of pneumonia aged 56. The Doobie Brothers scored the 1979 US No.1 single 'What A Fool Believes' and 1993 UK No.7 single 'Long Train Runnin.' He founded the band Southern Pacific with fellow Doobie Brother John McFee.
2005 - Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty was released from jail on bail after four nights when his manager paid the remaining £100,000 ($170,000) bail to Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, London. The ex-Libertines star had been charged with robbery and blackmail after a fracas at a London hotel. His bail arrangements stated he would not be able to leave his house between 2200pm and 0700am every night and must be accompanied by a security guard or his manager if he goes out at any other time.

2005 - Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue was voted the world's sexiest woman in her 30s by UK magazine Good Housekeeping. Sade was voted No.4 in the over 40s with Madonna coming in at No.7 and Jerry Hall at No.8. And Sharon Osbourne was voted into 3rd place in the over 50s section.
2009 - Chris Brown
R&B singer Chris Brown was questioned by police in Los Angeles over a complaint of assault. The 19-year-old had pulled out of his performance at the Grammy Awards, as did his pop star girlfriend Rihanna. Police said Mr Brown argued with an unidentified woman while sitting in a car. Brown had walked into a police station and was later released on $50,000 (£34,000) bail. Los Angeles police did not identify the woman who had made the complaint against Brown.
2013 - Axl Rose
LA Superior Court Judge Charles Palmer threw out a claim by Axl Rose of fraud and misrepresentation against Guitar Hero III. Rose claimed that his deal with the company to license the song 'Welcome to the Jungle' for use in the game included a promise from Activision that no images of Slash would be used in the game. Later, both Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani’s band No Doubt sued the company over their own portrayals in Band Hero, a Guitar Hero series spin-off.
2013 - Digital Music
A report on the the rise of digital music showed that one in five consumers (19.6%) bought all their music as downloads. The report said that 27.7% of UK music fans purchased downloads from stores such as iTunes or Amazon; or streamed songs on services like Spotify or YouTube and that the streaming market was now worth £49m to record labels.
2015 - Sam Smith
British soul singer Sam Smith won four Grammy Awards in the US, including the prestigious prizes for record and song of the year for 'Stay With Me' and best new artist. Album of the year went to Beck for Morning Phase.

February 6th
1958 - George Harrison
George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen. The group who were named after Lennon's school featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.

1960 - Jesse Belvin
27-year-old Jesse Belvin, who scored a 1956 hit with 'Goodnight, My Love', was killed in a car accident in Hope, Arkansas. His wife and the car's driver also died of their injuries. The three were trying to make a fast get-a-way from the first ever mixed race audience concert in the town of Little Rock, after threats had been made against Belvin's life.
1965 - The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Phil Spector produced 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. The song was also No.1 in the UK for the duo (who were not related in any way).

1965 - The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones second album Rolling Stones No.2 started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK charts. The album followed its predecessor's tendency to largely feature R&B covers. However, it did contain three compositions from the still-developing Mick Jagger - Keith Richards songwriting team.

1967 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were photographed for the weekly British girls magazine Jackie. The magazine was the best-selling teen magazine in Britain for ten years. The best-ever selling issue was the 1972 special edition to coincide with the UK tour of American singer David Cassidy.
1971 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin announced a small UK club tour which would see the group playing Universities and small venues with ticket prices at 12 shillings (60p). Zeppelin manager Peter Grant said 'We decided to do the clubs and forget about the bread and the big concert halls'.
1981 - Hugo Montenegro
Composer Hugo Montenegro died in California. Had the 1968 UK No.1 & US No.2 single 'The Good The Bad And The Ugly' from the soundtrack to the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western film. Worked for RCA records, producing a series of albums and soundtracks and television themes, including two volumes of Music From The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
1982 - Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Model / Computer Love', the first German act to score a UK No.1 single. The single spent 21 weeks on the UK chart.
1982 - J Geils Band
The J Geils Band started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Centrefold', the bands only US No.1. A No.3 hit in the UK. The bands album 'Freeze- Frame' started a four-week run at No.1 on the US album chart on the same day.
1989 - King Tubby
Jamaican sound engineer, and producer King Tubby died after being shot in the street outside his home. Worked with Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, Carlton Barrett.
1990 - Billy Idol
Billy Idol suffered serious injuries when he failed to pull up at a stop sign and crashed from his Harley-Davidson motorbike into a car.
1990 - Chuck Berry
Over 200 women filed court actions against Chuck Berry after it was alleged that he had been secretly filming them in the toilets of the restaurant he owned.

1996 - Bruce Foxton
Former Jam members Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler reached a high court settlement with Paul Weller after suing him for more than £100,000, after claiming they were owed royalties and group assets.
1998 - Carl Wilson
American singer and guitarist Carl Wilson from The Beach Boys died aged 51 after a long battle with lung cancer, (Wilson was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in early 1997). He sang lead vocal on 'God Only Knows', 'Good Vibrations,' and 'I Can Hear Music.' Wilson also sang backing vocals on Elton John's 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.'

1998 - Falco
Austrian singer Falco (Johann Holzel) was killed in a road accident after his car collided with a bus. He scored the 1986 UK & US No.1 single 'Rock Me Amadeus' making him the first-ever Austrian act to score a UK and US No.1 hit single.
2001 - Eagles
Guitarist Don Felder was fired from the Eagles. He would later launch a $50 million law suit against drummer Don Henley and guitarist Glen Frey, alleging wrongful termination and breach of implied-in-fact contract. Henley and Frey then countersued Felder for breach of contract, alleging that Felder had written and attempted to sell the rights to a "tell-all" book. Both parties settled out-of-court for an undisclosed amount.
2005 - Eminem
Eminem was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Like Toy Soldiers', the rappers 6th No.1, taken from the album Encore. The track featured samples from 'Toy Soldiers' by Martika and '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' by Paul Simon.

2007 - Frankie Laine
Italian American singer, songwriter, and actor Frankie Laine died aged 93. He scored the 1953 UK No.1 single 'I Believe', plus over 25 other UK Top 20 singles and the 1956 US No.3 single 'Moonlight Gambler'. He sang well-known theme songs for many movie Western soundtracks, including 3:10 To Yuma, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Blazing Saddles.
2007 - Kylie Minogue
An exhibition of Kylie Minogue's stage costumes, awards and accessories was launched in central London. The display at the Victoria and Albert Museum showed her changing image from 1987 onwards, from the dungarees she wore as Charlene in the Australian soap Neighbours and the gold hot pants she wore in her Spinning Around video.
2008 - Feist
Feist won the seventh annual Shortlist Music Prize - American's version of the Mercury Prize. The Canadian singer-songwriter won for her album The Reminder, which included the song 1234 used in an Apple iPod advert. Feist was also nominated for four Grammy awards, including best new artist.
2008 - Britney Spears
A Los Angeles judge issued a restraining order against Britney Spears' manager, after her mother made the request to the court. Lynne Spears claimed Sam Lutfi, 33, had drugged the troubled pop star and interfered with her finances. In a six-page declaration, Lynne Spears said Mr Lutfi "moved into Britney's home and has purported to take control of her life, home and finances". Her declaration focused on the night of 28 January, a few days before the Grammy-winning superstar was admitted to hospital for a mental evaluation.
2011 - Gary Moore
Irish guitarist and singer Gary Moore died aged 58 in his sleep of a heart attack in his hotel room while on holiday in Estepona, Spain. Moore had been a member of Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, and Colosseum II, before going solo, scoring the 1979 UK No.8 single 'Parisienne Walkways'. Moore's greatest influence in the early days was guitarist Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, who was a mentor to Moore when performing in Dublin. His 1990 album Still Got the Blues featured contributions from Albert King, Albert Collins, and George Harrison.
2013 - Parlophone
It was announced that Warner Music was set to buy the record label Parlophone which was formerly a part of EMI Music from Universal Music for £487m ($765m). The Parlophone label group also included the Chrysalis and Ensign labels, but The Beatles part of Parlophone, was exempted from the sale.
2014 - Nirvana
Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was named as the greatest song of all time by NME. 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was one of the last songs written for Nirvana's breakthrough album, 'Nevermind', which was released in 1991. The rest of the top five tracks were: 5: 'Last Nite', The Strokes, 4: 'How Soon Is Now?', The Smiths, 3: 'I Feel Love', Donna Summer, 2: 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', Joy Division

2016 - Dan Hicks
American singer-songwriter Dan Hicks, best-known as the lead musician and founder of the Seventies acoustic band Hicks and His Hot Licks, died at the age of 74 after suffering with throat and liver cancer. Hot Licks' hits included 'I Scare Myself' and 'Canned Music', which blended genre such as country, blues, jazz and swing.
2017 - Michael Jackson
US Tax Court Judge Mark Holmes had always been puzzled by the rap at the end of Michael Jackson's Thriller, so when the star's former lawyer John Branca appeared in front of him, he took the opportunity to settle the matter. "What exactly does 'the funk of 40,000 years' mean?" "Karma," answered Branca. The exchange came during the first day of a trial looking into Michael Jackson's debts to the taxman. The IRS claimed that Jackson's estate owed it over $700 million (£566 million) in taxes and penalties, a massive chunk of the star's estimated $1bn fortune. It put Jackson's team in the strange position of arguing the star was worth much less, after his image was tarnished by accusations of child molestation, skin bleaching and drug use.

Born Today In Music
February 6th
1941 - Dave Berry
Dave Berry, singer who had the 1964 UK No.5 single 'The Crying Game'.
1942 - John London
John London, session bass player. He worked with The Monkees, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. London died on February 12th 2000.
1945 - Bob Marley
Bob Marley singer / songwriter and guitarist who had the 1981 UK No.8 single with ‘No Woman No Cry’, plus over ten other UK Top 40 singles. In July 1977, Marley was found to have a type of malignant melanoma under the nail of a toe, Marley's health deteriorated as the cancer had spread throughout his body. He died on May 11th 1981. The 1984 ‘Best Of’ album spent 330 weeks on the UK chart. In 1990, February 6th was proclaimed a national holiday in Jamaica to commemorate his birth. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

1946 - Kate McGarrigle
Born on this day Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle. Once married to folk singer Loudon Wainwright lll, Kate is the mother of singers Rufus and Martha Wainwright. She rose to prominence with sister Anna when they recorded together in the 1970s. McGarrigle died of cancer on 18th Jan 2010.
1946 - Richie Hayward
American drummer Richie Hayward best known as a founding member and drummer in the band Little Feat. He performed with several bands and worked as a session player.

Edited by monarch - 06-February-2020 at 12:58

2013 - Reg Presley

Wonderful singer with the great Troggs.

Very interesting information about his use of his royalties.

Edited by Biker Pat - 05-February-2020 at 09:19