February 17th: On this Day In Music History

 

February 17th: On this Day In Music History

 

1960, Elvis Presley won his first Gold record for the album 'Elvis'.

1960, The Everly Brothers signed a $1 million (£1.7 million) contract with Warner Brothers Records.

1962, Gene Chandler started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Duke Of Earl.'

1966, Nancy Sinatra was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'These Boots Are Made For Walking', Frank's eldest daughters first No.1.

1967, The Beatles started recording a new John Lennon song 'Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite' at Abbey Road studio's, London. John's lyrics for the song came almost entirely from an antique poster advertising a circus performance scheduled to take place in Rochdale, Lancashire, in February 1843. John had purchased the poster in Sevenoaks on January 31 while The Beatles were on location for the filming of the 'Strawberry Fields Forever' promotional film.   1968, Diana Ross And The Supremes 'Greatest Hits' started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart. 1969, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash recorded 'Girl From The North Country' together in Nashville at CBS Studios. The track appeared on Dylan's 'Nashville Skyline' album. 1970, Joni Mitchell announced she was retiring from live performances during a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. Joni was on stage again by the end of the year. 1971, James Taylor made his TV debut on The Johnny Cash Show. Other guests included Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt and Tony Joe White. 1972, At the end of a 14 date UK tour, Pink Floyd started a four night run at London's Rainbow Theatre. Tickets cost £1 ($1.70). 1972, Los Angeles radio station KDAY played two new Rolling Stones tracks non-stop for a day after obtaining stolen tapes from a producer's home. 1973, War started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'The World Is A Ghetto.' 1975, John Lennon's 'Rock 'n' Roll' album was released in the US. 1979, Blondie scored their first UK No.1 album when 'Parallel Lines' started a four-week run at the top of the charts, featuring the singles 'Heart Of Glass', 'Hanging On The Telephone' and 'Sunday Girl.' 1979, The Clash opened the US leg of their 'Pearl Harbour '79', North American tour at New York's Palladium. 1980, US country singer Kenny Rogers was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Coward Of The County', his second and last UK chart topper. 1989, The Stone Roses appeared at JB's in Dudley, West Midlands on the first night of an 8-date UK tour. 1989, R.E.M. Hoodoo Gurus and The Go-Betweens all appeared at the Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia. 1996, A Platinum American Express card once belonging to Bruce Springsteen was sold for $4,500 (£2,650) at a New York memorabilia sale. The singer had given the expired card to a waiter in a LA restaurant by mistake and let them keep it as a souvenir.   2000, John Lennon's Steinway piano, on which he composed 'Imagine', went on display at the Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool, England. The piano was set to be auctioned on the Internet later in the year and was expected to fetch more than £1 million ($1.7 million). 2002, Westlife went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'World Of Our Own.' The Irish boy band's 10th UK No.1 single. 2002, 'Always On Time' by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. 2003, The man behind the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC was being investigated over complaints that aspiring stars paid $1,500 (£882) to feature on his website. Lou Pearlman was accused by Florida authorities of getting young actors and models to pay upfront to appear on his Trans Continental company's website by saying he would also help them to find work. 2004, Prosecutors in the murder case of producer Phil Spector demanded that a fingernail overlooked by police investigating Lana Clarkson's shooting should be put forward as evidence. They claimed the fingernail, blackened with gunpowder, could indicate that the 40- year old actress killed herself at Spector's Los Angeles mansion. Spector, had denied murdering Clarkson. 2004, Winners at this years Brit awards included, Daniel Bedingfield who won Best British male, Dido won Best British Female, The Darkness won Best British group, Best Rock group and Best British album with 'Permission To Land', Busted won British Breakthrough act and Duran Duran won Outstanding Contribution to Music   2005, A 1965 Fender Stratocaster guitar belonging to Jimi Hendrix sold for £100,000 at an auction in London. Other Hendrix items sold included a poem written two weeks after his appearance at the Monterey Festival which went for £10,000 and the first Jimi Hendrix Experience's single 'Hey Joe', signed by all the band sold for £2,000. 2005, Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand made music history after taking two top prizes at the NME Awards. The band, who won best album and best single, became the first act ever to win the Mercury Music Prize, Brit Awards and NME awards in the same year. 2008, Swedish and Dutch Club DJ's, Basshunter ft DJ Mental Theo started a five week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Now You're Gone'. 2008, British soul singer Duffy started a five week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Mercy', from the Welsh singers debut album 'Rockferry'. 'Mercy' was the UK'S best selling single of 2008, and won Duffy a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. February 17th: Born on this day 1905, Born on this day, Orville "Hoppy" Jones, bass singer and cello player with the Ink Spots, who had a 1955 UK No.10 single with 'Melody Of Love'. He Died 18th October 1944. 1922, Born on this day, Tommy Edwards, singer (1958 US & UK No.1 single with 'Its All In The Game'). The song was written by US Vice President Charles Dawes. Edwards died on October 22nd 1968, aged 47. 1933, Born on this day, Bobby Lewis, US singer, (1961 US No.1 single 'Tossin' and Turnin'). 1939, Born on this day, John Leyton, UK singer, actor, (1961 UK No.1 single 'Johnny Remember Me'). 1941, Born on this day, Gene Pitney, singer, (1962 US No.4 single 'Only Love Can Break A Heart'. 1967 solo UK No.5 & 1989 UK No.1 single with Marc Almond 'Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart', plus over 15 other US & UK Top 40 hits). Pitney was found dead aged 65 in his bed in a Cardiff hotel on 5th April 2006. The American singer was on a UK tour and had shown no signs of illness. 1966, Born on this day, Melissa Brooke-Bellard, Voice Of The Beehive, (1988 UK No.15 single 'Don't Call Me Baby'). 1972, Born on this day, Billie Joe Armstrong, guitarist and vocalist with Green Day, (1995 UK No.7 single with 'Basket Case'). 1994 album Dookie has sold over 10 million copies. Top Modern Rock Act in US in 1985. 1977, Born on this day, Chris Gentry, Menswear, (1996 UK No.10 single 'Being Brave'). 1981, Born on this day, John Hassall, bassist, The Libertines, (2004 UK No.1 album 'The Libertines').   Died on this day   1998, Songwriter Bob Merrill committed suicide aged 77. He wrote 'How Much Is That Doggie In The Window'' and Barbra Streisand's 'People.'

February 15th: On this Day In Music History

 

February 15th: On this Day In Music History

 

1961, Singer Jackie Wilson was left with a stomach wound after Juanita Jones a female fan went to his New York apartment demanding to see him. Jones' gun went off as he tried to disarm her.

1964, The Beatles scored their first US No.1 album with 'Meet The Beatles!' The album stayed at No.1 for eleven weeks.

1964, The Dave Clark Five appeared on the UK TV show 'Thank Your Lucky Stars.' 1968, John and Cynthia Lennon, along with George and Patti Harrison, flew to India to study meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Paul and Ringo joined them a few days later, but Starr would become bored and leave on March 1st comparing the experience to be like a 'Butlins holiday camp.' Much of the Beatles' 'White Album' was written during their stay. 1969, Singer Vickie Jones was arrested on fraud charges for impersonating Aretha Franklin in concert at Fort Myers, Florida. No-one in the audience had asked for their money back. 1969, Sly and the Family Stone started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Everyday People', their first No.1. 1969, 'Diana Ross and The Supremes Join The Temptations' started a four week run at No.1 on the UK album chart. 1975, Linda Ronstadt went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You're No Good', the singers only solo chart topper out of 12 other top 40 hits. Also today Ronstadt went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Heart Like A Wheel.' 1977, Glen Matlock was fired as bass player from The Sex Pistols, being replaced by Sid Vicious. Matlock rejoined in the 90's when the Pistol's reformed. 1985, During a UK tour The Boomtown Rats appeared at The Gaumont, Ipswich, England. 1986, Whitney Houston started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'How Will I Know', it made No.5 in the UK. 1988, After singer Jo Elliot had referred to El Paso as 'the place with all those greasy Mexicans' Def Leppard were forced to cancel a concert in El Paso, after they received threats that the gig would be disrupted. 1991, Kelly Emberg the ex-girlfriend of Rod Stewart filed a $25 million (£14.7 million) palimony suit in Los Angeles. 1996, It was reported that Take That were the UK's biggest single selling artists with sales over 3.9.million. 1997, Texas went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'White On Blonde.' 1997, U2 went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Discotheque', the bands third UK No.1 single. The entire track was leaked onto the internet in December 1996, forcing U2 to move the release date. 2000, Sting pulled-out of a concert in Vienna in protest at the inclusion of Jorg Haider's far right freedom party in Austria's new government. Lou Reed had also cancelled shows in the country. 2002, Kerrang! Magazine overtook the New Musical Express for the first time to become the best selling UK weekly music publication. It claimed new bands such as Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park had given them a new teenage audience. 2004, Norah Jones scored her second UK No.1 album with 'Feels Like Home.' 2004, Kenny Chesney was at No.1 on the US album chart with 'When The Sun Comes Down.' 2004, Twista was at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Slow Jamz.' He was known for being the fastest rapper in the world. 2004, Sam and Mark went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of The Beatles song 'With A Little Help From My Friends.' Sam and Mark were the second and third placed entrants from the 2003 "Pop Idol" TV show. The Beatles song had also been a hit for Joe Cocker and Wet Wet Wet. 2006, Winners at this year's Brit Awards included, James Blunt who won British male solo artist, British female solo artist went to KT Tunstall. Coldplay won Best British album for X&Y and Best British single for 'Speed of Sound.' Kaiser Chiefs won Best British group and Best British Live Act, British urban act went to Lemar, British breakthrough act was Arctic Monkeys, International breakthrough act was won by Jack Johnson. International male solo artist was Kanye West with Madonna winning International female solo artist. Green Day won International group and Best International album with American Idiot and Outstanding contribution to music went to Paul Weller. 2008, A flat once rented by the Beatles in London went up for sale for £1.75m. The band shared the three-bedroom top floor property in Green Street, Mayfair in the autumn of 1963. A publicity photo of the Fab Four peering over a banister, used as the cover for the December 1963 edition of The Beatles Book, was taken at the top of the property's communal stairwell. 2009, Lily Allen went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'It's Not Me, It's You' the singers second album. February 15th: Born on this day 1941, Born on this day, Brian Holland, Holland/Dozier/Holland, producer, songwriter, wrote for Motown, Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Freda Payne, Chairmen Of The Board. 1942, Born on this day, Glyn Johns, UK producer, worked with Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Beatles, ('Let It Be' sessions), Joan Armatrading, Midnight Oil, The Eagles, The Faces and Led Zeppelin. 1944, Born on this day, Denny Zager, singer, Zager and Evans, (1969 US & UK No.1 single 'In The Year 2525'). 1944, Born on this day, Mick Avory, drums, The Kinks, (1964 UK No.1 & US No.7 'You Really Got Me', 1967 UK No.2 single 'Waterloo Sunset' plus 19 other UK Top 40 singles). 1945, Born on this day, John Helliwell, sax, Supertramp, (1979 UK No.7 & US No.6 single 'The Logical Song'). 1947, Born on this day, David Brown, bass, Santana, (1977 UK No.11 single 'She's Not There'). 1952, Born on this day, Melissa Manchester, US singer, songwriter, (1975 US No.6 single 'Midnight Blue'). 1959, Born on this day, Ali Campbell, vocals, UB40, (1983 UK No.1 & 1988 US No.1 single 'Red Red Wine' and over 30 other Top 40 hit singles) & solo (1995 UK No.5 single 'That Look In Your Eye'). 1960, Born on this day, Mikey Craig, bass, Culture Club, (1983 UK No.1 & 1984 US No.12 single 'Karma Chameleon' plus 7 other UK Top 10 singles'). 1962, Born on this day, Mike and David Miliner, The Pasadenas, (1992 UK No.4 single 'I'm Doing Fine Now'). 1974, Born on this day, Stuart Richardson, bassist, Lostprophets, (2004 UK No.8 single 'Last Train Home', 2006 UK No.1 album 'Liberation Transmission'). 1974, Born on this day, Tomi Petteri Putaansuu, Mr. Lordi, lead vocalist Lordi. Became Finland's first ever Eurovision Song Contest winners after their song 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' won the contest held in Athens in 2006. 1976, Born on this day, Brandon Boyd, Incubus, (2001 US No.9 & UK No.40 single, 'Drive', 2004 US No.2 and UK No.6 album 'A Crow Left of the Murder…', 2006 US No.1 album 'Light Grenades'). 1976, Born on this day, Ronnie Vannucci Jr, drummer, The Killers, (2005 UK No.1 with their debut album 'Hot Fuss'). 1981, Born on this day, Olivia Theresa Longott, US R&B singer, member of G-Unit, (2005 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'Candy Shop' with 50 Cent).