July 31st: today in music history

July 31st: On this Day in music history

1959, Cliff Richard was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Living Doll.' The singers first of 14 UK No.1's. The song was one of three from the film, Serious Charge.

1964, Country singer Jim Reeves was killed in a plane crash when the single engine aircraft flying from Arkansas to Nashville crashed in thick fog. 41 year- old Reeves was the first country singer to cross- over into the pop market. (1960 US No.2 single 'He'll Have To Go', 1966 UK No.1 single 'Distant Drums').

1965, The Who appeared at the Wilton Hall, Bletchley, England.

1966, The Doors appeared at The Fifth Estate, Phoenix, Arizona.

1967, Mick Jagger was given a conditional discharge and Keith Richard's conviction for permitting his house to be used for the purpose of smoking cannabis resin was quashed by appeal court.

1968, Tommy James and The Shondells were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Mony Mony'. Also a hit for Billy Idol in 1987.

1968, Working at Trident studios in London, England, (with its 8-track equipment, EMI was still using 4-track recorders), The Beatles recorded four takes of 'Hey Jude'.

1969, Elvis Presley kicked off a four week run at the Las Vegas International Hotel, (his first live show since 1961). He reportedly netted $1.5m for the shows. On the menu an Elvis special, polk salad with corn muffins & honey.

1971, James Taylor went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the Carole King song 'You Got A Friend'. The song would go on to win the 1971 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. Taylor scored nine other solo US Top 40 hits during the 70's.

1971, A security guard was stabbed to death during a concert by The Who at New York's Forest Hill Stadium.

1976, George Benson started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Breezin'.

1979, AC/DC appeared at The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana on their If You Want Blood Tour.

1980, Jon Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas was apprehended by FBI narcotics agents for possession of cocaine, he was later sentenced to 250 hours Community service giving anti-drug lectures.

1980, During An Eagles concert at Long Beach, California, tempers boiled over between Glen Frey and Don Henley, who spent the entire show describing to each other the beating each planned to administer backstage. "Only three more songs until I kick your ass, pal," Frey told Henley. The group's next album was mixed by Frey and Henley on opposite coasts after the two decided they couldn't bear to be in the same state, let alone the same studio.

1985, The Eurythmics had the No.1 position on the UK singles chart with 'There Must Be An Angel, (Playing With My Heart); Paul Young had the US No.1 with 'Everytime You Go Away'.

1991, Bryan Adams was enjoying his third week at No.1 on the UK singles chart with '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You'. The single stayed a No.1 for a record-breaking sixteen weeks.

1992, Michael Jackson made an unscheduled appearance on his hotel balcony in London after a man had threatened to jump from an apartment building across the street. 28 year-old Eric Herminie told police he would leap to his death if he didn't see Jackson, who was in Britain for a series of concerts. Jackson spent a couple of minutes waving to Herminie, who then climbed back into the building.

1994, Aaliyah and R. Kelly secretly married at the Sheraton Gateway Suites, Rosemont, IL. Aaliyah never admitted being married, though Vibe published a copy of the marriage certificate. Unfortunately, she was only 15 at the time, so thus the marriage was later annulled.

1999, Christina Aguilera scored her first US No.1 single with 'Genie In A Bottle', also No.1 in the UK. The song spent 5 weeks at No.1 on the US chart and won Aguilera the Best New Artist Grammy for the year.

1999, Wu-Tang Clan member Ol Dirty Bastard, (real name Russell Jones) was arrested for crack and marijuana possession in New York after being stopped by police during a routine traffic offence.

2000, Eighties pop maestro Mike Stock was declared bankrupt. Mike who was one third of 80's hit factory Stock, Aitken and Waterman had been involved in several court battles over copyright issues.

2001, BBC producer John Walters died aged 63. Walters produced and worked with Radio 1 DJ John Peel. Peel teamed up with Walters to broadcast some of the most groundbreaking music of an era. He joined the BBC in 1967, and became producer on John Peel's Top Gear show two years later. Walters played the trumpet with the Alan Price Set in the 1960's.

2002, The son of Bryan Ferry was arrested by armed police outside the UK prime minister's County Durham home as he tried to stage a demonstration. Otis Ferry went through security gates and was arrested when he refused to give his name. He was trying to place posters supporting animal hunts on the walls of Mr Blair's house.

2004, Mark Morrison was arrested after a fracas at Leicester's After Dark night-club in which his platinum and diamond medallion was stolen. Morrison said he was the victim and complained of wrongful arrest, unlawful imprisonment and police assault. A £20,000 reward for the return of the pendant was offered by the singer's record label.

July 31st: Born on this day

1946, Born on this day, Gary Lewis singer, (1965 US No.1 single with The Playboys, 'This Diamond Ring' plus 11 other US Top 40 hits).

1947, Born on this day, Karl Green, guitar, Herman's Hermits, (1964 UK No.1 single 'I'm Into Something Good', 1965 US No.1 single 'Mrs Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter').

1951, Born on this day, Carlo Karges, Nena, (1984 UK No.1 & US No.2 single '99 Red Balloons').

1953, Born on this day, Hugh McDowell, cello, Electric Light Orchestra, (1979 UK No.3 & US No.4 single 'Don't Bring Me Down', plus 26 other Top 40 hits)

1957, Born on this day, Daniel Ash, Bauhaus, (1982 UK No.15 single 'Ziggy Stardust'), Love & Rockets and solo.

1958, Born on this day, Bill Berry, drums, R.E.M. (1991 UK No.6 & US No.10 single 'Shiny Happy People', plus over 20 Top 40 UK singles, 1992 UK No.1 & US No.2 album 'Automatic For The People'). Berry quit the band in 1997.

1960, Born on this day, Malcolm Ross, Aztec Camera, (1988 UK No.3 single 'Somewhere In My Heart').

1963, Born on this day, Norman Cook, Housemartins, (1986 UK No.1 single 'Caravan Of Love'), Beats International, (1990 UK No.1 'Dub Be Good To Me'), Freak Power, ('Turn On Tune In Cop Out'), aka, Pizzaman, Fatboy Slim, (1999 UK No.1 single 'Praise You').

1964, Born on this day, Jim Corr, guitar, keyboards, vocals, The Corrs, (1998 UK No.3 single 'What Can I Do'. 'Talk On Corners' was the best selling UK album of 1998 spending 142 weeks on the UK chart).

1964, Born on this day, Robert Townsend, Pop Will Eat Itself, (1991 UK No.15 single 'X Y & Zee').

1971, Born on this day, John Lowery, guitar, Marilyn Manson, (1998 US No.1 album, 'Mechanical Animals', UK No. 12 single, 'The Dope Show').

1978, Born on this day, Will Champion, drums, Coldplay, (2000 UK No.4 single 'Yellow', 2000 UK No.1 album 'Parachutes' and the 2005 worldwide No.1 album 'X&Y').

__,_._,___