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 studios, 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.

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.

1975, AC/DC released their debut album 'High Voltage'. The album featured a cover of 'Baby, Please Don't Go' a blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams and 'She's Got Balls' which was written about singer Bon Scott's ex-wife Irene - the first AC/DC song for which he wrote lyrics.

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, R.E.M. Hoodoo Gurus and The Go-Betweens all appeared at the Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia. 1989, David Coverdale married actress Tawny Kitaen (known for her provocative appearances in Whitesnake's music videos 'Here I Go Again, 'Is This Love' and 'Still of the Night'). The couple divorced in 1991. 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).   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, 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, bassist, 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 who had the 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, who had the 1961 US No.1 single 'Tossin' and Turnin'. 1939, Born on this day, John Leyton, UK singer, actor, who had the 1961 UK No.1 single 'Johnny Remember Me'. 1941, Born on this day, Gene Pitney, singer, who had the 1962 US No.4 single 'Only Love Can Break A Heart'. Also scored the 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, who had the 1988 UK No.15 single 'Don't Call Me Baby'. 1972, Born on this day, Billie Joe Armstrong, guitarist and vocalist with Green Day who had the 1995 UK No.7 single with 'Basket Case'. Their 1994 album Dookie has sold over 10 million copies. Top Modern Rock Act in US in 1995. 1981, Born on this day, John Hassall, bassist with English group The Libertines who had the 2004 UK No.1 album 'The Libertines'. 1981, Born on this day, Paris Hilton, American socialite, singer, actress and fashion model. Heiress to a share of the Hilton Hotel fortune, featured in the reality TV series, The Simple Life. Had the UK No.5 and US No.18 single 'Stars Are Blind', from her debut album 'Paris' released in 2006.