1961, Patsy Cline was seriously injured in a car accident. During her two month hospital stay, her song “I Fall to Pieces” gave the singer her first Country No.1 and also became a huge country-pop crossover hit.
1963, During a UK tour The Beatles played at New Brighton Tower in Wallasey supported by Gerry and the Pacemakers. Tickets cost 6 shillings in advance. Between 1961 -1963, The Beatles played at The Tower Ballroom on 27 occasions.
1964, Touring Australia The Beatles arrived in Melbourne and were greeted at the airport by over 5,000 fans. Another 20,000 fans lined the route from the airport to the hotel, army and navy units were brought in to help control the crowds, cars were crushed, hundreds of girls fainted and over 50 people were admitted to hospital with broken bones.
1964, The Manish Boys, (featuring David Bowie) auditioned for the UK television talent show Opportunity Knocks.
1967, The Doors appeared at Steve Paul’s Scene, New York City, Jimi Hendrix was in the audience to see the show.
1974, Ray Stevens was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Streak’ a song about the latest British craze of streaking, (running naked in a public place).
1977, Led Zeppelin played the last of six sold out nights at Madison Square Garden, in New York City during their 11th and final North American tour. The 3-hour set included: The Song Remains The Same, Since I’ve Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, ‘Stairway To Heaven’, Whole Lotta Love, Rock And Roll and When the Levee Breaks.
1980, Billy Joel started a six-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Glass Houses’, his second US No.1 album. The album features Joel’s first song to peak at No.1 on Billboard’s Pop Singles chart, ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.’
1984, A model of Boy George from Culture Club was unveiled at Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks in London, England on his 23rd birthday.
1986, Bob Geldof was named in HRH The Queen’s Birthday Honours List, receiving an honorary Knighthood in recognition of his humanitarian activities.
1986, Three fans died during an Ozzy Osbourne gig at Long Beach Arena, California after falling from a balcony.
1987, Madonna played the first date on her Who’s That Girl World Tour at the Osaka Stadium, Osaka, Japan. The tour became the highest-grossing tour ever, grossing over $20 million.
1987, 30 hired hands moved 800 rented NHS beds onto Saunton Sands in North Devon for Storm Thorgerson to shoot what would be the cover of the forthcoming Pink Floyd album ‘A Momentary Lapse Of Reason’. Rain interrupted the shoot and the team were forced to repeat the exercise two weeks later.
1989, Pete De Freitas drummer with Echo And The Bunnymen was killed at the age of 27, when his motorbike collided with a car.
1994, Composer Henry Mancini died aged 70. Wrote the music to ‘Moon River, which was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Audrey Hepburn, was also the theme song for the Andy Williams television show. Had the 1969 US No.1 single ‘Love Theme from Romeo And Juliet.’ Recorded over 90 albums, contributed music to over 100 movies, including ‘Theme From The Pink Panther.’
1995, Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher died after a chest infection set in following a liver transplant. Had been a member of Taste before going solo, sold over 30m albums worldwide. Voted Melody Maker’s Top Musician of the Year in 1972, auditioned for The Rolling Stones following the departure of Mick Taylor. Gallagher made his final performance on 10 January 1995 in the Netherlands.
1995, ABC’s Diane Sawyer interviewed Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley on ABC-TV’s Prime Time Live. It was the couple’s first interview since their surprise marriage a year earlier and was part of the publicity push for Jackson’s album ‘HIStory – Past, Present and Future: Book One’. Jackson and Presley declared they were a “normal married couple who hoped to have a baby”. When asked if they had sex, they replied “yes, yes, yes!” They also confirmed that a prenuptial agreement had been signed.
1997, Puff Daddy and Faith Evans started a 11 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I’ll Be Missing You’, a tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G. Also a No.1 in the UK.
2000, Noel Gallagher from Oasis was voted into first place in Melody Maker’s annual ‘Un-coolest People in Rock’ survey. Marilyn Manson came second and Robbie Williams was voted third.
2000, American pianist and session musician Paul Griffin died aged 62. He who recorded with hundreds of musicians from the 1950s to the 1990s. Griffin worked with Bob Dylan, Steely Dan, Don McLean, the Isley Brothers, Van Morrison, The Shirelles, and Dionne Warwick. He is best known for playing on the albums Bob Dylan albums Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, and Steely Dan’s Aja.
2002, During an UK visit Michael Jackson made a tour of Parliament and was shown the monarch’s throne in the House of Lords. Whenever Jackson went outside he called for an umbrella to shield his face from the sun.
2002, Mick Jagger became a Sir when he was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
2007, Bob Dylan won Spain’s Prince of Asturias Arts Award, one of the country’s most prestigious honours. Jury chairman Jose Llado called Dylan a ‘living legend of popular music and the guiding star of a generation that dreamed of changing the world’. Previous winners of the annual prize include US film-maker Woody Allen.
2012, Ringo Starr’s birthplace in Liverpool was saved from the threat of demolition. The house, a run-down three-bedroom Victorian terrace, was one of 400 buildings marked for demolition in the Dingle area of Liverpool, but Beatles fans and city residents had successfully lobbied to save the house, along with 15 others in the area. The Liverpool City Council has agreed to give locals the opportunity to fix up the properties.
2016, Irish rock guitarist, Henry McCullough died after never fully recovering from a severe heart attack he had suffered four years earlier. He recorded with Paul McCartney and Wings, featuring on the hit James Bond theme, ‘Live and Let Die’ and ‘My Love’, the solo which he made up on the spot in front of a live orchestra. He was also a member of Spooky Tooth and The Grease Band.
