1956, Elvis Presley appeared on ABC-TV’s ‘The Milton Berle Show’ live from the flight deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego, California. He performed ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ ‘Shake Rattle And Roll’ and ‘Blue Suede Shoes.’ It was estimated that one out of every four Americans saw the show.
1960, During recording sessions at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee, Elvis Presley recorded ‘It’s Now Or Never’, ‘Fever’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’.
1961, The Marcels started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Rodgers and Heart song ‘Blue Moon’, also a No.1 in the UK.
1964, Bob Dylan made his first appearance on the UK charts with The Times They Are A-Changin’. In 2004 the song was ranked No.59 on Rolling Stone’s list of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’.
1966, Pink Floyd appeared at The Marquee Club in Wardour Street, London, England. During the early 1960s a new generation of British rhythm and blues bands such as The Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds, and The Animals forged a new era in rock music at the Marquee.
1967, Working on The Beatles Sgt. Pepper album at Abbey Road studios in London, George Harrison recorded his lead vocal on his song ‘Within You Without You’. as well as a sitar part, and some acoustic guitar parts.
1969, The Doors’ Jim Morrison turned himself in to the FBI in Los Angeles. He was charged on six charges of lewd behavior and public exposure at a concert in Miami on March 2nd, 1969. He was later released on $2000 bail.
1971, The Temptations scored their second US No.1 with ‘Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)’ a No.8 hit in the UK.
1975, Steve Miller was charged with setting fire to the clothes of a friend, Benita Diorio. When police arrived at Miller’s house, Diorio was putting out the flames, Miller then got into a fight with some of the policemen and was charged with resisting arrest.
1976, Johnnie Taylor started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Disco Lady’, his 10th US Top 40 and a No.25 hit in the UK.
1976, A then-unknown Sex Pistols opened for The 101’ers at The Nashville Rooms in London. The 101ers were a pub rock band, notable as being the band that Joe Strummer left to join The Clash.
1979, Kate Bush kicked off the 28-date ‘Tour Of Life’ trek making her concert debut at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre, England. Bush never set out on another tour again. She played a run of 22 shows at London’s Hammersmith Apollo in 2014.
1983, After completing a 29-date UK tour, U2 appeared on BBC TV Top Of The Pops performing their latest single ‘Two Hearts Beat As One’.
1989, 23 people were arrested after several thousand fans without tickets tried to gate-crash a Grateful Dead concert at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1990, American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan died of lung cancer. She had the 1954 US No.6 single ‘Make Yourself Comfortable’ and released over 50 albums. March 27, is “Sarah Lois Vaughan Day” in both San Francisco and Berkeley, California in honour of the singer.
1993, 10 years after its first release, The Bluebells had a UK No.1 single with ‘Young At Heart’ after the track was featured on a Volkswagen TV commercial. The song was co-written by Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey. (and recorded by Bananarama). In 2002 session musician Bobby Valentino, who performed the violin solo on The Bluebells version of the song won the right to be recognised as co-author after taking legal action.
1993, Depeche Mode went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’ their first UK No.1 and their 10th album release.
1994, A forthcoming tour by Nirvana and Hole was cancelled amid continuing speculation about Kurt Cobain’s drug problems.
1999, English composer Lionel Bart died from cancer aged 69. Wrote ‘Living Doll’ for Cliff Richard, ‘Little White Bull’ for Tommy Steele, composed the musical, ‘Oliver’ And wrote the theme song for the 1963 James Bond film From Russia With Love.
2000, Mariah Carey was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital suffering from dehydration and complications from food poisoning after eating raw oysters.
2001, Robbie Williams won the award for the most radio plays in the UK for the third year running. The singer picked up the award at the Radio Academy awards in London.
2002, Influential British avant-garde electronic musician Frank Tovey of Fad Gadget died of heart failure aged 45. Was infamous for spreading his naked body in shaving cream onstage and would play various instruments with his head.
2003, Stax records songwriter Homer Banks died aged 61. Wrote ‘I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down’, recorded by Sam & Dave and a UK hit for Elvis Costello. Rod Stewart, The Emotions, Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson and Johnny Taylor all covered his songs.
2006, Founder member and original drummer for The Wonder Stuff, Martin Gilks died aged 41, after losing control of his motorbike in London. Gilks was voted the best drummer on the planet in an NME poll in 1989.
2007, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards denied that he snorted the ashes of his late father. Jane Rose, Richards’ manager, told MTV News the remarks were made ‘in jest’, and she could not believe they had been taken seriously. Richards had said in an interview with the NME: ‘He was cremated and I couldn’t resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow.’ But NME interviewer Mark Beaumont was convinced that Richards was not joking when speaking to him about the alleged incident. ‘He did seem to be quite honest about it. There were too many details for him to be making it up,’ he later told BBC news.
2008, Morrissey accepted a public apology in court from Word Magazine after it suggested he was a racist and a hypocrite. The singer took Word to court after an article concerning his political views appeared in its March edition. His solicitor said the magazine now accepted that it was “absurd to accuse Mr Morrissey of being a racist” and that he was “not a hypocrite”. The former Smiths frontman did not appear at London’s High Court.
2008, Mariah Carey smashed Elvis Presley’s US chart record by scoring the 18th number one of her career with ‘Touch My Body’, from her new album E=MC2. Carey had now surpassed Elvis Presley’s 17 number ones, The Beatles still held the record with 20 US No.1 hit singles.
2011, Adele broke the record for the longest time at No.1 in the UK album chart by a female solo artist after her second album, 21 spent 10 consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. The previous record was held by Madonna with her first greatest hits record, The Immaculate Collection, in 1990.
2015, Bob Burns, the American drummer who was in the original line-up of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd died in a car crash in Georgia when his car struck a mailbox and a tree with the front of the vehicle. Burns was the only occupant of the car and was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. He appeared on the band’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ ‘Gimme Three Steps’ and ‘Free Bird.’
(This Day in Music)
