1957, Johnnie Ray was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Yes Tonight Josephine’, the US singers third and final UK No.1. Ray became deaf in his right ear at age 13 after an accident during a Boy Scout “blanket toss,” a variation of the trampoline. (Ray later performed wearing a hearing aid).
1962, Owen Gray’s ‘Twist Baby’ became the first single released on UK based Island Records. The label became home to Free, Traffic, Jethro Tull, Bob Marley and U2.
1962, Ray Charles started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Don Gibson penned country ballad ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’, also No.1 in the UK.
1963, The Rolling Stones played two gigs in one day. The first at Studio 51, Ken Colyer Club in Soho, London. The Stones played a regular Sunday afternoon gig at the club from 4 until 6.30 and were billed as Rhythm and Blues with The Rolling Stones. That evening they appeared at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, Surrey.
1966, Frank Sinatra was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Strangers In The Night’, the singers second UK No.1. The song was originally composed by Avo Uvezian as ‘Broken Guitar’ and later under the title ‘Beddy Bye’ as part of the instrumental score for the movie A Man Could Get Killed.
1967, David Bowie released his debut album, ‘David Bowie’, which failed to make the UK charts.
1973, Paul McCartney had both the No.1 positions on the US charts when ‘Red Rose Speedway’, went to the top of the album chart and ‘My Love’, started a four week run as the No.1 single.
1976, Wings set a new world record when they performed in front of 67,100 fans in Seattle, the largest attendance for an indoor crowd.
1978, Thin Lizzy released the live double album ‘Live And Dangerous’. It was recorded in Philadelphia, London and Toronto in 1977, during the tours accompanying the albums Johnny The Fox and Bad Reputation.
1979, Donna Summer started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Hot Stuff’, her second US No.1, it made No.11 in the UK.
1981, Prince made his live British debut at The Lyceum Ballroom, London, (he would not play the UK again for five years).
1984, Wham! had their first UK No.1 with ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.’ Written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo. Inspiration for the song was a scribbled note left by his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley for Andrew’s parents, originally intended to read “wake me up before you go” but with “up” accidentally written twice, so Ridgeley wrote “go” twice on purpose.
1984, Aerosmith played at the Capitol Theater in Concord, New Hampshire, the first night on their 59 date North American Back In The Saddle Tour.
1989, Rolling Stone Bill Wyman secretly married 19-year-old Mandy Smith. Wyman’s 28-year-old son was best man. All other four Stones attended. The marriage lasted 17 months.
1995, Stone Roses guitarist John Squire smashed his collarbone in a cycling accident causing the band to pull out of major gigs.
1999, Junior Braithwaite from Bob Marley and the Wailers was shot dead aged 46. Braithwaite was one of the founders of, and the first lead singer of The Wailers.
2002, It was reported that Paul McCartney had thrown his fiance’ Heather Mills’ engagement ring out of a hotel window during a row. Guards at Miami’s Turnberry Isle Resort combed the grounds using metal detectors and later found the £15,000 ($25,500) ring.
2002, Pop Idol winner Will Young scored his second UK No.1 single with his version of The Doors 1967 classic ‘Light My Fire’.
2003, A painting of Kylie Minogue wearing gold hot pants caused tempers to fray among drivers in Brighton. Artist Simon Etheridge, put up the almost life-size picture in his own Art Asylum gallery, as part of a Festival and since then motorists had caused regular traffic hold-ups as they stopped to take a second look.
2005, Franz Ferdinand’s frontman, Alex Kapranos was detained by Russian police after being suspected of being a spy. Kapranos was attempting to board a plane in Moscow when the altercation took place. Travelling under his actual surname, Huntley, Alex was accused of being an MI6 agent who was previously suspected of stealing information on Russian weaponry. Unlucky for Alex that the surname Huntley was also used by actual former MI6 agent Richard Tomlinson who did steal secrets in the early 90s. The singer was freed after he pointed out that the Huntley they were so concerned about was 42, 13 years older than him.
2008, American guitarist and singer Bo Diddley, (Ellas Otha Bates) died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida aged 79. The legendary singer and performer, was known for his homemade square guitar and his ‘shave and a haircut, two bits’ rhythm, which influenced artists from Buddy Holly to Bruce Springsteen The Rolling Stones and U2.
2016, The limited edition vinyl pressing of the David Bowie album ChangesOneBowie was at No.1 on the UK’s Official Vinyl Album Chart. Bowie had four other vinyl albums on the chart; Blackstar at No.14, Hunky Dory at No. 17, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars at No. 18 and Nothing Has Changed – The Very Best of David Bowie at No.23. Sales of vinyl records were up 32% to $416 million, their highest level since 1988, according to the RIAA.
(This Day in Music)
