1956 – Elvis Presley released his self titled studio album in mono on RCA Victor. The album spent ten weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1956, the first rock and roll album ever to make it to the top of the charts, and the first million-selling album of that genre. The iconic cover photograph was taken at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida, on July 31, 1955.
1961 – Elvis Presley had his seventh UK No.1 single with ‘Wooden Heart.’ The song was based on a German folk song and was featured in Presley’s film GI Blues.
1964 – John Lennon’s book of verse and rhyme ‘In His Own Write’ was published in the UK. Some of the content was first published in Lennon’s ‘Beachcomber’ column in Mersey Beat.
1967 – At a ceremony held at the Playhouse Theatre in London, The Beatles were awarded three Ivor Novello awards for 1966: Best-selling British single ‘Yellow Submarine’, most-performed song ‘Michelle’, and next-most-performed song ‘Yesterday’. None of the Beatles attended and the winning songs were played by Joe Loss and his Orchestra. The lead vocal for ‘Michelle’ was sung by Ross MacManus, whose son would go on to become the professional musician Elvis Costello.
1972 – The film of The Concert For Bangladesh featuring George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton premiered in New York. The event was the first benefit concert of this magnitude in world history. The concert raised $243,418.51 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. Sales of the album and DVD continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
1974
Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross entered the UK singles chart with ‘You Are Everything’ which was originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. Released as the second UK single from the Diana & Marvin album, the song reached No.5 in the UK Singles Chart in this year.
1977 – Elvis Presley appeared at the Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. This was the first date of 49 date US tour over three months and Presley’s last ever tour. (His last ever show was on 26th June 1977 at the Indianapolis Indiana Market Square Arena).
1985 – Billy Joel married model Christie Brinkley on a boat moored alongside the Statue Of Liberty. They divorced in 1993.
1985 – Former Creedence Clearwater Revival front man John Fogerty went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Centerfield.’
1991 – R.E.M. scored their first UK No.1 album with their seventh LP ‘Out Of Time’ featuring the singles ‘Losing My Religion’ (which became R.E.M.’s highest-charting hit in the US, reaching No.4), and ‘Shiny Happy People.’ The video for ‘Losing My Religion’ won two Grammy Awards and six MTV Awards.
1995 – British singer Alan Barton of died aged 41 from injuries incurred when Smokie’s tour bus crashed during a hailstorm in Cologne, Germany. With Black Lace he had the 1984 UK No.2 single ‘Agadoo.’ Black Lace represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 in which they finished in seventh position. ‘Agadoo’ earned them the dubious accolade of being voted as the worst song of all time by a panel of music writers for Q Magazine. Barton replaced Chris Norman in Smokie in 1986, recording six albums with them.
1996 – Celine Dion went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Because You Loved Me’, her second US No.1, a No.5 hit in UK. The Diane Warren song was taken from the film ‘Up Close And Personal’ starring Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. And on the same day her album ‘Falling Into You’ went to No.1 on the UK album chart.
2005 – (Is This The Way To) Amarillo by Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay was the No.1 UK single, Candy Shop by 50 Cent was at No.1 on the US chart and Almost Here by Delta Goodrem and Brian McFadden was at No.1 on the Australian singles chart.
2008 – Neil Aspinall, who ran the Apple Corps music empire for the Beatles from 1970 – 2007 died at a hospital in New York from cancer aged 66. A school friend of Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison, he was regarded by some of the band as the “fifth Beatle” becoming The Beatles road manager in 1961 before becoming their personal assistant. He led the legal battle with Apple computers over the use of the Apple name and a royalties dispute between the Beatles and record label EMI. Aspinall had also played background instruments on Beatles tracks including ‘Magical Mystery Tour’, ‘Within You Without You’ and ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite.’
2011 – The Who’s Pete Townshend told Uncut magazine that he regretted ever forming the band. “What would I have done differently? I would never have joined a band. Even though I am quite a good gang member and a good trooper on the road, I am bad at creative collaboration.”
2014 – Canadian musician Dave Brockie died. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Gwar. Brockie was found dead, his body sitting upright in a chair in his home, by a band member. The cause of death was determined to be a heroin overdose.
2015 – British artist Lil’ Chris was found dead in Suffolk at the age of 24. Chris Hardman first rose to fame on the UK reality show Rock School in 2006 when he was just 15 years old. He later released a hit single, ‘Checkin’ It Out,’ which reached No.3 on the UK singles chart.
2016 – Gloria Gaynor’s hit ‘I Will Survive’ was selected to enter the US National Recording Registry. It joined Metallica’s Master of Puppets and Mahler’s Symphony No 9 on the list of culturally significant recordings.
