On This Day In History

[Bikkie]

1956
New Zealand's first test cricket victory
New Zealand was already 3–0 down in the series going into the fourth and final test at Eden Park in Auckland. Their West Indies opponents included household names such as Gary Sobers and Everton Weekes, who had broken batting records for a New Zealand season.



In Music History

2024-At his concert in Los Angeles, Justin Timberlake brings out his group 'N Sync, who perform together for the first time since the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Along with a medley of their hits, they debut a new song, "Paradise."

2019- Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for their contributions to music.

2015-Daevid Allen, Australian jazz-rock guitarist (of Gong, Soft Machine), dies of cancer at age 77.

2014-During her performance of "Swine" at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, Lady Gaga has a performance artist vomit green liquid on her repeatedly. It's a statement on processing rage and rejecting the norms of pop music, but fans are more repelled than intrigued.

2013- Jimi Hendrix’s posthumous album People, Hell & Angels debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200, his highest chart entry since 1969.

2013-Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys takes out a skinhead fan after seeing him raise a Nazi salute. A crowd had gathered onstage for the encore and, seeing the fan across the stage, Casey hits him to the floor and lays into him. Calmly returning to his bass, Casey proclaims: "Nazis are not welcome at a Dropkick Murphys show."

2008-South By Southwest features a rare performance from R.E.M. and scorching set from My Morning Jacket.

2007-Amy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, is released in the US. It enters the Billboard chart the following week at #7, and surges to its chart peak of #2 after Winehouse wins five Grammy awards for the album the following year, including Record of the year and Song of the Year for "Rehab."

Black Sabbath, Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd And The Sex Pistols Enter The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
2006-Black Sabbath, Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Miles Davis and The Sex Pistols are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Sex Pistols refuse to attend the ceremony and turn down the induction.

2006-Isaac Hayes quits the TV series South Park after an episode airs mocking his religion, Scientology.

2004-Luciano Pavarotti makes his 379th and last performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, playing the painter Mario Cavaradossi in Giacomo Puccini's Tosca. He receives a 12-minute standing ovation.

2002-Danny Bonaduce of The Partridge Family wins his bout against Barry Williams (Greg from The Brady Bunch) on the Fox TV special Celebrity Boxing. In another bout, Todd Bridges from Diff'rent Strokes whoops up on Vanilla Ice.

1999- Cher’s single Believe reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the oldest woman at the time to top the chart and popularizing the “Cher effect” Auto-Tune technique.

1998-Reggae and ska musician Judge Dread (real name: Alexander Minto Hughes) dies of a heart attack at age 52 shortly after giving a performance in Canterbury, England.

1998-Jack Harlow is born in Louisville, Kentucky, which he proudly reps after hitting it big with his debut single, "Whats Poppin," in 2020.

1993- Eric Clapton’s live album Unplugged began a three-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard 200, becoming one of the most successful live albums ever.

1993-"Informer," a reggae-rap song with inscrutable verses by the Canadian artist Snow (named for his whiteness), hits #1 in America and stays on top for seven weeks. Snow enjoys it all from a prison cell in Toronto, where he's serving an eight-month sentence for assault.

1992-Bad Religion release their sixth full-length studio album, Generator. This is the band's debut album with drummer Bobby Schayer, who remains in the band until 2000's The New America.

1987-Bob Seger receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's from Michigan, but did some recording in Los Angeles, which inspired his song "Hollywood Nights."

1984- MTV premiered its weekly Top 20 Video Countdown show, influencing music video culture.

1980- Pink Floyd’s The Wall received a Platinum Disc from the RIAA for selling over 1 million units.

1977-David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Blondie begin a North American tour.

1976- The Four Seasons’ December 1963 (Oh, What a Night) began a three-week No.1 run in the US and topped charts in Canada, South Africa, and the UK.

1976- The Jackson 5 moved from Motown to Epic Records and briefly changed their name to The Jacksons.

1976-The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) goes to #1 in America, where it spends a total of five weeks. In the 1980s it once again becomes a huge seller, with new fans buying it instead of collecting all their studio albums. In 2018 it's certified at the best-selling album in US history.

1973-Ed Sloan (frontman for Crossfade) is born in South Carolina.

1972-Rapper Common is born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. in Chicago, Illinois.

1968-The Byrds' Greatest Hits is certified gold.

1965-Eric Clapton, concerned that the band is becoming too commercial, leaves The Yardbirds. His replacement is Jeff Beck.

1965-The Beatles land their seventh #1 hit in America with "Eight Days A Week."

1964-Billboard reported that The Beatles accounted for 60% of the US singles market, highlighting their dominance in popular music.

1962-James Darren guests on ABC-TV's Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea in the episode "The Mechanical Man."

1961-Ricky Nelson records "Travelin' Man."

1961-The Temptations successfully auditioned for Motown Records, beginning a career that would yield 15 No.1 singles and 14 chart-topping albums.

1960-U2 bass player Adam Clayton is born in Oxfordshire, England.

1959-An emergency plane landing in a South Bend, Indiana, field nearly kills The Kingston Trio's band members.

1949-Donald York (original vocalist for Sha Na Na) is born in Boise, Idaho.

1948-Peggy Lee goes to #1 in America with "Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)."

1947- The musical Brigadoon by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe opened at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City, running for 581 performances.

1940-Daniel Bennie (of the Detroit doo-wop group The Reflections) is born in Johnstone, Scotland.

1939-Neil Sedaka is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1933-Songwriter Mike Stoller is born in Long Island, New York. Along with his partner Jerry Leiber, he writes a slew of hits, including "Jailhouse Rock," "Yakety Yak" and "Stand By Me."

1905- Mata Hari performed her first dance act at the Guimet Museum in Paris, marking the beginning of her public career.

[Bikkie]

Split Enz publicity shot
1980
Split Enz hit no. 1
The Kiwi group’s first New Zealand no. 1 hit, from their album True colours, also topped the charts in Australia and Canada. It reached no. 12 in Britain and no. 53 in the United States.



In Music History

2021-At the Grammy Awards, Taylor Swift wins Album Of The Year for Folklore and Beyoncé takes four awards, making her the most-awarded woman in Grammy history, her 28 trophies surpassing Alison Krauss' 27.

2019-George Michael's art collection is auctioned at Christie's in London, raising about $12 million to continue his charity work.

2016-Sony pays $750 million to Michael Jackson's estate for the King of Pop's half of Sony/ATV Music, a publishing company that owns the rights to some 4,000 pop songs, including 250 Lennon-McCartney tunes from the Beatles catalog. Jackson bought ATV Music in 1985 for $47.5 million and merged with Sony a decade later. Jackson's estate retains the rights to songs written by Jackson.

2014-Gary Burger of The Monks dies of pancreatic cancer at age 71.

2011-Atlanta Rhythm Section lead singer Ronnie Hammond dies of heart failure at age 60.

2011-Electric blues musician Big Jack Johnson dies at age 70.

2011-Long-neglected Neil Diamond is finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Dr. John, Darlene Love and Leon Russell.

2009-French singer-songwriter Alain Bashung dies of lung cancer at age 61.

2008-In London, Ex-Foundations member Peter MacBeth is sentenced to six years on pedophilia and sexual assault charges.

2008-Stone Temple Pilots announce they are reuniting for one final tour.

2005-In New York City, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Percy Sledge, The O'Jays, U2, Buddy Guy, and The Pretenders.

2004-Liz Phair plays '60s pop singer Jackie DeShannon on American Dreams in the episode "Can't Hold On."

2003 – Israel "Cachao" Lopez received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1998-The Backstreet Boys appear on Saturday Night Live for the first time, performing "As Long As You Love Me" and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)."

1998 – Madonna scored her fourth UK No.1 album with Ray of Light; Jo Dee Messina debuted at the Grand Ole Opry.

Johnny Cash Flips Off Country Radio
1998-Weeks after Johnny Cash's Unchained wins the Grammy for Best Country Album, his producer Rick Rubin takes out a full-page ad in Billboard with a photo of the singer giving the middle finger along with the text, "American Recordings and Johnny Cash would like to acknowledge the Nashville music establishment and country radio for your support."

Goo Goo Dolls Break Through With A Boy Named Goo
1995-The Goo Goo Dolls release their breakthrough fifth studio album, A Boy Named Goo, featuring their first major hit, "Name."More

1995 – Tupac Shakur released Me Against the World, becoming the first male solo artist to top the US Billboard 200 while incarcerated.

1995-Grunge supergroup Mad Season release their only album, Above. The group includes Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees.

1992-Garth Brooks makes his first appearance on Saturday Night Live, singing "Rodeo" and "The River" from his album Ropin' The Wind.

1992 – Madness began a three-week run at UK No.1 with Divine Madness.

1991-Rock and roll lyricist Doc Pomus dies of lung cancer at age 65.

De La Soul Debut With 3 Feet High and Rising
1989-De La Soul release their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising. The sample-heavy, paisley-powered LP becomes a hip-hop landmark, establishing a mellow, groovy new style.

1988-Six months after the breakup of his group The Smiths, Morrissey issues his first solo album, Viva Hate. It goes to #1 in the UK and has two hit singles: "Suedehead" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday." It's the start of a very successful solo career for Morrissey, who rejects all offers of a Smiths reunion.

1987-At Fender's Ballroom in Long Beach, California, No Doubt play their first concert, a benefit for a local scooter shop that burned down. In the audience is Tony Kanal, who like No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani, is still in high school. He joins the band later that year and starts dating Stefani; their breakup inspires the song "Don't Speak."

1987-"Jacob's Ladder" by Huey Lewis & the News climbs to #1 in the US. The song was written by Bruce Hornsby and his brother, John Hornsby.

1987 – Boy George topped the UK Singles chart with Everything I Own; Hot Chocolate scored their first UK No.1 album with The Very Best of Hot Chocolate; Huey Lewis and the News reached US No.1 with Jacob’s Ladder.

1983-Taylor Hanson (of Hanson) is born Jordan Taylor Hanson in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

1982-At Radio City in Anaheim, California, Metallica play their first-ever show. Their first song is "Hit The Lights."

1982 – Metallica performed their first live show in Anaheim, California, playing Hit The Lights.

1981-After toughing out a concert in Madison, Wisconsin, in severe pain, Eric Clapton is flown to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he's treated for severe ulcers that nearly kill him. The rest of the tour is cancelled, and Clapton spends almost six weeks in the hospital recovering. In January 1982, he returns to Minnesota and enters rehab to treat the alcohol addition that caused his ulcers.

1981-The California punk rockers Black Flag play the Peppermint Lounge in New York City. In the audience are all three future members of Beastie Boys and Thurston Moore, who goes on to form Sonic Youth. Also in the crowd: Henry Rollins, who takes over as Black Flag lead singer later that year.

1981 – Adam and the Ants hit No.1 in the UK with Kings of the Wild Frontier; Roxy Music topped the UK chart with Jealous Guy.

1980-On his 47th birthday, Quincy Jones is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street.

1979-Jacques Brautbar (guitarist for Phantom Planet) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1977 – Heart released the album Little Queen, featuring the hit song Barracuda.

1975-The movie Rancho Deluxe, starring Jeff Bridges and Sam Waterston as Montana cattle ranchers, debuts in US theaters. It features a soundtrack by Jimmy Buffett, who appears in the film singing the tune "Livingston Saturday Night."

1972-Carole King's Tapestry takes Album of The Year at the Grammy Awards. Carly Simon wins for Best New Artist.

1972-California Governor Ronald Reagan grants a pardon to Merle Haggard, absolving him of his 1957 burglary that sent him to prison for three years.

1971 – Barbra Streisand appeared on The Burt Bacharach Special on CBS.

1970-Kristian Bush of Sugarland is born in Knoxville, Tennessee.

1969-Michael Bland (drummer for Prince, Soul Asylum) is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1968-The BBC-TV program Top Of The Pops broadcasts The Beatles new promotional video for "Lady Madonna," which, oddly enough, is made up entirely of clips from the band's recording of "Hey Bulldog."

1965-Petula Clark makes her American TV debut singing "Downtown" and "I Know a Place" on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1964-Billboard magazine reports that Beatles records make up 60% of all singles sold.

1963-Mike Muir (lead vocalist for Suicidal Tendencies) is born in Venice, California, and raised in Santa Monica.

1963-Gerry Marsden of The Pacemakers sneaks a custom-made guitar purchased in Germany through British customs and is fined sixty pounds.

1963-Gerry & the Pacemakers release the single "How Do You Do It" in the UK.

1963 – Cliff Richard & The Shadows topped the UK singles chart with Summer Holiday, marking the first time all Top Ten UK singles were by British acts.

1960-Sam Cooke begins an unprecedented tour of the West Indies with a concert in Jamaica's Montego Bay.

1958-The RIAA issues their first Gold Single for sales of a million copies, which goes to Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star." Record labels have been awarding their own artists Gold records for years, starting with Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" in 1942, but this is the first RIAA official certification.

1958 – Perry Como's Catch A Falling Star became the first single certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over one million copies.

1956 – Rock Around the Clock premiered in Washington, DC, featuring Bill Haley.

1955-Popular country star Jimmy Dean interviews Elvis Presley on Dean's Washington, DC television show Town and Country Time. A nervous Elvis answers every question with "yep" and "nope."

1951-Spanish entertainer Charo is born with a much longer moniker: María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza.

1950-Rick Dees is born in Jacksonville, Florida.

1945-Country singer/songwriter Michael Martin Murphey is born in Dallas, Texas.

1945-Walter Parazaider (of Chicago) is born in Maywood, Illinois.

1943-Jim Pons (bassist for The Turtles, Mothers Of Invention) is born in Santa Monica, California.

1934-Jazz organist Shirley Scott is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1933-Quincy Jones is born in Chicago, Illinois. After studying music composition in France, he becomes an acclaimed arranger and conductor before moving into production, most famously for Michael Jackson, whose Jones-produced Thriller remains the best-selling album of all-time.

1925 – Al Jolson starred in the musical Big Boy, which closed after 56 performances in NYC.

1926-Phil Phillips is born Philip Baptiste in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

1912-Les Brown, known for his Band of Renown during the big-band era, is born in Reinerton, Pennsylvania.

1885 – Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Mikado premiered in London.

1875 – Bedřich Smetana's symphonic poem Vysehrad premiered in Prague, later part of Má vlast.

1864 – Gioachino Rossini's sacred work Petite Messe Solennelle premiered in Paris.

1847 – Premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's opera Macbeth in Florence.

1804 – Birth of composer Johann I. Strauss, known for his waltzes.

1681 – Composer Georg Philipp Telemann was born, later becoming a prolific Baroque composer.

[Bikkie]

1919
New Zealand troops riot in England
Four months after the end of the First World War, hundreds of New Zealand soldiers rioted at Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain in southern England. It was the most serious breakdown of discipline in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the European theatre.

'Wounded at Cassino', by Peter McIntyre
1944
New Zealand forces capture Castle Hill at Cassino
6 New Zealand Brigade attacked the Italian town of Cassino as part of the Allies‘ advance on Rome. By the time 2 New Zealand Division was withdrawn in early April, 343 New Zealanders had lost their lives.

The Al Noor Mosque in August 2019
2019
51 killed in mosque shootings
New Zealand’s Muslim community suffered an horrific attack when a self-proclaimed ‘white nationalist’ opened fire on worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch. Fifty people were killed and 41 wounded, one of whom died six weeks later.



In Music History

2025-Shinedown's "Dance, Kid, Dance" goes to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart, making them the first act with 20 chart toppers on that tally. Their run started with "Save Me" in 2005.

2019-The New York Public Library opens the Lou Reed Archive, with photos, recordings and other media documenting his career.More

2019-Sam Smith says he is nonbinary, telling Jameela Jamil, "I am not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between."

Trump Calls Out Snoop With Angry Tweet
2017-President Donald Trump tweets about Snoop Dogg's "Lavender" video, where the rapper points a toy gun at "Ronald Klump," the ruler of a world run by clowns.

2015-Kendrick Lamar releases his third studio album, To Pimp A Butterfly, which debuts at #1.

2014-Scott Asheton (drummer for The Stooges) dies of a heart attack at age 64.

2011-Celine Dion returns to Caesars Palace on the Ides Of March to start her second Las Vegas residency, this one titled Celine. Like her first run from 2003-2007, it's a huge hit, ending in 2019 after 427 shows.

2010-The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2010 - ABBA, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, The Hollies, The Stooges - are inducted at the 25th Annual Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

2008-The musical I Am Who I Am, based on the life of singer Teddy Pendergrass, opens in Chicago.

Fats Domino's Pianos Salvaged From Hurricane Katrina
2006-Remnants of Fats Domino's two pianos are discovered and saved by the Louisiana State Museum after attempting to salvage his Ninth Ward home after Hurricane Katrina.

2005-The third offering from Daft Punk, Human After All, is released in the US a day after its launch in the rest of the world. Recorded in just six weeks, it is a critical and commercial disappointment, leading the French duo to retreat into the studio to reconsider their direction and to call up some big-name collaborators for their next effort, Random Access Memories.

2004-The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inducts Bob Seger, George Harrison, The Dells, ZZ Top, Jackson Browne, Prince, and Traffic at their annual ceremony in New York City.

2003-Brad Paisley marries actress Kimberly Williams at Pepperdine University's Stauffer Chapel. They first met when the singer cast her as his female lead in his music video for "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)."

2003-The Offspring announce that their new album will be called Chinese Democracy, mocking the long-delayed Guns N' Roses release. Offspring lead singer Dexter Holland says, "Axl ripped-off my braids, so I ripped-off his album title."

2002-Marshall Leib (of The Teddy Bears) dies of a heart attack at age 63.

1999-Curtis Mayfield, Del Shannon, Dusty Springfield, Paul McCartney, The Staple Singers, Billy Joel, and Bruce Springsteen are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Springsteen reunites with the E Street Band to perform at the ceremony.

1999- Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bono, reciprocating the honor for U2 six years later.

1994- The 8th Soul Train Music Awards recognized Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston.

1990-9-year-old Christina Aguilera appears on the show Star Search singing the Etta James song "A Sunday Kind Of Love." She loses, but so did Britney Spears and Alanis Morissette when they appeared on the show. When she becomes a judge on the singing competition show The Voice, Aguilera often consoles losing contestants by telling them about how she lost on Star Search.

1988-Talking Heads release their eighth album, Naked, which ends up being their last, as David Bryne breaks up the group three years later. It's produced by Steve Lillywhite, whose wife, Kirsty MacColl, sings on the track "(Nothing But) Flowers."

1987- Revival of “Sweet Charity” starring Debbie Allen and Bebe Neuwirth closed after 368 performances, winning four Tony Awards.

1986-Starship's "Sara" hits #1 on the Hot 100. It's the second chart-topper (following "We Built This City") for the third iteration of the group, which was previously Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.

1983-Cathy Smith is arrested for second-degree murder for providing the drugs that killed John Belushi.

1982- Bob Dylan and Paul Simon were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

1979-At a party following a Stephen Stills concert, Elvis Costello gets in an argument with Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney and Bonnie, and reportedly refers to Ray Charles as a "blind, ignorant ni--er." Costello pleads inebriation, and says he was just trying to outrage her.

1977-Joseph Hahn is born in Dallas, Texas. As Linkin Park's DJ and director of many of their music videos, he adds an innovative electronic edge to the band's nu-metal sound and visual aesthetic.

1976-Deep Purple, fronted by David Coverdale, wrap up their UK tour with a show at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, then break up. When they return in 1984, it's with the "Mark II" lineup of the band, which includes lead singer Ian Gillan and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.

1976-KISS release their album Destroyer, featuring "Detroit Rock City" and "Beth."

1975-will.i.am (of Black Eyed Peas) is born William Adams in Los Angeles.

1975-"Black Water," the Doobie Brothers ode to the Mississippi River, hits #1 in America. The Brothers didn't think it had hit potential, so it wasn't released as a single until waves of radio stations started playing it.

1975- Olivia Newton-John’s album “Have You Never Been Mellow” topped the US Billboard 200, while the Doobie Brothers’ “Black Water” became their first No.1 single.

1975-Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti” reached No.1 on the UK Albums chart and also topped charts in Canada and the US.

1975-Mick Jagger settles his paternity suit with singer Marsha Hunt out of court.

1973-The Emerson, Lake & Palmer film Pictures At An Exhibition, taken from a 1970 performance at the Lyceum in London, opens in theaters. The album of the same name is taken from a later performance.

1972-Mark Hoppus (bassist, co-lead vocalist of blink-182) is born in Ridgecrest, California.

1972-As a publicity stunt, the Los Angeles radio station KHJ plays Donny Osmond's "Puppy Love" for 90 minutes straight. Concerned listeners call the police, who show up at the station to find no laws - except good taste - are being broken.

1969-John Lennon and Yoko Ono get caught "standing in the dock at Southampton, trying to get to Holland or France" as passport problems stall their wedding. They get married five days later in Gibraltar, and use their adventure in the lyrics to "The Ballad Of John And Yoko."

1969-Tommy Roe's "Dizzy" hits #1 in the US, where it stays for four weeks. It's a rare pop hit of the era with a string section.

1969- Cream disbanded shortly after their album “Goodbye” topped the UK charts.

1968- The Beatles released the single “Lady Madonna”, which became a chart-topper in eight countries.

1968- LIFE magazine called Jimi Hendrix the “most spectacular guitarist in the world”.

1968-Jon Schaffer (guitarist for Iced Earth) is born in Franklin, Indiana.

1968-Mark McGrath (frontman for Sugar Ray) is born in Hartford, Connecticut.

1966-Sandy Posey records "Born A Woman."

1966- The Beatles’ single “Lady Madonna” became a global hit.

1966-Big winners at the Grammy Awards are Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, who take Record of the Year for "A Taste of Honey." Frank Sinatra wins Album of the Year for September Of My Years, and Tom Jones wins Best New Artist.

1966- Grammy Awards honored “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass as Record of the Year, Frank Sinatra’s “September of My Years” as Album of the Year, and “The Shadow of Your Smile” as Song of the Year.

1965-Freddie & the Dreamers release "I'm Telling You Now."

1964-R&B singer Rockwell is born Kennedy William Gordy in Detroit, Michigan.

1963-Bret Michaels (lead singer of Poison) is born Bret Michael Sychak in Butler, Pennsylvania.

1962-Terence Trent D'Arby is born in Manhattan, New York. He lands a bit hit with "Wishing Well" in 1987, and in 2001 he changes his name to Sananda Maitreya.

1962- Richard Rodgers’ musical “No Strings” opened in New York, running for 580 performances and winning three Tony Awards.

1958-Elvis Presley performs his last concert before leaving for the Army, a show at Memphis' Russwood Park. Aside from two benefit shows in 1961, it is the last Presley concert until 1969.

1956-Colonel Tom Parker officially becomes Elvis Presley's manager.

1956: The musical “My Fair Lady” opened at the Mark Hellinger Theater in NYC, running for 2,715 performances and winning six Tony Awards.

1955-Fats Domino recorded “Ain’t It A Shame”, which later reached No.1 on the Billboard R&B chart, while Pat Boone’s cover topped the Pop chart.

1955- Elvis Presley signed a management contract with Colonel Tom Parker, beginning a pivotal partnership in rock and roll history.

1955- Ray Charles topped the US R&B charts with “I’ve Got a Woman”, blending gospel and rhythm & blues, marking a foundational moment for soul music.

1955-Dee Snider (lead singer of Twisted Sister) is born in Astoria, Queens, New York.

1954-The Chords record "Sh-Boom."

1952-Kay Starr's "Wheel Of Fortune" hits #1.

1947-Rock musician/producer Ry Cooder is born in Los Angeles, California.

1947-The Ted Weems Orchestra with Elmo Tanner go to #1 in the US with "Heartaches."

1947-Frank Lugo (bassist for ? & the Mysterians) is born.

1946-Howard Scott (guitarist for War) is born in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, but grows up in Compton.

1943-Sly Stone, leader of Sly & the Family Stone, is born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas. The band bring smiles and break ground with hits like "Dance To The Music" and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," but by the late '70s Stone becomes erratic and unreliable, plagued by drug addiction and mental health issues. He's offered various showcases to launch a comeback, including a Grammy tribute in 2006, but is never lucid enough to return to music.

1941-Mike Love of The Beach Boys is born in Los Angeles.

1940-Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh is born in Berkeley, California. A founding member of the band, he's with them for their entire run, which ends in 1995 when Jerry Garcia dies. He keeps the music going with offshoots Phil Lesh And Friends, The Other Ones and The Dead.

1936-Songwriter Howard Greenfield ("Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," "Oh! Carol") is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1932-Record producer Arif Mardin is born in Istanbul, Turkey. He works at Atlantic Records for 30 years before becoming general manager of Manhattan Records (then under the umbrella of EMI).

1931-D.J. Fontana (drummer for Elvis Presley) is born Dominic Joseph Fontana in Shreveport, Louisiana.

1929-Alabama blues pianist Pinetop Smith is shot and killed at age 24.

1921-Doo-wop musician Les Cooper, known for the 1962 instrumental hit "Wiggle Wobble," is born in Norfolk, Virginia.

1919-Record producer George Avakian is born in Russia. Produced albums for Jazz artists like Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis.

1912-Country blues singer/songwriter Lightnin' Hopkins is born in Centerville, Texas.

1908- Maurice Ravel’s orchestral rhapsody "Rapsodie Espagnole" had its first performance in Paris.

1770- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, at age 14, completed his String Quartet No. 1 (K. 80) while touring in Lodi, Lombardy, Duchy of Milan.

[F5 Dave]

Jezuz krist man. Do you really think anyone on earth would read that wall of text you just posted?

Forget all that plagiarised shite and post something about how you ride a motorbike, if you actually own one.

Maybe you went as far as the cafe on such a nice day. At least it is of some interest on a motorcycle site.

[Bikkie]

1940
Jockey Y-fronts hit New Zealand shops
‘If old-fashioned underwear makes you squirm, switch to Jockey.’ That was the pitch from clothing manufacturer Lane Walker Rudkin when it began marketing the Jockey Y-front to New Zealand men on 16 March 1940.


1999
NZ History website launched
NZ History was launched by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Jack Elder, at a function at National Archives (now Archives New Zealand) in Wellington on 16 March 1999.



In Music History

2020-Chris Martin takes to Instagram to perform a virtual concert in support of the World Health Organization as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold. It's the first of a series of "Together At Home" concerts done by a variety of artists.

2019- Surf-rock pioneer guitarist Dick Dale passed away at age 81.

2019-"Old Town Road" by the rapper Lil Nas X makes the Country chart, but is removed the following week when Billboard declares it ineligible for the tally. The attention leads to a remix with Billy Ray Cyrus that goes to #1 on the genre-agnostic Hot 100.

2017-Ed Sheeran launches his ÷ (Divide) tour in Turin, Italy. The trek lasts two-and-a-half years and breaks U2's record for highest-grossing tour, raking in $775.6 million on 255 dates. U2's 360 tour (2009-2011) took in $735.3 million.

2017-Ray Davies, frontman of The Kinks, is knighted for services to the arts by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

2016-Frank Sinatra Jr., the only son of Frank Sinatra, dies of a heart attack at age 72 while on tour in Daytona Beach, Florida.

2016-First Lady Michelle Obama delivers the keynote address at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, promoting her "Let Girls Learn" initiative and launching the star-studded Diane Warren-penned anthem "This Is For My Girls."More

2015- Andy Fraser, bassist of Free, died of a heart attack at age 62.

2013-Bobbie Smith of The Spinners dies of pneumonia and influenza at age 76.

2011-Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine collapses backstage at a concert in Russia. He was in extreme pain from kidney stones but insisted on performing six songs for the crowd before going to the hospital 30 minutes later.

2011- The U.S. Postal Service issued “Latin Music Legends” stamps, including Carlos Gardel.

2009-Songwriter Jack Lawrence dies at age 96 after he falls at his home in Redding, Connecticut. He co-wrote Frank Sinatra's first solo hit, "All or Nothing at All."

2008-Session drummer Ola Brunkert, who played on many ABBA recordings, dies at age 61.

2008-Daniel MacMaster (lead singer of Bonham) dies of a staph infection at age 39.

2007-Tupper Saussy of The Neon Philharmonic dies of a heart attack at age 70.

2005-Singer-songwriter Elizabeth Janie Coffey loses an action in England's High Court for copyright infringement in her claim that Madonna's song "Nothing Really Matters" infringed on a song Coffey had written earlier.

2002-Liza Minnelli takes her fourth trip down the aisle when she marries promoter David Gest in New York. Michael Jackson serves as best man and Elizabeth Taylor is matron of honor.

2000-Jay-Z and Beyoncé meet for the first time at MTV's Spring Break festival in Cancun, where both are performing (Bey with her group, Destiny's Child). They go on their first date two years later.

1999-Stone Temple Pilots play in impromptu gig at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. It's the first time the band has performed in two years.

1999-Pearl Jam's debut album Ten is certified Diamond for sales of over 10 million copies in America.

1996-For the 16th (and final) consecutive week, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" is #1 in the US.

1995-Eazy-E releases a statement announcing that he has AIDS, and also that he has fathered seven children with six different women. He dies 10 days later.

1993-Johnny Cymbal ("Mr. Bass Man") dies of a heart attack at age 48.

1991- The Farm’s debut album Spartacus reached No.1 in the UK.

1991- A tragic plane crash killed seven members of Reba McEntire’s band and her road manager.

1991-Eddie Van Halen and his wife Valerie Bertinelli welcome a son, Wolfgang Van Halen, a musical prodigy who becomes the bass player in Van Halen when he's just 16. In 2021 he plays all the instruments and handles all the vocals on his first solo album, Mammoth WVH.

1985-"Nightshift" by The Commodores, a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, knocks Diana Ross' "Missing You," a tribute to Gaye written by ex-Commodore Lionel Richie, from the #1 spot on the R&B chart.

1979-CBS airs the Wings Over the World documentary, chronicling the adventures of Paul McCartney's band Wings on their 1975-1976 tour.

1979- Twisted Sister became the first band to sell out New York City’s Palladium without a record deal.

1979-Supertramp release their breakout album, Breakfast In America. The title track mirrors their story, telling the tale of young British kids who come to America and make it big.

1975-T-Bone Walker, born Aaron Thibeaux Walker, dies of bronchial pneumonia after a series of strokes at age 64.

1974- Barbra Streisand’s album The Way We Were topped the US Billboard 200.

1974- Paper Lace’s Billy, Don’t Be a Hero began a three-week stint at No.1 on the UK Singles chart.

1972-The Dripping Springs Reunion festival kicks off in a field near Austin, Texas. Envisioned as the Woodstock of country music, the 3-day event features performances by Willie Nelson, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens and Dottie West.
The festival is poorly promoted and a huge flop, with attendance estimated at about 20,000 (combined) when at least 180,000 were expected. Two years later, Willie Nelson uses the same site for the first of his Fourth of July Picnic concerts, which becomes a popular annual event and helps establish Austin as a music destination.

1970-Motown singer Tammi Terrell, known for a string of hit duets with Marvin Gaye, dies of a brain tumor at age 24.

1970-Mary Ann Ganser (of The Shangri-Las) dies of a barbiturates overdose at age 22.

1970- Tammi Terrell died from a brain tumor at age 24.

Otis Redding Becomes First Artist With Posthumous #1 Hit
1968
Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" hits #1, becoming the first-ever posthumous #1 hit. Redding died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967.

1967-Tracy Bonham is born in Boston. After studying classical violin, she enters the world of pop music, using the instrument on her hit song "Mother Mother."

1965-"The Last Time" becomes The Rolling Stones' third #1 single in the UK.

1965- The Rolling Stones topped the UK singles chart with The Last Time, their first British No.1 written by Jagger and Richards.

1964-The Beatles set a US record when advance sales of the "Can't Buy Me Love" single top two million.

1963- Peter, Paul and Mary released Puff The Magic Dragon.

1959-Flavor Flav is born William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. He becomes a rapper with Public Enemy and also a reality TV star.

1955- The Dream Weavers’ It’s Almost Tomorrow reached No.1 on the UK Singles chart.

1954-Nancy Wilson of Heart is born in San Francisco, California, to a family that includes older sister (and future bandmate) Ann.

1948-Michael Bruce of the Alice Cooper band is born in Arizona.

1945-The #1 song in America is "Rum and Coca-Cola" by The Andrews Sisters. It's a sanitized cover of a calypso song about American servicemen in Trinidad who get drunk and solicit prostitutes.

1942- Fats Waller recorded The Jitterbug Waltz in New York.

1942-Country singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, who writes the oft-recorded "Mr. Bojangles" in 1968, is born Ronald Clyde Crosby in Oneonta, New York.

1941- Dmitri Shostakovich received the Stalin Prize for his compositions.

1938- Noël Coward's musical Operette debuted in London.

1929-Singer Betty Johnson is born in North Carolina. Her biggest hit is "I Dreamed," which hits #9 US in 1957.

1896- Gustav Mahler conducted the premiere of his Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Berlin Philharmonic.

1894- Jules Massenet's opera Thaïs premiered in Paris, featuring the famous “Méditation” for violin and orchestra.

1823-Hymn composer William Henry Monk is born in London.

[Bikkie]

1860
First Taranaki War erupts at Waitara
The opening shots of the first Taranaki War were fired when British troops attacked a pā built by Te Āti Awa at Te Kohia, Waitara.



1905
Only surviving Maungatautari Bank cheque issued
The Maungatautari Bank was one of several set up by Māori in the decades after the New Zealand Wars to handle the money they were receiving from land sales.



In Music History

2023-Taylor Swift launches her Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona. The three-hour show is divided into 10 acts dedicated to the music and looks of each of her previous albums. It's her first trek since her Reputation Tour five years and four albums earlier.

2020-A federal judge rules in favor of Katy Perry, overturning a verdict that her song "Dark Horse" infringed on the song "Joyful Noise" by Flame. The jury had ordered $2.78 million in damages.

2020-With St. Patrick's Day festivities shut down due to the coronavirus, Dropkick Murphys livestream a free concert from an empty venue in Boston. Over the next few weeks, many other artists follow suit, using livestreaming as a way to perform for fans during lockdown.More

2018-At their St. Patrick's Day concert in Brussels, The Script buy everyone in the audience of 8,000 a drink, setting a Guinness World Record for "world's biggest round."

2017-Popular World War II-era singer Vera Lynn releases Vera Lynn 100 to celebrate her 100th birthday. The album debuts at #3 on the UK chart, making her the oldest living artist to have an album on the tally.

2016-Prince's ex-wife Mayte Garcia puts a collection of his memorabilia up for auction.More

2012-After gaining exposure on the show Glee and in a Super Bowl commercial, "We Are Young" by Fun hits #1 in America, where it stays for six weeks. The song was inspired by what frontman Nate Ruess remembers from a drunken night that didn't end well.

2012-After getting pelted with cans and other trash at their SXSW performance, Rocky and the rest of A$AP Mob launch into the crowd, punching fans and igniting a brawl.

2011-Ferlin Husky dies of congestive heart failure at age 85.

2010-Big Star lead singer Alex Chilton dies of a heart attack at age 59. Three days later, the group's scheduled performance at SXSW is turned into a tribute to Chilton.

2009-Instead of getting boozed up on the streets like most people on St. Patrick's Day, Amy Winehouse gets sloppy at her court hearing in London to face charges that she attacked a fan at a charity event in 2008.

2009-Belinda Carlisle is the first person eliminated on Season 8 of Dancing With The Stars.

2009-Chicago blues harmonicist Lester "Mad Dog" Davenport dies of prostate cancer at age 77.

2008-Heather Mills is awarded 23.7 million pounds (about $47 million) in her divorce from Paul McCartney, substantially more than the $32 million Paul offered. Throughout the ordeal, Mills is vilified in the British press as being opportunistic.

2006-Professor X (founder of the hip-hop group X Clan) dies of complications from spinal meningitis at age 49.

2025- "Too Sweet" by Hozier won the Alternative Song of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

2005-Robert Plant is presented with his lifetime achievement Grammy award at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

2003-Cliff – The Musical opens at The Prince of Wales Theatre in London. The show, which is based on the life of Cliff Richard, closes three months later.

2003-On the very first episode of MTV's practical joke show Punk'd, host Ashton Kutcher stages a prank involving the IRS that makes Justin Timberlake cry.

Seven Pearl Jam Bootlegs Make Chart
2001-Seven Pearl Jam bootleg albums from their North American tour debut in the Billboard 200 albums chart, breaking the record for most appearances on the chart in a single week that the band established the previous year, when five bootlegs from their European tour landed on the chart.More

1999-Sinead O'Connor records the first ever single via the Internet in a BBC studio as part of the Tomorrow's World program. The song is a cover of Bob Marley's "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" recorded for the War Child charity.

1998-Mick Fleetwood joins The Corrs on stage for a St. Patrick's Day performance at Royal Albert Hall in London. Their performance of the Fleetwood Mac song "Dreams" is released as a single and becomes the first hit for The Corrs, going to #6 in the UK.

1998-Van Halen release Van Halen III, their only album with their third lead singer, Gary Cherone. Pushing against the legacies of their lineups led by David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, it sells poorly and disappoints fans. The band goes on hiatus a year later and returns with Roth in 2007.

1996-Country singer Terry Stafford ("Amarillo By Morning") dies of liver failure at age 54.

Spinal Tap Release Break Like The Wind
1992-After reuniting at their ex-manager's funeral, Spinal Tap issue their 17th album, Break Like The Wind.

1991-Seven members of Reba McEntire's band, as well as her road manager and two pilots, are killed when their plane crashes near the Mexican border after a performance in San Diego. McEntire, along with two members of her band and some of her road crew, were on a different plane that took off before the one that crashed.

1990-Indie rocker Hozier is born Andrew Hozier-Byrne in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland.

1990-Ric Grech, bass player in Traffic and Blind Faith, dies of a brain hemorrhage at age 43.

1990- Whitney Houston headlined an AIDS benefit concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

1989-New Orleans R&B singer Bobby Mitchell dies at age 54.

1988-Grimes is born Claire Elise Boucher in Vancouver.

1987-Reacting to a Beastie Boys concert three weeks earlier where the group used a giant inflatable penis as a stage prop and encouraged girls in the crowd to bare their breasts, the city of Columbus, Georgia passes an anti-lewdness law prohibiting nudity, simulated sex, and objectionable language at any show attended by minors.

1985-Richard Ramirez kills a man and attacks a woman at a house in Rosemead, California, leaving an AC/DC hat behind at the crime scene. Ramirez continues his killing spree and becomes known as the "Night Stalker." When it becomes clear that AC/DC is his favorite band, the group is accused of encouraging crime and devil worship in their music.

1984-Van Halen's 1984 rises to #2 on the US albums chart, held off by Michael Jackson's Thriller, which has already topped the tally for 31 weeks. 1984 stays one spot behind Thriller for two more weeks before dropping down. Perhaps it would have hit #1 if Eddie Van Halen hadn't done the guitar solo on "Beat It."

1982-Samuel George, Jr. (of The Capitols) is stabbed and killed during a domestic dispute.

1979-Talking Heads make their first major TV appearance, performing "Take Me to the River" on American Bandstand. The lip-synced performance goes well, but the interview is a little awkward.

1979-Zenon DeFleur (rhythm guitarist for The Count Bishops) dies of a heart attack at age 27 after sustaining severe injuries in a car crash.

1978-Jimmy Buffett releases his eighth studio album, Son Of A Son Of A Sailor, which features his popular tune "Cheeseburger In Paradise."

1978-The Alan Freed biopic American Hot Wax, widely considered one of the best Rock and Roll movies of all time, premieres in New York City, featuring appearances and performances by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

1978-The Irish high school band U2, which just recently changed their name from The Hype, win the Limerick Civic Week Pop '78 talent competition, earning about $1,000 and a chance to record a demo for CBS Records.

1976-Stephen Gately (of Boyzone) is born in Dublin, Ireland.

1975-Cher appears on the cover of Time magazine.

1975-Justin Hawkins, lead singer/guitarist for the glam-pop band The Darkness, is born in Chertsey, Surrey, England. His musical philosophy: "If something's worth doing, it's worth overdoing."

1973-The sci-fi musical Lost Horizon, scored by Burt Bacharach, bombs at the box office. The failure precipitates Bacharach's split from longtime songwriting partner Hal David and Dionne Warwick, who had performed their songs for more than a decade.More

1973-Yes's The Yes Album and Yessongs are both certified Gold.

1973-Caroline Corr (singer, drummer for The Corrs) is born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland.

1972-Bass player Melissa Auf der Maur is born in Montreal, Quebec. She's in Courtney Love's group Hole from 1994-1999, and does a stint in Smashing Pumpkins from 1999-2000.

1968-The Bee Gees appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, marking their first appearance on American TV.

1967-Billy Corgan is born in Elk Grove Village, a suburb of Chicago. He forms Smashing Pumpkins in 1988, taking the reins as their lead singer, guitarist and songwriter. They carve out a sound in the '90s distinguished by waves of sound and Corgan's emotional intensity. Popular tracks include "1979" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings."

1968-Mick Jagger joins a demonstration at Grosvenor Square in London to protest the Vietnam War. When the group, estimated at 25,000, marches to the American embassy, they are met with police resistance and rioting ensues. Jagger leaves the protest before it reaches the embassy, but uses the events as inspiration for the Rolling Stones song "Street Fighting Man."

1967- The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their second single "Purple Haze" in the UK, which became a hit.

1966-Keith Moon of The Who marries his pregnant girlfriend, Kim Kerrigan, in secrecy.

1962-Deke Leonard makes his debut in a talent contest at the Car Bay Club in Wales with Lucifer And The Corncrackers. According to his book Maybe I Should've Stayed In Bed... the band is introduced as Ivor And The Prawn Crackers.

1959-Mike Lindup (keyboardist, singer for Level 42) is born in London, England.

First Ever Greatest Hits Album Released Courtesy of Johnny Mathis
1958-The first "Greatest Hits" compilation is released, and it's by Johnny Mathis. It's a huge hit, and the format catches on quickly. The Mathis album stays in the Billboard 200 album chart for over nine years, a record not broken until Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon.

1958-The Coasters record "Yakety Yak."

"Tequila" Goes To #1
1958-"Tequila" by The Champs hits #1 in America, becoming one of the most popular saxophone instrumentals of all time.

1956-Carl Perkins makes his first TV appearance, on the Ozark Jamboree.

1955-Sarah Vaughan records "Whatever Lola Wants."

1951-Scott Gorham (of Thin Lizzy, Supertramp) is born in Glendale, California.

1948-Fran Byrne (drummer for Ace) is born in Dublin, Ireland.

1946-Harold Ray Brown (percussionist, vocalist for War) is born in Long Beach, California.

1944-Pattie Boyd is born in Taunton, Somerset, England. She would later marry George Harrison and Eric Clapton, and also inspire the song "Layla."

1944-John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful is born in New York City.

1941-Paul Kantner, a founding member of Jefferson Airplane, is born in San Francisco.

1938-Zola Taylor (of The Platters) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1935-Pop singer/drummer Adam Wade is born Patrick Henry Wade in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Known for "Take Good Care Of Her" (1961), among other hits.

1919-Nat King Cole is born Nathaniel Adams Cole in Montgomery, Alabama, but would be raised in Chicago, Illinois.

[Bikkie]

1983
Waitangi Tribunal rules on Motunui claim
In a landmark ruling, the Waitangi Tribunal found that the Crown’s obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi included a duty to protect Māori fishing grounds.



In Music History

2023-Every track - all 36 of them - from Morgan Wallen's album One Thing at a Time lands in the Hot 100, breaking Drake's record of 27 set in 2017. Wallen's song "Last Night" claims the top spot.

2023- Morgan Wallen broke the record for most simultaneous Billboard Hot 100 entries with 36 songs from his album One Thing at a Time.

2020-Gal Gadot posts a video of herself and a host of celebrities singing "Imagine" line-by-line from their places of quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. It doesn't get the reaction she's after.

2017-Katy Perry accepts the National Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign for her work supporting LGBTQ causes. In her speech, she admits that she did more than just kiss a girl.

2017- Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry passed away at age 90, leaving a lasting influence on guitarists and the development of rock music.

2016-Gwen Stefani, recently split from Gavin Rossdale and dating Blake Shelton, releases This Is What the Truth Feels Like, her first solo album since 2006. The album deals with her divorce and subsequent renaissance - or you could say, "Gwenaissance."

2014-Joe Lala (drummer for The Blues Image) dies of lung cancer at age 66.

2013–2019: Artists like Ed Sheeran and Nicki Minaj performed notable concerts on March 18, highlighting the day’s ongoing relevance in live music.

2011-Rock bassist Jet Harris (of The Shadows) dies of cancer at age 71.

2009-New Orleans singer/pianist Eddie Bo dies of a heart attack at age 78.

2008-Among other artists, Lou Reed, Damien Rice, and Moby take part in the Speak Up! concert (which benefits Iraq war veterans) held at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York.

2002-Members of The Doobie Brothers attend the wedding of Liza Minnelli and David Gest, who did PR for the band decades earlier. Also attending are Dionne Warwick and Petula Clark.

2002- The 17th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted artists including Isaac Hayes, Brenda Lee, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Ramones, Talking Heads, Chet Atkins, and Jim Stewart.

2002-Talking Heads play live for the first time since 1984 when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, The Ramones, Brenda Lee, Gene Pitney and Isaac Hayes.More

The Sex Pistols tour again in 2002 and 2007.

2001-Four teenage girls are crushed to death in a shopping mall in Indonesia, when hundreds of fans panic while trying to catch a glimpse of British boy band a1. The four band members cancel the rest of their tour in Asia.

2001- John Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas died of heart failure, at age 65, known for hits like California Dreamin’ and San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers In Your Hair).

2001-Thanks to airplay on British radio, Eva Cassidy's album Songbird goes to #1 in the UK, five years after the singer's death.

1997-The second full-length album from Ben Folds Five is released, Whatever and Ever Amen. The album obtains platinum certification in the US, and spawns the group's biggest hit tune, "Brick."

1996- Apple Records released The Beatles Anthology 2, featuring rare recordings and the new collaboration Real Love.

1996-The Sex Pistols announce that they are reuniting for a 20th anniversary tour, which they call the Filthy Lucre Tour. Lead singer Johnny Rotten, who once vowed never to reunite the group, says, "We have found a common cause to bring us back together again, and it's your money."

1994-Kenner, Louisiana names a street "Lloyd Price Avenue" in honor of their native son.

1994-Courtney Love calls the police fearing that her husband, Kurt Cobain, is suicidal. Police confiscate four guns and 25 boxes of ammo from his home.

1994-Bassist Darryl Jones replaces Bill Wyman in The Rolling Stones.

1992-Donna Summer gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1982-Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes is partially paralyzed following a car accident in Philadelphia, where his Rolls Royce skids off a road and crashes.

1979-Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine is born in Los Angeles. He becomes a standalone celebrity in 2011 when he's a judge on the first panel of The Voice, a position he holds until 2019.

1978- The Bee Gees’ Night Fever hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, while Andy Gibb and Samantha Sang also charted in the top three simultaneously.

1978-Cal Jam II takes place at Ontario Motor Speedway outside of Los Angeles. The largest festival of the late '70s, performers include Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Foreigner, Santana and Heart. An estimated 350,000 fans attend; the Los Angeles Times reports that 700 of them were treated for overdoses of Angel Dust.

1977- Punk band The Clash released their debut single White Riot, peaking at No.38 in the UK.

1977-Devin Lima of LFO is born Harold Lima in Boston, Massachusetts.

1976-The Man Who Fell To Earth, starring David Bowie, premieres in London. The film is based on Walter Tevis' novel of the same name, about an alien who visits Earth in search of water for his planet, which is suffering from a drought. It's Bowie's first major film role.

1974- Canadian rock band Rush released their self-titled debut album.

1974-Stuart Zender (original bass guitarist for Jamiroquai) is born in London, England.

Neil Young Goes To #1 With "Heart Of Gold"
1972-Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold," with backing vocals by James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, goes to #1 in the US.

1970-Queen Latifah is born Dana Elaine Owens in Newark, New Jersey.

1967-The Beatles "Penny Lane" reaches #1 on the US Hot 100. There is a real Penny Lane in Liverpool, but the song is written about the bus station.

1967-Steve Winwood announces plans to form Traffic.

1966-Alice In Chains songwriter-guitarist Jerry Cantrell is born in Tacoma, Washington. He keeps the band going after Layne Staley's 2002 death with new singer William DuVall. Cantrell also puts out a series of solo albums where he handles the vocals himself.

1965-On Moosic Street in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a tractor-trailer carrying 15 tons of bananas loses control and crashes into cars, telephone poles, and houses on its way down the hill, injuring many people and killing the driver. Singer-songwriter Harry Chapin tells the story of the tragic event in his song "30,000 Pounds Of Bananas."

1965-The Supremes debut "Stop In The Name Of Love" on the BBC special The Sound of Motown, performing the traffic cop choreography that becomes forever associated with the song.

1965-The Standells appear on the "Far Out Munsters" episode of The Munsters.

1965- The Rolling Stones reached number one on the UK Singles chart with The Last Time.

1963-Vanessa Williams is born in Tarrytown, New York. She becomes the first Black woman to win Miss America, but gives up the crown when nude pictures of her are published. It takes several years, but Williams is able to move past the controversy and establish herself as a successful singer and actress.

1963-Jeff LaBar (guitarist for Cinderella) is born in Darby, Pennsylvania.

1962-Irene Cara is born Irene Cara Escalera in The Bronx, New York.

1960-In Nashville, The Everly Brothers record "Cathy's Clown," which is released as the first single under their new 10-year deal with Warner Bros. Records.

1960-The film Rio Bravo, starring Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan and John Wayne, premieres in New York City.

1958-Jerry Lee Lewis becomes the first artist to sing three songs on an episode of American Bandstand (and he sings, not lip-synchs them).

1950-John Hartman (original drummer for The Doobie Brothers) is born in Falls Church, Virginia.

1943-Country singer-songwriter Dennis Linde is born in Abilene, Texas. He pens the 1972 Elvis Presley hit "Burning Love."

1941-Wilson Pickett is born in Prattville, Alabama.

1934-Charley Pride is born on a cotton farm in the tiny town of Sledge, Mississippi. After his baseball career stalls, he becomes a country music star, one of the first African Americans to break through in the format.

1929-Dmitri Shostakovich composed the score for the Russian silent film The New Babylon, which premiered in Leningrad.

1911-"Alexander's Ragtime Band" is published by Ted Snyder of New York; it becomes a massive hit.

Edward Elgar’s orchestral work In the South (Alassio) had its first performance in 1904.

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso became the first widely recognized performer to make a recording in 1902, revolutionizing the music industry.

1902 -marked the premiere of Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht in Vienna, a key work in early 20th-century classical music.

1844-Composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is born in Russia.

1791- Robert Burns’ poem Tam o’ Shanter was published in the Edinburgh Herald, influencing later musical adaptations.

[Bikkie]

1839
Honey bees brought to New Zealand
Mary Bumby, the sister of a Methodist missionary, was probably the person who introduced honey bees to New Zealand.


1946
Main body of Jayforce lands in Japan
About 4500 New Zealand servicemen arrived as part of a 36,000-strong British Commonwealth Occupation Force that was to work alongside the US military forces that had occupied most of Japan.



In Music History

2024-Dr. Dre gets a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Eminem, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent join him at the ceremony.

2016-I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It by The 1975 goes to #1 in the US, becoming the album with the longest title to hit the top spot.

2013-Floyd "Buddy" McRae, the last surviving original member of The Chords, dies at age 85.

2011-Archie "Aashid" Himons, formerly known as Little Archie, dies of complications from diabetes and vascular disease at age 68.

2010-Justin Bieber, who turned 16 three weeks earlier, releases his debut album, My World 2.0, with the hit "Baby." The album debuts at #1, setting the stage for a massive tour and 3D concert film, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

The Runaways Movie Hits Theaters
2010-The Runaways, about the pioneering all-girl rock band, hits theaters. The film, which focuses on group member Joan Jett (played by Kristen Stewart), is a huge flop.

2007-Soul singer-songwriter Luther Ingram dies of heart failure at age 69.

2005-At the 46664 festival in George, South Africa honoring Nelson Mandella, Queen perform with Paul Rodgers on vocals. Billed as "Queen + Paul Rodgers," they begin a tour nine days later, marking a return to action for the band, which has played sporadically with various guest vocalists since the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991, but has not toured.

2005-rapper 50 Cent wrote himself into the history books by becoming the first solo artist to have three singles in the US Top 5 at the same time.

2002-Soul jazz organist Big John Patton dies of complications from diabetes at age 66.

2001-Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Queen, Ritchie Valens, Solomon Burke, Steely Dan and The Flamingos are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

2000-The New York Mets release Garth Brooks, who is participating in spring training with the team. The country star gets the boot after going 0-17 at the plate.

1997-Gabrielle's ex-boyfriend (and the mother of her child), Tony Antoniou, is sentenced to life in prison for murdering his stepfather. Gabrielle was called as a witness at the trial.

1996-Barenaked Ladies release their third studio album, Born On A Pirate Ship.

1993-Jeff Ward (drummer for several bands, including Low Pop Suicide and Nine Inch Nails) commits suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning at age 30.

Andrew Wood's Death Leads To Pearl Jam
1990-Andrew Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone, dies of a heroin overdose at age 24. Members of the band go on to form Pearl Jam.

1988-At the Community World Theater in Tacoma, Washington, Nirvana uses the name Nirvana for the very first time. They'd previously gone by Skid Row, Ted Ed Fred, Pen Cap Chew, and Bliss.

1988-Michael Jackson begins construction on his 2,800-acre ranch and private amusement park in Santa Barbara, California, which he names "Neverland" after a fantasy location in his favorite book, Peter Pan, a place where children never grow up.

1984-Backstage after the Duran Duran show at Madison Square Garden, producer Nile Rodgers introduces the band to a young artist he's working with: Madonna.

1982-Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Randy Rhoads, just 25, dies when he takes a plane ride with a pilot who tries to buzz Ozzy's tour bus. When the wing hits the bus, the plane crashes into a nearby house, killing Rhoads, the pilot, and the tour costume designer/hairdresser.

1980-In proceedings against the doctor who supplied the prescription drugs that killed Elvis Presley, Elvis' autopsy is entered as evidence. Dr. George Nichopoulos, who was known as "Dr. Nick" is eventually found guilty of overprescribing the drugs.

1978-Billy Joel makes his UK concert debut at London's Theatre Royal.

1976-Paul Kossoff (guitarist for Free), age 25, dies of a pulmonary embolism during a flight from Los Angeles to New York.

1976-The Doobie Brothers release Takin' It To The Streets, their first album with Michael McDonald. He was brought into the group to play keyboards, but claimed the role of lead singer when he belted out the title track, which he wrote, in the studio for producer Ted Templeman.

Tommy The Movie Premieres In America
1975-The movie version of The Who's rock opera Tommy premieres in America.

1975-Kiss release their third studio album, Dressed to Kill.

1974-Jefferson Airplane re-form with most of their original members and kick off their tour at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago as Jefferson Starship. They drop the "Jefferson" in 1984 and become simply "Starship."

1971-Bobby Sherman plays a songwriter on the "A Knight In Shining Armor" episode of The Partridge Family. He soon gets his own TV series, Getting Together.

1971-Elvis Presley records "Miracle Of The Rosary," "Seeing Is Believing," "It's Still Here," "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen," and "I Will Be True."

1970-David Bowie marries his first wife, Angela, who contrary to rumor, was not the subject of The Rolling Stones' song "Angie."

1968-Donovan travels to India to study transcendental meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

1968-Dean Martin's LP Houston is certified gold.

1966-Gary Leeds of The Walker Brothers is "abducted" by British students raising money for charity.

1965Britain's Tailor and Cutter magazine runs an article by tie makers asking The Rolling Stones to start wearing ties with their suits, a fashion which had recently gone out of style among the youth. "The trouble with a tie is that it could dangle in the soup," Mick Jagger responds.

1964-The British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, the "Mr. Wilson" in the Beatles song "Taxman," presents the group with the Show Business Personalities of 1963 award at the Variety Club of Great Britain Annual Show Business Awards.

1962-Bob Dylan releases his self-titled debut album. It doesn't chart in America, but sets the stage for his breakthrough a year later: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

1958-As Tom and Jerry, Simon & Garfunkel release their third single, a ditty named "Our Song" (BIG 616).

1953-Guitarist Ricky Wilson is born in Athens, Georgia, where he and his sister Cindy form The B-52s. Ricky's off-kilter tunings and unusual jangle help for the musical identity of the band, but his life is cut short in 1985 when he becomes one of the first victims of AIDS.

1951-Derek Longmuir (drummer for Bay City Rollers) is born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1946-Paul Atkinson (guitarist for The Zombies) is born in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, England.

1946-Ruth Pointer (of The Pointer Sisters) is born in Oakland, California. She is the eldest member of the singing sisters.

1941-Jimmy Dorsey records "Green Eyes," with vocals from Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly.

1937-R&B singer Clarence "Frogman" Henry, known for the 1961 hit "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do," is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1930-Jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman is born in Fort Worth, Texas. Date of birth sometimes listed as March 9.

1926-Jazz singer Bill Henderson is born in Chicago, Illinois.

1921-Tommy Cooper is born in Caerphilly, Wales.

New Orleans Plays Jazz To Appease Serial Killer
1919
Jazz music plays throughout New Orleans after a serial killer threatens to murder anyone not listening to it.

1914-Actress/singer Patricia Morison is born in New York City.

[Bikkie]

New Zealand's first recognised flag chosen
A New Zealand flag was first suggested in 1830 after Sydney customs officials seized a Hokianga-built ship.




In Music History

2020-The Weeknd releases After Hours, an album filled with the kind of anxiety and paranoia many are feeling in the early weeks of coronavirus lockdown. It goes to #1 in the United States and many other territories, and the single "Blinding Lights" becomes one of the most-streamed songs of the spring and summer.

2020-Kenny Rogers dies at 81.

2017-Rihanna begins her stint as Marion Crane on Bates Motel, a role originated by Janet Leigh as the infamous shower-stabbing victim in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Psycho.

2016-Trisha Yearwood stars as Mary in the Palm Sunday broadcast of the Fox live musical The Passion, the story of Jesus Christ's last hours on Earth.

2015-Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero dies of an apparent heart attack in New York at age 55.

Glee Ends Six-Season Run
2015-The series finale of Glee, titled "Dreams Come True," airs on FOX. During its six-year run, the influential musical drama made old music new again with a stream of hit covers... and broke records from Elvis Presley and The Beatles along the way.

2010-Three days after their lead singer Alex Chilton died of a heart attack, Big Star play the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, with a number of guests joining to pay tribute to Chilton.

2009-Blues guitarist/singer Mel Brown dies of complications from emphysema at age 69.

2009-The quirky garden store Fountains Of Wayne, which provided the moniker for the band of that name, closes shop after more than 40 years in business. The Wayne, New Jersey, landmark was a Christmas hotspot, as giant santas and holiday displays appeared every season. It was also the backdrop for some scenes from the HBO series The Sopranos.

2008-At the O2 Arena in London, the Eagles launch their world tour in support of their album Long Road Out of Eden.

2008-Rolling Stone magazine endorses Barack Obama by putting him on the first of three 2008 covers.

2006-The song "Thank You For Being A Friend" is played at Leeds Crown Court when John Humble pleads guilty to perpetrating the Wearside Jack hoax (he pretended to be the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer).

2004-Quincy Jones receives an honorary doctorate in Music from The University of Washington.

2003-On the day the Iraq war begins, Bruce Springsteen opens his Melbourne, Australia, show with a quiet, acoustic version of his hit "Born In The U.S.A." and follows it, pointedly, with a cover of Edwin Starr's "War."

2000-Gene "Eugene" Andrusco (of Adam Again, Lost Dogs, The Swirling Eddies) dies of a brain aneurysm at age 30.

2000-American composer Vivian Fine dies at age 86.

1997-Yanni becomes the first Western artist to play a concert at the Taj Mahal when he performs the first of three shows at the monument. Before a financial settlement is reached, farmers displaced by the spectacle threaten to immolate themselves in protest.

1994-Madonna snags her third Razzie for Worst Actress at the 14th Golden Raspberry Awards. Her first came in 1987 for Shanghai Surprise, and the second followed in 1988 for Who's That Girl. This time around, it's her role as Rebecca Carlson in Body Of Evidence that underwhelms the judges.

1993-Two children are killed in an Irish Republican Army bombing in Warrington, England, inspiring the Cranberries song "Zombie."

1993-Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," peaks at #2 on the Hot 100, where it stays for one week.

1993-Reggae rules as "Oh Carolina" by Shaggy hits #1 in the UK while Snow's "Informer" holds the top spot in America. It's the first #1 for both artists - Snow is Canadian; Shaggy is Jamaican-American.

1991-Michael Jackson signs the largest contract renewal in history to the time, inking a $65 million deal with Sony.

1991-Eric Clapton's 4-year-old son, Conor, dies after falling out of a window at his mother's apartment. Clapton later writes "Tears In Heaven" about Conor.

1990-Eric Clapton plays three songs on Saturday Night Live: "Pretending," "No Alibis" and "Wonderful Tonight."

1990-Sinead O'Connor releases her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. The single "Nothing Compares 2 U," written by Prince, propels her to stardom.

Gloria Estefan Injured in Bus Accident
1990-Near Scranton and heading for a show in Syracuse, Miami Sound Machine's tour bus is hit by a tractor trailer on a snowy highway. Gloria Estefan suffers a serious spinal injury requiring four hours of surgery.

1989-After 37 years on the air, Dick Clark announces he will discontinue hosting his creation, ABC-TV's highly influential American Bandstand. The show continues with another host, but folds for good soon after.

1988-Canadian jazz pianist Gil Evans, who often worked with Miles Davis, dies of peritonitis at age 75.

1987-Poison frontman Bret Michaels collapses after their set at Madison Square Garden, where they're opening for Ratt. After waking up in the hospital, Michaels reveals that he's diabetic and the collapse was caused by insulin shock.

1986-Country singer Kathy Mattea releases her third album, Walk The Way The Wind Blows, featuring her breakthrough single - a cover of Nanci Griffith's "Love At The Five And Dime." It peaks at #3 on the country chart.

1984-Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats marries actress Britt Ekland.

1982-The duo Buckner & Garcia appear on American Bandstand to perform their hit single "Pac-Man Fever," the first successful song about a video game.

1982-Nick Wheeler (lead guitarist for The All-American Rejects) is born in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

1980-At Asylum Records in New York, 28-year-old Joseph Riviera holds employees at gunpoint, demanding to talk to either Jackson Browne or one of the Eagles. When informed that they lived in California, Riviera pockets his pistol and leaves the building, later surrendering to police.

1976-Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington is born in Phoenix, Arizona. Known for writing songs about inner turmoil and singing them with blistering ferocity, he helps the band build a huge and fiercely loyal fanbase. Bennington, though, struggles with depression and substance abuse and dies by suicide in 2017 at 41.

1976-Alice Cooper gets married for the first (and only) time. His bride is Sheryl Goddard, a 19-year-old dance instructor who performed on his Welcome To My Nightmare tour.

1975-Patti Smith and Television begin a 7-week residency at CBGB in New York City. During these shows, Smith refines the songs that later appear on her debut album Horses.

1972-Ringo Starr records "Back Off Boogaloo."

1971-Nearly six months after her death, Janis Joplin's "Me And Bobby McGee" hits #1 in the US for the first of two weeks. It is her only Top 10 hit.

1971-Elvis Presley records "I'm Leavin'," "We Can Make The Morning," "I Shall Be Released," "It's Only Love," and "I Will Be True."

1970-Elton John's "Border Song" is released, but fails to chart in the UK (it reaches #92 in the US). Nearly a year later, "Your Song" becomes his first hit.

1969-John Lennon marries Yoko Ono at the Rock of Gibraltar in Spain, which is still owned by Britain. The Beatles song "The Ballad of John and Yoko" describes their ordeal finding a location for the nuptials.

1968-Eric Clapton jams with Buffalo Springfield members Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Jim Messina and Richie Furay at the Topanga Canyon home of Stills' girlfriend. Neighbors call the cops, and all but Stills (who escapes through a window) are charged with suspicion of marijuana use. Clapton beats the rap; Young, Messina and Furay are found guilty and fined.

1965-The first Motown package tour begins in the UK with a show in North London. On the bill are The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Martha & the Vandellas.

1964-The Beatles appear for the first time on the British TV show "Ready Steady Go!," where they lip-synch "Can't Buy Me Love," "It Won't Be Long" and "You Can't Do That." The show gets its highest-ever ratings for this episode.

1961-Elvis Presley begins filming his ninth movie, Blue Hawaii, on location.

1961-Elvis Presley's "Surrender" hits #1 for the first of two weeks.

1959-Bobby Rydell makes his first TV appearance when he shows up on American Bandstand. He soon becomes a teen idol.

1951-Blues rocker Jimmie Vaughan (of Fabulous Thunderbirds) is born in Dallas, Texas. His younger brother, Stevie Ray Vaughan, is born in 1954.

ELP Drummer Carl Palmer Born
1950-Drummer Carl Palmer is born in Birmingham, England. At age 20, he gets the gig with Greg Lake and Keith Emerson, who choose him over Mitch Mitchell for their band Emerson, Lake & Palmer.More

1944-Jance Garfat (bassist for Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show) is born Robert Jance Garfat in California.

1942-Rockabilly singer Robin Luke is born in Los Angeles, California.

1941-Vito Picone (lead singer of The Elegants) is born in South Beach, Staten Island, New York.

1940-"If I Had A Girl" singer Rod Lauren is born in Fresno, California.

1937-Country performer Jerry Reed is born Jerry Reed Hubbard in Atlanta, Georgia.

1937-R&B singer Joe Rivers (of Johnnie & Joe) is born in Charleston, South Carolina.

1936-Lee "Scratch" Perry, a reggae musician, label boss (Upsetter) and producer, is born in Jamaica. Known for his work with Bob Marley, Perry also records with Keith Richards, Beastie Boys and George Clinton.

1922-Jazz bandleader Larry Elgart is born in New London, Connecticut. Along with his older brother, Les, he records the American Bandstand theme, "Bandstand Boogie."

1918-Jazz pianist Marian McPartland is born Margaret Marian Turner in Slough, Berkshire, England. In 1978, she becomes the host of NPR's long-running radio show Piano Jazz.

1917-Vera Lynn is born Vera Welch in East Ham, Essex, England. She becomes one of England's top entertainers during World War II, a time when she becomes an emblem of wartime spirit and national pride thanks in part to her rendition of "We'll Meet Again."

1906-Ozzie Nelson is born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He starts his career as a bandleader before starring with his family, including son Rick Nelson, in the long-running radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

[Bikkie]

1678
Reward offered for identity of pamphlet author

The London Gazette offers a reward to anyone revealing the author of a pamphlet called An Account of the Growth of Popery. The pamphlet, it was later revealed, had been published anonymously by Andrew Marvell in 1677. Although today Marvell is best remembered as the gifted metaphysical poet who composed witty works. l

1871
Journalist begins search for Dr. Livingstone

Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his famous search through Africa for the missing British explorer Dr. David Livingstone. In the late 19th century, Europeans and Americans were fascinated by the continent of Africa. Few did more to increase Africa’s fame than Livingstone, one of the United Kingdom’s most famous explorers.




1804
Napoleonic Code approved in France

After four years of debate and planning, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte enacts a new legal framework for France, known as the “Napoleonic Code.” The civil code gave post-revolutionary France its first coherent set of laws concerning property, colonial affairs, the family and individual rights.




In Music History
2015-Jackie Trent dies at age 74. She was married to Tony Hatch, with whom she wrote the theme song to the Australian TV show Neighbours and the Petula Clark hit "Don't Sleep In The Subway."

2014-Shakira releases her 10th studio album, Shakira, featuring guest vocalist Rihanna on the lead single, "Can't Remember To Forget You."

2013-John Mayer becomes the first big-name celebrity to host a hangout on Google+, Google's social network competitor to Facebook. Google+ never catches on and is discontinued in 2019.

2012-The Wanted become the first UK boy band to land a Top 5 hit in the US when "Glad You Came" peaks at #3. The single got a boost after it was covered on Glee in February.

2011-Blues musician Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins dies at age 97.

2011-Singer Loleatta Holloway, whose track "Love Sensation" was sampled on Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch's "Good Vibrations" and several other songs, dies of heart failure at age 64.

2009-The movie Northern Lights, starring LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian, debuts on Lifetime as rumors of the stars' extramarital affair are swirling in the press. They end up divorcing their spouses and marrying each other.

2008-Klaus Dinger of Kraftwerk and Neu! dies of heart failure at age 61.

2008-Beach Boys founding members Mike Love and Al Jardine settle a lawsuit Love filed in 2003, claiming Jardine was touring under variations of the group name, to which Love owns the rights. The settlement leads to a reunion of the group in 2012 for their 50th anniversary.

2006-Six years after filing suit, the family of African musician Solomon Linda, who wrote and recorded the original version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," reach an agreement with the song's publisher, giving them some royalties. Linda, who died in 1962, signed away rights to the song in 1952.

2005-The final episode of The Osbournes airs on MTV, capping a four-season run.

2004-Motown producer Johnny Bristol dies at age 65.

2003-Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry divorces his first wife, model Lucy Helmore, after 21 years, on grounds of adultery.

2000-"Newgrass" trio Nickel Creek release their breakthrough self-titled album, produced by bluegrass star Alison Krauss. The group earns two Grammy nominations: Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Instrumental for "Ode to a Butterfly."

2000-Soul Coughing disbands after eight years and three albums.

'N Sync Surpasses Backstreet Boys
2000-With the release of their third album, No Strings Attached, 'N Sync smashes the Backstreet Boys' record for first-week sales with 2.4 million copies sold - almost double the amount BSB garnered with their 1999 album, Millennium. 'N Sync's record holds for 15 years until Adele pushes more than 3 million units of 25.

1999- Blur's sixth LP, "13," topped the UK chart, marking the band's fourth consecutive No.1 album.

1997-The movie Selena debuts in theaters, chronicling the life of the late Tejano singer, who was murdered two years earlier by the former president of her fan club. Jennifer Lopez is lauded for her breakout performance in the title role, which inspires her to pursue a singing career of her own.

1994-Bruce Springsteen wins an Oscar for the song "Streets of Philadelphia" from the Tom Hanks movie Philadelphia.

1991-Leo Fender, founder of Fender Musical Instruments, dies at age 81 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

1990-The sitcom Sydney premieres on CBS, starring Valerie Bertinelli and a pre-Friends Matthew Perry. Bertinelli's husband Eddie Van Halen provides the theme song: "Finish What Ya Started."

1990-Tony Orlando is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6385 Hollywood Boulevard.

1988-Lynyrd Skynyrd release Southern by the Grace of God, their second live album. It features music recorded in 1987 in what was supposed to be a one-time touring tribute to band members who died in a 1977 plane wreck that seemingly ended the band. Four years later, an updated Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup records new material and begins touring again regularly.

1987- U2's album "The Joshua Tree" became the UK's fastest-selling album ever, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide.

1987-Club Nouveau's poppy cover of the Bill Withers song "Lean On Me" hits #1 on the Hot 100. The original hit the top spot in 1972.

1987-Dean Martin's son Dean Paul Martin (of Dino, Desi & Billy) dies in a plane crash in California's San Bernardino Mountains at the age of 35 while serving in the Air National Guard.

Man In Motion Tour Inspires A #1 Hit
1985-In Vancouver, the Canadian wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen begins his "Man In Motion" tour to raise money for spinal cord research. Inspired by his quest, fellow Canadian David Foster works with John Parr to write a tribute song to Hansen for the film St. Elmo's Fire.

1983- Pink Floyd released in the UK, their twelfth studio album "The Final Cut," which peaked at No.1 in seven countries.

1982-Little Johnny Jones, with Donny Osmond in the lead role, opens on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre and closes after just one heavily panned performance. Osmond's career withers, but is revived in 1989 with the hit "Soldier Of Love" and in 1992 with a six-year run starring in the touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

1981- REO Speedwagon scored their first US Billboard Hot 100 number one single with "Keep on Loving You."

1980-Deryck Whibley (frontman for Sum 41) is born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

1978-Carole King's third husband, Rick Evers, dies of a drug overdose after working on Carole's album Welcome Home, which was released two months later. Evers had co-writing credits on three songs from the album and appears on the cover with King.

1977-Iggy Pop plays The Agora in Cleveland with David Bowie guesting on keyboards. Members of the Ohio band Devo leave a demo tape for Pop, who loves it and passes it along to Bowie, leading to a record deal for the band, who make their first album the following year with Brian Eno producing.

1976-The French actress Claudine Longet, ex-wife of Andy Williams, shoots her live-in lover, the famed skier Spider Sabich, at his home in Aspen, Colorado. The shooting is ruled an accident, and Longet is sentenced to 30 days in jail for criminal negligence. Her case inspires the Rolling Stones song "Claudine."

1976-After playing a show in Rochester, New York, David Bowie is arrested on charges of marijuana possession when police raid his hotel room. Iggy Pop and two others are also arrested. His hearing takes place on April 20 (4/20!), and the charges are dropped.

1970-Faces release First Step.

1968-Andrew Copeland (rhythm guitarist for Sister Hazel) is born in Gainesville, Florida.

1967-Keith "Maxim" Palmer (of The Prodigy) is born in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England.

1967-Jonas Berggren (of Ace Of Base) is born in Gothenburg, Sweden.

1967-John Lennon takes his first major LSD trip and freaks out while recording backing vocals on the track "Getting Better." Producer George Martin, not realizing the effects of the drug, takes Lennon to the roof of Abbey Road Studios to get some fresh air. Paul McCartney and George Harrison, upon learning where John is, rush up to get him down. The group works on a piano track for "Lovely Rita" instead.

1966-The Beach Boys release "Sloop John B," a traditional tune from the West Indies.

1964-With Beatlemania rising, The Beatles land their second #1 hit in America with "She Loves You" supplanting their first chart-topper, "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

1964-Judy Collins is catapulted into stardom after a momentous appearance at New York's Carnegie Hall.

1964-Dean Martin leaves his handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

1963-Barbra Streisand marries her first husband, actor Elliott Gould, whom she'd met while both were performing in the Broadway hit I Can Get It for You Wholesale.

1961-Slim Jim Phantom (drummer for Stray Cats) is born James McDonnell in Brooklyn, New York.

1961-Elvis Presley records "Hawaiian Sunset," "Ku-u-i-po," "No More," and "Slicin' Sand."

1960-Elvis Presley records "Stuck On You," "Fame And Fortune," "A Mess Of Blues," and "It Feels So Right."

1957-Sean Dickson (lead singer for The Soup Dragons) is born in Scotland.

1956-The movie Rock Around The Clock, about a concert promoter (played by DJ Alan Freed) who brings Rock and Roll to the masses, opens in theaters. The film stars Bill Haley and His Comets and is named after their hit song. It is one of the first movies based on rock music and aimed at teenagers.

1953-Robert Johnson (drummer for KC & The Sunshine Band) is born.

1953-Patti Page's "(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window?" hits #1 in America. A version by Lita Roza later tops the chart in the UK.

The First Rock Concert
1952-Cleveland stakes a claim on rock history when the Moondog Coronation Ball is held at the Cleveland Arena. Organized by the WJW DJ Alan Freed ("Moondog" on the air), it is widely considered the first rock concert. It may also be one of the shortest, as it is shut down after one song.

1951-Conrad Lozano (bass player for Los Lobos) is born in Los Angeles, California.

1951-Soul singer Russell Thompkins, Jr. (of The Stylistics) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1950-Roger Hodgson of Supertramp is born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. He writes and sings many of their hits, including "The Logical Song" and "Dreamer," but in 1983 he leaves the group after a falling out with Rick Davies and never returns.

1949-Eddie Money is born Joseph Mahoney in Brooklyn, New York.

1946-Ray Dorset (frontman for Mungo Jerry) is born in Ashford, Middlesex, England.

1945-Rose Stone (singer, keyboardist for Sly & the Family Stone) is born Rosemary Stewart in Dallas, Texas.

1943-Viv Stanshall of Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band is born in Oxford, England.

1941-Record producer/songwriter John Boylan is born in New York City. He manages Linda Ronstadt and co-produces Boston's first album.

1940-Solomon Burke is born James Solomon McDonald in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1939-Kate Smith records "God Bless America."

1930-Chicago blues pianist Otis Spann is born in Mississippi.

1923-Composer Mort Lindsey, longtime bandleader for The Merv Griffin Show, is born Morton Lippman in Newark, New Jersey.

1919-Music executive Lew Bedell, also known by the pseudonym Billy Joe Hunter, is born in El Paso, Texas. He establishes Doré Records, later known as Era Records, in 1958. The label's first hit is the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is To Love Him."

1918-Jazz pianist Charles Thompson is born in Springfield, Ohio.

1902-Son House is born Eddie James House Jr. in Lyon, Mississippi.

1839-Composer Modest Mussorgsky is born in Russia.

[Bikkie]

1902
George von Zedlitz arrives in Wellington
Victoria College’s first professor of modern languages joined the fledgling institution’s four foundation professors.



In Music History

Drake and Kendrick Lamar Beef Escalates Into Epic Feud
2024-Kendrick Lamar disses Drake in the song "Like That," igniting a high-profile feud that gets ugly. Lamar wins the popular vote in this rap battle when his diss track "Not Like Us" goes to #1.More

2019-Scott Walker dies at 76. In the UK, he became a pop star in the '60s, but turned to more experimental music in ensuing years.

2017-Original Boston drummer Sib Hashian, who played on their first two albums, dies at age 67 after collapsing during the Legends of Rock Cruise.

2016-After years of health problems and a battle with diabetes, Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest dies at age 45.

2013-My Chemical Romance announce their breakup after 12 years as a band. They return to action in 2019.

2013-Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy releases his debut EP, God Loves You When You're Dancing.

2009-Folk music historian Archie Green dies at age 91.

2006-Aerosmith cancels the rest of their Rockin' The Joint tour so lead singer Steven Tyler can have throat surgery to treat strained vocal chords.

2006-Cuban singer Pío Leyva (of Buena Vista Social Club) dies of a heart attack at age 88.

2005-Rod Price (guitarist for Foghat) dies after suffering a heart attack and falling down a flight of stairs at his home.

2003-Britney Spears' girl-power flick Crossroads earns eight nominations at the 23rd Golden Raspberry Awards, and two wins: Worst Original Song for "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" and Worst Actress for Spears, an honor she shares with Razzie darling Madonna for Swept Away (named Worst Picture). The Material Girl, who has been a regular contender - and five-time Worst Actress winner - since her 1986 win for Shanghai Surprise, earns two more awards. She shares Worst Screen Couple with Adriano Giannini for Swept Away and garners Worst Supporting Actress as Verity in Die Another Day.

2001-Earl Beal of The Silhouettes dies at age 71.

1997- Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black, and Christopher Hampton's musical 'Sunset Boulevard' closed at Minskoff, NYC, after 977 performances and 7 Tony Awards.

1997-"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" by Puff Daddy goes to #1, the first of four chart-toppers in 1997 from his Bad Boy label. The others are "Hypnotize" and "Mo Money Mo Problems" by The Notorious B.I.G., and "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff, his tribute to B.I.G., who died on March 9, 1997.

1996-Don Murray (drummer for The Turtles) dies of complications from ulcer surgery at age 50.

1994-Pantera release Far Beyond Driven, one of the few heavy metal albums to reach #1 in America.

1994-Dan Hartman dies of an AIDS-related brain tumor at age 43.

1994-Dan Hartman dies of an AIDS-related brain tumor at age 43.

1991-Dave Guard of The Kingston Trio dies of lymphoma at age 56.

Anthrax Release Among The Living
1987-Anthrax release their third album, Among the Living. The cover shows an image of Henry Kane, a character in the film Poltergeist II: The Other Side, which the band finds terrifying.

1986-Heart's "These Dreams" hits #1 in the US. The lyric is written by Elton John's songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin.

1986-Amy Studt is born in Hammersmith, London, England.

1986-Mark Dinning, known for the 1960 hit "Teen Angel," dies of a heart attack at age 52.

1985-Alcatrazz's only studio album with Steve Vai, Disturbing the Peace, is released. Produced by Eddie Kramer, the album's lead-off track, "God Blessed Video," attracts a whole new audience years later when it's included on the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

1982-Iron Maiden release The Number Of The Beast, their third album and first with lead singer Bruce Dickinson. It goes to #1 in their native UK and also makes an impact in America, where it sells over a million copies.

1981-After a U2 show at the Foghorn Tavern in Portland, Oregon, Bono leaves a briefcase behind with notes, lyrics and concepts for their second album, October. He's forced to come up with new ideas and lyrics on the fly, and the album suffers. The contents of the briefcase are finally returned to him in 2004 after they're recovered from a garage in Tacoma, Washington.

Pink Floyd Has A Hit Single
1980-Pink Floyd tops the Hot 100 with "Another Brick In The Wall (part II)," which stays a total of four weeks. It's a rare hit single for the band, whose only other Top 40 appearance is "Money," which hit #13 in 1973.

1979-Chaka Khan gives birth to her son, Damien Milton Patrick Holland.

The Rutles Parody The Beatles In Mockumentary
1978-A Beatles parody special called The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, airs on ABC. The special stars various members of the Monty Python troupe.

1977-The John Denver TV special Thank God, I'm A Country Boy airs on ABC.

1976-While campaigning for US President, Jimmy Carter tells NARM (The National Association of Record Merchandisers) that he listened to Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, and Led Zeppelin while Governor of Georgia.

1975-Barry Manilow appears on American Bandstand, performing "Mandy" and "It's A Miracle." It would be his first appearance on US TV.

1975-Frankie Valli's unrequited love ballad "My Eyes Adored You" hits #1 in the US.

1975-Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti album hits #1, where it will stay for six weeks.

1974-Catch My Soul, an updated version of Shakespeare's Othello for the hippie generation, premieres in New York City with Richie Havens in the lead role. Tony Joe White and Delaney & Bonnie also star.

1974-Ten Years After play their final gig, seven years after their first one.

1974-The Eagles release On The Border.

1971-John Lennon releases "Power to the People" in the US.

1969-Two days after their wedding in Gibraltar, John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin their "Bed-in," inviting members of the media into their Amsterdam hotel room where they are promoting peace with songs, signs and dialogue. These events are outlined in the song "The Ballad of John and Yoko."

1967-Elvis Presley releases Easy Come, Easy Go.

1967-The Who make their US stage debut, performing at the Paramount Theater in New York City.

1965-Bob Dylan releases his fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home.

1963-In the UK, The Beatles release their debut studio album, Please Please Me. It goes to #1 a few months later; in early 1964, they conquer America.

1962-Nineteen-year-old Barbra Streisand makes her Broadway debut, starring in the play I Can Get It For You Wholesale.

1962- The Shadows started an eight-week stint at No.1 in the UK with their instrumental 'Wonderful Land'.

1961-Elvis Presley records "Blue Hawaii," "Ito Eats," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Island Of Love," "Steppin' Out Of Line," and "Almost Always True."

1957-R&B singer Stephanie Mills is born in New York City. Her first hit is "Home," from the Broadway musical The Wiz. Mills plays Dorothy in the show's original run from 1975-1977.

1956-Mr. Wonderful opens on Broadway. Its star Sammy Davis, Jr. will soon become a top entertainer and member of the Rat Pack.

1956-Carl Perkins is injured in a car accident near Dover, Delaware, on his way to perform on NBC-TV's Perry Como Show. This stymies promotion for his single "Blue Suede Shoes," but the song still reaches #2 in May.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Is Born
1948-Andrew Lloyd Webber is born in Kensington, London, England.

1948-Randy Jo Hobbs (bassist for The McCoys) is born in Winchester, Indiana.

1947-Patrick Olive (percussionist, bassist for Hot Chocolate) is born in Grenada.

1946-Harry Vanda (lead guitarist for The Easybeats) is born Johannes Hendrikus Jacob van den Berg in Voorburg, Netherlands.

1944-Tony McPhee (guitarist for The Groundhogs) is born in Humberston, Lincolnshire, England.

1943-Keith Relf (lead vocalist for The Yardbirds) is born in Richmond, Surrey, England.

1943-George Benson is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Known as a jazz guitarist, he's also a singer, and in the '80s he has a string of yacht rock hits that includes "Give Me The Night" and "Turn Your Love Around."

1941-Jeremy Clyde of Chad & Jeremy is born in Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England.

1939- Bing Crosby recorded his version of Irving Berlin's patriotic song 'God Bless America' during World War I.

1937-Country/pop singer Johnny Ferguson is born in Nashville, Tennessee.

1936-Roger Whittaker is born in Nairobi, British Kenya.

1932-Blues musician Juke Boy Bonner is born Weldon H. Philip Bonner in Bellville, Texas.

1930-Composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim is born in New York City. He wins an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Madonna's "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)," written for the 1990 film Dick Tracy.

1916-Bernard Weissman, the future George Wyle, is born in New York City. Among his compositions: the Gilligan's Island theme song.

[Bikkie]

1848
Scottish settlers arrive in Otago
Otago celebrates the arrival of the immigrant ship John Wickliffe as the founding day of the province.





In Music History

2023 – Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel’s musical Bad Cinderella opened at the Imperial Theatre in New York City.

2008-The Jonas Brothers sing the national anthem at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House.

2004-Usher releases his fourth album, Confessions, which goes on to sell over 10 million copies in America. The lead single, "Yeah!," is already three weeks into a 12-week run at #1.

2002-In Houston, Texas, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top marries Charleen McCrory. He looks sharp, but we can't tell if there's a black tie under that beard.

2002-At the 22nd Golden Raspberry Awards, Mariah Carey takes home her first Razzie as Worst Actress for her starring role in Glitter. The film earns a total of six nominations, including one for Mariah's cleavage as Worst Couple.

2002-At the 75th Academy Awards, Eminem becomes the first rapper to take home an Oscar when "Lose Yourself," from his semi-biographical film 8 Mile, wins Best Original Song. Eminem doesn't bother to attend the ceremony, thinking he has no chance of winning, so his friend and producer Luis Resto accepts the honor in his absence.



Bluegrass Craze Takes Hold As 'O Brother' Soundtrack Hits #1
2002-The O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, featuring a popular revival of the mountain ballad "Man of Constant Sorrow," takes bluegrass to #1 in America.

2000-60-year-old Tina Turner launches her Twenty Four Seven tour at the Target Center in Minneapolis. It takes in $80 million, making it the top-grossing tour of 2000.

1993-Depeche Mode release Songs of Faith and Devotion in America, where it goes to #1 despite charting no singles higher than "I Feel You," which tops out at #37.

1992-Billy Ray Cyrus releases "Achy Breaky Heart." It becomes his signature song and starts a line-dancing craze throughout the US.

retty Woman Hits Theaters
1990-The romantic comedy Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, debuts in US theaters. Named for Roy Orbison's classic tune, it also boasts an impressive soundtrack, including the #1 hit "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette.

1988-Mick Jagger performs his first solo gig in Japan, 15 years after having been barred from entering the country due to prior drug convictions.

1987-Whitesnake releases "Is This Love" in the UK.

1985 – John Fogerty topped the US Billboard 200 with Centerfield, and Philip Bailey and Phil Collins’ "Easy Lover" reached No.1 in the UK and charted internationally.

1985-Billy Joel marries the "Uptown Girl" Christie Brinkley. They remain married for nine years.

1983-ZZ Top release their album Eliminator, which features Billy Gibbons' custom hot rod on the cover. Thanks to videos for "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs" featuring the car and various babes, they become unlikely MTV stars, earning a new generation of fans.More

1980-Reggae musician Jacob Miller (of Inner Circle) dies in a car accident in Jamaica at age 27.

1980-U2 sign a worldwide deal with Island Records. They get about $100,000 for their first album.

1979-Van Halen release their second album, Van Halen II, setting a furious pace that finds them issuing an album a year from 1978-1982. The album includes the concert favorites "Dance the Night Away" and "Somebody Get Me a Doctor."

1978-A&M Records sign a new, young band called The Police.

1974-Hall & Oates' "She's Gone" peaks at #60 on the Hot 100. Later that year, a version by Tavares hits #50, and in 1976, the original goes to #7 when it is re-released. The duo were each dealing with girl problems when they wrote the song together.

1974 – Cher scored her third solo US No.1 single with "Dark Lady".

1972-The film version of George Harrison's Concert For Bangladesh is released in America, helping raise additional money for aid that goes to UNICEF.

1972 – The documentary The Concert for Bangladesh premiered, showcasing benefit concerts organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar to aid war refugees, featuring Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr.

1969-Countering the counter-culture, about 30,000 people attend the "Rally For Decency" in Miami after Jim Morrison was charged with indecent exposure in the city. Celebrities at the event included Kate Smith, Jackie Gleason, The Lettermen and Anita Bryant.

1968-Blur frontman Damon Albarn is born in London. The group helps define Britpop in the '90s with songs like "Parklife" and "Song 2," but in the '00s he becomes better known as the main voice and musical architect of Gorillaz, the most popular virtual band ever assembled.

1965-Marti Pellow (lead singer of Wet Wet Wet) is born Mark McLachlan in Clydebank, Scotland.

1964-John Lennon's book In His Own Write is published.

1963-Dion DiMucci marries Sue Butterfield two years after releasing his hit "Runaround Sue." His bride has nothing to do with the song, but often tells people she is so they will remember her. Their marriage lasts a lifetime.

1963 – Ruby & the Romantics reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with "Our Day Will Come".

1961 – Elvis Presley began a six-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with "Wooden Heart" and recorded "Can’t Help Falling In Love," which later became a UK chart-topper.

1960-Elvis Presley releases "Stuck On You" b/w "Fame And Fortune."

1959-Ray Peterson records "The Wonder Of You."

1959-Kevin Godfrey is born in Surrey, England. Taking the name "Epic Soundtracks," he forms the group Swell Maps and plays drums in Crime & the City Solution and These Immortal Souls.

1959-Bobby Darin's first full-length album, That's All, is released. Among the tracks is "Mack The Knife," a song about a cold-blooded murderer popularized in the play The Threepenny Opera. Considered just an album cut at first, in August the song is released as a single, and it transforms Darin's career, going to #1 for nine weeks and making him one of the most popular entertainers in America.

1956-Eleven teens are arrested at the "Rock & Roll Stage Show," featuring Frankie Lymon in Hartford, Connecticut.

1956-Fats Domino headlines the first day of a 3-day concert organized by the DJ Alan Freed in Hartford, Connecticut. Over the course of the shows, 11 fans are arrested by over-zealous police. It's a litmus test for rock concerts and their effect on young people, as psychiatrist Francis Braceland testifies afterwards that rock music is "a communicable disease with music appealing to adolescent insecurity and driving teenagers to do outlandish things. It is cannibalistic and tribalistic."

1956 – Elvis Presley released his self-titled debut album on RCA Victor, featuring the hit "Blue Suede Shoes." This album became the first rock and roll record to reach No.1 on the US album charts and sold over a million copies, later issued in the UK as Rock ‘n’ Roll in 1959, peaking at No.4.

1953-Chaka Khan (of Rufus) is born Yvette Marie Stevens in Chicago, Illinois.

1951-Contemporary Christian musician Phil Keaggy is born in Youngstown, Ohio.

1950-Phil Lanzon (keyboardist for Uriah Heep) is born in England.

1944-Ric Ocasek of The Cars is born in Baltimore, Maryland. His date of birth is often reported at March 23, 1949 because that's what he often claimed, but records show he was actually born five years earlier.

1743-George Frideric Handel's "Messiah" has its London premiere at the Covent Garden Theatre. It is not well received as the press feels that the work's subject matter is too exalted to be performed in a theatre, particularly by secular singer-actresses such as Susanna Cibber and Kitty Clive.

[Bikkie]

1770
Kidnapped Ngāti Kahu chief Ranginui dies on French ship
Ranginui was a Ngāti Kahu chief from Doubtless Bay who was kidnapped by the French explorer Jean François Marie de Surville.

American balloonist Leila Adair
1894
'Aerial Queen' crash-lands in Hamilton East
‘One of the most courageous feats ever performed in Waikato’ almost ended in tragedy when Leila Adair’s hot-air balloon burst several hundred feet above Hamilton East.



1989
RainbowYOUTH formed
RainbowYOUTH was conceived at a Gay and Lesbian Conference held in Auckland on 24 March 1989



In Music History

2020-Producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland face off in the first Verzuz battle, where songwriters, producers and artists take turns performing their hits and are judged by an online audience. The series quickly becomes very popular, regularly drawing virtual audiences in the six figures. Popular battles include Gladys Knight vs Patti LaBelle, Teddy Riley vs Babyface, and Erykah Badu vs Jill Scott.

2010-Rock photographer Jim Marshall dies at age 74.

2009-Prince launches Lotusflow3r.com, which for $77 subscriptions, offers access to his videos and music. It shuts down after a year.

2009-Motown drummer Uriel Jones dies at age 74.

2008-Britney Spears makes the first of two appearances on How I Met Your Mother, playing a receptionist smitten with Josh Radnor's character, Ted.

2007-Country singer Henson Cargill, known for the 1968 hit "Skip A Rope," dies during surgery at age 66.

Hannah Montana Debuts on Disney
2006-Hannah Montana, starring Miley Cyrus as a middle school student who is secretly a pop star, debuts on Disney Channel. Cyrus, 13 years old and best known as the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, becomes a pop star in real life when the show becomes a huge hit and spawns a #1 soundtrack.More

2005-After Carrie Underwood performs "Alone" on American Idol, Simon Cowell, by far the harshest critic on the panel, predicts she will win the competition and sell more records than any previous Idol winner. He's right: She becomes the first country singer to win and ends up surpassing Kelly Clarkson as the best-selling alum of the show.

2001-After being dubbed Worst Actress of the Century a year earlier, Madonna lands her fifth Razzie for Worst Actress, for her role as Abbie Reynolds in The Next Best Thing, at the 21st Golden Raspberry Awards.

2001-John Connolly of Sevendust marries Lori Kirkley.

2001-"Duane Allman Boulevard" is dedicated in Macon, Georgia, near where he died in a motorcycle crash.

2000-MTV debuts the reality series Making the Band, with the first season spawning the boy band O-Town. Lou Pearlman, the creator of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, manages the group.

2000-Jack and Meg White of The White Stripes get divorced three months before releasing their second album, De Stijl. Despite the split, their musical partnership continues until 2011.

1997-Philadelphia soul singer Harold Melvin (of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes) dies at age 57, months after suffering a debilitating stroke.

1992-A Tribe Called Quest release "Scenario," with a guest verse by little-known 19-year-old rapper Busta Rhymes.

1992-Arrested Development release their debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of... It sells four million copies thanks to the hits "Tennessee," "People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendal."

1990- Sinead O'Connor's only No.1 UK album, "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got," was released.

1986- Van Halen scored their first No.1 album on the Billboard 200 with "5150".

1986-At the 58th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Lionel Richie wins the Oscar for Best Original Song for his track "Say You, Say Me" from the film White Nights. The song topped three different Billboard charts but didn't appear on the soundtrack album for the movie. It was finally released on Lionel's 1986 album, Dancing on the Ceiling.

1986-"No One Is To Blame" by Howard Jones is released in the US. It goes on to become Jones' biggest-selling single in the US, peaking at #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and #4 on the Hot 100.

1986-The Rolling Stones release their album Dirty Work. The first single is a cover of the soul classic "Harlem Shuffle."

1984-Toby Keith marries Tricia Lucus. The country star first laid eyes on his future wife at an Oklahoma nightclub in 1981.

1979-Disco is still going strong as the Bee Gees' "Tragedy" hits #1 in the US.

1975-Paul McCartney throws a party on the Queen Mary to celebrate the release of the Wings album Venus And Mars. Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell are among the guests; their conversation about painting leads to Dylan's song "One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)" and Mitchell's "Paprika Plains."

1975-Rush are named Most Promising Group at the Juno Awards. They fulfill that promise, winning Group Of The Year in 1978 and 1979.

1975-Lynyrd Skynyrd follow up Second Helping with their third album, Nuthin' Fancy.

1974-Chad Butler (drummer for Switchfoot) is born in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

1973- The Rolling Stones' Bill Wyman was electrocuted on stage during a show in Odense, Denmark.

1973-A fan shouting "Leather!" jumps on stage and bites Lou Reed in the butt during a concert in Buffalo. The fan is ejected and Reed is left with a sore posterior.

1973-With Soul Train gaining in popularity, Dick Clark Productions airs a competing show called Soul Unlimited, which lasts just one episode as it caves to pressure from black leaders. Gladys Knight and Rufus Thomas are the guests.

The Godfather Leads To New Honorific
1972-The Godfather opens in theaters. Musically significant because the character Johnny Fontane is supposedly based on Frank Sinatra, and because "Godfather of..." becomes a common musical honorific.

1970-Sharon Corr (of The Corrs) is born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland.

1970-P.A. Pasemaster Mase (of De La Soul) is born Vincent Lamont Mason Jr. in Brooklyn, New York.

1966- Simon and Garfunkel debuted on the UK singles chart with "Homeward Bound".

1965-Bobby Darin, Harry Belafonte, and Peter, Paul & Mary take part in a protest against voter discrimination in Montgomery, Alabama.

1965-Freddie & the Dreamers release "Do The Freddie."

1964-Steve "Zetro" Souza (of Exodus) is born in the US.

1962-Mick Jagger and Keith Richards perform their first paid gig when they appear as Little Boy Blue & the Blue Boys at a club in Ealing, England.

1960-Nena is born in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.

1958-Perry Como appears on the cover of Newsweek magazine in a story about his variety show, The Perry Como Show.

Elvis Presley Enters The Army
1958-Elvis Presley goes to the Memphis Draft Board and enters the United States Army.

1956-Billboard makes their periodic albums chart a weekly feature, with Belafonte by Harry Belafonte. at #1 The chart lists anywhere from 15-30 spots, but is gradually expanded, and in 1967 it grows to 200. The chart goes through several name changes before settling on The Billboard 200 in 1992.

1951-Dougie Thomson (bassist for Supertramp) is born in Glasgow, Scotland.

1949-Nick Lowe is born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England.

1948-Lee Oskar (harmonica player for War) is born in Copenhagen, Denmark.

1947-Mike Kellie (drummer for Spooky Tooth) is born in Birmingham, England.

1946-Colin Petersen (drummer for The Bee Gees) is born in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia.

1945-Billboard publishes its first albums chart, with just 10 positions. The first #1 is Nat King Cole's A Collection Of Favorites. The chart is published irregularly until 1956, when it becomes a weekly feature.

1945- Nat King Cole topped the Billboard albums chart with "The King Cole Trio".

1937-Soul musician Billy Stewart is born in Washington, D.C.

1922-Dave Appell (leader of The Applejacks) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1916-After a German U-boat torpedoes the SS Sussex, a passenger ferry crossing the English Channel, Spanish composer Enrique Granados drowns while attempting to rescue his wife.

1912-Novelty singer Nervous Norvus (Jim Drake) is born in Memphis. He has a hit with "Transfusion" in 1956.

1786-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491. Beethoven hears the work in rehearsal and remarks in admiration to a colleague that "[we] shall never be able to do anything like that."

1721-Johann Sebastian Bach dedicates his Brandenburg Concertos to Christian Ludwig, the margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Bach wrote the pieces for the margrave to gain extra support for his work.

[Bikkie]

1847
Wakefield and Featherston duel
Isaac Featherston, editor of the Wellington Independent, had in effect accused William Wakefield, the New Zealand Company's principal agent, of being a thief. Neither man was hurt in the duel.

John A. Lee lost his left forearm in the First World War
1940
John A. Lee expelled from Labour Party
A charismatic ex-soldier, orator and writer, John A. Lee had been active in the New Zealand Labour Party since shortly after the First World War.


2020
New Zealand enters nationwide lockdown in fight against COVID-19
At 11.59 p.m. on Wednesday 25 March 2020, New Zealand entered a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus around the country.


In Music History

2022-Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, 50, dies in Bogotá, Colombia, while on tour with the band.

2020-It's the 15,561st day since Elvis Presley died, the exact number of days he lived, making him now dead longer than he was alive.

2018-Founding member Steven Page, who left the Barenaked Ladies nine years earlier, performs with the band at the Juno Awards, where they are honored for their induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip, who died the previous year, earns Artist of the Year.

2016-Two weeks after Major Lazer made history as the first US act to perform in Cuba since democratic relations eased between the two countries, The Rolling Stones play their first-ever Cuba gig, performing a free show for 1.2 million fans at Havana's Cuidad Deportiva. The Stones spend around $7 million to finance the trip, which follows President Obama's historic visit to the island.

2015-One Direction fans freak out when Zayn Malik announces he is leaving the group.More

2015-Mariah Carey joins James Corden for the first installment of Carpool Karaoke.

2009-Dan Seals (of England Dan & John Ford Coley) dies of cancer at age 61.

2008-The Raconteurs release Consolers of the Lonely.

2007-Elton John sets the record for the most performances at New York's Madison Square Garden when he performs there for the 60th time – on his 60th birthday.

2006-Country musician Buck Owens dies of a heart attack at age 76, hours after giving his final performance at the Crystal Palace music hall in Bakersfield, California.

2004-"Suspicion," the final episode of The Chris Isaak Show - an adult comedy starring Chris Isaak - airs on Showtime.

2003-Linkin Park release Meteora, the follow-up to their smash debut, Hybrid Theory. The nu-metal album features the hit singles "Numb" and "Breaking The Habit."

2003-Celine Dion begins her Las Vegas residency with the show A New Day... at Caesars Palace. With elaborate sets and a full dance troupe, it ushers in a new era of highly theatrical Vegas shows headlined by huge stars. Shania Twain, Elton John and Britney Spears all follow this path.

2001-Bob Dylan wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Things Have Changed" from the movie Wonder Boys.

2001-At the Academy Awards, where she is nominated for Best Song from her movie Dancer In The Dark, Bjork wears a swan dress complete with a purse that looks like an egg, which she "lays" on the red carpet. Such bold fashion would not be seen again until Lady Gaga's emergence.

2000-The Razzies aren't done with Madonna yet. After saddling her with three prizes for Worst Actress (Shanghai Surprise, Who's That Girl, Body of Evidence) and one for Worst Supporting Actress (Four Rooms) throughout her film career, the Golden Raspberry Awards names her Worst Actress of the Century. Will Smith is also a star of the evening at the 20th annual ceremony, where he wins Worst Original Song for "Wild Wild West." The movie of the same name (which he also starred in) is named Worst Picture.

1997-Kenny Moore, a songwriter who was Tina Turner's musical director, dies of apoplexy at age 45.

Notorious B.I.G. Album Released 16 Days After His Death
1997-Sixteen days after he was shot and killed, The Notorious B.I.G.'s second album, Life After Death, is released.

1991-Michael Jackson escorts Madonna to the Academy Awards. "Sooner Or Later (I Always Get My Man)," which she sang for the movie Dick Tracy, wins for Best Original Song.

1988-DJ/producer Ryan Lewis (of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis) is born in Spokane, Washington.

1986-Guns N' Roses sign with Geffen Records, which in addition to making sure the band records an album, has to keep them alive and out of jail, which is no easy task. It pays off when Appetite For Destruction goes on to sell over 18 million copies just in America.

1985-Stevie Wonder accepts the Oscar for Best Original Song "in the name of Nelson Mandela."

1985-Prince wins an Oscar for Best Original Score for the film Purple Rain.

1983-The Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special is recorded at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium; it is broadcast on NBC in May. Highlights of the show include Michael Jackson's Moonwalk and a The Supremes reunion. A lowlight is no mention of the label's house band, The Funk Brothers. Bass player James Jamerson, who played on many of the hits performed this evening, has to buy his own ticket. He dies a few months later.

1983-INXS play America for the first time, performing at The Spirit Club in San Diego to a crowd of 24 people. In May, they play to a more substantial crowd when they're on the bill at the US Festival.

1981-Rick Springfield makes his first appearance as Dr. Noah Drake on the soap opera General Hospital. As his music career takes off, he continues to appear on the show, playing the character until 1983.

1978-It's peak P-Funk, with the Parliament song "Flash Light" replaced at #1 on the R&B chart with "Bootzilla" by Bootsy's Rubber Band, one of the many offshoots from the group.

1978- Willie Nelson released his version of "Georgia On My Mind."

1977-Bob Seger's Night Moves album goes Platinum.

1976-Jackson Browne's first wife, Phyllis, dies by suicide less than a year after they were married. She suffered from depression that got particularly acute after giving birth to their son in 1973.

1975-Rapper Juvenile (of The Hot Boys) is born Terius Gray in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1975-Melanie Blatt (of All Saints) is born in Camden, London, England.

1972- The Who played their first concert in the US on this day.

1972-America's first single, "A Horse With No Name," rides to #1 on the Hot 100, and the group's self-titled debut album also takes the top spot on the Albums chart. The group becomes one of the most successful acts of the decade, with subsequent hits "Sister Golden Hair," "Ventura Highway" and "Tin Man."

Deep Purple Release Machine Head, With "Smoke On The Water"
1972-Deep Purple's album Machine Head is released in America. Most of it was recorded in their hotel after the Montreux Casino, where they planned to record it, burned down, a story told in the song "Smoke On The Water."More

1969- John Lennon and Yoko Ono started their week-long bed-in for peace at the Amsterdam Hilton hotel.

1969-In Copenhagen, Denmark, Judy Garland plays her last concert; she dies three months later.

1969-Singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis, composer of the Britney Spears hit "Toxic," is born in Norwich, Norfolk, England.

1969-Roy Orbison marries his second wife, Barbara, in Nashville.

1968-The last episode of The Monkees airs on NBC, concluding the show's two-season run. Titled "The Frodis Caper," it's a very sci-fi episode directed by Micky Dolenz. It opens with the band waking up to "Good Morning Good Morning" by The Beatles, one of the first uses of a Beatles song in a non-Beatles production.

1967-The Who play their first live gig in the US at RKO 58th Street Theater in New York City.

1967-How is the weather? Bright and sunny for The Turtles, who hit #1 in the US with "Happy Together."

1966-The Beatles show up for a photo shoot with photographer Robert Whitaker, who has butcher smocks, doll parts and raw meat waiting for them. The shoot results in their "butcher cover" photo used on the Yesterday And Today album before it is recalled.

1966-Blues rocker Jeff Healey is born in Toronto. Blinded by eye cancer when he's a year old, he plays guitar with the instrument flat on his lap, fretting it from above. With his Jeff Healey Band, he has a hit in 1988 with "Angel Eyes."

1963-In Nashville, Johnny Cash records "Ring Of Fire," a song co-written by his friend and collaborator June Carter that was first recorded by her sister Anita. The song becomes one of his biggest hits, and June marries Johnny five years later.

1961-Elvis Presley plays a benefit for the USA Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which turns out to be his last concert for eight years as he shifts his focus to movies.

1960-Steve Norman, multi-instrumentalist in Spandau Ballet, is born in Stepney, London, England.

1960-In Nashville, Roy Orbison records "Only The Lonely." His first big hit, it sets the stage for more heart-rending songs from Orbison like "Crying" and "In Dreams."

1957-Elvis Presley buys the Graceland Mansion in Memphis for $102,500.

1955-The movie Blackboard Jungle is released, giving new exposure to the song "Rock Around The Clock," which is featured in the film. A few months later, the song becomes the first ever #1 rock song.

1948-Rocker Michael Stanley is born in Cleveland, Ohio.

1947-Brinsley Schwarz is born in Suffolk, England. His self-titled band would include Nick Lowe.

1947-Elton John is born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, England. His stage name, taken at age 20, comes from two members of the band Bluesology: Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

Aretha Franklin Is Born
1942-Aretha Franklin is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

1938-Singer-songwriter Hoyt Axton is born in Duncan, Oklahoma. As a solo artist, he's known for songs like "Boney Fingers" and "A Rusty Old Halo"; as a songwriter he's best known for "Joy To The World," a huge hit for Three Dog Night in 1970.

1934-Johnny Burnette (of Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio) in Memphis, Tennessee.

1931-Nine young black males are arrested in Paint Rock, Alabama, and accused of raping two white women. The ensuing years' long legal case inspires a song by Leadbelly and a musical, The Scottsboro Boys.

1923-Bonnie Guitar, known for the 1957 country-pop hit "Dark Moon," is born Bonnie Buckingham in Seattle, Washington.

1918-French composer Claude Debussy dies from rectal cancer at his Paris home.

[Bikkie]

1820 - Mormon church leader Joseph Smith has his “First Vision”, in a wooded area of New York, according to Mormon scholars.

1896 - Sixty-five miners die after an explosion in a coalmine on the West Coast in New Zealand's deadliest industrial accident.




In Music History

2025-Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stipe, Susanna Hoffs, Karen O., Sharon Van Etten and Ben Harper are among the performers at "People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith," a tribute concert at Carnegie Hall. Smith takes the stage for the final number, "People Have the Power," her 1988 protest song that gained traction after the 2024 US election.

2024-Donald Trump partners with Lee Greenwood, endorsing the God Bless The USA Bible, which includes the chorus lyrics to Greenwood's song. "I'm proud to be partnering with my very good friend Lee Greenwood," Trump says. "Who doesn't love his song 'God Bless the USA'?"

2022- British rock band Genesis performed the final concert of their farewell tour at London’s O2 Arena.

2019-Ranking Roger (Roger Charlery), the toaster for General Public and The English Beat, dies at 56 after a battle with cancer.

2018-Kesha, an ordained minister, presides over a same-sex wedding between two of her fans in Las Vegas. Footage is used in her video for "I Need A Woman To Love," a reworking of the Janis Joplin song "I Need a Man to Love."

2013- Ariana Grande released her first single, “The Way,” launching her pop music career.

2012-Madonna releases her dance-heavy 12th album, MDNA, the title a play on her name and also the club drug ecstacy. It goes to #1 in America, giving Madonna her eighth chart-topper.

2009-Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy hosts the MTV Australia Awards. His band wins Best Rock Video for "I Don't Care," while Pink's "So What" takes Best Video.

2008-The B-52's lose their apostrophe and become the B-52s with the release of their album Funplex. The apostrophe, which is grammatically incorrect because apostrophes show possession, was simply an error made by the friend that designed their logo.

2008-Guitarist Clint Lowery returns to Sevendust to replace Sonny Mayo.

2006-Nikki Sudden (co-founder of Swell Maps) dies of a heart attack at age 49.

2005-Paul Hester (drummer for Crowded House) commits suicide at age 46.

2005- Stereophonics reached the top of the UK Albums chart with Language.Sex.Violence.Other?.

2004-Jan Berry (of Jan & Dean) dies at age 62.

2002-Drummer Randy Castillo, who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue, dies of cancer at age 51.

2002-Celine Dion releases the album A New Day Has Come, her first as a mom (son René-Charles was born a year earlier). I goes to #1 in many territories, including the US, UK, and Canada.

2001-Gorillaz release their debut self-titled album, which becomes a surprise chart success in the US. Although the band's vocalist, Damon Albarn, is well known in Europe through his band Blur, he is virtually unknown in the States, leading to low expectations for the release. The album eventually sells over a million copies in America and peaks at #14.

1999-Bengali musician Ananda Shankar dies of heart failure at age 56.

1996- Shania Twain achieved her first US No.1 with The Woman In Me on the Billboard country chart, marking a breakthrough in her career.

1995- Eazy-E, influential rapper and N.W.A. member dies.

1995-Eazy-E (Eric Wright) dies of AIDS-related complications at age 31.

1994-Modern rock rules as Soundgarden's Superunknown is the #1 album in America, with Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral at #2. Those looking for something less intense can find it at #3, with the Ace of Base album The Sign.

1994- Morrissey topped the UK Albums chart with Vauxhall and I.

1991-Bob Dylan's The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 is released.

1988-"Man In The Mirror" becomes the fourth of a record five #1 hits from Michael Jackson's Bad album.

1987-Nike begins airing a commercial using the Beatles song "Revolution," marking the first time an original version of a Beatles song is used in an ad.

1987-Elton John admits that his marriage to Renate Blauel is in trouble, releasing a statement (through his publicist) that reads: "In order to put an end to further speculation, Elton and Renate jointly wish it to be known that they have for many months lived apart whilst each of them has been considering the future of their marriage." The couple married on Valentine's Day, 1984; their divorce is finalized on November 17, 1988.

1983- Duran Duran hit No.1 on the UK Singles chart with “Is There Something I Should Know?”.

Video Makes Radio Stars Out Of Duran Duran
1983-Thanks to heavy rotation on MTV, Duran Duran have their first American hit when "Hungry Like The Wolf" hits #3 on the Hot 100.

1982- Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder released the single “Ebony & Ivory” in the UK, a major hit promoting racial harmony.

1980-John Poulos (drummer for The Buckinghams) dies of drug-related heart failure less than a week before this 33rd birthday.

1977-The Clash release their first single, making an immediate political statement with "White Riot." It is released only in the UK and not available in America until two years later.

1977- Hall & Oates scored their first US No.1 with “Rich Girl” from the album Bigger Than The Both Of Us.

1976-Blues singer Duster Bennett dies in a car accident at age 29 after falling asleep at the wheel.

1976-David Keuning (lead guitarist for The Killers) is born in Pella, Iowa.

1975-The movie version of Tommy premieres in London.

1973- Noel Coward, English playwright, composer, and actor dies at age 73.

Iconic Stones Logo Appears For First Time
1971-The Rolling Stones' lips and tongue logo appears for the first time when it is used on VIP passes for their show at the Marquee Club in London.

1971-Emerson, Lake & Palmer play their adaptation of Mussorgsky's classical piece "Pictures At An Exhibition" at Newcastle City Hall in England. The performance is released as a live album later that year.

1970-Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary is arrested in Washington, DC for taking "immoral liberties" with a 14-year-old girl (he pleads guilty and spends three months in jail).

1970-The Woodstock movie premieres in Hollywood.

1969-Pat Boone guest stars on the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies.

1969- Marvin Gaye reached No.1 on the UK Singles chart with “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”.

1968-Kenny Chesney is born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is raised in nearby Luttrell.

1968-Guitarist James Iha is born in Chicago. In 1988 he forms Smashing Pumpkins with Billy Corgan. The band breaks up in 2000 and reforms in 2006, but Iha doesn't rejoin until 2018.

1966-After 14 years on TV (and ten years on radio before that), the last episode of The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet, which made Rick Nelson a household name, airs on ABC.

1966-The Strangeurs, featuring future Aerosmith frontman Steven Tallarico (later Steven Tyler), open for The Byrds at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York. The Strangeurs arrange for girls to sit in the front row and scream for them, but it's hardly necessary as the crowd goes nuts during their set, where they play six songs instead of their allotted two.

1995- Rapper Eazy-E, co-founder of N.W.A., died at age 31 from AIDS-related complications, leaving a lasting impact on hip-hop.

1964-Former Beatles drummer Pete Best appears on the game show I've Got A Secret.

1964- The musical Funny Girl, starring Barbra Streisand, opened at New York’s Winter Garden Theater, running for 1,348 performances.

1964- Chuck Berry recorded “No Particular Place To Go,” which became a Top 10 hit internationally.

1958-Dee Clark records "Hey Little Girl."

1955- Bill Hayes’ version of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” topped the US Singles chart for five weeks.

1953-Billy Lyall (keyboardist for Bay City Rollers, Pilot) is born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1950-Teddy Pendergrass (lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes) is born in Kingstree, South Carolina.

1949-Actress/singer Vicki Lawrence is born in Inglewood, California.

1948-Richard Tandy (keyboardist for Electric Light Orchestra) is born in Birmingham, England.

1948-Steven Tyler is born Steven Tallarico in Yonkers, New York. Originally a drummer, he switches to frontman when he forms Aerosmith in 1970. Over the course of an adventurous 50+ year career with the band, he overcomes a crippling drug addiction and does time as a judge on American Idol.

1946-Johnny Crawford is born in Los Angeles, California. As a child star, he is one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club and plays in the popular Western TV show The Rifleman before releasing a string of singles in the '60s.

1946-Fran Sheehan (bassist for Boston) is born in Swampscott, Massachusetts.

1944-Diana Ross is born in Detroit, Michigan. She finds fame as lead singer of The Supremes.

1938- NBC broadcasted a performance of Howard Hanson’s 3rd Symphony, showcasing early American orchestral music.

1936-Fred Parris, a founder of The Five Satins and composer of their hit "In The Still Of The Nite," is born in Connecticut.

1934-Actor/singer Alan Arkin (of The Tarriers) is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1917-Funky soul singer Rufus Thomas, known for his recordings at Stax Records, is born in Mississippi.

1827- Legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven passed away at age 56, marking a pivotal moment in classical music history.

[Bikkie]

1883
The 'Sallies' come to New Zealand
Two English Salvation Army officers landed at Port Chalmers to set up a New Zealand branch of the Christian evangelical movement.


1984
Trades' Hall bombing
Caretaker and unionist Ernie Abbott was killed on 27 March 1984 when a bomb exploded inside Trades’ Hall on Wellington’s Vivian St.



In Music History

2022-Summer Of Soul, directed by Questlove of The Roots, wins the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The film features never-before-seen footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, including performances by Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson and Sly & the Family Stone.

2021-Morgan Wallen's Dangerous: The Double Album, which debuted at #1 in America, logs its 10th week at the top, the most weeks for a debut chart-topper since Whitney Houston's self-titled album in 1987. In its fourth week at #1, Wallen was caught on camera using the N-word (addressed to his white friend) after a night of drinking, but instead of tanking the album when his music was pulled from radio stations, the controversy helped extend its run as fans bought and streamed it in support.

2020- Bob Andy, the Jamaican reggae vocalist and songwriter, passed away at the age of 75.

2020-Two weeks into the pandemic, Dua Lipa releases her disco-fied second album, Future Nostalgia, with the hits "Don't Start Now" and "Levitating." It earns her lots of new fans, including Elton John, who teams with her on "Cold Heart" the following year.

2013-Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires dies at age 88.

2013-Crawdaddy magazine founder Paul Williams dies at age 64. Not to be confused with the singer/songwriter/actor Paul Williams, the subject of the 2011 documentary, Paul Williams Still Alive.

2011-Dionne Warwick is the fourth contestant fired by Donald Trump on season 11 of The Celebrity Apprentice.

2008-Trace Adkins is one of the finalists on Season 7 of The Celebrity Apprentice. He loses the battle to tabloid editor Piers Morgan.

2008-The Los Angeles Times publishes — and later retracts — a story that Diddy had a hand in the shooting that killed Tupac Shakur. In the end, it is all fiction conjured by an imprisoned con man.

2008-A jury convicts rapper Remy Ma of assault charges stemming from a shooting outside a Manhattan night club.

2008- Leona Lewis' second single "Bleeding Love" reached the summit of the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first British woman to reach No.1 on the American charts since Kim Wilde in 1987.

2007-Faustino Oramas of Buena Vista Social Club dies at age 95.

2006-Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

2006-Pete Wells, guitarist in Rose Tattoo, dies of prostate cancer at age 59.

2005-The medical drama Grey's Anatomy debuts on ABC with a new approach to music, using little-known songs, complete with lyrics, to soundtrack many scenes. Songs popularized by the series include "How To Save A Life" by The Fray, "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol and "The Story" by Brandi Carlile.

2005-Mexican singer Rigo Tovar dies at age 58.

2004-Prince kicks off his Musicology tour with a show in Reno, Nevada. The average ticket costs $61, which includes a copy of the Musicology album. These are counted as sales according to Billboard, so the album rises to #3 (his previous three albums failed to chart). The tour takes in $87.4 million, making it the highest-grossing of 2004.

2003-John Lennon's boyhood home in Liverpool is opened to the public.

2001-Bruce Springsteen releases Live In New York City, the accompanying album to an HBO concert film that follows the Boss and his E Street Band on a ten-show tour, ending at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

2000-British singer Ian Dury, who with his band Ian Dury & the Blockheads had a #1 UK hit with "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," dies of cancer at age 57.

1995-The British boy band Take That release their most successful single, "Back For Good," which lands at #1 on several charts around the world and secures the #7 spot in America.

1993-Saxophone player Clifford Jordan dies from lung cancer at age 61.

1993-Kyuss begins a run of Australian tour dates opening for Metallica, during the latter group's tour in support of The Black Album, at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney.

Digital Underground Release Sex Packets
1990-Digital Underground, a rap collective that later includes Tupac Shakur, release their debut album, Sex Packets. It's a concept album about a drug that simulates the experience of having sex.More

U2 Surprise Los Angeles Onlookers With A Rooftop Performance
1987-U2 play a rooftop concert in Los Angeles to film their video for "Where The Streets Have No Name." Thousands of onlookers gather and police order the band to stop playing.

1986-In Valley Center, Kansas, Metallica join Ozzy Osbourne's Ultimate Sin tour as the opening act.

1986-Sammy Hagar makes his first appearance as Van Halen's lead singer when the group begin their tour in Louisiana.

1984-Run-DMC release their self-titled debut album, which becomes the first rap album certified Gold by the RIAA.

"Pac-Man Fever" Takes Hold
1982-"Pac-Man Fever," a song about the arcade game that has America enthralled, cracks the Top 10, becoming the only song about a video game ever to do so.

Eric Clapton Marries George Harrison's Ex-Wife
1979-Eric Clapton marries George Harrison's ex-wife Pattie, the subject of the song "Layla." Harrison attends the wedding and remains friends with Clapton.

1976-Gary Wright's big hit "Dream Weaver" reaches its US chart peak of #2. The song is inspired by the writing of Paramahansa Yogananda.

1975-Fergie (Stacy Ferguson) of Black Eyed Peas is born in Hacienda Heights, California.

1973-Liza Minnelli wins an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Cabaret, beating out Diana Ross, who starred in Lady Sings The Blues.

1973-Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead is stopped for speeding, then busted when various drugs are found in his car.

1972-Grand Funk fire their manager/producer, Terry Knight, accusing him of taking more than his share of royalties. Knight sues, and in December confiscates the band's equipment via a court order.

1970-Mariah Carey is born in Huntington, Long Island, New York. She becomes the best-selling female singer of the '90s and the self-proclaimed "Queen of Christmas," thanks to her perennial favorite "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

1970-Brendan Hill, drummer for Blues Traveler, is born in London, England.

1967-The Young Rascals record "Groovin'."

1965-Johnny April (bassist for Staind) is born in Enfield, Connecticut.

1965- The Supremes' "Stop! In The Name Of Love" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, leading to its induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

1965-Jeff Beck joins The Yardbirds as a replacement for Eric Clapton.

1964-Derrick McKenzie (drummer for Jamiroquai) is born in London, England.

1959-Keyboard player Andrew Farriss, who forms INXS along with his brothers, Tim and Jon, is born in Perth, Western Australia. He and lead singer Michael Hutchence team up to write most of the group's songs.

1959- Russ Conway started a four-week stint at number one on the UK Singles chart with "Side Saddle."

1958-Stereo albums are introduced.

1957-"Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera)" from the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Man Who Knew Too Much wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

1953-Rock guitarist Wally Stocker (of The Babys, Air Supply and Humble Pie) is born in London, England.

1950-Tony Banks (keyboardist for Genesis) is born in East Hoathly, East Sussex, England.

1948-The film musical April Showers is released, starring Jack Carson and Ann Sothern; it includes the 1921 song of the same name.

1946-Andy Bown (keyboardist, rhythm guitarist for Status Quo) is born in Beckenham, London, England.

1941-R&B singer/songwriter Bunny Sigler is born in Philadelphia. His real name is Walter, but his family calls him Bunny because he was born two days before Easter.

1940-Ska musician Derrick Morgan is born in Jamaica.

1932-Bluesman Junior Parker is born Herman Parker Jr. in either Clarksdale, Mississippi, or West Memphis, Arkansas.

1924-Jazz singer Sarah Vaughan is born in Newark, New Jersey.

[Bikkie]

845 - Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving.

1797 - American Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire patents a washing machine.

1910 - The first seaplane takes off from Martigues near Marseilles, France, designed by Frenchman Henri Fabre.



In Music History

2020-The 12-hour "Twitch Aid" concert raises nearly $3 million to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Over 70 quarantined performers take part from their homes, including John Legend, Rita Ora, Cole Swindell, Garth Brooks and Diplo.

2017-Bruno Mars kicks off his 24K Magic World Tour in Antwerp, Belgium. His opening act is Anderson .Paak, whom he meets for the first time. They become fast friends and decide to form a duo that becomes Silk Sonic, an homage to '70s soul that has one of the biggest hits of 2022 with "Leave The Door Open."

2014-Folk singer-turned-reverend Joe Frazier (of the Chad Mitchell Trio) dies in his sleep at age 77.

2014-Nas headlines the One Mic: Hip-Hop Culture Worldwide festival at the Kennedy Center in New York City with a performance of his album Illmatic with the National Symphony Orchestra.

2013-Session rock guitarist Hugh McCracken (Billy Joel, Steely Dan) dies at age 70 of leukemia.

2012-Blues harmonica player Jerry "Boogie" McCain, known for the self-penned tunes "Ain't No Use for Drug Abuse" and "Burn the Crackhouse Down," dies at age 81.

2011-Rapper Rick Ross is arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, after being caught with one gram of marijuana. Ross was smoking the drug at the Hilton Hotel when guests reported smelling a foul odor coming from his room. Ross is booked and released the same night.

2010-Laura Marling's second album, I Speak Because I Can, debuts at #4 on the UK albums chart.

2005-On Rev. Jesse Jackson's internet radio show, Michael Jackson claims that his recent child-molestation charges are a racist conspiracy.

2003-'50s country/pop singer Rusty Draper dies at age 80 from pneumonia.

2000-Jimmy Page wins a libel suit against the UK magazine Ministry, which printed that he tried to revive his dying bandmate John Bonham by using Satanic spells.

1999-Rapper Freaky Tah (of Lost Boyz) is fatally shot by Kelvin Jones, a member of the fledgling New York-based rap group The Hellraisers. Freaky Tah, real name Raymond Rogers, is just 27 years old.

1996-Phil Collins leaves Genesis on good terms, stating he will concentrate on "Movies, some Jazz projects, and of course my solo career."

1995-Wilco release their debut album, A.M. It is the first and last album to feature Brian Henneman on lead guitar.

1995-Lyle Lovett and actress Julia Roberts announce they are separating after 21 months of marriage.

1995-Lyle Lovett and actress Julia Roberts announce they are separating after 21 months of marriage.

1992-INXS, Crowded House and other Australian acts play the "Concert For Life" benefit at Centennial Park in Sydney to help continue the work of Victor Chang, a leader in heart research who was murdered in 1991. The crowd is estimated at 100,000; no alcohol is allowed (a rarity at an Australian concert) because the park must be protected.

1991-The funeral is held for Eric Clapton's son Conor, who was 4 years old when he fell to his death out an open window. Clapton's song "Tears In Heaven" is about Conor.

1990-The Go-Go's reunite for a show at the The Whisky a Go Go to benefit the California Environmental Protection Initiative. It goes so well, they launch a tour later in the year.

1986-Stefani Germanotta enters the world in New York City. She is born this way, but rises to fame under the name Lady Gaga.

1985-Four-year-old Alicia Cook makes her acting debut on the "Slumber Party" episode of The Cosby Show. She'll become famous as Alicia Keys.

1984-Mick Fleetwood, whose band Fleetwood Mac had the biggest-selling album of all time just seven years earlier, files for bankruptcy.

1982-On his way to a "no-nukes" rally, David Crosby crashes his car into a divider on the San Diego Freeway. Police find quaaludes, cocaine paraphernalia, and a concealed pistol in the vehicle, but charges against him are plea bargained down to reckless driving and he is sentenced to probation and a $751 fine. A few weeks later he is arrested again, this time for freebasing cocaine.

1981- Blondie's "Rapture" became their fourth No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, featuring a rap section and a nod to hip-hop trailblazers.

1979-The day after they are married, Eric Clapton sings "Wonderful Tonight" to his new wife Pattie at his concert in Tucson, Arizona. He wrote the song about her while waiting for her to get ready to go out.

1975-At an Elvis Presley concert at the Hilton in Las Vegas, Barbra Streisand goes backstage and offers Elvis the lead role in her upcoming film A Star Is Born. Elvis is interested, but on the advice of his manager Colonel Parker, he demands too much money and top billing, so Kris Kristofferson is chosen for the role instead.

1974-Blue Swede's "Hooked On A Feeling" is certified Gold.

1974-Delta blues musician Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup dies of complications of heart disease and diabetes at age 68.

1973-Neil Young performs "Don't Be Denied" at the Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona. A few months later a recording of the performance appears on Time Fades Away.

1973- Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy" album topped the UK charts and sold over 12 million copies worldwide.

1972-Elvis Presley records "Burning Love" and "Fool."

1970-John Lennon's "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" hits its peak position of #3.

1970- Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" hit number one on the UK Singles chart for three consecutive weeks.

1969-Joe Cocker plays his first live gig in the US.

1969-EMF frontman James Atkins is born in Birmingham, England.

1967-Van Morrison records "Brown Eyed Girl."

1964-Radio Caroline, the UK's first all-day English-language "pirate" radio station, begins broadcasting from the Fredericia, a former Danish ferry, in the North Sea.

1964-Heavyweight boxing champ Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) hits #102 in the US with his cover of "Stand By Me."

1964-The Beatles become the first Rock Stars displayed in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London. They later use their wax versions on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

1958-Blues musician W.C. Handy dies of bronchial pneumonia at age 84.

1958-Eddie Cochran records "Summertime Blues."

1957-Ral Donner, later to hit with the Elvis-soundalike "The Girl Of My Friend," sees Elvis for the first time, performing at the International Amphitheater in Chicago.

1955-Reba McEntire is born in McAlester, Oklahoma. After a slow start in the '70s, she becomes one of the top country singers of the next three decades. "I was always afraid if I didn't use my gift, God would take it away from me and give it to somebody else," she says.

1952-Jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday marries mafia strongman Louis McKay.

1948-Milan Williams (keyboardist for The Commodores) is born in Okolona, Mississippi.

1948-John Evan (keyboardist for Jethro Tull) is born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

1945-Sally Carr (of Middle of the Road) is born in Muirhead, Scotland.

1945-Chuck Portz (bassist for The Turtles) is born in Santa Monica, California.

1943-Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff dies of melanoma at age 69.

1941-Charlie McCoy (of Area Code 615) is born in Oak Hill, West Virginia. As a session musician, he works with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Loretta Lynn, among others.

1939-Hal Kemp records "Three Little Fishies."

1923-Jazz trumpeter Thad Jones is born in Pontiac, Michigan.

1915-Composer Jay Livingston is born in McDonald, Pennsylvania. He teams with lyricist Ray Evans to write a number of popular songs for films, including the Academy Award-winning "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" for The Man Who Knew Too Much.

1890-Bandleader Paul Whiteman is born in Denver, Colorado.

[Bikkie]

1901
Skippers Bridge opened
At 96 m long and 91 m high, the suspension bridge over the Shotover River near Queenstown in Central Otago is one of the most spectacular bridges in New Zealand.


1942
Nazi sabotage hoax
During the Second World War, convicted conman Sydney Gordon Ross duped New Zealand’s intelligence service into believing that Nazi agents were planning to carry out sabotage in New Zealand.



1959
Evangelist Billy Graham arrives for 11-day crusade
In the first half of 1959 Billy Graham and his associate evangelists Leighton Ford, Grady Wilson and Joseph Blinco held crusades in New Zealand and Australia which attracted large audiences.



In Music History

Beyoncé Cowboys Up With Groundbreaking Country Album
2024-Beyoncé drops Cowboy Carter, a sassy country album (mostly) with 27 tracks and appearances by Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and an unheralded Black country singer named Linda Martell, whose only album was released in 1970. When Cowboy Carter tops the Country chart, it makes Beyoncé the first Black woman to do so.More

2022-Eric Church cancels an upcoming concert in San Antonio so he can watch his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels take on Duke in the Final Four.

2022- Tom Parker of The Wanted passed away at age 33 from brain cancer.

2020-Alan Merrill of The Arrows, who co-wrote "I Love Rock And Roll," dies at 69, one of the first high-profile musicians to succumb to coronavirus.

2020- Country music star Joe Diffie died at age 61 from COVID-19 complications.

2020-With most of the world homebound as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold, Elton John hosts the "Living Room Concert For America" from his home, featuring virtual performances by Mariah Carey, H.E.R., Backstreet Boys, and Tim McGraw. The concert raises money to help local food banks and support first responders during the crisis.More

2019- Seventeen-year-old Billie Eilish released her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, which received critical acclaim and won multiple Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.

2010-Ricky Martin comes out as gay, posting on his website, "Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution. I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man."

2009-Nickelback rule the Juno Awards, winning Album of the Year, Group of the Year and the Fan Choice Award.

2007-U2 singer Bono received an honorary knighthood in Dublin, though he could not use the title "Sir" as he is not a British citizen.

2007- Rihanna released "Umbrella" featuring Jay-Z, which became a global hit, topping charts in the US, UK, and worldwide, and earning multiple awards including Grammys and MTV VMAs.

2006-Tom Jones is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

2005-Neil Young has brain surgery to remove an aneurysm. His vision became blurry at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies, and a subsequent checkup discovered the aneurysm.

2005-Weezer release "Beverly Hills," the lead single from their Make Believe album. The video is shot at the Playboy mansion, where they perform the song to a strange mix of Playboy bunnies and Weezer fans.

2001-John Lewis of The Modern Jazz Quartet dies of prostate cancer at age 80.

2001- Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys was honored in a three-hour tribute at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, featuring performances by Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and others.

1999-Jazz singer Joe Williams dies at age 80.

1996-Phil Spector's former bandmates in The Teddy Bears, Carol Connors and Marshall Lieb, sue the producer to collect royalties they claim are still owed from the group's 1958 smash "To Know Him Is To Love Him."

1994-K-pop singer and actress Sulli is born at Seongnam, South Korea.

1994- The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released, featuring The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, and Stone Temple Pilots, reaching chart-topping positions in the US and Australia.

1993-"A Whole New World" from the Disney animated film Aladdin wins the Academy Award for Best Song.

1992-For his role as Johnny Van Owen in Cool As Ice, Vanilla Ice is dubbed Worst New Star at the 12th Golden Raspberry Awards. Other honorees include MC Hammer, who lands Worst Original Song for "Addams Groove," written for The Addams Family.

1989-Michelle Zauner, who uses the name Japanese Breakfast for her musical projects, is born in Seoul, South Korea, but moves to Oregon with her family as a baby. Her asymmetrical sound earns her an indie-pop audience, but her 2021 song "Be Sweet" brings her out in the open, leading to a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

1987-Prince is named Worst Actor and Worst Director for Under the Cherry Moon at the 7th Golden Raspberry Awards. The film also earns Razzies for Worst Picture (tied with Howard the Duck), Worst Supporting Actor (Jerome Benton), and Worst Original Song ("Love or Money").

1986-The Beatles' records are officially licensed for sale in the Soviet Union.

1986-Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus," a tribute to the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with lyrics in German, hits #1 in America.

1985-Madonna stars in the movie Desperately Seeking Susan alongside Rosanna Arquette.

1985-Jeanne Deckers - known as "The Singing Nun" - and her companion Annie Pécher die in a double suicide at their home. As a Belgian nun, Deckers had a US #1 hit in 1963 with "Dominique," but she left the convent in 1966 and went through a series of setbacks, including devastating financial problems. Deckers is 51, Pécher is 40.

1982-Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney release "Ebony And Ivory."

1982-"Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)," sung by Christopher Cross, wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Cross wrote the song with Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager (along with Peter Allen, who came up with the line "When you get caught between the moon and New York City") for the film Arthur, starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli.

1980-The Italian conductor Mantovani dies at age 74.

1980-Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of The Moon spends its 303rd week on the US album chart beating the record by Carole King's 1971 long player Tapestry.

Brian Johnson Replaces Bon Scott In AC/DC
1980
Brian Johnson of the band Geordie gets a new, slightly more high-profile gig: replacing the deceased Bon Scott in AC/DC. Johnson's first album with the band is Back In Black, which becomes the second-best selling album worldwide behind Thriller.

1979-With their "Roxanne" money, The Police hit up Manny's Music in New York City, where they buy up much of the inventory. At their soundcheck that night at My Father's Place in Long Island, they start experimenting with the effects units and bass pedals that help define their sound moving forward.

1978-After a tumultuous ordeal that lasted nearly two years, Tina Turner is officially divorced from husband Ike. She gets nothing in the settlement except her name; born Anna Mae Bullock, it was Ike who named her "Tina Turner" when they started performing together.

1975-Led Zeppelin becomes the first band in history to have six entries on the Billboard Albums chart at once. Their latest release, Physical Graffiti, is at #1, with their previous five albums also on the chart: Led Zeppelin IV (#83), House of the Holy (#92), Led Zeppelin II (#104), Led Zeppelin (#116) and Led Zeppelin III (#124). They rarely release singles, which boosts their album sales.

1975-Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" hits #1 in America as listeners track down French speakers to translate the line, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir." ("Do you want to sleep with me tonight?")

1975- Jeff Beck released his second solo album Blow by Blow, which peaked at No.4 in the US and went platinum, earning a Grammy for Best Instrumental Album.

1974-The first Kiss TV appearance is broadcast, as they appear on the musical variety show In Concert. Their performance was recorded February 21.

Dr. Hook Really Do Make The Cover Of Rolling Stone
1973-Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, who have a hit with "The Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'," appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

1972-Elvis Presley records "Always On My Mind" and "It's A Matter Of Time."

1970-The Ed Sullivan Show broadcasts live from hospitals treating soldiers wounded in Vietnam. Guests include Bobbie Gentry and Gladys Knight & the Pips.

1969-Blood, Sweat & Tears' LP Blood Sweat & Tears hits #1.

1967- The Beatles recorded "With a Little Help from My Friends" at Abbey Road Studios, contributing to their landmark album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
1967-Blues Traveler frontman John Popper is born in Chardon, Ohio.

1959-Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell is born Peretz Bernstein in Queens, New York City. His stage name is a play on the word "peripheral," in the sense that he's "on the edge." Farrell fronts the bands Jane's Addiction and Porno For Pyros, but is most famous for launching the Lollapalooza music festival.

1958-Elvis Presley begins boot camp in Ft. Hood, Texas, where he insists on doing KP and guard duty just like the other soldiers.

1951- Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "The King and I" opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre, starring Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence, running for 1,246 performances.

1949-Jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker (of The Brecker Brothers) is born in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.

1947-Bobby Kimball (frontman for Toto) is born in Orange, Texas.

1945-John "Speedy" Keen (of Thunderclap Newman) is born in Ealing, London, England.

1944-Terry Jacks ("Seasons In The Sun") is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

1943-The composer Vangelis (Evangelos Papathanassiou) is born in Greece. In 1982, his theme to the movie Chariots of Fire goes to #1 in America. He is also known for his collaborations with Jon Anderson of Yes - they record as Jon & Vangelis.

1943-Chad Allan (original lead singer of The Guess Who) is born Allan Peter Stanley Kowbel in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

1940-Pop singer Eden Kane is born Richard Graham Sarstedt in New Delhi, India.

1918-Actress/singer Pearl Bailey is born in Virginia.

1902-Composer William Walton is born in Oldham, Lancashire, England.

1871- The Royal Albert Hall in London was officially opened by Queen Victoria, becoming a premier venue for classical and popular music performances.

1795-Beethoven makes his Vienna public debut at the city's Burgtheater when he is the soloist at the premiere of his Piano Concerto No. 2. Prior to that, the German composer had performed only in the private salons of the Viennese nobility.




Significant Births
1940: Brazilian samba singer Astrud Gilberto, known for The Girl From Ipanema.

1943- Greek composer Vangelis, famed for Chariots of Fire.

1943- Canadian musician Chad Allan, founding member of The Guess Who.

1949- Jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker.

1959- Perry Farrell, frontman of Jane’s Addiction.

1981- PJ Morton, singer-songwriter and member of Maroon 5.
1
1994- Sulli, South Korean K-pop singer and actress (f(x)),.
1
1996- Billie Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, is also a musician, highlighting the family’s musical legacy.

[Bikkie]

1940
Funeral procession for Prime Minister Savage
New Zealand’s first Labour prime minister, Michael Joseph Savage, died in office on 27 March 1940. His body lay in state at Parliament for two days before his funeral cortège, which was more than 1.6 km long, set off for the railway station at 9 a.m. on 30 March.


Michael King, c. 1990s
2004
Historian Michael King dies
Historian Michael King (aged 58) and his wife Maria Jungowska died in a car accident in south Waikato. King’s Penguin history of New Zealand became the most popular book of the year, and was the Readers’ Choice at the 2004 Montana New Zealand Book Awards.

1940
Funeral procession for Prime Minister Savage
New Zealand’s first Labour prime minister, Michael Joseph Savage, died in office on 27 March 1940. His body lay in state at Parliament for two days before his funeral cortège, which was more than 1.6 km long, set off for the railway station at 9 a.m. on 30 March.




In Music History

2020- Soul singer Bill Withers, known for hits like "Lean On Me," passes away at the age of 81, leaving behind a legacy of timeless music.

2019-Tame Impala debut the song "Borderline" on Saturday Night Live even though the lyrics aren't written yet. Frontman Kevin Parker improvises some words and mumbles his way through it, but nobody seems to notice. He calls it "singing in tongues."

2017-Rosie Hamlin of Rosie & the Originals ("Angel Baby") dies at age 71.

2015-21-year-old Justin Bieber gets roasted on Comedy Central, where he's taken to task for his headline-grabbing petulant behavior. Martha Stewart steals show, saying she's there to "give Justin some tips to use when he inevitably ends up in prison."

2013-Producer Phil Ramone dies of complications after surgery for an aortic aneurysm at age 79. Ramone produced most of Billy Joel's material. "If I hadn't met Phil when I did, I probably wouldn't have had a career," Joel says.

2011-Buffalo Springfield, which split in 1968, announce a reunion tour with original members Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The tour lasts seven shows, ending with a performance at Bonnaroo. Another 30 dates are planned, but Young calls it off.

2010-Barenaked Ladies release their ninth studio album, All In Good Time. It's their first album since the departure of co-lead singer Steven Page, who officially left the band in 2009.

2008-Sean Levert (of LeVert) dies at age 39.

2007-Jay-Z sells his clothing company, Rocawear, to Iconix for $204 million.

2006-Britney Spears plays a ditzy TV host on the "Buy, Buy Baby" episode of Will & Grace.

2005-Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica ends its three-season run on MTV as its subjects, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, are on the brink of divorce. The marriage is officially over the following June.

2004-Singer Timi Yuro dies at age 63.

2003-Duncan Sheik portrays Bobby Darin and sings "Beyond The Sea" on the "Where The Boys Are" episode of NBC's American Dreams.

Ashanti (Ja) Rules The Chart
2002
Ashanti dominates the American Top 10, with her Ja Rule collaboration "Always On Time" at #4, her Fat Joe duet "What's Luv?" at #5, and her solo track "Foolish" at #9. The #1 song, "Ain't It Funny" by Jennifer Lopez, contains some lyrics written by Ashanti.

2001-The Detroit Free Press breaks the news that Jack and Meg White of The White Stripes are not siblings as they claim, but former husband and wife. Court records show they were married in 1996 and divorced in 2000. Rolling Stone and the New York Times are among the publications previously reporting them as brother and sister, a believable claim because they look alike.

1996- The Prodigy achieves their first UK No. 1 hit with "Firestarter," a track that becomes iconic in the rave music scene.

ODB Picks Up Food Stamps On MTV
1995-Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard takes an MTV news crew along for a ride in a stretch limo, where he stops to pick up food stamps, proving that the ID card on the cover of his solo album is real.

1994-In Miami, Pink Floyd begin their last world tour, the Division Bell tour.

1993-Anitta is born Larissa de Macedo Machado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the sounds of baile funk, a controversial hip-hop subgenre inspired by Miami bass, originated in low-income neighborhoods like her own. By combining the edgy style with elements of reggaeton and pop on tunes like "Envolver," she is crowned the Queen of Brazilian Pop.

1992-PJ Harvey, a British alt rock trio consisting of vocalist Polly Jean Harvey, drummer Rob Ellis, and bassist Steve Vaughan, releases its debut album, Dry, a jagged collection of blues-infused punk-rock songs, including the sexually charged "Sheela-Na-Gig."

1989-To help promote Bon Jovi's album New Jersey, MTV gives away Jon Bon Jovi's childhood home (which they bought from his parents) to contest winners Jay and Judy Frappier. "This is the place where I learned about the finer things in life," Jon said in promos for the contest. "Like rock and roll and women."

1988-The movie Beetlejuice hits theaters, introducing a new generation to the 1956 Harry Belafonte Calypso favorite "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)," which plays in a wild scene where dinner guests are possessed by Beetlejuice the ghost and made to perform a routine to the song.

1987-Prince releases his ninth album, Sign O' the Times. The title track is a sober look at problems like poverty and drug abuse, but it's balanced with "U Got the Look," a lusty duet with Sheena Easton.

1986-Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold is born in Seattle, Washington.

1985-Phil Collins scores his second #1 hit as a solo artist: "One More Night."

1979-Norah Jones is born Geetali Norah Shankar in New York City. Her father is the Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, but Norah never lives with him. Raised by her mom, the concert promoter Sue Jones, she grows up in Texas before venturing back to New York to pursue music in 1999.

1974-John Denver's "Sunshine On My Shoulders" hits #1 in the US. The song first appeared on his 1971 album Poems, Prayers & Promises; it came to prominence after featuring in the made-for-TV movie Sunshine in 1973.

1970- Miles Davis releases the influential double album "Bitches Brew," which becomes a landmark in jazz music and earns him his first gold record.

1968-Celine Dion is born in Charlemagne, Quebec, the youngest of 14. She releases music in her native French throughout the '80s, building a huge following in Canada and France. In 1990, she sets her sights on America with her first English album, Unison, and she quickly becomes a star there as well.

1967-The Beatles shoot the cover of their Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album at Chelsea Manor Studios in London.

1964-Tracy Chapman is born in Cleveland, Ohio.

1963-Lesley Gore records "It's My Party" at Bell Studios in New York. That night, her producer Quincy Jones finds out that Phil Spector has recorded the song with his group The Crystals, so Jones rush-releases it to get Gore's version to radio stations first.

1962-MC Hammer is born in Oakland, California. His birth name is Stanley Burrell, but he is dubbed "Hammer" when he becomes a batboy for the Oakland A's, since he looks like hall-of-famer "Hammerin'" Hank Aaron.

1955-Singer/songwriter Randy VanWarmer ("Just When I Needed You Most") is born in Indian Hills, Colorado.

1948-Black Oak Arkansas lead singer Jim "Dandy" Mangrum is born in Michigan.

1946- The musical "St. Louis Woman," featuring music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, opens at the Martin Beck Theater in New York City, starring Pearl Bailey.

1945-Eric Clapton is born in Ripley, England. He forms the bands Cream, Blind Faith and Derek & the Dominos. His birth name is often erroneously reported as "Eric Clapp," as Clapp is the surname of his grandparents who raised him.

1944-Ronnie Rice of The New Colony Six is born in Illinois.

1943-Love bass player Ken Forssi is born in Cleveland.

1941-Graeme Edge of The Moody Blues is born in Staffordshire, England.

1930-Rolf Harris ("Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport") is born in Perth, Australia.

1914-Blues harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson is born John Lee Williamson in Jackson, Tennessee. An influential musician known for playing the harmonica as the lead instrument, he becomes an early victim of identity theft when another bluesman impersonates him and assumes his name. That musician, often referred to as Sonny Boy Williamson II, becomes more famous, known for writing blues standards like "Help Me" and "One Way Out."

1913-Frankie Laine is born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio in Chicago.

1866- Bedřich Smetana's comic opera "The Bartered Bride" premieres at the Prague Provisional Theatre in Prague, marking a significant moment in Czech opera history.

[Bikkie]

1864
Rewi's last stand?
The last battle of the Waikato War began when the spearhead of a strong British force charged an apparently weak Māori position at Ōrākau, south-east of Te Awamutu. After two frontal assaults failed, the British besieged the pā.


Thomas Morland Hocken in his library, 1893
1910
Hocken Library opens at Otago Museum
Thomas Hocken’s priceless legacy of historical material is the most important collection outside Crown ownership in New Zealand.


Fred Ladd
1967
Fred Ladd flies under Auckland Harbour Bridge
Well-known Auckland aviator Fred Ladd illegally flew his Widgeon amphibian aircraft under the Auckland Harbour Bridge.



In Music History

2021- Paul Simon sold his entire songwriting catalog of over 400 songs to Sony Music Publishing.

2019- Elton John joined George Clooney in calling for a boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei over anti-gay laws.

2017-The coming-of-age drama 13 Reasons Why drops on Netflix with a song called "The Night We Met" captivating viewers in the fifth episode. The song, released two years earlier by a little-known band called Lord Huron, goes viral and reappears in season 2 as a remix with Phoebe Bridgers.

Bowie Honored At Carnegie Hall
2016-Michael Stipe, Cyndi Lauper, Ann Wilson and Perry Farrell are among the performers at a Carnegie Hall concert honoring David Bowie.

2015-British jazz pianist Ralph Sharon, who brought "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" to Tony Bennett, dies in Boulder, Colorado, at age 91.

2009-Lynyrd Skynyrd release Live at the Cardiff Capitol Theatre. It features music recorded at Cardiff, Wales' Capitol Theatre on November 4, 1975. It's released alongside the album Authorized Bootleg: Live In Winterland, San Francisco, CA, 3/07/76.

2007-Police issue arrest warrants for Country singer Billy Joe Shaver after he shoots and wounds a man outside a Lorena, Texas, bar. Shaver later turns himself in.

2003-The Roots release Phrenology three years after their highly successful fourth album, Things Fall Apart. An ambitious work that pushes the boundaries of hip-hop, Phrenology also contains a hit: the Cody ChesnuTT collaboration "The Seed (2.0)."

2001-Acker Bilk receives an MBE (Member of the British Empire) medal from Queen Elizabeth for services to the music industry.

Bruce Springsteen Makes First Film Appearance
2000-The movie High Fidelity, starring John Cusack and Jack Black as record store clerks, and featuring a cameo by Bruce Springsteen, opens in theaters.

1999-The Matrix opens in theaters with a soundtrack featuring Marilyn Manson, Ministry, The Prodigy and Rob Zombie. It establishes industrial music as the sound of simulation theory.

1996-After battling a number of health issues, Gun Club guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce dies at age 37.

1995-23-year-old Lance Cunningham injures four people at a Jimmy Page/Robert Plant concert in Auburn Hills, Michigan, when he tries to rush the stage with a pocketknife. Cunningham claims he was trying to attack Page, accusing him of being "Satanic."

1995-23-year-old Tejano singer Selena dies after being shot by her former personal assistant and former fan club president, Yolanda Saldivar, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Jennifer Lopez stars in a movie about her life that is released in 1997.

1993-Mitchell Parish, who wrote lyrics for the songs "Deep Purple" and "Stardust," dies at 92.

Wynonna Judd Launches Solo Career
1992-After the sudden split of The Judds - a hit country duo she formed with her mom, Naomi - Wynonna Judd kicks off her solo career with a self-titled album that helps country crossover to the mainstream thanks to the hit single "No One Else On Earth."More

Springsteen Releases Two Albums at Once, Minus the E Street Band
1992-Bruce Springsteen releases two albums on the same day, Human Touch and Lucky Town. They're his first since Tunnel Of Love in 1987, and first since Nebraska (1982) without the E Street Band.

1990- The avant-garde opera The Black Rider, by Robert Wilson, Tom Waits, and William S. Burroughs, premiered at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, Germany.

1987-Georg Listing (bassist for Tokio Hotel) is born in Halle, Germany.

1986-O'Kelly Isley (of The Isley Brothers) dies of a heart attack at age 48 in Alpine, New Jersey.

1985-The first WrestleMania goes down at Madison Square Garden, with Liberace as timekeeper and Cyndi Lauper managing the wrestler Wendi Richter, who wins the Women's Championship with Lauper's help.

1984-Jack Antonoff is born in Bergenfield, New Jersey. He's the guitarist in the band Fun ("We Are Young") before going solo as Bleachers. His biggest impact is as a songwriter-producer for the likes of Taylor Swift, Lorde and Lana Del Rey.

1984-Kenny Loggins' "Footloose" hits #1 in America. It's the title song to the soon-to-be-famous film where Kevin Bacon brings dancing to a small town in the South.

1982-The Doobie Brothers announce their breakup. After a summer goodbye tour, lead singer Michael McDonald launches a successful solo career. The band regroups in 1987.

1981-At the first ever Golden Raspberry Awards (aka The Razzies), Neil Diamond takes home the prize for Worst Actor for his performance as Yussel Rabinovitch in The Jazz Singer. Laurence Olivier, who played Cantor Rabinovitch in the film, also scores a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor, an honor he shares with John Adames for Gloria.

1976- Led Zeppelin released their album Presence, adding to their influential rock catalog.

1974-Tom Petty marries his first wife, Jane Benyo. The couple met when they were both 17, which provides the title for the Stevie Nicks song "Edge Of Seventeen." They have two daughters before their divorce in 1996.

1973-Elton John appears on the front page of Melody Maker, which proclaims, "Now Elton's A Teen Idol!"

1973- The Grateful Dead played at War Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York.

1972- America’s self-titled debut album, featuring A Horse With No Name, was the number one album in the U.S.

1972-Badfinger, King Crimson, and Ashton, Gardner & Dyke performed at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans.

1971-Karl Lawrence King, who composed the Barnum and Bailey's circus music, dies at age 80.

1971-The final episode of The Johnny Cash Show airs on ABC. Cash closes the show with thanks to the cast and fans before moving into a rendition of "I Walk the Line."

1969-A short John Lennon film entitled Rape appears on Australian TV.

1969-Led Zeppelin's first album is released in the UK. The self-titled LP contains many hard rock classics, including "Dazed And Confused," "Good Times, Bad Times" and "Communication Breakdown."

1969- Led Zeppelin performed at the Cooks Ferry Inn in north London.

1969-George Harrison and his wife Pattie appear in court in Surrey, England, to answer recent charges of marijuana resin possession. Both are fined 250 pounds.

1969-John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold a press conference in Vienna where they announce their "Bagism" project, giving the entire press conference from inside a white bag.

1968- The Who performed at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C..

1967- Jimi Hendrix famously set his guitar on fire for the first time during a performance at the Astoria Theatre in London, a stunt that became legendary in rock history.

1967-At the Astoria Theatre in London, Jimi Hendrix sets fire to his guitar for the first time, and goes to the hospital after the show with minor burns. During the rest of the tour, Hendrix makes a habit of playing his guitar with his teeth, and he ignites his axe a few more times.

1966-Elvis Presley's Frankie & Johnnie movie premieres in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

1962-The Shirelles release "Soldier Boy."

1962-In these pre-Beatles years, Connie Francis is one of the biggest stars in America. She scores her third #1 with "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You."

1960- Lonnie Donegan’s My Old Man’s a Dustman debuted at No. 1 on the UK singles chart.

1959-Robert Holmes (guitarist for 'Til Tuesday) is born in England.

1958-Pat McGlynn (rhythm guitarist for Bay City Rollers) is born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1958- Chuck Berry released Johnny B. Goode, one of the earliest rock’n’roll hits about stardom, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B chart.

1957-Sun Records stars Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins begin a tour of the South in Little Rock, Arkansas, with Jerry Lee Lewis as a support act.

1957- Rodgers & Hammerstein's live television musical Cinderella, starring Julie Andrews, premiered on CBS-TV, bringing Broadway-style musicals into American homes.

1956-Brenda Lee makes her US television debut, singing an unrehearsed version of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)" on ABC's Ozark Jubilee.

1954-Tony Brock (drummer for The Tubes, The Babys) is born in Poole, Dorset, England.

1953-Sean Hopper (keyboardist for Huey Lewis & the News) is born in San Francisco, California.

1949-RCA introduces the 45 rpm record, which eventually becomes the format of choice for "singles," becoming more popular than the 78 rpm format by 1958.

1949- William Grant Still's opera Troubled Island, with a libretto by Langston Hughes and Verna Arvey, premiered at the New York City Opera, becoming the first grand opera by an African American produced by a major company.

1949- RCA Victor unveiled the 45 RPM single, revolutionizing the music industry by providing a durable, stackable format that dominated the singles market until the 1980s.

1948-Thijs Van Leer (vocalist, organist for Focus) is born in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

1946-Al Nichol (guitarist for The Turtles) is born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

1945-"My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" by the Les Brown Orchestra with vocals by Doris Day, goes to #1 in America.

1944-Guitarist Mick Ralphs of Mott the Hoople and Bad Company is born in Herefordshire, England.

1944-Rod Allen (original lead vocalist for The Fortunes) is born Rodney Bainbridge in Leicester, England.

1943- Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical Oklahoma! opened at the St. James Theatre in New York City, eventually running for 2,212 performances and earning a "Special Citation" Pulitzer Prize.

1943-Al Goodman (of Ray, Goodman & Brown) is born in Jackson, Mississippi.

1841- Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major was performed for the first time, marking a significant moment in Romantic classical music history.

1935-Trumpet player Herb Alpert is born in Los Angeles, California. After defining the "Tijuana sound" on his 1962 song "The Lonely Bull," he becomes one of the top-selling album artists of the '60s, behind only Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra. He's also a label boss, with A&M Records (his partnership with Jerry Moss) home to Cat Stevens, Styx, the Carpenters and many other top acts.
-
1934-An article in Melody Maker declares: "Expel All Jewish Musicians: A Little Hitler Invades Archer Street. Fascists Launch Fierce New Campaign." This refers to an Imperial Fascist League member Jackson Phillips as the "Little Hitler" of Archer Street. The article contains the memorable quote: "...he saw the light of Fascism, and this apparently so dazzled him that he has been unable to see anything else very clearly since."

1934-Richard Chamberlain is born in Beverly Hills, California. He finds fame as the star of TV's Dr. Kildare and also has string of '60s hits in the UK.

1934-John D. Loudermilk is born in Durham, North Carolina. He records as "Johnny Dee," but has his biggest success as a songwriter, composing "Tobacco Road" and "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)," a #1 hit for the Raiders in 1971.

1934-Actress/singer Shirley Jones is born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. After staring in various musicals, she plays Shirley, the matriarch of The Partridge Family on their TV show from 1970-1974. She and David Cassidy, who plays Keith Partridge, are the only cast members to actually sing on their songs.

1933-Anita Carter (of The Carter Sisters) is born in Maces Spring, Virginia, to Ezra and Maybelle Carter.

1928-Lefty Frizzell ("Long Black Veil") is born in Corsicana, Texas.

1921-Blues guitarist Lowell Fulson is born in Atoka, Oklahoma.

1909- Gustav Mahler conducted the New York Philharmonic for the first time, introducing his orchestral vision to American audiences.
1908-Jazz vibraphonist Red Norvo is born Kenneth Norville in Beardstown, Illinois.

1732-Joseph Haydn is born in Rohrau, Austria.

1685-Johann Sebastian Bach is born in Germany.


Notable Births on March 31
Francesco Durante (1684), Italian composer.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732), Austrian composer and key figure in the development of the Classical style.

Shirley Jones (1934), singer and actress from The Partridge Family.

Herb Alpert (1937), trumpeter and co-founder of A&M Records.

1955-Angus Young is born in Glasgow, Scotland. He later moves to Australia and forms AC/DC with his brother Malcolm.

Jack Antonoff (1984), guitarist and producer for Fun and Bleachers.

[Bikkie]

1773
First beer brewed in New Zealand
In an attempt to concoct a preventative against scurvy, Captain James Cook brewed a batch of beer on Resolution Island in Dusky Sound, using rimu branches and leaves.



1965
TEAL becomes Air New Zealand
New Zealand’s international airline, Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), was renamed Air New Zealand Limited.



1974
ACC comes into operation
In 1972 legislation established the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) to provide insurance for all personal injury.


1978
Thermal insulation required in NZ homes
Early European-style timber frame construction was not as effective as traditional Māori methods at keeping the heat in buildings. Specified levels of thermal insulation were not required by law until 1978.


1981
New Zealand Film Archive launched
The New Zealand Film Archive has grown considerably since it shared Wellington premises with the New Zealand Federation of Film Societies.


1987
State-owned enterprises are born
The State-owned Enterprises Act heralded a major overhaul of the public sector and was a key part of the strategy of economic liberalisation known as 'Rogernomics'.


1992
New Zealand Cartoon Archive launched
The New Zealand Cartoon Archive (now the New Zealand Cartoon and Comics Archive) was launched at a function at the National Library in Wellington by Prime Minister Jim Bolger.



In Music History

2020-Dolly Parton makes a $1 million donation to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help fund research for a coronavirus vaccine.

2020-Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne dies at 52 after contracting coronavirus. He's one of the first popular entertainers to die from the virus, which a week later claims the life of John Prine.

2017 – Bob Dylan received his Nobel Prize for Literature at a private ceremony in Stockholm, recognizing his songwriting as a literary achievement.

2016-Guns N' Roses announce that original members Slash and Duff McKagan are returning to the group to join Axl Rose on the Not In This Lifetime stadium tour of North America. VIP packages (the "Welcome to the Jungle Pit Experience") go for $2,500, which gets you a backstage tour and access to the Paradise City Lounge, but no interaction with the band.

2016-Actor-turned-singer Kiefer Sutherland releases his debut single, "Not Enough Whiskey."

2015-Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon's first wife, dies of cancer at age 75 in Mallorca, Spain.

2012 – 47th Academy of Country Music Awards honored artists including Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, and Miranda Lambert.

YouTube Rickrolls Users
2008
On April Fools' Day, YouTube tricks users with the popular bait-and-switch prank called Rickrolling by featuring video links that actually lead to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" music video. Several other websites have the same idea, creating an unintentional, internet-wide April Fools' joke.

2008-Scott Weiland officially departs Velvet Revolver, effectively ending the band.

2008-The Rolling Stones release Shine A Light, the soundtrack to their concert film of the same name, directed by Martin Scorsese.

2007-The Hammersmith Palais in London, subject of The Clash song "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais," hosts its last concert - a gig by The Fall.

2007-Proving she understands irony just fine, Alanis Morissette transforms the Black Eyed Peas' booty anthem "My Humps" into a mournful piano ballad for April Fools' Day. The accompanying music video debuts on YouTube and becomes a viral sensation, garnering millions of views.More

2006-Spin magazine publishes a review of the Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy, which Axl Rose and his gang have been working on since 1994. It's an April Fool: the album isn't released until 2008.

2005-Jack Keller dies of leukemia at age 68 in Nashville, Tennessee. The songwriter is known for his pop collaborations with Howard Greenfield, including "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "Run To Him." He was also a writer and producer for The Monkees TV series.

2004-Guitarist Paul Atkinson (of The Zombies) dies at age 58 from liver and kidney disease, while also suffering from cancer.

2002 – Luther Vandross released the compilation album Stop to Love, highlighting his contributions to R&B.

1999-"Shake, Rattle And Roll" composer Jesse Stone, aka Charles Calhoun, dies at age 97 in Alamonte Springs, Florida.

1996-After blowing through more than $30 million, MC Hammer files for bankruptcy protection.

1995-Tupac Shakur is in jail (serving time for sexual abuse), but his third album, Me Against the World, hits #1, where it stays for four weeks.

1992-Nigel Preston, drummer and founding member of The Cult, dies of a heroin overdose at age 28.

1992-MC Hammer's 2 Legit 2 Quit tour begins in Hampton, Virginia. By the end of the tour, two of his support acts have become more popular than he is: Boyz II Men and TLC.

1992-Jimmy Buffett and his wife Jane welcome their second daughter, Sarah Delaney.

1992-Billy Idol pleads no contest to charges of misdemeanor assault and battery and is fined $2,000. The incident happened in October 1991, when Idol ended up in a car with two women and allegedly punched one of them. Alcohol was involved.

1991-At his Wembley Arena concert in London, Rod Stewart calls for his wife Rachel Hunter to join him on stage for "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," but she instead sends out his buddy Elton John, dressed in women's clothes and makeup, to prank her husband. Stewart gamely plays along and sings to Elton.

1991-At his Wembley Arena concert in London, Rod Stewart calls for his wife Rachel Hunter to join him on stage for "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," but she instead sends out his buddy Elton John, dressed in women's clothes and makeup, to prank her husband. Stewart gamely plays along and sings to Elton.

1989-Living Colour make a splash as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live, performing "Cult of Personality" and "Open Letter (To a Landlord)."

Bangles Hit #1 With "Eternal Flame," Break Up Six Months Later
1989-Bangles hit #1 in America with "Eternal Flame," but break up less than six months later.More

1989-N.W.A.'s "Gangsta Gangsta" becomes the group's first song to enter the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it debuts at #91.

1986-Hillary Scott of Lady A is born in Nashville. Her mother is the singer Linda Davis.

1986-Bruce Hornsby and the Range release The Way It Is, an album that produces four hits (including the title track) and is certified multi-platinum.

1985 – David Lee Roth left Van Halen to pursue a solo career, a major shift in the rock landscape.

1985-It's no joke: David Lee Roth officially leaves Van Halen to start a solo career.

1984-Marvin Gaye is fatally shot by his own father and dies at age 44. An investigation reveals that Marvin had beaten his father, who ends up serving five years' probation for voluntary manslaughter.

1984 – Marvin Gaye, the legendary soul singer, was tragically shot and killed by his father one day before his 45th birthday. Gaye was celebrated for hits like “Sexual Healing” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”.

1983-The second Men at Work album, Cargo, is released in America. The group's debut was released there less than a year earlier and is still getting airplay, leading to Men at Work saturation. Sudden success takes its toll on the group, which breaks up a few years later.

1983-Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett gets a phone call from manager Mark Whitaker, asking him to audition for Metallica. Hammett accepts, and several days later, is on a plane to New York for his tryout.

1978-The Philadelphia Fury soccer team (owned by Paul Simon, Peter Frampton, James Taylor and others) makes its debut (it lasts three seasons).

1976-Rush disregard their record label's wishes and release 2112. Mercury wanted the band to produce an album with more radio-friendly singles than Caress of Steel, but 2112 is just as ambitious and "progressive" as its predecessor. This time, however, advances in the band's skills and changes in the market make 2112 successful, though it will take 1977's A Farewell to Kings to help nudge 2112 to Gold status.

1975-Journey release their self-titled debut album, a mix of progressive rock and jazz with little emphasis on the vocals. It finds just a niche audience, as do their next two albums, but after adding lead singer Steve Perry to the band in 1977 they switch to a pop sound and become consistent hitmakers.

1974-Tom Petty and his band Mudcrutch leave Gainesville for Los Angeles, and never look back. They soon become Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.

1971 – Jimi Hendrix’s posthumous album The Cry of Love was certified Gold, six months after his death, by the RIAA, cementing his enduring influence on rock music.

1970-The Joni Mitchell album Ladies Of The Canyon, with the songs "Big Yellow Taxi" and "The Circle Game," is released.

1969-After playing on hits for the likes of Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, four session musicians start Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, where they record The Staple Singers, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart and The Rolling Stones.

Traffic Find Strange (And Possibly Supernatural) Inspiration For Their Debut Album
1967-A former champion horse jockey named Sir William Pigott-Brown rents one of his properties - a 19th century farm in the countryside outside London - to Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who has his recently signed band Traffic record their debut album there.

1966 – The Troggs recorded “Wild Thing” at Olympic Sound Studio in London, which later became a global hit, topping charts in the UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand.

1966 – David Bowie released his first solo single, “Do Anything You Say”, marking his debut under the stage name David Bowie, though the single failed to chart.

1961-Rock and roll singer Troy Shondell releases his sole hit, "This Time."

1961-The Beatles begin a grueling gig at Hamburg's Top Ten Club - seven hours a day on weekdays (eight hours on weekends) for three months.

1961-Mark White, guitarist and keyboardist for the English new wave group ABC, is born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

1959-Freddy Cannon releases "Tallahassee Lassie," which becomes his first hit. The song is later covered by The Rolling Stones.

1956-Elvis Presley gets his film career going with a screen test at Paramount Studios, where he performs a scene from The Rainmaker. He lands a contract and ends up starring in 31 movies.

1954-Rock drummer Jeff Porcaro (of Toto) is born in South Windsor, Connecticut.

1948-Reggae musician Jimmy Cliff ("The Harder They Come," "Hakuna Matata") is born James Chambers in Somerton District, St. James, Jamaica.

1946-Bass guitarist Ronnie Lane (Small Faces and Faces) is born in Plaistow, London, England.

1945-Rock drummer John Barbata (Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship) is born in Passaic, New Jersey.

1944-Pop singer Frank Gari ("Utopia," "Lullaby of Love") is born Frank Daniel Garofalo in New York City.

1942-Phil Margo is born in Brooklyn, New York. He and brother Mitch will form The Tokens and release the #1 hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

1942-Pop guitarist Alan Blakley (The Tremeloes) is born in Bromley, Kent, England.

1939-Rudolph Isley (of The Isley Brothers) is born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1934-Country singer-songwriter Jim Ed Brown (The Browns) is born in Sparkman, Arkansas. Aside from forming The Browns with his two sisters, he'll find fame as a solo artist and frequent duet partner of Helen Cornelius ("I Don't Want To Have To Marry You").

1932-Singin' in the Rain star Debbie Reynolds is born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso, Texas.

1917-Ragtime composer Scott Joplin dies of syphilitic dementia at age 49 in New York City.

[Bikkie]

1950
Opening ceremony at British Empire Games in Auckland
Forty thousand spectators packed Eden Park for the opening ceremony of the fourth British Empire Games – the first staged since the Second World War.


1975
First woman swims Cook Strait
American Lynne Cox swam from the North Island to the South in 12 hours 7 minutes. The fourth person to do so, she battled heavy seas and strong winds.


1985
USS Buchanan refused entry to New Zealand
New Zealand's Labour government refused the USS Buchanan entry because the United States would neither confirm nor deny that the warship had nuclear capability.



In Music History

2024-Forbes declares Taylor Swift a billionaire, making her the first musician to hit that mark just with her music and performances, not through investments or other ventures. Rihanna, for instance, is a billionaire largely because of her Fenty beauty line.

2015-Lip Sync Battle debuts on the Spike network. Hosted by LL Cool J, it pits celebrities against each other in miming songs. The performances get more elaborate over the show's five seasons, with the most popular being Tom Holland's re-creation of Rihanna's "Umbrella" video. We also get to see Dwayne Johnson do "Shake It Off," Channing Tatum do "Run the World (Girls)" and Anne Hathaway take on "Wrecking Ball."

2013-Just hours before a show in Calgary, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora leaves the group, citing personal reasons. Surprisingly, he doesn't re-join the band, although he does perform with them at their 2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. Sambora joined the band in 1983 and co-wrote most of their hits.

2011-LCD Soundsystem play their final ever gig at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show lasts four hours and features Arcade Fire and Reggie Watts.

2009-Texas-born guitarist Freddie Everett dies at age 49 after a long battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).

2006 – Gnarls Barkley saw their debut single Crazy top the UK singles chart for nine weeks, becoming the first single to reach No.1 solely from download sales.

2003-Soul singer Edwin Starr dies at age 61 of a heart attack while taking a bath at his home near Nottingham, England. Known for his 1970 #1 hit "War," Starr moved from America to England in 1983 and remained a popular performer there until his death.

2001 – Mariah Carey signed a record-breaking $100 million deal with Virgin Records for three albums.

1998-Robert Pilatus of Milli Vanilli dies at age 32 after overdosing on a combination of drugs and alcohol.

1997-After 32 years, Joni Mitchell is reunited with her first daughter, Kilauren Gibb. Joni gave the child up for adoption at the start of her career.

1996-Rosanne Cash released her ninth studio album, 10 Song Demo.

1996-Blues musician Guitar Gabriel dies at age 70.

1996-Zach Bryan is born Okinawa, Japan, where his mother and father are deployed with the US Navy, but he's raised in Oologah, Oklahoma. Zach serves in the Navy for eight years, releasing two albums independently. When he's discharged in 2021, he signs with Warner Records; the following year he has his first hit with "Something In The Orange."

1993-Roberta Flack guest stars as herself on an episode of ABC-TV's Loving.

1991-Lenny Kravitz releases his sophomore album, Mama Said, with the hit "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," a plea for reconciliation to his soon-to-be ex-wife, actress Lisa Bonet.
More

1991-The Rolling Stones release Flashpoint, a live album recorded throughout their Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour.

1990-After releasing eight studio albums in her native French, Celine Dion issues her first English-language album, Unison. The lead single, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now," goes to #4, setting the stage for her American breakthrough.

1987-Jazz drummer Buddy Rich dies at age 69 of heart failure after surgery for a malignant brain tumor.

1983 – Pink Floyd reached No.1 in the UK with The Final Cut, their twelfth studio album.

1977 – Fleetwood Mac reached No.1 on the US Billboard 200 with Rumours, their most successful album, which spent over 20 non-consecutive years on the chart and sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

1977 – ABBA topped the UK Singles chart with Knowing Me, Knowing You for five weeks.

1973-The Beatles release two compilation albums: The Beatles 1962-1966 and The Beatles 1967-1970. Both will land in the Top 10 on the US and UK albums charts, with 1967-1970 hitting #1 in the US.

1970-Janis Joplin get tattoos on her wrist and heart, the one on her chest reading "One For The Boys."

1967-Steve Winwood leaves The Spencer Davis Group to form Traffic with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason.

1967-Guitarist and songwriter Greg Camp (of Smash Mouth) is born in West Covina, California.

1967-An overzealous audience member throws a smoke bomb onto the stage at The Rolling Stones concert at the Town Hall in Vienna, Austria, leading to a riot and the arrest of 154 fans.

1966-The Singing Nun, starring Debbie Reynolds, opens in theaters. The film is based on Sister Luc-Gabrielle, a Belgian nun who had a #1 US hit with the French language song "Dominique," re-written in English for the film. Luc-Gabrielle declares it "absolutely idiotic."

1966-Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass become the first act with four albums in the US Top 10 simultaneously:

#2 Going Places
#3 Whipped Cream and Other Delights
#9 South Of The Border
#10 The Lonely Bull

It's a record that stands until December 9, 2023, when Taylor Swift charts five albums simultaneously, including "Taylor's Version" reissues of 1989 and Speak Now.

1965-Freddie & the Dreamers record "Do The Freddie." Inspired by a short-lived dance craze, it will become a #18 hit.

1964 – The Beatles released their sixth single, Can’t Buy Me Love, which began a three-week stint at No.1 on the UK Singles chart and topped charts in seven other countries.

1964-Elvis Presley releases the soundtrack album Kissin' Cousins for his movie of the same name. The album will peak at #6 on the Billboard albums chart.

1964-It's a big day for The Beach Boys, who record their first #1 hit, "I Get Around," and also fire their manager, Murry Wilson, who happens to be the father of three of the band members, including leader Brian Wilson, who feels his dad is hindering their progress with unwelcome critiques at their recording sessions.

1962-Bass player and songwriter Tony Franklin is born Anthony James Franklin.

1961-Keren Jane Woodward (of Bananarama) is born in Bristol, England.

1957-Elvis Presley appears for the first time outside the United States, performing at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. This and a show the next day in Ottawa would be the only Elvis concerts ever given outside the US.

1956-Johnny Cash records "I Walk The Line" at Sun Studio in Memphis. His label boss, Sam Phillips, has him speed up the tempo, which is a good call: The song becomes Cash's first #1 Country hit.

1952-Dave Bronze (bass guitarist for Procol Harum) is born in Billericay, Essex, England.

1952-Leon Wilkeson (bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd) is born in Newport, Rhode Island.

1949-David Robinson (drummer for The Cars) is born in Malden, Massachusetts.

1947-Emmylou Harris is born in Birmingham, Alabama.

1946-Kurt Winter (guitarist for The Guess Who) is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

1943-Jazz guitarist Larry Coryell is born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III in Galveston, Texas.

1942-Leon Russell is born Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Oklahoma.

1941-Kent Morrill, keyboardist and vocalist for the Fabulous Wailers, is born.

1939-Marvin Gaye is born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. in Washington, DC.

1938-Country singer Warner Mack, known for a string of chart-toppers including "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)," is born Warner Hensley McPherson Jr. in Nashville, Tennessee.

1928-Singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg is born Lucien Ginsburg in Paris, France.

1917-Italian American singer Lou Monte is born in Manhattan, New York.

1912-Jazz singer Herbert Mills (of The Mills Brothers) is born in Piqua, Ohio.

1805-Hans Christian Andersen is born in Odense, Denmark. The author is later the subject of a song by Danny Kaye.

1800-Opus 21: Symphony No. 1 in C major by Ludwig van Beethoven is first performed in Vienna for Baron Gottfried Van Swieten.

[Bikkie]

1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned king of England.

1882 - After more than 15 years of robbing banks and trains, US outlaw Jesse James is shot in the back at St Joseph, Missouri, by a member of his own gang.

1922 - Lenin appoints Stalin general secretary of the Russian Communist Party.


1943
Battle of Manners Street
Soldiers and civilians slugged it out on the streets of Wellington during the ‘Battle of Manners Street’, the best-known clash between New Zealanders and American servicemen during the Second World War.



In Music History


2022-Jon Batiste and Silk Sonic are the big winners at the Grammy Awards, where Batiste takes Album Of The Year for We Are, and Silk Sonic win Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Leave The Door Open."

2014-Arthur Smith, one of postwar country music's finest guitar pickers, dies at age 93 of natural causes. His 1949 instrumental "Guitar Boogie" was one of the first to showcase the electric guitar and as such had a major influence on the development of rockabilly and rock in general.

2011- Adele’s album 21 spent ten consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the UK charts, breaking Madonna’s previous record for the longest chart-topping run by a female artist.

2008- Mariah Carey surpassed Elvis Presley’s record of 17 US No. 1 hits with Touch My Body, moving closer to The Beatles’ record of 20.

2008-Jay-Z joins Madonna and U2 in signing a huge contract with Live Nation; he scores a 360 deal that includes his own label.

American Idol Songwriting Competition Announced
2007-During a Season 6 episode of American Idol, Ryan Seacrest announces the American Idol Songwriter Competition. The entry fee is $10, and the winning song gets to be the winner's first single. After judges cull the 25,000 entries to 20 finalists, it's put to an online vote and the winner is "This is My Now."More

1999-British composer Lionel Bart, known for the Broadway smash Oliver!, dies at age 68 of cancer.

1998-With the big "alternative" acts now squarely in the mainstream, the Lollapalooza festival is officially cancelled, with Green Day, Radiohead and Foo Fighters among the bands turning down offers to headline. The festival launcheded in 1991 with Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails and Siouxsie and the Banshees at the top of the bill.

1995-The RealAudio Player is introduced, allowing users to stream audio over the internet for the first time. Over the next few years, many artists use it to post songs (or samples of them) on their websites.

1994-About 300 radio stations accept Pearl Jam's offer to broadcast their concert at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta for free. It goes over so well, the band does a series of similar broadcasts over the next few years, bringing a steady stream of live music to their fans.

1990-Jazz singer Sarah Vaughan dies at age 66 of lung cancer.

1989-In Pittsburgh, it's a shakedown outside a Grateful Dead concert as police make about two dozen arrests after some fans try to get in without tickets. "I don't want those deadenders ever back again," Mayor Sophie Masloff says.

1985-Leona Lewis is born in Islington, London, England. After winning The X Factor UK in 2006, she lands a global hit with "Bleeding Love" in 2008.

1983-Danny Rapp (of Danny & the Juniors) dies at age 41 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He's discovered in a hotel room in Quartzsite, Arizona.

1982-Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager marry. Five days earlier, the songwriters took home Oscars for Best Original Song for their work on "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)" from the movie Arthur.

1981-The Elvis Presley documentary movie This Is Elvis (with Ral Donner narrating) premieres in Memphis.

1980-In Memphis on their first US tour, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders gets in an altercation at a bar and is arrested. She kicks out the window of the police cruiser sent to take her away and spends the night in jail. Her group performs the next night at Poet's Music Hall.

1979- Kate Bush began her 28-date Tour of Life at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre, her first major concert tour.

1976- Johnnie Taylor’s Disco Lady began a four-week run at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first single certified Platinum by the RIAA.

1974-Drew Shirley (guitarist for Switchfoot) is born in Key West, Florida.

1971-The Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" hits #1 for the first of two weeks.

1968-Skid Row lead singer Sebastian Bach is born Sebastian Philip Bierk is born in Freeport, Bahamas, raised in Canada.

1965- Bob Dylan made his UK singles chart debut with The Times They Are A-Changin’, reaching No. 9.

1965-Peaking at #93, The Who make the US singles chart for the first time, with "I Can't Explain."

1963-Elvis Presley's It Happened At The World's Fair movie opens in Los Angeles (it opens nationally a week later).

1961- The Marcels’ Blue Moon hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, also topping charts in Canada, New Zealand, and the UK.

1961-Eddie Murphy is born in New York City. In 1985, he has a hit with "Party All The Time," written and produced by Rick James. Murphy also makes the charts with the novelty song "Put Your Mouth On Me" and the Michael Jackson collaboration "Whatzupwitu."

1960-Working at RCA's Studio B in Nashville, Elvis Presley pulls an all-nighter, recording nine songs, finishing with "Are You Lonesome Tonight" in the wee hours of the morning. The mournful song becomes one of his biggest hits, going to #1 in America for six weeks.

1960-Elvis Presley records "It's Now or Never" in Nashville at RCA Studio B. With a melody lifted from the 1907 song "O Sole Mio," it veers away from rock and roll but is a huge hit and the song Elvis later says is his favorite of all his recordings.

1959-Because of its references to bad behavior in school (writing on the wall, throwing spitballs), The British Broadcasting Corporation bans The Coasters song "Charlie Brown." The ban is lifted two weeks later.

1956-Elvis Presley performs "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Blue Suede Shoes" onboard the aircraft carrier USS Hancock in San Diego. It's broadcast live on The Milton Berle Show.

1949-Guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson (of Fairport Convention) is born in Notting Hill Gate, London, England.

1944-Tony Orlando is born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. He becomes a teen singing sensation with the 1961 hit "Bless You," but by 1970 is working in music publishing. That year, he is asked to record vocals for a song called "Candida," as the original singer didn't work out. When it becomes a hit, Orlando resumes his singing career as Tony Orlando & Dawn.

1943-Richard Manuel (lead singer of The Band) is born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

1942-"Down In The Boondocks" singer Billy Joe Royal is born in Valdosta, Georgia.

1942-Wayne Newton is born Carson Wayne Newton in Norfolk, Virginia.

1941-Surf rocker Jan Berry (of Jan & Dean) is born William Jan Berry in Los Angeles, California.

1938-Songwriter Jeff Barry is born Joel Adelberg in Brooklyn, New York. In 1964, 17 songs he co-wrote make the Hot 100, including three chart-toppers: "Do Wah Diddy Diddy," "Chapel Of Love" and "Leader of the Pack."

1928-Country singer-songwriter Don Gibson ("Sweet Dreams," "I Can't Stop Loving You") is born in Shelby, North Carolina.

1924-The married Beulah Annan murders her lover Harry Kalstedt then sits drinking cocktails and playing "Hula Lou" over and over again while he dies.

1902-The first series of Alessandro Moreschi's solo recordings is made; he is the only castrato to be recorded solo.

1897-German composer and pianist Johannes Brahms dies at his Vienna apartment.

1869-Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor is premiered at Copenhagen's Casino Theater.




Birthdays of Influential Musicians

Doris Day (1922–2019), American singer and actress.

Richard Manuel (1949–1986), Canadian composer and member of The Band.

Jimmy McGriff (1936–2008), American organist.

Harold Vick (1936–1987), American tenor saxophonist.

Scott LaFaro (1936–1961), American jazz bassist.

Bill Potts (1928–2005), American arranger and pianist.

Bill Finegan (1917–2008), American arranger, composer, and pianist.

Ken Kersey (1916–1983), Canadian pianist.

Billy Taylor, Sr. (1906–1986), American pianist and tuba player.

James “Bubber” Miley (1903–1932), American trumpeter.



Deaths

1990- Jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, known as “The Divine One,” passed away from lung cancer at age 66.

Other notable deaths include Bob Burns, original drummer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who died in a car crash.

[Bikkie]

2001-Silvia Cartwright becomes governor-general
The swearing-in of Dame Silvia Cartwright as New Zealand’s 18th governor-general completed a female clean sweep of the country’s most powerful political and legal positions.

1921-First school dental nurses begin training
In a world first, 30 women began training as dental nurses for the state-funded School Dental Service.

1905 - An earthquake in Lahore province, then part of India, kills 19,000 people.

1902 - The Rhodes Scholarship fund is created with a bequest of US$10 million in Cecil Rhodes' will.

1841 - US President William Harrison dies of pneumonia, just 31 days after assuming office.




In Music History

2024- Dream pop guitarist Graeme Naysmith passed away, known for his work with the band Pale Saints.

2023-The first truly believable AI-generated song appears online, posted to TikTok by an anonymous user. It's called "Heart On My Sleeve," and mimics the voices of Drake and The Weeknd. It quickly spreads to streaming services and is continually taken down and reposted, raising the issue of copyright with AI music.

2022-Jack Harlow previews his song "First Class" on TikTok with an eight-second snippet four days before its official release. It quickly spreads on the platform and helps the song debut at #1, setting up a new paradigm for launching music.

2017-Pepsi posts a commercial featuring the Skip Marley protest song "Lions" that is pulled the next day amid controversy that it makes light of actual protests.

Kendrick Lamar's Butterfly Flies To #1
2015-Kendrick Lamar's landmark album To Pimp A Butterfly flies to #1 in America.

2015-Marilyn Manson is sucker punched by a fellow patron at a Denny's in Alberta, Canada. The rocker, who stopped by the restaurant for a late-night meal after a show promoting his Pale Emperor album, denies claims that he insulted the assailant's girlfriend and spurred the incident.

2014-Richard Marx and Cynthia Rhodes announce the end of their 25-year marriage that included the birth of three sons. The pair met in 1983 when both were working on the film Staying Alive (Marx on the soundtrack, Rhodes as a dancer).

2012-The single "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber debuts at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's the third-highest first-week sale at 600,000 copies sold. Lots of teenage girls want to be Bieber's girlfriend.

2009-At the Public Hall in Cleveland, Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Metallica, Run-DMC and Bobby Womack are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2008-The Martin Scorsese-directed Rolling Stones concert documentary Shine A Light hits theaters. The next week, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Jack White appear on the cover of Rolling Stone with the headline, "Blues Brothers."

2008-After years of quiet courtship, Jay-Z and Beyoncé get married in a secret ceremony, becoming the most powerful couple in entertainment.

2008-Procol Harum's Gary Brooker wins an appeal in London to an earlier ruling, which stated that Harum organist Matthew Fisher was entitled to 40 percent of the royalties from the band's 1967 smash "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." Though the new ruling notes that Fisher wrote the organ line and should be co-credited, it also overturns the royalty award by noting that Fisher waited 38 years to sue.

2008-New Kids on the Block announce their upcoming reunion tour during NBC's Today show in New York City.

2007-An article is published in New Musical Express quoting Keith Richards as saying, "I snorted my father." Richards later claims it was an April Fools' joke.

2005-A man who won an out-of-court settlement in 1994 against the singer for a similar charge testifies in Michael Jackson's current molestation trial.

2003-The Rolling Stones make their stage debut in India, performing at Bangalore Palace in the middle of a monsoon!

1996-More trouble for Wilson Pickett, who after serving a one-year jail sentence in 1994 is arrested at his New Jersey home and charged with possession of two grams of cocaine. Still on probation, he enters a rehab center in August.

1996-Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia's ashes are scattered in the Ganges river in India by Dead guitarist Bob Weir and Garcia's widow, Deborah.

1992-Beastie Boys make their first concert appearance playing instruments at a show at The Palladium in Los Angeles.

1987- U2's album "The Joshua Tree" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, eventually reaching No. 1 and achieving diamond status in the US.

1987-Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond and used in the movie Mannequin, hits #1 in the US.

1981-Styx hit #1 in the US with Paradise Theatre, a concept album based on the rise and fall of a theatre in Chicago.

1978-Loretta Lynn sings "One's On The Way" on episode #308 of The Muppet Show. Because the Muppet Theatre is supposedly being fumigated, the entire show takes place at a railroad station.

1974-R&B singer Andre Dalyrimple is born in Georgia. Along with his three brothers, he'll form the group Soul For Real, known for their 1994 hit "Candy Rain."

1973-R&B singer Kelly Price is born in Queens, New York.

1973-The Elvis Presley Aloha From Hawaii concert, recorded three months earlier, is broadcast in America for the first time when it runs on NBC. The ratings are huge, with a third of households with TV sets tuning in to watch.

1972-Magnus Sveningsson (bass guitarist for The Cardigans) is born in Falkoping, Sweden.

1972-R&B singer Jill Scott is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1970- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's debut album "Déjà Vu" topped the US albums chart, featuring hits like "Teach Your Children" and "Our House".

1969-CBS cancels the highly rated but controversial Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Artists to appear on the show include The Who, The Doors and Jefferson Airplane.

Martin Luther King Jr. Is Killed
1968-US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. is killed after being shot on a Memphis motel balcony. King's life inspires a number of songs, including U2's "Pride (In The Name Of Love)."

1967-Jimi Hendrix guests on the first broadcast of the BBC show Dee Time, hosted by Simon Dee. Cat Stevens is also on the show.

1967-The Beatles finish recording "Within You Without You," a George Harrison song where he plays sitar and is accompanied by various Indian musicians. He has the engineers add some laughter to the end of the track from a sound effects reel.

1966-Mike Starr (bass guitarist for Alice in Chains) is born in Honolulu, Hawaii.

1964-A court orders The Trashmen of "Surfin' Bird" fame to pay royalties to Beechwood Music, holder of the copyright for The Rivingtons' 1962 hit "Papa Oom Mow Mow," which The Trashmen hit borrows heavily from.

1964-The Beatles hold the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the following singles:

5) "Please Please Me"
4) "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
3) "She Loves You"
2) "Twist And Shout"
1) "Can't Buy Me Love"


1962-Craig Adams (bass guitarist for The Cult) is born in Otley, West Yorkshire, England.

1961-Former teen idol Fabian graduates from Philadelphia's South Side High.

1960-RCA Victor decides to release all future singles -- starting with its next, Elvis Presley's "Stuck On You" -- in both mono and stereo versions.

1960- Elvis Presley recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" at RCA Victor studios in Nashville, which later became a chart-topping hit.

1960-Frank Sinatra's version of "High Hopes" from the movie A Hole In The Head wins the Oscar for Best Original Song.

1958-Earl Grant records "(At) The End (Of A Rainbow)."

1952-Dave Hill (guitarist for Slade) is born in Holbeton, Devon, England.

1952-Blues guitarist Gary Moore (of Thin Lizzy) is born Robert William Gary Moore in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

1951-Country musician Steve Gatlin (of The Gatlin Brothers) is born in Olney, Texas.

1950-Rock drummer Phillip "Pip" Pyle (of Gong, Hatfield and the North, and National Health) is born in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, England.

1948-Berry Oakley (bass guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band) is born Raymond Berry Oakley III in Chicago, Illinois.

1948-Pick Withers (drummer for Dire Straits) is born David Withers in Leicester, England.

1942-Kris Jensen, known for the 1962 hit "Torture," is born Peter Jensen in New Haven, Connecticut.

1941-R&B singer Major Lance, known for hits like "The Monkey Time" and "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um," is born in Winterville, Mississippi.

1940-Songwriter Sharon Sheeley, who writes hits for Glen Campbell, Brenda Lee and Eddie Cochran, is born in California. She also pens Ricky Nelson's first #1 hit, "Poor Little Fool."

1939-Jazz musician Hugh Masekela is born in Witbank, South Africa.

1938-Country singer-songwriter Norris "Norro" Wilson is born in Scottsville, Kentucky.

1938-Actor and singer Michael Parks is born Harry Samuel Parks in Corona, California.

1936-Margo Sylvia, lead singer of The Tune Weavers (known for the 1957 hit "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby"), is born Margo Lopez.

1932-Music mogul Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, is born in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to working with artists like Kelly Clarkson, TLC, Alicia Keys, and Aretha Franklin, he will help launch the careers of Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow.

1929- Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II's operetta "The New Moon" opened at the Drury Lane Theatre in London's West End.

1914-Singer and actress Frances Langford is born Julia Frances Langford in Hernando, Florida.

1913-Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters is born McKinley Morganfield in Rolling Fork, Mississippi.





Notable Birthdays
Muddy Waters (1915-1983): Influential American blues musician, would have turned 110 this year.
Gary Moore (1952-2011): Northern Irish musician, would have turned 73 this year.

[Bikkie]

1871
NZ's first overseas diplomatic post created
New Zealand’s first overseas diplomatic post was created when Isaac Featherston was appointed as agent-general in London.

Phar Lap at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, c. 1930
1932
Death of Phar Lap
The champion racehorse Phar Lap was New Zealand-born and bred, but never raced in this country. He won 37 of his 51 races and 32 of his last 35, including the 1930 Melbourne Cup. In the gloom of the great Depression, Phar Lap’s exploits thrilled two countries.



In Music History

Amazing Grace Hits Theaters, 47 Years After It Was Filmed
2019-The Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace is finally released in theaters, 47 years after it was recorded in 1972.More

Bob Dylan And St. Vincent Do Classic Songs From Same-Sex Perspective
2018-The EP Universal Love – Wedding Songs Reimagined is released, with six classic songs sung from the perspective of same-sex couples. Bob Dylan does "She's Funny That Way" as "He's Funny That Way," and St. Vincent turns "Then He Kissed Me" into "Then She Kissed Me."More

2017-At age 73, Barry Manilow comes out as gay.

2017-Trans-Siberian Orchestra founder Paul O'Neill is found dead in a Tampa, Florida, hotel room. The band announces the 61-year-old rocker died from a chronic illness.

2015-Two days after Furious 7 is released in theaters, the "See You Again" video, featuring footage from the film, debuts on Facebook and Twitter. The next day, it is posted on YouTube, where it eventually breaks the record for most views, previously held by "Gangnam Style."

2016- Drake released One Dance, which topped charts in multiple countries and became the most-streamed track of the year on Spotify.

2012-The Philip Lynott Exhibition opens at the 02 in London, celebrating the legacy of the Thin Lizzy frontman.

2011-Folk musician Gil Robbins (of the folk band The Highwaymen) dies of prostate cancer two days after his 80th birthday in Baja California, Mexico.

2009-Donald Trump fires TLC member Tionne Watkins, better known by her stage name T-Boz, in the sixth week of The Celebrity Apprentice, Season 8.

2008-Leona Lewis hits #1 in the US with "Bleeding Love." It's the first American hit for Lewis, who won the UK version of The X Factor in 2006. The song was written by Ryan Tedder and Jesse McCartney, and intended for McCartney.

2008-Toto breaks up after performing its final concert in Seoul.

2006-Rock and roll singer-songwriter Gene Pitney dies of a heart attack at age 66 while touring the UK.

2005-Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas releases his debut solo album, …Something To Be, featuring the Top 10 hit "Lonely No More."More

Aberdeen Beckons: Come As You Are
2005-On the eleventh anniversary of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's suicide, his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington adds the phrase "Come As You Are" to its welcome sign.

2002-Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley dies after overdosing on heroin and cocaine. The 34-year-old singer had fallen into addiction and lost most contact with the outside world. His body isn't discovered until two weeks later, when police enter his apartment on April 19 after friends and associates report him missing.

2002-In Philadelphia, 12-year-old Taylor Swift sings the national anthem before the 76ers game against the Detroit Pistons. She's from the borough of Wyomissing, about 60 miles away.

1998-Prolific rock drummer Cozy Powell, who did time in Rainbow and Black Sabbath, dies at 50 when he crashes his car on the M4 near Bristol, England. He was racing to his girlfriend's house, who had called him distraught.

1997- Aerosmith’s Nine Lives reached No.1 on the US Billboard 200, and The Chemical Brothers topped the UK Singles chart with Block Rockin’ Beats.

1994-Kurt Cobain of Nirvana kills himself with a shotgun at age 27. His body isn't discovered until three days later when an electrician enters to install an alarm.

1988-Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album is released.

1987-Jazz drummer Buddy Rich's funeral takes place in Los Angeles, with Frank Sinatra, Artie Shaw, and Johnny Carson in attendance.

1985-Thousands of radio stations play "We Are The World" simultaneously at 10:50 a.m. EST. In the next few weeks, the song goes to #1 in America and the UK.

1985- Thrash metal band Exodus released their debut album Bonded by Blood, a classic in the genre.

1984-Marvin Gaye's funeral takes place in Los Angeles, with Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones and Berry Gordy attending. Gaye died 4 days earlier when he was shot by his father during an argument.

1982-The record industry trade magazine Record World folds after 36 years.

1981-Blues-rock musician Bob "The Bear" Hite (lead singer of Canned Heat) dies at age 38 after snorting a vial of heroin - thinking it was cocaine - given to him by a fan.

1980- R.E.M. performed their first show at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Athens, Georgia, and Genesis topped the UK Albums chart with Duke.

1978-Duran Duran play their first live gig, in Birmingham, England. Singer Stephen Duffy leaves the band two years later and is replaced by Simon Le Bon - shortly before the band are signed to EMI records.

1977-David Bowie and Iggy Pop perform together on Dinah Shore's daytime show on NBC.

1975-Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You," with the most famous high note of the '70s, is the #1 hit in America.

1974-The Guess Who host a celebrity tennis tournament in Toronto to benefit Ballet of Canada.

Pharrell Williams Is Born
1973-Singer/superproducer Pharrell Williams is born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. As half of the hip-hop production duo The Neptunes, he's a prime architect of the popular music landscape of the 2000s.More

1971-Chicago is the first American rock band to perform at Carnegie Hall.

1969-The Guess Who's "These Eyes" enters the Billboard singles chart.

1968- Simon & Garfunkel released Mrs. Robinson, which became a US chart-topper and won a Grammy for Record of the Year.

James Brown Quells Riots In Boston
1968-With tensions high the night after Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated, James Brown goes ahead with his concert at the Boston Garden, agreeing to televise the show to help keep calm in the city.

1968-Singer-songwriter Paula Cole, known for the 1997 hit "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?," is born in Rockport, Massachusetts.

1967-Elvis Presley's 24th movie, Double Trouble, premieres in Hollywood.

1967-Monkees fans march in London in protest of band member Davy Jones' announced induction into the Army. The teen heartthrob is eventually exempted from duty for being his family's main provider.

1966-Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready is born in Pensacola, Florida. One of his most notable songwriting contributions to the band is "Given To Fly" from 1998, a song that represents a period of renewal.

1965-"Chim Chim Cher-ee," composed by The Sherman Brothers for the Disney musical Mary Poppins, wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

1965- At the 37th Academy Awards, the Sherman Brothers won Best Original Song for Chim Chim Cher-ee from Mary Poppins.

1964-Rapper Christopher "Kid" Reid (Kid 'N Play) is born in The Bronx, New York City.

1964-The Beatles film the famous opening scene from their first movie, A Hard Day's Night, running away from several rabid female fans at London's Marylebone train station.

1964-The Searchers make their US television debut, singing "Needles And Pins" and "Ain't That Just Like Me" on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1961-On The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet episode "A Question of Suits and Ties," Ricky Nelson sings "Travelin' Man" in what could be considered the first music video

1951-Everett Morton (drummer for The English Beat) is born in the West Indies.

1950-Agnetha Faltskog (of ABBA) is born in Jönköping, Småland, Sweden.

1944-R&B singer Nicholas Caldwell (of The Whispers) is born in San Francisco, California.

1942-Allan Clarke (original lead singer of The Hollies) is born Harold Allan Clarke in Salford, Lancashire, England.

1941-Folk musician Dave Swarbick (of Fairport Convention) is born in New Malden, England.

1939-R&B singer Ronnie White (of The Miracles) is born in Detroit, Michigan.

1939-Pop singer-songwriter Crispian St. Peters is born Robin Peter Smith in Swanley, Kent, England.

1934-Jazz tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1932-R&B singer Billy Bland, known for the '60s hits "Let the Little Girl Dance" and "Harmony," is born in Wilmington, North Carolina.

1929-English record producer Joe Meek, famous for writing and producing the Tornados' instrumental hit "Telstar," is born Robert George Meek in Newent, Gloucestershire, England.

1928-R&B singer Tony Williams (of The Platters) is born in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

1926-Jazz drummer Stan Levey is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Makes First African-American Jazz Recordings
1923-Joe Oliver and King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, featuring a young Louis Armstrong, make the first jazz recordings by an African American band at Gennett Records in rural Richmond, Indiana.

1922-Actress and singer Gale Storm, star of the '50s TV shows My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show, is born Josephine Owaissa Cottle in Bloomington, Texas.

1902- Maurice Ravel’s “Pavane pour une infante défunte” premiered in Paris, performed by pianist Ricardo Viñes.

1803- Ludwig van Beethoven conducted the first performance of his 2nd Symphony in D in Vienna, marking an early milestone in classical music history.





Notable Live Performances
The Fleetwoods performed Come Softly to Me on The Ed Sullivan Show, an early example of televised music promotion.

Jerry Lee Lewis recorded Live at the Star Club in Germany, later acclaimed as a legendary live rock album.

Duran Duran played their first live show in Birmingham, England, in 1979.

The Allman Brothers Band, Yes, and Genesis all performed significant concerts on April 5 in the 1970s, contributing to rock history.




Famous Birthdays

Tony Williams (1928), jazz drummer, The Platters

Peter Grant (1935), manager of Led Zeppelin

Agnetha Fältskog (1950), ABBA singer-songwriter

Mike McCready (1966), guitarist, Pearl Jam

Paula Cole (1968), singer-songwriter and pianist

Pharrell Williams (1973), singer, producer, and songwriter

[Bikkie]

1864
Pai Mārire ambush in Taranaki
A British patrol was ambushed by Pai Mārire fighters near Ōakura. The heads of the seven men killed were taken around the North Island by Pai Mārire disciples to encourage enlistment in the movement.


1919
Maori (Pioneer) Battalion returns from war
The Maori (Pioneer) Battalion was one of only three New Zealand Expeditionary Force formations – and the only battalion – to return from the First World War as a complete unit.


In Music History

2023-The series Beef airs on Netflix with a soundtrack that revives several songs from the '90s and '00s, including "Drive" by Incubus, "Self Esteem" by The Offspring, and "Lonely Day" by System of a Down.

2018-Cardi B releases her debut album, Invasion Of Privacy. It goes to #1 and clears a path for female rappers like Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla.

2016-Hello Billboard, my old friend. Simon & Garfunkel's 1966 chart-topper "The Sound of Silence" peaks at #6 on the Hot Rock Songs chart thanks to its appearance in a meme involving Ben Affleck and his botched blockbuster Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

2016-On his 79th birthday, Merle Haggard dies at his ranch in Northern California. Haggard placed 71 songs in the Top 10 of the Country chart during his lifetime.

2004-Wilco's frontman, Jeff Tweedy, checks into a rehabilitation center after developing an addiction to painkillers. A statement released by the band reads: "The treatment follows a well-documented history of Tweedy's battle with migraine headache."

2004-Rock and roll guitarist Niki Sullivan (of Buddy Holly's backing band The Crickets) dies at age 66 of a heart attack in Sugar Creek, Missouri.

2002-Sarah McLachlan gives birth to her first child, daughter India Ann Sushil Sood.

1999-Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of Grateful Dead appear at an Al Gore presidential fundraiser, with Gore's wife, notorious anti-rock crusader Tipper, playing congas.

1998-Wendy O. Williams (lead singer of Plasmatics) dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 48 in Storrs, Connecticut.

1998-On the TV show Murphy Brown, Candice Bergen's lead character turns 50, and her coworkers celebrate by recreating an episode of American Bandstand. Dick Clark, Chubby Checker, Fabian and Lesley Gore all make appearances.

1998-Tammy Wynette dies at age 55 after suffering numerous health problems.

1997-The Michael Jackson short film/theme ride Captain EO is shown for the last time at Disneyland.

1993-Tool disrupt the grunge genre's victory parade with Undertow, their visionary debut album. Aided by the distinctive and unsettling music videos for "Sober" and "Prison Sex" (directed by Adam Jones), the album sells two million copies and earns the band an ardent fan base.

1993-Bruce Hornsby releases his first solo album, Harbor Lights. Jerry Garcia, Pat Metheny, Bonnie Raitt, Branford Marsalis, and Phil Collins all make appearances on this jazzy recording.

Annie Lennox Issues First Solo Album
1992-Annie Lennox releases her first solo album, Diva, with the hits "Why" and "Walking On Broken Glass."

1992-George Harrison performs his first full live solo concert since 1969, appearing in London in a benefit for the Natural Law political party.

1988-Barbara "Sandi" Robison falls ill during a performance in Butte, Montana. She's rushed to a hospital but never fully recovers. She dies from toxic shock a couple of weeks later.

1986-Composer John Longmire dies at his Guernsey home at age 85.

1985-Gilbert O'Sullivan wins a two-million-dollar judgment against his manager, Gordon Mills, for royalties owed him on his 1972 smash "Alone Again (Naturally)."

1984-Rock and roll musician Ral Donner, known for the 1961 hit "You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)," dies at age 41 of lung cancer.

1984-Steve "Little Steven" Van Zandt announces he's leaving the E-Street Band, and goes on to helm the Sun City project. He will return in the '90s when the band reforms.

1983-Ronald Reagan's secretary of the Interior, James Watt, cancels an appearance by The Beach Boys at Washington DC's Independence Day festivities, infamously stating that the band would attract "an undesirable element."

1980-Andrew Wood forms the group Malfunkshun in Seattle, Washington, marking what some consider the beginning of grunge. The music of Malfunkshun makes an impact on Wood's roommate Chris Cornell, who forms Soundgarden. Wood moves on to Mother Love Bone, and after he dies of a heart attack in 1990, that group adds Eddie Vedder and becomes Pearl Jam

1979-In Beverly Hills, Rod Stewart marries George Hamilton's ex-wife, Alana. The couple divorces in 1984.

1978-Peter Frampton guest-stars on NBC-TV's Black Sheep Squadron.

1974-Blue Swede's "Hooked On A Feeling" hits #1.

1974-Al Green performs his hit "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" on Soul Train. Green, who had broken an arm and is wearing a sling, performs the song live, which is rare on the show because live performances are expensive and complicated to produce.

1974-The Eagles, Earth, Wind & Fire, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake and Palmer play to a crowd of 200,000 at the California Jam in Ontario, California.

1974-Billy Joel scores his first Top 40 hit with "Piano Man," which comes in at #33 (it peaks at #25 two weeks later).

ABBA Wins Eurovision With "Waterloo"
1974-ABBA become European stars overnight when their composition "Waterloo" wins the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

1972-The Monkees' Micky Dolenz guest stars as himself on the "Barbara Lost" episode of ABC-TV's My Three Sons.

1971-Russian composer Igor Stravinsky dies of heart failure at age 88 in New York.

1971-Carly Simon plays her first show as a solo artist when she opens for Cat Stevens at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles. Anxiety makes it very hard for her to play live, but she can't resist a chance to play some shows with Stevens, her favorite singer.

1970-Diana Ross, having left The Supremes four months earlier, issues her debut single as a solo artist, "Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)."

1969-Original bassist Pete Quaife leaves The Kinks. Nobby Dalton takes his place.

1969-Joanie Sommers guests on the syndicated Frankie Avalon Easter (TV) Special.

The Graduate Soundtrack Goes To #1
1968-The Graduate soundtrack hits #1 in America thanks to Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson," which tops the Hot 100 less than two months later.

1965-Elvis Presley releases "Crying In The Chapel."

1963-With his contract with Imperial Records expiring, Fats Domino signs with ABC-Paramount and begins recording in Nashville.

1963-Bobby Darin records "Eighteen Yellow Roses."

1958-Selwyn Brown (keyboardist for Steel Pulse) is born in London, England.

1957-Perry Como's "Round And Round" hits #1.

1956-The Capitol Tower, new home of Capitol Records, opens on the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles. The 13-story building, which resembles a stack of records, houses three new recording studios where Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Linda Ronstadt, and many other stars will lay down tracks. The building becomes an LA landmark, with the red light at the top flashing "HOLLYWOOD" in Morse Code.

1956-Having impressed Paramount Studios with his screen test five days earlier, Elvis Presley is signed to a seven-year, three-picture deal worth nearly half a million dollars.

1953-Christopher Franke (of the electronic group Tangerine Dream) is born in Berlin, Germany.

1952-Original Accept singer (and later frontman of UDO), Udo Dirkschneider, is born in Wuppertal, Germany.

1947-Drummer Tony Connor (of Hot Chocolate) is born in Romford, England.

1944-Bass guitarist John Stax (of The Pretty Things) is born in Crayford, Kent, England.

1944-Alan Lee Brackett of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy is born in Los Angeles, California.

1942-Anita Pallenberg is born in Rome. A model, she has a short relationship with Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones and a long one with Keith Richards, with whom she has three children.

1937-Country musician Merle Haggard is born in Oildale, California. For the first years of his life, he lives in an abandoned boxcar that his father converted into a home.

1929-Composer and pianist Andre Previn - known for Academy Award-winning scores to Gigi, Porgy & Bess, Irma la Douce, and My Fair Lady - is born Andreas Ludwig Priwin in Berlin, Germany.

1927-Jazz musician Gerry Mulligan is born in Queens, New York City.

1925-Eddie Cantor records "If You Knew Susie."

1922-Jazz pianist Dorothy Donegan is born in Chicago, Illinois.

1917-Blues harmonica player Walter Horton is born in Horn Lake, Mississippi.

[Bikkie]

1954- WALB TV channel 10 in Albany, GA (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting

1956- France officially relinquished its protectorate in Morocco, Spain follows suit for regions of her protectorate in northern Morocco

1957- Last of NY's electric trolleys completes its final run

1958- Dodgers erect 42-foot screen in left field at LA Coliseum to cut down on home runs, since it is only 250 feet down the line

1959- Oklahoma ends prohibition, after 51 years

1959- Radar first bounces off the Sun in Stanford, California

1962- Indian cricketer Polly Umrigar slams 172 not out vs West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 248 minutes



In Music History
2020-John Prine, acclaimed singer-songwriter of Angel From Montgomery, passed away aged 73, due to COVID-19 complications, leaving a legacy of 23 albums and five Grammy Awards.

2017-Pearl Jam, Nile Rodgers, Electric Light Orchestra, Journey, Joan Baez, Tupac Shakur and Yes are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2016-After 15 years of memorable performances, cringeworthy auditions, and shocking eliminations, the American Idol stage finally goes dark, but not before one more winner is crowned: Trent Harmon.

2015-Don McLean's original manuscript to his lyric for "American Pie" sells at auction for $1.2 million. Says McLean: "I thought it would be interesting as I reach age 70 to release this work product on the song 'American Pie' so that anyone who might be interested will learn that this song was not a parlor game."

2014-25-year-old Peaches Geldof, daughter of the Live Aid mastermind Bob Geldof, is found dead in Kent, England, after overdosing on heroin. Her mother, Paula Yates, died in 2000 when Peaches was 11.

2013-Andy Johns (engineer for Led Zeppelin, Television, and The Rolling Stones) dies at age 62 of complications from a stomach ulcer.

Rock Of Ages Revives '80s Rock On Broadway
2009-The jukebox musical Rock of Ages, a celebration of glam metal and classic rock of the '80s, opens at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.More

2008-Bob Dylan gets an honorary Pulitzer Prize for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture." He's the first rock musician to win the award.

2008-The newly reunited Stone Temple Pilots announce a 65-date reunion tour and play for the first time since 2002.

2007-Beyoncé's "Beautiful Liar," featuring Latin-pop star Shakira, breaks the record for the highest leap on the Billboard Hot 100 when it jumps 91 places to #3. The record was previously held by Akon, whose "Smack That," featuring Eminem, rose from #95 to #7 (ultimately peaking at #2) in 2006.

2000-At The Roxy in Los Angeles, Brian Wilson covers the Barenaked Ladies' tribute song "Brian Wilson" for the first time ("If you want to find me, I'll be out in the sandbox..."). The concert is later released as Live at the Roxy Theatre, his first live album.

1999-Shania Twain's third album Come On Over is certified Diamond (10 million in sales) by the RIAA, making her the first female artist with back-to-back Diamond albums; her second album, The Woman in Me, was certified in 1997.

1998-George Michael is arrested for disorderly conduct at a park restroom in Beverly Hills, California, after an undercover officer observes him performing a "lewd act." He comes out as gay soon after.

1998-Drummer Carlos Vega (James Taylor's band) dies at age 41 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound the day before he is scheduled to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show alongside James Taylor.

1998-Mary Bono, who was married to Sonny Bono when he died in a skiing accident four months earlier, wins a special election to claim her husband's seat in California's 44th Congressional District. Mary, who has no previous political experience, holds office until 2013.

1998- Singer-songwriter Berit Dybing, known as Ber, was born, later gaining recognition for viral hits like Meant To Be.

1990- Farm Aid IV concert in Indianapolis featured artists including Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Willie Nelson, and Iggy Pop.

1990-Guns N' Roses play their last show with drummer Steven Adler, whose drug addiction is taking a toll on his playing. He is booted from the band before their next performance.

1990- Elton John arrives after holding vigil for Ryan White, an 18-year-old who is one of the first high-profile AIDS victims (he contracted the disease from a blood transfusion). Elton dedicates his performance of "Candle In The Wind" to White, who dies the next day.

Bonnie Raitt Lands Her First #1 Album
1990-Bonnie Raitt emerges from a career slump with her first #1 album, Nick Of Time, unseating Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl.

1988-When the piano wire that keeps him safely suspended during his gallows stunt snaps, Alice Cooper nearly hangs himself for real on stage at Wembley Arena in London. He's able to slip his chin over the rope to keep his neck from snapping until a roadie can rescue him.

1987-Whitesnake slides into hair metal with their seventh, self-titled album. It's by far their most successful, with the MTV hits "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love?"

1987-Jazz singer Maxine Sullivan, known for her 1937 swing version of "Loch Lomond," dies after suffering a seizure at age 75 in New York City.

Sade Makes the Cover of Time Magazine
1986-Sade makes the cover of Time magazine under the headline Pop's Smooth Operator. The article lauds her as "a new princess of pop" with a "sophisticated sound, elegant look."

1985-Wham! become the first Western pop group to play in China when they perform at the Worker's Gymnasium in Beijing. Footage from their trip appears in the video for their song "Freedom."

1984-New British Invasion: 40 of the artists on the US Top 100 singles chart are Brits - a new record.

1981-Rick James releases his most successful album, Street Songs, with "Fire And Desire" and "Super Freak."

1979-Minute By Minute by The Doobie Brothers claims the top spot on the US albums chart, thanks in part to "What A Fool Believes," written by Kenny Loggins and Doobies frontman Michael McDonald.

1979-Rickie Lee Jones is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. She performs her hit "Chuck E.'s In Love" and does a full-beatnik rendition of "Coolsville," complete with cigarette and beret.

1978-The Police release "Roxanne" in the UK. BBC Radio 1 refuses to play it, which tanks the song, but when the band tours America a year later it catches on in that country, becoming their first hit.

1978- Prince released his debut album For You, showcasing his multi-instrumental talents and producing hits like Soft and Wet.

1979- The Doobie Brothers’ album Minute by Minute began a two-week run at number one on the US Billboard 200.

1977- The Damned became the first British punk band to perform live in the United States at CBGB in New York.

1975-After a show in Paris, Ritchie Blackmore leaves Deep Purple to form Rainbow. He is eventually replaced by Tommy Bolin.

1975-John Cooper, frontman for the Christian rock band Skillet, is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

1973- Diana Ross’ soundtrack album Lady Sings the Blues topped the US Billboard 200 chart, and Vicki Lawrence’s The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

1971-The Rolling Stones announce their own record label, Rolling Stones Records, which they vow to make a "small operation we can handle" so as not to suffer the pitfalls of The Beatles' Apple Records.

1971- Don McLean’s iconic song American Pie became a cultural touchstone; its original manuscript was later auctioned for $1.2 million in 2015.

1970-Popular songwriting team Hal David and Burt Bacharach win the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" from the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Performed by B.J. Thomas, it hit #1 on the US charts. Bacharach also takes the prize for Best Original Score for his work on the film.

1969- Leonard Cohen released his second studio album, Songs from a Room.

1968-At the Generation Club in New York, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Richie Havens and Buddy Guy take the stage for a jam session in tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., who was killed three days earlier.

1968-Three days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nina Simone performs "Why? (The King of Love Is Dead)" at the Westbury Music Fair in Long Island, New York, in his honor. The song was written by her bassist, Gene Taylor, less than 24 hours earlier.

1962- Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met Brian Jones at the Ealing Jazz Club in London, a meeting that led to the formation of the Rolling Stones.

1962-Bobby Rydell wins the role of Hugo in the movie version of Bye Bye Birdie.

1962- Shelley Fabares’ debut single Johnny Angel began a two-week run at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, also topping charts in Canada and New Zealand.

1959-Marty Robbins records "El Paso."

1959-As the snow melts in Mason City, Iowa, Buddy Holly's glasses are found from the plane crash that killed him two months earlier. They are turned in to police, where they stay until 1980, when a sheriff finds them and returns them to Holly's widow.

1958-Nat King Cole portrays famed blues musician W.C. Handy in the biographical film St. Louis Blues. The star-studded cast includes music greats Mahalia Jackson, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, and 10-year-old Billy Preston as a young Will Handy.

1956-Network TV premiere: Rock & Roll Dance Party with Alan Freed, on CBS.

1956-Capitol Records Tower: Opened as the first circular office building in Los Angeles, housing recording studios and offices, with Frank Sinatra’s Tone Poems of Color as the first album recorded there.

1956-The Platters make their national television debut on Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey's Stage Show on CBS.

1956- Alan Freed’s Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party premiered on CBS Radio, the first regularly scheduled national rock and roll broadcast.

1951-Janis Ian is born Janis Eddy Fink in New York City (but will be raised in New Jersey). She writes her first song at age 12 and completes her first hit, "Society's Child," at 14.

1951-Bruce Gary (drummer for The Knack) is born in Burbank, California.

1949- The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific opened at the Majestic Theater in New York City, eventually running for 1,928 performances and winning 10 Tony Awards.

1948-Dallas Taylor, a drummer known for his work with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, is born in Denver, Colorado.

1948-John Oates (of Hall & Oates) is born in New York City.

1948-Carol Douglas, known for the pioneering disco track "Doctor's Orders," is born in Brooklyn, New York, to a musical family. Her mom is jazz performer Minnie Newsome, the supposed inspiration for Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher," and her cousin is soul singer Sam Cooke.

1947-Pat Bennett (of The Chiffons) is born in The Bronx, New York.

1943-Rock guitarist Mick Abrahams (of Jethro Tull) is born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.

1938-Rock drummer Spencer Dryden (of Jefferson Airplane, New Riders of the Purple Sage) is born in New York City.

1937-R&B vocalist Charlie Thomas (of The Drifters) is born in Lynchburg, Virginia.

1935-Country singer-songwriter Bobby Bare is born in Ironton, Ohio.

1920-Ravi Shankar, Hindustani classical musician and composer (and dad to Norah Jones), is born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury in Benares, India.

1915-Billie Holiday is born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1917-Jazz percussionist Mongo Santamaria, known for composing the jazz standard "Afro Blue," is born Ramon Santamaria Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba.

1912-Songwriter Jack Lawrence is born Jacob Louis Schwartz in Brooklyn, New York. Co-wrote Frank Sinatra's first solo hit, "All or Nothing at All."

1908-Composer and arranger Percy Faith is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

1805-Beethoven's 3rd Symphony (Eroica) is premiered in Vienna's Theater-an-der-Wien. Innovative in length and size of orchestra, many criticize the first movement for its dissonant chords.

1724 Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion premiered at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Germany, marking a significant moment in Baroque sacred music history.

[Bikkie]

1923
Rail tunnel pierces the Southern Alps
The opening of the 8.5-km Ōtira tunnel completed the long-planned transalpine railway between Christchurch and Greymouth. At the time, it was the longest tunnel outside the Alps and the seventh-longest in the world.



1965
Cook Islands achieves self-government
First included within the boundaries of New Zealand in 1901, the islands were governed by a Resident Commissioner until 1946. When they achieved self-government, Cook Islanders remained New Zealand citizens.



In Music History

2024-Decades after listeners synched it to The Wizard Of Oz, many skywatchers use Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side Of The Moon to soundtrack the total solar eclipse, with the last track, "Eclipse," playing as the moon blocks out the sun.

2023-Jimin of BTS becomes the first South Korean solo artist to hit #1 in America when his song "Like Crazy" debuts at the top spot. PSY came close in 2012 when "Gangnam Style" went to #2.

2016-Steve Miller, notoriously averse to awards ceremonies, goes on a backstage rant when he is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He says the Hall is like "a private boys club," and lets loose on the organizers. "It's a bunch of jackasses and jerks and f--king gangsters and crooks."

2016-Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani are officially divorced after 14 years of marriage. They share three sons: Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo.

2016-The Baltimore Orioles play the Woody Guthrie song "This Land Is Your Land" during the seventh inning stretch in their game against the Rays, starting a tradition of playing the song at every Friday home game. It's part of their "Community Heroes" program to honor local citizens and an effort to diversify their musical selections to reflect progressive ideals. On Saturday nights they play "America The Beautiful," and on Sundays it's "God Bless America."

2016-The Guns N' Roses reunion tour gets underway in Las Vegas. Axl Rose, who fractured his foot at a warm-up show, performs from the throne Dave Grohl used to play Foo Fighters shows when he was hobbled.

2016-Bruce Springsteen cancels an upcoming show in Greensboro, North Carolina, in protest of a state law limiting the rights of transgender people. "Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry - which is happening as I write - is one of them," he writes.

Pearl Jam follows suit, bowing out of a show in Raleigh.

2013-Cher fans fear the singer is dead when the hashtag #nowthatchersdead trends on Twitter. It turns out the tag is for Margaret Thatcher.

2013-Annette Funicello dies at age 70 of multiple sclerosis. The actress became famous as a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club before becoming a pop singer and was known for a string of popular '60s "Beach Party" films with co-star Frankie Avalon.

2010- Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols and influential in punk rock, passed away.

2008-Lady Gaga releases her first single, "Just Dance," co-written with Akon, who sings on the track. It catches on in clubs and gradually climbs the pop chart, landing at #1 in January 2009.

2006-The Rolling Stones play their first-ever concert in mainland China with a gig in Shanghai.

2003-Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, releases her first solo album, To Whom It May Concern. It debuts at #5 in America.

2001-Country singer-songwriter Van Stephenson (of BlackHawk) dies at age 47, two years after being diagnosed with melanoma.

2001-Cuban violinist Pedro Depestre Gonzales (of Buena Vista Social Club) dies at age 55 after collapsing on stage during a concert performance in Basel, Switzerland.

2000- Westlife scored their fifth consecutive UK number one single with Fool Again.

2000- Santana featuring The Product G&B reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with Maria Maria.

2000-NSYNC's album No Strings Attached hit No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 for eight consecutive weeks.

2000-In a Saturday Night Live skit where Blue Öyster Cult is recording "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," Christopher Walken demands more cowbell from Will Ferrell, who complies. A catch phrase is born.

1997-Singer-songwriter Laura Nyro ("Stoned Soul Picnic," "Wedding Bell Blues," "And When I Die") dies at age 49 of ovarian cancer.

1996-Delta blues musician Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes dies at age 59 of lung cancer.

1994-Kurt Cobain's body is found in his Seattle home by an electrician sent to install a burglar alarm. He is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound three days earlier. The Nirvana song "Come As You Are" takes on new meaning with the line, "I swear that I don't have a gun."

1994-The Offspring release their breakthrough album Smash on the indie label Epitaph Records. Thanks to the success of the singles "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem," it sells over 10 million copies worldwide to become the best selling independently released and distributed album of all time.

1992- Clarke Peters’ musical Five Guys Named Moe opened in NYC, running for 445 performances.

1989-The 1975 lead singer Matt Healy is born in London.

1989-"The Look" by Roxette hits #1 on the Hot 100, the first of four chart-toppers for the Swedish duo.

1985-The musical Leader Of The Pack: The Songs Of Ellie Greenwich opens on Broadway (running for 120 performances).

1984-Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig is born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

1980-The TV movie Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, based on the song "The Gambler," airs on CBS. It becomes the highest-rated TV movie of the year and leads to four sequels, all starring Rogers.

1977- The Clash released their self-titled debut album in the UK, achieving cult status in punk rock.

1975- Aerosmith released Toys in the Attic, which became their most commercially successful album in the US.

1975-Dutch singer-songwriter Anouk is born Anouk Teeuwe in The Hague, Netherlands.

1974-Dr. John releases the album Desitively Bonnaroo. The title, a creole saying for "good stuff," provides the appellation for the Bonnaroo music festival.

1974- Paul McCartney & Wings released the single Band on the Run in the US.

1972-Bass player Paul Gray, a founding member of Slipknot, is born in Los Angeles but is raised in Des Moines, Iowa, where he forms the band. Gray is just 38 when he dies from a drug overdose in 2010.

1971- Chicago became the first rock group to sell out a week of shows at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

1970- The UK premiere of the Woodstock documentary film took place in London.

1968-The TV special Petula airs on NBC. At one point in the show, host Petula Clark grabs hold of Harry Belafonte's arm while they are singing a duet. This marks the first time a white woman and black man have physical contact on TV in such context.

1967-The Doors' first single, "Break On Through (To The Other Side)," hits a wall, stalling at #126 in the US. Their next release, "Light My Fire," does much better, going to #1.

1967- Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK with Puppet On A String

1964-The Supremes record "Where Did Our Love Go," which becomes their breakout hit.

1964-Rapper Biz Markie is born Marcel Theo Hall in New Jersey.

1963-Julian Lennon is born John Charles Julian Lennon, the first child of John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia. Imbued with many of his father's talents for music, he releases his debut album, Valotte, in 1984 with the hit "Too Late for Goodbyes"

1963-Frank Sinatra hosts the 35th Academy Awards, held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Lawrence of Arabia wins Best Picture, with composer Maurice Jarre taking home Best Original Score. Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer land Best Original Song for "Days Of Wine And Roses" from the film of the same name.

1963-Patty Duke wins the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for The Miracle Worker.

1962-Guitarist Izzy Stradlin, a founding member of Guns N' Roses, is born Jeffrey Dean Isbell in Lafayette, Indiana.

1956-The Johnny Burnette Trio (with brother Dorsey) make the first of three appearances on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour on ABC-TV.

1954- The musical By the Beautiful Sea, starring Shirley Booth, opened in NYC.

1951-Rock bassist Mel Schacher (of Grand Funk Railroad, ? & the Mysterians) is born in Owosso, Michigan.

1947-Pioneering Christian rock performer Larry Norman is born in Corpus Christi, Texas.

1947-Yes guitarist Steve Howe is born in London.

1944-Drummer Keef Hartley (of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Keef Hartley Band) is born in Preston, Lancashire, England.

1942-Rock singer Roger "Chappo" Chapman (of Family) is born in Leicester, England.

1942- Arnold Schoenberg and Tudor's ballet Pillar of Fire premiered in New York City.

1941-Soul singer J.J. Jackson, known for the 1966 crossover hit "But It's Alright," is born Jerome Louis Jackson in Gillett, Arkansas.

1938- Walter Piston's 1st Symphony in E premiered in Boston, conducted by the composer.

1935- Béla Bartók's 5th String Quartet debuted in Washington, D.C..

1931- Dmitri Shostakovich's ballet The Arrow premiered.

1929-Singer-songwriter Jacques Brel is born in Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium.

1922-Jazz singer Carmen McRae is born in Harlem, New York City.

1896-Edgar Yipsel Harburg, known as "Yip," is born in New York City. He co-writes many popular songs, including "Over The Rainbow" and "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime."

1781- Mozart premiered his Violin Sonata No. 27 in G major (K. 379),.

[Bikkie]

1850
Sisters of Mercy arrive in New Zealand
Nine Sisters of Mercy arrived in Auckland on the Oceanie with Bishop Pompallier and a number of priests.



1932
Unemployed disturbances in Dunedin
During the 'angry autumn' of 1932, in the depths of the Great Depression, unemployed workers in Dunedin reacted angrily when the Hospital Board refused to assist them.



In Music History

2021-Hardcore rapper DMX dies at age 50 a week after suffering a massive heart attack. His first five albums all went to #1 in America.

2018-The chain is broken: Fleetwood Mac announce that Lindsey Buckingham has been fired from the band and will be replaced with Mike Campbell and Neil Finn on their upcoming tour.

2012-Alabama Shakes release their debut album, Boys & Girls, featuring "Hold On." Led by powerhouse singer Brittany Howard, they bring a rootsy, organic sound to the landscape that helps earn them a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

2009-Following a contentious interview where he insults Canadian audiences, Billy Bob Thornton's music career hits a roadblock when he and his band the Boxmasters are booed at their show in Toronto opening for Willie Nelson. The Boxmasters cancel their remaining Canadian dates the next day.More

2009-Philadelphia soul singer Randy Cain (of The Delfonics) dies at age 63.

2008-Elton John plays a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, bringing in about $2.5 million. In 2013, Clinton is honored by the Elton John AIDS Foundation for her support of gay rights.

2004-Weird Al Yankovic's parents, Nick and Mary Yankovic, are found dead of accidental carbon-monoxide poisoning in their Fallbrook, California. The tragedy was caused by using their fireplace with the flue closed.

2000- Craig David became the youngest UK male solo artist to write and perform a #1 hit with "Fill Me In".

1999-Bruce Springsteen begins his first tour with the E Street Band since 1988 with a concert in Barcelona. The European leg ends in June, with the first American show in their home turf of New Jersey on July 15. The tour lasts until July 2000, a total of 132 shows.

1999-Faith Hill begins her first headlining tour ("This Kiss") in Minneapolis.

1997-Nashville songwriter Mae Axton, co-writer of Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel," dies at age 82 when she has a heart attack and drowns in her hot tub.

1997-Amidst personal tensions between its band members, Soundgarden announce their breakup, which lasts for 13 years.

Gillian Welch Releases Revival
1996-Bluegrass duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings release their debut album, Revival.

1996- Semisonic released their debut album Great Divide, featuring the song "F.N.T. (Fascinating New Thing)".

1996-The New York Yankees grounds crew dances to "Y.M.C.A." as they drag the field in the fifth inning of their home opener, eliciting roars of approval from the crowd. The routine, with improved choreography, becomes a regular feature at Yankee Stadium.

1994-Heavy metal makes a mark as Pantera's album Far Beyond Driven debuts at #1 in America.

1994-Wayne Newton marries his second wife, Kathleen.

1994- The Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert at Carnegie Hall featured Sting, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Luciano Pavarotti, and others.

1994-Pearl Jam visit the White House, where they meet with President Bill Clinton. The band push for reforms to rein in Ticketmaster, while Clinton looks for help crafting an official statement on Kurt Cobain, who was found dead the previous day.

1992-"Deep Cover" by Dr. Dre, written for the movie of the same name, is released. It marks the first appearance of Snoop Doggy Dogg, recently signed to Dre's Death Row Records, on a major release.

1988-Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car," from the movie License To Drive, hits #1 in the US. Written by Ocean with superproducer Mutt Lange, it's the last of his three US #1 hits, following "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)" and "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)."

1988-R&B singer Brook Benton dies of pneumonia at age 56, two years after contracting spinal meningitis.

1988- Billy Ocean reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car," and Pet Shop Boys hit #1 in the UK with "Heart".

1988-Soul singer Dave Prater (of Sam & Dave) dies at age 50 in a single-car accident in Sycamore, Georgia.

1987-Jesse McCartney is born in Ardsley, New York. At 17, while starring in the TV series Summerland, he releases his first single, "Beautiful Soul," a hit with his fanbase of teenage girls.

1986-The musical Time premieres at the Dominion Theatre in London. Produced by Dave Clark, the show stars Cliff Richard in the lead role.

1985-Frankie Goes to Hollywood open a European tour in Copenhagen, then spend the rest of the year in tax exile from the United Kingdom.

1984-Cher, for her performance in Silkwood, loses the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award to Linda Hunt (in The Year Of Living Dangerously). Cher would win for Best Actress three years later for her role in Moonstruck.

1983- David Bowie’s "Let's Dance" topped both the U.S. and UK charts, produced by Nile Rodgers and featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan.

1977-Europop Rules In America With "Dancing Queen"
ABBA goes to #1 on the US singles chart with "Dancing Queen," the group's seventh US Top 40 hit and first #1. The song is also a #1 in the UK and 12 other countries.

1977-Alt rock singer-songwriter Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance) is born in Summit, New Jersey.

1976-Folk singer-songwriter Phil Ochs commits suicide at age 35 in Far Rockaway, New York City, after a long battle with bipolar disorder and alcoholism.

1973- Paul McCartney released "My Love," which became his biggest U.S. solo hit, staying at #1 for four weeks.

1973-Queen play the Marquee Theater in London, their first concert since signing with EMI Records.

1971- Ringo Starr released the single "It Don't Come Easy," produced by George Harrison.

1969- Bob Dylan released his ninth studio album, Nashville Skyline, marking a stylistic shift to country music and featuring the hit "Lay Lady Lay" with liner notes by Johnny Cash.

1969-King Crimson make their debut performance with a show at the Speakeasy in London.

1969-Kevin Martin (lead vocalist of Candlebox) is born in Elgin, Illinois.

1966-Jeff Beck collapses on stage at a Yardbirds concert in France. Said their drummer Jim McCarty: "You never really quite knew what was going to happen with him."

1966- The Righteous Brothers reached #1 in the U.S. with "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration," while Percy Sledge released "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Jr. Walker & The All Stars released "(I'm A) Road Runner".

1965-Bruce Johnston joins The Beach Boys as the permanent replacement for Brian Wilson.

1962-Henry Mancini wins the Best Original Song Academy Award for "Moon River" from Breakfast At Tiffany's.

1957- Howard Hanson's "Song of Democracy" premiered in Washington, D.C..

1953-Hal Ketchum, whose country hits include "Small Town Saturday Night" and "Past The Point Of Rescue," is born in Greenwich, New York.

1950-Keyboardist Peter Wood (Roger Waters' backing group, The Bleeding Heart Band) is born in Middlesex, England.

1948-Rock 'n roll singer Dave "Chico" Ryan (of The Happenings, Sha Na Na, Bill Haley & His Comets) is born in Arlington, Massachusetts.

1945-Rock 'n roll singer Emil Stucchio (of The Classics) is born in New York.

1943-Music producer Terry Knight (Grand Funk Railroad, Bloodrock) is born Richard Terrance Knapp in Lapeer, Michigan.

1942- Alexander Gretchaninov's 4th Symphony premiered at Carnegie Hall, conducted by John Barbirolli.

1941-Country singer Kay Adams, known for the 1966 hit "Little Pink Mack," is born Princetta Kay Adams in Knox City, Texas.

1939- Marian Anderson performed before 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after being denied permission to sing at Constitution Hall due to racial segregation.

1932-Rockabilly singer Carl Perkins is born in Ridgely, Tennessee.

1894- Anton Bruckner's 5th Symphony in B premiered in Graz, Austria-Hungary, in an abridged and re-orchestrated version by Franz Schauk without the composer's approval.

1887-Classical composer Florence Beatrice Price is born in Little Rock, Arkansas.

1860-An anonymous vocalist sings "Au Clair De La Lune" to Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville, who makes the first known and oldest surviving recording of the human voice.