On This Day In History

[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.