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.

[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