February 28th

Musical birthdays today include jazz violinist Svend Asmussen (98), jazz pianist Mike Wofford (76), former Jaggerz and Wild Cherry lead singer Donnie Iris (71), film director, score composer and trumpeter Mike Figgis (66), Black Sabbath keyboardist Geoff Nichols (66), B-52s vocalist Cindy Wilson (57), Train lead singer Patrick Monahan (45), Jason Aldean (37), and Jake Bugg (20). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Guiomar Novaes, born on this day in 1895...  guitarist John Fahey, who would have been 75 today... for Nashville session guitarist Joe South, who would have been 74... for Brian Jones, who would have been 72... for producer Brian Delph, who would have been 57... for one-hit wonder ['Montego Bay'] Bobby Bloom, who took his own life today in 1974 at the age of 28... for original Uriah Heep lead singer David Byron, who died in 1985... for classical violinist Helmut Zacharias, who passed away in 2002... for former Searchers drummer Chris King, who died in 2005... and for Dave Clark Five lead singer Mike Smith, who left us today in 2008. 

Also on February 28: Handel's opera 'Siroe, de di Persia' premieres in London (1728)... The first public recital of Schubert's lieder takes place in Vienna (1819)... Jules Massenet's final opera 'Cleopatre' premieres in Monte Carlo (1914)... Motown records release the LP The Fabulous Miracles (1963)... Police have to be called to dislodge music fans who have barricaded themselves inside Liverpool's Cavern Club to protest the venue's definitive closure... Gene Clark announces that he is leaving the Byrds (1966)... In an interview with the New Musical Express, Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green talks about his plans to give all of his money away. The following year, he will threaten his accountant with a gun for presenting him with a royalty cheque... Led Zeppelin play a gig in Copenhagen billed as 'The Nobs' after Eva von Zeppelin,  a descendant of the airship designer, threatens legal action if the family name is used in Denmark... Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge over Troubled Water' begins a 6-week run at no. 1 in the US ~ chart supremacy for the song in Britain will begin in 2 weeks' time... Van' Morrison's album Moondance is released (1970)... George and Patti Harrison are injured in a car crash; Patti will be in a coma for nearly a week, but will make a complete recovery (1972)... Paul Simon's 'Still Crazy after All These Years' wins Best Pop Vocal Performance and Best Album at the 18th Grammys. In his acceptance speech, the singer says "I'd like to thank Stevie Wonder for not releasing an album this year" (1976)... Ray Charles is attacked on stage in Detroit by a man who attempts to strangle him with a microphone cord. The assailant is a member of a group called Project Heavy, a community project for disadvantaged youths (1977)... U2's War is released (1983)... George Michael announces the dissolution of Wham! (1986)... Bob Dylan goes into The Studio in New Orleans to begin recording the Oh Mercy album with Daniel Lanois at the controls... The Indigo Girls release their eponymous debut albums (1989)... Eric Clapton plays his 100th show at the Royal Albert Hall, this one a fundraiser for the 'Children in Crisis' charity (1994)... The Arctic Monkeys win British band of the year at the NME Awards in London's O2 Arena. Blackout by Britney Spears is named Worst Album of the Year (2008). 

February 27th

Musical birthdays today include bluesman Jimmy Burns (72), Cockney Rebel frontman Steve Harley (63), Journey guitarist Neal Schon (60), Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith (57), Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Johnny Van Zant (55), classical violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann (49), R&B singer Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas (43), and Josh Groban (33). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Hubert Parry, born on this day in 1848... for operatic soprano born Lotte Lehmann, born in 1888... for Marian Anderson, born in 1897... for jazz singer Mildred Bailey, born in 1907... for Dexter Gordon, born in 1923... for pioneering rock 'n' roll guitarist Sidney 'Hardrock' Gunter, who would have been 89 today... for English topical song comedian Jake Thackray, who would have been 76... for sound artist and Coil co-founder Peter Christopherson, who would have been 59... for Frankie Lymon, who died of  a drug overdose today in 1968 at the age of 25... for drummer, bandleader and Goon Show regular Ray Ellington, who passed away on this date in 1985... and for Van Cliburn, who left us two years ago today. 

Also on February 27th: William Byrd is appointed organist and choir master at Lincoln Cathedral (1563)... Beethoven's 8th Symphony in F premieres in Vienna (1814)... Robert Schumann is rescued from an attempt to drown himself in the Rhine (1854)... 21-year-old former hairdresser and Cavern Club cloakroom attendant Cilla Black has her first UK no. 1 with 'Anyone Who Had a Heart'... The Rolling Stones make their second appearance on Top of the Pops, performing 'Not Fade Away' (1964)... At Abbey Road Studios, Pink Floyd continue working on their debut album Piper of the Gates of Dawn. With the exception of two group-composed instrumentals and one Roger Waters song, all the material on the album was written by Syd Barrett... Elvis releases his first all-gospel album, How Great Thou Art (1967)... 5 months after her death, Janis Joplin's album Pearl goes to the top of the US album chart, where it will stay for 9 weeks (1971)... Continuing their tour of Australia, Led Zeppelin play the Sydney Showgrounds, with Jimmy Page appearing clean shaven for the first time in two years (1970)... Cher files for divorce from Sonny Bono (1974)... Keith Richards is led out of Toronto's Harbour Castle hotel in handcuffs after a raid on his room by 15 Mounties nets an ounce of heroin. The guitarist is charged with possession with intent to traffic, and faces up to seven years in prison (1977)... James Brown is paroled after serving two years of a six-year sentence for leading police on a car chase across two states (1991)... Her 14th week at no. 1 in the US with 'I Will Always Love You' gives Whitney Houston the new record for longest reigning American chart topper (1993)... A worker in a supermarket in Aspen, CO calls the police after spotting a man in a ski mask pushing a cart up and down the aisles. Officers arrive on the scene and identify the mysterious customer as Michael Jackson, who is in town on holiday with his children (1994)... Pictures appear in the UK press of Pete Doherty visiting a zoo in Oxfordshire with his girlfriend Kate Moss. The Babyshambles lead singer is harshly criticized by veterinarians after pictures show him tossing the remains of a cannabis joint to a group of penguins (2007).

February 26th

Musical birthdays today include Fats Domino (86), Mitch Ryder (69), Sandie Shaw (67), soprano soloist Emma Kirkby (65), Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain (64), Michael Bolton (61), Killing Joke lead singer Jaz Coleman (54), Rage against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford (46), Erykah Badu AKA 'The First Lady of Neo-soul' (43), Snow Patrol drummer Johnny Quinn (42), Dispatch guitarist & singer Brad Corrigan (40), Corinne Bailey Rae (35), Sharon van Etten (33), Fun lead singer Nate Ruess, and Automatic Loveletter vocalist Juliet Simms (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Lazar Berman, who would have been 84 today... for Johnny Cash, who would have been 82... for Canned Heat lead singer Bob Hite, who would have been 71... for trumpeter Roy 'Little Jazz' Eldridge, who died on this day in 1989... for former Platters and Coasters vocalist Cornell Gunter, who died in 1990... and for former Band of Gypsies and Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles, who left us today in 2008. 

Also on February 26th: Franz Schubert's Symphony no. 4 in c minor, commonly known as the 'Tragic', receives its premiere in Leipzig more than 50 years after its composition, and nearly 40 years after the composer's death (1869)... Billboard Magazine reports that for the first time since their introduction in 1949, 45 RPM records are outselling 78s (1955)... Jimmy Page releases a solo single in the UK called 'She Just Satisfies', which he produced and played all the instruments on with the exception of the drums (1965)... Nancy Sinatra is at no. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with 'These Boots Were Made for Walking'. Meanwhile, Rubber Soul reigns atop the album charts (1966)... The Beatles collection of non-album singles and B-sides Hey Jude is released in the US (1970)... During a court case between The Sex Pistols and their former manager Malcom McLaren, it is revealed that only £30,000 of the £800,000 that the band earned can be accounted for (1979)... After seeing U2 play at Dublin's National Boxing Stadium in front of 2,400 people, Rob Partridge and Bill Stewart of Island Records offer the band a recording contract (1980)... At Bob Dylan's Rundown Studios in Santa Monica, CA, Allen Ginsberg records two songs ('Do the Meditation' and 'Airplane Blues'), with Dylan on bass, Jim Keltner on drums, and Steve Taylor on guitar. Thriller arrives at no. 1 on the Billboard album chart, a position that it will occupy for the next 37 weeks (1983)... A 10-minute version of The Beatles' 'Revolution 1' is leaked onto the Internet, giving fans a never-before-heard idea of what the White Album sessions were like. Only two copies of the take were made when the song was completed on June 4, 1968. One copy left the studio that day with John Lennon, and the other remained behind. Which copy was leaked and by whom remains a mystery (2009). 

February 25th

Musical birthdays today include Ralph Stanley (87), former Vinegar Joe vocalist Elkie Brooks (69), bluegrass banjo player Pete Wernick (68), Doug Yule (67), Emitt Rhodes (64), ex-Daniel Amos lead guitarist Jerry Chamberlain (62), X leader John Doe (60), The Alarm frontman Mike Peters (55), Bad Religion guitarist Brian Baker (49), Julio Iglesias, Jr. (40), former Cradle of Filth vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva (37), The Used lead singer Bert McCracken (32), and Music for Dead Birds singer Danny Monaghan (26). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Enrico Caruso, born on this day in 1873... for former NBC Orchestra lead saxophonist Tommy Newsom, who would have been 85 today... for country singer Faron Young, who would have been 82... for George Harrison, who would have been 71... for pop songwriter Johnny Burke [best remembered for 'Pennies from Heaven' and 'Moonlight Becomes You'], who died on this date in 1964... for former Marshall Tucker Band lead guitarist Toy Caldwell, who died in 1993... for folk singer Mark Spoelstra, who passed away in 2007, and for ex-Allman Brothers Band guitarist 'Dangerous Dan' Toler, who left us two years ago today. 

Also on February 25th: George M. Cohan's first musical, 'The Governor's Son', opens on Broadway (1901)... Elvis has his first major US hit when his single 'I Forgot to Remember to Forget' goes to no. 1 on the Billboard Country & Western chart (1956)... Buddy Holly records 'That'll Be the Day' at the Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, NM (1957)... Columbia records releases Barbra Streisand's debut LP, The Barbra Streisand Album (1963)... Back from America, the Beatles record 'Can't Buy Me Love', 'You Can't Do That' and 'I Should Have Known Better' at Abbey Road Studios (1964)... Pink Floyd appear at the Ricky Tick Club in Hounslow, greater London. The Yardbirds were filmed there the previous year for a scene in Michelangelo Antonioni's film 'Blow Up' (1967)... Led Zeppelin play their first ever gig in New Zealand at the Western Springs Stadium in Auckland. News reviews published the next day report that the band could by heard over 5 miles from the venue... Pink Moon, Nick Drakes's third and final album, is released (1972)... The Jam sign with Polydor Records for £6,000 (1977)... Christopher Cross wins the Song of the Year Grammy for 'Sailing' (1981)... Van Halen have the no. 1 single in America with 'Jump' (1984)... U2 kick off their first full-scale large venue American tour at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, TX (1985)... Simple Minds go to no. 1 in the UK with 'Belfast Child'. Clocking in at 6:39, it is the second-longest British no. 1 ever after 'Hey Jude' (1988)... At Radio City Music Hall, Bob Dylan is handed 3 Grammys, including Best Album for Time out of Mind'. During Dylan's performance of the song 'Not Dark Yet', background dancer Michael Portnoy rips his shirt off, takes a position next to Dylan centre stage and reveals the words 'Soy Bomb' painted on his chest (1998)... Lil' Kim says that a shooting which occurred after she left a NYC radio station had nothing to do with her. One person was wounded in the fusillade of 22 bullets outside of Hot 97. According to the New York Daily News, the incident was the result of a feud between Lil' Kim and rival rappers Capone-N-Noreaga (2001)... George Michael is found slumped over in a car in London's Hyde Park. A concerned passerby spotted the singer and called police, who, after having Michael checked by paramedics, arrested him on suspicion of possessing drugs before then releasing him on bail. Michael makes a public statement about the incident and says "I was in possession of class C drugs, which is an offense, and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout." He also says that the event was "my own stupid fault, as usual." (2006)... President Obama honours Stevie Wonder, his musical idol, with America's highest award for pop music, the Library of Congress' Gershwin prize at a ceremony at the White House. The president says that the Motown legend was the soundtrack to his youth, and he doubts that his wife would have married him if he hadn't been a fan. Wonder's song 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' was the theme song during Obama's '08 presidential campaign (2009). 

 

February 24th

Musical birthdays today include pianist and composer Michel Legrand (82), popular singer Joanie 'The Voice of the Sixties' Sommers (73), ex-Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones (72), Smile lead guitarist Tim Saffell (66), George Thorogood (64), Belgian pop singer Plastic Bertrand (60), country singer Sammy Kershaw (56), Michelle Shocked (52), Slipknot drummer Chris Fehn (41), N*E*R*D* keyboardist Chad Hugo (40), Alkaline Trio guitarist Matt Skiba (38), Taking Back Sunday guitarist & singer John Nolan (36), Gym Class Heroes drummer Matt McGinley (31), and former Metro Station lead guitarist Trace Cyrus (25). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for opera librettist Arrigo Boito, born on this day in 1842... for session pianist Nicky Hopkins, who would have been 70 today... for jazz percussionist Steve Berios, who would have been 69... for Johnnie Ray, who died on this date in 1990... for country singer Webb Pierce, who passed away in 1991... for Dinah Shore, who died in 1994... and for for former Velvets lead singer Virgil Johnson, who left us one year ago today.

Also on February 24th: Monteverdi's 'L'Orfeo', one of the first works recognized as an opera, has its premiere during the annual Carnival at Mantua, Italy  (1608)... Handel's 'Rinaldo', the first Italian opera written for the London stage, premieres at the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket (1711)... Fleetwood Mac's eponymous debut album is released (1968)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience play their final British gig at the Royal Albert Hall (1969)... Roberta Flack hits no. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Killing Me Softly with His Song'... The Byrds make their final live appearance when they play the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ (1973)... Led Zeppelin release Physical Graffiti (1975)... The Eagles' Greatest Hits becomes the first album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA (1976)... The New York Post publishes a report that Bob Dylan has been baptised into the Christian faith in Pat Boone's swimming pool (1979)... Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love are married in Waikiki (1992)... The US Mint issues a commemorative quarter featuring the likeness of Duke Ellington, making the legendary composer and bandleader the first black person to appear by himself on an American coin (2009)... The personal assistant to former Ramones manager Linda Stein is convicted in a New York court of bludgeoning her boss to death at her Manhattan apartment on the 30th of October, 2007. Prosecutors said Natavia Lowery, 28, stole more than $30,000 from Stein, then clubbed her with a piece of exercise equipment. Jurors spent less than a day reaching a second-degree murder verdict (2010). 

February 23rd

Musical birthdays today include Johnny Winter (70), Poco pedal steel guitarist Rusty Young (68), The Sweet bassist Steve Priest (66), Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford (62), Howard Jones (59), ex-Japan lead singer David Sylvian (56), Queensrÿche guitarist Michael 'The Whip' Wilton (52), former Nine Inch Nails drummer Chris Vrenna (47), Cardigans guitarist Lars-Olof Johansson (41), Calle 13 lead singer René 'Residente' Joglar (36), and Skylar Grey (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Georg Friedrich Händel, born on this day in 1685... for operatic soprano Régine Crespin, who would have been 87 today... for former Dolly Dots vocalist Ria Brieffies, who would have been 57... for Starship lead guitarist Mark Abrahamian, who would have been 48... for operatic soprano Nellie Melba, who died on this date in 1931... for composer Edward Elgar, who died in 1934... for organist and composer Herbert Howells, who passed away in 1983... and for former Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein, who left us today in 2003. 

Also on February 23rd: Filming on the Beatles' cinematic follow-up to 'A Hard Day's Night' begins on location in the Bahamas with the working title 'Eight Arms to Hold You' (1965)... After nearly five years of marriage, Priscilla Presley moves out of Elvis' Beverly Hills home and into a two bedroom apartment in Malibu (1973)... AC/DC shoot the video for 'It's A Long Way To The Top, (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)' for the Australian music television program Countdown. It features the band's then-current lineup, along with members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band, on the back of a flat-bed truck travelling on Swanston Street in Melbourne (1976)... David Coverdale's Whitesnake make their live debut at the Sky Bird Club in Nottingham... Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen are arrested in New York for heroin possession (1978)... Stevie Wonder is arrested at an anti-apartheid demonstration outside the South African embassy in Washington, DC. He is released following brief questioning, and after signing autographs for several police officers... The Smiths have the no. 1 album in the UK with Meat Is Murder... Sade releases Diamond Life (1985)... All members of Oasis are banned for life from Cathay Pacific Airlines after alleged 'disgusting and abusive behaviour' on a flight from Hong Kong to Perth (1998)... Carlos Santana wins 8 Grammy awards for his album Supernatural, tying the record set by Michael Jackson with Thriller (2000)... The Bee Gees make their last ever concert appearance at the Love and Hope Ball in Miami, FL (2002)... London's Abbey Road studios is made a listed building, protecting it from plans to radically alter it. Culture Minister Margaret Hodge listed the studios on the advice of English Heritage, saying it had 'produced some of the very best music in the world'. The Beatles used Abbey Road for 90% of their recordings (2010). 

February 22nd

Musical birthdays today include Marni Nixon (84), R&B singer Bobby Hendricks (76), jazz drummer Harvey Mason (67), Wire bassist Graham Lewis (61), heavy metal bassist Dave Spitz (56), City of Fire bassist Byron Stroud, Creed drummer Scott Phillips (41), James Blunt (40), former Atomic Kitten vocalist Jenny Frost (36), and Blaque lead singer Shamari Fears (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Frédéric Chopin, born on this day in 1810... for big band saxophonist Buddy Tate, born in 1913... for bluesman Texas Johnny Brown, who would have been 86 today... for pop singer William 'Oliver' Swofford, who would have been 69... for classical violinist Efrem Zimbalist, who died on this date in 1985... for original Velvet Underground producer and manager Andy Warhol, who passed away in 1987... and for blues violinist Papa John Creach, who left us 20 years ago today. 

Also on February 22nd: Percy Faith and His Orchestra have the no. 1 song in America with 'Theme from a Summer Place' (1960)... Pink Floyd continue working on Piper at the Gates of Dawn at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, while the Beatles are next door assembling the giant piano chord at the end of 'A Day in the Life' (1967)... T-Rex play the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, with David Bowie doing a one-man mime show as their opening act (1969)... David Crosby releases his first solo album If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971)... The Average White Band go to no. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Pick up the Pieces' (1975)... Preparing to film a Wrigley's Chewing Gum commercial for US TV, the members of The Police dye their hair blonde for the first time (1978)... MTV dedicates a full day to the Monkees, broadcasting all 45 episodes of the original series in a 22-hour marathon (1986)... A heavy metal/hard rock category is introduced at the Grammys for the first time. To the considerable displeasure of many in the audience, the award goes to Jethro Tull for the album Crest of a Knave. Having been convinced by their manager that they had no chance of winning, no member of the band is present to collect the award. When asked by an interviewer the next day to comment on the controversy, longtime Tull frontman Ian Anderson quips "We do sometimes play our mandolins very loudly" (1988)... The NME publishes the result of a poll of British rock journalists asked to name the greatest debut albums of all time. Nos. 1 through 5 are Horses by Patti Smith, Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, Kick out the James by the MC5, Psychocandy by the Jesus and Mary Chain, and Television's Marquee Moon (1992)... The Spice Girl start a 4-week run atop the US singles chart with 'Wannabe' (1997)... The engagement ring given by Sid Vicious to Nancy Spungen sells at auction in London for £1500. The jeans that John Lennon was wearing when he performed 'Instant Karma' on Top of the Pops in 1970 go for £2250 (2000)... Two women in their early sixties spend the first of eight nights sleeping outside Bournemouth International Centre to make sure they are first in the queue when tickets for a forthcoming Cliff Richard concert go on sale (2002)... Sir Paul McCartney plays a private show in San Diego, CA for the birthday of Wendy Whitworth, the executive producer of The Larry King Show. Sir Paul donates his $1 million fee to the Adopt-a-Minefield charity (2003)... Johnny Marr is said to be 'ecstatic' after getting back  guitar of his which was stolen in 2000 after a gig at the Scala nightclub in King's Cross, London. Smiths fan Stephen White told a London court that he was "disgusted" with himself for taking the cherry-red 1964 Gibson SG [valued at £30,000] when he went backstage after the show (2010). 

February 21st

Musical birthdays today include producer & impresario David Geffen (71), mezzo-soprano D'Anna Fortunato (69), Uriah Heep bassist Paul Newton (69), former Love lead guitarist Johnny Echols (67), Jerry Harrison (65), Stranglers bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel (62), DJ & producer Michael Pickering (60), Stiff Little Fingers frontman Jake Burns (56), Mary Chapin Carpenter (56), English Beat lead singer Roger 'Ranking Roger' Charlery (51), Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield (45), singer-songwriter Cathy Richardson (45), former Sublime bassist Eric Wilson (44), Morningwood lead singer Chantel Claret (32), and Charlotte Church (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Carl Czerny, born on this day in 1791... for organist and composer Charles-Marie Widor, born in 1844... for Andrés Segovia, born in 1893... for bluesman Frank 'Scrapper' Blackwell, born in 1903... for Nina Simone, who would have been 81 today... for Bobby Charles, who would have been 76... for former Tubes and Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick, who would have been 63... for ex-Supremes vocalist Florence Ballard, who died on this date in 1976... for DJ Murray Kaufman, AKA Murray the K and 'The Fifth Beatle', who passed away in 1982... for R&B and doo-wop singer Nolan Strong, who died in 1977... for composer Morton Gould, who died in 1996... and for bluesman Morris 'Magic Slim' Holt, who left us a year ago today. 

Also on February 21st: Billy Joel has his first rehearsal with The Echoes, a band he has recruited from among his classmates at his Hicksville, NY high school to play British invasion covers... Three classic British singles are released: The Rolling Stones 'Not Fade Away', The Hollies' 'Just One Look', and Billy J Kramer's 'Little Children' (1964)... Pink Floyd begin their first session at EMI Studios, St. John's Wood, London for their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, working on the song 'Matilda Mother'. While the Floyd are recording with former Beatles engineer Norman Smith, the Fab Four themselves are in the studio next door working on 'Fixing A Hole' for the Sgt. Pepper album (1967)... Blood, Sweat and Tears release The Child Is Father to the Man (1968)... Simon and Garfunkel have the no. 1 album in both Britain and America with Bridge over Troubled Water (1970)... Led Zeppelin release 'Rock And Roll / Four Sticks' as a 7 inch single in the US. The song was written as a spontaneous jam session, whilst the band were trying to finish 'Four Sticks'. Drummer John Bonham played the introduction to Little Richard's 'You Keep A-Knockin' and Page added a guitar riff; with the tapes rolling, the basic song was finished fifteen minutes later (1972)... Dolly Parton has her first US no. 1 single with '9 to 5' (1981)... Metallica release their third album, Master of Puppets, while Elvis Costello issues his solo effort King of America (1986)... Robbie Williams is attacked and thrown from the stage during a concert in Stuttgart, Germany after a man gets onto the stage and pushes Williams into the security pit. The attacker is subdued and taken to a secure psychiatric clinic (2001)...  Simon Cowell does his voiceover for his appearance in a new episode of The Simpsons. The TV Pop Idol judge plays a nursery boss who gets punched by Homer Simpson (2004)... Rihanna issues a statement thanking fans for their support after an alleged assault by her boyfriend Chris Brown, but the singer declines to comment on a leaked photograph which appears to show her with facial injuries. The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an internal investigation and asked for the public's help in finding the person who leaked the photograph (2009)... Pussy Riot stage a performance on the soleas of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where their actions are stopped by church security officials. By the same evening, the group have turned the performance into a music video entitled 'Punk Prayer ~ Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!' The women say that their protest is directed at the Orthodox Church Patriarch's support for the Russian president during his election campaign (2012). 

February 20th

Musical birthdays today include jazz singer Nancy Wilson (77), Buffy Sainte-Marie (73), J. Geils (68), Walter Becker (64), The Cramps co-founder & guitarist Kristy 'Poison Ivy' Wallace (61), Cheap Trick bassist Jon Brant (60), Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown (51), rapper & producer Kevin 'k-os' Brereton (42), Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell (39), The Darkness drummer Ed Graham (38), Nickle Creek mandolinist Chris Thile (33), t.A.T.u. vocalist Julia Volkova (29), and Rihanna (26). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for blues pianist Jimmy Yancey, born on this day in 1898... for Buena Vista Social Club singer Ibrahim Ferrer, who would have been 87 today... for Lindisfarne guitarist Alan Hull, who would have been 69... for Spirit guitarist Randy California, who would have been 63... for Kurt Cobain, who would have been 47... for Great White guitarist & singer Ty Longley, who died along with 99 others in the Great Station nightclub fire today in 2003 at the age of 32... and for John Raitt, who left us today in 2005. 

Also on February 20th: Rossini's opera 'The Barber of Seville' has its premiere at the Teatro Argentina in Rome under the title Almaviva, o sia L'inutile precauzione (1816)... Buddy Holly's self-titled second album is released (1958)... 17-year-old Jimi Hendrix plays his first public gig, with a local band in the basement of the Seattle synagogue Temple de Hirsch. The young phenom is fired between sets for showing off (1960)... John Coltrane releases the album Coltrane Jazz (1961)... Bob Dylan and his girlfriend Suze Rotolo are photographed walking together on 4th St. in Greenwich Village for what will become the iconic cover of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)... The Plastic Ono Band single 'Instant Karma' is released in the US (1970)... Screaming Lord Sutch appears at the Art College of High Wycombe, with the Sex Pistols as his opening act (1976)...  The Smiths release their eponymous debut album (1984)... Kylie Minogue has her first no. 1 song on the UK singles chart with 'I Should Be So Lucky' (1988)... Bob Dylan receives a lifetime achievement award at the 33rd Grammys (1991)...  100 people die after pyrotechnics ignite the Great Station nightclub in Warwick, RI during a gig by Great White. The group's singer Ty Longley is among those killed in the accident. Two brothers who own the club are charged with involuntary manslaughter along with the band's tour manager . Foam soundproofing material at the edge of the stage was set alight and the blaze spread quickly in the one-storey wooden building as fans all tried to escape through the same exit. Great White will begin a tour in July to raise money for the survivors and families of victims (2003)... Brian Wilson kicks off an 11-date UK tour at London's Royal Festival Hall. The shows see Wilson performing the full suite of songs from his unreleased masterpiece 'Smile' , the former head Beach Boy's 'teenage symphony to God' (2004)... The US hair salon where Britney Spears shaved her head sets up a website to auction her hair for more than $1 million. The website, buybritneyshair.com, claims to have been set up by salon owner Esther Tognozzi, and includes photos of the hair, saying it is 'absolutely authentic'. In addition to the singer's locks, the winning bidder will also get the clippers Spears used, a blue lighter she left at the salon and the can of Red Bull she was drinking at the time. Meanwhile, Spears has been spotted around Los Angeles sporting a short blonde wig (2007)... A Rolling Stones album bought for £2 at a garage sale sells for £4,000 at auction. The 1976 copy of 'Black and Blue' LP was signed by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul and Linda McCartney and George Harrison as well as by the Stones themselves. The buyer obtained the album after haggling the unsuspecting owner down from £3 (2008). 

 

 

February 19th

Musical birthdays today include composer György Kurtág (88), bluesman Robert Walker (77), Smokey Robinson (74), Lou Christie (71), Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean (68), Tony Iommi (66), Wishbone Ash guitarist Andy Powell (64), Scorpions bassist Francis Buchholz (60), dBs frontman Peter Holsapple (58), English Beat lead singer Dave Wakeling (56), Seal (51), Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich (50), Smash Mouth guitarist Leroy Miller (49), Phish drummer John Fishman (49), Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell (45), Nickelback drummer Daniel Adair (39), Gossip vocalist Beth Ditto (33), and pop singer Haylie Duff (29). 


Shoutout to the Great Beyond for  bluesman Sam Myers, who would have been 78 today... for Miracles vocalist Bobby Rogers, who would have been 74... for Hans Hölzel, AKA Falco, who would have been 57... for original AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott, who died on this day in 1980... for French cabaret singer Charles Trenet, who passed away in 2001... for country singer Johnny Paycheck, who died in 2003... and for former ELO bassist Kelly Groucutt, who left us in 2009. 


Also on February 19th: Thomas Edison patents the phonograph (1878)... A British novelty company ships half ton of Beatle wigs to the US. An American reporter later asks John Lennon, "How do you feel about teenagers imitating you with Beatle wigs?" John replied "They're not imitating us, because we don't wear wigs." (1964)... The Beatles record 'You're Going to Lose That Girl' at Abbey Road in only two takes (1965)... Yes release The Yes Album (1971)... Harry Nilsson has the no. 1 song in the US with his version of Badfinger's 'Without You' (1972)... Former Tower of Power  lead singer Rich Stevens is arrested in connection with the drug related murders of three men in San Jose, CA. Stevens is found guilty of the charges in November (1976)... Manfred Mann's Earth Band score a No.1 single in the US with their version of the Bruce Springsteen song 'Blinded By The Light.' The track was the first single from Bruce Springsteen's 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. The Earth Band's version features several changes in the lyrics, the most prominent one coming in the chorus, where Springsteen's 'cut loose like a deuce' is replaced with 'revved up like a deuce.' Springsteen himself has said that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a "feminine hygiene product" that it became popular (1977)... Ozzy Osbourne is arrested in San Antonio, TX for urinating on the Alamo. Osbourne is wearing a dress at the time of his arrest, [his wife Sharon having hidden all his clothes so that he could not venture outside the hotel]. The intoxicated Osbourne, who apparently thought he was relieving himself on a pile of rubble, is prohibited from ever playing in San Antonio again [a ban which was lifted in 1992] (1982)... Joni Mitchell releases Night Ride Home, the last of her four albums for Geffen Records (1991)... During their Use Your Illusion Tour, Guns n' Roses play the first of three sold out nights at the Tokyo Dome. The 55,000-seat baseball stadium [popularly known as 'the Big Egg'] is the largest concert hall in Japan (1992)... Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson marry in Cancun, Mexico... Roxette become the first western act to play in Bejing since Wham! in 1984 when they play a concert celebrating the Chinese New Year (1995)... Bjork is shown on UK breakfast TV attacking a news reporter upon arrival at Bangkok International Airport. The footage shows the singer pulling the female reporter to the floor and banging her head repeatedly on the ground. Bjork later apologises for the incident (1996)... The family of the late Johnny Cash  block an attempt by advertisers to use his song 'Ring of Fire' to promote haemorrhoid-relief products. The idea is said to have been backed by Merle Kilgore, who co-wrote the song with Cash's wife June Carter Cash. Cash's daughter Rosanne said the family would "never allow the song to be demeaned like that" (2004).

 

 

 

 

February 18th

Musical birthdays today include Yoko Ono (81), former Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers vocalist Herman Santiago (73), Irma Thomas (73), ex-Styx lead singer Dennis DeYoung (67), jazz and R&B singer Veronica 'Randy' Crawford (62), Juice Newton (62), Robbie Bachman (61), ex-Little River Band drummer Derek Pellicci (61), former The Fall drummer Paul Hanley (50), Andy and Jez Williams of The Doves (44), Nickel Creek guitarist & singer Sean Watkins (37), and Regina Spektor (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for country singer [and co-author of 'The Tennessee Waltz'] Pee Wee King, born on this day in 1914... for former Doobie Brothers drummer Keith Knudsen, who would have been 66 today... for ex-Megadeath drummer Gar Samuelson, who would have been 56...  for original Replacements lead guitarist Bob Stinson, who died on this date in 1995... and for Soft Machine guitarist Kevin Ayers and former Temptations vocalist Martin Harris, both of whom left us one year ago today. 

Also on February 18: The 18th century popular English opera 'Flora' becomes the first opera produced in the American colonies when it premieres in Charleston, SC (1735)... Gian Carlo Menotti's opera 'Telephone' premieres at the Met (1947)... The Platters have the no. 1 single in the UK with 'The Great Pretender' (1956)... Ray Charles records 'What'd I Say' at Columbia Studios in NYC (1959)... On a weekend pass from a stint in the Marine reserves, The Everly Brothers appear in full uniform and with regulation crewcuts on The Ed Sullivan Show to perform their new single 'Cryin' in the Rain' (1962)... The Beatles record John's new song 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away'. They are aided by flautist John Scott, the first musician other than the four members of the group or George Martin to play on a Beatles track (1965)... After six months of on and off work, Brian Wilson declares 'Good Vibrations' finished (1966)... One-hit wonders The Buckinghams go to no. 1 in the US with 'Kind of a Drag' (1967)... David Gilmour officially becomes a member of Pink Floyd (1968)... Johnny Cash drops in on Bob Dylan's sessions for the Nashville Skyline album. The two spend several hours jamming together and record some 18 tracks, both their own material and country standards, but only their duet on Dylan's 'Girl from the North Country' will be considered worthy of release (1969)... Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band make their New York debut at Ungano's (1971)... 12-year-old Neil Reid becomes the youngest person ever to have a no. 1 album in Britain when his self-titled debut offering tops the charts (1972)... Kiss release their eponymous debut album (1974)... In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Bill Wyman says that he intends to quit the Stones on the group's 20th anniversary in 1982. In fact, he will stay with the band until 1993 (1980)... Bon Jovi are at no. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Livin' on a Prayer' (1987)... Freddie Mercury makes his final on stage public appearance when he and the other members of Queen collect an award for their 'outstanding contribution to music' at London's Dominion Theatre (1990)... An American court orders the release of John Lennon's FBI file. The British government was opposed to the move, having passed on MI5 files on the ex-Beatle to the US government in the '70s (2000)... Carpenters fans gather in front of the Los Angeles City Hall to protest plans to have the pop duo's former family home in the suburb of Downey torn down. The current owners of the house object to fans looking in the windows and leaving floral tributes. The 5-bedroom house was immortalized when it appeared on the cover of the siblings' 1973 hit album Now & Then (2008)... Whitney Houston's by invitation only funeral is held at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ (2012). 

February 17th

Musical birthdays today include jazz clarinetist Buddy DeFranco (91), R&B singer Bobby Lewis (81), country singer Johnny Bush (79), bluegrass banjo player Buck Trent (76), original Soft machine saxophonist Karl Jenkins (70), Fred Frith (65), Loreena McKennitt (57), Symphony X bassist Michael LePond (48), Chanté Moore (47), Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong (42), Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins (42), country singer Bryan White (40), Paris Hilton (33), and Ed Sheeran (23). 


Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Arcangelo Corelli, born on this day in 1653... for bandleader Orrin Tucker, born in 1911... for Gene Pitney, who would have been 73 today... for Triffids frontman David McComb, who would have been 52 today... for conductor Bruno Walter, who died on this date in 1962... for Thelonious Monk, who passed away in 1982... for Latin jazz percussionist Ray Barretto and guitarist Bill Cowsill, both of whom left us in 2006... and for country singer Mindy McCready, who took her own life one year ago today at the age of 37. 


Also on February 17th: Giuseppe Verdi's opera 'Un Ballo in maschera' premieres in Naples (1859)... Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly' premieres at La Scala (1904)... Elvis Presley wins his first Gold record for the album 'Elvis'... The Everly Brothers sign a $1 million contract with Warner Brothers Records (1960)... After working through the night, Bob Dylan and his Nashville session men finally record the take of 'Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again' that will go on Blonde on Blonde. Dylan then goes directly to the airport to fly to New Haven, CT for the next date on his current tour... Nancy Sinatra goes to no. 1 on the UK singles chart with 'These Boots Are Made for Walking' (1966)... At Abbey Road, The Beatles begin recording 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite' (1967)... After a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Joni Mitchell announces that she is retiring from live performance. She will be back on stage by the end of the year, however, after spending a few months on Crete, where she writes most of the songs that will make up her album Blue (1970)... James Taylor makes his US TV debut appearance on the Johnny Cash Show. Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt also perform (1971)... John Lennon releases Rock 'n' Roll, his last album of the '70s... AC/DC release their debut album High Voltage (1975)... The Clash kick off their 'Pearl Harbor '79' North American tour with a show at NYC's Palladium... Blondie have their first UK no. 1 album with Parallel Lines (1979)... The Hoodoo Gurus and the Go-Betweens open for REM at the Hordern Pavilion, in Sydney, Australia (1989)... The Steinway piano on which John Lennon composed 'Imagine' goes on display at the Beatles Story Museum on the Albert Docks in Liverpool (2000)... Prosecutors in Phil Spector's murder trial demand that a fingernail overlooked by police investigating the shooting of Lana Clarkson should be put forward as evidence. They claim the fingernail, blackened with gunpowder, could indicate that the 40-year old actress killed herself at Spector's Los Angeles mansion. Spector denies killing Clarkson (2004). 
 

February 16th

Musical birthdays today include jazz pianist Howard Riley (71), former New Seekers vocalist Lyn Paul (65), James Ingram (62), Ice-T (56), ex-Def Leppard guitarist Pete Willis (54), Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor (53), Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo (49), Three Days Grace bassist Brad Walst (37), and Yellowcard drummer Longineu W. Parsons III (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for conductor Willem Kes [the first director of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra], born on this day in 1856... for bandleader Wayne King, born in 1901... for jazz pianist Bill Doggett, born in 1916... for Patty Andrews, born in 1918... for songwriter Otis Blackwell [best remembered for 'Great Balls of Fire' and 'Don't be Cruel'], who would have been 83 today... for Sonny Bono, who would have been 79... for avant-garde musician John Balance, who would have been 52... for bluesman Brownie McGhee, who died on this date in 1996... for Doris 'Mama Soul' Troy, who passed away in 2004... and for Merseyside rocker Tony Sheridan, who left us one year go today. 

Also on February 16th: The Beatles make their second live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, exactly one week after the first. Before an audience of 3,500 at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, FL, they perform ‘She Loves You’, ‘This Boy’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’, and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ (1964)...  Led Zeppelin make their Australian live debut when they kick off a six-date tour at the Subiaco Cricket Oval, Perth. Police battle with over 500 fans who ram locked gates trying to get into the concert. Over 4,000 fans are outside the venue without tickets and local residents jam police phone lines to complain about the noise (1972)... Bob Dylan starts a four week run atop the US album chart with Planet Waves, his first stateside No. 1 LP. The album was originally set to be titled Ceremonies of the Horsemen, a reference to the song 'Love Minus Zero / No Limit', from the 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. When Dylan decided to change the title at the last minute, the release was delayed for two weeks... During a tour of America, the members of Emerson, Lake & Palmer are arrested in Salt Lake City after swimming naked in their hotel pool. They are each fined $75 (1974)... The Jam are at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Town Called Malice'... Simon and Garfunkel release The Concert in Central Park (1982)... The Simpsons have the No.1 single in the UK with 'Do The Bartman'. The song, written by Michael Jackson and Bryan Lorenand, make The Simpsons the first cartoon characters to hit the top since The Archies with 'Sugar Sugar' in 1969. Jackson, a huge fan of The Simpsons, had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a song that he promised would be a hit, and to do a guest spot on the show (1991)... Thieves break into George Michael's London home and steal over £100,000 worth of paintings, jewellery and designer clothes before driving and off in the singer's £80,000 Aston Martin DB7. They also cause £200,000 worth of damage to his home (2002).  
 

 

February 15th

Musical birthdays today include songwriter and producer Brian Holland (73), ex-Kinks drummer Mick Avory (70), Supertramp saxophonist John Helliwell (69), Melissa Manchester (63), former UB40 lead singer Ali Campbell (55), ex-Culture Club bassist Mikey Craig (54), Jane Child (47), rapper Bryan 'Birdman' Williams (45), Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd (38), Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman (37), Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst (34), and Relient K guitarist Matt Hoopes (33). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for country singer Hank Locklin, born on this day in 1918... for former Santana bassist David Brown, who would have been 64 today... for composer Mikhail Glinka, who died on this date in 1857... for Nat King Cole, who passed away in 1965... for blues harmonica innovator 'Little Walter' Jacobs, who died in 1968... for guitarist Mike Bloomfield, who died of  a drug overdose on this day in 1981 at the age of 37... for rapper Lamon 'Big L' Coleman, shot to death on this day in 1999 at the age of 24... for French chansonnier Pierre Bachelet, who died in 2005... and for salsa singer Joe Cuba, who left us in 2009. 

Also on February 15: Jean-Baptiste Lully's opera 'Armide' receives its first performace at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris (1686)... Ray Charles begins recording the milestone album Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music at United Studios in Los Angeles (1962)... The Beatles score their first US no. 1 album with Meet the Beatles ~ it will remain at the top of the chart for the next 11 weeks (1964)... Bob Dylan arrives in Nashville to begin the sessions at CBS Studios on Music Row for the album that will become Blonde on Blonde. The day's work will be productive, including the definitive version of 'Visions of Johanna' (1966)... John and Cynthia Lennon, along with George and Patti Harrison, fly to India to study meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Paul and Ringo join them a few days later, but Starr becomes bored and will leave on March 1st, comparing the experience to a 'Butlin's holiday camp.' Many of the songs on White Album will be written during their stay (1968)... An unknown singer named Vickie Jones is arrested on fraud charges for impersonating Aretha Franklin in concert at Fort Myers, Florida. No one in the audience had asked for their money back, however... Sly & the Family Stone's 'Everyday People' is the no. 1 song in America (1969)... Linda Ronstadt has both the no. 1 single in the US ['You're No Good'] and the no. 1 album [Heart like a Wheel] (1975)... Glenn Matlock is fired as the Sex Pistols' bass player and replaced with Sid Vicious (1977)... Following the publication of a quote from lead singer Joe Elliot referring to El Paso, TX as "that dump with all those greasy Mexicans", Def Leppard are forced to cancel a concert in the city after they received threats that the gig would be violently disrupted (1988)... Kelly Emberg, the ex-girlfriend of Rod Stewart, files a $25 million palimony suit in Los Angeles. The couple lived together from 1985 to 1990. Stewart's reaction to being served: "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house" (1991)... Sting pulls out of a concert in Vienna in protest at the inclusion of Jorg Haider's ultra-right freedom party in Austria's new government. Lou Reed has also cancelled shows in the country (2000)... A flat once rented by The Beatles in London goes up for sale for £1.75 m. The band shared the three-bedroom top floor property in Green Street, Mayfair in the autumn of 1962. The iconic photo of the Fab Four peering over a banister, used as the cover for the group's debut album Please Please Me, was taken at the top of the property's communal stairwell (2008).

February 14th

Musical birthdays today include Phyllis McGuire [of the McGuire Sisters] (83), conductor Michel Corboz (80), folk singer Erik Andersen (71), former James Brown sideman & Parliament-Funkadelic saxophonist Maceo Parker (71), ex-Heart guitarist Roger Fisher (64), operatic soprano Soile Isokoski (57), Matchbox 20 lead singer Rob Thomas (42), and soul singer Andwele 'Dwele' Gardner (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Chicago bluesman Samuel 'Magic Sam' Maghett, who would have been 77 today... for English session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, who would have been 73... for song and dance man Gregory Hines, who would have been 68... for Tim Buckley, who would have been 67... for jazz drummer Warren 'Baby' Dodds, who died on this date in 1959...  for composer Dmitri Kabalevsky, who died in 1987... for jazz drummer Louie Bellson, who passed away in 2009... for ex-The Knack lead singer Doug Fieger, who died in 2010... and for jazz pianist George Shearing, who left us today in 2011. 

Also on February 14th: The Beatles perform at the Casanova Club and at Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool, where they play a special Valentine's Day show. Paul sings Elvis Presley's 'Wooden Heart' wearing a wooden heart pinned to his coat, covered with satin and embroidered with the names John, Paul, George, and Pete. The heart is raffled off, and the winner also wins a kiss from Paul (1961)... Manfred Mann go to the top of the UK singles chart and crack the US top 10 with Bob Dylan's 'Quinn the Eskimo' (1968)... The Who appear at Leeds University. The show is recorded for the bands forthcoming 'Live At Leeds' album. Since its initial reception, Live at Leeds has been cited by many music critics as the best live rock recording of all time. The venue, the university refectory, has been named a national landmark in the UK, commemorated with a blue plaque (1970)... John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin a week-long run as the guest co-hosts of The Michael Douglas Show in NYC (1972)... Daryl Dragon and Toni Tenille take time out from a Captain & Tenille tour to get married in Virginia City, NV (1974)... Janis Ian receives over 500 valentines in care of her record label, Columbia, after reporting in the lyrics of her song 'At Seventeen' that she never received any... The B-52s give their first public performance at a party at the University of Georgia in Athens (1977)... The Smiths release Meat is Murder (1985)... Frank Zappa guest stars on an episode of NBC's 'Miami Vice', playing a crime boss named Mr. Frankie (1986)... Bon Jovi have the no. 1 song in America with 'Livin' on a Prayer' (1987)... The film 'Wayne's World', featuring appearances by Meat Loaf and Alice Cooper, has its world premiere in Los Angeles. The use of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the film propels the song to No.2 on the US singles chart nearly 20 years after its first release (1992)... Jerry Garcia marries documentary filmmaker Deborah Koons (1994)... Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' sets a new record for radio exposure in the US with 116 million plays over the last week (1998)... Elton John voices himself in an appearance on The Simpsons (1999)...Stolen reel-to-reel studio recordings by The Beatles are found in Australia. Police recovered the tapes of the band's White album and Abbey Road sessions after they were advertised for sale in a Sydney newspaper. Australian police had been tipped off by British detectives from Operation Acetone, an investigation into thefts of original Beatles music from Abbey Road studios in London in the late 1960s (2003)... Bruce Springsteen tops the US album charts with Working on a Dream, his 16th studio release (2009). 
 
 

February 13th

Musical birthdays today include Peter Tork (72), former Fairport Convention lead singer Judy Dyble (65), ex-Uriah Heep bassist Bob Daisley (64), Peter Gabriel (64), original Foreigner bassist Ed Gagliardi (62), ex-Joy Divison and New Order bassist Peter Hook (58), former Big Country bassist Tony Butler (57), Henry Rollins (53), Annihilator frontman Jeff Waters (48), The National lead singer Matt Berninger (43), Robbie Williams (40), Leslie Feist (38), My Dying Bride guitarist Hamish Glencross (36), and Beirut frontman Zack Condon (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Russian operatic basso Feodor Chaliapin, born on this day in 1873... for Tennessee Ernie Ford, born in 1919... for songwriter Boudleaux Bryant, born in 1920... for former Traffic drummer Rebop Kwaku Baah, who would have been 70 today... for ex-Be Bop Deluxe bassist Paul Jeffreys, who would have been 62... for Richard Wagner, who died on this date in 1883... for operatic soprano Lily Pons, who passed away in 1976... for Waylon Jennings, who died on this day in 2002... for French song & dance man Henri Salvador, who died in 2008... and for early rocker Dale Hawkins, who left us today in 2010. 

Also on February 13: In NYC, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is founded to protect the copyrighted musical compositions of its members (1914)... Frank Sinatra launches his own record label in order to allow himself more artistic freedom in the studio. It is at this time that he acquires the nickname 'The Chairman of the Board.' The label will later become the home of many influential artists, including Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, and the Beach Boys (1961)... The Monkees announce that they, as opposed to studio musicians, will now be playing the instruments on their albums... The Beatles release the Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane double A-sided single in the US (1967)... A lunch party for Mary Hopkin's album Postcard on Apple Records is held at the Post Office Tower in London. Guests attending include Jimi Hendrix, Donovan, and Paul McCartney with his new girlfriend Linda Eastman... Bob Dylan records 'Lay Lady Lay' at Columbia Studios in Nashville (1969)... On this Friday the 13th, Black Sabbath release their self-titled debut album (1970)... After becoming ill during a show in Las Vegas, Elvis gives a Lincoln Continental to Dr. Sydney Bowers, the physician who treated him (1973)... David Bowie turns down an offer from gay rights activists who want to commission him to write 'the world's first gay national anthem' (1974)... Frampton Comes Alive! is released in the UK (1976)... Police raid the home of former Sex Pistol John Lydon who greets them waving a ceremonial sword. The only illegal item they find was a canister of tear gas, claimed to be for defence against intruders (1980)... The Jam become the first band since The Beatles to play two numbers on the same edition of 'Top Of The Pops', when they perform 'A Town Called Malice', and 'Precious', their latest double A sided No.1... The marble slab is stolen from the grave of Lynyrd Skynyrd's lead singer Ronnie Van Zant. Police find it two weeks later in a dried up river bed (1982)... Led Zeppelin are awarded a Lifetime 

Achievement Award at this year's Grammys. Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham all attend, while Robert Plant who is working on a new album and rehearsing an upcoming tour, does not (2004)... Lady Gaga is forced to postpone her world tour after developing a case of synovitis, a form of severe inflammation of the joints (2013).

February 12th

Musical birthdays today include country singer Moe Bandy (70), former Clear Light lead singer Cliff DeYoung (69), Genesis guitarist & founding member Steve Hackett (64), ex-Doobie Brothers lead singer Michael McDonald (62), former Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson (58), ex-Servants frontman David Westlake (49), Chynna Phillips (46), Barenaked Ladies bassist Jim Creeggan (44), and Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan (33). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Elizabethan choral composer Thomas Campion, born on this day in 1567... to saxophonist and bandleader Tex Beneke, born in 1914... for jazz & soul singer gene McDaniels, who would have been 79... for Ray Manzarek, who would have been 75... for Brazilian
popular singer José 'Dominguinhos' de Morais, who would 
have been 73... for former Go-Betweens vocalist and 
songwriter Grant McLennan, who would have been 56... for German conductor and virtuoso pianist Hans von Bülow, who died on this date in 1894... for Eubie Blake, who passed away in 1983... for former Iron Butterfly bassist Philip Taylor Kramer, who died in 1995... and for Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who left us in 2000. 

Also on February 12: George M. Cohan's musical 'George Washington' premieres on Broadway (1906)... Dean Martin has the biggest hit of his career as his single 'Memories Are Made of This' tops the charts on both sides of the Atlantic (1956)... The Miracles' 'Shop around' becomes Motown's first million-selling single (1961)... The Beatles return to New York City by train from Washington, D.C. for two performances at Carnegie Hall. There was such a demand for tickets that some extra seating has been arranged surrounding the stage. Tickets ranged from $1.65 to $5.50 (1964)...  Pye Records announce that they have signed 'the British Bob Dylan', when they add Donovan to the label. The Scottish singer-songwriter produces a series of hit albums and singles between 1965 and 1970 and becomes a friend of leading pop musicians including Joan Baez, Brian Jones, and The Beatles. He influenced John Lennon when he taught him a finger-picking guitar style in 1968 (1965)... 15 police officers raid 'Redlands', the West Sussex home of Keith Richards. The officers of the law, armed with a warrant issued under the Dangerous Drugs Act, .take away various substances for chemical analysis. George and Pattie Harrison were at the house, but it is said that the police waited for them to leave in order not to have to bust the holder of an OBE (1967)... John Lennon performs 'Instant Karma' on Top of the Pops, making him the first Beatle in four years to appear on the show (1970)... Al Green has his only US no. 1 single with 'Let's Stay Together'... The Allman Brothers Band release Eat a Peach (1972)... The Sex Pistols make their London live debut as the opening act to Eddie and the Hot Rods at the Marquee Club (1976)... The Police record their first single, 'Fall Out', at Pathway Studios in London for £150... Pink Floyd release Animals in the US... and Blondie, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and The Ramones all appear on the same bill at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles (1977)... XTC release English Settlement (1982)... U2 hold a press conference in the lingerie department of the Union Square branch of KMart in Manhattan to announce their 'Pop Mart' world tour, scheduled to begin in Las Vegas on April 25... David Bowie receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1997).. The Class 47 locomotive 47828 operated by Cotswold Railways is renamed 'The Joe Strummer' at a ceremony in Bristol to honour the Clash frontman who died at age 50 in 20o2 (2005)... In a press conference in Los Angeles, Sting confirms will reunite for a world tour which will begin in Vancouver on May 28th. Their opening act will be Fiction Plane, the band led by Sting's son Joe Sumner (2007)...  A full frontal nude photo of Madonna, taken in 1979 when she was a 20-year-old dancer trying to make ends meet in NYC, sells at auction for $37,500 (2009). 

February 11th

Musical birthdays today include classical pianist Jerome Lowenthal (82), songwriter Gerry Goffin (75), bandleader Sergio Mendes (73), French chansonnier Serge Lama (71), ex-Gentle Giant lead singer Derek Shulman (67), Bad Brains lead singer Paul 'H.R.' Hudson (58), jazz violinist Didier Lockwood (58), Sheryl Crow (52), Slipknot keyboardist Craig Jones (42), jazz pianist Ethan Iverson (41), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club guitarist Peter Hayes (38), Linkin Park rapper & songwriter Mike Shinoda (37), Brandy Norwood (35), Kelly Rowland (33), and Danity Kane vocalist Aubrey O'Day (30). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Rudolf Firkusny, born on this day in 1912... for Gene Vincent, who would have been 79 today... for Bobby Pickett, who would have been 76... for soul singer Al Johnson, who would have been 66... for Ladysmith Black Mambazo vocalist Jockey Shabalala, who died on this date in 2006... for former Ronettes singer Estelle Bennett, who passed away in 2009... for Whitney Houston, who left us 2 years ago today... and for ex-Dave Clark Five bassist Rock Huxley, who died one year ago. 

Also on February 11th: Donizetti's opera 'La Fille du Régiment' premieres in Paris (1840)... Elvis performs 'Heartbreak Hotel' and 'Blue Suede Shoes' on the CBS-TV program 'The Stage Show' (1956)... In less than ten hours, The Beatles record ten new songs for their first album, plus four other tracks which will be the next two singles. John Lennon's vocal on The Isley Brothers' 'Twist & Shout' is recorded in one take to complete the album (1963)...  The Beatles make their live concert debut in the US at the Coliseum in Washington DC. Over 350 police surround the stage to keep the 8,000 plus screaming fans in control. One police officer who finds the noise deafening uses two bullets as ear plugs. The Beatles have to stop three times and turn Ringo's drum kit around and re-position their microphones so that they face a different part of the audience (1964)... Ringo marries his longtime girlfriend Maureen at Caxton Hall Registry Office in London (1965)... The Rolling Stones release Between the Buttons (1967)... The Monkees set a new record when their second album, More Of The Monkees, jumps in one week from No.122 to the top of the US chart (1969)... Fleetwood Mac, The Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead all appear on the same bill at the Fillmore East in NYC (1970)... Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon tour stop at the Manchester Free Trade Hall ends after 25 minutes because of a power failure (1972)...  A local charity raises over £500 selling bedsheets and pillowcases used by the Rolling Stones after a show at Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand (1973)... The Smiths release the single 'Shoplifters of the World, Unite' with a photo of the young Elvis on the sleeve (1987)... Mötley Crüe fire Vince Neil when he turns up for rehearsals and announces that he has lost his passion for the band and is now more involved with racing cars (1992)... Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills appear at the High Court in London for a hearing to reach a financial settlement for their divorce. The proceedings in the Family Division, which will take place in private, are expected to last five days (2008).

February 10th

Musical birthdays today include Leontyne Price (87), Roberta Flack (77), jazz bassist Rufus Reid (70), French chansonnier Maxime Le Forestier (65), drummer and Elton John sideman Nigel Olsson (65), Metallica bassist Cliff Burton (52), Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo (35), and Pierce the Veil lead singer Vic Fuentes (31). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for big band leader and drummer Chick Webb, born on this day in 1905... for harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler, born 100 years ago today... for pop & jazz singer Kenny Rankin, who would have been 74... for songwriter Billy Rose [best remembered for 'Me and My Shadow' and 'It's Only a Paper Moon'] who died on this date in 1966... for former Sweet lead singer Brian Connolly, who passed away in 1997... and for folk singer Dave van Ronk, who left us in 2002. 

Also on February 10th: Jacques Offenbach's opera 'The Tales of Hoffman' premieres in Paris (1893)... 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra becomes the first recording to be awarded a gold record (in fact just a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer by RCA as a publicity stunt.) The actual award recognized today as a Gold Record would not be initiated for another 16 years, when the Recording Industry Association of America borrowed and trademarked the idea. The first official Gold single was Perry Como's 'Catch a Falling Star', and the first Gold album the soundtrack to the musical Oklahoma (1942)... Frank Sinatra's album Come Fly with Me goes to no. 1 in the US (1958)... Presenting Dionne Warwick, the singer's debut album, is released (1963)... Bob Marley marries fellow Jamaican singer Rita Anderson (1966)... The Beatles record the orchestral build-up for the middle and end of 'A Day in the Life.' At the group's request, the orchestra members wear full evening dress along with various novelty items ~ the first violinist wears a red clown's nose, while a cellist wears a fake gorilla's paw on his bow hand. Other musicians wear funny hats and false noses & glasses. The session is filmed for a possible Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band TV special, an idea which is ultimately abandoned. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Donovan and Mike Nesmith of The Monkees observe from the control booth (1967)... Carole King releases Tapestry (1971)... David Bowie kicks off the Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars tour at the Tolworth Toby Jug club in London (1972)... Elton John has his first UK no. 1 album with Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player (1973)... Elvis Presley is sworn in as  deputy in the Memphis, TN police reserves (1976)... The Clash begin recording their debut album at CBS Studios in London. The album is completed in three weekend sessions at Studio 3 for a cost of $4,000, and is delivered to Columbia by the beginning of March (1977)... Van Halen's eponymous debut album is released (1978)... Rod Stewart has both the no. 1 single and album in America, with 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy' and Blondes Have More Fun, respectively (1979)... On a special edition of Oprah, Michael Jackson gives his first televised interview in 14 years, live from his Neverland ranch. The broadcast is watched by an estimated 90 million viewers (1993)... During a gig by Blur at the Astoria in London, Spice Girls Ginger and Sporty join the band for a number, but are forcibly removed from the stage by security, who fail to recognize them (1997)... Police investigate Eminem for suspected drugs offences after he appears to consume Ecstasy on stage at a Manchester show, and encourages audience members to do the same (2001)... Roger Daltrey is awarded the CBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace for services to the British music industry (2005)... Amy Winehouse accepts her 5 awards at this year's Grammys with a speech transmitted by satellite television, her US entry visa having been refused because of her numerous illegal substance abuse convictions. In addition to thanking the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the singer also pays tribute to her husband, 'Blake the Incarcerated', who is currently in custody waiting trial on charges of obstruction of justice and grievous bodily harm (2008).  

February 9th

Musical birthdays today include jazz double-bassist Len Skeat (77), Shadows drummer Brian Bennett (74), Carole King (72), R&B singer Barbara Lewis (71), Flatlanders guitarist Joe Ely (67), former Frankie Goes to Hollywood lead singer Holly Johnson (54), country singer Travis Tritt (51), former Dive lead singer Krister Linder (44), and Asia guitarist Sam Coulson (27). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Alban Berg, born on this day in 1885... for Carmen Miranda, born in 1909... for Ernest Tubb, born in 1914... for Canadian country singer 'Stompin' Tom' O'Connors, who would have been 78 today... for R&B singer and former Delfonic Major Harris, who would have been 67... for former Avenged Sevenfold drummer James 'The Rev' Sullivan, who would have been 33... for pop orchestra conductor Percy Faith, who died on this date in 1976... for Bill Haley, who passed away in 1981... and for Buena Vista Social Club bassist Orlando 'Cachaito' Lopez, who left us today in 2009. 

Also on February 9th: Verdi's opera 'Falstaff' has its world premiere at La Scala (1893)... The Beatles appear at the Cavern Club for the first time under their new name (1961)... Paul and Paula are at no. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Hey Paula' (1963)... The Beatles make their US live debut on CBS-TV's 'The Ed Sullivan Show'. They are seen by approximately 73 million people as they perform 5 songs, including their current no. 1 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'. The show had received over 50,000 requests for the 728 seats in the studio (1964)..The promotional film for the latest Beatles' single 'Penny Lane/'Strawberry Fields Forever' is shown on BBC-TV's 'Top of the Pops'. It is the first single by the Fab Four to fil to go no. 1 in the UK since 1963, stalling at no. 2 behind Engelbert Humperdinck's 'Please Release Me' (1967)... Hal Cone, former manager of the Monkees, is found guilty of theft, forgery, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy (1968)... Paul McCartney and his new band Wings play the first night of a UK college and university tour in Nottingham. The group arrive unannounced and ask the university's social secretary if she would like them to perform that evening. The band's intended first stop, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, was refused by local authorities, so they drove on to Nottingham. Pub rockers Brinsley Schwarz are the opening act (1972)... More than 10 years after the Concert for Bangladesh, George Harrison presents UNICEF with a cheque for $9 million (£5.3 million) (1982)... Madonna's Like a Virgin goes to no. 1 on the US album chart (1985)... Nirvana set out on a short west coast tour opening for Dinosaur Jr. at the Pine Street Theater in Portland, OR (1990)... C&C Music Factory go to no. 1 in the US with 'Gonna Make You Sweat' (1991)... Touring the Antipodes for the first and only time, Nirvana make their New Zealand debut at the Logan Campbell Centre in Auckland (1992)... Eminem reinforces security for his UK concert tour following threats from gay rights groups. Campaigners say the rapper is a homophobe who promotes prejudice through his hate-filled lyrics (2001)... Robert Plant takes home five prizes at this year's Grammys for his collaboration with Alison Krauss, including album of the year for Raising Sand, and record of the year for 'Please Read the Letter' (2009).. The White Stripes take on the US Air Force, complaining that one of the group's songs, 'Fell in Love with a Girl' was used in a recruitment advertisement for TV without their permission. In a statement on their website, the duo say that they are '...insulted, and object strongly to the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support' (2010).