December 14th

 Musical birthdays today include Broadway & cabaret singer Abbe Lane (93), Tony Orlando & Dawn vocalist Joyce Vincent Wilson (79), classical guitarist Christopher Parkening (78), AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams (76), John Lurie (73), Waterboys frontman Mike Scott (67) former Pogues lead singer Spider Stacy (67), and Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld (50). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Spike Jones, born on this day in 1911... for jazz trumpeter Clark Terry, born in 1920... for Charlie Rich, born in 1933... for Jane Birkin, who would have been 79... for Dinah Washington, who died on this date in 1963... for Guess Who guitarist Kurt Winter, who passed away in 1997... and for Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who left us today in 2006. 

Also on December 14: Bill Wyman makes his live debut with The Rolling Stones at the Ricky Tick Club, Star and Garter Hotel in Windsor (1962)... Marvin Gaye scores his first US № 1 single when 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' starts a five-week run at the top. It is Gaye's 15th solo hit and will also be also his first UK № 1 single in March 1969. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was previously recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles as well as Gladys Knight & the Pips (1968)... The Jackson Five make their US network television debut with an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (1969)... The Ringo Starr directed movie 'Born to Boogie' premieres in London. The film is based around a concert at Wembley Empire Pool, London, and stars Ringo, Marc Bolan and T. Rex ~ it was released on by the Beatles' Apple Films division (1972)... Bruce Springsteen appears at the Pinecrest Country Club in Shelton, CT. Only 200 tickets were sold for the show, and many of the audience walk out before the end (1973)... The Clash release London Calling (1979)... Yoko Ono calls on fans to observe ten minutes of silence in memory of John Lennon. 30,000 gather outside St George's Hall in Liverpool, while nearly 100,000 attend a memorial in New York's Central Park (1980)... After presenting this week's edition of 'Top Of The Pops', legendary DJ John Peel is surprised to find that he is this week's subject of the TV show 'This Is Your Life' (1996)... Billy Preston pleads guilty to insurance fraud in a Los Angeles court and agrees to testify against six other defendants who allegedly participated in acts of arson, theft and rigged car crashes for which a total of 18 fraudulent insurance claims were filed. Preston receives five years probation and one year in jail to run concurrently with a sentence he is already serving for violating probation on a prior conviction for cocaine possession (1998)... Sir Paul McCartney appears at the Cavern Club in Liverpool for the first time since 1963. The show is filmed for TV and also goes out live on the Internet (1999)... Ozzy & Kelly Osbourne go to № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Changes', a remake of a track first sung by Ozzy on the Black Sabbath album Volume IV in 1972. It is the first father and daughter chart topper since Frank & Nancy Sinatra with 'Something Stupid' in 1967 (2003)... Jimmy Page is invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II (2005).

December 13th

 

Musical birthdays today composer Alvin Curran (87), guitarist Jeff Baxter (79), Ted Nugent (77), Alabama lead singer Randy Owen (75), country singer John Anderson (70), Morris Day (69), saxophonist Eric Marienthal (68), Iggy & the Stooges drummer Toby Dammit (59), Franz Ferdinand guitarist Nick McCarthy (50), Blink-182 guitarist & singer Tom DeLonge (50), Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee (44), Taylor Swift (36), and Wicca demi-goddess, latter-day flower child & working class heroine Maya Bonhomme (25).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya, born on this day in 1903... for Christopher Plummer, born in 1929... for Tom Verlaine, who would have been 76 today... for popular singer Harry Barris, who died on this date in 1962... and for Lovin' Spoonful lead guitarist Zal Yanovsky, who left us today in 2002. 

Also on December 13: Mahler conducts the premiere of his 2nd Symphony (Resurrection) in Berlin (1895)... George Gershwin is at the piano for the Carnegie Hall premiere of his suite An American in Paris with Walter Damrosch conducting (1928)... Dickie Valentine is at № 1 in the UK with 'Christmas Alphabet'. It will still be at the singles chart on the 25th of December, making it the first Yuletide № 1 that is actually about Christmas (1955)... Jimi Hendrix makes his TV debut on ITV's 'Ready Steady Go!' [Marc Bolan is also on the program]. After the show, Hendrix goes into the studio with the Experience to record 'Foxy Lady' (1966)... Diana Ross takes the Latino Casino in Philadelphia to court for $27,500 for damages and emotional distress;  her two pet dogs died after eating cyanide tablets left by an exterminator in her dressing room... Badfinger release the album Straight up (1971)... In Washington DC on a tour stop, George Harrison, Billy Preston and Ravi Shankar meet President Gerald Ford at the White House after the chief executive's son Jack extends an invitation (1974)... During  a solo concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon, Robert Plant is joined on stage by Jimmy Page for a performance of the early rock standard 'Treat Her Right' (1984)... Bruce Hornsby & the Range go to № 1 in America with 'The Way It Is' (1986)... Happy Mondays lead singer Shaun Ryder is ordered to pay £160,000 to his former management team over a dispute in his contract. Ryder told the court he was so high after smoking particularly potent joint that he hadn't bothered to read the fine print (1999)...  It  is announced that after 74 years the UK music weekly Melody Maker is to close down. The Christmas edition will be the last issue before the publication merges with the New Musical Express to create a more sizeable broad-based magazine... Sir Paul McCartney holds his first-ever London book signing at Waterstone's in Piccadilly (2000).

December 12th

 Musical birthdays today include Dionne Warwick (85), former Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts (82), Grand Funk Railroad guitarist Bruce Kulick (72), Sheila E. (68), a capella singer & arranger Deke Sharon (58), Hank Williams III (53), The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins (48), and country singer Katrina Elam (42). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for English composer and pianist Roy Douglas, born on this day in 1908... for Frank Sinatra, born in 1915... for jazz pianist and Schoolhouse Rock! composer Bob Dorough, born in 1923... for Connie Francis, who would have been 88 today... for Grover Washington Jr, and MC5 bassist Rob Tyner, both of whom would have been 81... for swing singer Mildred Bailey, who died on this date in 1951... for Rolling Stones pianist and road manager Ian Stewart, who passed away in 1985... and for Ike Turner, who left us today in 2007. 

Also on December 12: In Vienna, the 21-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven begins lessons in composition with Franz Josef Haydn (1792)... Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley appear on the same bill at the National Guard Armory in Vicksburg, MS (1955)... Not yet divorced from his first wife Jane Mitcham, Jerry Lee Lewis secretly marries his 13-year old second cousin Myra Gale Brown (1958)... The Beatles go to № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' (1963)... Brian Jones is given 3 years probation and a £1,000 fine for drug offences. Three court-appointed psychiatrists agree that Jones is 'an extremely frightened young man with suicidal tendencies' (1967)... Smokey Robinson & the Miracles have the № 1 song in America with 'Tears of a Clown'... The Doors play what will prove to be their last live show with Jim Morrison, at the Warehouse in New Orleans (1970)... The Clash release the 3 LP set Sandinista! (1980)... Mick Jagger becomes a Sir after being knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Jagger's 92-year-old father is at the Palace to see his son receive the distinction (2003)... A copy of John Lennon's book A Spaniard in the Works containing a lock of the author's hair pressed inside it sells at Gorringes Auction House for £24,000. Lennon gave the book and the hair to Betty Glasgow, the Fab Four's hairdresser in 1965. He wrote on the title page, 'To Betty, Lots of Love and Hair, John Lennon xx'. The strands of hair and book had been expected to sell for between £2,000 and £4,000 (2007)... The Rolling Stones, The Who, Michael Stipe, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen and Roger Waters play at Madison Square Garden and raised over $30m (£18.6m) at a benefit gig for those affected by superstorm Sandy, which had caused the deaths of 120 people when it hit the Caribbean and US in October of this year. The surviving members of Nirvana, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, also join Sir Paul McCartney on stage to perform (2012). 

December 11th

 

Musical birthdays today include Rita Moreno (94), former Bread lead singer David Gates (85), Jermaine Jackson (71), Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx (67), Tangerine Dream composer & producer Paul Haslinger (63), film score composer Jon Brion (62), Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie (61), singer-songwriter Cosy Sheridan (61), N.W.A. founding member DJ Yella (58), Mos Def (52), Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Zacky Vengeance (44), and pop singer Tiffany Alvord (33). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Hector Berlioz, born on this day in 1803... for tango singer Carlos Gardel, born in 1890... for composer Elliott Carter, born in 1908... for Big Mama Thornton, born in 1926...  For McCoy Tyner, who would have been 87 today... for pop singer J. Frank Wilson, who would have been 83... for Sam Cooke, who was shot to death at the age of 33 on this day in 1964... for jazz singer Lee Wiley, who died in 1975... for Penguin Cafe orchestra founder Simon Jeffes, who passed away in 1997... and for Ravi Shankar, who left us today in 2013.

Also on December 11: In his first recording session for the Sterling label, Hank Williams records 'Wealth Won't Save Your Soul', 'Calling You', 'Never Again', and 'When God Comes and Gathers His Jewels' (1946)... Lucille Ball debuts in her only Broadway musical, Coleman & Leigh's 'Wildcat' (1960)... The Marvelettes go to № 1 on the Billboard singles chart with 'Please Mr. Postman' (1961)...  Filming begins for The Rolling Stones' Rock & Roll Circus. In addition to clowns and acrobats, John Lennon and Yoko Ono perform as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell, and Keith Richards. The Who, Jethro Tull, Marianne Faithfull and Taj Mahal are also on the bill... The show was originally meant to be aired on the BBC, but the Rolling Stones withheld it because they were unhappy with their performance. The film was eventually released in 1996 (1968)... John Lennon releases the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album (1970)...  James Brown is arrested after a show in Memphis, TN for trying to incite a riot. Brown threatens to sue the city for $1 million, and the charges are later dropped (1972)... One-hit wonder Toni Basil has the № 1 single in America with 'Mickey'... In the UK, the Jam play their last gig as a band in Brighton (1982)... Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire is quoted by the New Musical Express as saying "I hope Michael Stipe goes the same way as Freddie Mercury" (1992)... The character Mr Blobby as featured on UK TV's 'The Noel Edmunds House Party' starts a one-week run as the country's № 1 single with the novelty song 'Mr Blobby'. In 1999, the tune will receive the dubious honour of being voted the most irritating Christmas № 1 single of all time in an HMV poll (1993)... David Soul wins a lawsuit against Matthew Wright, a London music critic who panned Soul's performance at a nightclub without even hearing it. Wright's column in the Times had made reference to a Monday performance, when in fact the club was closed on Mondays (2001)... Bobby Brown is charged with assault & battery after allegedly hitting wife Whitney Houston in the face. Brown turned himself in to the police three days after a reported domestic dispute at the couple's home in Atlanta. Houston, who accompanies her husband to court, says they are trying to work out their problems "privately" (2003).

 

December 10th

 Musical birthdays today include singer-songwriter Chad [of Chad & Jeremy] Stuart (84), Wang Chung lead singer Jack Hues (71), former Pepsi & Shirlie vocalist Helen 'Pepsi' Demacque (67), Dinosaur Jr. lead guitarist J Mascis (60), Placebo lead singer Brian Molko (53), Meg White (51), classical violinist Sarah Chang (45), and Raven-Symoné (40). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer César Franck, born on this day in 1822... for composer Olivier Messiaen, born in 1908... for Ewanya 'Puff' Johnson, who would have been 82 today... for Otis Redding, who died in a plane crash today in 1967 along with four members of his band the Bar-Kays: Jimmy King, Carl Cunningham, Ronnie Caldwell and Phalon Jones... for singer-songwriter Kate Wolf, who died in 1986... for Ladysmith Black Mambazo vocalist Headman Shabalala, who passed away in 1991... for singer and philanthropist Alice Tully, who died in 1993... and Rick Danko, who left us today in 1999. 

Also on December 10: Berlioz's only oratorio L'Enfance du Christ receives its premiere performance at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris (1854)... Prokofiev makes his American debut at the keyboard for his own 2nd Piano Concerto at Carnegie Hall (1918)... Antoine Domino records his first tracks for Imperial Records. One of the songs is called ‘The Fat Man’, which later results in the nickname 'Fats' that will stick with him (1949)... Four male members of The Platters are found not guilty of charges of aiding and abetting prostitution, lewdness and assignation after an incident on August 10th in Cincinnati. Despite the acquittal, the scandal effectively finishes the group as a commercial force... The Beatles appear at Hambleton Hall, Huyton, Liverpool after returning to their hometown from their first live performances in the south of England and London. The group arrive so late for their appearance that they only have time to play for 15 minutes. The promoters, who had to pay the Beatles their full £15 fee, are very unhappy (1961)... The Beach Boys hit № 1  on the US singles chart with 'Good Vibrations' (1966)... The Byrds open an 8-night residency at the Whisky-a-go-go in West Hollywood (1967)... King Crimson release the album Lizard (1970)... Playing the first of two nights at London's Rainbow Theatre, Frank Zappa is pushed off stage by a disturbed audience member named Trevor Howell. Zappa falls onto the concrete-floored orchestra pit ~ in the immediate aftermath, the band think that Zappa has been killed. He suffers serious fractures, head trauma and injuries to his back, leg, and neck, as well as a crushed larynx, which ultimately causes his voice to drop a third after healing. The incident accident will require Zappa to use a wheelchair for an extended period, forcing him off the road for over half a year (1971)... CBGB opens (1973)... Deep Purple release Stormbringer, the band's last album with Ritchie Blackmore for ten years (1974)... The Jam release their final album, Dig the New Breed (1982)... Fine Young Cannibals release their eponymous debut album (1985)... A war of words breaks out between Cliff Richard and George Michael after the latter describes Richard's hit 'Millennium Prayer' as 'vile'. Cliff responds that his single is a Christian celebration (1999)... Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin marries Gwyneth Paltrow in Santa Barbara, CA (2003)...  Led  Zeppelin play their first show in 19 years, at London's 02 Arena as part of the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert. Original band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones are joined on stage by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer. More than one million people had taken part in a ballot for the 20,000 tickets available for the show with all proceeds going to Ahmet's own charity. Zeppelin perform 16 songs including two encores. Among those attending the gig are Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Brian May, David Gilmour, The Edge, Peter Gabriel, Mick Jagger, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jerry Hall, Priscilla Presley and Paris Hilton (2007)... The Associated Press reports that the US military has been using loud music to 'create fear and disorientation, and to prolong capture shock' for prisoners at military detention centers at Guantanamo Bay. Among the songs blasted 24 hours a day were 'Born In The USA' by Bruce Springsteen, 'Hell's Bells' by AC/DC, 'White America' by Eminem, 'The Theme From Sesame Street' and 'I Love You' from the Barney and Friends children's TV show (2008)... The original hand-written lyrics to Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changin' sell at a New York auction for $422,500. Hedge fund manager and art collector Adam Sender outbids five others placing telephone bids (2010)... A copy of The Beatles ‘Love Me Do’ 1962 demo record sells for $17,339.31 after a 10-day eBay auction (2011).

December 9th

 

Musical birthdays today include ex-Charlatans drummer Mike Hicks (84), Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band frontman Neil Innes (81), Joan Armatrading (75), Donny Osmond (68), former Christian Death guitarist Rikk Agnew (67), ex-Crowded House bassist Rick Seymour (67), Rammstein guitarist Paul Landers (60), Weezer guitarist Brian Bell (57), Jakob Dylan (56), songwriter & producer Kara DioGuardi (55), Green Day drummer Tré Cool (53), and Imogen Heap (48). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for operatic soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, born on this day in 1915... for jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd and country singer=singwriter Billy Edd Wheeler, born in 1932... for blues harmonica virtuoso Junior Wells, born in 1934.. for ska and reggae singer Clancy Eccles, who would have been 85... for Hanoi Rocks drummer Nick 'Razzle' Dingley, killed in a road accident at the age of 24 today in 1984... for former Waitresses lead singer Patty Donahue, who died in 1996... and for classical pianist György Sándor, who left us in 2005. 

Also on December 9th: Richard Strauss' opera Salome premieres in Dresden (1905)... John Coltrane's quartet goes into the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ to record A Love Supreme (1964)... Cream release their debut studio album Fresh Cream. The trio of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker also release their second single 'I Feel Free' today (1966)... The Doors appear at the New Haven Arena, New Haven, CT. Before the show a policeman finds Jim Morrison making out with an 18 year-old girl in a backstage shower, and after an argument, the policeman sprays mace in Morrison’s face. Once on stage Morrison tells the story of the backstage episode and starts taunting the police, who drag him off the stage and arrest him. The crowd riots, leaving the venue in disarray, and many arrests are made. Later, over 100 protesters gather outside the police station to stage a demonstration and more are taken into custody (1967)... Chic start a seven week run at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Le Freak.' Nile Rodgers later recounts that the song was devised on New Years Eve, 1977, as a result of him and bassist Bernard Edwards being refused entrance to NYC's Studio 54, where they had been invited by Grace Jones, who had neglected to notify the nightclub's staff. He says the lyrics of the refrain were originally 'Fuck off!' rather than 'Freak out!' (1978)... According to a poll published in the US tabloid The National Enquirer, the music of Neil Diamond was favoured as the best background music for sex; Beethoven was the second choice, and Luther Vandross was voted third (1988)... Billy Joel hits № 1 on the US singles chart with 'We Didn't Start the Fire' (1989)... U2 make their first ever appearance on Saturday Night Live, performing 'Beautiful Day' and 'Elevation' (2000)... Channel 4 apologises to viewers after Madonna says 'motherfucker' during live UK TV coverage at the Tate Gallery, London. Madonna was presenting a prize to artist Martin Creed. A TV spokesman says they do have a bleeper system but that they missed the offending word (2001)... Joss Stone, Lemar and Ms. Dynamite backed by the African Children's Choir and 1,200 school children set a new world record for the most children singing simultaneously. The ‘Big Sing’ is held at the Royal Albert Hall, as the singers lead a performance of ‘Lean On Me’ which is broadcast to more than half a million people (2005).

December 8th

 Musical birthdays today include former Impressions lead singer Jerry Butler (85), flautist James Galway (86), Hollies drummer Bobby Elliott (84), ex-Gentle Giant multi-instrumentalist Ray Shulman (76), former Utopia bassist Kasim Sulton (70), Duran Duran guitarist Warren Cuccurullo (69), Def Leppard co-lead guitarist Phil Collen (68), former Megadeath guitarist Marty Friedman (63), Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor (52), Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner (51), Ingrid Michaelson (46), Chrisette Michele (43), and Nicki Minaj (43). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Jean Sibelius, born on this day in 1865... for composer Bohuslav Martinů, born in 1890... for folk singer Jean Ritchie, born in 1922... for Sammy Davis, Jr., born in 1925... for former John Mayall and Ike & Tina Turner drummer Soko Richardson, who would have been 86 today... for Jim Morrison, who would have been 82... for  Gregg Allman, who would have been 78... for former Edgar Winter Group lead singer Dan Hartman, who would have been 75... for Sinead O'Connor, who would have been 59... for former Uriah Heep bassist Gary Thain, who died of a drug overdose at the age of 27 today in 1975... for country singer Marty Robbins, who died in 1982... for John Lennon, who was murdered today in 1980... for bossa nova composer and performer Antônio Carlos Jobim, who passed away in 1994... for Buena Vista Social Club pianist Rubén González, who died in 2003... for guitarist 'Dimebag Darrell' Abbott, shot to death along with 4 others while performing live with Damageplan at the age of 38 today in 2004... and for big band singer Martha Tilton, who left us in 2006. 

Also on December 8: In Vienna, Beethoven's 7th Symphony is performed for the first time (1813)...  The Beach Boys' first single 'Surfin' is released on Candix Records, a small label based in Los Angeles. On the strength of the song’s performance in the Southern California market, Capitol Records will sign the group the following July (1961)... Frank Sinatra Jr is kidnapped at gunpoint from a hotel in Lake Tahoe. He is released two days later after his father pays out the $240,000 ransom demanded by the kidnappers, who are later captured, and sentenced to long prison terms. In order to communicate with the kidnappers via a payphone, Sinatra Sr. carried a roll of dimes with him throughout the ordeal; it became a lifetime habit, and the singer is said to have been buried with a roll of dimes (1963)... Working at Abbey Road Studios, Paul McCartney overdubs his lead vocal for ‘When I'm Sixty-Four’. The Beatles then return to work on John Lennon's song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever', which had earlier been set side when progress on it stalled (1966)... The Rolling Stones release Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)... Graham Nash announces that he has left The Hollies to start work with David Crosby and Stephen Stills (1968)...  Mick Jagger is quoted by Melody Maker as saying "I don't really like singing very much. I enjoy playing the guitar more than I enjoy singing, and I can't play the guitar either" (1969)... This week's Top selling 8-Track cartridges in America are: 5) Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Vol 2 4) Tapestry by Carole King 3) Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel 2) Motown Chartbusters Vol. 6 and 1) Imagine by John Lennon (1971)... Lou Reed releases Transformer (1972)... Roxy Music have their first UK № 1 album when Stranded goes to the top, where it will stay for one week (1973)... Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue plays its last night at Madison Square Garden. 'The Night of the Hurricane' raises $100,000 for the defense fund of imprisoned boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter (1975)... A year after John Lennon's death, Rolling Stone publishes a letter from Yoko Ono in which she says 'I think of John's death as a battlefield casualty in the war between the sane and the insane' (1981)... Courtney Love appears on the ABC TV show '10 Most Fascinating People', telling the presenter that she wishes she had done 'eight thousand million things differently' to have prevented the death of her late husband Kurt Cobain... The Grateful Dead officially announce that they are disbanding, four months after the death of Jerry Garcia (1995)... Sting's star is unveiled on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood (2000)... The US Supreme Court upholds a ruling saying that Rosa Parks can sue OutKast for using her name as the title to a song (2005).

December 7th

 

Musical birthdays today include Tom Waits (76), singer-songwriter Ron Hynes (75), former Bucks Fizz vocalist Mike Nolan (71), Psychedelic Furs bassist Tim Butler (67), ex-The Fall guitarist Craig Scanlon (65), former Juniper multi-instrumentalist Damien Rice (52), Muse drummer Dominic Howard (48), ex-Kumbia Kings singer Frankie J (47), and Sara Bareilles (46). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for trumpeter & singer Louis Prima, born on this day in 1910... for fiddler Jean Carignan, born in 1916... for Harry Chapin, who would have been 83 today... for Aaron Carter, who would would have been 38... for Dr. Peter Carl Goldmark, inventor of the microgroove LP vinyl record, who died on this date in 1977... for punk rocker Darby Crash, who took his own life today in 1980 at the age of 22... and for country singer Jerry Scoggins, who left us today in 2004. 

Also on December 7: The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden opens (1732)... Thelonious Monk completes the sessions for his Brilliant Corner album, his first in the Riverside label to contain his own compositions (1956)... The Beatles second album 'With The Beatles' starts a 21-week run at № 1 on the UK album chart. It replaces their first album 'Please Please me' which has been at the top of the charts since its release 30 weeks previously. Also today, all four Beatles appeared on BBC TV's 'Juke Box Jury'. Some of the songs group judge are ‘Kiss Me Quick’ by Elvis Presley, ‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’ by the Swinging Blue Jeans. ‘Did You Have a Happy Birthday’ by Paul Anka and ‘Where Have You Been All My Life’ by Gene Vincent... In America, Jeanine Deckers, AKA The Singing Nun, is at № 1 with 'Dominique' (1963)... Brian Wilson marries Marilyn Rovell in Los Angeles... In Britain, Jerry Lee Lewis ~ on his first tour of the country ~ plays the Town Hall in Birmingham with the Yardbirds as his opening act (1964)... Otis Redding goes into the studio to record '(Sittin' on) The Dock Of The Bay'. The song goes on to be his biggest hit. Redding wrote the first verse of the song, under the abbreviated title 'Dock of the Bay', on a houseboat at Waldo Point in Sausalito, California, a short time after his appearance at the Monterey Pop festival. [Redding's familiar whistling heard before the song's fade was the singer fooling around ~ he had intended to return to the studio at a later date to add words in place of the whistling. When he was killed in a plane crash three days later, the single was mixed as it was and rushed into pressing]... In London, the Beatles' Apple boutique at 94 Baker Street W1 opens its doors (1967)... Paul McCartney & Wings release their debut album Wild Life (1971)... One-hit wonder Carl Douglas starts a two week run at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Kung Fu Fighting'. The song, which was recorded in 10 minutes, went on to sell over 10 million copies (1974)... Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged EP becomes the first Sony MiniDisc to be released in the US (1992)... Aretha Franklin's 'Christmas Extravaganza' concert at the Detroit church where her father was once pastor leaves hundreds of fans out in the cold, literally. The New Bethel Baptist Church sold 2,500 tickets but the church's benches and pews can only accommodate 1,500. The church will apologize for the snafu and issue refunds to those who were denied entrance (1996)... At the Children's Television Workshop studios in NYC, B.B. King performs with Elmo and Big Bird for an episode of Sesame Street (2000)... James Brown and Loretta Lynn receive lifetime achievement awards in a ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC (2003)... The MBE medal that John Lennon returned to the Queen is found in a royal vault at St James' Palace. Lennon sent back the decoration in November, 1969 with an accompanying letter  saying, 'Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With Love, John Lennon'. Historians call for the medal to be put on public display (2005).

December 6th

 Musical birthdays today include British National Youth Jazz Orchestra director Bill Ashton (89), former Bread frontman Robb Royer (83), Maze frontman Frankie Beverley (79), jazz bassist & Weather Report founding member Miroslav Vitouš (78), former Jam drummer Rick Buckler (70), ex-R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck (69), ex-Pixies drummer David Lovering (64), Everything but the Girl guitarist Ben Watt (63), and Ace of Base keyboardist Ulf Ekberg (55). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for lyricist Ira Gershwin, born on this day in 1896... for Dave Brubeck, born in 1920... for composer Henryk Górecki, born in 1933... for Dave Clark Five lead singer Mike Smith, who would have been 82... for heavy metal guitarist Randy Rhoads, who would have been 68/span>... for The Sound lead singer Adrian Borland, who would have been 66... for Lead Belly, who died on this date in 1949... for Roy Orbison, who passed away in 1988... for  Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton and for Greg Lake, both of whom left us today in 2018.

Also on December 6: Berlioz's opera La Damnation de Faust premieres at the Opéra-Comique in Paris (1846)... John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best meet again with Brian Epstein to continue discussions about his proposal to manage them. Epstein wants 25% of their gross fees each week. He promises that their bookings will be better organised, more prestigious, and will expand beyond the Liverpool area. He also promises that they will never again play for less than £15, except for Cavern lunchtime sessions, for which he will get their fee doubled to ten pounds. Lennon, as leader of The Beatles, accepts on their behalf (1961)...  During sessions for what will become the 'Freewheelin’ album, Bob Dylan records 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' and versions of 'Hero Blues', 'Whatcha Gonna Do', 'Oxford Town', and 'I Shall Be Free' at Columbia Recording Studio A in NYC (1962)... The Beatles record their first Christmas record for their fan club (1963)... The Rolling Stones record '19th Nervous Breakdown' and 'Mother's Little Helper' at RCA's Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles... The Byrds release the album Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965)... James Taylor releases his eponymous debut album (1968)... Led Zeppelin make their debut on the US singles chart with 'Whole Lotta Love'; it will rise as high as № 4, the first of six Top 40 stateside singles for the group. During the band's career, Zeppelin never release any singles in the UK... The Rolling Stones play a free festival at Altamont, CA, along with  Jefferson Airplane, Santana, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. As the Stones play, 18-year-old fan Meredith Hunter is stabbed to death  by Hell's Angels hired to provide security at the event. Some reports claim that Hunter was waving a revolver. One other man drowned, two men were killed in a hit-and run accident, and two babies were born (1969)... While reading the morning newspaper in Nice, Keith Richards is surprised to learn that arrest warrants have been issued by  the French police for him and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg for drug possession (1972)... Paul Simon goes to № 1 with Still Crazy after All These Years, his first solo LP to top the US album chart... The Reverend Charles Boykin of Tallahassee, FL organizes a bonfire of Elton John and Rolling Stones records, claiming they are sinful. Boykin says that he is reacting to the results of a survey showing that 984 of 1,000 local unmarried mothers had sex when listening to rock music (1975)... Jackson Browne releases Running on Empty (1977)... Sex Pistol Sid Vicious smashes a glass in the face of Patti Smith's brother Todd during an altercation at NYC club Hurrah (1978)... In the studio, John Lennon mixes 'Walking on Thin Ice' and also takes time for an interview with British DJ Andy Peebles. Meanwhile, Mark David Chapman arrives in NYC (1980)... Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are  № 1 on the Billboard single chart with 'Say Say Say' (1983)... Jackson collapses and is treated for dehydration while rehearsing for the HBO special 'Michael Jackson: One Night Only' at the Beacon Theater in New York (1995)... Elvis Costello marries Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John's mansion outside of London (2003).

December 5th

 

Musical birthdays today include Jim Messina (78), ex-Foreigner bassist Rick Wills (78), Great White lead singer Jack Russell (65), Skinny Puppy keyboardist Nivek Ogre (63), country singer Ty England (62), Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik (60), French chanteuse Patricia Kaas (59), country singer Gary Allan (58), and jazz trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf (45).  

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Władysław Szpilman [the subject of Roman Polanski's film 'The Pianist'], born on this day in 1911... For Sonny Boy Williamson II, born in 1912... for Little Richard, born in 1934... for J.J. Cale, and for Motown songwriter & producer Frank Wilson, both of whom would have been 86... for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who died on this date in 1791... for original Gin Blossoms lead guitarist Doug Hopkins, who took his own life at the age of 32 today in  1993... for avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, who passed away in 2007... and for Dave Brubeck, who left us today in 2012.

Also on December 5:  In Karlsruhe, Germany, Berlioz's opera Les Troyens is performed in its entirety for the first time, 21 years after the composer's death (1890)... The Beatles play their last ever show in their hometown when they appear at the Liverpool Empire during the group's final UK tour. Only 5,100 tickets were available to the 40,000 applicants for tickets. The group also has the UK № 1 single with 'We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper' (1965)... Buffalo Springfield release their eponymous debut album (1966)... The Rolling Stones release Beggar's Banquet. An ailing Keith Richards will miss the album's Connaught Hotel launch party, during which a custard pie fight breaks out (1968)... Judy Collins' version of the hymn 'Amazing Grace' enters the UK singles chart for the first of eight times; it will spend a total of 67 weeks on the chart without ever reaching the № 1 position (1970)... Paul McCartney & Wings release Band on the Run (1973)... A New Musical Express review says of the Sex Pistols debut single 'Anarchy In The UK' that 'Johnny Rotten sings flat, the song is laughably naive, and the overall feeling is of a third-rate Who imitation' (1976)... Belinda Carlisle is at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Heaven in a Place on Earth' (1987)... U2 top the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic with How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)... Phish play the final show of their US fall tour at the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena. As the band's first set opens, a fully nude male fan runs on stage, hugs guitarist Trey Anastasio and kisses him on the cheek. He then completes three laps around the stage before finally being tackled by security (2009)... After spending 45 weeks in the top 10 of the UK album charts, Adele’s second collection, 21, becomes the biggest selling LP in Britain this century, surpassing the late Amy Winehouse’s 2006 LP Back to Black (2009).

December 4th

 Musical birthdays today include operatic soprano Yvonne Minton (87), early rock 'n roll singer Freddy Cannon (86), original Byrds bassist Chris Hillman (81), Anna McGarrigle (81), Pogues guitarist Terry Woods (78), Gary Rossington (74), jazz singer Cassandra Wilson (70), Black Crowes bassist Andy Hess (59), Jay-Z (56), singer-songwriter Kate Rusby (52), and rapper Big Pokey (48).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for singer-actress Deanna Durbin, born on this day in 1921... for  jazz guitarist Jim Hall, born in 1930... for Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, who would have been 81... for Bert 'The Cowardly Lion' Lahr, who died on this date in 1967... for composer Benjamin Britten, who passed away in 1976... and for Frank Zappa, who left us today in 1993.

Also on December 4: In NYC, Nellie Melba makes her debut with the Met in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (1893)... 
The 'Million Dollar Quartet' session with Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash takes place at Sun Studios in Memphis (1956)... The Beatles make their London TV debut on the BBC programme 'Tuesday Rendezvous' (1962)... The Byrds hit № 1 on the US singles chart with Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965)... Led Zeppelin have the № 1 album  in the UK with their fourth [and officially untitled] LP, while Sly & the Family Stone are tops in the US with their single 'Family Affair'... In Montreux, Switzerland, the casino fire immortalized by Deep Purple in the song 'Smoke on the Water' occurs (1971)... Workers at London's EMI distribution centre stage a walkout strike rather than package the Sex Pistols single 'Anarchy in the UK' (1976)... U2 make a decidedly inauspicious London debut. Billed as 'The U2s' at the Hope & Anchor pub in Islington, they play before 9 patrons before being forced to abandon the show when the Edge breaks a guitar string (1979)... Prince opens his 'Dirty Minds' tour in Buffalo, NY. Told by arena management that he cannot wear Spandex pants without underwear, the singer adopts what will become his signature look of a long trench coat, black high-heeled boots and leggings, and bikini briefs... In London, Led Zeppelin formally announce their decision to disband following the death of John Bonham (1980)... The Jam score their final UK № 1 single with 'Beat Surrender' (1983)... Madonna files for divorce from Sean Penn (1987)... In Cleveland, OH, Roy Orbison plays what will turn out to be his final concert (1988)... In the 'Better late than never' department, Van Halen play a free concert in Dallas to make up for a show in the city on the band's 1988 tour during which lead singer Sammy Hagar lost his voice mid-set (1991)... Courtney Love takes  break from rehab, playing an impromptu set with local band Let's Go Sailing at a Los Angeles club (2003).

December 3rd

 

Musical birthdays today include English folk guitarist & singer Ralph McTell (81), Jefferson Starship vocalist Mickey Thomas (75), .38 Special guitarist & lead singer Don Barnes (74), Gentlemans Pistols guitarist Bill  Steer (56), Polkadot Cadaver frontman Todd Smith (48/span>), and Napster co-founder Sean Parker (46). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for violin maker Nicolo Amati, born on this day in 1596... for composer Anton Webern, born in 1883... for  operatic soprano Phyllis Curtin, born in 1921... for country singer Ferlin Husky, born in 1925... for Andy Williams, born in 1927... for Ozzy Osbourne, who would have been 77 today... for boogie-woogie pianist Charlie 'Cow Cow' Davenport, who died on this date in 1955... and for former Velvet Teen drummer Logan Whitehurst, who left us today in 2006 at the age of 29 as the result of a brain tumour.

Also on December 3: With the composer at the piano, George Gershwin's Concerto in F premieres at Carnegie Hall, Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Symphony Society orchestra (1925)... Elvis Presley's first release on RCA Victor Records is announced. The first two songs. ‘Mystery Train’ and ‘I Forgot to Remember to Forget’ were purchased from Sam Phillips of Sun Records (1955)... Camelot premieres on Broadway (1960)... Brian Epstein invites The Beatles into his office to discuss the possibility of becoming their manager. John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best arrive late for the 4 pm meeting (they had been drinking at the Grapes Pub in Matthew Street), but Paul McCartney is not with them, because, as Harrison explains, "He's just got up and he's taking a bath" (1961)... On the same day that Rubber Soul is released, The Beatles set out on what will be their final UK tour at Glasgow's Odeon Cinema... The Who release their debut studio album My Generation (1965)... The Rolling Stones record 'Brown Sugar' at Muscle Shoals Studios. The single goes on to be a UK & US № 1 (1969)... An attempt is made on Bob Marley's life when seven gunmen burst into his Kingston home. Marley is shot twice, and his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor are wounded as well, but all will recover. The attack was believed to be politically motivated... In the UK, an estimated three and a half million people apply for Abba's forthcoming Royal Albert Hall concerts ~ there are just over 11 thousand tickets available (1976)... Wings start a nine-week run at № 1 in the UK with 'Mull Of Kintyre'. The first single to sell over 2 million copies in the UK, it was co-written by Denny Laine, who will sell his rights to the song when he declares bankruptcy in 1983 (1977)... A concert by The Who ~ on tour for the first time since the death of Keith Moon ~ at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, turns to disaster when 11 members of the audience are trampled to death after a stampede to claim unreserved seats, another 26 fans being injured. The concert was using a 'festival seating' scheme whereby seats were available on a first come-first served basis. When the waiting fans outside the Coliseum heard the band performing a late sound check, they thought that the concert was beginning and tried to rush in by the still-closed doors (1979)... Bob Dylan releases Real Live, a partial record of his summer European tour (1984)... Bono has his missing laptop computer returned after losing it. A young man had bought it for £300 and discovered he had the missing computer, which contained tracks from the forthcoming U2 album (1999)... At a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, Diana Ross and Brian Wilson both receive awards for their contributions to American culture. President and Mrs. Bush are in attendance. (2007). 

December 2nd

 Musical birthdays today include Manfred Mann guitarist Tom McGuinness (84), jazz guitarist Tonino Horta (77), session keyboardist & producer Rob Mounsley (73), Def Leppard bassist Rick Savage (65), Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel (57), Nelly Furtado (47), and Britney Spears (44). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Maria Callas, born on this day in 1923... for Miles Davis sideman Wynton Kelly [pianist on Kind of Blue], born in 1931... for Hanoi Rocks drummer Nick 'Razzle' Dingley, who would have been 65... for Aaron Copland, who died on this date in 1990... for former Shocking Blue lead singer Mariska Veres, who passed away in 2006... and for Odetta, who left us today in 2008.

Also on December 2: Saint-Saëns' opera Samson et Dalila premieres in Weimar (1877)... The Monkees album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd goes to № 1 on the US album chart. It is their fourth LP to sell over a million copies, following The Monkees, More Of The Monkees and Headquarters (1967)... George Harrison's Wonderwall Music appears in shops. It is the first official solo album by one of the Beatles, as well as Apple Records' first LP release... Cindy Birdsong of the Supremes is kidnapped at knifepoint by a maintenance man employed by the building she lives in. She later escapes unharmed by jumping out of his car on the San Diego freeway. The kidnapper will be arrested in Las Vegas four days later (1968)... Queen release A Night at the Opera in the US (1975)... The first day of the photo shoot for the cover of Pink Floyd's forthcoming album Animals takes place at Battersea Power Station in London with a giant inflatable pig lashed between two of the structure's tall towers. A trained marksman is standing by ready to fire if the floating swine escapes, but will not be needed on this, the first day. The following day, unfortunately, the marksman had not been rebooked, so when the inflatable breaks free from its moorings, it is able to float away, eventually landing in Kent where it is recovered by a local farmer, reportedly furious that it "scared the devil out of my cows" (1976)...  Rod Stewart is at № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy'. A plagiarism lawsuit brought by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben alleging that the song had been derived from his composition 'Taj Mahal' will be upheld, and Stewart agrees to donate all his royalties from the song to the United Nations Children's Fund (1978)...  Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand's ‘You Don't Bring Me Flowers’ hits № 1 on the US singles chart. A Chicago radio station engineer had spliced Neil's version together with Barbra's and got such a good response that the station added it to their playlist. When Diamond was told about it, he approached Streisand to re-record the song as a duet, and she agreed. Within weeks of its release, the single went to the top in America and № 5 in Britain (1979)... MTV airs the full 14-minute version of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video for the first time. Now regarded as the one of the most influential pop music videos of all time, the video was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress  in 2009, the first music video to ever receive this honour, for being 'culturally, historically or aesthetically significant' (1983)... Jerry Lee Lewis checks into the Betty Ford Clinic to be treated for an addiction to painkillers (1986)... The new edition of the Guinness Book of World Records confirms that the Swedish band Ace of Base have set a new mark for the biggest selling debut album in history, with 19 million copies sold worldwide to date (1995)... The Smashing Pumpkins play their final concert when they appear at the Metro Club in Chicago (2000)... 25 year old singer/actress Beyoncé Knowles signs a contract for more money than any other black actress in history to perform in her latest film 'Dreamgirls'. The musical based on the history of Diana Ross and the Supremes will earn the singer an $8.2 million fee (2006)... Led Zeppelin are given an award by President Obama for their significant contribution to American culture and the arts. Dressed in black suits and bow ties, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page are among a group of artists who receive Kennedy Center Honours at a dinner event at the White House. In his tribute to the band, Mr Obama says: "When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham burst onto the musical scene in the late 1960s, the world never saw it coming". The President draws laughter from guests when he thanks the former band members for behaving themselves at the White House given their history of "hotel rooms being trashed and mayhem all around" (2012).

December 1st

 

Musical birthdays today include session drummer Sandy Nelson (87), Doors drummer John Densmore (81), Blue Öyster Cult guitarist & lead singer Eric Bloom (81), Bette Midler (80), Gilbert O'Sullivan (79), Megadeath guitarist Chris Poland (68), former Medway Poets guitarist Billy Childish (66), singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton (61), Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore (52), Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson (48), and Janelle Monáe (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for saxophonist & Cecil Taylor sideman Jimmy Lyons, born on this day in 1931... for Lou Rawls, born in 1933... for soul singer Billy 'Me and Mrs. Jones' Paul,cborn in 1934... for chansonnier Alain Bashung, who would have been 78... for fusion bassist Jaco Pastorious, who would have been 74... for Vesta Williams, who would have been 68... and for jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, who left us today in 1997. 

Also on December 1: Franz Liszt makes his concert debut at the age of 11 in Vienna (1822)... Buddy Holly and the Crickets appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing 'That'll Be The Day' and 'Peggy Sue'. Sam Cooke is also a guest, performing 'You Send Me' (1957)... 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' is released as The Beatles first single in America (1963)...  The Who play the first of 22 consecutive Tuesday night gigs at The Marquee Club in London, the band receiving £50 for each gig... Also in London, Ringo Starr is booked into University College Hospital for a tonsillectomy (1964)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience release Axis: Bold as Love (1967)... The Carpenters are at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Top of the World' (1973)... The Sex Pistols appear on ITV's live early evening 'Today' show (in place of Queen, who had to withdraw when Freddie Mercury hd a dental emergency). Prodded by interviewer Bill Grundy who asks the band to say something outrageous, guitarist Steve Jones says: "You dirty bastard... You dirty fucker...  What a fucking rotter!" (1976)... Talking Heads play the Hammersmith Palais, London, with U2 as their opening act (1980)...  Neil Young is sued by David Geffen because his new music for the label has been ‘not commercial in nature and musically uncharacteristic of his previous albums’. His latest album Everybody's Rockin' features a selection of rockabilly songs (both covers and original material) which runs for just 25 minutes, the shortest album of Young's career (1983)... A Lexington, KY teacher loses her appeal in the US Supreme Court over her firing after showing the film 'Pink Floyd's The Wall' to her class. The court decided that the film was not suitable for minors, given its frequent use of bad language and sexual content (1987)... Kenny G sets a new world record when he holds a note on a saxophone for 45 minutes and 47 seconds using a technique that allows him to blow and breathe at the same time (1997)... An Oasis fan enjoys "the best day of his life" when Noel Gallagher pops round to his house in Poynton, Cheshire to play an intimate solo gig. Ben Hayes won a BBC Radio 1 competition to have the star play in his front room as part of a week of gigs with DJ Jo Whiley as compere. 15 people packed into his lounge for the show, with his mum on hand making cups of tea for the crew (2006).

November 30th

 Musical birthdays today include easy listening singer Frank Ifield (88), Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover (80), reggae singer Jimmy London (76), R&B singer Shuggie Otis (72), Billy Idol (70), ex-Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton (68), pop singer Stacey Q (66), former Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie (66), soul singer Des'ree (57), Disturbed bassist John Moyer (52), and McFly bassist Dougie Pointer (38). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer and organist Andreas Werckmeister, born on this date in 1645... for bluesmen Robert Nighthawk and Brownie McGhee, born in 1909 and 1915, respectively... for Nashville session bassist Bob Moore, born in 1932... for Dick Clark, born in 1929... for June Pointer, who would have been 72... for country singer Mindy McCready, who would have been 50... for country singer David Houston, who died on this date in 1993... for Tiny Tim, who left us today in 1996... and for Loverboy bassist Scott Smith, swept away by a wave whilst sailing on San Francisco Bay today in 2000 at the age of 45. 

Also on November 30: In Paris, the Folies Bergère stages its first revue (1886)...  The Beatles' second album With The Beatles becomes the first million selling album by a group in the UK. The album will stay at the top of the charts for 21 weeks, displacing Please Please Me, meaning that The Beatles occupy the № 1 position for 51 consecutive weeks (1963)...  The Monkees make what will be their last live appearance for 15 years when they played at The Oakland Coliseum, California (1969)... Sly And The Family Stone top the US singles chart with 'Family Affair', their fourth and final American № 1 (1971)... Pink Floyd release The Wall (1979)... Michael Jackson releases Thriller (1982)... The Happy Mondays and fellow Mancunians The Stone Roses both make their debut television appearance, on Top Of The Pops. The Mondays perform 'Hallelujah' and the Roses 'Fools Gold' (1989... The day before the verdict in his sexual abuse trial is to be announced, Tupac Shakur is robbed, beaten, and pistol whipped by three men in the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan (1994)... Elton John is blasted by the Boy Scout Association after he appears on stage at the Royal Albert Hall performing 'It's A Sin' with six male dancers dressed as Boy Scouts. The dancers peeled off their uniforms during the performance (1999)... A block of E. 2nd Street in Manhattan is officially renamed Joey Ramone Place. It is the block where Joey once lived with band mate Dee Dee Ramone, and is near CBGB, where the Ramones played their first gigs. [In 2010, it was reported that 'Joey Ramone Place' was New York City's most stolen street sign. On September 27 of that year, the sign was moved to 20 feet above ground level] (2003)... 50 Cent says that he is planning to create a vibrator modelled on his manhood, so that his female fans can pretend to have sex with him. The rapper also announces plans planning to sell a line of condoms and waterproof sex toys designed to excite his lady followers. The former Curtis Jackson says: "I need to make a 50 Cent condom and motorised version of me, which will have to be waterproof so you can utilise it in the tub. Blue is my favourite colour so it will turn the water blue."

November 29th

 

Musical birthdays today include ex-Rascals lead singer Felix Cavaliere (83), former Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau (74), fusion guitarist Jennifer Batten (68), original Cure bassist Michael Dempsey (67), New Kids on the Block vocalist Jonathan Knight (57), and Deftones keyboardist Frank Delgado (55). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for opera composer Gaetano Donizetti, born on this date in 1797... for blues singer Lucille Hegamin, born in 1894... for jazz pianist, composer and arranger Billy Strayhorn, born in 1915... for country singer Merle Travis, born in 1917... for John Mayall, born in 1933... for The Mamas & the Papas vocalist Denny Doherty and jazz trumpeter Chuck Mangione, both of whom would have been 85 today... for rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who would have been 78... for former Zapp lead singer Roger Troutman, who would have been 74... for composer Claudio Monteverdi, who died on this date in 1643... for composer Giacomo Puccini, who passed away in 1924... and for George Harrison, who left us today in 2001. 

Also on November 29: Rossini's Il Barbiere de Seviglia (The Barber of Seville), the first opera to be performed in Italian in North America, has its premiere at the Park Theater in NYC (1825)... Thomas Edison gives the first public demonstration of the phonograph (1877)... The first opera to be televised, Verdi's Othello, is broadcast live from the Met (1948)... Paul McCartney and Pete Best are expelled from West Germany after being arrested on suspicion of arson when the hotel room they were staying in mysteriously caught fire. They were released and deported the next day (1960)... The Beatles' 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' comes out in the UK. For the first time ever in Britain, advanced orders passed the million mark before it was released (1963)... Bob Dylan appears on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine for the first time (1969)... Lancaster local council cancels the Sex Pistols gig at Lancaster Poly. The reason given in a statement by the council says 'We don't want that sort of filth in the town limits' (1976)... Abba score their ninth and last UK No.1 single with 'Super Trouper'... John and Yoko's 'Double Fantasy' album is released. Though initially poorly received, the album becomes inextricably linked with Lennon's murder three weeks after its initial appearance, whereupon it turns into a worldwide commercial success, and goes on to win the 1981 Album of the Year at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards (1980)... Whitney Houston pulls out of a concert sponsored by the Unification Church two hours before she is due on stage after finding out the event is a mass wedding for over 1,000 Moonie couples. The religious group say they have no intention of suing providing the singer returns the $1 million fee she received... 'Perfect Day', performed by various artists including Elton John, Bono, Tom Jones, Suzanne Vega and David Bowie goes to No.1 on the UK singles chart. Originally written and recorded in 1973 by Lou Reed, this new collaboration of 29 major artists is a fund raiser for the BBC Children In Need charity (1997)... A five-hour charity show to support the fight against AIDS is held at the Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. Acts who appear include Bono, Queen, Ms Dynamite, Peter Gabriel, Eurythmics, Beyoncé, Youssou N'Dour, Anastacia, The Corrs, Jimmy Cliff and Chaka Chaka. The show is also broadcast live on the Internet (2003)... Control, the biopic about late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, scoops five prizes at the British Independent Film Awards. The black-and-white film, which featurs The Killers, David Bowie and New Order on the soundtrack, was shot for just £3 million (2007).