July 18th

Musical birthdays today include Dion DiMucci (87), guitarist Lonnie Mack (85), Martha Reeves (85), country singer Ricky Scaggs (72), original XTC drummer Terry Chambers (71), original Red Hot Chili peppers drummer Jack Irons (64), rapper M.I.A. [née Mathangi Arulpragasam] (51), System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian (51), Ryan Cabrera (45), Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie (42), and rapper Hopsin [né Marcus Hopson] (41). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for operatic soprano Pauline Viardot, born on this day in 1821... for chansonnier Henri Salvador, born in 1917... for conductor Kurt Masur, and for jazz bassist & Dexter Gordon sideman Don Bagley, born in 1927... for Screamin' Jay Hawkins, born in 1929... for Rolling Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart, who would have been 90... for Village People vocalist Glenn 'the Biker' Hughes, who would have been 76... for Bobby Fuller, whose body was found in his parked car on this day in 1966. He was 23 ~ the cause of death has never been officially determined... for Nico [née Christa Päffgen], who died today in 1988... and for folksinger Mimi Fariña, who left us in 2001.

Also on July 18th: 18-year-old truck driver Elvis Presley makes his first ever recording when he pays $3.98 at the Memphis Recording Service singing two songs, 'My Happiness' and 'That's When Your Heartaches Begin'. The so-called vanity disc is intended as a gift for his mother. It will surface 37 years later as part of an RCA compilation called Elvis ~ the Great Performances (1955)... Brenda Lee has the № 1 single in America with 'I'm Sorry' (1960)... The Byrds release the album Fifth Dimension (1966)... The Beatles record 'Cry Baby Cry' and 'Helter Skelter'. One of the takes of the latter song turns into an extended jam lasting 27'18", making it the longest single recording in the entire Beatle archive (1968)... Ringo records his vocal to 'Octopus' Garden' (1969)... Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band open a four night stand at Max's Kansas City in NYC. The opening act is Bob Marley & the Wailers, making their American live debut (1973)... The US Justice Department orders John Lennon out of the country by September 10th. The Immigration and Naturalization Service denied him an extension of his non-immigrant visa because of his guilty plea in England to a 1968 marijuana possession charge (1974)... Def Leppard make their live debut at the Westfield School, Sheffield, in front of 150 students (1978)... Billy Joel has both the № 1 single and album in the US with 'It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me' and Glass Houses, respectively (1980)... Bobby Brown marries Whitney Houston at her New Jersey estate (1992)... At a church in the village of Blidoe on the Baltic archipelago island of Roslagen off central Sweden, a piano piece by Claude Debussy found in 2001 is performed for the first time. Composed in 1917 during World War I, he gave the piece to his coal supplier, a native of Blidoe, for keeping his house warm during the winter in Paris. Entitled 'The evening that was lit up by the embers', the composition is played by French pianist Jean-Pierre Armengaud (2003)... Paul Simon files a law suit against Rhythm USA Inc., a Georgia-based subsidiary of a Japanese firm, claiming the company never had his permission to sell wall clocks that play ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. The suit claimed that as one of the best known songs throughout the world, a proper licensing agreement would earn at least a $1 million licensing fee (2007).

July 17th

Musical birthdays today include Spencer Davis (87), Kraftwerk drummer Wolfgang Flür (79), Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler (77), R&B singer Regina Belle (63), country singer Craig Morgan (62), original Dinosaur Jr. bassist Lou Barlow (60), country singer Elizabeth Cook (54), Symphony X drummer Jason Rullo (54), ex-Mars Volta guitarist Paul Hinojos (51), country singer Luke Bryan (50), Animal Collective  keyboardist Noah 'Panda Bear' Lennox (48), Thousand Foot Krutch frontman Trevor McNevan (48), Atomic Kitten vocalist Natasha Hamilton (44), and McFly frontman Tom Fletcher (40). 

 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for hymn writer Isaac Watts, born on this day in 1674... for country singer Red Sovine, born on this day in 1918... for jazzman & electric guitar pioneer George Barnes, born in 1921... for jazz singer Jimmy Scott, born in 1925... for songwriter & pianist Vince Guaraldi, and jazz drummer & longtime Dave Brubeck sideman Joe Morello, both born in 1928... for Stooges drummer Ron Asheton, who would have been 78... for Phoebe Snow, and Temptations vocalist Damon Harris, both of whom would have been 76... for Nicolette Larson, who would have been 74... for Gang Starr rapper Guru [né Keith Elam], who would have been 65... for Billie Holiday, who died on this date in 1959... for John Coltrane, who died in 1967... for impresario & original Animals bassist Chas Chandler, who passed away in 1996... and for jazzman Peter Appleyard, who left us today in 2015. today. 

Also on July 17th: Handel's Water Music is premiered as George I and his retinue sail down the Thames from Whitehall to Chelsea on a barge with 50 musicians (1717)... Johnny Cash has his final session at Sun Studios, recording 'Down the Street to 301' and 'I Hope I Remember to Forget' (1958)... The Beatles release the single 'All You Need Is Love/'Baby You're a Rich Man' (1967)... John & Yoko appear on the late-night BBC talk show Parkinson. John chastises fans who have called Yoko 'ugly', and vehemently denies rumours that she 'broke up the Beatles' (1971)... A bomb believed to have been planted by Québecois separatists explodes under The Rolling Stones equipment van in Montreal. Also, angry fans riot, throwing bottles and rocks after 3,000 tickets sold for the show turn out to be fake (1972)... In London, The Moody Blues open what they claim is the world's first 'Quadraphonic' recording studio (1974)... A Russian language version of Conway Twitty's 1970 hit 'Hello Darlin' is broadcast to a worldwide audience as part of the joint US-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The song, which in Russian is called 'Privyet Radost,' is offered as a 'gesture of goodwill' from the Apollo crew to the cosmonauts. Twitty worked with a language professor from the University of Oklahoma to record the phonetic Russian version of the song (1975)... Simple Minds make their live debut at the Satellite Club in Glasgow (1978)... Gary Moore leaves Thin Lizzy in the middle of a US tour and is replaced by guitarist Midge Ure (1979)... Irene Cara hits № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Fame' (1982)... Robbie Williams announces that he is leaving Take That, one of the most successful boy bands of the '90s (1995)... Muse release the album Origin of Symmetry (2001)... Half of the 4,500 people in the audience walk out of Linda Ronstadt's show at the Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas after the singer dedicates an encore of ‘Desperado’ to filmmaker Michael Moore and urges the crowd to see his scathingly anti-Bush administration film Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)... Bono receives France's highest cultural honour for his contribution to music and commitment to humanitarian causes when he is made Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Aurélie Filippetti in Paris (2013).

July 16th

Musical birthdays today include classical pianist Bella Davidovich (98), blues singer Denise LaSalle (87), Rubén Blades (78), classical violinist Pinchas Zukerman (78), former Police drummer Stewart Copeland (74), producer & DJ Norman Cook (63), Ting Tings co-founder Jules De Martino (57), Sunny Day Real Estate frontman Jeremy Enigk (52), and No Devotion keyboardist Jamie Oliver (51).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Ginger Rogers, born on this day in 1911... for Latin jazz percussionist Cal Tjader, born in 1925... for jazz trumpeter John Chilton, born in 1932... for Searchers bassist Tony Jackson, who would have been 86... for reggae pioneer Desmond Dekker, who would have been 85... for Harry Chapin, who was killed in a road accident today in 1981 at the age of 38... for conductor Herbert Von Karajan, who died on this date in 1989... for Styx drummer John Panozzo, who died in 1995... for big band singer Jo Stafford, who passed away in 2008... for Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord and country music legend Kitty Wells, both of whom left us today in 2012.

Also on July 16: Mozart's opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail [The Abduction from the Seraglio] premieres at the Burgtheater in Vienna (1782)... 'His Master's Voice', the logo of the Victor Recording Company and later RCA Victor, is registered with the US Patent Office. The logo shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone (1900)... Jimmie Rogers records 'Blue Yodel #9', with an uncredited Louis Armstrong on trumpet and Satchmo's wife Lil Hardin on piano (1930)... The Beach Boys sign with Capitol Records... Bill Evans goes into the studio leading a group larger than his usual trio for the first time. The sessions will produce the album Interplay (1962)... Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton announce the formation of Cream (1966)... The Beatles record George's new song 'Something' at Abbey Road (1969)... Neil Young releases the album On the Beach (1974)... Shaun Cassidy has the № 1 song in the US with his remake of The Crystals' 1962 hit 'Da Doo Ron Ron' (1977)... Dolly  Parton's theme park Dollywood opens in Pigeon Forge, TN (1986)... Queen Latifah is the victim of a botched carjacking attempt that leaves her bodyguard and driver in critical condition with a gunshot wound (1995)... Coldplay's debut album Parachutes hits № 1 on the UK chart (2000)... The White Stripes play their 'shortest live show ever' at the George Street Theatre, St. John's, Newfoundland. At 7 PM, Jack White plays a single C# note accompanied by a bass drum/crash cymbal hit from Meg. At the end of the 'concert', Jack announces "We have now officially played in every province and territory in Canada". They then leave the stage, after promising to return in exactly three hours' time to perform a full show. [They do] (2007).

 

 

July 15th

Musical birthdays today include R&B singer Millie Jackson (82), Linda Ronstadt (0), former 13th Floor Elevators guitarist Roky Erickson (79), Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle (79), ex-Buggles keyboardist Trevor Horn (78), former Ramones drummer Marky Ramone [né Marc Bell] (70), Jason Bonham (59), System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan (53), The Diplomats rapper Jim Jones (50), former My Chemical Romance lead guitarist Ray Toro (49), and session drummer & video director Vice Cooler (42). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for songwriter Dorothy Fields [best remembered for 'The Sunny Side of the Street' and 'The Way You Look Tonight'], born on this day in 1905... for country singer Lloyd 'Cowboy' Copas, born in 1913... for Cameroonian makossa guitarist Francis Bebey, born in 1929... for classical guitarist Julian Bream, born in 1933... for original Yes guitarist Pete Banks, who would have been 79... for New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders [né John Genzale, Jr.], who would have been 73... for Ian Curtis, who would have been 70... for composer & pianist Carl Czerny, who died on this date in 1857... and for early rock saxophonist & songwriter Bill Justis, who left us in 1982.

Also on July 15th: Empress Maria Theresa of Austria decrees that a new opera house be erected on the site of the Ducal Theater of Milan, recently destroyed by fire. When dedicated in 1778, the new structure will be known as La Scala (1776)... 17-year-old John Lennon's mother Julia is killed by a car driven by an off-duty police officer named Eric Clague [Clague is charged with DWI, but is later acquitted of the offence] (1958)... This week's US Top three singles, in descending order, are The Byrds' 'Mr Tambourine Man', The Four Tops' 'I Can't Help Myself' The Rolling Stones' ('I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' (1965)... The Doors open for The Jefferson Airplane at the Convention Center in Anaheim, CA (1968)... Elton John has his first US № 1 album with Honky Chateau (1972)... The Edgar Winter Group, Sly & The Family Stone, Canned Heat, Lindisfarne and The Kinks all appear at The Great Western Express Festival at White City, west London. With his wife having recently walked out of their marriage taking their young children with her, Ray Davies of The Kinks announces from the stage that he is "sick of the whole thing" and is retiring. He then takes an overdose of tranquilizers backstage, but changes his mind and takes a taxi to the nearest hospital before collapsing (1973)... Bob Dylan plays before his largest UK audience ever, as an estimated 200,000 fans gather at the Blackbushe Aerodrome in Surrey to hear the singer headlining a bill that includes Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading and Graham Parker (1978)... Simply Red go to № 1 on the US singles chart with 'If You Don't Know Me by Now' (1989)... Pink Floyd play a concert in Venice on a floating stage on the canal beside the Piazza San Marco. Over 200,000 people attend the show [almost double the number authorities had planned for], causing damage to buildings and bridges. The cost cleaning of the area after the concert, which was broadcast live on TV to over 20 countries with an estimated audience of almost 100 million, is estimated at £25,000. Two Venice councillors will later be ordered to stand trial for the costs incurred by the show (1989)...   
Aerosmith are forced to cancel a forthcoming US tour after Joey Kramer is involved in a freak accident. Sparks from a gas pump set the drummer's car on fire and completely destroyed it as he was filling up. He was admitted to hospital with second-degree burns (1994)... In Hiltons, VA, Johnny Cash plays his final concert, which is also his first public appearance since the funeral of his wife June in May of this year (2003)... Victor Willis, the original 'policeman' in the Village People, is arrested after real police find a gun and drugs in his convertible in Daly City, south of San Francisco. Willis also has an outstanding $15,000 felony warrant for possession of narcotics (2005)... Over 10,000 people apply for a job with P Diddy after the rapper posted an advert on YouTube saying that he was looking for a new personal assistant. He warned applicants that the job would be far from easy, and would involve everything from getting him ready for the red carpet to aiding in billion dollar deals to helping him jump out of planes in films (2007).

July 14th

Musical birthdays today include jazz vibraharpist & drummer Tommy Vig (88), session drummer Jim Gordon (81), Tenacious D co-founder Kyle Gass (66), Beninoise singer Angélique Kidjo (66), ex-Throwing Muses singer/guitarist Tanya Donelly (60), Crash Test Dummies keyboardist Ellen Reid (60), Pink Martini pianist Thomas Lauderdale (56), The Verve lead guitarist Nick McCabe (55), Black Eyed Peas rapper Taboo [né Jaime Gómez] (51), country singer Jamey Johnson (51), and Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Woody Guthrie, born on this day in 1912... for Devo guitarist & keyboardist Bob Casale, who would have been 72 today... for Byrds guitarist Clarence White, who was killed by a drunk driver whilst loading equipment after a gig on this day in 1973 at the age of 29... for original Spinners lead singer Philippé Wynne, who died on this date in 1984... for chansonnier Leo Ferré, who passed away in 1993... and for jazz organist & Sonny Stitt sideman Gene Ludwig, who left us today in 2010. 

Also on July 14th: Henry Purcell is appointed organist of the Chapel Royal in London (1682)... Bobby Vinton hits № 1 in the US with 'Roses Are Red, My Love'... The Beatles play their first ever show in Wales, at the Regent Dansette in Rhyl (1962)... Miles Davis plays his first show in Japan, at the Koseinenkin Hall in Tokyo. The performance is taped and later released as Miles in Tokyo, the only recorded incarnation of the trumpeter's second great quintet prior to the arrival of Sam Rivers on tenor saxophone with Wayne Shorter... The Rolling Stones have their first UK № 1 single with 'It's All Over Now' (1964)... The Who begin their first full North American tour at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR as the opening act for Herman's Hermits (1967)... The Byrds, James Taylor, Steeleye Span, Sandy Denny, Tom Paxton and The Incredible String Band all appear at the Lincoln Folk Festival in the UK ~ tickets are £2 (1971)... During a concert at the John Wayne Theatre in Hollywood, CA, Phil and Don Everly get into a violent dispute in between songs. Phil smashes his guitar and storms offstage;  Don finishes the set by himself and then announces that The Everly Brothers have split (1973)... Elvis Costello & the Attractions make their live debut at The Garden in Penzance, Cornwall (1977)... Talking Heads release the album More Songs about Buildings and Food (1978)... Allen Klein, the former business manager of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, begins serving a two month sentence for falsifying tax returns (1980)... The world premiere of Alan Parker's film 'Pink Floyd: The Wall' is held at the Empire Cinema in London's West End (1982)... Madonna has both the № 1 single in the UK with 'Papa Don't Preach', and the № 1 album with true Blue (1986)... Tom Jones loses a paternity suit and is ordered to pay $200 a week in child support to 27 year old Katherine Berkery of New York. The judge in the case is Judy Sheindlin, who is still serving in her 15 year tenure as a New York Family Court magistrate before going on to TV fame as Judge Judy (1989)... Plans for Sting to write an official anthem for Tuscany come under fire by locals who insist that the job should go to an Italian rather than to a foreigner. The British pop star owns a house in Tuscany and was nominated to compose the anthem by regional politician Franco Banchi who lives nearby (2003)...  A pair of glasses worn by John Lennon spark a bidding war after being offered for sale online. The circular sunglasses were worn by Lennon during The Beatles 1966 tour of Japan, where the band played some of their last ever live dates. Anonymous rival bidders have pushed the price as high as £750,000 at online auction house 991.com (2007)... Michael Jackson fans from all over the world congregate at London's O2 arena, where the star had been due to begin a run of 50 concerts. The fans, who leave messages on a wall of tributes and conduct Jackson sing-a-longs, hold a minute's silence at 1830 BST to mark the time when the doors to the concert would have opened (2009).

July 13th

Musical birthdays today include Roger McGuinn (84), country singer Louise Mandrell (72), Twisted Sister bassist Mark Mendoza (71), bluegrass singer & mandolin player Rhonda Vincent (64), blues rocker Paul Thorn (62), ex-Napalm Death singer Barney Greenway (57), and Greek pop singer Mariada Pieridi (51).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz clarinetist George Lewis, born on this day in 1900... for opera conductor Sir Reginald Goodall, born in 1901... for operatic tenor Carlo Bergonzi, born in 1924... for saxophonist Albert Ayler, who would have been 90 today... for composer Arnold Schoenberg, who died on this date in 1951... for Buena Vista Social Club singer & guitarist Compay Segundo, who passed away in 2003... for New York Dolls bassist Arthur Kane, who died in 2004... and for Bollywood film score composer Manohari Singh, who left us in 2010. 

Also on July 13th: Benjamin Franklin gives the first demonstration of his 'armonica', based on skimming moistened fingertips around the tops of a row of drinking glasses (1762)... Charles Mingus and sideman play the Antibes Jazz Festival. The performance is recorded, and will be released in 1976 as Mingus at Antibes (1960)... The Rolling Stones play their first gig outside of London when they open for The Hollies at the Alcove Club, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire (1963)... The Animals go to № 1 on the UK singles chart with their version of 'House of the Rising Sun'. Recorded in a single take, the song is also the first British № 1 to have a playing time for more than 4 minutes (1964)... At a lunch party at the Savoy Hotel, London, Paul McCartney is presented with five Ivor Novello Awards for achievements in songwriting. John Lennon refused to attend, and Paul arrived 40 minutes late, saying he had forgotten about the engagement (1965)... Pink Floyd appear on Top of the Pops to promote their new single 'See Emily Play' (1967)... Black Sabbath play their first gig at the Backstreet Blues Club in Birmingham (1968)... Over 100 US radio stations announce their refusal to play The Beatles new single 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' because of the lyrics' repeated use of 'Christ' as an interjection (1969)... George McRae has the № 1 single in both Britain and America with 'Rock Me, Baby'. It was popular in NYC clubs before breaking out, and is often considered the first true disco hit... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band open a three night, six show residency at the newly-opened Bottom Line in NYC. The shows receive rave reviews and create a buzz in the music industry (1974)...  The first issue of UK punk fanzine 'Sniffin' Glue' is published. Edited by former bank clerk Mark Perry, the 'zine includes features on The Stranglers, The Ramones and Blue Öyster Cult (1977)... The BBC announce a ban on The Sex Pistols' latest single ‘No One Is Innocent’, which features vocals by Ronnie Biggs, the British criminal notorious for his part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. Biggs is currently living in Brazil, and is still wanted by the British authorities, but immune from extradition (1978)... At 12.01 a.m. GMT, Status Quo start the 'Live Aid' extravaganza, held between Wembley Stadium, London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The cream of the world's biggest rock stars take part in the worldwide event, raising over £40 million. TV pictures beamed to over 1.5 billion people in 160 countries make it the biggest live broadcast ever transmitted. Artists appearing included Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, The Who, U2, David Bowie and Mick Jagger, Queen, Tina Turner, The Cars, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Bryan Adams, Hall and Oates, Lionel Richie and the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin... Duran Duran become the first artists top the Billboard singles chart with a James Bond theme when 'A View To A Kill goes to № 1... Elton John re-signs with MCA Records in America. His five-album deal is worth $8 million, the biggest advance in history at the time (1985)... Representatives of fifty of America's largest record retailers are guests at Michael Jackson's home in Encino, CA to preview his new album Bad. The LP will go on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide (1987)... 2,162 guitar players  including Chet Atkins and Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter set a new world record for the largest jam session ever when they played ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ for 75 minutes straight at Riverfront Park in Nashville, TN. The previous record was set in Vancouver, Canada on May 7th, 1994, when Randy Bachman led 1,322 amateur guitarists in a performance of 'Louie, Louie' that lasted 68 minutes (1996)... Paul McCartney displays 73 paintings at the Kunstforum Lyz gallery in the German town of Siegen. McCartney has been painting for the past 16 years, since turning 40 (1999)...  Rod Stewart collects his CBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. The singer, who is being honoured for his services to music, wears a skull and crossbones tie, white trousers and a stripy shirt instead of the conventional morning suit (2007).

 

 

 

July 12th

Musical birthdays today include ex-Dr. Feelgood frontman Wilko Johnson (79), Walter Egan (78), former Be-Bop Deluxe drummer Simon Fox (77), ex-Boney M. lead singer Liz Mitchell (74), composer Robert Carl (74), Americana singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave (71), former Soul Asylum lead guitarist Dan Murphy (64), ex-Stereolab guitarist Tim Gane (62), Gin Blossoms lead singer Robin Wilson (61), Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci (59), original Rancid drummer Brett Reed (54), Within Temptation lead singer Sharon den Adel (52), and R&B singer Tracie Spencer (50). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for operatic soprano Kirsten Flagstad and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, both born on this day in 1895... for classical pianist Van Cliburn, born in 1935... for Christine McVie, who would have been 83... for Kiss drummer Eric Carr, who would have been 76... for Iron Butterfly bassist Philip Taylor Kramer, who would have been 74... for saxophonist & bandleader Jimmie Lunceford, who died on this date in 1947... for Minnie Riperton, who died in 1979... for Traffic saxophonist Chris Wood, who passed away in 1983... for Smashing Pumpkins keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin, who died of a drug overdose on this day in 1996 at the age of 34... for American singer-songwriter & banjo player Jimmy Driftwood [né James Morris], who passed on in 1998... and for jazzman Benny Carter, who left us today in 2003. 

Also on July 12th: At the Paris World's Fair, Fauré's Requiem is performed for the first time (1900)... 19 year old Elvis Presley signs a recording contract with Sam Phillips' Sun Records. He also gives his notice at his day job as a truck driver at the Crown Electric Company (1954)... Sun Ra records his debut album Sun Ra Jazz [later re-titled Sun Song] at Universal Studios in Chicago, with future Bob Dylan collaborator Tom Wilson as producer (1956)... Ray Charles has his only UK № 1 single with his version of 'I Can't Stop Loving You' from the Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music LP... The Rolling Stones make their live debut at Marquee Jazz Club in London with Dick Taylor [later of The Pretty Things] on bass and Mick Avory [later of The Kinks] on drums. Billed as The Rollin' Stones, the band are paid £20 for the gig (1962)... On the way to tonight's Beatles concert at the Hippodrome, Brighton, George Harrison is involved in a minor accident in his brand new E-Type Jaguar in Kings Road, Fulham, London. Passing pedestrians create a traffic jam by collecting bits of broken glass as souvenirs (1964)... Zager and Evans become the only one hit wonders ever to top the singles charts both in the US and in the UK, as 'In the Year 2525' goes to № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic (1969)... Michael Jackson arrives in the UK for his first ever solo appearances in the country. He will perform a total of eight nights to approximately 800,000 people (1988)... Portrait of an American Family, the first full-length studio album by Marilyn Manson, is released (1994)... A statue erected in the memory of John Lennon is unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square. The sculpture features a revolver with a knotted barrel created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward (2000).