November 30

Musical birthdays today include Nashville session bassist Bob Moore (81), easy listening singer Frank Ifield (76), Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover (68), reggae singer Jimmy London (64), R&B singer Shuggie Otis (60), Billy Idol (58), ex-Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton (56), pop singer Stacey Q (58), former Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie (54), soul singer Des'ree (45), Disturbed bassist John Moyer (40), and McFly bassist Dougie Pointer (26). 

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 Dick Clark, who would have been 84... for June Pointer, who would have been 60... for country singer Mindy McCready, who would have been 38... for country singer David Houston, who died 20 years ago today... for Tiny Tim, who left us today in 1996... and for former 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:  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 no. 1 position for 51 consecutive weeks (1963)...  The Monkees made what would 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 No.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 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 could 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 probably be blue" (2005).  
 
 

 

November 29

Musical birthdays today include John Mayall (80), Chuck Mangione (73), ex-rascals lead singer Felix Cavaliere (71), former Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau (62), fusion guitarist Jennifer Batten (56), original Cure bassist Michael Dempsey (55), New Kinds on the Block vocalist Jonathan Knight (45), and Deftones keyboardist Frank Delgado (43). 

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 former Mamas & the Papas vocalist Denny Doherty, who would have been 73 today... for rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who would have been 66... for former Zapp lead singer Roger Troutman, who would have been 62... for composer Claudio Monteverdi, who died on this day 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)... 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)... 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, Beyonce, 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). 
 

November 28

Musical birthdays today include Motown Records founder Berry Gordy (84), Bruce 'Hey! Baby' Channel (73), Randy Newman (70), ex-Little River Band guitarist Beeb Birtles (65), Paul Shaffer (64), Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron (51), rapper Styles P (39), Vampire Weekend keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij (30), and R&B singer Trey Songz (29). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for French chansonnier Michel Berger, who would have been 66 today... for ex-Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton, killed in a road accident 20 years ago today at the age of 47... and for operatic bass Franco Ventriglia, who left us one year ago. 

Also on November 28: The Grand Ole Opry goes on the air for the first time as the radio program 'Barn Dance on WSM, Nashville (1925)... Winifred Atwell is No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Let's Have Another Party.' Atwell is the first black artist to reach No.1 in Britain, as well as the first to sell a million records (1954)... Elvis tops the American charts with 'Are You Lonesome Tonight', beginning a 6 week run at no. 1 (1960)... The Beatles record their last fan club record as a group ~ this year's offering is called 'Christmas Time Is Here Again!' The Beatles' Christmas records were spoken and musical messages from the group that were posted out on flexi disc during the holiday season  to members of their official fan-clubs in the UK And the US (1967)... The Rolling Stones release Let It Bleed (1969)... Bob Dylan’s 11th studio album New Morning is at no. 1 in the UK album listings, his 6th chart-topping LP. The album leads off with 'If Not For You', which will be recorded by George Harrison (on his 3 LP collection All Things Must Pass), and also becomes the title track for Olivia Newton-John's 1971 debut album (1970)...  John Lennon makes what will prove to be his last ever concert appearance when he joins Elton John on stage at Madison Square. Lennon performs 'Whatever Gets You Thru The Night', 'I Saw Her Standing There' and 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' (1974)... The Jam release Sound Affects (1980)... The Jennifer Warnes/Bill Medley duet '(I've Had) The Time Of My Life' from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack goes to No.1 on the Billboard singles chart (1987)... REM hit the US top 10 for the first time with 'The One I Love' (1987)... Nirvana record a performance for BBC TV's Top Of The Pops. When asked to lip-sync ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ to a pre-recorded tape, Kurt Cobain registers his disagreement by singing in a low-pitched funny voice with the rest of the band, making no attempt to mime in-time to the track (1991)... David Bowie is crowned the Musician's Musician. Bowie beats the Beatles and alternative rockers Radiohead in a survey by the NME that asked five hundred  of top rock and pop performers to name their biggest musical influence (2000). 

November 27

Musical birthdays today include operatic tenor Neil Rosenshein (66), Genesis guitarist Daryl Stuermer (61), Aquarium frontman Boris Grebenshchikov (60), classical and jazz violinist Victoria Mullova (54), Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin (51), Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury (46), Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy (44), Divine Heresy drummer Tim Yeung (35), and classical violinist Hilary Hahn (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for former Booker T. & the MGs drummer Al Jackson, Jr., who would have been 79 today...  for country singer Eddie Rabbitt, who would have been 72... for Jimi Hendrix, who would have been 71... for composer Arthur Honegger, who died on this date in 1955... for stage singer Lotte Lenya, who passed away in 1981... for soul singer Barbara Acklin, who died in 1998... and for pioneering rock guitarist Mickey Baker, who left us a year ago today. 

Also on November 27: Mick Jagger is fined £16 for speeding in Tettenhall, Staffs. His solicitor tells the court: "The Duke of Marlborough had longer hair than my client and he won some famous battles. His hair was powdered, I think because of fleas. My client has no fleas" (1964)... The Grateful Dead are among the bands providing the musical entertainment as Ken Kesey and his Band of Merry Pranksters hold the first Electric Kool-Aod Acid Test in San Francisco (1965)... The Beatles release the Magical Mystery Tour album in the US (1967)... The Rolling Stones kick off their latest North American tour by opening a 3-night stand at Madison Square Garden in NYC. The concert, which is recorded, will become the Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! album (1969)... George Harrison releases All Things Must Pass. The triple album, which includes a number of songs that were left over from Beatle sessions, the set will go on to be certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA, making it the best selling album by a solo Beatle (1970)... The British Phonographic industry placed advertisements in the national press claiming that 'home taping was wiping out music'. The Boomtown Rats, 10cc, Elton John and Cliff Richard all backed the campaign (1981)... Freddie Mercury's funeral service is conducted by a Zoroastrian priest for 35 of his close friends and family, with Elton John and the remaining members of Queen among those in attendance. Mercury is then cremated at Kensal Green Cemetery, West London (1991)... A disturbed INXS fan brings the funeral of Michael Hutchence to a standstill when he tries to launch himself from a 20 ft high balcony with a cord around his neck. He is subdued by police and taken away to a psychiatric unit (1997)... Multimillionaire defence contractor David H. Brooks books NYC's Rainbow Rooms and his daughter Elizabeth’s favourite acts for her bat mitzvah. Stars who appear included 50 Cent, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Stevie Nicks. 50 Cent, who was paid $500,000 to appear, performs only four songs but does manage to work in the lyric 'Go shorty, it's your bat miztvah, we gonna party like it's your bat mitzvah'. The evening costs an estimated $10 million, including the price of corporate jets to ferry the performers to and from the venue (2005).


 

 

November 26

Musical birthdays today include Broadway musical actress Betta St. John (84), Tina Turner (74), operatic mezzo-soprano Susanne Marsee (72), ex-Supremes vocalist Jean Terrell (69), Fleetwood Mac founding member John McVie (68), session keyboardist & producer Michael Omartian (68), Brotherhood of Man lead singer Martin Lee (64), rapper & producer DJ Khaled (38), rapper OJ da Juiceman (32), and Versa lead guitarist Blake Harnage (25). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Eugene Istomin, who would have been 88 today... for popular singer Robert Goulet, who would have been 80... for big band leader Tommy Dorsey, who died on this date in 1956... and for rapper Soulja Slim, who left us today in 2003 at the age of 26. 

Also on November 26: Johnny Cash makes his debut on the US country chart when ‘Cry! Cry! Cry!’ enters the Top 40. It will peak at no. 14 (1955)... The Beatles record their second single ‘Please Please Me’ in 18 takes and ‘Ask Me Why’ as the B side at EMI Studios, London (1962)... The promotional film of The Beatles 'Hello, Goodbye' receives its broadcast premiere  on The Ed Sullivan Show. The clip could not be aired in the UK at the time owing to a musician's union ban on lip syncing (1967)...  Cream play their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Also on the bill are opening acts Yes and Taste. The show was filmed and released as Cream's Farewell Concert, which has often been criticized for both its mediocre sound and visual effects: during Ginger Baker's drum solo, he seems to change clothes at lightning speed due to careless post-editing (1968)...  The New York Dolls make their UK live debut at Biba's Rainbow Room, London (1973)... The Sex Pistols release the single 'Anarchy In The UK'. Originally issued in a plain black sleeve, the 45 will be the only Pistols recording released by EMI, reaching No.38 on the UK Singles Chart before the label drop the group on the 6th of January (1976)... Soviet cosmonauts aboard Soyuz 7 take into space a cassette copy (minus the case, for weight reasons) of the latest Pink Floyd album Delicate Sound Of Thunder and put it on while in orbit, making the Floyd the first rock group to be played in space. David Gilmour and Nick Mason both attend the launch of the spacecraft (1988)... Manchester club The Hacienda is auctioned off, raising £18,000 for charity. Madonna made her UK TV debut at the venue when C4 music show The Tube was broadcast live from its stage. Oasis, Happy Mondays, U2, New Order, Stone Roses, and The Smiths all played at the club as well (2000)... The parents of missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards are granted a court order for him to be declared presumed dead, nearly 14 years ago having elapsed since their son's disappearance. Despite alleged sightings all over the world, no trace has ever been found of Edwards, whose car was found near the Severn Bridge, where he was presumed to have taken his own life at the age of 27 (2008). 

  

 

November 25

Musical birthdays today include film score composer Eleni Karaindrou (74), Percy Sledge (72), singer-songwriter Bob Lind (71), blues harmonica player Jerry Portnoy (70), Marillion lead guitarist Steve Rothery (54), Amy Grant (53), former Screaming Trees lead singer Mark Lanegan (49), Rancid guitarist Tim Armstrong (47), Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton (41), and Thea Gilmore (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for violin maker Giuseppe Guarneri, born on this date in 1666... for composer Virgil Thomson, born in 1896... for saxophonist Paul Desmond, who would have been 89 today... for trumpeter Nat Adderley, who would have been 82... for English hymnwriter Isaac Watts, who died on this day in 1748... for Nick Drake, who died in 1974... for former Bob Dylan producer Don DeVito, who passed away in 2011... and for longtime Coasters vocalist Earl Carroll, who left us a year ago today. 

Also on November 25: 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' enters the American singles chart for the first time, in a version sung by Gene Autry (1949)... The Everly Brothers begin active duty with the 8th Battalion of the United States Marine Corps, serving as artillerymen (1961)... Harrods department store in London closes to the public so that The Beatles can do their Christmas shopping in private (1964)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience make their UK live debut at the Bag O'Nails Club, London, where they play using the DJ booth as the stage (1966)...  John Lennon returns his MBE to The Queen on the grounds of the UK's involvement in the Biafran conflict in Nigeria and the American war in Vietnam, and also as a protest against his latest single 'Cold Turkey' slipping down the charts (1969)... Chuck Berry tops the UK singles chart with 'My Ding a-Ling', his only British No.1. The song was originally recorded by Dave Bartholomew in 1952. Berry's version was from a concert recorded at the Locarno Ballroom in Coventry, England, on the 3rd of February, 1972. Boston radio station WMEX disc jockey Jim Connors was credited with a gold record for discovering the song and pushing it to No.1 over the airwaves and amongst his peers in the United States (1972)... The Band give their final performance ~ 'The Last Waltz', held on Thanksgiving Day at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The show also features guests Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Dr John, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Eric Clapton and others. The event is filmed by director Martin Scorsese and will be made into a documentary of the same name, released in 1978 (1976)... The cream of the British pop world gathers at S.A.R.M. Studios, London to record the historic 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' The single, which was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, features Paul Young, Bono, Boy George, Sting and George Michael. It will go on to sell over three million copies in the UK, becoming the bestselling record ever, raising over £8 million ($13.6 million) worldwide (1984)... A statue in Montreux, Switzerland by sculptor Irena Sedlecka that was erected as a tribute to Freddie Mercury is unveiled by Freddie's father and Montserrat Caballé, with bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor also in attendance. Standing almost 10 feet (3 metres) high, the memorial overlooks Lake Geneva (1996)... Michael Jackson launches a website to defend himself following allegations of the sexual abuse of a 12-year old boy. The singer posts a message saying the charges are based on 'a big lie' and that he wants to end 'this horrible time' by proving in court that they are false (2003)... A restaurant falls victim to a prankster who has them make 178 pizzas by claiming they are for Bob Dylan and his band and road crew. An imposter wearing a fake pass for a Dylan concert calls an Antonio's restaurant and places the huge order worth more than $3,900. He tells the owner that the pizzas are for Dylan and his tour party who have just appeared in concert in Amherst, MA. Staff at Antonio's work until 5.30am to make the pies, but will be left stunned when no one returns to collect the order (2010). 

 

November 24

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November 23

Musical birthdays today include songwriter & film score composer Johnny Mandel (88), composer Krzysztof Penderecki (80), Manhattan Transfer vocalist Alan Paul (64), Brotherhood of Man vocalist Sandra Stevens (64), French singer-songwriter Francis Cabrel (60), Bruce Hornsby (59), popular tenor Russell Watson (47), Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler (41), The Kills lead singer Alison Mosshart (35), and Miley Cyrus (21). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman R.L. Burnside, who would have been 87 today... for jazz singer Gloria Lynne, who would have been 82... for soul singer Betty Everett, who would have been 74... for choral composer Thomas Tallis, who died on this date in 1585... for Judee Sill, who died of a drug overdose today in 1979 at the age of 35... for country legend Roy Acuff, who died in 1992... for Junior Walker, who passed away today in 1995... and for jazz singer Anita O'Day, who left us in 2006. 

Also on November 23: The first jukebox goes into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco (1889)... Enrico Caruso makes his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC in Rigoletto (1903)... A Toledo, OH sheet metal worker named Louis Balint is arrested after punching Elvis Presley at a local hotel. Balint claims that his wife's obsession with the singer caused his marriage to break up. He is fined $19.60 but ends up being jailed because he was unable to pay the amount (1956)... The Beatles travel to St. James' Church Hall, London, for a ten-minute audition with BBC Television. The opportunity came about when Beatles fan David Smith of Preston, Lancashire wrote to the BBC asking for the group to be featured on BBC Television. Assuming that Smith was The Beatles' manager, the BBC wrote back to him, offering the band an audition. Smith brought his letter to NEMS Enterprises, and Clive Epstein [Brian's brother] arranged for audition to take place. Four days later, Brian Epstein receives a polite letter of rejection (1962)... One hit wonder Billy Swan starts a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Can Help'... On the album chart, the Rolling Stones go to the top with It's Only Rock 'N Roll, their final outing with guitarist Mick Taylor (1974)... Queen launch a nine-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' The promotional clip that accompanied the song is often acknowledged as the first modern rock video and only cost £5,000 to produce (1975)... Ten hours after being released on bail following his arrest in Florida, Jerry Lee Lewis is in handcuffs again after brandishing a derringer outside Elvis Presley's Graceland's home in Memphis, demanding to see the King. When police arrived they found Lewis sitting in a car with the loaded pistol resting on his knee (1976)... Keith Richard's girlfriend Anita Pallenberg is cleared by a court of shooting a man found dead at her home. 17-year-old Scott Cantrell shot himself in the head with a gun owned by Richard while in Pallenberg's bed, at the South Salem, NY house shared by her and the Stones guitarist. Cantrell had been employed as a part-time groundskeeper at the estate and was involved in a sexual relationship with Pallenberg (1979)... During a 104-date world tour, Paul McCartney plays the first of five nights at the L.A. Forum, his first stateside appearances since the Wings over America campaign of 1976 (1989)... Michael Jackson is at no. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with the single 'Black or White', featuring Slash on guitar (1991)... Otis Redding's widow files a lawsuit against the author of a biography written in 2001 about the R&B legend, claiming the book was filled with untruths. The lawsuit, filed in Atlanta's Fulton County, seeks $15 million in damages and claimz that the book proffers unsubstantiated rumours about the singer's drug use and extramarital affairs, causing 'harm to the plaintiff'. It also cites a story alleging that Otis' manager had plotted with the Mafia to kill his client by causing his plane to crash in order to claim $1 million in life insurance (2002). 

November 22

Musical birthdays today include organist and composer Peter Hurford (83), Youngbloods founder Jesse Colin Young (72), former Bob Marley & the Wailers bassist Aston Barrett (67), E Street band guitarist Steven van Zandt (63), ex-Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth (63), Styx lead singer Larence Gown (57), singer-songwriter Horse (55), Carter USM singer & guitarist Jim Bob (53), Hello Saferide frontwoman Annika Norlin (36), Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O (35), Napster inventor & entrepreneur Shawn Fanning (33), singer-songwriter & former a1  member Ben Adams (32), and Trivium guitarist Corey Beaulieu (30). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, born 0n this date in 1899... for composer Benjamin Britten, born 100 years ago today... for composer, pianist & musicologist Dika Newlin, who would have been 90... for country singer Terry Stafford, who would have been 72... for composer Arthur Sullivan, who died today in 1900... for former INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, who took his own life at the age of 37 on this day in 1997... and for rapper MC Breed, who left us today in 2008. 

Also on November 22: Ravel's Bolero premieres in Paris (1928)... Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel make their US television debut, in their incarnation as Tom and Jerry on ABC-TV's American Bandstand. They perform their hit 'Hey Schoolgirl' (1957)... The Beatles release their second UK album, With The Beatles (1963)... Singer-songwriter [and later Dylanologist] Long John Baldry is at no. 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Let the Heartaches Begin (1967)... The double LP officially entitled The Beatles and more commonly known as 'The White Album' is released (1968)... Bruce Springsteen's band Steel Mill opens for Iron Butterfly at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA (1969)... Jerry Lee Lewis was arrested for drunk driving after being found unconscious in his Rolls Royce in a ditch outside Pensacola, FL (1976)... Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble kick off a 149-date North American & European tour at the Towson Center in Towson, MD (1986)...  Bill Wyman announces that his 17-month marriage to model Mandy Smith is over. With the consent of her mother, Smith started dating the 47-year-old Rolling Stones bassist when she was 13 (1990)...  Pearl Jam release their third studio album Vitalogy, which first comes out on vinyl. It becomes the first vinyl LP to appear on the US charts since 1981, when the domination of the compact disc format began (1994)... Surviving members of The Doors Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger announce that they will record and tour again with a new line up including ex-Cult singer Ian Astbury and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Original drummer John Densmore is unable to take part because he is suffering from severe tinnitus (2002)... U2 shoot the video for 'All Because Of You' from a moving flat bed truck on the streets of Brooklyn. Later in the day, they perform a brief concert under the Brooklyn Bridge which is taped by MTV for later broadcast (2004)... Poems written by Bob Dylan in his college days sell for $78,000 (£45,000) at a New York auction. The 16 pages of verses are the first known use by Robert Zimmerman of the pseudonym to which he will legally change his name in 1962, and date from his enrollment at the University of Minnesota during 1959-60 (2005).  

 

November 21

Musical birthdays today include Lebanese singer Fairuz (78), Dr. John (73), War founding member Lonnie Jordan (65), jazz drummer Alphonse Mouzon (65), Boston guitarist Gary Pihl (63), Livingston Taylor (63), ex-Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie (63), Björk (48), Blur bassist Alex James (45), teenage Fanclub drummer Francis McDonald (43), Edguy lead singer Tobias Sammet (36), and Carly Rae Jepsen (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz legend Coleman Hawkins, born on this date in 1904... for composer Henry Purcell, who died in 1695... and for former Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant, who left us today in 1995. 

Also on November 21: RCA Records purchased Elvis Presley's recording contract from Sam Phillips at Sun Records for an unprecedented sum of $35,000 (1955)... Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs go to No.1 on the Billboard chart with 'Stay', the shortest ever US No.1 single at one minute 37 seconds... In Germany, the Beatles play at the Kaiserkeller Club in Hamburg without George Harrison. Harrison was deported on earlier day for being underage (he is 17) and therefore not legally allowed to remain in a nightclub after midnight (1960)... The Partridge Family start a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Think I Love You'. The song was featured in the first episode of the TV series named for the band and produced by the same company that created The Monkees... In Britain,  Jimi Hendrix is at No.1 on the singles chart two months after his death with 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' the closing track on Electric Ladyland, the third and final album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. This would be the guitarist's only UK No.1. Hendrix's solo on the track was named the 11th greatest solo of all-time in Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos in 2000 (1970)... Wilson Pickett is arrested in NYC for possession of a dangerous weapon after he pulls a gun during an argument in a Lower East Side bar (1974)... Queen release A Night at the Opera (1975)... The Stranglers supported by Chelsea appear at The Nashville, London. This is Billy Idol's last gig with the opening act before leaving for greater fame with Generation X (1976)... Steely Dan release Gaucho, their last album for another 20 years (1980)...  Olivia Newton John starts a ten week run at No.1 on the Billboard chart with 'Physical', which will be the biggest-selling single of the '80s in the US (1981)... Michael Jackson's 14-minute video for 'Thriller' premieres in Los Angeles. Directed by John Landis and co-starring former Playboy centerfold Ola Ray, the video (like the song) contains a spoken word performance by horror film veteran Vincent Price. The clip was filmed at the Palace Theater in downtown L.A., the zombie dance sequence at the junction of Union Pacific Avenue and South Calzona St. in East L.A., and the final house scene in the Angeleno Heights neighborhood at 1345 Carroll Avenue (1983)... Jimmy Page sets out on his first ever-solo tour at The Hummingbird, Birmingham, England, appearing with bassist John Miles and the son of Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason (1988)...  Mick Jagger marries Jerry Hall in Bali. The marriage will be declared 'null and void' on 13th August 1999 after a judge rules that the six-hour ceremony in Bali was never registered (1990)... The Beatles Anthology 1 is released in the US, featuring 60 tracks including the track 'Free As A Bird', a song originally composed and recorded in 1977 as a home demo by John Lennon. A studio version of the recording, incorporating contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, is simultaneously released as a single, the first new release under the group's name since 1970... On the same day, Bruce Springsteen launches his Ghost of Tom Joad solo acoustic tour with a show at the State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ to coincide with the album's release (1995)... Phil Spector appears before a Los Angeles court and is formally charged with murder. B-movie actress Lana Clarkson was found at his mansion in February of this year with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Spector pleads not guilty to her murder during a brief hearing and is released on $1 million bail (2003).
 
 
 

November 20

Musical birthdays today include stage singer Kaye Ballard (88), Norman Greenbaum (71), Meredith Monk (71), producer Mike Vernon (69), former Poco drummer George Grantham (66), Joe Walsh (66), operatic soprano Barbara Hendricks (65), Beastie Boys rapper Mike D (48), Cypress Hill rapper Sen Dog (48), AFI lead singer Davey Havok (38), In Flames drummer Daniel Svensson (36), ex-Girls Aloud vocalist Kimberley Walsh (32), and Bring Me the Horizon lead singer Oliver Sykes (27). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Ruth Laredo, who would have been 76 today... for Duane Allman, who would have been 67... for producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Gilbert, who would have been 47... for pianist and composer Anton Rubenstein, who died on this date in 1894... for Section 25 lead singer Jenny Ross, who passed away in 2004... and for blues & rock guitarist Chris Whitley, who left us today in 2005. 

Also on November 20: The rock era in Britain officially begins as 'Rock around the Clock' by Bill Haley & His Comets goes to no. 1 on the national chart... In America, Bo Diddley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show. The producers requested that he sing his version of ‘Sixteen Tons’, but, when he appears on stage, he sings his own song ‘Bo Diddley’, resulting in him being banned from further appearances on the program (1955)... Bob Dylan enters Columbia Studios in NYC for the first time. Over the next two days, he records his eponymous debut album for a cost of $471 (1961)... The Yardbirds release Having a Rave-Up (1965)... Strawberry Alarm Clock hit no. 1 on the Billboard singles chart with 'Incense and Peppermints' (1967)... The Monkees film 'Head' opens in six US cities. Reviews are harsh and the picture will be a box office disaster (1968)...  Sly and the Family Stone release There's a Riot Goin' on, while Isaac Hayes starts a two week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Theme From Shaft' (1971)... Keith Moon collapses during a concert by the Who at the Cow Palace in San Francisco after downing a pre-show drink spiked with horse tranquilizer. 19 year-old audience member Scott Halpin volunteers to replace him on drums for the remaining three numbers (1973)... Paul Simon hosts NBC's Saturday Night Live, and performs live with George Harrison on ‘Here Comes The Sun’ and ‘Homeward Bound’. John Lennon and Paul McCartney, watching the show from the former's apartment in the Dakota on Central Park West, briefly discuss the idea of taking a taxi to NBC Studios to try to crash the telecast, but think better of the idea (1976)... Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer top the American singles chart with their duet 'No More Tears [Enough Is Enough] (1979)...  Prince kicks off his 56-date North American ‘Controversy’ tour with a show at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh (1981)... A study comparing noise levels of rock music finds that older people rate the music much higher on a loudness scale than younger people. The research carried out at Ohio State University tested people age 18 to 21 and people ranging in age from 51 to 58. The study asked participants to rate the loudness of rock music played at nine intensities, ranging from 10 decibels to 90 decibels. Participants listened to ‘Heartbreaker’ by Led Zeppelin for 10 seconds at different intensities. At each intensity, the older subjects gave the music higher numerical ratings based on loudness than the younger subjects (1998)...  Spice Girl Mel C announces she is quitting the group during an interview on ITV's Frank Skinner Show (2000)... Madonna's childhood home in Oakland County Michigan, sells at an auction in just 12 minutes. The house, along with a few items of Rock memorabilia goes for $331,000 (2001)...  Michael Jackson flies to Santa Barbara to surrender himself for arrest. He is seen being taken into the police station in handcuffs. The singer has his mug shot and fingerprints taken before being freed on $3 million bail (2003)... Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke admits that he was among the thousands of people who paid nothing to download the band's latest album In Rainbows. Speaking to BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq, Yorke said: "There wasn't any point. I just move some money from one pocket to the other". According to one survey, three in five people paid nothing at all for it. Yorke added that no one was allowed to have copies of the master recording in case it was leaked beforehand (2007). 

November 19

Musical birthdays include composer Slavko Avsenik (84), ex-Blood, Sweat & Tears saxophonist Fred Lipsius (70), former Guns 'N Roses drummer Matt Sorum (53), Tool bassist Justin Chancellor (42), The Old Ceremony frontman Django Haskins (40), and rapper Tyga (24). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bandleader Tommy Dorsey, born on this date in 1905... for Mothers of Invention vocalist and Frank Zappa collaborator Ray Collins, who would have been 77... for Israeli singer Ofra Haza, who would have been 56... for composer Franz Schubert, who died on this day in 1828... for ex-Badfinger guitarist and songwriter Tom Evans, who hanged himself at the age of 36 in 1983... for former Byrds producer Terry Melcher, who left us today in 2004... and for Quiet Riot lead singer Kevin DuBrow, who died of a drug overdose in 2005. 

Also on November 19: Carl Perkins records 'Blue Suede Shoes' at Sun Studios (1955)... The Supremes become the first all-female group to have a UK no. 1, when 'Baby Love' tops the charts (1964)... Emerson, Lake & Palmer release Brain Salad Surgery (1973)... The British music weekly 'Sounds' makes the Sex Pistols' debut single 'Anarchy in the UK' its Single of the Week (1976)... Led Zeppelin release their final studio album, Coda (1982)... Tina Turner makes her first American chart appearance in twelve years with her version of the Al Green hit 'Let's Stay Together' (1983)... U2 release Achtung Baby (1991)... David Crosby had a successful liver transplant operation at Dumont-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Crosby's liver was deteriorated from years of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as hepatitis-C (1994)... The Beatles start an eleven-week run at No. 1 on the UK album chart with The Beatles 1. The album features virtually every number-one single released by the band from 1962 to 1970. Issued on the 30th anniversary of the their break-up, it was their first compilation available on one CD. The world's best-selling album of the 21st century, 1 has sold over 31 million copies worldwide (2000)... Michael Jackson is widely criticized after dangling his baby from the third-floor balcony of a Berlin hotel. The singer is in the German capital for an awards ceremony and was showing off his nine-month old baby to fans outside the hotel (2003)...  Former glam rock star Gary Glitter is arrested in Vietnam after being detained at Ho Chi Minh airport as he tries to board a plane to Bangkok. Police say Glitter is being held under suspicion of committing lewd acts with two girls under the age of 18 (2005). 

 

November 18

Musical birthdays today include jazz singer Sheila Jordan (85), operatic soprano Gianna d'Angelo (84), Graham Parker (63), Queensrÿche bassist Rudy Sarzo (63), John Parr (59), film score composer Carter Burwell (58), jazz & rock drummer Cindy Blackman (54), Kim Wilde (53), Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett (51), Polyphonic Spree lead singer Tim DeLaughter (48), Duncan Sheik (44), country singer Jessi Alexander (37), Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue (33), and Avenged Sevenfold bassist Johnny Christ (29). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for pianist and composer Jan Paderewski, born on this date in 1860... for violinist and conductor Eugene Ormandy, born in 1899... for Buena Vista Social Club guitarist Compay Segundo, born in 1907... for songwriter Johnny Mercer, born in 1909... for Hank Ballard, who would have been 86... for Don Cherry, who would have been 77... for Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten, who died of a drug overdose at the age of 29 on this day in 1972... for Cab Calloway, who left us in 1994... and for folk rock singer & guitarist Doug Sahm, who passed away in 1999. 

Also on November 18:  Fats Domino appears on the Ed Sullivan Show performing 'Blueberry Hill'. Before the song became a rock and roll standard it had been recorded by various artists including Louis Armstrong, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Gene Autry and Jimmy Dorsey (1956)... The Beatles receive silver LP discs for 'Please Please Me' and 'With the Beatles' at a ceremony held at EMI House in London. They also receive a silver EP for 'Twist and Shout' and a silver single for 'She Loves You'. The band then attend a cocktail party and a formal lunch in the EMI boardroom with company executives and invited guests (1963)... Cat Stevens starts a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Catch Bull At Four. The title was taken from one of the Ten Bulls of Zen, a series of short poems and accompanying pictures that are intended to illustrate the stages of a Buddhist practitioner's progression towards enlightenment (1972)... Genesis release The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The double album is the group's final LP with Peter Gabriel as lead singer (1974)... Bruce Springsteen makes his live debut in the UK at London's Hammersmith Odeon (1975)... The Jam release This Is the Modern World (1977)... R.E.M. make their first appearance outside the US when they are guests on the Channel 4 UK TV show 'The Tube'. The following night they make their live UK debut when they play at Dingwalls, London (1983)... Nirvana record their MTV Unplugged special at Sony Studios, New York. The band play a setlist composed of mainly lesser-known material and cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets and Lead Belly. The album will win the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996 (1993)... Britney Spears scores her third US No. 1 album with 'Britney.' The album's success makes her the first female artist in music history to have her first three studio albums debut at the No. 1 spot. This record however will later be broken by Spears herself with her 4th studio album In the Zone which charted in the same position (2001)... Following allegations of the sexual abuse of a 12-year old boy, police raid Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch. Jackson denies the allegations; the search comes on the day that his latest greatest hits album, Number Ones, was released in the US (2003)... 

 

 

November 17

Musical birthdays today include film & television score composer Robert Drasnin (86), Gordon Lightfoot (75), Four Seasons keyboardist and songwriter Bob Gaudio (72), Jethro Tull lead guitarist Martin Barre (67), Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray (55), Primal Fear drummer Randy Black (50), Moldy Peaches singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson (41), rapper Lord Infamous (38), Isaac Hanson (33), and former Girls Aloud vocalist Sarah Harding (32). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical violinist Leonid Kogan, who would have been 89 today... for original Byrds member Gene Clark, who would have been 69... for Jeff Buckley, who would have been 47... for choral composer Thomas Ford, who died on this day in 1648... for former Jethro Tull bassist John Glascock, who died today in 1979 at the age of 28 from a congenital heart defect... and for country singer-songwriter Don Gibson, who left us today in 2003. 

Also on November 17: Harry Belafonte is at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Mary's Boy Child,' the first 45 RPM to sell over 1 million copies in the country. It will stay in the top spot for seven weeks making it this years Christmas No.1 (1957)... John Weightman, headmaster of a Grammar School in Croydon, Surrey bans all pupils from having Beatle haircuts saying, "This ridiculous style brings out the worst in boys physically. It makes them look like morons" (1963)... A 16 date UK package tour with Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move, The Nice and Amen Corner stops at the City Hall, Sheffield. A review in the Sheffield Star noted: 'Like an electrified golliwog, Jimi Hendrix threw himself into a live-wire act that featured his intricate guitar interpretation. Quite an Experience'. Pink Floyd also release their third single, 'Apples And Oranges' in Britain (1967)... Slade are at the top of the UK singles chart with 'Coz I Luv You', the group's first of six British No. 1s Deliberately misspelt song titles become a trademark for Slade, causing a great furore among teachers up and down the country... In America, Bob Dylan releases volume 2 of his Greatest Hits, and Laura Nyro releases Gonna Take a Miracle (1971)... John Lennon releases Double Fantasy (1980)... Mariah Carey is forced to abandon a performance on Rome's historic Spanish Steps after crowds of tourists overwhelm security and swamp her. She takes shelter in a local shop before being given an escort by riot police to safety (1999)... The NME reports that Andy White, who played drums on The Beatles track 'Love Me Do' which is featured on the new Beatles Greatest Hits album will not earn enough from it to buy his own copy. White is to receive no more than his original session fee of £7 (2000)... Britney Spears announces that her first boyfriend Justin Timberlake was a huge disappointment in the endowment department. Talking during an MTV interview, Spears says  "Forget trousersnake, it's more like a trouser worm" when referring to her ex (2003). 




 

November 16

Musical birthdays today include soul singer Garnet Mimms (80), singer-songwriter & producer Dan Penn (71), original AC/DC drummer Colin Burgess (67), jazz drummer Luis Conte (59), Stone Roses bassist Gary 'Mani' Mountfield (51), Diana Krall (49), Rammstein keyboardist Christian Lorenz (47), ex-Machine Head guitarist Logan Mader (43), Modest Mouse bassist Eric Judy (39), singer-songwriter Allison Crowe (32), and The Wanted vocalist Siva Kaneswaran (25). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer & violin virtuoso Rodolphe Kreutzer, born on this date in 1766... for operatic soprano Minnie Hauk, born in 1851... for W.C. Handy, 'The Father of the Blues', born in 1873... for composer Paul Hindemith, born in 1895... for jazz guitarist Eddie Condon, born in 1905... for Cajun accordionist Alphonse 'Bois Sec' Ardoin, born in 1915... for jazz pianist & Dexter Gordon sideman Dolo Coker, who would have been 86 today... for blues guitarist and Howlin' Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin, who would have been 82... for operatic soprano Lucia Popp, who died today in 1993... for Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist Chet Powers (AKA Dino Valenti in his solo career), who passed away in 1994... for DJ & rapper DJ Screw, who died of a drug overdose at the age of 29 on this day in 2000... and for jazz pianist Tommy Flanagan, who left us in 2001. 

Also on November 16: Arturo Toscanini makes his debut as conductor of the NY Metropolitan Opera (1908)... Johnny Cash makes first appearance in the Billboard Top 40 with 'Cry Cry Cry' (1955)... The Sound of Music premieres on Broadway (1959)... The Jim Hendrix Experience top the US album chart with Electric Ladyland... Meanwhile, Led Zeppelin play their first ever show in the north of England when they appear at Manchester College of Science & Technology. The band are paid £225 for the gig (1968)... Frank Zappa appears on this week's edition of the UK TV music show 'The Old Grey Whistle Test', playing live and showing clips from his film 200 Motels (1971)... John Lennon is at No.1 in the US singles chart with 'Whatever Gets You Through The Night.' Elton John played on the session and made a deal with Lennon that if the song reached No.1, Lennon would have to appear on stage live with him (1974)... On The Old Grey Whistle Test, reclusive Beach Boy Brian Wilson gives his first televised interview in 8 years (1976)... Former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey has his only UK No.1 single with the Maria McKee song 'A Good Heart', written about her relationship with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' keyboard player Benmont Tench. Sharkey will follow up the single with the Tench-penned 'You Little Thief', his take on his relationship with McKee... In the US, Starship hit no. 1 with 'We Built This City' (1985)... Texan billionaire David Bonderman hires The Rolling Stones to play at his 60th birthday party held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The band's fee is $7.9 million (2002)... The Beatles' catalogue becomes available on iTunes, after years of negotiations. For the first time consumers will now be able to purchase some of the Fab Four's most popular songs via the store. Apple and record label EMI have been in talks for years about getting the catalogue online. Apple chief executive and Beatles fan Steve Jobs says it has "been a long and winding road to get here. We love the Beatles and are honoured and thrilled to welcome them to iTunes" (2010).  
 

November 15

Musical birthdays today include country singer C.W. McCall (85), Petula Clark (81), former Steeleye Span bassist Rick Kemp (72), conductor and classical pianist Daniel Barenboim (71), former ABBA vocalist Frida Lyngstad (68), former Henry Cow bassist Georgina Born (58), ex-Parliament/Funkadelic guitarist Michael Hampton (57), Tonight Show band leader Kevin Eubanks (56), rapper E-40 (46), Elysian Fields co-founder & vocalist Jennifer Charles (45), country singer Jack Ingram (43), Nickelback frontman Jack Kroeger (39), Glass Cloud lead singer Jerry Roush, and rapper B.o.B. (25).  

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for pianist and ragtime composer Artie Matthews, born on this date in 1888... for pop orchestra conductor Annunzio Mantovani, born in 1905... for jazzman Seldon Powell, who would have been 85 today... for soul singer Joe Hinton, who would have been 84... for Drifters vocalist Clyde McPhatter, who would have been 81... for R&B singer Little Willie John, who would have been 76... for Wu-Tang Clan founding member Russell 'ODB' Jones, who would have been 45... for The Velvet Teen drummer Logan Whitehurst, who would have been 36... for composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, who died on this day in 1787... and for jazz and prog rock multi-instrumentalist John Grimaldi, who died of MS at the age of 28 today in 1983. 

Also on November 15: Johnny and the Moondogs (the future Beatles) play in the final heat of the 'TV Star Search' competition at the Hippodrome Theatre, Manchester. Judging is done by the volume of applause each group receives when they are called back onto stage at the end of the night. Since the Moondogs have no money to stay overnight in Manchester, they are forced to leave to catch the last train back to Liverpool before they are called back on stage (1959)... Brian Jones is admitted to Passavant Hospital in Chicago with a temperature of 105ºF, causing him to miss the last few dates on the Rolling Stones' current tour (1964)... The Stones make their US TV debut on Hullabaloo, performing ‘Get Off Of My Cloud’. Hullabaloo was an American one-hour musical variety series that ran on NBC from January 1965 through August 1966 (1965)... The Doors officially sign with Elektra Records in a deal for the band to produce seven albums. The band also reluctantly agree to release 'Break On Through' as their first single. The lyric 'She gets high/she gets high/she gets high' is changed to 'She gets/she gets/she gets' in order to secure radio play (1966)... Janis Joplin is arrested during a gig in Tampa, Florida, after using vulgar and indecent language with a policeman. Joplin became upset after police moved into the hall to force fans to move back to their seats. As the singer left the stage she confronted a detective calling him 'a son of a bitch' and told him she would kick his face in. She is released on $504 bail (1969)... Bob Dylan spends much of the day shooting scenes for his film Renaldo and Clara at Niagara Falls. In the evening the Rolling Thunder Revue plays the Niagara Falls Convention Center (1975)... Blondie score their third UK no. 1 of the year with 'The Tide Is High' (1980)... Echo and the Bunnymen release Songs to Learn and Sing (1985)... Pop history is made when the Top 5 UK singles are all by female vocalists: Corinne Drewery from Swing Out Sister, Mel and Kim, Susannah Hoffs from The Bangles, plus Kim Wilde and Terri Nunn from Berlin who are at No.1 with 'Take My Breath Away' (1986)... Ozzy Osbourne announces his retirement from live performance after a gig in California, saying "Who wants to be touring at 46?" (1992)... Michael Abram, the Liverpool man who stabbed George Harrison after breaking into his home, was found not guilty at Oxford's Crown Court. The verdict, however, is returned in view of Abrams' mental history, and he was taken into care at a secure psychiatric facility (2000)... Jay-Z goes to No.1 on the US album chart with American Gangster his 10th No.1 disc. This ties the rapper with Elvis Presley for the most No.1 albums on the chart; only the Beatles have had more, with 19. Since 1998, all eight of Jay-Z's solo studio albums have hit the top spot, in addition to his ‘Collision Course’ project with Linkin Park and his ‘Unfinished Business’ collaboration with R. Kelly (2007). 

 

 

 

 

 
 

November 14

Musical birthdays today include classical pianist Peter Katin (93), jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis, Jr. (79), composer Wendy Carlos (74), Cajun accordionist Buckwheat Zydeco (66), Styx lead guitarist James Young (64), Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali (62), singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop (62), ex-Bon Jovi bassist Alec John Such (61), New Age composer Yanni (59), Joseph 'DJ Run' Simmons (49), Veruca Salt guitarist Nina Gordon (46), Raconteurs multi-instrumentalist Brendan Benson (43), hip hop artist Moka Only (40), Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker (38), former Steps vocalist Daye Tozer (38), and rapper Lil Boosie (30). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel, born on this date in 1778... for composer Aaron Copland, born in 1900... for crooner Johnny Desmond, who would have been 94 today... for Freddie and the Dreamers frontman Freddie Garrity and Coasters vocalist Cornell Gunter, both of whom would have been 77... for composer and piano craftsman Ignaz Pleyel, who died on this date in 1831... and for former Doll by Doll frontman Jackie Leven, who left us today in 2011. 

Also on November 14: Ray Charles goes to No.1 on the US singles chart with his cover of Hoagy Carmichael's 1930 standard 'Georgia On My Mind' (1960)... Pink Floyd are added to a 16-date UK package tour with Jimi Hendrix, The Move, The Nice, Amen Corner, The Outer Limits and The Eire Apparent. It kicks off on this day at the Royal Albert Hall with only one performance, as opposed to the rest of the dates, which call for two shows per night. The headlining Hendrix is allotted exactly 40 minutes; The Move, who precede him onstage, have just half an hour, and Pink Floyd, who appear between after The Outer Limits, are allowed between 15 and 20 minutes per show (1967)... Syd Barrett releases his first solo album, entitled Barrett (1970)... Queen play the first of two nights at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, England, the first shows on their 78-date A Night at the Opera World Tour (1975)... George Michael tops the UK album chart with his debut solo album Faith. The album goes on to win several awards including the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1989. To date, the collection has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Between 1987 and 1988, Faith produced six Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hits, four of which ('Faith', 'Father Figure', 'One More Try', and 'Monkey') reached No.1, making him the only British male singer to have four No.1 singles from one LP in the US (1987)... Blur bring chaos to traffic in central London when over 3,000 fans turned up for a signing at 'Book's Etc' in Charing Cross Road (1995)... Michael Jackson marries Debbie Rowe in Sydney, Australia. The couple met when he was diagnosed with vitiligo in the mid-1980s, and she was working as his dermatologist's assistant. The couple will divorce in 1999, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson, Rowe receiving an $8-million settlement (1996).