May 14th

Musical birthdays today include early rocker Charlie Gracie (80), Rascals guitarist Gene Cornish (72), David Byrne (64), former Red Rider frontman Tom Cochrane (63), French pop singer Patrick Bruel (57), Marillion lead singer Steve Hogarth (57), Irish tenor Ronan Tynan (56), former The Cult lead singer Ian Astbury (54), Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille (54), Testament guitarist Eric Peterson (52), Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez (50), New Kids on the Block vocalist Danny Wood (47), AFI bassist Hunter Burgan (40), rapper Terrence Thornton AKA Pusha T (39), Black Keys frontman Dan Auberbach (37), Thirteen Senses lead guitarist Tom Welham (32), and Miranda Cosgrove (23). 
Shoutout to the Great Beyond for conductor Otto Klemperer, born on this day in 1885... for Sidney Bechet, born in 1897 [and who died in 1959 on his 62nd birthday]... for original Coasters vocalist Will 'Dub' Jones, who would have been 88 today... for Bobby Darin, who would have been 80... for Jack Bruce, and for Herman's Hermits lead guitarist Derek Leckenby, both of whom would have been 73...  for former Yardbirds lead singer Keith Relf, who was electrocuted whilst playing an improperly grounded guitar on this date in 1976 at the age of 33... and for Frank Sinatra, who left us today in 1998. 

Also on May 14th: Vienna's Burgtheater opens for the first time (1741)... John Philip Sousa's 'The Stars and Stripes Forever' is performed in public for the first time in Willow Grove Park in Philadelphia, PA (1897)... Enrico Caruso makes his Covent Garden debut in 'Rigoletto' (1902)... Elvis is rushed to a Los Angeles hospital after swallowing a porcelain cap from one of his front teeth, which then became lodged in one of his lungs (1957)... The Silver Beats (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe and Tommy Moore) perform at Lathom Hall, Seaforth, Liverpool. They play a few songs during the 'interval' to audition for promoter Brian Kelly. Also appearing are Cliff Roberts & the Rockers, The Deltones, and Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes. This is the only occasion on which the group uses the name Silver Beats, quickly changing it back to Silver Beetles (1960)... In NYC, Miles Davis finishes recording the album Seven Steps to Heaven (1963)... Pye Records release Donovan's debut album What's Been Did and What's Been Hid (1965)... John Lennon and Paul McCartney appeared on NBC-TV's Tonight Show with guest host Joe Garagiola sitting in for Johnny Carson. The topics of conversation include transcendental meditation, the forming of Apple Corps, and song writing (1968)... Reprise Records release Everybody Knows This Us Nowhere by Neil Young & Crazy Horse... During a UK tour, Fairport Convention's van crashes on the M1 motorway on the way home from a gig in Birmingham. The group's 19 year-old drummer Martin Lamble is killed, along with Richard Thompson's girlfriend Jeannie Franklyn (1969)... ATCO Records release High Voltage, AC/DC's first album available outside Australia (1976)... During a UK tour, Talking Heads play a gig at The Rock Garden in London. Brian Eno is in the audience, and approaches the band after the show with an offer to produce them (1977)... Led Zeppelin reunite for  Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary party at Madison Square Garden, appearing with John Bonham's son Jason on drums. Other acts performing included Foreigner, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Genesis, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Wilson Pickett and Ben E. King (1988)... At an auction at Christies of London, the acoustic guitar that Elvis used to make his first recordings in 1954, 'That's All Right Mama' and 'Blue Moon of Kentucky', sells for £130,285. Also on the block are four 'Super Hero' costumes worn by the group Kiss, which go for £20,000 (1993)... George Michael is fined $750 after being convicted of a 'lewd act' in a Los Angeles public lavatory. The court also orders him to undergo psychological counselling and carry out 80 hours community service (1998)... Tom Jones is at № 1 on the UK album chart with Reload, making the singer the oldest artist to top the British album chart with new material (2001).