December 1st

Musical birthdays today include soul singer Billy 'Me and Mrs. Jones' Paul (82), session drummer Sandy Nelson (78), Doors drummer John Densmore (72), Blue Öyster Cult guitarist & lead singer Eric Bloom (72), Bette Midler (71), Gilbert O'Sullivan (70), Megadeath guitarist Chris Poland (59), former Medway Poets guitarist Billy Childish (57), singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton (46), Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore (43), Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson (39), and Janelle Monáe (30). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for saxophonist & Cecil Taylor sideman Jimmy Lyons, who would have been 85 today... for Lou Rawls, who would have been 83... for chansonnier Alain Bashung, who would have been 69... for fusion bassist Jaco Pastorious, who would have been 65... for Vesta Williams, who would have been 59... 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 Nashville session bassist Bob Moore (84), easy listening singer Frank Ifield (79), Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover (71), reggae singer Jimmy London (67), R&B singer Shuggie Otis (63), Billy Idol (61), ex-Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton (59), pop singer Stacey Q (58), former Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie (57), soul singer Des'ree (48), Disturbed bassist John Moyer (43), and McFly bassist Dougie Pointer (29). 

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 87... for June Pointer, who would have been 63... for country singer Mindy McCready, who would have been 41... 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 probably be blue" (2005).

November 29th

Musical birthdays today include John Mayall (83), jazz trumpeter Chuck Mangione (76), ex-Rascals lead singer Felix Cavaliere (74), former Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau (65), fusion guitarist Jennifer Batten (59), original Cure bassist Michael Dempsey (58), New Kids on the Block vocalist Jonathan Knight (48), and Deftones keyboardist Frank Delgado (46). 

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 76 today... for rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who would have been 69... for former Zapp lead singer Roger Troutman, who would have been 64... 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 his new invention, 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)... 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 28th

Musical birthdays today include Motown Records founder Berry Gordy (87), Bruce 'Hey! Baby' Channel (76), Randy Newman (73), ex-Little River Band guitarist Beeb Birtles (68), Paul Shaffer (67), Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron (54), rapper Styles P [né David Styles] (42), Vampire Weekend keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij (34), and R&B singer Trey Songz [né Tremaine Neverson] (32). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for French chansonnier Michel Berger, who would have been 69 today... for ex-Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton, killed in a road accident today in 1993 at the age of 47... and for operatic bass Franco Ventriglia, who left us four years ago. 

Also on November 28: Beethoven premieres his own Piano Concerto № 5 in E Flat Major premieres at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig (1811)... In St. Petersburg, Rachmaninoff gives the debut performance of his Piano Concerto № 3, widely considered to be the most technically challenging concertos in the standard classical repertoire (1909)... 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 at № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Let's Have Another Party.' Atwell is the first black artist to reach № 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 № 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 № 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 Garden. 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 № 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)... Ray Davies plays his first solo date in NYC in 15 years at the Supper Club, treating fans to six songs from his forthcoming debut solo album (2005).

November 27th

Musical birthdays today include operatic tenor Neil Rosenshein (69), Genesis guitarist Daryl Stuermer (64), Aquarium frontman Boris Grebenshchikov (63), classical and jazz violinist Victoria Mullova (57), Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin (54), Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury (49), Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy (47), Divine Heresy drummer Tim Yeung (38), and classical violinist Hilary Hahn (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for former Booker T. & the MGs drummer Al Jackson, Jr., who would have been 81 today...  for country singer Eddie Rabbitt, who would have been 75... for Jimi Hendrix, who would have been 74... 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 four years 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 26th

Musical birthdays today include Broadway musical actress Betta St. John (87), Tina Turner (77), operatic mezzo-soprano Susanne Marsee (75), ex-Supremes vocalist Jean Terrell (72), Fleetwood Mac founding member John McVie (71), session keyboardist & producer Michael Omartian (71), Brotherhood of Man lead singer Martin Lee (67), rapper & producer DJ Khaled (41), rapper OJ da Juiceman [né Otis Williams, Jr.] (35), and Versa lead guitarist Blake Harnage (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Eugene Istomin, born on this day in 1925... for variety singer Robert Goulet, who would have been 83... for big band leader Tommy Dorsey, who died on this date in 1956... and for rapper Soulja Slim [né James Tapp, Jr.] , who was shot to death on this day 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 synching (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)... Bob Dylan's current all-gospel tour gets a tempestuous reaction in Tempe, AZ. The receently converted singer spends most of his time between numbers berating the audience, and refuses to play any of his earlier hits or an encore (1979)... 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)... The Boyz II Men hit 'I'll Make Love to You' logs its 14th and final week at № 1 in the US, tying Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' for the longest run at the top of the American singles chart in the rock era (1994)... The 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)... Willie Nelson is arrested for possession of six ounces of marijuana found in his tour bus whilst travelling from Los Angeles to Texas. After the singer is released on $2500 bail, Dallas County prosecutor Kit Bramblett says that he has no opposition to not sending Nelson to jail because of the small mount of cannabis involved, and suggests instead that the veteran star pay a $100 fine and sing 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain' for the court (2010).

November 25th

Musical birthdays today include film score composer Eleni Karaindrou (77), singer-songwriter Bob Lind (74), blues harmonica player Jerry Portnoy (73), Marillion lead guitarist Steve Rothery (57), Amy Grant (56), former Screaming Trees lead singer Mark Lanegan (52), Rancid guitarist Tim Armstrong (50), Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton (44), and Thea Gilmore (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for violin maker Giuseppe Guarneri, born on this day in 1666... for composer Virgil Thomson, born in 1896... for saxophonist Paul Desmond, born in 1924... for trumpeter Nat Adderley, who would have been 84... for Percy Sledge, who would have been 75... for English hymnwriter Isaac Watts, who died on this date 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 two years ago today. 

Also on November 25: 11-year-old prodigy Yehudi Menuhin makes his debut, performing Beethoven's 4th Violin Concerto with the NY Symphony Society Orchestra (1927)... '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 US 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 Buckingham Palace 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 № 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 № 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 24th

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November 23rd

Musical birthdays today include songwriter & film score composer Johnny Mandel (91), composer Krzysztof Penderecki (83), Manhattan Transfer vocalist Alan Paul (67), Brotherhood of Man vocalist Sandra Stevens (67), French singer-songwriter Francis Cabrel (63), Bruce Hornsby (62), popular tenor Russell Watson (50), Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler (44), The Kills lead singer Alison Mosshart (38), and Miley Cyrus (24). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman R.L. Burnside, who would have been 90 today... for jazz singer Gloria Lynne, who would have been 85... for soul singer Betty Everett, who would have been 77... 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)... Gale by Ethel Leginska is premiered by the Chicago City Opera Company. It is the first performance of an opera in the United States composed and conducted by a woman (1935)... 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 is 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)... Cat Stevens releases Tea for the Tillerman (1970)... 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 22nd

Musical birthdays today include organist and composer Peter Hurford (86), Youngbloods founder Jesse Colin Young (75), former Bob Marley & the Wailers bassist Aston Barrett (70), E Street band guitarist Steven van Zandt (66), ex-Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth (66), Styx lead singer Larence Gown (59), singer-songwriter Horse (58), Carter USM singer & guitarist Jim Bob (56), Hello Saferide frontwoman Annika Norlin (39), Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O (38), Napster inventor & entrepreneur Shawn Fanning (36), singer-songwriter & former a1  member Ben Adams (35), and Trivium guitarist Corey Beaulieu (33). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, born 0n this day in 1899... for composer Benjamin Britten, born today in 1913... for composer, pianist & musicologist Dika Newlin, born in 1923... for country singer Terry Stafford, who would have been 74... 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)... Bob Dylan and Sara Lowndes are married in a small civil ceremony at the Nassau County, NY courthouse (1965)... Singer-songwriter [and later Dylanologist] Long John Baldry is at  on the UK singles chart with 'Let the Heartaches Begin... George Harrison goes into the studio to begin recording the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall, his first solo effort (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)...  Supporting his new album Rhythm of the Saints, Paul Simon opens his first South American tour in Rio de Janeiro (1992)... 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 21st

Musical birthdays today include Lebanese singer Fairuz (81), Dr. John (76), War founding member Lonnie Jordan (68), jazz drummer Alphonse Mouzon (68), Boston guitarist Gary Pihl (66), Livingston Taylor (66), ex-Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie (66), Björk (51), Blur bassist Alex James (48), Teenage Fanclub drummer Francis McDonald (46), Edguy lead singer Tobias Sammet (39), and Carly Rae Jepsen (31). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz legend Coleman Hawkins, born on this day 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 № 1 on the Billboard chart with 'Stay', the shortest ever US  № 1 single at one minute 37 seconds... In Germany, the Beatles play at the Kaiserkeller Club in Hamburg without George Harrison. Harrison was deported earlier in the 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  № 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 № 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  № 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)... French pop star Dalida makes her Carnegie Hall debut (1978)... Steely Dan release Gaucho, their last album for another 20 years (1980)...  Olivia Newton John starts a ten week run at № 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 on the Indonesian island 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 20th

Musical birthdays today include stage singer Kaye Ballard (91), singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum (74), Meredith Monk (74), producer Mike Vernon (72), former Poco drummer George Grantham (69), Joe Walsh (69), operatic soprano Barbara Hendricks (68), Beastie Boys rapper Mike D (51), Cypress Hill rapper Sen Dog (51), AFI lead singer Davey Havok (41), In Flames drummer Daniel Svensson (39), ex-Girls Aloud vocalist Kimberley Walsh (35), and Bring Me the Horizon lead singer Oliver Sykes (30). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Ruth Laredo, who would have been 79 today... for Duane Allman, who would have been 70... for producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Gilbert, who would have been 50... 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: Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio premieres in Vienna (1805)... The rock era in Britain officially begins as 'Rock around the Clock' by Bill Haley & His Comets goes to № 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 his 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)... Camelot opens on Broadway (1966)... Strawberry Alarm Clock hit № 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 flop (1968)...  Sly and the Family Stone release There's a Riot Goin' on, while Isaac Hayes starts a two week run at № 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)... Eurythmic Dave Stewart begins recording tracks with Bob Dylan that will be released on the latter's album Knocked Out Loaded (1985)... The Rolling Stones announced that they have signed a £20 million deal with Virgin Records to make 3 albums over the next 6 years (1991)... 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).