February 16th

Musical birthdays today include jazz pianist Howard Riley (76), former New Seekers vocalist Lyn Paul (70), Ice-T (61), ex-Def Leppard guitarist Pete Willis (59), Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor (58), Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo (54), Three Days Grace bassist Brad Walst (42), and Yellowcard drummer Longineu W. Parsons III (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for conductor Willem Kes [the first director of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra], born on this day in 1856... for bandleader Wayne King, born in 1901... for jazz pianist Bill Doggett, born in 1916... for Patty Andrews, born in 1918... for songwriter Otis Blackwell [best remembered for 'Great Balls of Fire' and 'Don't be Cruel'], who would have been 88 today... for Sonny Bono, who would have been 84... for James Ingram, who would have been 67... for avant-garde musician John Balance, who would have been 57... for bluesman Brownie McGhee, who died on this date in 1996... for Doris 'Mama Soul' Troy, who passed away in 2004... and for Merseyside rocker Tony Sheridan, who died in 2013... and for Lesley Gore, who left us three years ago today. 

Also on February 16th: The Beatles make their second live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, exactly one week after the first. Before an audience of 3,500 at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, FL, they perform ‘She Loves You’, ‘This Boy’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’, and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ (1964)...  Led Zeppelin make their Australian live debut when they kick off a six-date tour at the Subiaco Cricket Oval, Perth. Police battle with over 500 fans who ram locked gates trying to get into the concert. Over 4,000 fans are outside the venue without tickets and local residents jam police phone lines to complain about the noise (1972)... Bob Dylan starts a four week run atop the US album chart with Planet Waves, his first stateside № 1 LP. The album was originally set to be titled Ceremonies of the Horsemen, a reference to the song 'Love Minus Zero / No Limit', from the 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. When Dylan decided to change the title at the last minute, the release was delayed for two weeks... During a tour of America, the members of Emerson, Lake & Palmer are arrested in Salt Lake City after swimming naked in their hotel pool. They are each fined $75 (1974)... The Jam are at № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Town Called Malice'... Simon and Garfunkel release The Concert in Central Park (1982)... The Simpsons have the № 1 single in the UK with 'Do the Bartman'. The song, written by Michael Jackson and Bryan Lorenand, make The Simpsons the first cartoon characters to hit the top since The Archies with 'Sugar Sugar' in 1969. Jackson, a huge fan of The Simpsons, had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a song that he promised would be a hit, and to do a guest spot on the show (1991)... Thieves break into George Michael's London home and steal over £100,000 worth of paintings, jewellery and designer clothes before driving and off in the singer's £80,000 Aston Martin DB7. They also cause £200,000 worth of damage to the house (2002).