March 19th

Musical birthdays today include R&B singer Clarence 'Frogman' Henry (83), singer-songwriter Richard Dobson (78), cellist Myung-wha Chung (76), Ruth Pointer (74), jazz pianist Chris Brubeck (68), Mr. Big bassist Billy Sheehan (67), Specials lead singer Terry Hall (61), singer-songwriter Gary Jules (51), rapper Bernard Freeman AKA Bun B (47), and Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor (45). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Broadway musicals singer Patricia Morison, born on this day in 1915... for early country singer Martha Carson, born in 1921... for former Zombies guitarist Paul Atkinson, who would have been 73 today... for original B-52's guitarist Ricky Wilson, who would have been 67... for Free lead guitarist Paul Kosoff, who died on this date in 1976... for Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads, who was killed in a private plane crash today in 1982 at the age of 25... for French horn player Alan Civil, who passed away in 1989... for Andrew Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone, who died of a drug overdose today in 1990 at age 24. (The remaining members of the band would go on to form Pearl Jam)... and for Luther Ingram, who left us in 2007. 

Also on March 19th: Haydn's oratorio Die Schöpfung [The Creation] premieres in Vienna (1789)... Charles Gounod's opera Faust has its premiere at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris (1859)... Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite is performed for the first time in St. Petersburg, with the composer himself conducting (1892)... In NYC, the Met gives Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov its first American performance (1913)... Bob Dylan's self-titled debut album is released by Columbia Records (1962)... UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson presents The Beatles with their awards for show business personalities of the year for 1963 at London's Dorchester Hotel (1964)... Britain's Tailor and Cutter Magazine runs an article asking The Rolling Stones to start wearing ties. The current fashion does not include wearing ties with shirts, and many tie-makers are facing financial ruin. Mick Jagger says of the appeal, "The trouble with a tie is that it could dangle in the soup. It is also something extra to which a fan can hang when you are trying to get in and out of a theatre (1965)... Jethro Tull's album Aqualung is released (1971)... Jefferson Airplane re-name themselves and become Jefferson Starship. The new line-up includes Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, drummer Johnny Barbata, David Freiberg, Peter Kaukonen, Craig Chaquico and Papa John Creach (1974)... The J Geils Band are at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Centerfold'. Roxy Music occupy the top spot in the UK with 'Jealous Guy' (1981)... The second Beatles Anthology series is released. The album features 'Real  Love', a track the remaining members of the Beatles recorded using an old demo track of John Lennon's. The song was first recorded by Lennon in 1977 with a handheld tape recorder on his piano at home; it originated as part of an unfinished stage play that Lennon was working on at the time entitled 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' (1996)... Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell's London home is broken into. The intruders leave obscene notes on the walls, steals the singer's computer and hi-fi, and throws milk and Ribena fruit drink on the walls. They also steal a necklace that once belonged to Elizabeth Taylor (2001)... 50 Cent becomes the first solo artist to have three singles in the US Top 5. 'Candy Shop' is at № 1, with 'How We Do' by The Game, (a member of his G-Unit group) at № 4 and 'Disco Inferno' at № 5 (2005)... Shakira is set to become the first pop star to release a single only in the form of a mobile download. The singer's forthcoming release 'Hips Don't Lie' will not be issued in the US as a CD or as a download via the internet but will be available to phone users connected to Verizon (2006).