February 3rd

 

Musical birthdays today include Dave Davies (74), Melanie (74), Sonic Youth co-founder & guitarist Lee Ronaldo (65), Nurse with Wound leader Steven Stapleton (64), original Cure drummer Lol Tolhurst (62), Swirling Eddies bassist Tim Chandler (61), Ramón 'Daddy Yankee' Rodriguez (44), country singer-songwriter Jessica Harp (39), and rapper Sean Kingston (31).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Felix Mendelssohn, born on this day in 1809... for Irish crooner Val Doonican, born in 1927... for Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, who would have been 85... for producer and Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart, who would have been 80... for  former Temptations vocalist Dennis Edwards, who would have been 78... for singer-songwriter and producer John 'Johnny Cymbal' Blair, who would have been 76... for ex-new York Dolls bassist Arthur Kane, who would have been 72...  for Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson, who perished along with pilot Roger Peterson in the plane crash known as 'The Day the Music Died' on this date in 1959... for producer Joe Meek, who shot his landlady and then shot himself at his flat in London on this day in 1967. Meek produced The Tornadoes hit 'Telstar', the first № 1 in the US by a British group. Meek was interested in spirituality and often attended séances . At one such meeting in 1958, he was warned that Buddy Holly would die on February 3 of the following year. Meek tried his best to find Holly when he was in London to warn him but failed in his mission. 

Also on February 3^rd: At Abbey Road Studios, The Beatles begin working on their new single 'Lady Madonna'... Meanwhile, at Columbia Studios in NYC, Simon & Garfunkel and producer Roy Halee record and mix 'Mrs. Robinson' (1968)... Led Zeppelin II is the № 1 album in both the US and the UK (1970)... Elton John has his first American № 1 single with 'Crocodile Rock' (1973)... David Bowie opens the US leg of his 'Isolar 1976' tour in Seattle, WA, unveiling his new 'Thin White Duke' persona (1976)... Bob Dylan begins a 6-night residency at London's Hammersmith Odeon (1990)... Pearl Jam make their UK debut at the Esplanade Club in Southend-on-Sea, Essex before an audience of 300 (1992)... After a gig at London's Brixton Academy, the Ramones announce that they have played their last show in the UK after 22 years together (1996)... Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs settles a $3 million lawsuit filed by his former driver after an incident in 1999. Wardell Fenderson had driven Mr Combs and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez away from a New York nightclub where three people had been wounded in a shooting. Mr Fenderson said he was traumatized by having guns in the car and by being ordered to ignore police orders to stop, for which he was arrested (2004)... Former Dynasty star Heather Locklear files for divorce from Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora after 11 years of marriage (2006)... Wayne Fontana, of 'Game Of Love' fame, is arrested at his home in Glossop, Derbyshire and charged with arson with intent to endanger life. The 61 year-old, who was already set to appear in court in March on traffic offenses, is accused of pouring gasoline over a judge's car and setting it on fire. In November, he is sentenced to 11 months in jail, but is allowed to walk free from court immediately after already having served the equivalent of his term while held under the Mental Health Act (2007)... AC/DC singer Brian Johnson joins a growing group of critics of Bob Geldof and Bono over their very public charity work, saying they should stop lecturing audiences about it and instead do their good deeds in private. Johnson says "When I was a working man, I didn't want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa. I'm sorry mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done. It just makes me angry" (2010).