March 2nd

Musical birthdays today include operatic bass Robert Lloyd (81), French chansonnier Alain Chamfort (72), former Missing Persons lead singer Dale Bozzio (66), Jay Osmond (66), ex-Cowsills drummer John Cowsill (65), original AC/DC bassist Mark Evans (65), Restless Heart lead singer Larry Stewart (62), Jon Bon Jovi (59), bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart (58), Wu-Tang Clan rapper Clifford 'Method Man' Smith (50), Chris Martin (44), and Hollywood Undead rapper Aron 'Deuce' Erlichman (38).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Bedřich Smetana, born on this day in 1824... for Kurt Weill, born in 1900... for jazz saxophonist Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, born in 1922... for Riverside Records producer Orrin Keepnews, born in 1923... for Four Tops vocalist Lawrence Payton, who would have been 83 today... for Lou Reed, who would have been 79... for former Shadows drummer Tony Meehan, who would have been 77... for Taste lead singer Rory Gallagher, who would have been 73... for Karen Carpenter, who would have been 71... for jazz guitarist Charlie Christian, who died on this date in 1942... for Serge Gainsbourg, who died in 1991... for Dusty Springfield, who passed away in 1999... for Hank Ballard, who died in 2003... and for Jeff Healey, who left us in 2008. 

Also on March 2nd: The first ballet performed in Britain, The Loves of Mars and Venus, premieres at the Drury Lane Theatre in London (1717)... Bo Diddley has his first recording session at Universal Studios in Chicago (1955)... Miles Davis convenes the first of the two sessions that will produce Kind of Blue (1959)... After his discharge from the US Army, Elvis steps on British soil for the first and only time in his life when the plane carrying him back to America makes a refuelling stop at Prestwick, Scotland (1960)... The Four Seasons become the first group to have three consecutive № 1 singles in America when 'Walk like a Man' goes to the top of the charts (1963)... The Beatles begin filming 'A Hard Day's Night' at London's Marylebone train station, and George Harrison meets Patti Boyd for the first time (1964)... The film version of The Sound of Music has its world premiere in New York (1965)... Stevie Wonder takes home four Grammys, including Album of the Year for Innervisions... Terry Jacks has the № 1 song in both Britain and America with 'Seasons in the Sun' (1974)... An LAPD motorcycle officer who pulls over a Lincoln Continental for running a red light is surprised to find Paul McCartney at the wheel with his wife Linda beside him. Detecting an odour of marijuana, the officer searches the occupants and vehicle and finds eight ounces of cannabis on Mrs. McCartney, who is arrested for the offence (1975)... Gigs around the UK tonight include Black Sabbath at the Apollo in Glasgow, AC/DC at the Top Rank in Swansea, and David Bowie and Iggy Pop on a double bill at Newcastle City Hall (1977)... Compact discs and players are released in major markets outside of Japan for the first time... Bananarama release their debut album Deep Sea Skiving (1983)... The Smiths top the UK singles chart with 'How Soon Is Now' (1985)... Madonna's new single 'Rescue Me' enters the Billboard Hot 100 at № 15, the highest debut by a female artist in the history of the chart (1991)... Jimi Hendrix is crowned 'Wildest Guitar Hero of All Time' in poll amongst readers of Classic Rock Magazine. Hendrix beat out second place finisher Keith Richards, with Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimmy Page rounding out the top 4 (2007).