March 4th

Musical birthdays today include Shakin' Stevens (73), former Harmonium frontman Serge Fiori (69), Emilio Estefan (68), ex-level 42 lead guitarist Boon Gould (66), jazz bassist Kermit Driscoll (65), former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted (58), Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando (54), country singer Jason Sellers (50), ex-beautiful South vocalist Alison Wheeler (49), producer & multi-instrumentalist Kevin 'Linus of Hollywood' Dotson (48), Star Fucking Hipsters frontman Scott 'Stza Crack' Sturgeon (45), Modest Mouse drummer Jeremiah Green (44), jazz drummer Jason Marsalis (44), Fratellis frontman John 'Jon Fratelli' Lawler (42), Towers of London lead singer Patrick 'Donny Tourette' Brannan (40), and singer-songwriter Raven Quinn (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Antonio Vivaldi, born on this day in 1678... for Avery Fisher, born in 1906... for electric blues guitarist Willie Johnson, born in 1923... for  jazz saxophonist & bandleader Don Rendell, born in 1925... for Miriam Makeba, who would have been 89... for bluegrass musician John Duffey, who would have been 87... for jazz trombonist Eric Allendale, who would have been 85... for original Velvet Underground drummer Angus MacLise, who would have been 83... for Bobby Womack, who would have been 77... for Yes bassist Chris Squire, who would have been 73... for former Climax Blues Band frontman Pete Haycock, who would have been 70... for ex-Spooky Tooth lead singer Mike Patto, who died on this date in 1978... for Richard Manuel of The Band, who took his own life today in 1986 at the age of 43... for Glenn 'The Biker' Hughes of the Village People, who passed away in 2001... for former Siouxie and the Banshees guitarist John McGeoch, who died in 2004... and for Alfredo José da Silva, AKA Johnny Alf, 'the Father of Boss Nova', who left us today in 2010. 

Also on March 4th: Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado premieres at Covent Garden (1885)... Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps release their self-titled second album (1957)... John Lennon's interview with Maureen Cleave containing the statement that the Beatles are "more popular than Jesus now" is published in the London Evening Standard (1966)... The Rolling Stones have the № 1 single in the US with 'Ruby Tuesday'. The song was originally the B side of the 'Let's Spend the Night Together' single, but became a hit when numerous US radio stations refused to play the latter song (1967)... The Stones announce that they are becoming the UK's first rock 'n' roll tax exiles, and have already purchased residences in the south of France (1971)... Pink Floyd kick off the 19-date US leg of the Dark Side of the Moon tour at the Dane County Memorial Coliseum in Madison, WI (1973)... CBS Records UK release the eponymous debut album by The Clash in the band's home country.  Since the parent company delay release in the US [continuing to do so until 1979, in fact], the album will go on to sell more than 100,o00 copies stateside as an import, one of the biggest such success stories ever (1977)... The IRS carries out a dawn raid on the home of Jerry Lee Lewis and seize nearly $200,000 worth of cars to help pay off the singer's tax debt... On tour in Japan, Bob Dylan records the concert that will become the Live at Budokan album (1978)... Frank Zappa's children Dweezil and Moon Unit form the band Fred Zeppelin. Their first single will be 'My Mother Is a Space Cadet' (1982)... Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown become parents when Whitney gives birth to their daughter Bobbi (1993)... Kurt Cobain is rushed to hospital after combining champagne and Rohypnol pills in a near-fatal combination in his Rome hotel room; rumours circulate widely on the Internet that the Nirvana frontman is dead (1994)... A noisy neighbour is banned from playing her music and has her stereo system impounded after playing Cliff Richard's music too loudly. 23 year-old Siân Davies is fined £1,000 plus court costs after environmental protection officers raided her flat in Porth, Rhondda, Wales and seized 15 amplifiers and speakers, plus 135 CDs and cassette tapes. The disc found in her CD player was the Cliff Richard single, 'Peace in Our Time'. A spokesman for the Cliff Richard Organization says that the singer is delighted to hear of somebody in their early 20s owning one of his recordings. He also adds that Sir Cliff would not want anyone to play his music so that it caused a nuisance (2003)... Brian Wilson performs 'Smile' for the first time in public at London's Royal Festival Hall, 37 years after it was first conceived. An 11-date UK tour will follow (2004)... In New Orleans, Britney Spears kicks off her first world tour in five years (2009).