April 30th

Musical birthdays today include singer-songwriter Johnny Farina (80), Merrill Osmond (68), Jamaican rapper Barrington Levy (57), His Name Is Alive frontman Warren Devefer (52), ex-Dishwalla frontman J.R. Richards (49), 98 Degrees vocalist Jeff Timmons (48), hip-hop artist & producer Aliaune Thiam AKA Akon (48), Dresden Dolls lead singer Amanda Palmer (45), R&B/soul singer Cleo Higgins (39), and pop singer Nikki Webster (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman Reverend Gary Davis, born on this day in 1896... for bossa nova singer-songwriter Dorival Caymmi, born today in 1914... for rockabilly singer Johnny Horton, born in 1925... for Bobby Vee, who would have been 78 today... for Mimi Fariña, who would have been 76... for critic Lester Bangs, who died on this date in 1982... for Muddy Waters, who passed away in 1983... for Nazareth drummer Darrell Sweet, who died in 1999... and for former Platters vocalist Zola Taylor, who left us today in 2007. 

Also on April 30th: Berlioz's Te Deum is performed for the first time at the Église de Saint Eustache in Paris (1855)... The Boston Pops Orchestra is founded (1885)... At the Opéra comique in Paris, Debussy's opera Peléas et Mélisande has its premiere (1902)... RCA Victor Records releases its first Red Seal 78 RPM, a selection of lieder performed by contralto Ada Crossley (1903)... Elvis records 'Jailhouse Rock' (1957)... The Everly Brothers complete a spectacular debut on the British chart with their first single 'Cathy's Clown', as it goes to № 1, to remain there for 7 weeks (1960)... The Young Rascals have the № 1 song in America with 'Good Lovin'' (1966)... The BBC  launch The Cilla Black Show making the hostess the first British female performer to have her own TV show. The theme song, 'Step Inside Love', was written by Paul McCartney (1968)... Allman Brothers Band road manager Twiggs Lyndon is arrested for murder after stabbing a club manager during an argument over a contract. At the ensuing trial, Lyndon's lawyers argue that their client was temporarily incapacitated at the time of the incident and that touring with the Allman Brothers would drive anyone insane. Lyndon is acquitted (1970)... Paul McCartney & Wings' album  Red Rose Speedway is released (1973)... Keith Moon hires nine NYC cab drivers to block off both ends of a Chelsea street so that he can throw the entire contents of his hotel room out of the window (1976)... Led Zeppelin set a new world attendance record for a concert when they play to 76,229 people at a gig at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan. The Who held the previous record at the same venue with 75,962 (1977)... Michael Jackson hits № 1 in the USA with 'Beat It' (1983)... Nirvana sign with David Geffen's DGC label for $290,000 (1991)... A giant inflatable pig which floated away during a Roger Waters performance is recovered in tatters in southern California. Two families from La Quinta who found what was left of the object decide to share four lifetime passes to the Coachella festival that were offered as part of the reward... The woman who was given the handwritten lyrics to 'Give Peace A Chance' by John Lennon in 1969, announces plans to sell the lyric sheet at a Christie's auction. At the time, Lennon told Gail Renard to hang on to the piece of paper, saying "It will be worth something someday." The piece of music history is expected to fetch around $400,000, but when actually sold in July of this year, it goes for $790,000 (2008)... UNESCO declares that April 30th will henceforth be observed by the organization as International Jazz Day, 'to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe' (2011).