February 19th

Musical birthdays today include composer György Kurtág (96), bluesman Robert Walker (85), Smokey Robinson (82), Lou Christie (79), Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean (76), Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi (74), Wishbone Ash guitarist Andy Powell (72), Scorpions bassist Francis Buchholz (68), dBs frontman Peter Holsapple (66), English Beat lead singer Dave Wakeling (66), Seal (59), Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich (58), Smash Mouth guitarist Leroy Miller (57), Phish drummer John Fishman (57), Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell (53), Nickelback drummer Daniel Adair (47), Gossip vocalist Beth Ditto (41), and pop singer Haylie Duff (37) *** *** *** Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman Sam Myers, who would have been 84 today... for Miracles vocalist Bobby Rogers, who would have been 82... for Hans Hölzel, AKA Falco, who would have been 64... for original AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott, who died on this day in 1980... for French cabaret singer Charles Trenet, who passed away in 2001... for country singer Johnny Paycheck, who died in 2003... for ELO bassist Kelly Groucutt, died in 2009... and for Procol Harm frontman Gary Brooker, who left us today. *** *** *** Also on February 19th: Thomas Edison patents the phonograph (1878)... A British novelty company ships half a ton of Beatle wigs to the US. An American reporter later asks John Lennon, "How do you feel about teenagers imitating you with Beatle wigs?" John replies "They're not imitating us, because we don't wear wigs." (1964)... The Beatles record 'You're Going to Lose That Girl' at Abbey Road in only two takes (1965)... Yes release The Yes Album (1971)... Harry Nilsson has the № 1 song in the US with his version of Badfinger's 'Without You' (1972)... Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens is arrested in connection with the drug related murders of three men in San Jose, CA. Stevens is found guilty of the charges in November (1976)... Manfred Mann's Earth Band score a № 1 single in the US with their version of the Bruce Springsteen song 'Blinded By The Light.' The track was the first single from Bruce Springsteen's 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. The Earth Band's version features several changes in the lyrics, the most prominent one coming in the chorus, where Springsteen's 'cut loose like a deuce' is replaced with 'revved up like a deuce.' Springsteen himself has said that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a "feminine hygiene product" that it became popular (1977)... Ozzy Osbourne is arrested in San Antonio, TX for urinating on the Alamo. Osbourne is wearing a dress at the time of his arrest, [his wife Sharon having hidden all his clothes so that he could not venture outside the hotel]. The intoxicated Osbourne, who apparently thought he was relieving himself on a pile of rubble, is prohibited from ever playing in San Antonio again [a ban which was lifted in 1992] (1982)... Joni Mitchell releases Night Ride Home, the last of her four albums for Geffen Records (1991)... During their Use Your Illusion Tour, Guns n' Roses play the first of three sold out nights at the Tokyo Dome. The 55,000-seat baseball stadium [popularly known as 'the Big Egg'] is the largest concert hall in Japan (1992)... Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson marry in Cancun, Mexico... Roxette become the first western act to play in Bejing since Wham! in 1984 when they play a concert celebrating the Chinese New Year (1995)... Björk is shown on UK breakfast TV attacking a news reporter upon arrival at Bangkok International Airport. The footage shows the singer pulling the female reporter to the floor and banging her head repeatedly on the ground. Björk later apologises for the incident (1996)... The family of the late Johnny Cash block an attempt by advertisers to use his song 'Ring of Fire' to promote haemorrhoid-relief products. The idea is said to have been backed by Merle Kilgore, who co-wrote the song with Cash's wife June Carter Cash. Cash's daughter Rosanne said the family would "never allow the song to be demeaned like that" (2004).