March 12th

Musical birthdays today include composer Dimitri Terzakis (84), Liza Minelli (76), James Taylor (74), Little Feat keyboardist Bill Payne (73), Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris (66), Marlon Jackson (65), Venice lead singer Kipp Lennon (62), Blur lead guitarist Graham Coxon (53), Eternal vocalist Kéllé Bryan (47), Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez (44), Pete Doherty (43), singer-songwriter Holly Williams (41), and McFly lead singer Danny Jones (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for one-man band musician Jesse Fuller, born on this day in 1896... for Statler Brothers singer & guitarist Lew DeWitt, who would have been 84 today... for Al Jarreau, who would have been 82... for songwriter [best remembered for 'Old Time Rock 'n' Roll' and 'The Only Way Is up'] and R&B singer George Jackson, who would have been 77... for Pope Gregory I, credited as the inventor of the Gregorian chant, who died on this date in 604... for Elizabethan composer John Bull, who wrote the tune for 'God Save the Queen', and who died today in 1628... for composer Charles-Marie Widor, who passed away in 1937... for Charlie Parker, who died in 1955... for conductor Eugene Ormandy, who died in 1985... for violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, who died in 1999... and for former Dave Brubeck drummer Joe Morello, who left us today in 2011. 

Also on March 12th: Child prodigy Yehudi Menuhin celebrates his 10th birthday by making his public debut with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, performing Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole in the concertmaster's chair (1926)... The Beatles play the Granada Cinema in Bedford, but John Lennon, suffering from a bad head cold, is unable to perform. Paul then rearranges the group's set so that he and George can sing the parts that John usually contributes (1964)... The Velvet Underground & Nico is released (1967)... The Rolling Stones begin recording 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' at Olympic Studios in London (1968)... Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman are married at the Marylebone registry office and then hold a reception lunch at the Ritz Hotel. Paul then goes back to work at Abbey Road... On the same day, George and Patti are arrested with 120 marijuana joints in their possession (1969)... The Allman Brothers record the first of two shows at the Fillmore East, NYC. The tapes will be the basis of their Fillmore East album, the band's commercial breakthrough (1971)... John Lennon makes tabloid headlines after creating a disturbance at the Troubador Club in Los Angeles. He and Harry Nilsson drunkenly heckle the performance of the Smothers Brothers until the duo's manager objects. The former Beatle then punches him before he and Nilsson are both forcibly shown the door (1974)... The Sex Pistols are involved in a brawl at London's Speakeasy Club with Bob Harris, presenter of BBC 2's 'The Old Grey Whistle Test', with the result that one of the show's engineers needs 14 stitches in his head. Two days later, Harris' solicitors contact Derek Green at A&M, the band's record label. Harris has the same manager as Peter Frampton, one of the label's top acts. Green discusses the matter with the company's two founders, Jerry Moss and Herb Alpert, and the decision is made to cancel the Pistols' contract and halt production of the bands first single, 'God Save The Queen' (1977)... Bow Wow Wow are forced to cancel the opening dates of their UK tour when the Greater London Council state that the group's lead singer, 15-year-old Anna Lwin, will be charged with truancy (1981)... U2 score their first UK № 1 album with War. Meanwhile, Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' sit atop the singles chart (1983)... Rick Astley is at № 1 in both Britain and the USA with 'Never Gonna Give You up' (1988)... R.E.M. release Out of Time (1991)... Oasis play the Le Bateau club in Liverpool before an audience of 20 people (1993)... The RIA publishes the results of a poll of American musicians, critics and fans asked to named the Song of the Century. Judy Garland's 'Over the Rainbow' is the top choice (2001)... Muddy Waters' 34-year-old daughter Rosalind Morganfield surrenders herself to police after a warrant is issued charging her with the 1996 murder of 19-year-old Timothy Jason Harrington during a drug deal (2004)... Hundreds of fans queue at the O2 arena in London as Michael Jackson tickets go on sale to the public. The 50-year-old King of Pop has confirmed he will be playing a 50-date residency at the venue beginning on the 8th of July. Some 360,000 pre-sale tickets have already sold. Organisers say the This Is It tour has become the fastest-selling in history, with 33 seats sold each minute. Prices range from £170 to £10,000, but tickets bought directly from the singer's website cost up to £75. Jackson has said that this will be the last time he performs in the UK (2009)... Bob Dylan is voted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, marking the first time a rock musician has been chosen for the honour. Officials in the Academy ~ which recognises music, literature and visual art ~ were unable to decide if Dylan belonged for his words or his music, and instead induct him on an honorary basis like previous new members Meryl Streep, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese (2013).