March 7th

Musical birthdays today include jazz singer Flora Purim (80),  Kiki Dee (75), Blasters frontman Phil Alvin (69), Manowar bassist Joey DeMaio (68), Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph (58), Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo (54), Megadeath lead guitarist Chris Broderick (52), Bowling for Soup frontman Jaret Reddick (50), Elbow guitarist Guy Garvey (48), rapper Dwight 'Beanie Sigel' Grant (48), and Vampire Weekend drummer Chris Tomson (38). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman Furry Lewis, born on this day in 1893... for western swing pioneer Bob Wills, born in 1905... for Wes Montgomery, born in 1923... for  conductor Lorin Maazel, born in 1930... for former Supreme Mary Wilson, who would have been 78...  for Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, who would have been 83... for John Philip Sousa, who died on this date in 1932... for song & dance man Ivor Novello [also the composer of the WWI standard 'Keep the Home Fires Burning'], who passed away in 1951... for British popular singer George Formby, who died in 1961... for singer & actor Nelson Eddy, who died in 1967... for Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous, who took his own life today in 2010 at the age of 47... and for Ten Years After leader Alvin Lee, who left us today in 2013. 

Also on March 7th: The Temptations become the first male Motown act to score a US № 1, with 'My Girl' (1965)... The Rolling Stones record 'Paint It Black' at RCA Studios in Los Angeles (1966)... The Beatles add the sound effects to the opening title track of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (1967)... Charles Manson releases an album called Lie to help raise money for his defence in the Tate-LaBianca murder trial. The album jacket is modeled on a cover of Life Magazine, with the letter F removed from the word 'Life'. In the mid sixties, Manson was an aspiring singer-songwriter who befriended Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, eventually persuading the group to record one of his songs, 'Cease to Exist'. The title was changed to 'Never Learn Not to Love' and was released as the B side of the single 'Bluebirds over the Mountain', which peaked at № 61 in the US in early 1969... Phil Spector receives the session tapes from the Beatles' Get Back project that he will turn into the first official version of the Let It Be album (1970)... Led Zeppelin play their first show in Ireland, at the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin. It is also the second time that they perform 'Stairway to Heaven' live (1971)... The Miracles have the № 1 single in the US with 'Love Machine (part 1), while Bob Dylan is atop the album chart with Desire (1976)... Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle's 'A Whole New World' (Aladdin's Theme)  finally knocks Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' off the top of the Billboard singles chart after 14 weeks (1993)... David Crosby is arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm and marijuana after leaving his bag in a Manhattan hotel. The unmarked case was found by a hotel employee who was looking for identification and instead discovered a revolver and a bag of cannabis. The manager notified the authorities, and Crosby, having discovered the loss of the bag himself, called to say that he would return for it. He is met by officers of the NYPD who take him into custody (2004).