July 13th

Musical birthdays today include Roger McGuinn (80), country singer Louise Mandrell (68), Twisted Sister bassist Mark Mendoza (67), bluegrass singer & mandolin player Rhonda Vincent (60), blues rocker Paul Thorn (58), ex-Napalm Death singer Barney Greenway (53), and Greek pop singer Mariada Pieridi (47).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz clarinetist George Lewis, born on this day in 1900... for opera conductor Sir Reginald Goodall, born in 1901... for operatic tenor Carlo Bergonzi, born in 1924... for saxophonist Albert Ayler, who would have been 86 today... for composer Arnold Schoenberg, who died on this date in 1951... for Buena Vista Social Club singer & guitarist Compay Segundo, who passed away in 2003... for New York Dolls bassist Arthur Kane, who died in 2004... and for Bollywood film score composer Manohari Singh, who left us in 2010. 

Also on July 13th: Benjamin Franklin gives the first demonstration of his 'armonica', based on skimming moistened fingertips around the tops of a row of drinking glasses (1762)... Charles Mingus and sideman play the Antibes Jazz Festival. The performance is recorded, and will be released in 1976 as Mingus at Antibes (1960)... The Rolling Stones play their first gig outside of London when they open for The Hollies at the Alcove Club, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire (1963)... The Animals go to № 1 on the UK singles chart with their version of 'House of the Rising Sun'. Recorded in a single take, the song is also the first British № 1 to have a playing time for more than 4 minutes (1964)... At a lunch party at the Savoy Hotel, London, Paul McCartney is presented with five Ivor Novello Awards for achievements in songwriting. John Lennon refused to attend, and Paul arrived 40 minutes late, saying he had forgotten about the engagement (1965)... Pink Floyd appear on Top of the Pops to promote their new single 'See Emily Play' (1967)... Black Sabbath play their first gig at the Backstreet Blues Club in Birmingham (1968)... Over 100 US radio stations announce their refusal to play The Beatles new single 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' because of the lyrics' repeated use of 'Christ' as an interjection (1969)... George McRae has the № 1 single in both Britain and America with 'Rock Me, Baby'. It was popular in NYC clubs before breaking out, and is often considered the first true disco hit... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band open a three night, six show residency at the newly-opened Bottom Line in NYC. The shows receive rave reviews and create a buzz in the music industry (1974)...  The first issue of UK punk fanzine 'Sniffin' Glue' is published. Edited by former bank clerk Mark Perry, the 'zine includes features on The Stranglers, The Ramones and Blue Öyster Cult (1977)... The BBC announce a ban on The Sex Pistols' latest single ‘No One Is Innocent’, which features vocals by Ronnie Biggs, the British criminal notorious for his part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. Biggs is currently living in Brazil, and is still wanted by the British authorities, but immune from extradition (1978)... At 12.01 a.m. GMT, Status Quo start the 'Live Aid' extravaganza, held between Wembley Stadium, London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The cream of the world's biggest rock stars take part in the worldwide event, raising over £40 million. TV pictures beamed to over 1.5 billion people in 160 countries make it the biggest live broadcast ever transmitted. Artists appearing included Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, The Who, U2, David Bowie and Mick Jagger, Queen, Tina Turner, The Cars, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Bryan Adams, Hall and Oates, Lionel Richie and the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin... Duran Duran become the first artists top the Billboard singles chart with a James Bond theme when 'A View To A Kill goes to № 1... Elton John re-signs with MCA Records in America. His five-album deal is worth $8 million, the biggest advance in history at the time (1985)... Representatives of fifty of America's largest record retailers are guests at Michael Jackson's home in Encino, CA to preview his new album Bad. The LP will go on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide (1987)... 2,162 guitar players  including Chet Atkins and Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter set a new world record for the largest jam session ever when they played ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ for 75 minutes straight at Riverfront Park in Nashville, TN. The previous record was set in Vancouver, Canada on May 7th, 1994, when Randy Bachman led 1,322 amateur guitarists in a performance of 'Louie, Louie' that lasted 68 minutes (1996)... Paul McCartney displays 73 paintings at the Kunstforum Lyz gallery in the German town of Siegen. McCartney has been painting for the past 16 years, since turning 40 (1999)...  Rod Stewart collects his CBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. The singer, who is being honoured for his services to music, wears a skull and crossbones tie, white trousers and a stripy shirt instead of the conventional morning suit (2007).