November 16th

 Musical birthdays today include soul singer Garnet Mimms (89), singer-songwriter & producer Dan Penn (80), original AC/DC drummer Colin Burgess (76), jazz drummer Luis Conte (68), Stone Roses bassist Gary 'Mani' Mountfield (60), jazz chanteuse Diana Krall (58), Rammstein keyboardist Christian Lorenz (56), ex-Machine Head guitarist Logan Mader (52), Modest Mouse bassist Eric Judy (48), singer-songwriter Allison Crowe (41), and The Wanted vocalist Siva Kaneswaran (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer & violin virtuoso Rodolphe Kreutzer, born on this day in 1766... for operatic soprano Minnie Hauk, born in 1851... for W.C. Handy, 'The Father of the Blues', born in 1873... for composer Paul Hindemith, born in 1895... for jazz guitarist Eddie Condon, born in 1905... for Cajun accordionist Alphonse 'Bois Sec' Ardoin, born in 1915... for jazz pianist & Dexter Gordon sideman Dolo Coker, born in 1927... for blues guitarist and Howlin' Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin, who would have been 90... for operatic soprano Lucia Popp, who died on this date in 1993... for Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist Chet Powers (AKA Dino Valenti in his solo career), who passed away in 1994... for DJ & rapper DJ Screw [né Robert Davis, Jr.], who died of a drug overdose at the age of 29 on this day in 2000... and for jazz pianist Tommy Flanagan, who left us in 2001. 

Also on November 16: In London, Chopin gives his final public performance, a benefit concert for Poland (1848)... Arturo Toscanini makes his debut as conductor of the NY Metropolitan Opera (1908)... Johnny Cash makes first appearance in the Billboard Top 40 with 'Cry Cry Cry' (1955)... The Sound of Music premieres on Broadway (1959)... The Beach Boys' Christmas Album is released by Capitol Records (1964)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience top the US album chart with Electric Ladyland... Meanwhile, Led Zeppelin play their first ever show in the north of England when they appear at Manchester College of Science & Technology. The band are paid £225 for the gig (1968)... Frank Zappa appears on this week's edition of the UK TV music show 'The Old Grey Whistle Test', playing live and showing clips from his film 200 Motels (1971)... John Lennon is at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Whatever Gets You through the Night.' Elton John played on the session and made a deal with Lennon that if the song reached № 1, Lennon would have to appear on stage live with him (1974)... On The Old Grey Whistle Test, reclusive Beach Boy Brian Wilson gives his first televised interview in 8 years (1976)... Former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey has his only UK № 1 single with the Maria McKee song 'A Good Heart', written about her relationship with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' keyboard player Benmont Tench. Sharkey will follow up the single with the Tench-penned 'You Little Thief', his take on his relationship with McKee... In the US, Starship hit № 1 with 'We Built This City' (1985)... Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award after it is revealed that the duo did not sing at all on the Girl You Know It's True album (1990)... Texan billionaire David Bonderman hires The Rolling Stones to play at his 60th birthday party held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The band's fee is $7.9 million (2002)... The Beatles' catalogue becomes available on iTunes, after years of negotiations. For the first time consumers will now be able to purchase some of the Fab Four's most popular songs via the store. Apple and record label EMI have been in talks for years about getting the catalogue online. Apple chief executive and Beatles fan Steve Jobs says "It has been a long and winding road to get here. We love the Beatles and are honoured and thrilled to welcome them to iTunes" (2010)