November 26th

 Musical birthdays today include Broadway musical actress Betta St. John  [née Betty Jean Striegler] (93), Tina Turner (83), operatic mezzo-soprano Susanne Marsee (81), ex-Supremes vocalist Jean Terrell (78), Fleetwood Mac founding member John McVie (77), session keyboardist & producer Michael Omartian (77), Brotherhood of Man lead singer Martin Lee (73), rapper & producer DJ Khaled (47), rapper OJ da Juiceman [né Otis Williams, Jr.] (41), and Versa lead guitarist Blake Harnage (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Eugene Istomin, born on this day in 1925... for variety singer Robert Goulet, who would have been 89... for big band leader Tommy Dorsey, who died on this date in 1956... and for rapper Soulja Slim [né James Tapp, Jr.] , who was shot to death on this day in 2003 at the age of 26.

Also on November 26: Johnny Cash makes his debut on the US country chart when ‘Cry! Cry! Cry!’ enters the Top 40. It will peak at No. 14 (1955)... The Beatles record their second single ‘Please Please Me’ in 18 takes and ‘Ask Me Why’ as the B side at EMI Studios, London (1962)... The promotional film of The Beatles 'Hello, Goodbye' receives its broadcast premiere on The Ed Sullivan Show. The clip could not be aired in the UK at the time owing to a musician's union ban on lip synching (1967)...  Cream play their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Also on the bill are opening acts Yes and Taste. The show was filmed and released as Cream's Farewell Concert, which has often been criticized for both its mediocre sound and visual effects: during Ginger Baker's drum solo, he seems to change clothes at lightning speed due to careless post-editing (1968)...  The New York Dolls make their UK live debut at Biba's Rainbow Room, London (1973)... The Sex Pistols release the single 'Anarchy In The UK'. Originally issued in a plain black sleeve, the 45 will be the only Pistols recording released by EMI, reaching No. 38 on the UK Singles Chart before the label drop the group on the 6th of January (1976)... Bob Dylan's current all-gospel tour gets a tempestuous reaction in Tempe, AZ. The recently converted singer spends most of his time between numbers berating the audience, and refuses to play any of his earlier hits or an encore (1979)... Soviet cosmonauts aboard Soyuz 7 take into space a cassette copy (minus the case, for weight reasons) of the latest Pink Floyd album Delicate Sound Of Thunder and put it on while in orbit, making the Floyd the first rock group to be played in space. David Gilmour and Nick Mason both attend the launch of the spacecraft (1988)... The Boyz II Men hit 'I'll Make Love to You' logs its 14th and final week at № 1 in the US, tying Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' for the longest run at the top of the American singles chart in the rock era (1994)... The Manchester club The Hacienda is auctioned off, raising £18,000 for charity. Madonna made her UK TV debut at the venue when C4 music show The Tube was broadcast live from its stage. Oasis, Happy Mondays, U2, New Order, Stone Roses, and The Smiths all played at the club as well (2000)... The parents of missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards are granted a court order for him to be declared presumed dead, nearly 14 years ago having elapsed since their son's disappearance. Despite alleged sightings all over the world, no trace has ever been found of Edwards, whose car was found near the Severn Bridge, where he was presumed to have taken his own life at the age of 27 (2008)... Willie Nelson is arrested for possession of six ounces of marijuana found in his tour bus whilst travelling from Los Angeles to Texas. After the singer is released on $2500 bail, Dallas County prosecutor Kit Bramblett says that he has no opposition to not sending Nelson to jail because of the small mount of cannabis involved, and suggests instead that the veteran star pay a $100 fine and sing 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain' for the court (2010).