October 25th

 

Musical birthdays today include Brazilian bossa nova pioneer Roberto Menescal (89), Yes lead singer Jon Anderson (79), Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton (76), Television frontman Richard Lloyd (72), bluegrass singer Mollie O'Brien (71), Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabs (68), Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith (62), Bare Naked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson (53), rapper Jerome 'Young Rome' Jones (42), Katy Perry (39), and Ciara (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Johann Strauss, born on this date in 1825... for composer Georges Bizet, born in 1838... for country singer Minnie Pearl, born in 1912... for Helen Reddy, who would have been 82 today... for bluesman Coco Robicheaux, who would have been 76... for Divinyls lead singer Chrissy Amphlett, who would have been 64... for concert promoter Bill Graham, who died on this date in 1991... for Roger 'King of the Road' Miller, who passed away in 1992... and for legendary DJ John Peel, who left us today in 2004. 

Also on October 25: Milhaud's one-act ballet La Création du Monde is premiered by Les Ballets Suédois at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées (1923)... The Archbishop of Dubuque, IA, Francis J.L. Beckman, denounces swing as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people" and warns that it leads "down the primrose path to hell" (1938)...  Cliff Richard makes his British radio debut on the BBC's 'Saturday Club.' The show started life as 'Saturday Skiffle Club' in 1957 hosted by Brian Matthew and is broadcast from 10 AM to 12 noon Saturday mornings on the BBC Light Programme (1958)... The Beatles kick off their tour of Sweden by playing two shows at the Nya Aulan in Karlstad. The local pop reviewer is not impressed, saying 'The Beatles should be grateful to their screaming fans for drowning out the group's dreadful performance', adding that The Beatles 'are of no musical importance whatsoever, and their local support group, The Phantoms, decidedly outshone them' (1963)... The Rolling Stones appear for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing ‘Around and around’ and ‘Time is on My Side’. A riot breaks out in the studio, prompting Sullivan’s infamous quote, "I promise you they’ll never be back on our show again". The Stones will go on to make a further five appearances on Sullivan’s program between 1965 and 1969 (1964)... The double album 'Electric Ladyland' by the Jimi Hendrix Experience is released. It is also made available as two albums with changed artwork after complaints about the naked women who were pictured on the sleeve. The female models were each paid £5 for the photo shoot, and another £5 if they posed completely nude (1968)... 'Sugar Sugar' by the Archies goes to the top of the UK singles chart, to remain there for 8 weeks (1969)... 
R.E.M., The Smiths and Tom Waits all appear on local Northern England TV show The Tube, at Tyne Tree Television Studios, in Newcastle (1985)... For the first time in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, the top three spots are held by female solo acts. Cyndi Lauper's 'True Colors' occupies the No.1 position, followed by Tina Turner's 'Typical Male' at No. 2, and Janet Jackson's 'When I Think Of You' at No. 3 (1986)... After falling over on stage when reaching for a guitar pick during  gig in Ann Arbor Michigan, Johnny Cash announces to the crowd that he is suffering from Parkinson's disease... The Spice Girls go to № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Spice Up Your Life'. Taken from their second album Spiceworld, the single sets a new record, making them the only act ever to have their first five singles reach the top of the charts (1997)... A poster from a 1968 Led Zeppelin gig at Surrey University [the first time the group played under their new name after abandoning the moniker The New Yardbirds] sells at auction for £2,400 (2003).