October 7th

 

Musical birthdays today include former 10cc drummer Kevin Godley (78), original Kansas bassist Dave Hope (74), John Cougar Mellencamp (72), Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres (70), cellist Yo-Yo Ma (68), Simon Cowell (64), Toni Braxton (56), ex-Auteurs frontman Luke Haines (56), Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke (55), OK Go frontman Damian Kulash (48), Deerhunter multi-instrumentalist Lockett Punkt (41), and Chvrches lead singer Lauren Mayberry (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz trumpeter & singer Vaughn Monroe, born on this date in 1911... for Dino Valenti [founding member of the Quicksilver Messenger Service and writer of the '60s classic 'Get Together'), who would have been 85 today... for Judee Sill, who would have been 79... for Sir Hubert Parry [composer of the hymn 'Jerusalem'] who died on this date in 1918... for Mario Lanza, who passed away today in 1959... and for early British rocker Johnny Kidd (UK no. 1 in 1960 with 'Shakin' All over'] killed in a car crash on his way to a gig today in 1966.

Also on October 7: Utopia, Limited or the Flowers of Progress, Gilbert and Sullivan's penultimate operetta, premieres at London's Savoy Theatre (1893)... The Rolling Stones record the Lennon & McCartney song 'I Wanna Be Your Man' at De Lane Lea studios in London... The Beach Boys release their fourth album, Little Deuce Coupe (1963)... Bob Dylan meets a group of itinerant Indian minstrels called the Benghal Bauls, who are staying in a converted barn on the estate of his manager Albert Grossman in Woodstock, NY. A black & white photo of Dylan with troupe members Purna and Lakhsman Das will grace the cover of the album John Wesley Harding (1967)... After years of travails with the US government, John Lennon is awarded his green card (1975)... Dire Straits release their eponymous debut album (1978)... Jimmy Page is sentenced to 1 year's probation after being found guilty by a London court of cocaine possession (1982)... Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl finally hits № 1 on the Billboard album chart, after spending 164 weeks in the Top 200, setting a record for longest ascension to the top spot (1989)... The № 1 album in America today in Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, which still holds the US record for biggest selling record by a female solo artist... David Bowie releases Outside, his first album with Brian Eno producing since their collaborations in Berlin in the late '70s (1995)... Michael Jackson performs before an audience of 60,000 at the El Menzah Stadium in Tunis, his first ever show in Africa (1996)... Continuing a verbal sparring match which began earlier in the month, Elton John replies to Keith Richards' charge that the pianist's only claim to fame is "writing ditties for dead blondes" by saying "Keith, he's so pathetic, poor thing. He's like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go onstage and look young" (1997)... Mick Jagger donates £100,000 to his boyhood grammar school in Dartford, Kent, to help pay to hire a director of musical studies and to buy instruments (2002)... Bruce Springsteen's latest release Magic is the № 1 album on both sides of the Atlantic (2007).