March 6th

Musical birthdays today include former Zombies bassist Chris White (82), operatic soprano Kiri Te Kanawa (81), David Gilmour (79), former Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher (79), ex-J. Geils band lead singer Peter Wolf (79), Tower of Power bassist Rocco Prestia (74), Isley Brothers guitarist Ernie Isley (73), Taylor Dayne (63), West End musicals singer Ruthie Henshall (58), Tantric lead singer Hugo Ferreira (51), and heavy metal singer & vocal coach Amanda Somerville (46). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Maurice Ravel, born on this day in 1875... for jazz drummer & singer Lee Young, born in 1914... for Townes Van Zandt, who would have been 81... for country singer Pee Wee King, who died on this date in 2000... for Ali Farka Touré,who passed away in 2006... for original Yes guitarist Peter Banks, who died in 2013...  and for McCoy Tyner, who left us four years ago today.

Also on March 7: Verdi's La Traviata has its premiere in Venice (1853)... RCA Victor release what is often considered the first commercial jazz record, 'Livery Stable Blues' by the Original Dixieland Jass Band (1917)... Guy Mitchell has the № 1 single in the UK with 'She Wears Red Feathers', the story of a City banker's love for a hula-hula girl (1953)... The Beatles record their first radio appearance, the BBC program 'Teenagers' Turn ~ Here We Go' at the Playhouse Theatre in Hulme, Manchester. The group also wear what will become their trademark grey suits for the first time (1962)... For the first time ever, the top 10 positions of the UK singles chart are occupied entirely by British acts. Cilla Black is in the № 1 spot with 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' (1964)... Brian Wilson releases his first solo single, 'Caroline No'... Tina Turner goes into the studio to record 'River Deep, Mountain High' with Phil Spector (1966)... The Beatles complete the overdubs and sound effects on 'Lovely Rita' (1967)...  Led Zeppelin appear at the Bluesville 69 Club in the Hornsey Wood Tavern, Finsbury Park, London. The venue is a function room at the back of the pub, and is so small that the stage is only just big enough for John Bonham's drums, while the rest of the group has to stand on the floor at the same level as the crowd (1969)... Before a showcase gig at Max's Kansas City in NYC marking Bruce Springsteen's first public performance since becoming a Columbia recording artist, John Hammond [who signed him] suffers a heart attack (1973)... David Bowie releases the album Young Americans (1975)... Elton John becomes the first rock musician since the Beatles to be immortalised in wax at Madame Tussaud's (1976)... USA for Africa releases the 'We Are the World' single (1985)... The Beastie Boys become the first rap act have a № 1 album in the US when their debut LP Licensed to Ill goes to the top... Capitol Records release The Beatles' first 5 albums on CD for the first time (1987)... The Smiths song 'I Know It's Over' tops a ranking of tunes which people turn to when they are miserable in 'The Songs That Saved Your Life' poll by BBC radio station 6 Music. REM's 'Everybody Hurts' and Radiohead's 'Fake Plastic Trees' also made the Top 10 (2004)...  Sales of albums by The Monkees are soaring following the death of singer Davy Jones. 'Best Of The Monkees' re-enters the Billboard album chart at № 20 with sales of over 17,000 copies (2007).

March 5th

Musical birthdays today include early rocker Paul Evans (87), Irish pop singer Clodagh Rodgers (78), Eddy Grant (77), former Dire Straits keyboardist Alan Clark (73), Current 93 lead singer David Tibet (65), Proclaimers frontmen Charlie & Craig Reid (63), former Noir Désir lead singer Bertrand Cantat (61), rapper MC Solaar (56), ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers lead guitarist John Frusciante (54), and classical pianist Daniil Trifonov (33). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, born on this day in 1887... for French horn virtuoso Philip Farkas, born in 1914... for bluesman J.B. Lenoir, born in 1930... for singer-songwriter Tommy Tucker, born in 1934... for pianist and former Janis Joplin sideman Richard Bell, who would have been 79... for Teena Marie, ' the Ivory Queen of Soul', who would have been 69...  for The Fall frontman Mark E. Smith, who would have been 68... for Andy Gibb, who would have been 67... for composer Sergei Prokofiev, who died on this date in 1953... for Patsy Cline, killed in a plane crash today in 1963 at the age of 30 along with fellow musicians Lloyd 'Cowboy' Copas and Harold 'Hawkshaw' Hawkins... for Blues Brother John Belushi, who died of a drug overdose today in 1982 at the age of 33... and for Disney songwriter Robert B. Sherman [best remembered for 'It's a Small Word (after All)], who left us today in 2014.

Also on March 5th: Beethoven's 4th Symphony receives its premiere in Vienna (1807)... The Covent Garden opera house is destroyed in a fire (1856)... Arrigo Boito's opera Mefistofele premieres at La Scala (1887)... The first known transmission of music by radio occurs at Graz University in Austria when Dr. Siegfried Nussbaumer yodels a folk song from his native region into a transmitter whose signal is received in a neighbouring room and heard by his colleagues in the physics department (1904)... Elvis makes his debut television appearance when he performs on the weekend show 'Louisiana Hayride' on KWKH-TV in Shreveport, LA (1955)... The Beatles record their third single 'From Me to You' (1963)... Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler goes to № 1 on the Billboard singles chart with 'The Ballad of the Green Berets' (1966)... Bob Dylan concludes the sessions at Columbia Studio B in NYC that will yield the Self Portrait album (1970)... Led Zeppelin launch a 12-date 'Thank you' tour, appearing at the same clubs that they played in their early days and charging the same admission prices as 1968. Opening night is at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, where the group play most of the songs from their forthcoming officially untitled album, including 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Going to California' (1971)... Rod Stewart meets Britt Ekland at a party in Los Angeles, sparking one of the most high-profile celebrity love affairs of the '70s (1975)... Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' is the № 1 single in the US, whilst the Thriller album tops the UK album chart for the first time... Wham! make their US television debut on American Bandstand (1983)... R.E.M. sweep the Rolling Stone Music Awards, winning Album of the Year for Out of Time, Best single for 'Losing My Religion' and best band (1992)... Grace Slick is arrested for pointing a loaded 12-gauge shotgun at Marin Co. sheriffs' deputies in her home in Tiburon, CA, just north of San Francisco (1994)... MC Hammer is ordained as a preacher at the Jubilee Christian Center in San Jose, CA (2000)... 'The Osbournes' premieres on MTV (2002)... Records by the Rolling Stones and Paul Simon are chosen for preservation by the US Library of Congress. The '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' single and the Graceland LP enter the National Recordings Registry, which preserves historic recordings for posterity. Other recordings chosen this year include Carl Perkins' 'Blue Suede Shoes', The Ronettes' 'Be My Baby', 'A Change Is Gonna Come' by Sam Cooke, and the eponymous The Velvet Underground and Nico album (2007).

March 4th

Musical birthdays today include Shakin' Stevens (77), former Harmonium frontman Serge Fiori (73), Emilio Estefan (72), ex-level 42 lead guitarist Boon Gould (70), jazz bassist Kermit Driscoll (69), former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted (62), Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando (58), country singer Jason Sellers (54), ex-beautiful South vocalist Alison Wheeler (53), producer & multi-instrumentalist Kevin 'Linus of Hollywood' Dotson (52), Star Fucking Hipsters frontman Scott 'Stza Crack' Sturgeon (49), Modest Mouse drummer Jeremiah Green (48), jazz drummer Jason Marsalis (48), Fratellis frontman John 'Jon Fratelli' Lawler (46), Towers of London lead singer Patrick 'Donny Tourette' Brannan (44), and singer-songwriter Raven Quinn (41). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Antonio Vivaldi, born on this day in 1678... for Avery Fisher, born in 1906... for electric blues guitarist Willie Johnson, born in 1923... for  jazz saxophonist & bandleader Don Rendell, born in 1925... for Miriam Makeba, born in 1932... for bluegrass musician John Duffey, born in 1934... for jazz trombonist Eric Allendale, who would have been 89... for original Velvet Underground drummer Angus MacLise, who would have been 87... for Bobby Womack, who would have been 81... for Yes bassist Chris Squire, who would have been 77... for former Climax Blues Band frontman Pete Haycock, who would have been 74... for ex-Spooky Tooth lead singer Mike Patto, who died on this date in 1978... for Richard Manuel of The Band, who took his own life today in 1986 at the age of 43... for Glenn 'The Biker' Hughes of the Village People, who passed away in 2001... for former Siouxie and the Banshees guitarist John McGeoch, who died in 2004... and for Alfredo José da Silva, AKA Johnny Alf, 'the Father of Boss Nova', who left us today in 2010. 

Also on March 4th: Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado premieres at Covent Garden (1885)... Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps release their self-titled second album (1957)... John Lennon's interview with Maureen Cleave containing the statement that the Beatles are "more popular than Jesus now" is published in the London Evening Standard (1966)... The Rolling Stones have the № 1 single in the US with 'Ruby Tuesday'. The song was originally the B side of the 'Let's Spend the Night Together' single, but became a hit when numerous US radio stations refused to play the latter song (1967)... The Stones announce that they are becoming the UK's first rock 'n' roll tax exiles, and have already purchased residences in the south of France (1971)... Pink Floyd kick off the 19-date US leg of the Dark Side of the Moon tour at the Dane County Memorial Coliseum in Madison, WI (1973)... CBS Records UK release the eponymous debut album by The Clash in the band's home country.  Since the parent company delay release in the US [continuing to do so until 1979, in fact], the album will go on to sell more than 100,o00 copies stateside as an import, one of the biggest such success stories ever (1977)... The IRS carries out a dawn raid on the home of Jerry Lee Lewis and seize nearly $200,000 worth of cars to help pay off the singer's tax debt... On tour in Japan, Bob Dylan records the concert that will become the Live at Budokan album (1978)... Frank Zappa's children Dweezil and Moon Unit form the band Fred Zeppelin. Their first single will be 'My Mother Is a Space Cadet' (1982)... Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown become parents when Whitney gives birth to their daughter Bobbi (1993)... Kurt Cobain is rushed to hospital after combining champagne and Rohypnol pills in a near-fatal combination in his Rome hotel room; rumours circulate widely on the Internet that the Nirvana frontman is dead (1994)... A noisy neighbour is banned from playing her music and has her stereo system impounded after playing Cliff Richard's music too loudly. 23 year-old Siân Davies is fined £1,000 plus court costs after environmental protection officers raided her flat in Porth, Rhondda, Wales and seized 15 amplifiers and speakers, plus 135 CDs and cassette tapes. The disc found in her CD player was the Cliff Richard single, 'Peace in Our Time'. A spokesman for the Cliff Richard Organization says that the singer is delighted to hear of somebody in their early 20s owning one of his recordings. He also adds that Sir Cliff would not want anyone to play his music so that it caused a nuisance (2003)... Brian Wilson performs 'Smile' for the first time in public at London's Royal Festival Hall, 37 years after it was first conceived. An 11-date UK tour will follow (2004)... In New Orleans, Britney Spears kicks off her first world tour in five years (2009).

March 3rd

Musical birthdays today include former Searchers lead singer Mike Pender (83), Jennifer Warnes (78), Roger Waters sideman and former Thin Lizzy guitarist Terry 'Snowy' White (77), Robyn Hitchcock (72), Hooters guitarist John Lilley (71), Ronan Keating (48), and rapper Wesley 'Lil' Flip' Weston, Jr. (44). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluegrass legend Doc Watson, born today in 1923... for double bassist and John Coltrane sideman Jimmy Garrison, born in 1934... for ex-Henry Cow woodwinds player Lindsay Cooper, who would have been 74... for composer Johann Pachelbel, who died on this date in 1706... for classical pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who died in 1961... for Danny Kaye, who passed away in 1987... for flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya, who died in 1993... for Beatles recording engineer Norman Smith, who passed away in 2008... for Ronnie Montrose, who lost a long battle with cancer in 2012... and for former Miracles vocalist Bobby Rogers, who left us today in 2013. 

Also on March 3rd: Bizet's Carmen receives its premiere at the Opéra Comique in Paris (1875)... Cab Calloway records 'Minnie the Moocher', which will become the first million-selling jazz single (1930)... President Herbert Hoover signs the bill making The Star-Spangled Banner the official US national anthem (1931)... Jackie Brenston, backed by Ike Turner and his band, records 'Rocket 88' [often cited as the first ever rock 'n' roll record] at Sam Phillips' studio in Memphis, TN (1951)... In Los Angeles, Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay form Buffalo Springfield (1966)... Led Zeppelin record their first BBC Radio 1 'Top Gear' session at the Playhouse Theatre in London (1969)... The South African Broadcasting Corporation lifts its ban on The Beatles (1971)... Slade debut on the UK single chart at № 1 with 'Com on Feel the Noize', making them the first act since the Beatles to achieve the feat... Robert Flack takes home the Grammy for Song of the Year for 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1973)... Patti Smith's album Easter is released (1978)... The Bee Gees have the № 1 album in the US with Spirits Having Flown (1979)... Michael Jackson personally unveils his waxwork lookalike at Madame Tussaud's (1985)... The Smashing Pumpkins are banned from performing their new single 'Disarm' on the BBC's Top of the Pops because of the song's lyrical content (1994)... Foo Fighters make their live debut during a benefit show at the Satyricon in Portland, OR (1995)... Ray Jackson files suit against Rod Stewart over the latter's 1971 hit 'Maggie May'. Jackson claims that he came up with the tune's classic mandolin 'hook', and may have lost as much as £1 million because he did not receive credit for it. The musician, who later found fame with Lindisfarne, was payed just £15 for the session in 1971 (2003)... Elton John announces that he intends to marry his longtime partner David Furnish if a change in UK law will allow it (2004)... To celebrate the release of their new album No Line on the Horizon and their appearance every night for a week on the Late Show with David Letterman, NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg announces that part of 53rd street in Midtown Manhattan will temporarily be renamed U2 Way (2009).

March 2nd

Musical birthdays today include operatic bass Robert Lloyd (85), French chansonnier Alain Chamfort (76), former Missing Persons lead singer Dale Bozzio (70), Jay Osmond (70), ex-Cowsills drummer John Cowsill (69), original AC/DC bassist Mark Evans (69), Restless Heart lead singer Larry Stewart (66), Jon Bon Jovi (63), bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart (62), Wu-Tang Clan rapper Clifford 'Method Man' Smith (54), Chris Martin (48), and Hollywood Undead rapper Aron 'Deuce' Erlichman (42).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Bedřich Smetana, born on this day in 1824... for Kurt Weill, born in 1900... for jazz saxophonist Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, born in 1922... for Riverside Records producer Orrin Keepnews, born in 1923... for Four Tops vocalist Lawrence Payton, who would have been 87 today... for Lou Reed, who would have been 83... for former Shadows drummer Tony Meehan, who would have been 81... for Taste lead singer Rory Gallagher, who would have been 77... for Karen Carpenter, who would have been 75... for jazz guitarist Charlie Christian, who died on this date in 1942... for Serge Gainsbourg, who died in 1991... for Dusty Springfield, who passed away in 1999... for Hank Ballard, who died in 2003... and for Jeff Healey, who left us today in 2008. 

Also on March 2nd: The first ballet performed in Britain, The Loves of Mars and Venus, premieres at the Drury Lane Theatre in London (1717)... Bo Diddley has his first recording session at Universal Studios in Chicago (1955)... Miles Davis convenes the first of the two sessions that will produce Kind of Blue (1959)... After his discharge from the US Army, Elvis steps on British soil for the first and only time in his life when the plane carrying him back to America makes a refuelling stop at Prestwick, Scotland (1960)... The Four Seasons become the first group to have three consecutive № 1 singles in America when 'Walk like a Man' goes to the top of the charts (1963)... The Beatles begin filming 'A Hard Day's Night' at London's Marylebone train station, and George Harrison meets Patti Boyd for the first time (1964)... The film version of The Sound of Music has its world premiere in New York (1965)... Stevie Wonder takes home four Grammys, including Album of the Year for Innervisions... Terry Jacks has the № 1 song in both Britain and America with 'Seasons in the Sun' (1974)... An LAPD motorcycle officer who pulls over a Lincoln Continental for running a red light is surprised to find Paul McCartney at the wheel with his wife Linda beside him. Detecting an odour of marijuana, the officer searches the occupants and vehicle and finds eight ounces of cannabis on Mrs. McCartney, who is arrested for the offence (1975)... Gigs around the UK tonight include Black Sabbath at the Apollo in Glasgow, AC/DC at the Top Rank in Swansea, and David Bowie and Iggy Pop on a double bill at Newcastle City Hall (1977)... Compact discs and players are released in major markets outside of Japan for the first time... Bananarama release their debut album Deep Sea Skiving (1983)... The Smiths top the UK singles chart with 'How Soon Is Now' (1985)... Madonna's new single 'Rescue Me' enters the Billboard Hot 100 at № 15, the highest debut by a female artist in the history of the chart (1991)... Jimi Hendrix is crowned 'Wildest Guitar Hero of All Time' in poll amongst readers of Classic Rock Magazine. Hendrix beat out second place finisher Keith Richards, with Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimmy Page rounding out the top 4 (2007).

March 1st

Musical birthdays today include Cuban composer & guitarist Leo Brouwer (86), ex-Blood, Sweat & Tears lead singer Jerry Fisher (83), former Manfred Mann lead singer Mike d'Abo (81), Roger Daltrey (81), Winston Rodney, AKA Burning Spear (80), Nik Kershaw (67), Gin Blossoms bassist Bill Leen (63), Soulsystem drummer Rob Affuso (62), singer-songwriter Mary-Lou Lord (60), Super Furry Animals drummer Dafydd Ieuan (55), Ke$ha (38), and Justin Bieber (31).  

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Glenn Miller, born on this day in 1904... for Harry Belafonte, born in 1927... for record producer and manager Gerry Bron, born in 1933... for Québécois rocker Gerry Boulet, who would have been 79... for choral composer and poet Thomas Campion, who died on this date in 1621... for pianist and long-time Art Blakey sideman Bobby Timmons, who passed away today in 1974... and for original Jackson 5 drummer Johnny Jackson, who left us today in 2006. 

Also on March 1st: Buddy Holly kicks off what will be his only UK tour with a show at the Trocadero in London (1958)... Cellist Jacqueline du Pré makes her concert debut at London's Wigmore Hall... Elvis Presley signs a 5-year movie deal with Hal Wallis (1961)... At Abbey Road, the Beatles begin recording 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' (1967)... Elton John's first single 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' is released in Britain on the Phillips label... Johnny Cash and June Carter are married (1968)... Jim Morrison is charged with lewd and lascivious behaviour after allegedly exposing himself to the crowd during a gig in Miami (1969)... Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is released (1973)... Chris Difford places a handwritten advert in a shop window saying 'Lyricist seeks musician for co-writing. Glen Tillbrook is the first to answer the ad, and the two will go on to form Squeeze (1974)... The Eagles have their first US № 1 with 'Best of My Love' (1975)... Fred 'Sonic' Smith and Patti Smith are married (1980)... Janet Jackson opens her Rhythm Nation 1814 World Tour at the Miami Arena. As part of the show, Jackson has a live panther on stage, but after a widespread expression of concern for public safety, and several incidents of the panther urinating on the stage, the big cat is banished from the act after five shows (1990)... Nirvana play their final concert at the Terminal Eins in Munich. The venue, with a capacity of 3,000, is a disused airport hangar. When the power goes off halfway through the show, the band play an impromptu acoustic set, including a version of 'My Best Friend's Girl' by The Cars (1994)... Bruce Springsteen's 'Streets of Philadelphia' wins Song of the Year at the Grammys (1995)... Steely Dan release Two against Nature, their first studio album in 20 years (2000)... Kelly Clarkson becomes the only American Idol winner to date to have a UK № 1, when 'My Life Would Suck without You' tops the British chart (2009)

February 28th

Musical birthdays today include jazz pianist Mike Wofford (87), former Jaggerz and Wild Cherry lead singer Donnie Iris (82), film director, score composer and trumpeter Mike Figgis (77), Black Sabbath keyboardist Geoff Nichols (77), B-52s vocalist Cindy Wilson (68), Train lead singer Patrick Monahan (56), Jason Aldean (48), and Jake Bugg (31). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Guiomar Novaes, born on this day in 1895... for jazz violinist Svend Asmussen, born in 1916... for guitarist John Fahey, who would have been 86 today... for Nashville session guitarist Joe South, who would have been 85... for Brian Jones, who would have been 83... for producer Brian Delph, who would have been 68... for one-hit wonder Bobby Bloom ['Montego Bay'], who took his own life today in 1974 at the age of 28... for original Uriah Heep lead singer David Byron, who died in 1985... for classical violinist Helmut Zacharias, who passed away in 2002... for former Searchers drummer Chris King, who died in 2005... and for Dave Clark Five lead singer Mike Smith, who left us today in 2008. 

Also on February 28: Handel's opera Siroe, de di Persia premieres in London (1728)... The first public recital of Schubert's lieder takes place in Vienna (1819)... Jules Massenet's final opera Cleopatre premieres in Monte Carlo (1914)... Motown records release the LP The Fabulous Miracles (1963)... Police have to be called to dislodge music fans who have barricaded themselves inside Liverpool's Cavern Club to protest the venue's definitive closure... Gene Clark announces that he is leaving the Byrds (1966)... In an interview with the New Musical Express, Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green talks about his plans to give all of his money away. The following year, he will threaten his accountant with a gun for presenting him with a royalty cheque... Led Zeppelin play a gig in Copenhagen billed as 'The Nobs' after Eva von Zeppelin,  a descendant of the airship designer, threatens legal action if the family name is used in Denmark... Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge over Troubled Water' begins a 6-week run at № 1 in the US ~ chart supremacy for the song in Britain will begin in 2 weeks' time... Van Morrison's album Moondance is released (1970)... George and Patti Harrison are injured in a car crash; Patti will be in a coma for nearly a week, but will make a complete recovery (1972)... Paul Simon's 'Still Crazy after All These Years' wins Best Pop Vocal Performance and Best Album at the 18th Grammys. In his acceptance speech, the singer says "I'd like to thank Stevie Wonder for not releasing an album this year" (1976)... Ray Charles is attacked on stage in Detroit by a man who attempts to strangle him with a microphone cord. The assailant is a member of a group called Project Heavy, a community project for disadvantaged youths (1977)... U2's War is released (1983)... George Michael announces the dissolution of Wham! (1986)... Bob Dylan goes into The Studio in New Orleans to begin recording the Oh Mercy album with Daniel Lanois at the controls... The Indigo Girls release their eponymous debut album (1989)... Eric Clapton plays his 100th show at the Royal Albert Hall, this one a fundraiser for the 'Children in Crisis' charity (1994)... The Arctic Monkeys win British band of the year at the NME Awards in London's O2 Arena. Blackout by Britney Spears is named Worst Album of the Year (2008).

February 27th

Musical birthdays today include bluesman Jimmy Burns (83), Cockney Rebel frontman Steve Harley (74), Journey guitarist Neal Schon (71), Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith (68), Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Johnny Van Zant (66), classical violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann (60), TLC vocalist Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas (54), and Josh Groban (44). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Hubert Parry, born on this day in 1848... for operatic soprano born Lotte Lehmann, born in 1888... for Marian Anderson, born in 1897... for jazz singer Mildred Bailey, born in 1907... for Dexter Gordon, born in 1923... for pioneering rock 'n' roll guitarist Sidney 'Hardrock' Gunter, born in 1924... for English topical song comedian Jake Thackray, who would have been 87... for sound artist and Coil co-founder Peter Christopherson, who would have been 70... for Frankie Lymon, who died of  a drug overdose today in 1968 at the age of 25... for drummer, bandleader and Goon Show regular Ray Ellington, who passed away on this date in 1985... and for classical pianist Van Cliburn, who left us today in 2012.  

Also on February 27th: William Byrd is appointed organist and choir master at Lincoln Cathedral (1563)... Beethoven's 8th Symphony in F premieres in Vienna (1814)... Robert Schumann is rescued from an attempt to drown himself in the Rhine (1854)... 21-year-old former hairdresser and Cavern Club cloakroom attendant Cilla Black has her first UK № 1 with 'Anyone Who Had a Heart'... The Rolling Stones make their second appearance on Top of the Pops, performing 'Not Fade Away' (1964)... At Abbey Road Studios, Pink Floyd continue working on their debut album Piper of the Gates of Dawn. With the exception of two group-composed instrumentals and one Roger Waters song, all the material on the album was written by Syd Barrett... Elvis releases his first all-gospel album, How Great Thou Art (1967)... 5 months after her death, Janis Joplin's album Pearl goes to the top of the US album chart, where it will stay for 9 weeks (1971)... Continuing their tour of Australia, Led Zeppelin play the Sydney Showgrounds, with Jimmy Page appearing clean shaven for the first time in two years (1972)... Cher files for divorce from Sonny Bono (1974)... Keith Richards is led out of Toronto's Harbour Castle hotel in handcuffs after a raid on his room by 15 Mounties nets an ounce of heroin. The guitarist is charged with possession with intent to traffic, and faces up to seven years in prison (1977)... James Brown is paroled after serving two years of a six-year sentence for leading police on a car chase across two states (1991)... Her 14th week at № 1 in the US with 'I Will Always Love You' gives Whitney Houston the new record for longest reigning American chart topper (1993)... A worker in a supermarket in Aspen, CO calls the police after spotting a man in a ski mask pushing a cart up and down the aisles. Officers arrive on the scene and identify the mysterious customer as Michael Jackson, who is in town on holiday with his children (1994)... Pictures appear in the UK press of Pete Doherty visiting a zoo in Oxfordshire with his girlfriend Kate Moss. The Babyshambles lead singer is harshly criticized by veterinarians after pictures show him tossing the remains of a cannabis joint to a group of penguins (2007).

February 26th

Musical birthdays today include Mitch Ryder (80), Sandie Shaw (78), soprano soloist Emma Kirkby (76), Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain (76), Michael Bolton (72), Killing Joke lead singer Jaz Coleman (65), Rage against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford (57), Erykah Badu AKA 'Th First Lady of Neo-soul' (54), Snow Patrol drummer Johnny Quinn (53), Dispatch guitarist & singer Brad Corrigan (51) Corinne Bailey Rae (46), Sharon van Etten (44), Fun lead singer Nate Ruess (43), Natalia Lafourcade (41) and Automatic Loveletter vocalist Juliet Simms (39/span>). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Fats Domino, born on this day in 1928... for classical pianist Lazar Berman, born in 1929... for Johnny Cash, born in 1932... for Canned Heat lead singer Bob Hite, who would have been 81... for trumpeter Roy 'Little Jazz' Eldridge, who died on this day in 1989... for former Platters and Coasters vocalist Cornell Gunter, who died in 1990... and for former Band of Gypsies and Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles, who left us today in 2008. 

Also on February 26th: Franz Schubert's Symphony no. 4 in c minor, commonly known as the 'Tragic', receives its premiere in Leipzig more than 50 years after its composition, and nearly 40 years after the composer's death (1869)...  The Original Dixieland Jass Band [the spelling 'jazz' would not become definitive until the early '20s] records the first jazz record, for the Victor Talking Machine Co. in NYC (1917)... Billboard Magazine reports that for the first time since their introduction in 1949, 45 RPM records are outselling 78s (1955)... Jimmy Page releases a solo single in the UK called 'She Just Satisfies', which he produced and played all the instruments on with the exception of the drums (1965)... Nancy Sinatra is at № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with 'These Boots Were Made for Walking'. Meanwhile, Rubber Soul reigns atop the album charts (1966)... The Beatles collection of non-album singles and B-sides Hey Jude is released in the US (1970)... During a court case between The Sex Pistols and their former manager Malcom McLaren, it is revealed that only £30,000 of the £800,000 that the band earned can be accounted for (1979)... After seeing U2 play at Dublin's National Boxing Stadium in front of 2,400 people, Rob Partridge and Bill Stewart of Island Records offer the band a recording contract (1980)... At Bob Dylan's Rundown Studios in Santa Monica, CA, Allen Ginsberg records two songs ('Do the Meditation' and 'Airplane Blues'), with Dylan on bass, Jim Keltner on drums, and Steve Taylor on guitar... Thriller arrives at № 1 on the Billboard album chart, a position that it will occupy for the next 37 weeks (1983)... A 10-minute version of The Beatles' 'Revolution 1' is leaked onto the Internet, giving fans a never-before-heard idea of what the White Album sessions were like. Only two copies of the take were made when the song was completed on June 4, 1968. One copy left the studio that day with John Lennon, and the other remained behind. Which copy was leaked and by whom remains a mystery (2009).

February 25th

Musical birthdays today include former Vinegar Joe vocalist Elkie Brooks (80), bluegrass banjo player Pete Wernick (79), Doug Yule (78), Emitt Rhodes (75), ex-Daniel Amos lead guitarist Jerry Chamberlain (73), X frontman John Doe (71), The Alarm frontman Mike Peters (66), Bad Religion guitarist Brian Baker (60), Julio Iglesias, Jr. (51), former Cradle of Filth vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva (48), The Used lead singer Bert McCracken (43), and Music for Dead Birds singer Danny Monaghan (37).


Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Enrico Caruso, born on this day in 1873... for Ralph Stanley, born in 1927... for former NBC Orchestra lead saxophonist Tommy Newsom, born in 1929.... for country singer Faron Young, born in 1932... for George Harrison, who would have been 82 today... for pop songwriter Johnny Burke [best remembered for 'Pennies from Heaven' and 'Moonlight Becomes You'], who died on this date in 1964... for former Marshall Tucker Band lead guitarist Toy Caldwell, who died in 1993... for folk singer Mark Spoelstra, who passed away in 2007, and for ex-Allman Brothers Band guitarist 'Dangerous Dan' Toler, who left us today in 2014. 


Also on February 25th: George M. Cohan's first musical The Governor's Son' opens on Broadway (1901)... Elvis has his first major US hit when his single 'I Forgot to Remember to Forget' goes to № 1 on the Billboard Country & Western chart (1956)... Buddy Holly records 'That'll Be the Day' at the Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, NM (1957)... Columbia records releases Barbra Streisand's debut LP, The Barbra Streisand Album (1963)... Back from America, the Beatles record 'Can't Buy Me Love', 'You Can't Do That' and 'I Should Have Known Better' at Abbey Road Studios (1964)... Pink Floyd appear at the Ricky Tick Club in Hounslow, greater London. The Yardbirds were filmed there the previous year for a scene in Michelangelo Antonioni's film 'Blow Up' (1967)... Led Zeppelin play their first ever gig in New Zealand at the Western Springs Stadium in Auckland. News reviews published the next day report that the band could be heard over 5 miles from the venue... Pink Moon, Nick Drakes's third and final album, is released (1972)... The Jam sign with Polydor Records for £6,000 (1977)... Christopher Cross wins the Song of the Year Grammy for 'Sailing' (1981)... Van Halen have the № 1 single in America with 'Jump' (1984)... U2 kick off their first full-scale large venue American tour at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, TX ... Tears for Fears release Songs from the Big Chair (1985)... Simple Minds go to № 1 in the UK with 'Belfast Child'. Clocking in at 6:39, it is the second-longest British no. 1 ever after 'Hey Jude' (1988)... At Radio City Music Hall, Bob Dylan is handed 3 Grammys, including Best Album for Time out of Mind'. During Dylan's performance of the song 'Not Dark Yet', background dancer Michael Portnoy rips his shirt off, takes a position next to Dylan centre stage and reveals the words 'Soy Bomb' painted on his chest (1998)... Lil' Kim says that a shooting which occurred after she left a NYC radio station had nothing to do with her. One person was wounded in the fusillade of 22 bullets outside of Hot 97. According to the New York Daily News, the incident was the result of a feud between Lil' Kim and rival rappers Capone-N-Noreaga (2001)... George Michael is found slumped over in a car in London's Hyde Park. A concerned passerby spotted the singer and called police, who, after having Michael checked by paramedics, arrested him on suspicion of possessing drugs before then releasing him on bail. Michael makes a public statement about the incident and says "I was in possession of class C drugs, which is an offense, and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout." He also says that the event was "my own stupid fault, as usual." (2006)... President Obama honours Stevie Wonder, his musical idol, with America's highest award for pop music, the Library of Congress' Gershwin prize at a ceremony at the White House. The president says that the Motown legend was the soundtrack to his youth, and he doubts that his wife would have married him if he hadn't been a fan. Wonder's song 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' was the theme song during Obama's '08 presidential campaign (2009).

February 24th

Musical birthdays today include popular singer Joanie 'The Voice of the Sixties' Sommers (84), ex-Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones (83), Smile lead guitarist Tim Saffell (77), George Thorogood (75), Belgian pop singer Plastic Bertrand (71), country singer Sammy Kershaw (67), Michelle Shocked (63), Slipknot drummer Chris Fehn (52), N*E*R*D* keyboardist Chad Hugo (51), Alkaline Trio guitarist Matt Skiba (49), Taking Back Sunday guitarist & singer John Nolan (47), Gym Class Heroes drummer Matt McGinley (42), and former Metro Station lead guitarist Trace Cyrus (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for opera librettist Arrigo Boito, born on this day in 1842... for pianist and composer Michel Legrand, born in 1932... for session pianist Nicky Hopkins, who would have been 81... for jazz percussionist Steve Berios, who would have been 79... for Johnnie Ray, who died on this date in 1990... for country singer Webb Pierce, who passed away in 1991... for Dinah Shore, who died in 1994... and for for former Velvets lead singer Virgil Johnson, who left us today in 2014.

Also on February 24th: Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, one of the first works recognized as an opera, has its premiere during the annual Carnival at Mantua, Italy  (1608)... Handel's Rinaldo, the first Italian opera written for the London stage, premieres at the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket (1711)... Fleetwood Mac's eponymous debut album is released (1968)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience play their final British gig at the Royal Albert Hall (1969)... Roberta Flack hits № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Killing Me Softly with His Song'... The Byrds make their final live appearance when they play the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ (1973)... Led Zeppelin release Physical Graffiti (1975)... The Eagles' Greatest Hits becomes the first album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA (1976)... The New York Post publishes a report that Bob Dylan has been baptised into the Christian faith in Pat Boone's swimming pool (1979)... Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love are married in Waikiki (1992)... The US Mint issues a commemorative quarter featuring the likeness of Duke Ellington, making the legendary composer and bandleader the first black person to appear by himself on an American coin (2009)... The personal assistant to former Ramones manager Linda Stein is convicted in a New York court of bludgeoning her boss to death at her Manhattan apartment on the 30th of October, 2007. Prosecutors said Natavia Lowery, 28, stole more than $30,000 from Stein, then clubbed her with a piece of exercise equipment. Jurors spent less than a day reaching a second-degree murder verdict (2010).

February 23rd

Musical birthdays today include Poco pedal steel guitarist Rusty Young (79/span>), The Sweet bassist Steve Priest (77), Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford (73), Howard Jones (70), ex-Japan lead singer David Sylvian (67), Queensrÿche guitarist Michael 'The Whip' Wilton (63), former Nine Inch Nails drummer Chris Vrenna (58), Cardigans guitarist Lars-Olof Johansson (52), Calle 13 lead singer René 'Residente' Joglar (47), and Skylar Grey (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Georg Friedrich Händel, born on this day in 1685... for operatic soprano Régine Crespin, born in 1927... for guitarist Johnny Winter, who would have been 81 today... for former Dolly Dots vocalist Ria Brieffies, who would have been 68... for Starship lead guitarist Mark Abrahamian, who would have been 59... for operatic soprano Nellie Melba, who died on this date in 1931... for composer Edward Elgar, who died in 1934... for organist and composer Herbert Howells, who passed away in 1983... and for former Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein, who left us today in 2003. 

Also on February 23rd: Filming on the Beatles' cinematic follow-up to 'A Hard Day's Night' begins on location in the Bahamas with the working title 'Eight Arms to Hold You' (1965)... After nearly five years of marriage, Priscilla Presley moves out of Elvis' Beverly Hills home and into a two bedroom apartment in Malibu (1973)... AC/DC shoot the video for 'It's A Long Way To The Top, (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)' for the Australian music television program Countdown. It features the band's then-current lineup, along with members of the Rats of Tobruk Pipe Band, on the back of a flat-bed truck travelling on Swanston Street in Melbourne (1976)... David Coverdale's Whitesnake make their live debut at the Sky Bird Club in Nottingham... Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen are arrested in New York for heroin possession (1978)... Stevie Wonder is arrested at an anti-apartheid demonstration outside the South African embassy in Washington, DC. He is released following brief questioning, and after signing autographs for several police officers... The Smiths have the № 1 album in the UK with Meat Is Murder... Sade releases Diamond Life (1985)... All members of Oasis are banned for life from Cathay Pacific Airlines after alleged 'disgusting and abusive behaviour' on a flight from Hong Kong to Perth (1998)... Carlos Santana wins 8 Grammy awards for his album Supernatural, tying the record set by Michael Jackson with Thriller (2000)... The Bee Gees make their final concert appearance at the Love and Hope Ball in Miami, FL (2002)... Norah Jones wins 5 Grammys for the album Come Away with Me (2003)...  London's Abbey Road studios is made a listed building, protecting it from plans to radically alter it. Culture Minister Margaret Hodge listed the studios on the advice of English Heritage, saying it had 'produced some of the very best music in the world'. The Beatles used Abbey Road for 90% of their recordings (2010).

February 22nd

Musical birthdays today include R&B singer Bobby Hendricks (87), jazz drummer Harvey Mason (78), Wire bassist Graham Lewis (72), heavy metal bassist Dave Spitz (67), Creed drummer Scott Phillips (52), James Blunt (51), former Atomic Kitten vocalist Jenny Frost (47), and Blaque lead singer Shamari Fears (45). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Frédéric Chopin, born on this day in 1810... for big band saxophonist Buddy Tate, born in 1913... for bluesman Texas Johnny Brown, born in 1928...  for Marni Nixon, born in 1930... for pop singer William 'Oliver' Swofford, who would have been 80... for classical violinist Efrem Zimbalist, who died on this date in 1985... for original Velvet Underground producer and manager Andy Warhol, who passed away in 1987... and for blues violinist Papa John Creach, who died in 1994... and for country singer Sonny 'The Southern Gentleman' James, who left us today in 2018. 

Also on February 22nd: Percy Faith and His Orchestra have the № 1 song in America with 'Theme from a Summer Place' (1960)... Pink Floyd continue working on Piper at the Gates of Dawn at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, while the Beatles are next door assembling the giant piano chord at the end of 'A Day in the Life' (1967)... T-Rex play the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, with David Bowie doing a one-man mime show as their opening act (1969)... David Crosby releases his first solo album If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971)... The Average White Band go to № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Pick up the Pieces' (1975)... Preparing to film a Wrigley's Chewing Gum commercial for US TV, the members of The Police dye their hair blonde for the first time (1978)... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark release their eponymous debut album (1980)... MTV dedicates a full day to the Monkees, broadcasting all 45 episodes of the original series in a 22-hour marathon (1986)... A heavy metal/hard rock category is introduced at the Grammys for the first time. To the considerable displeasure of many in the audience, the award goes to Jethro Tull for the album Crest of a Knave. Having been convinced by their manager that they had no chance of winning, no member of the band is present to collect the award. When asked by an interviewer the next day to comment on the controversy, longtime Tull frontman Ian Anderson quips "We do sometimes play our mandolins very loudly" (1988)... The NME publishes the result of a poll of British rock journalists asked to name the greatest debut albums of all time. Nos. 1 through 5 are Horses by Patti Smith, Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, Kick out the James by the MC5, Psychocandy by the Jesus and Mary Chain, and Television's Marquee Moon (1992)... The Spice Girls start a 4-week run atop the US singles chart with 'Wannabe' (1997)... The engagement ring given by Sid Vicious to Nancy Spungen sells at auction in London for £1500. The jeans that John Lennon was wearing when he performed 'Instant Karma' on Top of the Pops in 1970 go for £2250 (2000)... Two women in their early sixties spend the first of eight nights sleeping outside Bournemouth International Centre to make sure they are first in the queue when tickets for a forthcoming Cliff Richard concert go on sale (2002)... Paul McCartney plays a private show in San Diego, CA for the birthday of Wendy Whitworth, the executive producer of The Larry King Show. Sir Paul donates his $1 million fee to the Adopt-a-Minefield charity (2003)... Johnny Marr is said to be 'ecstatic' after getting back a   guitar of his which was stolen in 2000 after a gig at the Scala nightclub in King's Cross, London. Smiths fan Stephen White told a London court that he was "disgusted" with himself for taking the cherry-red 1964 Gibson SG [valued at £30,000] when he went backstage after the show (2010).

February 21st

Musical birthdays today include producer & impresario David Geffen (82), mezzo-soprano D'Anna Fortunato (80), Uriah Heep bassist Paul Newton (80), former Love lead guitarist Johnny Echols (78), ex-Talking Head Jerry Harrison (76), Stranglers bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel (73), DJ & producer Michael Pickering (71), Stiff Little Fingers frontman Jake Burns (67), Mary Chapin Carpenter (67), English Beat lead singer Roger 'Ranking Roger' Charlery (62), Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield (56), singer-songwriter Cathy Richardson (56), former Sublime bassist Eric Wilson (55), Morningwood lead singer Chantel Claret (43), and Charlotte Church (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Carl Czerny, born on this day in 1791... for organist and composer Charles-Marie Widor, born in 1844... for Andrés Segovia, born in 1893... for bluesman Frank 'Scrapper' Blackwell, born in 1903... for Nina Simone, born in 1933... for Bobby Charles, who would have been 87... for Tubes and Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick, who would have been 74... for Supremes vocalist Florence Ballard, who died on this date in 1976... for DJ Murray Kaufman, AKA Murray the K and 'The Fifth Beatle', who passed away in 1982... for R&B and doo-wop singer Nolan Strong, who died in 1977... for composer Morton Gould, who died in 1996... and for bluesman Morris 'Magic Slim' Holt, who left us today in 2013. 

Also on February 21st: Mussorgsky's opera Khovanshchina premieres in St. Petersburg with fellow composer Rimsky-Korsakov conducting the orchestra (1874)... Billy Joel has his first rehearsal with The Echoes, a band he has recruited from among his classmates at his Hicksville, NY high school to play British invasion covers... Three classic British singles are released: The Rolling Stones 'Not Fade Away', The Hollies' 'Just One Look', and Billy J Kramer's 'Little Children' (1964)... Pink Floyd begin their first session at EMI Studios, St. John's Wood, London for their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, working on the song 'Matilda Mother'. While the Floyd are recording with former Beatles engineer Norman Smith, the Fab Four themselves are in the studio next door working on 'Fixing A Hole' for the Sgt. Pepper album (1967)... Blood, Sweat and Tears release The Child Is Father to the Man (1968)... Simon and Garfunkel have the № 1 album in both Britain and America with Bridge over Troubled Water (1970)... Led Zeppelin release 'Rock And Roll / Four Sticks' as a 7" single in the US. The song was written as a spontaneous jam session, whilst the band were trying to finish 'Four Sticks'. Drummer John Bonham played the introduction to Little Richard's 'You Keep A-Knockin' and Page added a guitar riff; with the tapes rolling, the basic song was finished fifteen minutes later (1972)... Dolly Parton has her first US № 1 single with '9 to 5' (1981)... Metallica release their third album, Master of Puppets, while Elvis Costello issues his solo effort King of America (1986)... Robbie Williams is attacked and thrown from the stage during a concert in Stuttgart, Germany after a man gets onto the stage and pushes Williams into the security pit. The attacker is subdued and taken to a secure psychiatric clinic (2001)...  Simon Cowell does his voiceover for his appearance in a new episode of The Simpsons. The TV Pop Idol judge plays a nursery boss who gets punched by Homer Simpson (2004)... Rihanna issues a statement thanking fans for their support after an alleged assault by her boyfriend Chris Brown, but the singer declines to comment on a leaked photograph which appears to show her with facial injuries. The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an internal investigation and asked for the public's help in finding the person who leaked the photograph (2009)... Pussy Riot stage a performance on the soleas of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where their actions are stopped by church security officials. By the same evening, the group have turned the performance into a music video entitled 'Punk Prayer ~ Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!' The women say that their protest is directed at the Orthodox Church Patriarch's support for the Russian president during his election

February 20th

Musical birthdays today include Buffy Sainte-Marie (84), The Cramps co-founder & guitarist Kristy 'Poison Ivy' Wallace (72), Cheap Trick bassist Jon Brant (71), Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown (62), rapper & producer Kevin 'k-os' Brereton (53), Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell (50), The Darkness drummer Ed Graham (49), Nickle Creek mandolinist Chris Thile (44), t.A.T.u. vocalist Julia Volkova (40), and Rihanna (37) Shoutout to the Great Beyond for blues pianist Jimmy Yancey, born on this day in 1898... for Buena Vista Social Club singer Ibrahim Ferrer, born in 1927... for jazz singer Nancy Wilson, who would have been 87 today... for Lindisfarne guitarist Alan Hull, and for J. Geils, both of whom would have been 78 ... for Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker, who would have been 75... for Spirit guitarist Randy California, who would have been 74... for Kurt Cobain, who would have been 58... for Great White guitarist & singer Ty Longley, who died along with 99 others in the Great Station nightclub fire today in 2003 at the age of 32... and for John Raitt, who left us today in 2005. 

Also on February 20th: Rossini's The Barber of Seville has its premiere at the Teatro Argentina in Rome under the title Almaviva, o sia L'inutile precauzione (1816)... Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake is premiered by the Bolshoi in Moscow (1877)... Buddy Holly's self-titled second album is released (1958)... 17-year-old Jimi Hendrix plays his first public gig, with a local band in the basement of the Seattle synagogue Temple de Hirsch. The young phenom is fired between sets for showing off (1960)... John Coltrane releases the album Coltrane Jazz (1961)... Bob Dylan and his girlfriend Suze Rotolo are photographed walking together on 4th St. in Greenwich Village for what will become the iconic cover of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)... The Plastic Ono Band single 'Instant Karma' is released in the US (1970)... Screaming Lord Sutch appears at the Art College of High Wycombe, with the Sex Pistols as his opening act (1976)...  The Smiths release their eponymous debut album (1984)... Kylie Minogue has her first no. 1 song on the UK singles chart with 'I Should Be So Lucky' (1988)... Bob Dylan receives a lifetime achievement award at the 33rd Grammys (1991)...  100 people die after pyrotechnics ignite the Great Station nightclub in Warwick, RI during a gig by Great White. The group's singer Ty Longley is among those killed in the accident. Two brothers who own the club are charged with involuntary manslaughter along with the band's tour manager . Foam soundproofing material at the edge of the stage was set alight and the blaze spread quickly in the one-storey wooden building as fans all tried to escape through the same exit. Great White will begin a tour in July to raise money for the survivors and families of victims (2003)... Brian Wilson kicks off an 11-date UK tour at London's Royal Festival Hall. The shows see Wilson performing the full suite of songs from his unreleased masterpiece 'Smile' , the former head Beach Boy's 'teenage symphony to God' (2004)... The US hair salon where Britney Spears shaved her head sets up a website to auction her hair for more than $1 million. The website, buybritneyshair.com, claims to have been set up by salon owner Esther Tognozzi, and includes photos of the hair, saying it is 'absolutely authentic'. In addition to the singer's locks, the winning bidder will also get the clippers Spears used, a blue lighter she left at the salon and the can of Red Bull she was drinking at the time. Meanwhile, Spears has been spotted around Los Angeles sporting a short blonde wig (2007)... A Rolling Stones album bought for £2 at a garage sale sells for £4,000 at auction. The 1976 copy of 'Black and Blue' LP was signed by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul and Linda McCartney and George Harrison as well as by the Stones themselves. The buyer obtained the album after haggling the unsuspecting owner down from £3 (2008).

February 19th

Musical birthdays today include composer György Kurtág (99), Smokey Robinson (85), Lou Christie (82), Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean (79), Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi (77), Wishbone Ash guitarist Andy Powell (75), Scorpions bassist Francis Buchholz (71), dBs frontman Peter Holsapple (69), English Beat lead singer Dave Wakeling (69), Seal (62), Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich (61), Smash Mouth guitarist Leroy Miller (60), Phish drummer John Fishman (60), Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell (56), Nickelback drummer Daniel Adair (50), Gossip vocalist Beth Ditto (44), and pop singer Haylie Duff (40) *** *** *** Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesmen Robert Walker and Sam Myers, both of whom would have been 87 today... for Miracles vocalist Bobby Rogers, who would have been 85... for Hans Hölzel, AKA Falco, who would have been 67... for original AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott, who died on this day in 1980... for French cabaret singer Charles Trenet, who passed away in 2001... for country singer Johnny Paycheck, who died in 2003... for ELO bassist Kelly Groucutt, who died in 2009... and for Procol Harum frontman Gary Brooker, who left us three years ago today. *** *** *** Also on February 19th: Thomas Edison patents the phonograph (1878)... A British novelty company ships half a ton of Beatle wigs to the US. An American reporter later asks John Lennon, "How do you feel about teenagers imitating you with Beatle wigs?" John replies "They're not imitating us, because we don't wear wigs." (1964)... The Beatles record 'You're Going to Lose That Girl' at Abbey Road in only two takes (1965)... Yes release The Yes Album (1971)... Harry Nilsson has the № 1 song in the US with his version of Badfinger's 'Without You' (1972)... Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens is arrested in connection with the drug related murders of three men in San Jose, CA. Stevens is found guilty of the charges in November (1976)... Manfred Mann's Earth Band score a № 1 single in the US with their version of the Bruce Springsteen song 'Blinded By The Light.' The track was the first single from Bruce Springsteen's 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. The Earth Band's version features several changes in the lyrics, the most prominent one coming in the chorus, where Springsteen's 'cut loose like a deuce' is replaced with 'revved up like a deuce.' Springsteen himself has said that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a "feminine hygiene product" that it became popular (1977)... Ozzy Osbourne is arrested in San Antonio, TX for urinating on the Alamo. Osbourne is wearing a dress at the time of his arrest, [his wife Sharon having hidden all his clothes so that he could not venture outside the hotel]. The intoxicated Osbourne, who apparently thought he was relieving himself on a pile of rubble, is prohibited from ever playing in San Antonio again [a ban which was lifted in 1992] (1982)... Joni Mitchell releases Night Ride Home, the last of her four albums for Geffen Records (1991)... During their Use Your Illusion Tour, Guns n' Roses play the first of three sold out nights at the Tokyo Dome. The 55,000-seat baseball stadium [popularly known as 'the Big Egg'] is the largest concert hall in Japan (1992)... Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson marry in Cancun, Mexico... Roxette become the first western act to play in Bejing since Wham! in 1984 when they play a concert celebrating the Chinese New Year (1995)... Björk is shown on UK breakfast TV attacking a news reporter upon arrival at Bangkok International Airport. The footage shows the singer pulling the female reporter to the floor and banging her head repeatedly on the ground. Björk later apologises for the incident (1996)... The family of the late Johnny Cash block an attempt by advertisers to use his song 'Ring of Fire' to promote haemorrhoid-relief products. The idea is said to have been backed by Merle Kilgore, who co-wrote the song with Cash's wife June Carter Cash. Cash's daughter Rosanne said the family would "never allow the song to be demeaned like that" (2004).

February 18th

Musical birthdays today include Yoko Ono (92), former Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers vocalist Herman Santiago (84), Irma Thomas (84), ex-Styx lead singer Dennis DeYoung (78), jazz and R&B singer Veronica 'Randy' Crawford (73), Juice Newton (73), Robbie Bachman (72), ex-Little River Band drummer Derek Pellicci (72), former The Fall drummer Paul Hanley (61), Andy and Jez Williams of The Doves (55), Nickel Creek guitarist & singer Sean Watkins (48), and Regina Spektor (45) *** *** Shoutout to the Great Beyond for country singer [and co-author of 'The Tennessee Waltz'] Pee Wee King, born on this day in 1914... for Doobie Brothers drummer Keith Knudsen, who would have been 76 today... for Megadeath drummer Gar Samuelson, who would have been 67... for original Replacements lead guitarist Bob Stinson, who died on this date in 1995... and for Soft Machine guitarist Kevin Ayers and former Temptations vocalist Martin Harris, both of whom left us today in 2013 *** *** Also on February 18: The 18th century popular English opera Flora becomes the first opera produced in the American colonies when it premieres in Charleston, SC (1735)... Gian Carlo Menotti's Telephone premieres at the Met (1947)... The Platters have the № 1 single in the UK with 'The Great Pretender' (1956)... Ray Charles records 'What'd I Say' at Columbia Studios in NYC (1959)... On a weekend pass from a stint in the Marine reserves, The Everly Brothers appear in full uniform and with regulation crewcuts on The Ed Sullivan Show to perform their new single 'Cryin' in the Rain' (1962)... The Beatles record John's new song 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away'. They are aided by flautist John Scott, the first musician other than the four members of the group or George Martin to play on a Beatles track (1965)... Brian Wilson and the L.A. session musicians informally known as The Wrecking Crew finish the first mix of the instrumental track to 'Good Vibrations' (1966)... One-hit wonders The Buckinghams go to № 1 in the US with 'Kind of a Drag' (1967)... David Gilmour officially becomes a member of Pink Floyd (1968)... Johnny Cash drops in on Bob Dylan's sessions for the Nashville Skyline album. The two spend several hours jamming together and record some 18 tracks, both their own material and country standards, but only their duet on Dylan's 'Girl from the North Country' will be considered worthy of release (1969)... Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band make their New York debut at Ungano's (1971)... 12-year-old Neil Reid becomes the youngest person ever to have a № 1 album in Britain when his self-titled debut offering tops the charts (1972)... Kiss release their eponymous debut album (1974)... In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Bill Wyman says that he intends to quit the Stones on the group's 20th anniversary in 1982. In fact, he will stay with the band until 1993 (1980)... Bon Jovi are at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Livin' on a Prayer' (1987)... Freddie Mercury makes his final on stage public appearance when he and the other members of Queen collect an award for their 'outstanding contribution to music' at London's Dominion Theatre (1990)... An American court orders the release of John Lennon's FBI file. The British government was opposed to the move, having passed on MI5 files on the ex-Beatle to the US government in the '70s (2000)... Carpenters fans gather in front of the Los Angeles City Hall to protest plans to have the pop duo's former family home in the suburb of Downey torn down. The current owners of the house object to fans looking in the windows and leaving floral tributes. The 5-bedroom house was immortalized when it appeared on the cover of the siblings' 1973 hit album Now & Then (2008)... Whitney Houston's by invitation only funeral is held at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ (2012).

February 17th

Musical birthdays today include bluegrass banjo player Buck Trent (87), original Soft machine saxophonist Karl Jenkins (81), Fred Frith (76), Loreena McKennitt (68), Symphony X bassist Michael LePond (59), Chanté Moore (58), Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong (53), Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins (52), country singer Bryan White (51), Paris Hilton (44), and Ed Sheeran (34)*** *** Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Arcangelo Corelli, born on this day in 1653... for bandleader Orrin Tucker, born in 1911... for jazz clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, born in 1923... for Bobby 'Tossin' and Turnin'' Lewis, born in 1925... for country singer Johnny Bush, who would have been 90 today... for Gene Pitney, who would have been 84... for Triffids frontman David McComb, who would have been 63... for conductor Bruno Walter, who died on this date in 1962... for Thelonious Monk, who passed away in 1982... for Latin jazz percussionist Ray Barretto and guitarist Bill Cowsill, both of whom left us in 2006... and for country singer Mindy McCready, who took her own life five years ago today at the age of 37 *** *** Also on February 17th: Verdi's Un Ballo in maschera premieres in Naples (1859)... Puccini's Madama Butterfly premieres at La Scala (1904)... Elvis Presley wins his first Gold record for the album 'Elvis'... The Everly Brothers sign a $1 million contract with Warner Brothers Records (1960)... After working through the night, Bob Dylan and his Nashville session men finally record the take of 'Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again' that will go on Blonde on Blonde. Dylan then goes directly to the airport to fly to New Haven, CT for the next date on his current tour... Nancy Sinatra goes to № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'These Boots Are Made for Walking' (1966)... At Abbey Road, The Beatles begin recording 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite' (1967)... After a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Joni Mitchell announces that she is retiring from live performance. She will be back on stage by the end of the year, however, after spending a few months on Crete, where she writes most of the songs that will make up her album Blue (1970)... James Taylor makes his US TV debut appearance on the Johnny Cash Show. Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt also perform (1971)... John Lennon releases Rock 'n' Roll, his last album of the '70s... AC/DC release their debut album High Voltage (1975)... The Clash kick off their 'Pearl Harbor '79' North American tour with a show at NYC's Palladium... Blondie have their first UK № 1 album with Parallel Lines (1979)... The Hoodoo Gurus and The Go-Betweens open for REM at the Hordern Pavilion, in Sydney, Australia (1989)... The Steinway piano on which John Lennon composed 'Imagine' goes on display at the Beatles Story Museum on the Albert Docks in Liverpool (2000)... Prosecutors in Phil Spector's murder trial demand that a fingernail overlooked by police investigating the shooting of Lana Clarkson should be put forward as evidence. They claim the fingernail, blackened with gunpowder, could indicate that the 40-year old actress killed herself at Spector's Los Angeles mansion. Spector denies killing Clarkson (2004).

February 16th

Musical birthdays today include jazz pianist Howard Riley (82), former New Seekers vocalist Lyn Paul (76), Ice-T (67), ex-Def Leppard guitarist Pete Willis (65), Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor (64), Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo (60), Three Days Grace bassist Brad Walst (48), and Yellowcard drummer Longineu W. Parsons III (45) *** *** Shoutout to the Great Beyond for conductor Willem Kes [the first director of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra], born on this day in 1856... for bandleader Wayne King, born in 1901... for jazz pianist Bill Doggett, born in 1916... for Patty Andrews, born in 1918... for songwriter Otis Blackwell [best remembered for 'Great Balls of Fire' and 'Don't be Cruel'], born in 1931... for Sonny Bono, who would have been 90... for James Ingram, who would have been 73... for avant-garde musician John Balance, who would have been 62... for bluesman Brownie McGhee, who died on this date in 1996... for Doris 'Mama Soul' Troy, who passed away in 2004... and for Merseyside rocker Tony Sheridan, who died in 2013... and for Lesley Gore, who left us today in 2016*** *** Also on February 16th: The Beatles make their second live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, exactly one week after the first. Before an audience of 3,500 at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, FL, they perform ‘She Loves You’, ‘This Boy’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’, and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ (1964)... Led Zeppelin make their Australian live debut when they kick off a six-date tour at the Subiaco Cricket Oval, Perth. Police battle with over 500 fans who ram locked gates trying to get into the concert. Over 4,000 fans are outside the venue without tickets and local residents jam police phone lines to complain about the noise (1972)... Bob Dylan starts a four week run atop the US album chart with Planet Waves, his first stateside № 1 LP. The album was originally set to be titled Ceremonies of the Horsemen, a reference to the song 'Love Minus Zero / No Limit', from the 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. When Dylan decided to change the title at the last minute, the release was delayed for two weeks... During a tour of America, the members of Emerson, Lake & Palmer are arrested in Salt Lake City after swimming naked in their hotel pool. They are each fined $75 (1974)... The Jam are at № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Town Called Malice'... Simon and Garfunkel release The Concert in Central Park (1982)... The Simpsons have the № 1 single in the UK with 'Do the Bartman'. The song, written by Michael Jackson and Bryan Lorenand, make The Simpsons the first cartoon characters to hit the top since The Archies with 'Sugar Sugar' in 1969. Jackson, a huge fan of The Simpsons, had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a song that he promised would be a hit, and to do a guest spot on the show (1991)... Thieves break into George Michael's London home and steal over £100,000 worth of paintings, jewellery and designer clothes before driving and off in the singer's £80,000 Aston Martin DB7. They also cause £200,000 worth of damage to the house (2002).