April 22nd

Musical birthdays today include conductor & musicologist Joshua Rifkin (82), singer-songwriter & radio host Larry Groce (78), Peter Frampton (76), Paul Carrack (75), Pennywise lead guitarist Fletcher Dragge (60), rapper Opio Lindsey (52), System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian (52), Gentlemen East lead guitarist Aaron Fincke (48), Hounds Below frontman Jason Stollsteimer (48), ex-Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns (47), former Sugababes vocalist Amelle Berrabah (42), Dream Street vocalist Matt Ballinger (41), and rapper Richard Baker AKA Machine Gun Kelly (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for violinist & conductor Yehudi Menuhin, born on this day in 1916... for Charles Mingus, born today in 1922... for jazz bassist & composer Paul Chambers, and for Glen Campbell, both of whom would have been 90 today... for film score composer and Neil Young sideman Jack Nitzsche, who would have been 87... for composer Édouard Lalo, who died on this date in 1892... for jazz pianist Earl 'Fatha' Hines, who died in 1983... for songwriter Felice Bryant, who passed away in 2003... and for Richie Havens, who left us today in 2014.

Also on April 22nd: Bach is hired as Kapellmeister at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, after two other candidates turned the job down (1723)... At Columbia's 30th St. Studio in NYC, Miles Davis and his ensemble sextet convene for the second and final recording session for Kind of Blue (1959)... The President of Britain's National Federation Of Hairdressers offers a free haircut to The Beatles' chief rivals for № 1 group in the UK pop charts. He says "The Rolling Stones are the worst ~ one of them looks as if he's got a feather duster on his head" (1964)... The Troggs' new single 'Wild Thing' is released in the US... Two dozen local groups appear at a ‘battle of the bands’ gig at the Matawan, NJ Keyport Roller Drome. All acts performed three songs each. The Rogues win first place, second are Sonny & The Starfires, and third place goes to The Castilles, with 16-year-old Bruce Springsteen on lead guitar and vocals. The three winners are given an opportunity to perform at the Roller Drome the following week as part of a major concert headlined by The Crystals (1966)... Deep Purple have the № 1 album in the UK with Machine Head (1972)... Bob Marley and the Wailers perform at the 'One Love Peace Concert' in Jamaica. It is Marley's first public appearance in Jamaica since being wounded in an assassination attempt a year and a half earlier... John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd perform as The Blues Brothers on Saturday Night Live for the first time (1978)... Warner Bros. Records release Around the World in a Day by Prince (1985)... The Dave Matthews Band make their live debut at an Earth Day Festival in Charlottesville, VA (1991)... Destiny's Child go to № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Survivor.' Their second chart topper, they are the first US all-female band to achieve the feat in Britain more than once (2001)... '60s pop singer Tommy Steele reveals that he took Elvis Presley on a secret tour of London in 1958 after Presley struck up a friendship with him. When the rock legend flew into London for a day, Steele tells the Times that he took him round the city, showing him famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and Nelson's column. For more than 50 years, fans of the King had believed that the only time he ever set foot in the UK was during a stop-over at Prestwick Airport in Scotland in March 1960 on his way back from US Army service in Germany (2008).

April 21st

Musical birthdays today include composer & pianist John McCabe (87), Iggy Pop (79), former Family bassist John Weider (79/span>), Patti LuPone (77), Misfits bassist Jerry Only (67), The Cure frontman Robert Smith (67), Spearhead and former Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy leader (60), Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard (56), rapper & producer Adam 'Doseone' Drucker (49), and Rancid drummer Branden Steineckert (48). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical violinist Efrem Zimbalist, born on this day in 1889... for choral composer Randall Thompson, born in 1899... for country singer Ira Louvin, born in 1924... for  jazz guitarist Eddy Christiani, born in 1929... for jazz trombonist Slide Hampton, born in 1931... for Allesandro Moreschi, the last known castrato soprano (and the only one to have been recorded), who died on this date in 1921... for Jordanaires vocalist Neal Matthews, Jr., who died in 2000... and for Divinyls frontwoman Chrissy Amphlett, who passed away in 2013... and for Prince, who left us today in 2016. Also on April 21st: Against the composer's wishes, a rehearsal for Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks is opened to the public six days before its scheduled premiere. The 12,000 spectators who flock to the performance in Vauxhall Gardens cause a traffic jam on London Bridge (1749)... Leonard Bernstein makes his debut as  conductor, leading the Harvard University Orchestra in his own incidental music for a drama department production of Aristophanes' 'The Birds' (1939)... At Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, McCoy Tyner records The Real McCoy, his first solo album since leaving John Coltrane's quartet... At Abbey Road studios, The Beatles completed the sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The final recordings are a short section of gibberish and noise which will follow 'A Day in the Life', in the run-out groove. They record assorted noises and voices, which engineer Geoff Emerick then cuts up and randomly re-assembles and edits backwards. At John Lennon's suggestion, they also add a high-pitch 15 kilocycle whistle audible only by dogs. This is omitted from the American version of the album (1967)... Janis Joplin makes her UK debut at the Royal Albert Hall, with Yes as her opening act (1969)... Tony Orlando & Dawn hit № 1 in America with 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'round the Old Oak Tree' (1973)... Women Against Violence Against Women call for a boycott of all Warner Communications albums because of the promotional campaign for the Rolling Stones' new album Black and Blue. The album is being promoted with a controversial advertising campaign that depicts model Anita Russell, bruised and tied up, under the phrase ‘I'm Black and Blue from the Rolling Stones - and I love it!’ (1976)... Joe Strummer disappears without a trace, causing his bandmates to cancel the upcoming Combat Rock tour. The Clash frontman turns up three weeks later in Paris [where he also completed the city's marathon] living under a bridge. (1982)... Paul McCartney plays in front of 184,000 fans at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, setting a new world record for the largest crowd to attend a rock concert... Sinead O'Connor is at № 1 in the US and the UK with 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. The single will eventually top the charts in 18 countries worldwide (1990)... Bill Wyman marries for the third time when he ties the knot with 33-year-old fashion designer Suzanne Acosta in Saint Paul de Vence in the south of France (1993)... Peter Buck is charged by police at Heathrow Airport with being drunk and disorderly on an aircraft and with assaulting British airways crew. The R.E.M. guitarist is taken into custody after landing on a flight from Seattle and is questioned by police for 12 hours (2001).

April 20th

Musical birthdays today include conductor and organ virtuoso Christopher Robinson (90), singer-songwriter Johnny Tillotson (88), Silver Bullet Band pianist Craig Frost (77), ex-Dream Theater drummer Mark Portnoy (59), Stephen Marley (53), and rapper Michael 'Killer Mike' Render (50). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Lionel Hampton, born on this day in 1908... for salsa drummer Tito Puente, born in 1923... for Luther Vandross, who would have been 74 today... for Steve Mariott, who died on this date in 1991... for jazz pianist Andrew Hill, who died in 2007... for Chopper City Boyz rapper Michael 'VL Mike' Allen, who was shot to death on this day in 2008 at the age of 32... for TV on the Radio multi-instrumentalist Gerard Smith, who passed away in 2011... and for guitarist and teacher Bert Weedon, who left us today in 2012.

Also on April 20th: Handel receives a full state funeral at Westminster Abbey (1759)... In NYC, Billie Holiday records 'Strange Fruit' (1939)... Elvis starts  2-month run at № 1 on the Billboard chart with 'All Shook Up' (1957)... Goldband Records in Nashville releases 13-year-old Dolly Parton's first single 'Puppy Love', recorded when she was 11. The record fails to chart (1959)... The Federal Communications Commission formally adopts an FM standard, clearing the way for commercial FM radio broadcasting to begin in the US (1961)... Sun Ra records The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra at RLA Studios in NYC (1965)... During a 12-hour session at Abbey Road, The Beatles get John's 'And Your Bird Can Sing' and George's 'Taxman' in the can (1966)... Deep Purple make their live debut at a gig in Tastrup, Denmark. Currently known as Roundabout, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore suggests just before going on that the band introduce themselves as Deep Purple, named after his grandmother's favourite song [which had been a hit for Peter De Rose], after his grandmother repeatedly asked if they would be performing the tune... Apple Music Ltd. run advertisements soliciting tapes from unknown artists, offering financial grants as part of a deal to release records on the Apple label.  Badfinger, James Taylor, Mary Hopkin, Jackie Lomax, David Peel and Elephant's Memory will be among those signed up (1968)... Paul McCartney releases his self-titled debut solo album (1970)... 84 year old George Burns, who starred in the movie Oh God! with John Denver, becomes the oldest person to have a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when 'I Wish I Was 18 Again' peaks at No. 49. When asked if he wished he were 18 again, Burns replies "I wish I was 80 again." Before this, his most recent charting record had been a spoken word comedy routine with his wife and partner Gracie Allen in the summer of 1933 (1980)... 'We Are the World' by USA for Africa goes to № 1 in the UK (1985)...  At the age of 92, Vladimir Horowitz returns to his native Russia for the first time in 60 years to give a recital at the Moscow Conservatory (1986)... A record store in Callaway, FL is forced to closed down and a part-time clerk was arrested after selling a copy of the 2 Live Crew album 2 Live Is What We Are to a 14 year old boy. Local officials had deemed the recording obscene because of its suggestive lyrics (1987)... Janet Jackson receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1990)... 'A Concert For Life' takes place at Wembley Stadium as a tribute to Queen singer Freddie Mercury and to raise AIDS awareness. Acts appearing include Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Tony Iommi, David Bowie, Mick Ronson, James Hetfield, George Michael, Seal, Paul Young, Annie Lennox, Lisa Stansfield, Robert Plant, Joe Elliott and Phil Collen, and Axl Rose and Slash (1992)... Parlophone Records release Radiohead's debut album Pablo Honey (1993)... Robert Plant appears at Disney's Theatre of the Stars in Orlando, Florida to leave his handprints outside the theatre (2000)... At the London Astoria, a memorial concert for former Small Faces and Humble Pie front man Steve Marriott takes place on the 10th anniversary of his death. On the bill are Peter Frampton, Midge Ure, Chris Farlowe and the current lineup of Humble Pie (2001).

April 19th

Musical birthdays today include rock singer & producer Genya Ravan (86), Alan Price (84), New Seekers vocalist Eve Graham (83), former Turtles guitarist Mark Volman (79), progressive rock & fusion jazz drummer Rod Morgenstein (73), ex-Black Sabbath lead singer Tony Martin (69), operatic soprano Natalie Dessay (61), record company executive Suge Knight (61), singer-songwriter Dar Williams (59), and Canadian folk singer & multi-instrumentalist Fiona MacGillivray (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for philanthropist and musical education patron Augustus D. Juilliard, born on this day in 1836... for jazz guitarist Gene Leis, born in 1920... for British blues pioneer Alexis Korner, born in 1928... for producer & parodist Dickie Goodman, born in 1934. for Dudley Moore, born in 1935... for Talking Heads sideman Bernie Worrell, who would have been 82... for hymn composer Samuel Sebastian Wesley, who died on this date in 1876... for pianist and arranger Conrad Leonard, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 104 as the oldest musician then working in Britain. His collaborations had ranged from Cole Porter to Petula Clark, and until the age of 103 he played the piano every Thursday lunchtime at the Plantation Café in Twickenham... for former Men at Work saxophonist Greg Ham, and for Levon Helm, both of whom left us today in 2012. 

Also on April 19th: Gluck's opera Iphigénie en Aulide premieres at the Opéra du Palais Royale in Paris. The work is such a departure from the prevailing style of the day that a near riot breaks out in the hall (1774)... 'National Barn Dance', the first country music radio program, goes on the air at station WLS-AM in Chicago (1924)... Rogers & Hammerstein's 'Carousel' premieres on Broadway (1945)... The FCC authorises regular FM stereo broadcasting beginning on June 1st (1961)... The Beatles single 'Ticket to Ride' is released by Capitol Records in the US. The single's label states that the song is from the upcoming movie 'Eight Arms to Hold You' [the original title for 'Help!'] (1965)... John Lennon, George Harrison and their wives leave the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram in Rishikesh, India two weeks before their course of study is complete. Ringo and Paul have already gone back to England... CBS Records release Odyssey and Oracle by The Zombies (1968)... L.A. Woman, the Doors' final album with Jim Morrison as lead singer, is released(1971)...  Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band appear at the State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ. The gig was unadvertised by its promoter, who gambled that word-of-mouth would be enough to fill the 550-seat venue; only 250 people attend. Tickets cost $4.50 and $5.50 in advance (1974)... Blondie are at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Call Me'... Brian Johnson officially joins AC/DC, replacing the late Bon Scott as lead singer... For the first time ever, the top five artists on the Billboard country chart are all female ~ Crystal Gayle is at № 1 with 'it's Like We Never Said Goodbye', with Dottie West, Debbie Boone, Emmylou Harris and Tammy Wynette rounding out the Top 5... R.E.M. play their first gig under their new name at the 11:11 Koffee Club in Athens, GA to 150 people. The show ends at 2 a.m. when police raid the unlicensed venue and close it down (1980)... George Michael goes to № 1 in the UK with 'A Different Corner', the singer's second solo № 1 single. Michael becomes the first solo act ever to top the British chart with his first two releases. It is also the first UK № 1 since 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' by Stevie Wonder to have been written, performed, arranged and produced by the same person... In the USA, Prince has the top song with 'Kiss', and also has his name on the № 2 single, as the author of The Bangles' 'Manic Monday' (1986)... Sonny Bono is inaugurated as the mayor of Palm Springs, CA (1988)... On this week's BBC-TV's 'French and Saunders' comedy show, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Mark King of Level 42 and Gary Moore of Thin Lizzy all appear  in a comedy courthouse sketch, which ends with all of the guitarists jamming together in a jail cell (1990)... The Stone Roses play their first gig in five years at a small club in Oslo, Norway (1995)... Michael Jackson attends an unveiling of a wax statue of himself at the Grevin Museum of Wax in Paris. Jackson provided one of his own outfits to dress the figure (1997)... It is announced that two 30-second television commercials designed to attract vacationing families to Graceland to experience the 'real' Elvis will air nationally in the US starting in April 2006. It is the first time in the history of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. that the company has used TV advertising to promote Graceland tourism (2006)... A week after Roman Catholic Church officials published an article in the Vatican's 'L'Osservatore Romano' newspaper that said they forgive John Lennon's remarks about The Beatles being "bigger than Jesus", Ringo Starr rejects their forgiveness. The newspaper's editors had written, 'The Beatles said they were bigger than Jesus and put out mysterious messages that were possibly even Satanic... (but) what would Pop music be like without them?" Ringo, unimpressed, replies "Didn't the Vatican say we were Satanic or possibly Satanic? And they've still forgiven us? I think the Vatican have got more to talk about than the Beatles" (2010).

April 18th

Musical birthdays today include session pianist and former Elvis sideman Glen Hardin (87), Manfred Mann flautist Mike Vickers (86), Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen (65), Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini (63), former Happy Mondays drummer Mike 'Bez' Berry (62), ex-Everclear drummer Greg Eklund (56), Onyx rapper Fredro Starr (55), Creed lead guitarist Mark Tremonti (52), Broadway musical performer Reeve Carney (43), and The Wanted vocalist Nathan Sykes (33). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for conductor Leopold Stokowski, born on this day in 1882... for jazz pianist Eurreal 'Little Brother' Montgomery, born in 1906... for guitarist Tony Mottola, born in 1918... for bluesman Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, born in 1924... for original Jefferson Airplane drummer Skip Spence, who would have been 80 today... for Material Issue frontman Jim Ellison, who would have been 62... for Milton Brown, 'The Father of Western Swing', who died on this date in 1936... for producer and Chic bassist Bernard Edwards, who died in 1996... for Dick Clark, who passed away in 2012... and for former Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Cordell 'Boogie' Mosson, and graphic artist Storm Thorgerson [best remembered for designing the album cover of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon], both of whom left us today in 2014. 

Also on April 18th: The Beatles appear on the UK TV comedy program The Morecambe and Wise Show, playing ‘This Boy’, ‘All My Loving’, and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ and also participating in sketches with hosts Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. The Fab Four also hold the UK and US № 1
position on this day with 'Can't Buy Me Love (1964)... At Carnegie Hall, Marian Anderson gives her final public performance (1965)... Bob Dylan arrives at the Sydney Airport to begin the Australian leg of his current world tour, and is greeted by a curious local press corps. However, the journalists seem unable to cope with Dylan's surreal responses to their questions (Q: "Would you say there is a general theme to your songs?" A: "They're all either about bowling or the Second Coming"), and the press conference rapidly grinds to a halt (1966)...  Fontana Records release The Pretty Things' album Emotions (1967)... Bruce Springsteen's current band Steel Mill play a gig in the Central Gym at Ocean County College in Toms River, NJ. Admission is $2.00 (1970)... Michael Jackson undergoes surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to repair damage done after his hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial (1984)... On the first leg of the Joshua Tree tour, U2 begin a 5-night run at the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena (1987)... Oasis drummer Tony McCarrol is told over the phone that he has being sacked from the group. McCarrol sues the Manchester group for millions in unpaid royalties and in 1996 Oasis agree to pay him a one-off sum of £550,000 (1995)... Eamon hits № 1 in the UK with 'Fuck It, (I Don't Want You Back)', his debut single. The song also earns a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for 'Most expletives in a № 1 song', with 33 (2004)... An original 1963 mono copy of the Beatles‘ Please Please Me album, signed by the Fab Four, sells on an eBay auction for nearly $25,000. Paul McCartney and John Lennon both signed their names with 'love' in royal blue ink, whereas George Harrison and Ringo Starr signed their names in midnight blue. The autographs were signed in May of the year of release (2012).

April 17th

Musical birthdays today include operatic soprano Anja Silja (86), Jan Hammer (78), Monochrome Set lead guitarist Tom Hardy AKA Lester Square (72), Buzzcocks frontman Pete Shelley (71), Tool lead singer Maynard Keenan AKA MJK (62), Liz Phair (59), rapper Reggie Noble AKA Redman (56), Victoria Beckham (52), and Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson (48). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Artur Schnabel, born on this day in 1882... for jazz trombonist Chris Barber, born today in 1930... for producer & impresario Don Kirshner, who would have been 89 today... for early British rocker Ronald Wycherley AKA Billy Fury, who would have been 86span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">... for Eddie Cochran, who was killed in a car crash today in 1960 at the age of 21... for Cream producer and original Mountain bassist Felix Pappalardi, who was shot to death by his wife today in 1983 at the age of 43... for former Bob Marley & the Wailers drummer Carlton Barrett, who was shot dead outside his house in Kingston, Jamaica on this day in 1987 at the age of 36... for country singer Hank Penny, who passed away in 1992... for Linda McCartney, who died in 1998... and for E Street Band organist Danny Federici, who left us today in 2008.  

Also on April 17th: Mozart's opera The Magic Flute is performed in America for the first time, in an English translation at the Park Theater in NYC (1833)... In San Francisco, Enrico Caruso sings in Bizet's Carmen with the SF Metropolitan Opera Company the night before the earthquake and fire that destroy most of the city (1906)... Philips Records releases Dusty Springfield's debut album A Girl Called Dusty (1964)... Disguised in an overcoat, cloth cap, moustache and glasses, Paul McCartney spends the day shopping for furniture in Portobello Road, London (1965)... While performing at the White House at the invitation of President Richard Nixon, Johnny Cash is asked to sing 'Okie From Muskogee'. Cash declines because it is not his song, but was a success for Merle Haggard. Instead, Cash performs his № 1 hit, 'A Boy Named Sue'... Santana begin the sessions for what will be their breakthrough album Abraxas at the Wally Heider Recording Studio in San Francisco... Deram Records release Cricklewood Green by Ten Years After (1970)... All four Beatles have solo singles in the UK charts: Paul McCartney with 'Another Day', John Lennon with 'Power To The People', George Harrison with 'My Sweet Lord', and Ringo Starr, 'It Don't Come Easy'. Meanwhile, Three Dog Night's 'Joy to the World' is at № 1 in the USA (1971)... Dark Side of the Moon is certified Gold in the US (1973)... Elvis buys a Convair 880 Jet formerly owned by Delta Airlines for $250,000, and re-christens it 'Lisa Marie'. The King spends a further $600,000 refurbishing the jet to include personal quarters, a meeting area and a dance floor (1975)... The Stranglers, Cherry Vanilla, The Police and The Jam all appear on the same bill at The Roundhouse in London (1977)... At a gig at Seattle's OK Hotel, Nirvana play their new song 'Smells like Teen Spirit' in public for the first time (1991)... Pink Floyd have the № 1 album in the UK with The Division Bell (1994)... Kurt Cobain's Mark IV-style Mosrite Gospel guitar sells for $100,000 at the 'Icons of 20th Century Music' auction held in Dallas, TX. Other items sold include Elton John and Bernie Taupin's song writing piano, which goes for $140,000, and a 1966 Rickenbacker guitar once owned by the Byrds' Roger McGuinn's fetches $99,000 (2006)... Bryan Ferry is forced to make an apology after praising Nazi iconography in a German magazine. Talking to 'Welt am Sonntag', he said the Nazis "knew how to put themselves in the limelight and present themselves... I'm talking about the films of Leni Riefenstahl and the buildings of Albert Speer and the mass marches and the flags. Just amazing ~ really beautiful." British MPs subsequently asked shoppers to think twice about shopping at Marks and Spencer,  asking for Ferry to be dropped as the face of the M&S Autograph menswear collection. Ferry says he is "deeply upset" by the publicity surrounding the interview (2007)... Morrissey walks off stage during his set at the Coachella festival after declaring he could "smell burning flesh". The committed vegetarian took offence to the smell coming from nearby barbecues. Sir Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure are also on the bill today (2009).

April 16th

Musical birthdays today include Bobby Vinton (91), pop singer Vince Hill (89), former Midnight Oil lead singer Peter Garrett (73), former Minor Threat guitarist Ian MacKaye (64), Jimmy Osmond (63), Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner (62), and singer-songwriter Marié Digby (43). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Henry Mancini, and former Bill Haley & His Comets saxophonist Rudy Pompilli, both born on this day in 1924... for jazz flautist Herbie Mann, born in 1931... for empresario & producer Robert Stigwood, born in 1934... for Dusty Springfield, who would have been 86... for original Foghat lead singer Dave Peverett, who would have been 83... for Gerry Rafferty, who would have been 79... for Selena, who would have been 54... for original Jefferson Airplane drummer Skip Spence, who died in 1999... and for prog rock guitarist Allan Holdsworth, who left us today in 2018. 

Also on April 16th: Meyerbeer's opera Le Prophète premieres in Paris (1840)... Heitor Villa-Lobos' opera Izaht is performed in Rio de Janeiro for the first time (1940)... Decca Records release Buddy Holly's debut single, 'Blue Days, Black Nights' (1956)... At Gerde's Folk City, Bob Dylan performs 'Blowin' in the Wind' in public for the first time (1962)... The Rolling Stones' eponymous debut album is released in the UK... The Beatles film the 'chase scenes' for 'A Hard Day's Night ' with actors dressed as policemen in the Notting Hill Gate area of London. In the evening, the band record the title track for the film at Abbey Road. John and Paul had the title first, and then finished the song around it. They complete the track in nine takes (1964)... Transatlantic records release Bert Jansch's self-titled debut (1965)... Pye Records release A Gift from a Flower to a Garden, the first double album of Donovan's career (1968)... Desmond Dekker and the Aces have the № 1 single in the UK with 'The Israelites', making them the first Jamaican artists to top the British chart... Elektra Records drop The MC5 from their label after the band took out an advertisement in a Detroit newspaper that included the company logo and the words 'Fuck Hudson's.' The band were expressing their displeasure at the Michigan department store's refusal to stock their albums (1969)... 'Whole Lotta Love' is certified Gold in the US after selling over a million copies. The single peaked at № 4 on the US singles chart. In the UK, Atlantic Records had expected to issue the 45 RPM as well, and pressed initial copies for release on the of 5th December 1969. However, Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant was adamant that the band maintain a 'no-singles' approach to marketing their recorded music in Britain, and he halted the release (1970)... The Electric Light Orchestra make their debut at The Fox and Greyhound in Croydon, Surrey. ELO were formed to accommodate the desire of Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, both former members of The Move, to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones. Wood departed following the band's debut record, leaving Lynne to write and arranged all of the group's original compositions and produce every album (1972)... Paul McCartney's first television special, 'James Paul McCartney', airs in America on the ABC network. The show, which includes performances by McCartney and Wings, will be broadcast in the UK on May 10th (1973)... David Soul, one half of the TV duo Starsky & Hutch, makes his only hit as a singer a big one, topping the charts in both the US and the UK with 'Don't Give up on Us' (1977)... The soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's film of The Band's final concert in 1976 'The Last Waltz is released (1978)... Bonnie Tyler's debut album Faster Than the Speed of Light gives the Welsh singer her only UK № 1 LP (1983)... David Lee Roth is arrested in Washington Square Park in NYC for allegedly buying a $10 bag of marijuana from an undercover police officer (1993)... The Artist Formerly Known as Prince has his first UK № 1 single with 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.' It is the singer's first release since changing his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol (1994)... Jerry Lee Lewis files for divorce from his sixth wife, Kerrie McCarver Lewis. They had been married since 1984 (2003)... OK Computer by Radiohead is voted the best album of all time in a national phone-in poll by UK TV station Channel 4. U2 are in second place with The Joshua Tree and Nirvana in third with Nevermind (2005).

April 15th

Musical birthdays today include pioneering English rocker Marty Wilde (87), Dave Edmunds (82), former Barclay James Harvest keyboardist Stuart 'Wooly' Wolstenholme (79), Russian pop singer Alla Pugacheva (77)... Ex-Four Non Blondes lead singer Linda Perry (61), Samantha Fox (60), Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien (58), All That Remains lead singer Philip Labonte (51), Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney (46), and singer-songwriter Matt Cardle (423. 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Bessie Smith, born on this day in 1894... for conductor Neville Marriner, born in 1924... for Roy Clark, born in 1935... for country & rockabilly singer Bob Luman, who would have been 89... for arranger & film score composer Michael Kamen, who would have been 78... for Joey Ramone, who died on this date in 2001... and for former Game Theory frontman Scott Miller, who left us today in 2014. 

Also on April 15th: Serse, Handel's first opera with an Italian libretto, has its premiere performance at the King's Theatre, London (1738)... 'The Music Man' closes on Broadway after 1,375 performances (1961)... Bob Dylan has his first meeting with Tom Wilson, nominated by Dylan's manager Albert Grossman to replace John Hammond, whose removal from the producer's chair at his client's recording sessions Grossman insisted on (1963)... The Beatles film exterior shots at the Scala Theatre in London for 'A Hard Day's Night' (1964)... Decca Records release The Rolling Stones' album Aftermath (1966)... Roberta Flack starts a 6-week run at № 1 on the Billboard singles chart with 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' (1972)... MCA release Lynyrd Skynyrd's second album Second Helping, featuring 'Sweet Home Alabama' (1974)... Billy Joel breaks his left arm in a motorcycle accident near his home on Long Island (1982)... Queen are presented with an award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music at the 32nd annual Ivor Novello Awards held in London (1987)... The Bangles have the № 1 single in Britain  and Australia with 'Eternal Flame.' It will top the US chart next week, dethroning 'She Drives Me Crazy' by Fine Young Cannibals (1989)...  Aerosmith, Velvet Revolver, Placebo, Keane and Evanescence all appear at a festival sponsored by the Quilmes Brewing Co. at the River Football Stadium in Buenos Aires (2007)... After receiving bad reviews and even enduring boos during her performance, Whitney Houston brushes off criticism of her first show in the UK in over eleven years by insisting she had been playing to a "tough crowd." She had recently been hospitalized with chronic rhinopharyngitis, i.e. a bad cold (2010).

April 14th

Musical birthdays today Ritchie Blackmore (81), cellist Julian Lloyd Webber (75), session bassist Kenny Aaronson (74), Crowbar lead guitarist Kirk Windstein (61), former Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin (61), ex-Porno for Pyros bassist Martyn LeNoble (61), and Arcade Fire lead singer Win Butler (46). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz trumpeter Milton 'Shorty' Rogers, born on this day in 1924... for saxophonist Gene Ammons, born in 1925... for gospel singer Inez Andrews, born in 1929... for Loretta Lynn, born in 1932... for Adán Sánchez, who would have been 42... for composer Georg Frideric Handel, who died on this date in 1759... for original Pretenders bassist Pete Farndon, who died on this day in 1983 from a drug overdose at the age of 30... for Burl Ives, who passed away in 1995... for Don Ho, who died in 2007... for Type O Negative lead singer Peter Steele, who died in 2010... and for Percy Sledge, who left us today in 2016.

Also on April 14th: In the first radio concert broadcast from an airplane, Metropolitan Opera Company soprano Jeanette Vreeland sings selections from Verdi and Meyerbeer as she flies over the city of New York (1922)... Still in search of a record deal, The Rolling Stones begin a Sunday afternoon residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, London. All four Beatles are in the audience (1963)... David Bowie's novelty single 'The Laughing Gnome' is released in the UK... At the Palace of Culture in Warsaw, police battle 2,000 rampaging fans with tear gas when a riot breaks out at the Stones' first concert behind the Iron Curtain (1967)... Phil Spector marries Ronettes singer Veronica Bennett (1968)... Paul McCartney and John Lennon record 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' by themselves. Paul plays bass, drums and piano, with John on guitars and lead vocals. The song will be banned from many radio stations as being blasphemous. On some stations, the word 'Christ' was edited in backwards to avoid the ban (1969)... Creedence Clearwater Revival make their live UK debut, playing the first of two nights at the Royal Albert Hall (1970)... Led Zeppelin are at № 1 on both the US and UK album charts with Houses Of The Holy. The young girl featured on the cover of the LP climbing naked up Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland is Samantha Gates, who was 6 years old at the time of the photo shoot (1973)... Art Garfunkel goes to № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Bright Eyes' the theme from the film 'Watership Down' (1975)... Motown Records announce that they have renewed Stevie Wonder's contract for a record $13 million (1976)... Kurt Cobain is cremated at the Bleitz Funeral Home, in Seattle, WA. The death certificate lists Cobain's occupation as 'Poet/Musician' and his type of business as 'Punk rock' (1994)... Sean 'Puffy' Combs, AKA P. Diddy, is arrested in Miami for riding a Vespa near South Beach on a suspended driver's license. He is released 20 minutes later after signing a promise to appear in court (2001)... George Harrison is honoured with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Sir Paul McCartney attends the unveiling outside the landmark Capitol Records building, joining Harrison's widow Olivia and son Dhani. Eric Idle, Tom Hanks and Tom Petty are also present for the ceremony (2009)... In Amsterdam for a stop on his current European tour, Justin Bieber sparks outrage after writing a message in a guestbook at the Anne Frank Museum which states he hopes the Holocaust victim would have been a fan. The 19-year-old writes: "Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber" (2013).

April 13th

Musical birthdays today include Chambers Brothers vocalist Lester Chambers (86), former Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady (82), Rev. Al Green (80), Peabo Bryson (75), E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg (75), Blondie keyboardist Jimmy Destri (72), Brothers Johnson bassist Louis Johnson 71), original Soundgarden bassist Hiro Yamamoto (65), ex-Black Crowes lead guitarist Marc Ford (60), and Staind frontman Aaron Lewis (54). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for saxophonist & band leader Bud Freeman, born on this day in 1906... for director & choreographer Stanley Donen, born in 1924... for Little Feat founder & former frontman Lowell George, who would have been 81 today... for original Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak, who would have been 64... and for pianist & longtime Chuck Berry sideman Johnnie Johnson, who left us today in 2005. 

Also on April 13th: In Dublin's Fishamble Street Music Hall, Handel's Messiah is performed for the first time. The charity event raises £400 for debtor relief (1742)... American pianist Van Cliburn wins the inaugural Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow (1958)... The Beatles record 'Help!' during an evening session at Abbey Road (1965)... Nancy and Frank Sinatra are at № 1 in both the US and the UK with 'Something Stupid', making them the only father-daughter duo ever to top the charts in either country (1967)... The Rolling Stones release their first record on their own label, the single 'Brown Sugar.' The 45 RPM's packaging introduces the famous lips-and-tongue logo (1971)... David Bowie's Aladdin Sane is released (1973)... Elton John has a US № 1 with 'Bennie and the Jets', though the single will barely crack the Top 40 at home in Britain... Paul McCartney has the top album stateside with Band on the Run (1974)...David Crosby is arrested backstage at  a CSN concert in Dallas after police catch him in the act of freebasing cocaine (1982)... IRS Records release R.E.M.'s debut album Murmur (1983)... Madonna kicks off her 57-date Blonde Ambition world tour with the  first of three shows at Tokyo's Chiba Marine Stadium (1990)... Aerosmith Day is observed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the first time (1993)... Rage Against the Machine appear on Saturday Night Live. The band's second scheduled song is cancelled after they play  their opening number with inverted American flags hanging from their amplifiers (1996)... Madonna strikes back at web sites offering illegal downloads of her new album, 'American Life' by flooding P2P networks with decoy files. Users who open them are greeted by the voice of Madonna asking, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The latest Madonna album has been kept under tight wraps to avoid piracy, with promotional copies being held back from journalists until just before the official release (2003)... 

Julian Lennon sells a 'significant' stake of his share in his father's songs to US music publishing company Primary Wave. The firm will now receive payments when any Lennon compositions are sold on CD, performed live or played on the radio. The company, who are about to market Julian Lennon's new music project, decline to reveal precisely how much the deal is worth (2007)... Phil Spector is convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson after a five-month retrial. He had pleaded not guilty to the second degree murder of the 40-year-old Ms Clarkson, who was shot in the head at Spector's home in Los Angeles. During the five-month retrial, five female acquaintances testified that Spector threatened them at gunpoint in incidents dating back to the 1970s. An earlier trial was abandoned in 2007 after a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision. Spector  is remanded to custody until sentencing next month (2009).

April 12th

Musical birthdays today include Herbie Hancock (86), Steppenwolf frontman John Kay (82), Village People vocalist Alex 'G.I.' Briley (79), former Martha & the Vandellas vocalist Lois Reeves (78), Pat Travers (72), Vince Gill (69), Echo & the Bunnymen lead guitarist Will Sergeant (68), Dead Can Dance lead singer Lisa Gerrard (65), Everclear frontman Art Elaxakis (64), Indigo Girl Amy Ray (62), Cypress Hill rapper Ulpiano Reyes AKA Mellowman Ace (59), 311 frontman Nick Hexum (56), Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman (48), ex-Westlife vocalist Brian McFadden (46), country singer Easton Corbin (44), and Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendan Urie (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for New Orleans clarinetist Johnny Dodds, born on this day in 1892... for operatic soprano Lily Pons, born in 1898... for bluesman Theodore 'Hound Dog' Taylor, born in 1915... for orchestra leader & multi-instrumentalist Billy Vaughn, born in 1919... for country singer Ned Miller, born in 1925... for Herbert Khaury AKA Tiny Tim, born in 1932... for David Cassidy, who would have been 76... for violin maker Nicola Amati, who died on this date in 1684... for operatic bass Feodor Chaliapin, who died in 1937... for pianist and Miles Davis sideman Wynton Kelly, who passed away in 1971... for Lecil Martin AKA Boxcar Willie, who died in 1999.... and for operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé, who left us today in 2019. 

Also on April 12th: Bill Haley & His Comets record 'Rock around the Clock' at Pythian Temple Studios in NYC (1954)... Thelonious Monk goes into the studio to begin recording his first solo album, Thelonious Himself (1957)... Bob Dylan performs his first major solo show as headliner, at the Town Hall in NYC (1963)... Motown releases Martha and the Vandellas' Dance Party, the group's third and biggest selling album (1965)...  Jan Berry of Jan & Dean is almost killed when he crashes his car into a parked truck a short distance from Dead Man's Curve in Los Angeles. Berry is partially paralysed and suffers brain damage, but will walk again after extensive therapy (1966)... Mick Jagger is punched in the face by an airport official during a row at Le Bourget Airport outside Paris. Jagger lost his temper after The Stones were searched for drugs at such length that they missed their flight  (1967)... The 5th Dimension hit № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine in' (1969)... David Bowie announces his second career retirement, saying "I've rocked my roll. It's a boring dead end, there will be no more rock 'n' roll records from me" (1975)... After two DJs at KLOS in Los Angeles ask "What ever happened to David Cassidy?" on the air on the occasion of the one-time idol's 39th birthday, the singer calls the station up and the presenters invite him onto the show. David plays three songs live on air and is subsequently signed by a new record label... Garth Brooks releases his self-titled debut album, which will prove both a critical and a chart success (1989)... Two weeks after her death, Governor George W. Bush declares today 'Selena Day' in Texas (1995)... The Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre announces that recently identified Asteroids 4147-4150 will be named Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr (1990)... Metallica file a lawsuit against Napster for copyright infringement (2000)... The Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano publishes a story praising The Beatles and saying that it forgives John Lennon for his 1966 comment that the group was "bigger than Jesus" (2010)... A study published in the journal Science states that listening to new music is rewarding for the brain. Using MRI scans, a Canadian team of scientists found that areas in the reward centre of the brain became active when people heard a song for the first time. The more the listener enjoyed what they were hearing, the stronger the connections were in the region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens (2013).

April 11th

Musical birthdays today include Joel Grey (94), operatic bass Kurt Moll (88), bluesman Luther 'Guitar Jr.' Johnson (86),Art rock multi-instrumentalist Francis Lickerish (72), Geordie bassist Tom Ford (63), former Catatonia lead singer Cerys Matthews (57), Marcy Playground bassist Dylan Keefe (56), Rammstein bassist Oliver Riedel (55), Sum 41 lead guitarist Tom Thacker (49), and Joss Stone (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for early Dixieland trumpeter Nick LaRocca, born on this day in 1889... for jazz double-bassist John Levy, born in 1912... for former Ruts guitarist Paul Fox, who would have been 75 today... for Flirtations vocalist Michael Callen, who would have been 71... for Big Country frontman Stuart Adamson, who would have been 68... for Gin Blossoms lead guitarist Doug Hopkins, who would have been 65... for ragtime singer Eddie Morton, who died on this date in 1938... for folk guitarist Sandy Bull, who died in 2001... for June Pointer, who passed away in 2006... and for jazz-funk keyboardist & producer Don Blackman, who left us today in 2013. 

Also on April 11th: The first performance of Beethoven's Archduke chamber trio is given in Vienna, with the composer at the piano. His contemporary and manuscript editor Louis Spohr, who was present, wrote later that the piano was badly out of tune but that Beethoven was too deaf to notice (1815)... Amsterdam's Concertgebouw is inaugurated (1888)... Travelling from Amarillo to Nashville, the plane that Elvis Presley is flying on develops engine trouble and is forced to make an emergency landing. The incident instills a fear of flying in Presley that will last the rest of his life (1956)... Bob Dylan gives his first billed performance in NYC, opening for John Lee Hooker at Gerde's Folk City (1961)... Buffalo Springfield make their live debut at the Troubador in Los Angeles (1966)... While Fleetwood Mac are on tour in Germany, Peter Green informs his bandmates that he is leaving the group. He agrees to stay on until the end of the tour to avoid a breach of contract lawsuit (1970)... Fantasy Records release Mardi Gras, Creedence Clearwater Revival's final studio album (1972)... The Beach Boys appear at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, GA. The group are at a very low ebb in popularity in America, and this show proves a financial disaster for the promoter, with fewer than 3,000 tickets sold for the 16,000 capacity venue. The opening act is Mothers Finest, followed by a recently signed CBS act named Bruce Springsteen who plays a 60-minute solo set (1973)... Eddie Van Halen marries Valerie Bertinelli (1981)... Cher wins the Best Actress Oscar for her work in 'Moonstruck' (1988)... Pearl Jam are the musical guests on Saturday Night Live (1992)...  Robbie Williams raises £165,000 at a charity auction with the money going to his old school in Stoke to build a performing arts wing. Items sold are Robbie's personal possessions, including a toilet from a stage show, a Union Jack bikini, tiger's head briefs, a Millennium jet pack and the hand written lyrics to 'Angels', which fetch £27,000 (2001)... The government of Malawi accuses Madonna of "bullying state officials" after she reportedly complained about her treatment on a visit to the country. Madonna - who has adopted two Malawian-born children, recently visited 10 primary schools funded by her charity. Madonna's manager accuses local governmental officials of having a "grudge" against the singer's charity, Raising Malawi (2013).

April 10th

Bunny Wailer (79), 10,000 Maniacs bassist Steve Gustafson (69), R&B songwriter and producer Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds (67), Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer (67), former Katrina and the Waves lead singer Katrina Leskanich (66), Ratt lead guitarist Warren DeMartini (63), Primus drummer Tim Alexander (61), Kamaal Ibn John Fareed AKA Q-Tip (56), ex-Arab Strap lead singer Aidan Moffat (53), Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carraba (51), former Theaudience lead singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor (47), Lifehouse bassist Bryce Soderberg (45), Atomic Kitten vocalist Liz McLarnon (44), Fun. multi-instrumentalist Andrew Dost (42), Mandy Moore (42), and New Age singer Hayley Westenra (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Claude Bolling, born on this day in 1930... for Spinners lead singer Bobbie Smith, who would have been 87 today... for former Parliament-Funkadelic lead guitarist Eddie Hazel, who would have been 76... for cornet player and bandleader Joe 'King' Oliver, who died on this date in 1938... for Stuart Sutcliffe, who died in 1962... for film score composer Nino Rota, who passed away in 1979... for producer Martin Hannett, who died in 1991... for Eva Boyd AKA Little Eva, who died in 2003... and for bluesman Jimmy Dawkins, who left us today in 2014.
 
Also on April 10th: Brahms conducts the first performance of his own Deutsches Requiem at a Good Friday concert in Bremen (1868)... Nat King Cole is attacked on stage in Birmingham, AL by five members of a local White Citizens Council. After the assailants are removed by police, the singer continues the show unfazed (1956)... A school in Wrexham, North Wales sends letters to parents asking to them to please send their children to class in school uniform, and not in the 'corduroy trousers' worn by the Rolling Stones... British acts start a run of eight weeks at the top of the US charts when Freddie and the Dreamers go to № 1 with 'I'm Telling You Now'. Over the next two months, they will be followed by Wayne Fontana's 'Game Of Love', Herman's Hermits 'Mr's Brown' and The Beatles' 'Ticket To Ride (1965)... Marvin Gaye records his version of 'I Heard It through the Grapevine' (1967)... Jim Morrison is wrestled off stage by Ray Manzarek during a Doors concert in Boston, after Morrison asks the audience, "Would you like to see my genitals?" Theater management quickly switched off the power. Morrison was arrested in Miami the previous year for 'lewd and lascivious behavior' during a performance... Paul McCartney issues a press statement, announcing that The Beatles have split. McCartney says, "I have no future plans to record or appear with The Beatles again, or to write any music with John". John Lennon, who kept his much-earlier decision to leave The Beatles quiet for the sake of the others, is furious. When a reporter calls Lennon to comment upon McCartney's resignation, John says, "Paul hasn't left. I sacked him"... A Miles Davis performance in San Francisco is recorded by Columbia Records for release as Black Beauty: Live at the Fillmore West (1970)... Peter Frampton is at № 1 on the US album chart with Frampton Comes Alive!... Melody Maker publishes a scathing review of a Sex Pistols gig that concludes with the line 'I hope we shall hear no more of them' (1976)... With the Beastie Boys as her opening act, Madonna kicks off her first US tour with a show at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, WA (1985)... Fleetwood Mac release Behind the Mask, their first album since the departure of Lindsay Buckingham (1990)... Depeche Mode have the № 1 album in the USA with Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)... Nearly 10,000 fans attend a public memorial service for Kurt Cobain at the Seattle Flag Pavilion (1994)... Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland marries longtime girlfriend Heather McMillan at Disneyworld. The couple announce that they will be honeymooning in theme parks all across America, concluding at Disneyland (1998)... A charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney is held at the Royal Albert Hall. Among the performers are Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinead O'Connor (1999)... The final episode of The Osbournes is aired on MTV in the UK. The show reached a peak audience of eight million at its height during a three year run, Ozzy is at a loss to explain its popularity, saying, "I suppose Americans get a kick out of watching a crazy Brit family like us make complete fools of ourselves every week" (2005)... Kate Bush receives her CBE for services to music from the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. The singer-songwriter, who was catapulted to fame in 1978 when 'Wuthering Heights' topped the charts, says that she is "incredibly thrilled". The 54-year-old dedicates the award to her family and jokes that it will have pride of place at the top of her Christmas tree (2013).

April 9th

Musical birthdays today include country singer Kay Adams (85), country singer Margo Smith (83), session drummer Steve Gadd (81), singer-songwriter John Howard (73), country singer Hal Ketchum (73), Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly (65), former My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way (49), ex-S Club vocalist Rachel Stevens (48), Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. (47), Escape the Fate lead singer Craig Mabbitt (39) and Jesse McCartney (39).  

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman Mance Lipscomb, born on this day in 1895... for Paul Robeson, born in 1898... for Indian classical musician... for

Musical birthdays today include Tom Lehrer (97), country singer Kay Adams (84), country singer Margo Smith (82), session drummer Steve Gadd (80), singer-songwriter John Howard (72), country singer Hal Ketchum (72), Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly (64), former My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way (48), ex-S Club vocalist Rachel Stevens (47), Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. (46), Escape the Fate lead singer Craig Mabbitt (38) and Jesse McCartney (38).  

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman Mance Lipscomb, born on this day in 1895... for Paul Robeson, born in 1898... for Tom Lehrer, born in 1928... for Indian classical musician Sharan Rani Backliwal, born in 1929... for Carl Perkins, born in 1932... for producer and manager Terry Knight, who would have been 82... for Phil Ochs, who took his own life today in 1976 at the age of 35... for Dave Prater of Sam & Dave, who died in a car crash today in 1988 at the age of 50... for avant-garde cellist Tom Cora, who died in 1998... for Delfonics founding member Randy Cain, who passed away in 2009... and for DMX, who left us four years ago today.  

Also on April 9th: On Easter Sunday, Marian Anderson performs an open-air concert for an crowd of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., after being denied permission by the Daughters of the American Revolution to appear at Constitution Hall before an integrated audience (1939)... The Righteous Brothers are at № 1 on the Billboard singles chart with 'You're My Soul and Inspiration' (1966)... The Doors play to their largest audience to date when they open for Jefferson Airplane at Santa Monica Pier before 3,000 spectators (1967)... Columbia Records releases Bob Dylan's album Nashville Skyline (1969)... Newly signed to EMI, Queen play a showcase gig for their record company at London's Marquee Club (1973)... Terry Jacks becomes the first Canadian since 1957 to score a UK № 1, with 'Seasons in the Sun' (1974)... ABBA have the № 1 single in the US, the UK and 12 other countries with 'Dancing Queen' (1977)... Bill Wyman (52) announces that he and Mandy Smith (19) are engaged. The Stones bassist further reveals that they have been dating for six years (1989)... Sir Paul McCartney plays his first show in Manchester in 24 years when he appears at the MEN Arena on the UK leg of the 'Back in the World' Tour (2003).

Sharan Rani Backliwal, born in 1929... for Carl Perkins, born in 1932... for producer and manager Terry Knight, who would have been 82... for Phil Ochs, who took his own life today in 1976 at the age of 35... for Dave Prater of Sam & Dave, who died in a car crash today in 1988 at the age of 50... for avant-garde cellist Tom Cora, who died in 1998... for Delfonics founding member Randy Cain, who passed away in 2009... and for DMX, who left us four years ago today.  

Also on April 9th: On Easter Sunday, Marian Anderson performs an open-air concert for an crowd of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., after being denied permission by the Daughters of the American Revolution to appear at Constitution Hall before an integrated audience (1939)... The Righteous Brothers are at № 1 on the Billboard singles chart with 'You're My Soul and Inspiration' (1966)... The Doors play to their largest audience to date when they open for Jefferson Airplane at Santa Monica Pier before 3,000 spectators (1967)... Columbia Records releases Bob Dylan's album Nashville Skyline (1969)... Newly signed to EMI, Queen play a showcase gig for their record company at London's Marquee Club (1973)... Terry Jacks becomes the first Canadian since 1957 to score a UK № 1, with 'Seasons in the Sun' (1974)... ABBA have the № 1 single in the US, the UK and 12 other countries with 'Dancing Queen' (1977)... Bill Wyman (52) announces that he and Mandy Smith (19) are engaged. The Stones bassist further reveals that they have been dating for six years (1989)... Sir Paul McCartney plays his first show in Manchester in 24 years when he appears at the MEN Arena on the UK leg of the 'Back in the World' Tour (2003).

April 8th

Musical birthdays today include Lennon sister Peggy Lennon (85), Family lead singer Roger Chapman (84), Yes guitarist Steve Howe (79), Grand Funk Railroad bassist Mel Schacher (75), New Model Army frontman Justin Sullivan (70), Guns N' Roses co-founder & former guitarist Izzy Stradlin (64), Julian Lennon (63), ex-L7 guitarist Donita Sparks (63), rapper Marcel Hall AKA Biz Markie (62), Tracy Grammer (58), Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig (42), Bridget Kelly (40), and The Cab lead singer Alexander DeLeon (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for song lyricist Edgar 'Yip' Harburg [best remembered for 'Somewhere over the Rainbow'], born on this day in 1896... for jazz singer Carmen McRae, born in 1920... for jazz trumpeter Ollie Mitchell, born in 1927... for Jacques Brel, born in 1929... for original Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, who would have been 53... for composer Gaetano Donizetti, who died on this date in 1848... for Marian Anderson, who passed away in 1993... for Laura Nyro, who died in 1997... and for Annette Funicello, who left us today in 2013.

Also on April 8th: Franz Liszt gives a recital for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle (1886)... Bartók's 5th String Quartet is premiered by the Kollisch Quartet at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. (1935)... The Supremes record 'Where Did Our Love Go' at Motown Studios in Detroit. When released, it will become their first US № 1 single (1964)... In Vienna, Sandie Shaw wins the Eurovision Song Contest representing the UK with 'Puppet on a String'... John Lennon takes his Rolls Royce to coachbuilders J.P. Fallon Ltd in Surrey to enquire if they can paint his car in psychedelic colours. The idea was suggested to him by Marijke Koger AKA 'The Fool', who is a member of Dutch team of gypsy artists. J.P. Fallon himself commissions Steve Weaver's pattern of scroll and flowers for the Phantom V. The bill for the work done comes in at £2,000. A custom interior/exterior sound system is also installed as well as a Sony television, a telephone (WEYBRIDGE 46676) and a portable refrigerator (1967)... Paul McCartney and Wings release the single 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish', which was written after the Bloody Sunday tragedy in Northern Ireland. The song is immediately banned by the BBC, but will still rise as high as № 16 on the British chart (1972)... David Bowie plays the first of three sold out nights in Tokyo on the Ziggy Stardust world tour (1973)... With their American debut at CBGB, The Damned become the first British punk group to play in the US... CBS Records UK releases the self-titled debut of The Clash (1977)... New Order bassist Peter Hook is knocked unconscious by rioting fans at a gig in Rotterdam (1982)... An electrician named Gary Smith working at Kurt Cobain's house in Seattle discovers the singer's body lying on the floor in the greenhouse. Local radio  station KXRX breaks the news at 9.40 AM PST that the Nirvana frontman is dead. A shotgun was found next to Cobain's body, along with a suicide note reading 'I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now'. The autopsy will reveal a high concentration of heroin and traces of Valium in Cobain's system (1994)... Stones guitarist Ron Wood is one of 11 passengers rescued in the nick of time from a boat when an engine catches fire. The boat was exploring the islands near Angra Dos Reis, south of Rio De Janeiro,  when one of the boat's engines burst into flames. Passengers are rescued by nearby journalists, just before craft explodes (1998)... After a false start in 2003, the Rolling Stones finally perform for the first time in the People's Republic of China, at Shanghai's Grand Stage Theatre. The Stones were told ahead of time that they could not play 'Brown Sugar', 'Honky Tonk Women' or 'Rough Justice'. Chinese rock star Cui Jian joins the band on stage for a duet with Mick Jagger on 'Wild Horses' (2006)... It is reported in the British press that organizers for the 2012 London Olympic Games recently asked The Who's manager Bill Curbishley if legendary drummer Keith Moon would be able to perform at the forthcoming opening ceremony. Curbishley told The Times how he responded to the request: "I emailed back saying Keith now resides in Golders Green crematorium, having lived up to The Who's anthemic line 'I hope I die before I get old'. I told them that if they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him" (2012).