October 7

Musical birthdays today include former 10cc drummer Kevin Godley (68), original Kansas bassist Dave Hope (64), John Cougar Mellencamp (62), Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres (60), Yo-Yo Ma (58), Simon Cowell (54), Toni Braxton (46), ex-Auteurs frontman Luke Haines (46), and Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke (45). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz trumpeter & singer Vaughn Monroe, born on this date in 1911... for Dino Valenti [founding member of the Quicksilver Messenger Service and writer of the '60s classic 'Get Together'), who would have been 76 today... for Judee Sill, who would have been 69... for Sir Hubert Parry [composer of the hymn 'Jerusalem'] who died on this date in 1918... for Mario Lanza, who passed away today in 1959... and for early British rocker Johnny Kidd (UK no. 1 in 1960 with 'Shakin' All over'] killed in a car crash on his way to a gig today in 1966.

Also on October 7: The Rolling Stones record the Lennon & McCartney song 'I Wanna Be Your Man' at De Lane Lea studios in London (1963)... Bob Dylan meets a group of Indian wandering minstrels called the Benghal Bauls, who are staying in a converted barn on the estate of his manager Al Grossman in Woodstock, NY. A black & white photo of Dylan with troupe members Purna and Lakhsman Das will grace the cover of the album John Wesley Harding (1967)... After years of travails with the US government, John Lennon is awarded his green card (1975)... Jimmy Page is sentenced to 1 year's probation after being found guilty by a London court of cocaine possession (1982)... Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl finally hits no. 1 on the Billboard album chart, after  spending 164 weeks in the Top 200, setting  record for longest ascension to the top spot (1989)... The no. 1 album in America today in Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, which still holds the US record for biggest selling record by a female solo artist (1995)... Mick Jagger donates £100,000 to his boyhood grammar school in Dartford, Kent, to help pay to hire a director of musical studies and to buy instruments (2002).

October 6

Musical birthdays today include composer and guitarist Glenn Branca (65), Commodores lead guitarist Thomas McClary (64), REO Speedwagon lead singer Kevin Cronin (62), Los Lobos guitarist & singer David Hidalgo (59), ex-Skids lead singer Richard Jobson (53), guitarist Matthew Sweet (49), Anathema guitarist Danny Cavanagh (41), and Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist William Butler (31). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for soprano Jenny 'The Swedish Nightingale' Lind, born on this day in 1820... and for band leader Nelson Riddle, who died today in 1985. 

Also on October 6: The Beatles record 'Eight Days a Week' in the afternoon, then spend the evening partying with the Ronettes and Mick Jagger at London's Ad Lib Club (1965)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience record a session for the BBC Radio show 'Top Gear'. Stevie Wonder, also appearing on the program, jams with the group afterwards (1967)... Pink Floyd play at the Miss Teenage Brighton beauty pageant, providing the musical interlude during the contest (1967)... George Harrison gets his first A side single, as the Beatles release 'Something' (1969)... The Buzzcocks open for Joy Division at the Odeon Theatre in Edinburgh ~ admission is 2.50 (1979)... Bob Dylan has his 12th US top 40 hit, as 'Gotta Serve Somebody' enters the chart. Meanwhile, Led Zeppelin's In through the Out Door is the no.1 album (1979)... Michael jackson gives away the bride at Elizabeth Taylor's seventh wedding, to construction worker Larry Fortensky. The nuptials are held at the singer's Never Neverland Ranch (1991)... Bruce Springsteen is served with notice that he is being sued for $850,000 by a man who claims he backed out of a contract to buy a horse. Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa are both named in legal documents filed in Florida by Todd Minikus. He claims that the singer and his wife backed out of a $650,000 deal to buy a horse of his named Pavarotti (2007)... A set of John Lennon's fingerprints are seized by the FBI from a NYC memorabilia dealer who intended to auction them off for a $100,000 minimum bid. The prints were taken at a NYPD precinct in 1976 when the former Beatle applied for permanent US residence. The Bureau states that they believe the card is still US government property, and are investigating how it ended up in private hands (2009)... Rolling Stone Magazine publishes the results of its poll of readers and critics to determine the worst song of the 1980s. Rounding out the top 5 are: 1) 'We Built this City' ~ Starship. 2) 'The Final Countdown' ~ Europe. 3) 'Lady in Red' ~ Chris de Burgh. 4) 'Wake Me up (before You Go Go)' ~ Wham! 5) 'The Safety Dance' ~ Men without Hats (2011).

October 5

Musical birthdays today include Glynis Johns (90), bluesman Roy Book Binder (70), Steve Miller (70), Henry Cow saxophonist Geoff Leigh (68), AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson (66), original Funkadelic rhythm guitarist Lucius 'Tawl' Ross (65), Bob Geldof (62), Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson (56), Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy (39), Maroon 5 lead guitarist James Valentine (35), Good Charlotte bassist Paul Thomas (33), and Girls Aloud vocalist Nicola Roberts (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for R&B singer Billy Scott, and for Temptations vocalist Richard Street, both of whom would have been 71 today... for former Sweet lead singer Brian Connolly, who would have been 68... for opera composer Jacques Offenbach, who died on this date in 1880... for Temptations founding member Eddie Kendricks, who died in 1992... and for Bert Jansch, who left us two years ago today. 

Also on October 5: Cliff Richard and the Shadows play their first live show, at the Victoria Hall in Hanley, Staffs. (1958)... The Beatles release their first single in the UK, 'Love Me Do' (1962)... Johnny Cash is arrested in El Paso, TX as he attempts to return to the United States from Mexico with a guitar case full of pills. He receives  a suspended sentence and is fined $1,000 (1965)... Jim Hendrix, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell have their first rehearsal together and form the Jimi Hendrix Experience (1966)... The no. 1 song in the UK today is Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells [Theme from the Exorcist]'. Across the Atlantic, Olivia Newton-John is atop the American charts with 'I Honestly Love You' (1974)... Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, the three original Wailers, perform together for the last time, at a benefit for the Jamaican Institute for the Blind. Also joining the trio on stage is Stevie Wonder (1975)... Queen open a 10-day residency at Sun City, South Africa (1984)... Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr begins rehearsals with the Pretenders as they prepare to open for U2 on the N. American leg of the Joshua Tree tour (1987)... Roger Daltrey announces that the Who are reforming, and that their first show, which will also be broadcast live on the Internet, will be in Las Vegas on the 29th of this month (1999).

October 4

Musical birthdays today include country singer Leroy van Dyke (84), jazz bassist Steve Swallow (73), Sweet Honey in the Rock founder Bernice Johnson Reagon (71), singer-songwriter Bridget St John (67), French chansonnier Julien Clerc (66), Blood, Sweat & Tears bassist Jim Fielder (66), Triumph drummer Gil Moore (62), harpist Andreas Vollenweider (60), Def Jam record label founder Russell Simmons (56), Pet Shop Boy Chris Lowe (54), and Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Richard Parry (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for  Janis Joplin, who left us today in 1970 at the age of 27... for Glenn Gould, who died today in 1982... and for Argentine diva Mercedes Sosa, who passed away in 2009. 

Also on October 4: The Tornadoes become the first British band to score a no.1 on the US Billboard singles chart with the instrumental 'Telstar' (1962)... The Beatles make their first appearance on the UK ITV pop show Ready, Steady, Go! (1963)... Creedence Clearwater Revival have their first US no.1 album with Green River (1969)... Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here is the no. 1 album on both sides of the Atlantic. For the album's cover shot, two stuntmen were used, one of whom was dressed in a fire retardant costume underneath a business suit (1975)... Tammy Wynette is abducted, beaten, and held in her car for two hours by a kidnapper wearing a ski mask. She is forced to drive 90 miles from Nashville before she is released ~ her abductor will never be caught (1978)... The Smiths play their first live gig, as the opening act for Blue Rondo a la Turk at the Ritz in Manchester (1982).

October 3

Musical birthdays today include Steve Reich (77), Chubby Checker (72), Lindsey Buckingham (64), bluesman Keb' Mo' (62), Tommy Lee (51), Gwen Stefani (44), Backstreet Boys vocalist Kevin Richardson (42), Scissor Sisters lead singer Jake Shears (35), Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (34), and Ashlee Simpson (29). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Eddie Cochran, who would have been 75 today... for Alan O'Day [of 'Undercover Angel' fame], who would have been 73... for Stevie Ray Vaughn, who would have been 59... for former Allman Brothers sideman Allen Woody, who would have been 58... for Woody Guthrie, who lost his long battle with Huntington's Disease today in 1967... for Benjamin Orr, lead singer of the Cars, who died today in 2000... and for bluesman Skip James, who left us in 2002. 

Also on October 3: A 10-year-old Elvis Presley makes his first recorded public appearance as a singer, performing 'Old Shep' at the talent contest of the Mississippi-Alabama Dairy Show. The future King comes in second (1945)... Working at London's Trident Studios, the Beatles lay down the basic tracks for George's 'Savoy Truffle'. The song was inspired by Eric Clapton's love of sweets, especially Mackintosh's Good News chocolates (1968)... Texas governor Anne Richards proclaims this day 'Stevie Ray Vaughn Day', in honour of the Lone Star State native's 37th birthday (1991)... Sinead O'Connor rips up a picture of Pope John Paul II during her appearance on Saturday Night Live as a protest over sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. The incident, which stuns the studio audience to silence and prompts the NBC network to go immediately to commercial, results in a $2.5 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission (1992)... Tom Jones is at no. 1 on the UK album chart with Reload, making him ~ at 59 ~ the oldest artist to top the British chart with new material (1999)... Mark David Chapman is denied parole after having served 20 years of his life sentence for murdering John Lennon (2001)... Scientific researchers declare 'We Are the Champions' by Queen the catchiest song ever written. Musicologist Dr. Alison Pawley of the University of London and her staff conducted research into what makes a song memorable, and compiled a list of the ten 'catchiest' songs of all time. They obtained the results by observing thousands of volunteers singing a list of selected tracks. They discovered that popular sing-along tunes contained four elements: long and detailed musical phrases, multiple pitch modulations in a song's 'hook', male vocalists, and upper range male voices making a noticeable effort. Also on the list are 'YMCA' by the Village People, Sum 41's 'Fat Lip', and Europe's 'The Final Countdown' (2011). 

October 2

Musical birthdays today include Don McLean (68), Cajun musician Jo-El Sonnier (67), Richard Hell (64), Mike Rutherford (63), Sting (62), Human League frontman Philip Oakey (58), ex-Dream Academy multi-instrumentalist Kate St John (56), Glass Tiger lead guitarist Al Connelly (53), ex-Sugarcubes drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson (51), Gillian Welch (46), Damon 'Badly Drawn Boy' Gough (44), Slipknot guitarist Jim Root (41), Aqua lead singer Lene Nystrøm (40), and The Sounds lead singer Maja Ivarsson (34). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz guitarist Howard Roberts, who would have been 84 today... for rapper Proof, who would have been 40... and for cowboy singer and entertainer Gene Autry, who left us today in 1998. 

Also on October 2: 'Stay' by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs is the no.1 song in America today. At 1:37, it remains the shortest US chart-topper ever (1959)... 15 Elvis Presley fans are arrested in Leipzig, East Germany, after marching through the city streets shouting "Long live Elvis!" along with derogatory remarks about German music (1959)... Phil Spector and his partner Lester Sill release their first single on their new label Philles, The Crystals' 'Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby' (1961)... The McCoys have the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with 'Hang on Sloopy' (1965)... All six members of the Grateful Dead are arrested for possession of marijuana after a San Francisco police raid on their house at 710 Ashbury St. (1967)... Pink Floyd release their fifth album, Atom Heart Mother (1970)... Following several attempts at grave robbery, the remains of Elvis and his mother Gladys are disinterred from the Memphis cemetery where they are buried and moved to Graceland (1977)... Bonnie Tyler becomes the only Welsh singer to score a US no.1 single with 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' (1983)... Kevin Spacey is the MC for 'Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music' at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Among those performing are Alanis Morissette, Moby, Stone Temple Pilots and the Dave Matthews Band. The evening closes with an invitation to the audience to sing along on 'Give Peace a Chance' (2002)... Robbie Williams signs with EMI for £80 million, the most lucrative record deal in British history to date. When asked what he's going to do with all the money, the singer replies "Count it" (2002)... Billy Joel marries 23-year-old Kate Lee at his Centre Island, New York mansion. It is the singer's third trip to the altar (2004). 

October 1

Musical birthdays today include Julie Andrews (78), Cajun accordion master Marc Savoy (73), Herb Fame [of Peaches & Herb] (71), ex-Sly & the Family Stone saxophonist Jerry Martini (70), former Wishbone Ash bassist Martin Turner (66), April Wine guitarist Grian Greenway (62), OMD keyboardist Martin Cooper (55), Youssou N'Dour (54), Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin (45), Suede guitarist Richard Oakes (37), and rapper Dizzee Rascal (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Vladimir Horowitz, born on this date in 1903... for pioneering doo-wop singer Grady Chapman and for country singer Bonnie Owens, both of whom would have been 84... for bluesman Albert Collins, who would have been 81... for Brownsville Station frontman Cub Koda, who would have been 65... for Booker T & the M.G.s drummer Al Jackson, Jr., who was murdered in a home robbery today in 1975 at the age of 40... and for former Buffalo Springfield bassist Bruce Palmer, who left us today in 2004. 

Also on October 1: Following an overwhelmingly negative reaction from screening audiences to Elvis Presley's death at the end of the film Love Me Tender, the King is called bck to re-shoot the scene. In the new ending, the hero lives (1956)... Brian Epstein signs a 15-year management contract with the Beatles (1962)... Bob Dylan plays his first electric show at Carnegie Hall, backed by Levon & the Hawks (1965)... Jimi Hendrix plays live in the UK for the first time when he is invited onstage by Cream to jam with them at a gig at London Polytechnic (1966)... Pink Floyd arrive at JFK airport to begin their first US tour (1967)... Jimi Hendrix is laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery, over the road from the Dunlop Baptist Church in Seattle. Among the graveside mourners are Miles Davis, Eric Burdon and Johnny Winter (1970)... The Pretenders are forced to cancel the remaining gigs on their current US tour after drummer Martin Chambers punches out a windowpane, severing tendons and nicking an artery in the process (1981)... Sony unveils the CDP-101, the world's first commercially released Compact Disc Player. The system retails for 168,000 yen, or $1,730 in today's dollars (1982)... British tabloid The Daily Mirror publishes a cover photo of Michael Jackson in a scoutmaster's uniform along with 5 young scouts. A spokesman for the Boy Scouts makes a statement the next day that the singer has no association with the organization (1994)... The no. 1 album in America today is Madonna's latest release, Music (2000)... The Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Australia officially unveils the street sign for the newly named AC/DC Way. The local council ordered two dozen of the signs in anticipation of future thefts (2004)... The Spice Girls London reunion concert sells out in 38 seconds after fans are informed that tickets have gone on sale. More than one million people in the UK had pre-registered for notification. The show is scheduled for December 15 at the O2 Arena (2007).