September 10th

Musical birthdays today include jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers (86), Three Dog Night vocalist Danny Hutton (84), Jose Feliciano (81), Slade drummer Don Powell (80), ex-Jethro Tull drummer Barrie Barlow (77), Joe Perry (76), Tex-Mex musician Rosie Flores (76), King Crimson percussionist Pat Mastelloto (71), Boomtown Rats pianist John 'Johnnie Fingers' Moylett (70), Bananarama vocalist Siobhan Fahey (65), Bush drummer Robin Goodridge (61) and former Drop Nineteens multi-instrumentalist Paula Kelley (56). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for English composer Henry Purcell, born today in 1659... and for bluesman Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, who left us today in 2005. 

Also on September 10: Berlioz's opera Benvenuto Cellini premieres in Paris (1838)... Miles Davis and sidemen go into Columbia's 30th St. Studios in NYC for the third and last of the sessions that will produce 'Round about Midnight, the trumpeter's first album for CBS (1956)... Bobby 'Boris' Pickett and the Crypt Kickers' single 'Monster Mash' is banned by the BBC as offensive. Re-released 10 years later, it will peak at № 3 on the UK charts (1962)... Mick Jagger and Keith Richards meet John Lennon and Paul McCartney by chance at the London jazz club Studio 51. Paul plays a partly finished song entitled 'I Wanna Be Your Man' for the Glimmer Twins, who will soon record it themselves (1963)... The Byrds begin recording the album Turn! Turn! Turn! at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles (1965)... № 1 on the Billboard singles chart today is 'You Can't Hurry Love' by the Supremes (1966)... Elvis records Jerry Reed's 'Guitar Man' at RCA Studios in Nashville. It will be the last of the King's 11 number ones on the Billboard country chart (1967)... 'Hey Jude', the longest № 1 song in chart history, is on top on both sides of the Atlantic (1968)... The BBC bans the Rolling Stones' single 'Star Star' from the Goat's Head Soup LP because it contains the word 'starfucker' in the chorus a dozen times (1973)... The New York Dolls announce that the group is disbanding (1974)... Bob Dylan releases the live album Hard Rain (1976)... The № 1 song in America is Michael Sembello's 'Maniac' from the Flashdance soundtrack (1983)... Nirvana's single 'Smells like Teen Spirit' is released in the US. Its rapid ascent to the top of the charts is often considered the point at which alternative rock entered the mainstream (1991)... An electric chair which was used in Alcatraz and was once owned by Andy Warhol sells for £4,800 at an auction in Bristol, England. Warhol reportedly often sat in the chair when watching horror films, and when listening to the recordings in progress of his protegés The Velvet Underground... In honour of his 80th birthday, John Lee Hooker holds a live chat on MSN. Topics discussed include his latest album, the nightclub he plans to open in San Francisco, his upcoming star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in addition to various musings on his 5-decade career (1997)... Paul McCartney makes the front page of tabloids after being photographed at an NYC party minus one of his front teeth after a crown broke off when he was eating. He had lost the tooth in a motorcycle accident in 1967 (1999)... MTV, VH1 and several other cable music channels simultaneously broadcast 'ReAct Now: Music & Relief', a 4 1/2 hr. long concert to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Sir Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and Emmylou Harris are the headliners amongst the numerous acts (2005)... A harmonica once owned by Bob Dylan sells for £2,700 at an auction in Norfolk, England, more than four times the initial suggested price. The singer had presented the Hohner instrument to a member of the wardrobe department on his 1974 US tour. Lifelong Dylan connoisseur and Norfolk resident John Fellas wears RayBans while outbidding fans from across the world. The inside of the harmonica case is signed and dedicated by Dylan. After the auction, Fellas tells reporters that he is on his way to a pub in order to get up the courage to tell his wife what he has done (2009).

 

September 9th

 

Musical birthdays today include former Blues Project guitarist Danny Kalb (84), R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp (81), ex-Iron Butterfly keyboardist Doug Ingle (80), ex-Paul Revere & the Raiders guitarist Freddy Weller (79), groupie Pamela Des Barres (78), Doobie Brothers guitarist John McFee (76), Dave Stewart (74), Michael Bublé (51) and Boys Like Girls frontman Martin Johnson (41). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz legend Elvin Jones, born 0n this day in 1927... for Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers founding member Joe Negroni, who would have been 86... for Otis Redding, who would have been 85... for Buffalo Springfield bassist Bruce Palmer, who would have been 78... for bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe, who died on this date in 1996... and for guitar maker Ernie Ball, who left us today in 2004. 

Also on September 9: Wagner begins composing the music to Lohengrin (1846)... Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash meet for the first time, after a show given by the former at a shopping center opening in Memphis (1954)... Elvis makes his debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (1956)... 'She Loves You', which will remain the Beatles' biggest-selling single in the UK, is at № 1 on the British charts today. 'Please Please Me' is also the № 1 album (1963)... The Rolling Stones top the UK charts with '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'. As Keith Richards later told the story, he recorded a rough version of the song's famous riff in a Florida hotel room. He ran through it once before falling asleep. He said "When I listened back to it in the morning, there was about 2 minutes of acoustic guitar before you could hear me drop the pick, and then 40 minutes of me snoring" (1965)... The Beatles record 'Helter Skelter' at Abbey Road studios. John plays bass and honks on a saxophone, roadie Mal Evans tries his hand at the trumpet, and George runs around the studio with a flaming ashtray on his head as Paul records the lead vocal (1968)... John Lennon releases the album Imagine (1971)... David Bowie appears on Marc Bolan's ITV show 'Marc' performing 'Heroes' as well as a duet with Bolan on 'Standing Next to You', which is prematurely terminated when Bolan falls from the stage, much to Bowie's amusement. After the show the pair record demos together that will never be finished, as Bolan is killed in a car crash a week later (1977)... In Dublin, U2 open for the Stranglers at the Top Hat Ballroom. Since the headliners and their entourage have taken up both dressing rooms, Bono and his bandmates must make all pre-show preparations behind the speaker stacks on stage (1978)... Both Sting and Phil Collins make their live solo debuts at Amnesty International's Secret Policeman's Ball concert in London (1981)... Al Green and Patti LaBelle open on Broadway in the gospel musical 'Your Arms Too Short to Box with God' (1982)... New Kids on the Block have the № 1 album in America today with 'Hangin' Tough' (1989)... Krist Novoselic of Nirvana knocks himself unconscious during the VMAs when he is hit on the head with his guitar after throwing it up in the air (1992)... After 22 years of marriage, Jane Petty files for divorce from husband Tom (1996)... Liverpool City Council announce plans to demolish Ringo Starr's birthplace because it has 'no historical significance'. The house in the Dingle is one of 460 dwellings scheduled for demolition as part of an urban regeneration project. A spokesman for the council says the members decided that Madryn Street had no significance because Ringo spent only the first three months of his life there... A 3-day international conference on the life, work and influence of Bruce Springsteen opens at Monmouth University in New Jersey. The proceedings include live acts as well address by rock critics and music industry representatives. Among the 150 papers presented are 'Bruce Springsteen and American Folklore', 'Springsteen and Dylan's Dreamscapes', 'Born to Run at 30' and 'New Jersey and the Boss and the Bible' (2005). 

September 8th

 Musical birthdays today include Dokken drummer Mick Brown (70), Great White keyboardist Michael Lardie (68), Aimee Mann (66), ex-Fine Young Cannibals bassist David Steele (66), ex-Bad Religion drummer Jay Ziskrout (64), former Genesis guitarist Ray Wilson (58), singer-songwriter Neko Case (56), Keane drummer Richard Hughes (51) and Pink (46). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Antonin Dvořák, born on this day in 1841... for early country star Jimmie 'The Yodeling Brakeman' Rogers, born in 1897... for conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, born in 1929... for Patsy Cline, born in 1932... for Grateful Dead founding member Ron 'Pigpen' McKiernan, who would have been 81... for former Cars bassist and singer Benjamin Orr, who would have been 79... and for composer Richard Strauss, who left us on this day in 1949. 

Also on September 8: Ray Charles has his first recording session for the Atlantic label (1952)... Eddie Cochran signs his first contract, with Liberty Records (1956)... The Beatles perform 'Hey Jude' on the TV show Frost on Sunday in front of an invited audience, many of whom will gather around the musicians to join in on the extended refrain that ends the song... The opening act for the nascent Led Zeppelin's latest Danish gig, at Raventlow Park in Nykobing, is The Ladybirds, an all-girl topless go-go dancing outfit (1968)... In Washington, D.C., the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is inaugurated with a performance of Leonard Bernstein's Mass, A Theater Piece (1971)...  Mott the Hoople release their breakthrough album All the Young Dudes (1972)... Marvin Gaye has the № 1 song in the US today with 'Let's Get It on' (1973)... Joni Mitchell, CSN&Y and the Beach Boys headline the 'Somersault '74' festival at the Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, NY... Recent RISD graduates and future Talking Heads David Byrne, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz move into a loft together in Manhattan's SoHo (1974)... Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Joe English leave Paul McCartney & Wings (1977)... Led Zeppelin score their 8th UK № 1 album when In through the Out Door tops the charts (1979)... Elton John delivers a vast collection of costumes and concert props to Sotheby's of London, who will eventually auction off the items ~ including the oversized boots that the singer wore in Ken Russell's film of The Who's Tommy ~ for some $6.2 million (1988)... To promote their reissued back catalogue, Led Zeppelin release 'Whole Lotta Love' as their first ever single in Britain (1997)... Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson starts a day job when he qualifies as an airline pilot. He lands a £35,000 a year job with Astreus, a small airline ferrying holiday makers from the UK to Egypt and Portugal (2002)... David Bowie performs the first interactive concert when his performance is beamed live into 21 cinemas from Edinburgh to Warsaw. Audience members talk to Bowie via microphones hooked up to ISDN lines and are asked by the singer to request songs (2003)... Jury selection begins for the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's physician Dr. Conrad Murray. Prospective jurors are required to fill out a 30-page questionnaire to determine their level of knowledge of the case (2009)... Sir Paul McCartney is made a member of the Légion d'Honneur in a ceremony at the Elysée Palace by French president François Hollande for his contributions to music (2012).

September 7th

 

Musical birthdays today include country singer Ronnie Dove (91), composer Olly Wilson (88), R&B singer Benny Latimore (87), Gloria Gaynor (77), Chrissie Hynde (75), Benmont Tench (75), Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians co-founder Brad Houser (66), rapper Sean 'Slug' Daley (54), and 12 Stones frontman Paul McCoy (45).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for dixieland jazz trumpeter Max Kaminsky, born on this day in 1908... for session guitarist and arranger Al Caiola, born in 1920... for easy listening pianist Arthur Ferrante, born in 1921... for ex-Weavers vocalist Ronnie Gilbert, born in 1926... for Sonny Rollins, born in 1930... for Buddy Holly, who would have been 90... for Dave Matthews Band saxophonist LeRoi Moore, who would have been 65... for Keith Moon, who died of a drug overdose today in 1978 at the age of 32... for former Beatles and Byrds publicist Derek Taylor, who passed away in 1997... for Warren Zevon, who died in 2004.... and for Mac Miller, who left us today in 2019.

Also on September 7: Mary Carr Moore's Narcissa, the first grand opera by an American woman, has its premiere in Seattle with Moore herself at the podium [since she was unable to find any conductor willing to take on an opera composed by a woman] (1925)... Already well established as an artist on the Billboard country chart, Hank Williams has his first crossover Top 40 hit with 'Lovesick Blues' (1949)... Tenor saxophonists Al Cohn and Zoot Sims join John Coltrane and his usual sidemen for a jam session at the Van Gelder Studio. The recordings will be released under the title Tenor Conclave (1956)... Columbia Records releases Bob Dylan's single 'Positively 4th Street' (1965)... Hank Mobley, The Rolling Stones and Traffic are in the audience as the Doors make their London debut at the Playhouse Theatre. The sold out gig is also filmed by Granada TV (1968)... Led Zeppelin make their live debut [though still billed as the New Yardbirds] in the gymnasium of a Danish high school in the Copenhagen suburb of Gladsaxe. Teen Club president Lars Abel introduces the lead singer to the 1,200 spectators as 'Robert Platt'. The band receive rave reviews in the local press (1968)... At London's Trident Studios, David Bowie begins the sessions for what will become The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' album. The character of Ziggy was inspired by Bowie's meeting with British rock 'n' roll singer Vince Taylor, who after a breakdown believed himself to be a cross between a god and an alien (1971)...  Topping the charts in the US is Abba's 'Dancing Queen', the group's only American № 1 single (1976)... Sid Vicious kicks off his solo career with a gig at Max's Kansas City in NYC (1978)... Siouxie and the Banshees release their second album, Join Hands (1979)... Berlin have the № 1  song in the US with 'Take My Breath Away' (1986)... Pink Floyd launch the Momentary Lapse of Reason world tour in Ottawa, CA, even though the absent Roger Waters has threatened to sue the promoters if the band perform under the Floyd name (1987)... Michael Jackson kicks off the HIStory tour with a concert in Letna Park, Prague, in the Czech Republic. The 82 shows will be attended by some 4.5 million fans worldwide... Tupac Shakur is shot on the Las Vegas strip (1996)... The Jackson Five are reunited with their brother at Madison Square Garden for a 30th anniversary show, as Michael performs live in the US for the first time in 11 years. Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Eminem, Britney Spears and Destiny's Child also join in the music-making (2001)... A World Health Organization study shows that rock stars are twice as likely to die prematurely as the rest of the population. The organization says the problem is so bad that the industry should be labelled a 'high risk profession' (2007). 

September 6th

Musical birthdays today include composer Joan Tower (88), country singer David Allan Coe (87), former Blood, Sweat & Tears horn player Dave Bergeron (84), Roger Waters (83), multi-instrumentalist and composer Patrick O'Hearn (72), country singer Mark Chesnutt (63), House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers (63), Alice in Chains lead singer William DuVall (59), ex-Scissor Sisters drummer Paddy Boom (57), Cardigans lead singer Nina Persson (51) and Atomic Kitten vocalist Kerry Katona (45). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman Jimmy Reed, born on this day in 1925... for Kool & the Gang co-founder Claydes Charles Smith, who would have been 78 today... for Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, who would have been 55.. for producer Tom Wilson, who died on this date in 1978... for Grand Ole Opry stalwart Ernest Tubb, who died in 1984... for Creedence Clearwater Revival rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, who passed away in 1990... for session pianist Nicky Hopkins, who died in 1994... and for Luciano Pavarotti, who left us today in 2007.

Also on September 6: Mozart's opera La Clemenza di Tito premieres in Prague (1791)... At the Municipal Auditorium in Montgomery, AL, 19-year-old Hank Williams, working as a roadie for country singer Hardrock Gunter, sings two numbers spontaneously when he goes on stage to retrieve the star's guitar. The impromptu performance brings the house down (1943)... Jerry Lee Lewis' contract with Sun Records expires. The star opts not to renew his deal, signing instead with Smash Records, a subsidiary of the Chicago-based Mercury label (1963)...  D.A. Pennebaker's Bob Dylan documentary 'Don't Look Back' has its New York premiere at the 34th Street East Theater (1967)... As the Beatles continue to work on the White Album, Eric Clapton adds the guitar solo to 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and George lays down his lead vocal (1968)... Jimi Hendrix makes his final live appearance, at a festival on the German Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn (1970)... The album The Place I Love by the group Splinter becomes the first release on George Harrison's new label, Dark Horse Records. Harrison himself also contributed slide guitar work to the record (1974)... The Jam are at № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Start!' (1980)... № 1 in the US today is Bananarama's 'Venus' (1986)... The NFL's Steelers are forced to move practice to the University of Pittsburgh when The Rolling Stones take over Three Rivers Stadium to prepare for an upcoming concert (1989)... At Camden yards in Baltimore, Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis perform the Star Spangled Banner before the Orioles' game in which Cal Ripken appears in his 2,131st consecutive contest, eclipsing the record held by Lou Gehrig (1995)... Elton John performs a new version of 'Candle in the Wind' at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in Westminster Abbey. The broadcast of the event is seen by some 2.5 billion people worldwide, and the rewrite of the singer's 1973 tribute to Marilyn Monroe will go on to become the biggest-selling single of all time (1997)... Earth, Wind & Fire announce that Viagra will be sponsoring their upcoming 30th anniversary US tour (2001)... Morrisey causes controversy after claiming that the Chinese are a 'sub-species' because of the way they treat animals. In an interview with the Guardian, the former Smiths frontman says "Did you see the thing on the news about their treatment of animals and animal welfare? You can't help but feel that the Chinese are a sub-species" (2010).

September 5th

 

Musical birthdays today include Al Stewart (81), Loudon Wainwright III (80), King Crimson saxophone and winds player Mel Collins (79), ex-Humble Pie guitarist Clem Clempson (77), Racer X bassist Juan Alderete (63),Rage against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk (58), Dweezil Zappa (57), and Twiztid rapper Jamie Spaniolo (51). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer John Cage, born on this date in 1912... for former songwriter and Kingston Trio member John Stewart, who would have been 86 today... for Freddie Mercury, who would have been 80... for drummer Buddy Miles, who would have been 79... for bluesman Josh White, who died on this date in 1969... and for Nashville guitarist [and session player on Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde] Joe South, who left us today in 2012.

Also on September 5: Verdi's first comic opera, Un giorno di regno [King for a Day] premieres at La Scala in Milan. The work is so poorly received that it will not be performed at the venue again until 2001 (1840)... Elvis Presley surprises his mother with the gift of a pink Cadillac. The car remained in the family and is on display at Graceland today (1956)... The Animals begin a 3 week run at № 1 the Billboard Top 40 with House of the Rising Sun. When the single was initially released, the record company printed the playing time on the label as 3 minutes rather than the actual 4 for fear that radio stations would be reluctant to play such a lengthy song (1964)... The Rolling Stones record 'Get Offa My Cloud' at RCA Studios in Los Angeles (1965)... In Almeria Province, Spain, John Lennon begins filming his role as Private Gripweed in the Richard Lester black comedy How I Won the War (1966)... At Abbey Road Studios, the Beatles begin work on I Am the Walrus, recording 16 takes of the basic backing track (1967)... In one of her final studio sessions, Janis Joplin records the version of Kris Kristofferson's 'Me and Bobby McGee' that will become a № 1 hit after her death (1970)... On their first ever visit to the UK, The Doors perform 'Hello I Love You' on Top of the Pops (1968)... Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington is seriously injured in a car crash in Florida (1976)... Soft Cell hit № 1 on the UK singles charts with 'Tainted Love'. The song was originally a hit for Gloria Jones in 1964. Jones, who became Marc Bolan's girlfriend in the 1970s, was the driver of the car that crashed and killed the T-Rex singer on the 15th of September, 1977. Jones survived the accident (1981)... ABC-TV announces that American Bandstand, on the air since 1957, has been cancelled (1987)... Aerosmith score the first US № 1 single of their 28-year career with 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' from the soundtrack of the film Armageddon... In Britain, the top single is Manic Street Preachers' 'If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next'. They are the first Welsh act to go to № 1 on the British charts since Shakin' Stevens in 1985. The song is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest title for a № 1 hit without parentheses (1998)... Arctic Monkeys win this year's UK Mercury Prize for their album 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.' The Sheffield-based band's album sets a new record for fastest-selling debut in chart history after shifting more than 360,000 copies in its first week of release in February (2006)... A study of more than 36,000 people from around the world concludes that musical tastes and personality type are closely related. The research, which was carried out by Professor Adrian North of Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, suggests classical music fans are shy, while heavy metal fans are gentle and at ease with themselves. Fans of Indie music have low self-esteem and are not hard working, fans of rap and hip-hop have high self-esteem and are outgoing. Country & Western fans are hardworking and outgoing, Reggae fans are creative but not hardworking, and fans of chart pop have high self-esteem, are not creative, but are hardworking and outgoing.

September 4th

Musical birthdays today include Merald 'Bubba' Knight [elder brother of Gladys and member of the Pips] (84), ex-Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist Gary Duncan (80), fusion saxophonist Dave Liebman (80), Pretenders drummer Martin Chambers (75), W.A.S.P. guitarist Blackie Lawless (70), Soundgarden lead guitarist Kim Thayil (66), Rudimentary Peni frontman Nick Blinko (65), ex-Pussycat Dolls vocalist Carmit Bachar (52), Beyoncé (45) and Asking Alexandria lead singer Danny Worsnop (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composers Anton Bruckner (b. 1824) and Darius Milhaud (b. 1892)...  for jazz trumpeter and band leader Gerald Wilson, born in 1918... for Mitzi Gaynor, born in 1931... for guitarist Danny Gatton, who would have been 80 today... for Russian punk rock pioneer Yanka Dyagileva, who would have been 59... for composer Edvard Grieg, who died on this date in 1907... for jazz saxophonist and composer Charlie Barnet, who left us in 1991... for country singer Dottie West, who was killed in a road accident at the age of 59 on the same day.... and for Badfinger drummer Charlie Gibbin, who died in his sleep at the age of 56 in 2006. 

Also on September 4: To coincide with the release of his second single 'Good Rockin' Tonight', Elvis Presley makes his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. Audience reaction is so poor that Opry manager Jim Denny advises Elvis to go back to driving a truck (1954)... The Beatles' first formal session at Abbey Road Studios takes place. They record six tracks, including 'Love Me Do' and 'Please Please Me' (1962)... The Animals make their US live debut at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, NY (1964)... While the group are at the Battersea Dogs Home to buy a guard dog, the Who have their van stolen. The vehicle, which is carrying £5000 worth of equipment, will be recovered in a few days (1965)... The Bee Gees top the British charts for the second time with 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You'. The song is about a man who, while awaiting execution in the electric chair, begs the prison chaplain to pass along a final message to his wife... The Beatles film promotional videos for 'Hey Jude' and 'Revolution' at Twickenham Film Studios. The vocals are dubbed live over pre-recorded instrumental tracks in order to get around the current British Musicians Union ban on lip-synch performances. For 'Hey Jude', the group are accompanied by a 36-piece orchestra and some 300 fans and extras on the refrain... In the wake of recent rioting at the recent Democratic National Convention in the city, Chicago city authorities announce a ban on sales and radio airplay of the Rolling Stones' single 'Street Fighting Man' (1968)... The film Easy Rider has its UK premiere at London's Classic Cinema (1969)... Paul McCartney has his first stateside № 1 as a solo artist with 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey'... The New York Times reports that Sly Stone is being sued by his Lower East Side landlord for 'repeatedly attracting loud, noisy and boisterous persons to the building' (1971)... At a Wishbone Ash concert in Houston, TX, a concessionaire named Francisco Caruso is stabbed to death by a fan whom he refused a free sandwich (1972)... John and Yoko appear on Jerry Lewis' annual muscular dystrophy telethon (1972)... Queen's eponymous debut album is released in the US (1973)... The Bee Gees go to № 1 on the US charts with 'You Should Be Dancing'. It is the group's first foray into the disco form, and their first song in which Barry Gibb uses his now-trademark falsetto... The Sex Pistols make their television debut when they appear on the Manchester-based Granada TV program So It Goes (1976)... Paul Simonon, bassist for the supposedly arch-political Clash, says in an interview with the NME "I didn't even know who was prime minister until about a month ago" (1977)... Fela Kuti is jailed by the Nigerian government on a currency smuggling charge and sentenced to 2 years. Amnesty International designates him a prisoner of conscience, and begin a campaign for his release, which will come after 20 months (1984)... The day after getting his driving license back after a 5-year suspension, Gregg Allman is arrested in Florida on a DUI charge (1986)... The departure of drummer Mike Joyce marks the official end of The Smiths. The group had been heading for a split ever since the July departure of guitarist Johnny Marr, whose replacement had proved unsatisfactory (1987)... Blur, Oasis, Radiohead, Paul Weller, Manic Street Preachers and the Stone Roses all record tracks for the War Child charity album, proceeds from which will go to children caught up in the current war in the former Yugoslavia (1995)... At the Virgin Megastore in central London, Cat Stevens autographs copies of his first album in 18 years, The Life of the Last prophet, a spoken-word album praising Allah. The album was released under his present name of Yusuf Islam (1996)... Kelly Clarkson is voted the first American Idol winner (2004)... The first guitar torched by Jimi Hendrix on stage, a Fender Stratocaster which he set on fire at the end of a show at the Astoria, Finsbury, N. London in 1967, goes for £280,000 at an auction of rock memorabilia. Also on the block is a copy of the Beatles' first management contract from 1962, signed by all four members of the group ~ it goes for £240,000 (2008)... The friends and family of Michael Jackson pay their last respects to the singer at a funeral held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles (2009).