In 1954, Stuart Hamblen recorded his composition "This Ole House." It peaked at #26 on the pop chart, overshadowed by Rosemary Clooney's version of the song which was #1 for three weeks.
In 1956, during a tour of Colorado, Texas and New Mexico, Elvis Presley played two shows at Denver Coliseum in Colorado, (1 matinee and 1 evening).
In 1957, at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico, Buddy Holly recorded "Words Of Love."
In 1958, in Columbus, Ohio, Alan Freed's "Big Beat Show" concert tour played two shows at the War Veterans Memorial Auditorium, with performances by Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Danny & the Juniors, Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, the Diamonds, Billy & Lillie, the Chantels, Dicky Doo and the Don'ts, Jo Ann Campbell, Larry Williams, Ed Townsend, the Pastels, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.
On this day in 1959, "Come Softly To Me" by the Fleetwoods was the #1 song.
In 1961, Britain's BBC Radio bans the song "100 Pounds of Clay" by Gene McDaniels because it has a reference to women being created from building materials, which the network considered to be blasphemous.
In 1963, John and Cynthia Lennon become the proud parents of a baby boy who they name Julian, after John's late mother, Julia. The lad would grow up to have a music career of his own, scoring Top Ten hits with "Valotte" (#9 in 1984) and "Too Late for Goodbyes" (#5 in 1985).
In 1964, in Studio A at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, the Supremes recorded "Where Did Our Love Go," which became their first #1 single, the first of their five consecutive chart-topping singles. The songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland had originally composed the song and prepared the instrumental track for the Marvelettes to record, but they rejected the song thinking it was childish.
In 1964, at United Recorders in Hollywood, Frank Sinatra recorded "My Kind Of Town."
In 1966, the Righteous Brothers reach the top of the Billboard singles chart for the second and final time with "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration".
In 1967, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Arthur Conley and Booker T And The MG's all appeared at London's Hammersmith Odeon, England.
In 1967, John Lennon took his Rolls Royce to coachbuilders J.P. Fallon Ltd in Surrey to enquire if they could paint his car in psychedelic colors.
In 1968, the Petula Clark NBC-TV special "Petula" featured guest star Harry Belafonte performing a duet with her on an antiwar song she had written called "On The Path Of Glory." In a spontaneous gesture during the taping, Clark reached out and touched Belafonte's arm, which became a source of great concern to the show's sponsor, Chrysler, worried that interracial contact might upset viewers in America's southern states. Petula and the show's executive producer, her husband Claude Wolff, responded to the advertiser's pressure by having all alternate takes of the duet destroyed so the gesture would have to be aired. It was the first interracial contact broadcast on US television.
In 1969, Neil Diamond became the first performer to sell out the Los Angeles Forum for nine consecutive nights.
In 1970, the UK premiere of the Woodstock movie took place in London. The film was a documentary of the festival that took place in August 1969 at Bethel in New York.
In 1970, Tony Joe White, Patti Page, and the Carter Family were featured guests on ABC-TV's "The Johnny Cash Show," taped at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
In 1972, written after the "Bloody Sunday Massacre," in Northern Ireland Paul McCartney and Wings released "Give Ireland Back To The Irish." The song was banned by the BBC and the IBA. It peaked at #16 in the UK and #21 in the US.
Neil Young's docu-autobiography, "Journey through the Past," premiered at the US Film Festival in Dallas in 1973.
Also in 1973, during his Ziggy Stardust world tour, David Bowie played the first of three sold out nights at Shinjuku Koseinenkin, Kaikan, Tokyo, Japan.
In 1975, Aerosmith released the LP 'Toys in the Attic,' featuring two of the band’s biggest hits, “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion.” The album is their most commercially successful studio LP in the United States, with eight million copies sold, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The album was ranked #228 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
In 1977, The Damned became the first British punk group to appear at New York’s CBGB.
In 1978, Eddie Money saw his first US hit, "Baby Hold On" enter the Billboard chart, where it would reach #11. He would go on to place nine more songs in the Top 40, including two Top 10 hits "Take Me Home Tonight" (#4 in 1986) and "Walk On Water" (#9 in 1988).
In 1985, American songwriter John Fred Coots, who co-wrote Pat Boone's US chart topper "Love Letters In The Sand", as well as the children's Christmas classic "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", died at the age of 87. In all, Coots wrote over 700 songs.
In 1989, Roxette went to #1 on the US singles chart with 'The Look', the duo's first US #1, a #7 hit in the UK.
In 1989, 26-year-old David Hirsch replaced 59-year-old Dick Clark on American Bandstand. His debut also marked Bandstand's move to the USA cable network from national syndication. Clark had been the host of the program for 33 years.
In 1993, during the European leg of his current world tour, Bruce Springsteen played the second of two sold-out nights at the Hallen stadion in Zurich, Switzerland.
In 1993, singer Marian Anderson died of heart failure at the age of 96. Anderson was an important figure in the struggle for black artists to overcome racial prejudice in the U.S. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused permission for her to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. With the help of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Anderson performed a highly acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday of 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in front of a crowd of more than 75,000 people and a radio audience estimated to be in the millions.
In 1994, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Pink Floyd’s 1973 album, 'The Dark Side of the Moon,' had become the fourth biggest-selling album in its history, passing the 13 million mark in US sales. To date, the album has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.
Also in 1994, an electrician hired to install a security system at Kurt Cobain's residence finds the body of the 27 year old Nirvana front man lying on the floor of a room above the garage with a shotgun on his chest and a suicide note nearby.
In 1997, singer, songwriter Laura Nyro died from ovarian cancer. Suzanne Vega, Phoebe Snow, Roseane Cash, Frank Sinatra and Linda Ronstadt all covered her songs. She wrote "And When I Die" a hit for Blood, Sweat & Tears and "Stoney End" which was covered by Barbra Streisand.
In 2002, Marilyn Manson denied claims that he was responsible for the death of a woman after a party at his mansion in 2001. Jennifer Syme, a former girlfriend of actor Keanu Reeves, died when her Jeep Cherokee hit three parked cars. Her mother, Maria St John, was suing the singer for wrongful death, claiming Manson was negligent in "instructing the woman to operate a motor vehicle in her incapacitated condition."
In 2003, the concert special "Cher: The Farewell Tour" aired on NBC-TV.
In 2006, following 2003's false starts, the Rolling Stones finally performed for the first time in mainland China, at Shanghai's Grand Stage Theatre. The Stones were banned from performing three songs ("Brown Sugar," "Honky Tonk Women," "Rough Justice"). Chinese rock star Cui Jian joined the band on stage for a duet with Mick Jagger on "Wild Horses."
In 2007, Kings Of Leon started a two week run at #1 on the UK album chart with 'Because Of The Times.'
In 2007, country music singer Tim McGraw was at #1 on the US album chart with 'Let It Go' his fourth #1 album. The album produced seven Top 20 US country hits.
In 2008, Led Zeppelin topped the list of Classic Rock magazine's Best Live Acts Of All Time. The Who were voted in at #2 and AC/DC at #3.
In 2010, Malcolm McLaren former manager of the Sex Pistols, the New York Dolls and Bow Wow Wow died from cancer aged 64. As a solo artist he scored the 1983 UK #3 single "Double Dutch." He set up the fashion store Let It Rock in the late 60's with Vivienne Westwood selling rubber and fetish gear.
In 2012, it was reported that organizers for the 2012 ceremony had recently asked the manager of The Who if legendary drummer Keith Moon would be able to perform at the forthcoming London Olympics Games. Who manager Bill 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,'" he said. "If they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him."
birthdays today include Izzy Stradlin of Gun's 'N Roses (1962), Steve Howe of Yes, Asia fame (1947), Adam Mole - Pop Will Eat Itself (1962), Julian Lennon (1963) and Ezra Koenig - Vampire Weekend (1984)