Music History - May 7

In 1941, in Hollywood, Glenn Miller & His Orchestra recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo."

In 1955, Ray Charles reaches the top of the US R&B chart for the first time with "I Got A Woman." It was later ranked #235 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

In 1955, Elvis Presley played the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, Florida.

In 1958, at Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville, Conway Twitty recorded "It's Only Make Believe." The single topped both US and the UK Singles Chart, and was Twitty's only #1 single on the pop charts of either country.

In 1958, the Champs performed their instrumental hit "Tequila" on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."

In 1958, "All I Have To Do Is Dream" by the Everly Brothers was the #1 song.

In 1961, Tony Orlando makes his first appearance on Billboard's Hot 100 with "Halfway to Paradise", which peaks at #39. He'll have one more hit next year and then won't be heard from until 1970 when he reappears with his group, Dawn.

In 1965, at Twickenham Studios in London, the Beatles filmed the scene for their movie "Help!" in which a suddenly-shrunken Paul McCartney tries to hide his newly-naked body.

On May 7, 1966, the Rolling Stones released the single "Paint It, Black" in the US. It was originally titled "Paint It Black," without a comma. Keith Richards has said that the comma was added by the record label.  The single reached #1 in both the US and the UK charts in 1966.  In 2004 it was ranked #176 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In the US and UK, it was the first #1 single to feature a sitar on the recording.

In 1966, Simon And Garfunkel's "I Am a Rock" enters the Hot 100. During its eleven week chart run, it will peak at #3.

In 1966, Johnny Cash started his first U.K. tour in Liverpool.

Also in 1966, Del Shannon enters the Billboard Hot 100 for the 16th time with "The Big Hurt," which stalled at #94.

In 1967, Jimi Hendrix played two shows at London's Saville Theatre. Ringo Starr, Brian Jones and members of the Beach Boys and the Moody Blues were in the audience.

In 1967, the Supremes sang "The Happening" on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1967, Soviet youths openly defied police and danced The Twist in Moscow's Red Square during May Day celebrations.

In 1967, Pink Floyd appeared at The Mojo Club, Tollbar, Sheffield, England, opened and owned by Peter Stringfellow. Acts who have also appeared at the club include Stevie Wonder, John Lee Hooker, Rod Stewart, Ike and Tina Turner, the Who, the Small Faces and Jimi Hendrix.

In 1967, Pearls Before Swine begin recording an album called 'One Nation Underground.' The LP includes a song called "Miss Morse", which would be banned in New York when it was discovered that lead singer Tom Rapp was singing F-U-C-K in Morse code. After disc jockey Murray The K played the record on the air, local Boy Scouts correctly interpreted the chorus and phoned in a complaint.  Early vinyl copies came with a small poster of the Hell panel from Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, a detail of which was used on the front of the album sleeve. The album went through a number of cover variations.

In 1968, singer/songwriter Reginald Dwight legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John, forming it by combining the first and last names of his former Bluesology bandmates, Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

In 1968, Aretha Franklin recorded a live album in Paris. 'Aretha In Paris' was released in October 1968.

In 1969, "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" on CBS-TV featured guests Goldie Hawn, Pat Paulsen, Roy Clark, John Hartford, and the Association.

In 1970, Pink Floyd performed at Pauley Pavilion at the University of California in West Hollywood.

In 1970, the Temptations released the single "Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)."

In 1971, the Rolling Stones released "Brown Sugar" in the US (April 16 in the UK). It was the first record on their own label, Rolling Stones Records.

In 1972, Tom Jones'"Special London Bridge Special" on BBC television featured performances by the Carpenters and Engelbert Humperdinck as well as appearances by Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston, Jonathan Winters, Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Rudolf Nureyev, Jennifer O'Neill, and Hermione Gingold.

On May 7, 1973, George Harrison released "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)." Harrison's single went on to replace "My Love" by Paul McCartney at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and in turn was replaced at #1 by "Will It Go Round in Circles" by Billy Preston, who played with Harrison and McCartney during the "Let It Be" sessions in 1969.  The single also reached the top ten in Britain and Canada, and in other singles charts around the world.

In 1974, Led Zeppelin held a party at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City for the launch of their new label Swan Song. Other label signings including, Scottish singer Maggie Bell (whose album Suicide Sal was the labels fourth release), and British supergroup, Bad Company also attended.

In 1975, Elvis Presley released the album 'Today.'

In 1977, the Eagles went to #1 on the US singles chart with "Hotel California," the group's fourth US #1, a #8 hit in the UK. The Eagles also won the 1977 Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards in 1978. The song's guitar solo is ranked 8th on Guitar Magazine's Top 100 Guitar Solos and was voted the best solo of all time by readers of Guitarist magazine.  It is also one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.  In 2009, the song was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1,000,000 digital downloads.

In 1978, the 90,000 tickets on sale for Bob Dylan's upcoming concerts at London's Wembley Empire Pool sell out in less than eight hours.

In 1978, in New York City, David Bowie played the first of three nights at Madison Square Garden.

In 1983, after cracking the Top 20 a year earlier with "The Break-up Song," San Francisco's Greg Kihn Band reaches #2 on the Hot 100 with a song called "Jeopardy." A year later, Weird Al Yankovic will parody the song as "I Lost On Jeopardy", which has since been referenced several times on the game show itself.

In 1988, Terence Trent D'arby went to #1 on the US singles chart with "Wishing Well," a #4 hit in the UK.

In 1991, soul singer Wilson Pickett was arrested in his hometown of Englewood, New Jersey after repeatedly driving over the lawn of his neighbor, Mayor Donald Aronson. Pickett was charged with drunk driving and threatening to kill the mayor. Police seized a knife and a baseball bat from Pickett's van. The threatening charge was dropped after Pickett agreed to perform a free charity concert. He was later sentenced to a year's probation on the drunken driving charge to run concurrently with a one-year jail term for a later drunk driving incident in which Pickett hit and seriously injured an 86-year-old pedestrian.

In 1991, a judge in Macon, Georgia dismisses a wrongful death suit against Ozzy Osbourne after a local couple fails to prove their son was inspired to attempt suicide by Ozzy's music.

Also in 1991, 54-year-old Rolling Stone Bill Wyman ended his 22-month marriage to 21-year-old Mandy Smith. She received a $6.5 million divorce settlement, even though she spent only eight weeks with Wyman during their marriage. They first met when Smith was only 13.

In 1992, in London, a leather jacket worn by John Lennon in the early 1960s sold at Christies auction house for £24,200 ($39,170 in today's US dollars).

In 1992, Nigel Preston drummer with the Cult died in London, England aged 32. Was a founding member of the Death Cult, he also played and recorded with Sex Gang Children, Theatre of Hate and the Gun Club.

In 1994, Aerosmith played the first of seven nights at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, during their 245 date 'Get A Grip' world tour.

In 1994, Randy Bachman led 1,322 guitarists who had gathered in Vancouver to play Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business", for 68 minutes and 40 seconds.

In 1995, drummer/singer/bandleader Ray McKinley, who played with the Jimmy Dorsey and Glenn Miller bands, and led the latter after Miller's 1944 disappearance, died at age 84.

In 1998, Eddie Rabbitt, the Country star who crossed over to the Pop chart with "I Love A Rainy Night" and "Drivin' My Life Away", died of lung cancer at the age of 56. Elvis Presley, Dr. Hook, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle and Lynn Anderson all recorded his songs.

In 1998, Steve Perry left Journey to pursue a solo career. He had been the lead vocalist of the band from 1977–1987 and 1995–1998.

Also in 1998, Alphonso Howell of the Sensations died at the age of 61. The group reached #4 in the US in 1962 with "Let Me In".

In 2000, singer Patti Page, at age 72, performed in a special concert at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium to celebrate the release of her latest album, 'Brand New Tennessee Waltz.'

In 2000, Britney Spears went to #1 on the UK singles chart with "Oops!... I Did It Again." Written and produced by hit-makers Max Martin and Rami Yacoub, who had previously collaborated with Spears on '...Baby One More Time'.

In 2002, the Rolling Stones announce their 2002-03 tour by coming into New York's Central Park in a blimp.

In 2002, after an investigation that lasted nearly four months, police in London, England cleared Pete Townsend on charges that he downloaded child porn from the Internet. Investigators did confirm that Townsend had accessed a site containing such images in 1999 and as a result, he has been listed on a national register of sex offenders.

In 2003, a Los Angeles federal jury recommended a $1.5 million award to a British record company that sued rapper-producer Dr Dre for song plagiarism. London-based Minder Music Ltd. sued Dre in 2000, claiming his 1999 song, 'Let's Get High,' used the bass line of The Fatback's 1980 song, 'Backstroking' which was featured on Dre's successful '2001' album, which sold 9 million copies worldwide.

In 2004, Rudy Maugeri, the baritone voice of the 1950s doo-wop group, the Crew Cuts, died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Las Vegas. He was 73. Taking their name from a popular hair style of the day, the quartet formed in Toronto and went on to have several hits in the US, including the number one "Sh-Boom" in 1954 and the number three "Earth Angel" in 1955.

In 2006, Snow Patrol went to #1 on the UK album chart with 'Eyes Open' the bands fourth album. Also a #1 in Ireland, and Australia and a #27 hit on the US Chart. The bands first album 'Songs For Polarbears' peaked at #143 when released in 1998.

In 2009, Trina Johnson-Finn was in custody awaiting her trial in Suriname, South America, after being accused of trying to pass herself as singer Toni Braxton at a concert. The singer was booed off stage in Paramaribo in March and pelted with rubbish when a huge crowd realised she was not the award-winning artist. Ms Johnson-Finn's husband, Raymond Finn made a statement saying his wife had been duped by the promoter who had booked her and had advertised her as the real Braxton.

In 2010, Dave Fisher, who formed the Highwaymen with four university pals in the late 1950's, died at the age of 69 after a battle with a bone marrow disorder. The quartet topped the Billboard chart in 1961 with "Michael (Row The Boat Ashore)."

In 2011, John Walker, lead vocalist for the Walker Brothers, who enjoyed Billboard Top 20 hits with "Make It Easy On Yourself" in 1965 and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" in 1966, died of liver cancer at the age of 67.

In 2012, doo-wop singer Ernie Warren, a founding member of the Spaniels, died at age 78.

birthdays today include (among others):  Jimmy Ruffin (75), Thelma Houston (71), Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead) (68), Keith (65), Janis Ian (64), Prairie Prince (Tubes) (64), Phil Campbell (Motorhead) (53) and Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys) (28)