Music History ~ May 31

In 1951, at CBS 30th Street Studio in New York City, Tony Bennett recorded "Cold, Cold Heart."

In 1956, in Odessa, Texas, Elvis Presley was the featured guest on the Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings' weekly show on KOSA-TV.

In 1956, Buddy Holly sees the John Wayne movie The Searchers and gains some song writing inspiration when Wayne utters the line "that'll be the day."

In 1958, Dick Dale performed "Let's Go Trippin'" for the first time, possibly signaling the start of surf music.

In 1959, Bobby Darin sang "Mack The Knife" on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1961, Chuck Berry opens an amusement park that he calls Berry Park, in Wentzville, Missouri near St. Louis. The 30-acre complex features a swimming pool, miniature golf course, Ferris wheel, a children's zoo and a picnic grove with barbecue pits.

In 1962, the Beatles played the last night of a 7-week run at the Star-Club, Hamburg, West Germany. During their residency they would play for four-and-a-half hours on weekdays and six hours on Saturdays, with some songs lasting over 20 minutes to fill out the time.

In 1964, the Dave Clark Five sang "Can't You See That She's Mine" and "Do You Love Me" on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1966, filming began on The Monkees first TV series. The Monkees' first single, "Last Train to Clarksville" was released in August 1966, just weeks prior to the TV broadcast debut. In conjunction with the first broadcast of the television show on September 12, 1966 on the NBC television network, NBC and Columbia had a major hit on their hands.  The TV series ran on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968.

In 1966, "To Sir With Love," starring Sidney Poitier, Judy Geeson, and Lulu, began filming in London.

In 1968, working on what will become 'The White' album. The Beatles added overdubs of bass and vocals on “Revolution.” After numerous overdubs have been added, the final six minutes of the song evolved into chaotic, jamming, with Lennon repeatedly shouting "alright” and Yoko Ono speaking random phrases. The jam becomes the basis for “Revolution 9,” and this session was the first that Yoko attends.

In 1969, Jimi Hendrix was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 cents.

In 1969, the Supremes hosted ABC-TV's weekly variety show "Hollywood Palace," with Sammy Davis, Jr. and the Jackson 5 as guest performers.

In 1973, at the band's show in Los Angeles, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham celebrated his 25th birthday with a Robert Plant-led audience singalong of "Happy Birthday," and afterward at a hotel he caroused with friend George Harrison, who playfully threw a birthday cake at Bonham. He retaliated by pushing George into the hotel pool.

In 1975, 17 weeks after entering the Billboard Pop chart, Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" made it all the way to number one. The song was written in the late 1960s and had already been recorded more than two dozen times. Fender would later recall "The recording only took a few minutes. I was glad to get it over with and I thought that would be the last of it."

Also in 1975, the Rolling Stones kicked off a New York City press conference on their next tour by playing on the streets in the back of a flatbed truck.

In 1975, 10cc released the single "I'm Not In Love."

In 1976, in London, the Who secured its place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Loudest Rock Band with a 126-decibel, 76,000-watt performance at Charlton Athletic Football Grounds. The record stood for nearly a decade. AC/DC and Manowar are among several bands that have claimed to hold the record since the Who, however Guinness no longer includes a category of loudest band, reportedly because it does not want to encourage hearing damage.

In 1977, Britain's BBC announced a ban on the Sex Pistols' anti-royalist song "God Save The Queen", saying it is 'in gross bad taste'. The cover of the single showed a picture of The Queen with a safety pin through her lip. Shops and pressing plant workers refused to handle the record, but it still managed to reach #2 on the UK chart.

In 1977, in New York City, the Patti Smith group played the first of nine nights at the club CBGB.

In 1977, the musical "Beatlemania," starring Leslie Fradkin, Justin McNeill, Joe Pecorino, and Mitch Weissman, with disc jockey Murray the K as a special consultant, opened at New York's Winter Garden Theatre for 920 performances.

In 1979, Supertramp perform at New York's Madison Square Garden, where they receive a Gold record for their million selling album 'Breakfast In America.'

On May 31, 1980, although the disco craze was running out of steam, a group from Minneapolis, Minnesota called Lipps, Inc., that featured Cynthia Johnson on vocals, reached the top of the US charts with a tune called "Funkytown." It was a UK #2 hit. The record would be certified Platinum, but the group's only other Hot 100 entry would stall at #64.

In 1980, the Theme From M*A*S*H* (Suicide Is Painless), was at the top of the UK singles chart, ten years after it was first recorded.

In 1982, the Rolling Stones played at the 100 Club, Oxford St, London, to a sold out crowd of 400 people.

In 1982, R.E.M. signed a five-album deal with I.R.S. Records, an independent label based in California.

In 1989, David Bowie's Tin Machine made their live debut at the International Music Awards, New York.

In 1994, the Eagles played the Irvine Meadows Theatre in Irvine, California.

On this day in 1995, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" by Bryan Adams was the #1 song.

In 1996, bass singer Elsbeary Hobbs, a member of the Drifters in the late 1950s, died of throat and lung cancer at 59.

In 1996, Harvard professor-turned LSD guru Timothy Leary died of prostate cancer at 75.

In 1998, Geri Halliwell announced she had quit The Spice Girls saying "This is because of differences between us. I am sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best."

In 1998, Simply Red went to #1 on the UK album chart with 'Blue,' their fifth consecutive #1 album.

In 1999, Phil Kramer, who took Lee Dorman's place when Iron Butterfly re-formed in 1975, was found in a canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, over four years after he called a police to say he was going to commit suicide. At the time of his death, he was 42.

In 2000, Johnnie Taylor, best remembered for 1968's "Who's Making Love" and 1976's "Disco Lady", died following a heart attack in a Texas hospital. He was 62 years old.

In 2000, bandleader/musician/composer Tito Puente, "The King of Latin Music," died of complications from open-heart surgery at age 77.

In  2004, guitarist Robert Quine was found dead of a heroin overdose in his New York City home. Worked with Richard Hell And The Voidoids, (1977 album 'Blank Generation' features the track 'Love Comes In Spurts') and Lou Reed, Brian Eno, Lloyd Cole, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Waits and They Might Be Giants.

In 2005, after almost 70 years in operation, Strawberry Field, the Liverpool orphanage that inspired the Beatles' famous song, was closed by the Salvation Army.

In 2008, Death Cab For Cutie were at #1 on the US album chart with their sixth release 'Narrow Stairs.'

In 2010, Ali-Ollie Woodson, who led The Temptations in the 1980s and '90s and helped restore them to their hit-making glory with songs including "Treat Her Like A Lady", "Sail Away" and "Lady Soul", died of cancer at the age of 58.

celebrating birthdays today (among many others) are Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul & Mary) (1938) and Karl Bartos, Kraftwerk (1952)