The Grammy Awards premiered today in 1959. The Record of the Year came from a TV series:

Today in 1966, John Lennon demonstrated the ability to get publicity, if not positive publicity, when the London Evening Standard printed a story in which Lennon said:

Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first — rock and roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.

Lennon’s comment prompted Bible Belt protests, including burning Beatles records. Of course, as the band pointed out, to burn Beatles records requires purchasing them first.

The number one single today in 1967:

Today in 1973, Pink Floyd began its 19-date North American tour at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison.

Today in 1994,  Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was hospitalized in Rome after overdosing on Rohypnol and champagne.

Today in 2003, a woman in Porth, Wales, was fined £1,000, had her stereo system impounded and was banned from playing loud music after playing too loudly the music of Cliff Richard.

Birthdays begin with one-hit-wonder Paul Mauriat:

Eric Allandale of the Foundations:

Bobby Womack:

Chris Squire played bass for Yes:

Emilio Estefan of the Miami Sound Machine:

Chris Rea:

Boon Gould of Level 42:

Jason Newsted played bass for Metallica:

Actress Patsy Kensit was married to Jim Kerr of Simple Minds and Liam Gallagher of Oasis:

Feargal Lawlor played drums for the Cranberries:

Two deaths of note today: Richard Manuel of The Band in 1986 …

… and Glenn Hughes, the first biker on the Village People, in 2001:

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