The number one British single today in 1958 was the first in British chart history to start at the top:
Today in 1969, New Jersey authorities told record stores they would be charged with pornography if they sold the John Lennon and Yoko Ono album “Two Virgins,” whose cover showed all you could possibly see of John and Yoko.
The number one album today in 1976 was Bob Dylan’s “Desire”:
The number one single today in 1976:
Birthdays begin with Zeke Carey of the Flamingos:
Neil Diamond …
… was born the same day as Ray Stevens:
Warren Zevon:
John “Joliet Jake Blues” Belushi:
Two deaths of note today: James Sheppard, lead singer of Shep and the Limelites, in 1970 …
… and David Cole, producer and keyboard player for C&C Music Factory, in 1995:
Our first item comes from the Stupid Laws File: Today in 1956, Ohio youths younger than 18 were banned from dancing in public unless accompanied by an adult, the result of enforcing a law that dated back to 1931.
The number one single today in 1965:
The number one British single today in 1971 was the first number one by a singer from his previous group:
Today in 1977, Patti Smith broke a vertebra after falling off the stage at her concert in Tampa, Fla.
Today in 1991, the owner of KLSK-FM in Albuquerque, N.M., played this for 24 consecutive hours to announce KLSK’s switch to classic rock:
Police showed up with guns drawn twice at the studio after one listener reported the owner had suffered a heart attack and then from suspicion that the radio station had been captured by terrorists sent by supposed Zeppelin fan Saddam Hussein.
The number one British album today in 1993 was Genesis’ “Live — The Way We Walk, Volume Two — The Longs”:
The number one album today in 2000 was Santana’s “Supernatural”:
Birthdays begin with Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters:
Danny Federici, who played keyboards for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band …
… was born the same day as Bill Cunningham, who played bass and piano for the Box Tops:
Robin Zander sang for Cheap Trick:
Earl Falconer played bass for UB40:
Three deaths of note today: Terry Kath of Chicago in 1978 …
… Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who survived the band’s 1977 plane crash but was paralyzed after a 1986 car crash that killed his girlfriend, in 1990 …
Today in 1968, Jimi Hendrix recorded “All Along the Watchtower,” musically assisted by Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and Dave Mason of Traffic:
The number one album today in 1978 was the best selling movie soundtrack of all time:
The number one single today in 1984:
The number one British album today in 1989 was “The Legendary Roy Orbison,” six weeks after his death:
Think of this as Chastity, I mean Chaz, Bono in reverse: Today in 2003, David Palmer, former keyboard player for Jethro Tull, had a sex-change operation and changed his/her name to Dee:
The first birthday today is not a musical birthday: Telly Savalas:
Wolfman Jack, of radio, TV and “American Graffiti”:
Richie Havens …
… was born one year before Edwin Starr …
… who was born the same day as Mac Davis:
Who was Leslie Charles? You knew him as Billy Ocean:
Two deaths of note today: Jackie Wilson today in 1984, eight years after he suffered a massive heart attack while singing in New Jersey …
The number seven British single accompanied a tour today in 1979:
One of the more infamous moments in rock history happened today in 1982: A fan threw an unconscious bat on stage at an Ozzy Osbourne concert. Osbourne thought the bat was fake and bit off its head. Osbourne required rabies shots afterward.
The number one British single today in 1985:
The number one British single today in 2002, 31 years after it was first a number one:
Birthdays begin with Ron Townson of the Fifth Dimension:
Billy Powell sang for the O’Jays:
Rick Evans of Zager and Evans:
Eric Stewart played guitar for Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders and 10cc:
George Grantham drummed for Poco:
Paul Stanley of Kiss:
Ian Hill played bass for Judas Priest:
Two deaths of note today: Pioneering DJ Alan Freed in 1965 …
… and Bill Albaugh, drummer for the Lemon Pipers, in 1999:
Today in 1971, selections from the Beatles’ White Album were played in the courtroom at the Sharon Tate murder trial to answer the question of whether any songs could have inspired Charles Manson and his “family” to commit murder.
Manson was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty.
The number one British single today in 1980:
The number one British album today in 1980 was Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”:
The number one single today in 1991:
Birthdays begin with Phil Everly, half of the Everly Brothers:
Janis Joplin:
Rod Evans of Deep Purple:
Harvey Hinsley of Hot Chocolate:
Robert Palmer:
Dewey Bunnell of America:
Mickey Virtue played keyboards for UB40:
Four deaths of note today: Carl Perkins in 1998 …
… Wilson Pickett in 2006 …
… Denny Doherty of the Mamas and the Papas in 2007 …
The number one single today in 1960 was written by a one-hit wonder and sung by a different one-hit wonder:
The number 45 45 today in 1964 was this group’s first, but not last:
Today in 1974, members of Free, Mott the Hoople and King Crimson formed Bad Company:
A Wisconsin moment today in rock history: Today in 1981, Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics was arrested on stage at the Palms Nightclub in Milwaukee on a charge of “conduct prohibited in a licensed premise” and resisting arrest. The charge: Simulating sex with a sledgehammer during the Plasmatics’ performance.
Williams was acquitted of the charge, but she lost her $6 million lawsuit against the city.
Today in 1989, Stevie Wonder, then 39, became the youngest living person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (It helps when you start your career at 12.)
Today in 1991, three fans were crushed to death during an AC/DC concert in Salt Lake City.
Birthdays begin with David Ruffin of the Temptations:
Bob Rosenberg of Will to Power:
Tom Bailey was one of the Thompson Twins (which was an unrelated trio):
Luther Dickinson played guitar for the Black Crowes:
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