1954, BBC radio in the UK banned the Johnny Ray song ‘Such a Night’ after listeners complain about its 'suggestiveness'. Ray was famous for his emotional stage act, which included beating up his piano, and writhing on the floor. 1955, Tony Bennett was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Stranger In Paradise'. Based on a theme from Borodin's 1888 opera - 'Prince Igor'. The song was a hit in the 1953 Broadway show 'Kismet'. 1964, The Beatles had held the No.1 position on the US singles chart for fourteen weeks with three No.1's in succession. 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' for seven weeks, 'She Loves You' for two weeks and 'Can't Buy Me Love', for five weeks.
1965, The filming of the promotional film for Bob Dylan’s 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' took place at the side of the Savoy Hotel in London. Actors in the background were Allen Ginsberg and Bob Neuwirth. This became one of the first 'modern' promotional film clips, the forerunner of the music video. The original clip was actually the opening segment of D. A. Pennebaker's film, Don't Look Back, a documentary on Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England. In the film, Dylan, who came up with the idea, holds up cue cards for the camera with selected words and phrases from the lyrics. The cue cards were written by Donovan, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Neuwirth and Dylan himself. While staring at the camera, he flipped the cards as the song played. 1967, Gerry And The Pacemakers announced they were splitting up, recognising they could no longer keep pace with the rapidly changing UK rock scene. 1969, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr signed a business management contract with Allen Klein and his company ABKCO, but Paul McCartney refused to sign, continuing to let the Eastmans represent his interests. 1970, The Beatles twelfth and final album, 'Let It Be' was released, (it was recorded before 'Abbey Road' and originally to be called 'Get Back'). The album came in a deluxe-boxed edition with a 'Get Back' book.
1974, UK keyboard player Graham Bond committed suicide after throwing himself under a London tube train at Finsbury Park station, aged 36. It took police two days to identify his body which was crushed beyond all recognition. Briefly a member of Blues Incorporated, a group led by Alexis Korner, before forming the Graham Bond Quartet, with a lineup of Bond on vocals and organ, Ginger Baker on drums and Jack Bruce on bass. 1976, Abba scored their third UK No.1 single with 'Fernando', the song went on to become ABBA's biggest selling single, with sales over 10 million. And also on day Abba started a nine-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with their 'Greatest Hits' album.
1976, BBC Radio 1 DJ Johnny Walker announced he was quitting the station after being told he must pretend to like The Bay City Rollers.
1976, Former lead singer of the Lovin Spoonful John Sebastian went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Welcome Back', taken from the US TV show 'Welcome Back Kotter'. 1982, Neil Bogart died of cancer at the age of 39. Bogart was the founder of Casablanca Records, with Peter Guber, home of Donna Summer, The Village People, Kiss, T.Rex and Joan Jett. 1982, Paul McCartney scored his fifth UK No.1 album with 'Tug Of War'. The album featured the duet with Stevie Wonder 'Ebony & Ivory'.
1982, Vangelis went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Chariots Of Fire', his only US No.1, a No.12 hit in the UK. 1987, Prince played the first of three nights at the Isstadion in Stockholm, Sweden at the start of his Sign Of The Times 37-date European tour. 1989, The Stone Roses appeared at The Warehouse, Leeds, England. 1993, Aerosmith entered the US album chart at No.1 with 'Get A Grip', a No.2 hit in the UK. The album went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide as well as winning the band two Grammy awards.
1993, Mark Knopfler received an honorary music doctorate from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. 1996, A Los Angeles judge ruled against Tommy Lee and wife Pamela Anderson in their bid to keep Penthouse magazine from publishing still photos from an X-rated home movie that was stolen from their home. 1999, Ricky Martin went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Livin' La Vida Loca'. The song spent 5 weeks at No.1. 2005, Bruce Springsteen was at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Devils and Dust' his 13th No.1 studio album. 2006, Eric Clapton kicked off a 12 date UK tour at the SECC in Glasgow, Scotland.
2006, The Rolling Stones called off their forthcoming European tour after guitarist Keith Richards underwent emergency brain surgery. The 62 year-old guitarist suffered "mild concussion" when he fell out of a coconut tree on holiday in Fiji.
2008, American Country artist Eddy Arnold died of natural causes, one week before his 90th birthday. He sold more than 85 million records and had 147 songs on the US charts, including 28 number one hits on Billboard's Country Singles chart. He was once managed by Colonel Tom Parker (who later managed Elvis Presley). Arnold had the 1965 US No.4 hit, ‘Make The World Go Away’. May 8th: Born on this day 1911, Born on this day, Robert Johnson, blues singer, guitarist. Influenced Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Eric Clapton, (Cream covered 'Crossroads) The Rolling Stones, ('Love In Vain'). Johnson died on 16th August 1938.
1940, Born on this day, Paul Gadd, (Gary Glitter), 1973 UK No.1 single 'I'm The leader Of The Gang' & 17 other UK Top 40 singles including three No.1's. Glitter was sentenced to four months in a Bristol prison in 1999 after being found guilty of downloading child pornography from the Internet. 1940, Born on this day, Ricky Nelson, US singer, (1958 US No.1 'Poor Little Fool', 1961 UK No.2 single 'Hello Mary Lou' plus over 30 US Top 40 hit singles). Played himself on his parent's US TV The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet.' Nelson died on 31st December 1985. 1941, Born on this day, John Fred Gourrier, from John Fred and His Playboy Band, (1968 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Judy In Disguise'). Died on 15th April 2005 after a long battle with kidney disease aged 63. 1943, Born on this day, Paul Samwell-Smith, The Yardbirds, (1965 UK No.3 and US No.6 single 'For Your Love').
1943, Born on this day, Toni Tennille, The Captain and Tennille, (1980 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Do That To Me One More Time'). 1943, Born on this day, Danny Whitten, guitarist, singer, songwriter. Member of Neil Young's Crazy Horse and writer of 'I Don't Wanna Talk About It', covered by Rod Stewart, Rita Coolidge and Everything But The Girl. The Neil Young song ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ was written about Whitten’s heroin use (before he died of an overdose on Nov 18th 1972). 1944, Born on this day, Bill Legend, T Rex, (1971 UK No.1 single 'Hot Love'. Plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles). 1947, Born on this day, Rick Derringer, producer, guitar, vocals, The McCoys, (1965 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'Hang On Sloopy'), Edgar Winter Group, (1973 US No.1 & UK No.18 single 'Frankenstein'). 1951, Born on this day, Chris Frantz, drummer, Talking Heads, (1983 US No.9 single 'Burning Down The House', 1985 UK No.6 single 'Road To Nowhere'). 1951, Born on this day, Philip Bailey, vocals, Earth Wind and Fire, (1975 US No.1 single 'Shining Star', 1981 UK No.3 single 'Let's Groove') & solo, (1985 UK No.1 single 'Easy Lover' duet with Phil Collins). 1955, Born on this day, Alex Van Halen, Van Halen, drums, (1984 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Jump'). 1964, Born on this day, Dave Rowntree, drummer, Blur, (1994 UK No.1 album 'Parklife' spent over 2 years on the UK chart, 1995 UK No.1 single 'Country House', plus over 12 other UK Top 40 singles).
1972, Born on this day, Darren Hayes, singer, songwriter, Savage Garden, (1998 US No.1 & UK Top 5 single 'Truly Madly Deeply.' Solo 2002 UK No.8 single 'Insatiable'). 1975, Born on this day, Enrique Iglesias, singer, (2000 US No.1 single 'Be With You', 2002 UK No.1 & US No.3 single 'Hero'). 1976, Born on this day, H, (Ian Watkins), vocals, Steps, (1998 UK No.1 single 'Heartbeat / Tragedy', 1999 UK No.1 album 'Steptacular' spent over a year on the UK chart). 1976, Born on this day, Martha Wainwright, Canadian / American, singer-songwriter, daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle and sister of Rufus Wainwright. Appeared on recordings by her family members and has released several independent EPs. Her full length self-titled debut was released in 2005. 1978, Born on this day, Ana Maria Lombo, Eden's Crush, (2001 US No. 8 single 'Get Over Yourself'). 1985, Born on this day, Matt Jay, Busted, (2003 UK No.1 single 'You Said No', 2002 UK No.2 album, 'Busted').
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