THIS DAY IN MUSIC

May 23rd: On this Day

1960, The Everly Brothers started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Cathy's Clown', which also spent seven weeks at No.1 in the UK. It became the Everly Brothers' biggest hit single and their third and final US chart topper, selling eight million copies worldwide.

1964, Ella Fitzgerald became the first artist to have a hit with a Beatles cover when 'Can't Buy Me Love' entered the UK chart.

1970, Paul McCartney's debut solo album, 'McCartney', started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart. Apart from Linda McCartney's vocal contributions, McCartney performed (and recorded) the entire album solo. The album featured 'Maybe I'm Amazed', which Rod Stewart and The Faces featured on their 1971 album Long Player.

1970, The Beatles 12th and final studio album 'Let It Be' started a three week run at No.1 on the UK chart, featuring 'The Long And Winding Road', 'Across The Universe' and the title track.

1970, The Grateful Dead played their first gig outside the US at 'The Hollywood Rock Music Festival', in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffs, England.

1970,

1973, Jefferson Airplane were prevented from giving a free concert in Golden Gate Park when San Francisco authorities passed a resolution banning electronic instruments. The group later wrote 'We Built this City' about the ban.

1974, George Harrison announced the launch of his own record label, 'Dark Horse.'

1978, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off their 117 show Darkness Tour at Shea's Buffalo, in Buffalo, New York.

1979, Due to a record company dispute, Tom Petty was forced to file for bankruptcy owing $575,000 (£338,235). A long-running battle with his record company followed.

1982, The UK Musicians Union moved a resolution to ban synthesizers and drum rhythm machines from sessions and live concerts fearing that their use would put musicians out of work.

1987, Swing Out Sister went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their debut LP 'It's Better To Travel', their only UK No.1 album.

1987, Twelve former members of the Doobie Brothers reunited for a charity concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The show raised $350,000 for Vietnam veterans, about two-thousand of whom attended the show for free.

1991, Photographer Michael Lavine took what would be the publicity shots for Nirvana's Nevermind album at Jay Aaron Studios in Los Angeles. The idea for the front cover shot of the baby swimming was taken after Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl saw a TV documentary on water babies and was taken by Kirk Weddle. Several babies were used; five-month old Spencer Eldon's photo came out best.

1992, A statement issued by Freddie Mercury's  attorneys stated that Mercury had bequeathed the majority of his estate (£10 million - $17 million) to his long-time friend Mary Austin.

1992, Iron Maiden went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Fear Of The Dark' their third No.1 album.

1999, Shanks & Bigfoot with vocals by Sharon Woolf started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sweet Like Chocolate.'

2000, Noel Gallagher walked out on his band Oasis during a European tour. The move was put down to a series of burst-ups with his brother Liam. The band drafted in replacement guitarist Matt Deighton for the rest of the European dates.

2002, Cliff Richard announced plans to launch a new wine 'Vida Nova'. 27,000 bottles of the Portuguese red from the grapes of his 25 acre estate would go on sale at £8.99 ($15.28) a bottle.

2002, 'Up For Grabs' opened at London's Wyndham's Theatre featuring Madonna in the lead role. The first night crowd complained that the singer was lacking in vocal power and strained to hear her lines.

2002, Winners at the 47th Ivor Novello awards included, Dido for Songwriter of the year, Best song went to U2, 'Walk On.' Kylie Minogue won The Dance Award and Most Performed Work and International Hit for 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head.' Hear'say won Bestselling UK single for 'Pure And Simple'. Mick Hucknall won Outstanding Song collection and Kate Bush was awarded Outstanding Contribution to British music.

2006, The King of Sweden presented the surviving members of Led Zeppelin with the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm recognising them as "great pioneers" of rock music. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were joined by the daughter of drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980. The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group ABBA who named it after his record label, Polar Records.

2009, Amy Winehouse  cancelled her appearance at a concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Island Records. The event, scheduled to take place on 31st May at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire, had now been cancelled completely, her management said.

2010, The Rolling Stones scored their first UK No.1 album for 16 years with the re-release of their classic 1972 double LP Exile On Main Street. The album, which was first released in 1972, had been reissued with previously unheard tracks. Their last No.1 album was 1994's Voodoo Lounge.

2012, Erasmus MC University Medical Center in the Netherlands announced they had drawn clear links between listening to loud music, smoking marijuana and having "risky" sex. The study, published in the Official Journal of the American Academy Of Pediatrics, revealed that young people who listened to loud music on their MP3 players were more likely to have sparked up a joint in the last month. The researchers, surveyed 944 students from inner-city vocational schools aged 15 to 25.

2014, The parents of a camera assistant who was killed after being hit by a train while shooting footage for a biopic about Gregg Allman were suing the musician and the film's producers. The case claimed film-makers "selected an unreasonably dangerous site for the filming location" and failed to take actions to adequately protect the crew.

May 23rd: Born on this day

1928, Born on this day, Rosemary Clooney, American singer who came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit 'Come On-a My House', which was followed by other pop numbers such as 'Botch-a-Me', 'Mambo Italiano' and 'This Ole House'. She died on 29th June 2002.

1934, Born on this day, Robert Moog, inventor of the synthesiser. He built his first electronic instrument, a theremin - aged 14 and made the MiniMoog, "the first compact, easy-to-use synthesiser" in 1970. He died on 21st Aug 2005 at his North Carolina home aged 71, four months after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

1943, Born on this day, Norman Johnson, (General Johnson), Chairmen Of The Board, (1970 UK & US No.3 single, 'Give Me Just A Little More Time'). He also wrote the Grammy Award winning 'Patches' for Clarence Carter (Jerry Reed also recorded a country music cover version). Johnson died on October 13, 2010, in suburban Atlanta, Georgia.

1944, Born on this day, Raymond Fulwood, Parliament, Funkadelic, (1978 US No.16 album 'One Nation Under A Groove').

1946, Born on this day, Daniel Klein, bass, J Geils Band, (1982 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Centrefold').

1947, Born on this day, Bill Hunt, Electric Light Orchestra, (1979 UK No.3 & US No.4 single 'Don't Bring Me Down', plus 26 other Top 40 hits).

1953, Born on this day, English rock guitarist Rick Fenn, best known for being a member of 10cc since 1976. He has also collaborated with Mike Oldfield, Rick Wakeman and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.

1965, Born on this day, Simon Gilbert, drums, Suede, (1994 UK No.3 single 'Stay Together'). Following Suede's hiatus in 2003, he was the drummer for a local Bangkok band called Futon.

1967, Born on this day, English drummer Junior Waite, Musical Youth, best remembered for their successful 1982 single 'Pass the Dutchie', which became a No.1 hit around the world. It was a cover version of two songs: 'Gimme the Music' by U Brown, and 'Pass the Kouchie' by Mighty Diamonds, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis (kouchie being slang for a cannabis pipe).

1967, Born on this day, Philip James Selway, drummer with Radiohead. Their 1993 debut single 'Creep' was initially unsuccessful, but it became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey. Their 1997 album OK Computer appeared in many 1997 critics' lists and listener polls for best album of the year.

1970, Born on this day, Matt Flynn, drummer of American rock band Maroon 5. Prior to joining Maroon 5, Flynn played drums for The B-52's, Chicago, Gavin DeGraw and Gandhi.

1972, Born on this day, Maxwell, US male singer, (1997 UK No.27 single 'Sumthin' Sumthin' The Mantra', 2001 US No.1 album, 'Now').

1974, Born on this day, Jewel Kilcher, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress, author and poet. Jewel's debut album, Pieces of You, released in 1995, became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, going 12 times platinum.

1974, Born on this day, Richard Jones, bass, Stereophonics, (2001 UK No.1 album 'Not Enough Education', 2001 UK No.4 single 'Handbags And Gladrags').

1983, Born on this day, Heidi Range, vocals, (original member of Atomic Kitten), The Sugababes, (2003 UK No.1 single 'Hole In The Head').

1985, Born on this day, Blaine Harrison, English musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Mystery Jets.