THIS DAY IN MUSIC

July 24th: On this Day

1964, A riot broke out during a Rolling Stones gig at The Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, Lancashire, after Keith Richards aims a kick at a yob who was spitting at the group. Two policemen and 30 fans were injured and the damage is estimated at over £4,000.

1965, The Byrds were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Bob Dylan song 'Mr Tambourine Man'. The first Bob Dylan song to reach No.1. The Byrds' recording of the song was influential in initiating the musical subgenre of folk rock, leading many contemporary bands to mimic its fusion of jangly guitars and intellectual lyrics.

1967, All four Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein signed a petition printed in The Times newspaper calling for the legalisation of marijuana.

1967, The Beatles meet Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whose lecture on Transcendental Meditation (TM) they had gone to hear at the Hilton Hotel in London. TM involved the silent repetition of a word or sound to produce a state of mind that reduces stress, calms the mind, and energizes both mind and body. The Maharishi invited The Beatles to travel with him to Bangor, in North Wales, to attend more lectures. They accepted his invitation.

1969, Paul McCartney recorded a demo of his new song ‘Come and Get It’ at Abbey Road studios in London. McCartney gave the song to The Iveys, (soon to become known as Badfinger). The song was later used as the theme for the movie The Magic Christian. The Beatles also recorded ‘Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard’ for their forthcoming Abbey Road album.

1971, Paul Revere and the Raiders went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Indian Reservation'. The song was first recorded in 1959 by Marvin Rainwater and released as 'The Pale Faced Indian' and then later by Don Fardon in 1968.

1972, Bobby Ramirez drummer with Edger Winters White Trash was killed after becoming involved in a brawl in a Chicago bar. The fight started after comments were made about the length of his hair.

1974, George McCrae was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Rock Your Baby'. Written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band. Regarded by some as the first Disco No.1.

1976, Elton John scored his first UK number 1 single with ‘Don't Go Breaking My Heart’ a duet with Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin under the pseudonym "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" and was Elton's first UK No.1 after 16 Top 40 hits. John had met Dee when she was working as a backing singer. John would later re-record the song with RuPaul for his 1993 'Duets' album.

1977, Donna Summer was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Giorgio Moroder produced 'I Feel Love'. The disco diva's only UK chart topper.

1978, The Robert Stigwood film Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released, featuring The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton. The film received extremely negative reviews from most critics and barely broke even at the box office.

1980, Peter Sellers, actor, singer, died of a heart attack. (1956 UK No.9 single 'Ying Tong Song' with The Goons, 1960 UK No.4 single 'Goodness Gracious Me', with Sophia Loren, 1965 UK No.14 single 'A Hard Day's Night').

1982, Survivor started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Eye Of The Tiger', taken from the film 'Rocky III'. Also No.1 in the UK. Survivor won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance for the song.

1984, The Rev. C.L. Franklin died, (father of soul singer Aretha Franklin). Franklin who was an American Baptist minister as well as a Civil Rights activist had been in a coma since 1979 after being shot by burglars at his home in Detroit.

1993, U2 started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Zooropa' the Irish bands fourth US No.1. Zooropa won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1994.

1993, UB40 started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Can't Help Falling In Love. Elvis Presley had the first hit with the song, in 1961, Corey Hart was next up with a top 30 hit in 1987, and Hall and Oates recorded the song for 1990’s, The Last Temptation of Elvis charity album. UB40 originally covered the song for the Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack, but Bono’s version was chosen instead. Also on the same day UB40 went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Promises And Lies'.

1997, Police gave Oasis singer Liam Gallagher a formal caution after he admitted criminal damage following an incident with a cyclist in Camden, north London. Gallagher had grabbed the rider from the window of his chauffeur driven car and broken the man's Ray-Bans sunglasses.

1999, Phil Collins married for the third time. The 48-year-old drummer wed marketing consultant Orianne Cevey in Lausanne, Switzerland. Guests at the wedding included Elton John, Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler.

2002, A garden centre was sued over claims it killed a collection of the late singer Freddie Mercury's  prized koi fish. Mercury's former partner, Mary Austin who inherited the Japanese koi collection claimed 84 fish died when the electricity powering a temporary pond was accidentally turned off by a worker from Clifton Nurseries, of Maida Vale, West London. At the time of Mercury's death he had amassed one of the best collections of the fish in the UK. One koi can be worth £250,000.

2003, Ozzy Osbourne long-standing tour manager, Bobby Thompson, was found dead in his Detroit hotel room. Thompson had been battling throat cancer.

2005, Bad Beat singer Patrick Sherry died after a stage dive went wrong during a gig at the Warehouse in Leeds, England. Sherry lept towards the crowd at the end of the bands set and tried to grab a lighting rig from the ceiling but missed and hit the floor.

2007, Beyonce tripped down twelve stairs while performing "Ring the Alarm" on tour in Orlando, Florida. Video from the night of the concert captured her stepping on her trench coat and then tumbling head-first down twelve steps at the Amway Arena appeared within hours on YouTube.

2008, Pete Doherty pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage after smashing a photographer's camera. The 29-year-old lost his temper with news agency employee Catherine Mead when she followed him around Crewkerne, Somerset, in August 2007. Yeovil Magistrates' Court heard how he grabbed the camera and broke the lens, he was ordered to pay £918.27 in compensation to Ms Mead.

2008, Rapper 50 Cent was suing Taco Bell claiming the US fast food chain used his name and image without permission in an advertising campaign. New York court papers say the advert features the star being encouraged to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent. The rapper is accusing the chain of ‘diluting the value of his good name’. The advertisement is part of Taco Bell's ‘Why Pay More’’ campaign, which promotes items for under a dollar.

2014, Duran Duran took legal action against a US company charged with running their fan club over unpaid revenues. The group claimed they are owed $40,000 (£23,500) by the Illinois-based outfit WorldWide Fan Clubs. The company had been charged with managing subscriptions and fan records for Duran Duran, with 75% of profits going to the musicians.

July 24th: Born on this day

1941, Born on this day, Barbara Love, The Friends Of Distinction, (1969 US No.3 single 'Grazing In The Grass').

1942, Born on this day, Heinz Burt, bass, The Tornadoes, (1962 UK & US No.1 single 'Telstar'). The first major hit from a UK act on the American chart. He died on 7th April 2000.

1944, Born on this day, Irish guitarist Jim Armstrong, with Van Morrison and Them, (1965 UK No.2 & US No.24 single 'Here Comes The Night'). Armstrong has also played with Jim Morrison & The Doors, Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa.

1947, Born on this day, Alan Whitehead, drummer, Marmalade, (1969 UK No.1 single 'Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da', 1970 US No.10 single, 'Reflections Of My Life').

1957, Born on this day, Larry Gott, guitar, James, (1991 UK No.2 single 'Sit Down').

1957, Born on this day, country music singer-songwriter and actress, Pam Tillis, (the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis). She scored the 1991 hit 'Don't Tell Me What to Do', and has since charted more than 30 singles on the US country charts, including her only No.1 single, 1995's 'Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)'.

1958, Born on this day, Mick Karn, bass, sax, Japan, (1982 UK No.5 single 'Ghosts').

1961, Born on this day, Paul Geary, drums, Extreme, (1991 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'More Than Words'). Geary is now a manager working with The Smashing Pumpkins, Creed, The Scorpions, Fuel, Steel Panther, Jason Bonham and others.

1970, Born on this day, Jennifer Lopez, singer, actress, (2001 UK No.1 single 'Love Don't Cost A Thing', 2001 US No.1 single 'I'm Real').

1973, Born on this day, Mecca, Digable Planets, (1993 UK No. 67 single 'Rebirth Of Slick').

1982, Born on this day, Tord Øverland Knudsen, bass, keyboards for English indie rock band The Wombats.

1990, Born on this day, British singer, songwriter Jay McGuiness with boy band The Wanted.