THIS DAY IN MUSIC

August 1st: On this Day

1963, The first Beatles Monthly was published. A magazine devoted to the group, it continued for 77 editions until 1969 and at its peak was selling over 350,000 copies a month.

1964, The Beatles scored their fifth US No.1 single in seven months when 'A Hard Day's Night' went to the top of the charts. The group had now spent seventeen weeks at the No.1 position in this year.

1964, Billboard Magazine reported that the harmonica was making a comeback in a big way thanks to its use by Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

1965, During a UK tour, The Rolling Stones appeared at the London Palladium supported by The Walker Brothers, The Fourmost, Steampacket featuring Rod Stewart and Sugar Pie Desanto with The Shevelles.

1969, The three day US Atlantic City Pop Festival took place at the Atlantic City race track with B.B. King, Janis Joplin, Santana, Three Dog Night, Dr John, Procol Harum, Arthur Brown, Iron Butterfly, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Little Richard, Tim Buckley, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, The Mothers Of Invention and Canned Heat. Joni Mitchell started to cry and ran off stage in the middle of her third song because the crowd was not paying attention to her performance.

1970, The film Performance featuring Mick Jagger in his acting debut, had its UK premiere in London. The British crime drama film directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg also featured James Fox.

1971, The Concert For Bangladesh  organised by George Harrison to aid victims of famine and war in Bangladesh took place at New York's Madison Sq Garden. Featuring Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar and members from Badfinger. Harrison had to shell out his own money to maintain the fund after legal problems froze all proceeds. The triple album release (the second in a row by Harrison), hit No.1 in the UK and No.2 in the US and received the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

1971, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour started on prime time American TV. By this time, Sonny and Cher had stopped producing hit singles so the duo decided to sing and tell jokes in nightclubs across the country. CBS head of programming Fred Silverman saw them one evening and offered them their own show.

1980, Def Leppard made their US live debut when they appeared at the New York City concert opening for AC/DC. It was also Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott's 21st birthday.

1981, Australian singer Rick Springfield started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Jessie's Girl', which later won the singer a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The song was at No.1 when MTV launched on 1 August 1981. Rick had played Noah Drake in the TV show General Hospital.

1981, Welsh singer Shakin' Stevens had his second UK No.1 single with his version of 'Green Door', which had been a hit in the US for Jim Lowe in 1956 (squeezing out 'Love Me Tender' by Elvis Presley). Frankie Vaughan also scored a UK No.2 hit with the song in 1956.

1987, Eurythmics Dave Stewart married Bananarama founding member Siobham Fahey, (who later formed the BRIT Award and Ivor Novello award winning Shakespears Sister). The couple divorced in 1996.

1987, Bob Seger scored his first US No.1 single with the Harold Faltermeyer penned 'Shakedown', which was taken from the film 'Beverly Hills Cop II'. The song was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, but it lost both awards to Dirty Dancing's '(I've Had) The Time of My Life'.

1987, Los Lobos were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Ritchie Valens song 'La Bamba', which was also a No.1 hit in the US. The song was the title track from the film based on Ritchie Valens who died in the same plane crash the killed Buddy Holly.

1987, MTV Europe was launched, the first video played being 'Money For Nothing' by Dire Straits which contained the appropriate line 'I Want My MTV'.

1990, UB40 were deported from the Seychelles after police discovered marijuana in their hotel rooms.

1998, The Spice Girls scored their seventh UK No.1 single with 'Viva Forever'. The song was originally set to be released alongside the track 'Never Give Up on the Good Times' as a double A-Side which was pulled as member Geri Halliwell left the group.

1999, Ronan Keating scored his first UK No.1 solo single with 'When You Say Nothing At All'. The country song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz was a hit for Keith Whitley, who took it to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1988. The song also gave Alison Krauss her first solo top-10 country hit in 1995.

2000, Madonna's forthcoming single 'Music' had its release date brought forward by two weeks after the track was made available as an illegal MP3 file on the Internet.

2000, AC/DC kicked off their 140 date Stiff Upper World Lip Tour at the Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.

2002, A new book 'Show the Girl the Door' written by a former tour manager disclosed some strange demands by female acts. It revealed that Shania Twain would travel with a sniffer dog in case of bombs. Jennifer Lopez liked her dressing room to be all white, including carpets flowers and furniture. Cher would have high security rooms for her wigs. Janet Jackson would have a full medical team on standby including a doctor nurse and throat specialist and Britney Spears would demand her favourite Gummie Bear soft sweets.

2007, Eminem's publishing company were seeking more than $75,000 (£36,900) for copyright infringement and unfair competition against computer firm Apple for allegedly selling his music on iTunes without permission. Apple were paying Eminem's record label for each download - but Eight Mile Style argued it had not approved the deal.

2007, Prince kicked off a series of 21 sold out UK shows at London's O2 arena. Tickets for the events cost £31.21 - the same figure used by the singer to name his album, website and perfume. After completing the 21 nights the Jehovah's Witness was planning to take time out to study the Bible.

2007, John Lennon's "granny" sunglasses were snapped up by a British collector at auction. The sunglasses, from one of the last Beatles concerts, were expected to fetch around £1m, but auction bosses refused to say what the actual figure was. Lennon gave the gold-rimmed glasses to his Japanese interpreter in Tokyo in 1966, and the translator removed the lenses when Lennon died.

2007, The Police played the first of two sold out nights at Madison Square Garden, New York City on their Reunion Tour.

2013, The British government was trying to stop American Idol singer Kelly Clarkson from taking a rare turquoise and gold ring once owned by Jane Austen out of the country. The 2002 winner of the Idol TV show bought the jewellery at auction last year for more than £150,000, but Culture minister Ed Vaizey had put a temporary export bar on it saying he wanted the "national treasure" to be "saved for the nation".

2014, Jimi Jamison, the lead singer for US rock band Survivor, who sang and co-wrote 'I'm Always Here' the theme tune for hit TV series Baywatch, died aged 63. The band are best known for their 1982 hit 'The Eye of the Tiger' which pre-dated Jamison joining the group.

2015, English singer, actress and entertainer Cilla Black died at her holiday home near Marbella, Spain, aged 72. Along with a successful recording career in the 1960s and early 1970s, Black hosted her own eponymous variety show, Cilla, for the BBC between 1968 and 1976 and later shows such as Blind Date (1985–2003) and Surprise Surprise (1984–2001).

August 1st: Born on this day

1898, Born on this day, Morris Stoloff, arranger, (1956 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Moonglow and Theme From Picnic', arranged film music including 'Lawrence Of Arabia'). Died 6th April 1980.

1942, Born on this day, Jerry Garcia, guitar, vocals, The Grateful Dead. He was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" cover story. Garcia also founded a variety of side projects, including the Saunders–Garcia Band, the Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, Legion of Mary, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Garcia died from a drugs-related heart attack on 9th August 1995.

1946, Born on this day, Boz Burrell, Bad Company, (1974 UK No.15 & US No.5 single 'Can't Get Enough'). Member of King Crimson.

1947, Born on this day, Rick Anderson bass, The Tubes, (1977 UK No.28 single 'White Punks On Dope', 1983 US No.10 single 'She's A Beauty').

1947, Born on this day, Ricky Coonce, Grass Roots, (1968 US No.5 single 'Midnight Confessions', plus 13 other US Top 40 singles).

1951, Born on this day, Tommy Bolin, guitarist. Joined Deep Purple in 1975, member of Zephyr and The James Gang. Bolin died of a heroin overdose on 4th December 1976.

1953, Born on this day, Robert Cray, singer, Blues guitarist, (1987 UK No.50 single 'Right Next Door, Because Of Me').

1959, Born on this day, Joe Elliott, vocals, Def Leppard, (1987 UK No.6 single 'Animal' 1987 world wide No.1 album Hysteria 1988 US No.1 single 'Love Bites').

1960, Born on this day, Chuck D, (Carlton Ridenhour), Public Enemy, (1988 UK No.18 single 'Don't Believe The Hype').

1960, Born on this day, Suzi Gardner, guitar, vocals, L7, (1992 UK No. 21 single ‘Pretend We’re Dead’).

1963, Born on this day, Coolio, (Artis Ivey Jr), 1995 US & UK No.1 single 'Gangsta's Paradise'.

1964, Born on this day, Adam Duritz, Counting Crows (1994 UK No.28 single 'Mr Jones' 1996 US No.1 album 'Recovering The Satellites').

1964, Born on this day, Nick Christian Sayer guitar, Transvision Vamp ,(1989 UK No.3 single 'Baby I Don't Care').

1968, Born on this day, Dan Donegan, guitar, Disturbed, (2005 US No.1 album 'Ten Thousand Fists').

1970, Born on this day, Kenwyn House, guitar, Reef, (1996 UK No. 6 single ‘Place Your Hands’, 1997 UK No.1 album ‘Glow).

1981, Born on this day, Ashley Parker, O-Town, winners of US TV show 'Making The Band' (2001 US No.3 single 'All Or Nothing' 2001 UK No.3 single 'Liquid Dreams').