THIS DAY IN MUSIC

December 13th: On this Day

1955, Dickie Valentine was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Christmas Alphabet', the first Christmas song to reach the No.1 position. It was the first Christmas No.1 that was actually about Christmas, a trend that would continue off and on over the next several decades.

1961, The Beatles performed at the The Cavern Club Liverpool playing two shows at lunchtime and then again at night. Decca Records' Mike Smith attended the night performance with a view to offering The Beatles a recording contract.

1962, Elvis Presley  was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Return To Sender', his 13th UK No.1. Elvis performed 'Return To Sender' in the film Girls! Girls! Girls!. The opening bars and backing on baritone saxophone was performed by Bobby Keys who later went on to work with The Rolling Stones, The Who, Harry Nilsson, George Harrison and Eric Clapton.

1962,

1966, Jimi Hendrix made his TV debut on ITV's 'Ready Steady Go!' (Marc Bolan was also on the show). The Jimi Hendrix Experience also recorded 'Foxy Lady' on this day. The United States version of Are You Experienced listed the song with a spelling mistake as 'Foxey Lady' and this is how it is still known among many North American fans.

1969, Diana Ross took the Latino Casino in Philadelphia to court for $27,500 after her two pet dogs died after eating cyanide tablets left by an exterminator in her dressing room.

1970, Dave Edmunds was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of the 1955 Smiley Lewis hit 'I Hear You Knocking.' The Welsh singer, songwriter and producers only No.1 hit.

1986, Bruce Hornsby & The Range went to No.1 on the US singles chart, with 'The Way It Is', a No.15 hit in the UK. Written by Bruce Hornsby and his brother John Hornsby, it made explicit reference to the American Civil Rights Movement. The song was heavily sampled by Tupac Shakur in his song, 'Changes' from 1998.

1997, Children's TV characters The Teletubbies went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Teletubbies Say-eh-oh'. The single spent a total of 32 weeks on the chart.

1999, Winners in the Smash Hits readers poll included, Backstreet Boys who won Best band, best album & best single, Britney Spears won best female singer, Robbie Williams best male singer, S Club 7 won best new band and worst group went to the Spice Girls.

1999, Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder was ordered to pay £160,000 to his ex management team over a dispute in his contract. Ryder said he was so high after a 'joint' he didn't bother to read the small print; the court was told the contract had 'done his nut in'.

2000, It was announced that after 74 years the UK rock weekly Melody Maker was to close down. The Christmas edition would be the last one then it would merge with the NME creating a more sizeable broad-based magazine.

2000, Sir Paul McCartney held his first-ever London book signing at Waterstone's in Piccadilly. Sir Paul was in the store to sign copies of his new book, Paul McCartney Paintings.

2001, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chuck Schuldiner died of brain cancer. He founded the pioneering band Death in 1983. Schuldiner is often referred to as "The Godfather of death metal". Death's best-selling album is the 1991 release Human.

2002, Canadian guitarist and singer Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin Spoonful died of a heart attack. Was a member of The Mugwumps with Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot. Formed Lovin Spoonful with John Sebastian in 1964, they scored the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.8 single 'Summer In The City'.

2002, UK music channel Music Choice analysed all the Christmas No.1 singles from the past 30 years and identified criteria for their success. These included the use of sleigh bells, children singing, church bells harmony and references to love. They concluded that Sir Cliff Richards 1988 hit 'Mistletoe and Wine' was the perfect Christmas hit.

2003, Lauryn Hill launched a blistering attack on the Catholic church, urging religious figures to "repent" whilst speaking on a stage regularly used by the Pope. The former Fugees singer was playing at a Christmas show in Vatican City and took the opportunity to speak her mind about allegations of sexual abuse in America, before an audience that included top Vatican cardinals, bishops and the cream of Italian society.

2005, A cheque signed by John Lennon made out to the Inland Revenue sold for £2,000 at a UK auction. It was sold by former madam Lindi St Clair, (formerly known as Miss Whiplash), after she decided she had no use for it. Clair who now runs a duck farm in Herefordshire had bought the cheque for £4,000 in 1988. It was signed by Lennon on 23rd January 1968 on a District Bank Limited form and made out for £6,946.

2008, Dizzee Rascal was arrested in south-east London following an incident involving a baseball bat. The rapper allegedly approached another motorist with a baseball bat after a road rage incident. Rascal whose real name is Dylan Mills, was held on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon in Sevenoaks Way, Orpington.

2012, A collection of love letters written by Mick Jagger to American singer Marsha Hunt sold at auction for £187,250. The letters were penned in the summer of 1969 while The Rolling Stones frontman was in Australia. They are believed to be the inspiration for the band's hit single 'Brown Sugar'.

December 13th: Born on this day

1940, Born on this day, Tony Gomez, The Foundations, (1967 UK No.1 single 'Baby Now That I've Found You'. 1969 US No.3 single 'Build Me Up A Buttercup'.)

1945, Born on this day, Robert Martinez, ? & The Mysterians, (1966 US No. 1 & UK No.37 single '96 Tears'). '96 Tears' was a UK No.17 hit for The Stranglers in 1990.

1948, Born on this day, Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, American guitarist with psychedelic rock band Ultimate Spinach, the Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan (their first three albums, Can't Buy a Thrill in 1972, Countdown to Ecstasy in 1973, and Pretzel Logic in 1974), and Spirit in the 1980s. Baxter has also worked with many other artists including Willy DeVille, Bryan Adams, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, Gene Simmons and Rod Stewart.

1948, Born on this day, Ted Nugent, guitarist, The Amboy Dukes, (1968 single, 'Journey To The Centre Of The Mind'). Solo, (1977 single 'Cat Scratch Fever'). Damn Yankees, (1990 album 'Damn Yankies').

1949, Born on this day, Tom Verlaine, American singer, songwriter and guitarist with Television. The group's debut album, Marquee Moon, is often considered one of the defining releases of the punk era.

1949, Born on this day in Fort Payne, Alabama, Randy Owen, guitarist and singer, songwriter best known as the lead singer with Alabama who have scored over 30 US Country No.1 hits and have sold over 73 million records.

1950, Born on this day, Davy O'List, guitar, The Nice, (1968 UK No.21 single 'America'), Roxy Music, (1972 UK No.4 single 'Virginia Plain' plus 15 other UK Top 40 singles).

1952, Born on this day, Berton Averre, lead guitarist with the Los Angeles rock band The Knack who scored the 1979 US No.1 & UK No.6 single 'My Sharona'.

1967, Born on this day, Jamie Foxx, (born Eric Marlon Bishop). US actor, R&B singer and pianist, (2005 US No.1 and UK No.2 single ‘Gold Digger’ with Kanye West, 2006 US No.1 & UK No.9 album ‘Unpredictable’). Academy Award winner in 2005 for his performance of musician Ray Charles in Ray.

1970, Born on this day, Daniel Patrick, bass guitar, guitar and keyboards. Worked Nine Inch Nails, Tapeworm, Killing Joke, Methods of Mayhem.

1974, Born on this day, Nick McCarthy, guitar, Franz Ferdinand, (winners of the 2004 Mercury Music Prize for their self-titled debut album).

1975, Born on this day, Tom Delonge, Blink 182, (2000 UK No.2 single 'All The Small Things' 2001 US No.1 album 'Take Off Your...').

1981, Born on this day, Amy Lynn Lee, vocals, Evanescence, (2003 UK No.1 & US No.5 single ‘Bring Me To Life’, 2003 UK No.1 & US No.3 album ‘Fallen’).

1989, Born on this day, American singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift. Her third single, 'Our Song', made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a No.1 song on the US country chart. She has sold over 40 million albums and 130 million digital single downloads worldwide. She is also the recipient of ten Grammy Awards, five Guinness World Records, one Emmy Award, 23 Billboard Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards, and one Brit Award.