On This Day

March 15th

1955 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley signed a management contract with Colonel Tom Parker. Parker had previously managed the 'Great Parker Pony Circus' with one of the acts being a troupe of dancing chickens.

1955 - Ray Charles

Ray Charles peaked at No.2 on the US R&B charts with the Atlantic single 'I Got A Woman', widely considered the first song to be labelled "soul" - a blending of R&B and gospel.

1967 - George Harrison

The first session recording George Harrison's new song ‘Within You Without You’ took place at Abbey Road studios, London. George was the only Beatle to perform on this song, which was still called 'Untitled'. Harrison played the swordmandel and tamboura, Natver Soni played tabla, Amrat Gajjar played dilruba, PD Joshi played swordmandel, and an undocumented musician played a droning tamboura.

1968 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones started daily sessions at Olympic Studios in London to start recording their next album, Beggars Banquet. Working from 7pm to 8am each day without a break, the Stones worked on 'Jumpin’ Jack Flash', 'Child Of The Moon', 'Jigsaw Puzzle' and 'Parachute Woman' as well as the instrumental foundation for a song called 'Did Everybody Paid Their Dues?' (which would later become 'Street Fighting Man').

1969 - Cream

Cream started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their fourth and final original album Goodbye. The single, 'Badge', (which was written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison), was subsequently released from the album a month later. Harrison was credited on the track, (for contractual reasons), as 'L'Angelo Misterioso' on rhythm guitar. 

1969 - Tommy Roe

Tommy Roe started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Dizzy', also No.1 in the UK. In 1991 Vic Reeves and the Wonder Stuff took the song to No.1 on the UK chart.

1969 - Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents, (2/6). The magazine was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner, the first issue of November 9, 1967 was in a newspaper format with a lead article on the Monterey Pop Festival.

1969 - Marc Bolan

Tyrannosaurus Rex singer Marc Bolan's first book of poetry 'The Warlock Of Love' was published, priced at 12s/6d.

1969 - Led Zeppelin

During a Scandinavian tour Led Zeppelin played two shows in one day. The first was at Teens Club Box 45, Gladsaxe, Denmark and the second at the Brondby Pop Club in Norregard, Denmark. Also on the bill for the second show was The Keef Hartley Band, Ham and Swedish band Made In Sweden.

1972 - Donny Osmond

DJ Robert W. Morgan played the Donny Osmond version of 'Puppy Love' for 90 minutes on the radio station KHJ in Los Angeles. LAPD mistakenly raided the station studios after receiving numerous calls from listeners, confused, the officers left without making any arrests.

1973 - Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack was at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' and Elton John had the No.1 album with his sixth studio album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player. 

1975 - Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Black Water', the group's first of two US No.1's.

1982 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame at the 13th annual dinner held at the Hilton Hotel in New York City. After the ceremony Dylan gave a short interview to Jane Hansen, which was broadcast by NBC, TV in New York City.

1986 - Prince

The Bangles were at No.2 on the UK singles chart with 'Manic Monday', a song written by Prince under the pseudonym Christopher, it also made No.2 in the US, held of No.1 by Prince with 'Kiss'.

1988 - Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger opened his first ever solo tour, his first ever performances in Japan and his first full concerts since 1982, with three shows at Osaka's Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The show was mostly made up of Rolling Stones songs, including songs not performed by the Stones for a long time, including 'Bitch', 'Gimmie Shelter', 'Ruby Tuesday' and 'Sympathy For The Devil' as well as the Jimi Hendrix song 'Foxy Lady'.

1997 - Spice Girls

The Spice Girls went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Mama', making them the first act ever to have their first four singles reach No.1 on the UK chart.

1998 - Madonna

Madonna scored her sixth UK No.1 album with her seventh studio album Ray Of Light. up until this point, no other female artist had achieved more than three UK No.1 albums.

1999 - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame by U2's Bono.

2000 - Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger was ordered to increase his child support payments to Brazilian model Luciana Morad from $5,500 (£3,235) a month to $10,000 (£5,888). Mick was asked to confirm that he was the father of her child by the court, while Ms Morad was seeking a $10 million (£3.8 million) settlement. Morad told the court her monthly expenses: $3,500 (£2,065) for a nanny; $2,500, £3,000 for food and $3,350 (£1,970) to rent her place on New York's Upper West Side.

2002 - John Lennon

Yoko Ono unveiled a seven foot bronze statue of John Lennon overlooking the check-in hall of Liverpool John Lennon airport. The re-branding of the airport featured a sketch of Lennon's face with the words 'Above Us Only Skies.'

2005 - Ian Brown

Former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown was arrested after a fight during a concert in San Francisco after a fan jumped on stage and attacked the singer, who then became involved in a fracas with a security guard. Brown was arrested at his hotel after the show at the Great American Music Hall but released without charge.

2010 - Michael Jackson

Sony Music announced the biggest recording deal in history with the estate of Michael Jackson worth more than $200m (£133m). The deal involved 10 album projects over seven year's including one of previously unreleased material. Sony had sold about 31 million copies of Jackson's albums worldwide since his death on 25 June, 2009.

2013 - Lana Clarkson

Friends of Lana Clarkson, the actress murdered by music producer Phil Spector, were protesting at a screening of the film about his trial. The movie, starring Al Pacino, focused on his relationship with his defence lawyer, played by Helen Mirren. But the group against the film said it was too sympathetic towards Spector's defence case. Clarkson's former publicist, Edward Lozzi, called the film a 'slap in the face'.

2013 - Hardrock Gunter

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Hardrock Gunter died from complications of pneumonia, at the age of 88. His music at the turn of the 1950s prefigured rock and roll and rockabilly music. His song 'Birmingham Bounce' from early 1950, became a regional hit, and led to over 20 cover versions, the most successful being by Red Foley, whose version reached No.1 on the country chart. Gunter's original version has become regarded as a contender for the first rock and roll record, predating 'Rocket 88' by Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm by a year.

2014 - Scott Asheton

Scott Asheton best known as the drummer for the Stooges died of a heart attack aged 64. He co-formed the Stooges in 1967 along with his older brother Ron Asheton, Iggy Pop and Dave Alexander.

2015 - Mike Porcaro

Mike Porcaro bassist with Toto died following a battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease. He was the middle brother of Toto members Jeff Porcaro and Steve Porcaro. Toto who formed in 1978 are best known for such classic rock hits as 'Hold the Line,' 'Rosanna' and 'Africa' and won an Album of the Year Grammy for 1982's Toto IV.