On This Day

August 23rd

1962 - John Lennon

John Lennon married Cynthia Powell at Liverpool's Mount Pleasant register office. He then played a gig that night with The Beatles at Liverpool's Riverpark Ballroom.

1963 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones appeared on UK TV show Ready, Steady, Go! for the first time, performing their debut single 'Come On.' The group made a total of 20 appearances on the show between 1963 and 1966.

1965 - The Rolling Stones

Security guards at a Manchester TV studio hosed down 200 Rolling Stones fans after they broke down barriers while waiting for the band to arrive for a performance.

1966 - The Beatles

On their final tour of America, The Beatles performed at Shea Stadium in New York City, New York. Unlike the previous year's performance, which had sold out, there were 11,000 empty seats in the 55,600 seat stadium. The Beatles earn more than the previous year, receiving $189,000 for their performance.

1966 - The Beatles

The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the double a sided 'Yellow Submarine - Eleanor Rigby'. The group's eleventh No.1. Paul McCartney said he came up with the name Eleanor from actress Eleanor Bron, who had starred with The Beatles in the film Help!. Rigby came from the name of a store in Bristol, Rigby & Evens Ltd, Wine & Spirit Shippers.

1967 - Keith Moon

Enjoying a wild birthday party Keith Moon drummer with The Who drove his Lincoln car into a Holiday Inn swimming pool. As the party had become out of control, the police were called to put an end to the festivities. Moon, ever keen to avoid the boys in blue snuck outside and got into a Lincoln Continental Limousine and attempted to make a getaway. Unfortunately, in his inebriated state he released the handbrake, and began rolling towards the pool. Moon simply sat back and waited, as the car crashed through the fence around the pool and into the water.

1968 - Jimi Hendrix

During a North American tour The Jimi Hendrix Experienceappeared at Singer Bowl, Flushing Meadow Park, New York. Also on the bill was Soft Machine and Big Brother and the Holding Company.

1969 - Ibex

Ibex, featuring vocalist Freddie Bulsara (later known as Freddie Mercury) played a gig at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, Lancashire, UK.

1969 - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash started a four-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Johnny Cash At San Quentin'. The album was a recording of a live concert given to the inmates of San Quentin State Prison and was the follow-up to Cash's previous live album, the critically acclaimed and commercially successful At Folsom Prison.

1969 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Honky Tonk Women' the group's fifth US No.1. The song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards was inspired by Brazilian gauchos at the ranch where Jagger and Richards were staying in Matao, Sao Paulo.

1970 - Lou Reed

Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground performed together for the last time at the New York Club 'Max's Kansas City'. Reed worked as a typist for his father for the next two years, at $40 per week.

1971 - Diana Ross

Diana Ross was at No.1 on the UK singles chart 'I'm Still Waiting', the singers first solo UK No.1. The song which spent four weeks at the top of the charts was released after BBC Radio 1 DJ Tony Blackburn featured it heavily on his morning programme.

1975 - Joy Division

Joy Division singer Ian Curtis married Deborah Woodruff, whom he met while still at school, when he was 19 and she was 18. They remained married until his death when he hanged himself in the kitchen of his house in Macclesfield, England at the age of 23.

1980 - David Bowie

David Bowie was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Ashes To Ashes' his second UK No.1. Taken from the Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) album, the song continued the story of Major Tom from Bowie's 'Space Oddity'. The video for 'Ashes to Ashes' was one of the most iconic of the 1980s and costing £250,000, it was at the time the most expensive music video ever made.

1980 - Elvis Costello

The Heatwave Festival in Toronto, Canada took place with Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The B-52's, The Pretenders, Rockpile and The Rumour. Tickets cost $30, with only 50,000 people attending the festival lost over $1 million.

1986 - Boris Gardiner

Jamaican singer Boris Gardiner started a three week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Want to Wake Up with You'.

1986 - Sigue Sigue Sputnik

Sigue Sigue Sputnik came up with an idea to sell advertising space between the tracks on their forthcoming new album. It was a non-starter.

2003 - Lee Ryan

Lee Ryan of boy band Blue was banned from driving for 18 months after admitting drink-driving. Ryan was also ordered to pay a £2250 fine at Tower Bridge magistrate's court London.

2005 - Les McKeown

Les McKeown the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers appeared in court charged with drugs offences. McKeown, aged 49, was accused of conspiring with four other people, including the band's drummer Pat McGlynn, to supply cocaine. He was arrested in Dalston, east London, in June as part of a major police operation.

2007 - Buddy Sheffield

Comedy writer Buddy Sheffield, sued Disney alleging that he originally came up with the idea for Hannah Montana but was never compensated by Disney. In the lawsuit, Sheffield claimed that he pitched an idea for a TV series with the name of ‘Rock and Roland’ to Disney Channel in 2001 with the plot of a junior high student who lived a secret double life as a rock star.

2008 - Madonna

Madonna kicked off her 86-date Sticky & Sweet Tour at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff Wales. It became the highest grossing tour by a solo artist, breaking the previous record Madonna achieved with her 2006 Confessions Tour. Madonna's first venture with Live Nation, was estimated to have grossed $280 million.

2013 - Jennifer Lopez

A man found in the pool house at Jennifer Lopez's mansion in the exclusive Hamptons area of New York was charged with stalking. According to police, the singer had a restraining order against John Dubis, who was a retired firefighter, was also charged with burglary, criminal contempt and possessing burglary tools.

Born On This Day

August 23rd

1940 - Vicki Brown

Vicki Brown, English pop, and rock singer. She is best known for her membership of both The Vernons Girls and The Breakaways, and as one of the UK's most enduring backing vocalists. She appeared on many hits including The Jimi Hendrix Experienceversion of 'Hey Joe', Petula Clark's hit, 'Downtown', The Who's Tommy – film soundtrack, George Harrison's Cloud Nine. She was the first wife of singer and musician Joe Brown and mother of the singer Sam Brown. She died of breast cancer on 16 June 1991 aged 50.

1942 - Roger Greenaway

Roger Greenaway, singer, songwriter, member of David & Jonathan and the Kestrels. Best known for his songwriting collaborations with Roger Cook: 'My Baby Loves Lovin', (White Plains); 'Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress', 'Gasoline Alley Bred', (The Hollies); 'You've Got Your Troubles', (The Fortunes); 'Melting Pot, Good Morning Freedom' (Blue Mink); and 'Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart' (Gene Pitney).

1946 - Keith Moon

English drummer Keith Moon. The Who With The Who he scored the 1965 UK No.2 single 'My Generation' plus over 20 other Top 40 hits, 1967 US No.9 single 'I Can See For Miles' and rock opera albums 'Tommy' & 'Quadrophenia'. Moon was voted the second-greatest drummer in history by a Rolling Stone readers' poll. Moon died on 7th September 1978 after taking 32 clomethiazole tablets.

1947 - Linda Thompson

Linda Thompson, English folk rock singer in collaboration with her then husband and fellow British folk rock musician, guitarist Richard Thompson, and later as a solo artist.

1949 - Rick Springfield

Rick Springfield, US singer, songwriter, (1981 US No.1 & UK No.43 single 'Jessie's Girl').

1951 - Jimi Jamison

Jimi Jamison, Survivor, (1982 US & UK No.1 single 'Eye Of The Tiger') and as the voice and co-writer of the theme song for Baywatch. Jamison died at the age of 63 on August 31, 2014 in Memphis, Tennessee. from a heart attack.

1953 - Bobby G

Bobby G, singer with British pop group Bucks Fizz who had the UK hits 'Making Your Mind Up' (1981), 'The Land of Make Believe' (1981) and 'My Camera Never Lies' (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s.

1954 - Mark Avsec

Mark Avsec, keyboardist, songwriter, Donnie Iris & the Cruisers, Wild Cherry, (1976 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Play That Funky Music').

1959 - Edwyn Collins

Edwyn Collins, singer, songwriter, producer, Orange Juice, (1983 UK No.8 single 'Rip It Up'), solo, (1995 UK No.4 single 'A Girl Like You').

1961 - Dean Deleo

Born on this day in Newark, New Jersey, was Dean DeLeo, guitarist with Stone Temple Pilots, Talk Show and Army of Anyone. His younger brother, bass guitarist Robert DeLeo, was also a member of the band.

1962 - Shaun Ryder

English musician and singer-songwriter Shaun Ryder, best known as the lead singer of the Happy Mondays and Black Grape. He was the runner-up of the tenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Ryder's struggle with drugs led to the break-up of Happy Mondays in 1992. The film 24 Hour Party People featured the (semi-fictional) story of Shaun Ryder's youth and the life of Happy Mondays whilst signed with Factory Records in the late '80s and early '90s.

1967 - Cedella Marley

Cedella Marley, Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, (1988 UK No.22 single 'Tomorrow People').

1974 - Shifty Shellshock

Shifty Shellshock (real name Seth Brooks Binzer) front man of Crazy Town. 2001 US No.1 single 'Butterfly'.

1978 - Julian Casablancas

Julian Casablancas, guitarist, singer, songwriter from American rock band The Strokes who had the 2001 UK No.14 single 'Last Nite' and the 2001 UK No.2 album Is This It.

1979 - Richard Neville

Richard Neville with English boy band Five who had the 1998 UK No.2 single 'Everybody Get Up' and the 1999 UK No.1 single 'Keep On Movin'.

1981 - Natalie Horler

Natalie Horler, singer, Cascada, German dance group. 2007 hit ‘Everytime We Touch’ won them a World Music Award in 2007. 2009 UK No.1 single ‘Evacuate the Dancefloor’.

1986 - SkyBluone

SkyBluone (Skyler Austen Gordy), one half of LMFAO who had the 2011 world wide hits 'Party Rock Anthem' and 'Sexy And I Know It'.