What Happened Today In Music

October 7th

1963 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones recorded the Lennon and McCartney penned song ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ at De Lane Lea Studios in London. The song which was primarily written by Paul McCartney, was finished by Lennon and McCartney in the corner of a room while Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were talking. The song peaked at No.12 on the UK charts when released.

1966 - Johnny Kidd

Johnny Kidd was killed in a car crash while on UK tour in Radcliffe, Manchester, aged 27. Pirates' bassist Nick Simper, who later became an original member of Deep Purple, was also in the car with Kidd but he suffered only some cuts and a broken arm. Kidd scored the 1960 UK No.1 single 'Shakin' All Over' as Johnny Kidd and the Pirates.

1966 - Smiley Lewis

Smiley Lewis, New Orleans R&B singer, died of stomach cancer. He wrote 'One Night' covered by Elvis Presley and 'I Hear You Knocking' 1955 US No.2 for Gale Storm plus UK No.1 & US No.2 for Dave Edmunds'.

1967 - The Beatles

The Beatles rejected an offer of $1 million from promoter Sid Bernstein to make a second appearance at New York's Shea Stadium. Bernstein had originally brought the group to Shea in August 1965. Sid Bernstein had actually successfully contracted the Beatles to play at Shea Stadium in both 1965 and 1966.

1967 - Cass Elliot

Cass Elliot from The Mamas & the Papas spent the night in a London jail after being accused of stealing from a hotel. A TV and concert appearance had to be cancelled.

1968 - Jose Feliciano

Jose Feliciano performed a controversial version of The Star Spangled Banner before the fifth game of the World Series between the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals. As a result of his slow, Bluesy delivery, many radio stations refused to play his songs, and his career suffered.

1976 - John Lennon

John Lennon was awarded his ‘Green Card’ - permanent residency status, at a hearing in New York which overturned previous efforts by the US Government to deport him. The three judge panel of the US Court of Appeals ruled that his 1968 arrest in Britain for possession of marijuana was "contrary to US ideas of due process and was invalid as a means of banishing the former Beatle from America."

1978 - Marvin Gaye

US Music magazine Billboard reported that Marvin Gaye had twice filed bankruptcy papers earlier in the year, with debts of $7 million.

1978 - Bee Gees

The film soundtrack to 'Grease' featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John started a 13 week run at No.1 on the UK chart.

1979 - Joy Division

Factory Records released 'Transmission' the debut single by English post-punk band Joy Division. In May 2007, NME magazine placed 'Transmission' at No.20 in its list of the 50 "Greatest Indie Anthems Ever", one place below their third single 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

1982 - Jimmy Page

Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page was given a 12-month conditional discharge after being found guilty of possessing cocaine.

1989 - Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Forever Your Girl'. Abdul spent sixty-four consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 before hitting number one, making it the longest time for an album to reach the number one spot.

1995 - Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette went to No.1 on the US album chart with her third album Jagged Little Pill. The record produced six successful singles, including 'You Oughta Know', 'Ironic', 'You Learn', 'Hand in My Pocket', and 'Head over Feet' and went on to become the biggest selling album ever by a female artist with sales over 30m.

1999 - Lauryn Hill

It was reported that four musicians who claimed they worked on her 'Miseducation' album were suing Lauryn Hill. The musicians were seeking unpaid royalties for co writers and producers.

2002 - Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger donated £100,000 to his old Grammar school in Dartford to help pay for a music director and buy musical instruments. The new centre was also named after Mick Jagger.

2004 - Mick Mars

53 year old Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars had a hip replacement operation in a LA hospital.

2005 - Boy George

Boy George was arrested in New York after Police found traces of drugs in his apartment. George had called the police after he thought somebody was breaking into his apartment. When police arrived and made a search they found traces of cocaine on a computer table.

2006 - Babyshambles

Babyshambles postponed their UK tour to give singer Pete Doherty more time to recover from drug treatment. The band postponed their five remaining dates to allow him to continue his "excellent" rehab efforts.

2007 - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Magic', the singer, songwriter's 15th studio album and 7th UK No.1. Also a US No.1 album.

2007 - Lil' Wayne

25 year-old Hip-hop artist Lil' Wayne was arrested during a US tour after a concert in Idaho on a warrant stemming from a drug possession charge. Because of the nature of the charges, the rapper - real name Dwayne Michael Carter Jr - was not eligible for bail.

2009 - Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand surprised many music industry watchers when she topped the Billboard Hot 200 for the ninth time with her latest release, 'Love Is the Answer'. The CD extended Streisand's lead as the female act with the most chart toppers in the history of the Billboard Hot 200.

2009 - Monkees

Monkees vocalist Davy Jones ruled out ever reuniting with his former band mates after launching a scathing attack on each of his old pals in The National Enquirer. "It's not a case of dollars and cents. It's a case of satisfying yourself. I don't have anything to prove. The Monkees proved it for me."

2013 - Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox described the sexualised imagery of modern pop videos as "dark" and "pornographic". "I'm all for freedom of expression," she told BBC Radio 5 live, "but this is clearly one step beyond, and it's clearly into the realm of porn." The singer called for pop videos to be rated in the same way as films.

2016 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones played the first night of the Desert Trip festival, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The event also featured Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters and the Who. The six-day (split over two weekends) event rakes in $160 million, making it the highest-earning music festival ever.

Born Today In Music

October 7th

1927 - Al Martino

American singer Al Martino, (1952 US & UK No.1 single 'Here In My Heart'. The first No.1 in the NME singles chart. 1963 US No.3 'I Love You Because'). Martino played Johnny Fontane in 1972 film The Godfather. Died on 13th Oct 2009 aged 82.

1939 - Colin Cooper

Colin Cooper from British blues rock group Climax Blues Band, who had the 1977 US No.3 & 1976 UK No.10 single 'Couldn't Get It Right'. Cooper died of cancer, aged 69 on 3 July 2008.

1941 - Martin Murray

Martin Murray, The Honeycombs, (1964 UK No.1 single 'Have I The Right').

1941 - Tony Silvester

Tony Silvester, singer with American soul and R&B group Main Ingredient, best known for their 1972 hit song 'Everybody Plays the Fool'.

1945 - Kevin Godley

Kevin Godley, drums, vocals, 10cc, (1975 UK No.1 & US No.2 single 'I'm Not In Love', plus 10 other UK Top 30 hits including 2 No.1's). Godley And Creme (1981 UK No.3 single 'Under Your Thumb'). Video producer. 

1949 - David Hope

David Hope, from American rock band Kansas, who scored the 1978 US No.3 single 'Dust In The Wind', and the 1978 hit single 'Carry On Wayward Son'. which was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No.1 in 1997.

1951 - John Cougar

John 'Cougar' Mellencamp, American singer and songwriter, who had the 1982 US No.1 and UK No.25 single Jack And Diane, and the 1982 US No.1 album American Fool. He holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit Number One on the US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, winning one, as Best Male Rock Performer for Hurts So Good.

1952 - Ricky Phillips

American bass guitarist Ricky Phillips who has worked with Nasty Habit, The Babys, Bad English, and with Coverdale-Page and Ted Nugent.

1953 - Tico Torres

Tico Torres, drums, Bon Jovi (1987 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'Livin' On A Prayer', 1986 US No.1 album 'Slippery When Wet' has sold over 8 million copies world wide).

1959 - David Taylor

David Taylor, from English pop band Edison Lighthouse who scored the 1970 UK No.1 single 'Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes'.

1959 - Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell record executive and producer, judge on TV shows Popstars, Pop Idol and American Idol. Notorious for his uncompromisingly harsh and controversial criticism of contestants.

1964 - Sam Brown

Sam Brown, UK singer, (1989 UK No.4 single 'Stop'), Jools Holland Band.

1967 - Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton, singer, (1996 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Un Break My Heart').

1968 - Thom York

Thom Yorke, vocals, guitar, keyboards, Radiohead. Their 1993 debut single 'Creep' was initially unsuccessful, but it became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey. Their 1997 album OK Computer appeared in many 1997 critics' lists and listener polls for best album of the year. In 2006, Yorke released his debut solo album, The Eraser, and in 2009 formed Atoms for Peace.

1969 - Leeroy Thornhill

Leeroy Thornhill, dancer with English electronic dance music group The Prodigy who scored the 1996 UK No.1 & US No. 30 single 'Firestarter' and the 1997 UK & US No.1 album 'The Fat Of The Land'.

1976 - Taylor Hicks

Taylor Hicks, US soul singer, songwriter, 2006 American Idol winner, (2006 US No.1 single ‘Do I Make You Proud’).

1978 - Alesha Dixon

Alesha Dixon, Mis- Teeq, (2001 UK No.2 single 'All I Want').

1996 - Lewis Capaldi

Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi who achieved global mainstream success in 2019 with his international breakthrough single "Someone You Loved".