What Happened Today In Music

July 12th

1954 - Elvis Presley

19 year old Elvis Presley signed a recording contract with Sun Records. He also gave in his notice at his day job at The Crown Electric Company. Sam Phillips from Sun Records originally wanted to use the 19 year old to make demos of songs meant for other artists, but soon realized that here was the man who could bridge the gap between white and black performances.

1958 - The Quarrymen

The Quarrymen, featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John "Duff" Lowe on piano and Colin Hanton on drums, recorded a vanity disc at a small studio in an electronics shop owned by a man named Percy Phillips. The band recorded 'That'll Be The Day' and 'In Spite Of Danger' in one take each. With the names of the tunes and the song's writers hand written on the label, each band member was to keep the 10-inch 78 rpm disc for a week before passing it on. Both recordings eventually ended up on Anthology 1.

1962 - Ray Charles

Ray Charles was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Don Gibson penned country ballad 'I Can't Stop Loving You'. His only UK No.1 was taken from his Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music album.

1962 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones made their live debut at the Marquee Jazz Club, London, with Dick Taylor on bass (later of The Pretty Things) and Mick Avory on drums, (later of The Kinks). Billed as The Rollin’ Stones, they were paid £20 for the gig, the equivalent of £330 in 2010.

1964 - George Harrison

The Beatles appeared at the Hippodrome Theatre in Brighton with The Fourmost and the Shubdubs (whose drummer, Jimmy Nicol, who had filled in for an ill Ringo Starr on The Beatles' world tour). Also in the US The Ed Sullivan Show re-broadcast The Beatles' first live television appearance on the Sullivan show (from February 9). On the way to tonight's gig George Harrison was involved in a minor crash in his brand new E-Type Jaguar in Kings Road, Fulham, London. Passing pedestrians collected bits of broken glass as souvenirs

1968 - Mickey Dolenz

Mickey Dolenz from The Monkees married Samantha Juste who he met when working in the UK on the BBC TV show Top Of The Pops.

1969 - Zager and Evans

One Hit Wonders Zager and Evans started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'In The Year 2525, (Exordium And Terminus)'. The song was also No.1 in the UK, making them the only one hit wonders ever in both the US and UK singles charts.

1979 - Minnie Riperton

American singer songwriter Minnie Riperton died of cancer aged 31. The Stevie Wonder produced 'Loving You' gave Minnie a US No.1 single in 1975. She worked at Chess records singing backup for various artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters. She also sang lead for the experimental rock/soul group Rotary Connection, from 1967 to 1971. Also a member of Wonderlove in 1973, a backup group for Stevie Wonder.

1980 - U2

During their 23 date '11 O'clock Tick Tock' U2 played at The Moonlight, West Hampstead in London, England.

1980 - Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra had the UK No.1 single with 'Xanadu', taken from the film of the same name. It gave Olivia Newton-John her third UK No.1 single.

1983 - Chris Wood

Former Traffic member Chris Wood died of liver failure after a lengthy illness. He also played with Jimi Hendrix in 1968, appearing on the Electric Ladyland album and worked with Free, John Martyn and the Small Faces.

1986 - Boy George

Boy George and singer Marilyn were arrested in London, England for possession of drugs.

1986 - Simply Red

Simply Red scored their first US No.1 single with 'Holding Back The Years'. Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall wrote the song when he was seventeen, while living at his father's house. The chorus did not come to him until many years later.

1988 - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson arrived in the UK for his first ever-solo appearances. He performed a total of eight nights to 794,000 people.

1991 - Take That

Take That released their debut single 'Do What U Like' which was a commercial failure, peaking at No. 82 on the UK Singles Chart. The low-budget video for the track featured the band getting naked, showing their bare buttocks and smearing jelly over themselves, resulting in the video being banned from daytime television.

1996 - Jimmy Chamberlain

Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was charged with drug possession after the death of the bands keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin in his New York Hotel room.

2000 - John Lennon

A statue erected in the memory of John Lennon was unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square. The sculpture featured a revolver with a knotted barrel created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward.

2003 - Benny Carter

Saxophonist, composer and arranger Benny Carter died aged 95. He worked with Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and composed many TV theme's including Ironside and M-Squad.

2008 - Ronnie Wood

Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood left his wife of 23 years and moved in with an 18-year-old Russian cocktail waitress. The 61 year-old dad-of-four had met the teenager while out drinking and had taken her away to his luxury pad in Ireland.

2008 - Earl Nelson

American singer Earl Nelson (Earl Lee Nelson) died in Lake Charles, Louisiana. One half of the duo, Bob And Earl, (recorded ‘Harlem Shuffle’ in 1963). Nelson sang background vocals on ‘Rockin' Robin’, a US No. 2 for the Jackson 5 in 1972.

2012 - Pink Floyd

Pollstar magazine announced that former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters had grossed up $158.1 million in concert ticket sales worldwide so far this year with The Wall Live show. Bruce Springsteen came in second place with $79.9 million.

2019 - Harry Styles

Tarazaga-Orero was arrested by police and remanded in custody for stalking former One Direction singer Harry Styles. The Spaniard had been sleeping ­on a bench near the London house owned by Styles and had been posting notes through his letter box for over two months. Permission was granted for Styles to give ­evidence from behind a screen during the trial.

2020 - Judy Dyble

English singer-songwriter Judy Dyble died age 71. She was a founding member of Fairport Convention and Trader Horne. In addition, she and multi-instrumental Ian McDonald joined and recorded several tracks with Giles, Giles and Fripp, who later became King Crimson. During Fairport's early live shows in London in the late 1960s Dyble shared stages with acts such as Jimi Hendrix, and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. Famously, she sat on the front of the stage at the Speakeasy Club knitting, while Hendrix and Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson jammed.

Born Today In Music

July 12th

1937 - Howie Casey

Saxophonist Howie Casey who was a member of Derry and the Seniors, the first rock and roll band from Liverpool to play clubs in Germany and later, as leader of the renamed Howie Casey and the Seniors, the first Liverpool group to record an LP. He later featured on several albums by Paul McCartney (Band on the Run, Wings at the Speed of Sound and Back to the Egg) and played live with Paul McCartney on the Wings Over the World tour. He also worked with Marc Bolan The Who, Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins.

1943 - Christine McVie

Christine McVie, keyboards, vocals, Chicken Shack, and then Fleetwood Mac, who scored the US No.1 single 'Dreams' taken from their worldwide No.1 album Rumours which spent 31 weeks on the US chart. Eight of her songs appeared on Fleetwood Mac's 1988 Greatest Hits album.

1947 - Wilko Johnson

English singer, guitarist, songwriter Wilko Johnson who with Dr Feelgood had the 1979 UK No.9 single 'Milk And Alcohol' and a founding member of Solid Senders. Wilko stated in early 2013 that he had terminal cancer and was given just 10 months to live, and aptly announced he was going on a farewell tour. On 22 March 2013, Wilko played what he thought would be his final show guesting with Madness on the television programme Madness Live: Goodbye Television Centre which was broadcast on BBC Four. In Oct 2014 Johnson said he has been "cured" of the terminal pancreatic cancer.

1950 - Eric Carr

Eric Carr, drummer with American hard rock band Kiss. Their 1976 US No 11 album Rock and Roll Over spent 26 weeks on the chart and they had the 1987 UK No.4 single 'Crazy Crazy Nights'. Carr died on 24th November 1991.

1952 - Philip Taylor Kramer

Philip Taylor Kramer, bass guitar, Iron Butterfly. His disappearance on February 12, 1995 caused a mystery lasting four years. On May 29, 1999, Kramer's Ford Aerostar minivan and skeletal remains were found by photographers looking for old car wrecks to shoot at the bottom of Decker Canyon near Malibu, California. Based on forensic evidence his death was ruled as a probable suicide.

1952 - Liz Mitchell

Liz Mitchell, singer, from German vocal group Boney M, who had the 1978 UK No.1 & US No.30 single 'Rivers Of Babylon' and with more than 150 million records sold, they are one of the best-selling artists of all time.

1953 - Billy Alessi

Billy and Bobby Alessi, (identical twin brothers), known as the Alessi Brothers who scored the 1977 UK No.8 single 'Oh. Lori. Both Billy and Bobby Alessi had previously worked in the Broadway cast of the musical Hair. 

1962 - Dan Murphy

American musician Dan Murphy, guitarist with American alternative rock band Soul Asylum, who had the 1993 US No.5 and UK No.7 single 'Runaway Train'.

1964 - Tim Gane

Tim Gane, guitar, keyboards, with British indie group Stereolab, who had the 1994 UK minor hit single 'Ping Pong'.

1967 - John Petrucci

American guitarist John Petrucci, best known as a founding member of the progressive metal/rock band Dream Theater.

1977 - Dominic Howard

Dominic Howard, drums, from English rock band Muse who scored the 2003 UK No.1 album Absolution, and the 2003 UK No.8 single, ‘Time Is Running Out’. Muse were nominated for five Grammy Awards, of which they won Best Rock Album for The Resistance.

1983 - Kimberly Perry

Kimberly Perry, singer with American country music group The Band Perry, who scored the US Country No.1 hit 'If I Die Young'. The bands second album, Pioneer, released in 2013 produced additional No.1 singles in 'Better Dig Two', and 'DONE.'

1984 - Gareth Gates

Gareth Gates, UK singer, TV's Pop Idol runner up, (2002 UK No.1 single 'Unchained Melody').