What Happened Today In Music

July 9th

1954 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley recorded ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky', (the B-side for his first single) at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley had recorded the A-side ‘That’s Alright’ four days earlier.

1955 - Bill Haley

Bill Haley & His Comets went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Rock Around the Clock', staying at No.1 for eight weeks and becoming one of the biggest selling singles of all time.

1956 - Bill Haley and His Comets

After the June 30th trouble at Asbury Park, Bill Haley and His Comets were denied permission to play at the Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. A city ordnance was passed that read: "Rock and roll music encouraged juvenile delinquency and inspired young females in lewd bathing suits to perform obscene dances on the city's beaches."

1958 - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash signed with Columbia Records, where he would remain for the next 30 years releasing over 60 albums.

1962 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan recorded 'Blowin' In the Wind' at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City during an afternoon session. Dylan originally wrote and performed a two-verse version of the song, as in its first public performance, at Gerde's Folk City on April 16th, 1962. Shortly after this, he added the middle verse.

1965 - Otis Redding

Otis Redding started recording sessions at Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee for what would become his third studio album Otis Blue. The album mainly consists of cover versions of other R&B and soul artists hits, and, bar one track, was recorded in a 24-hour period. According to the drummer, Al Jackson, Redding wrote 'Respect', after a conversation they had during a break in the recording session, in which he told Redding: "You're on the road all the time. All you can look for is a little respect when you come home."

1967 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

On a US tour supporting The Monkees, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared at the Convention Hall, Miami, Florida. After it became plainly apparent that the group is not suited to teenybopper audiences, the tour’s promoter Dick Clark and Hendrix’s manager Chas Chandler concoct a story saying that the conservative Daughters of the American Revolution group had complained at Jimi’s act and so the Experience left the tour after just six shows.

1968 - Tammy Wynette

Tammy Wynette was at No.1 on the US Country singles chart with 'D-I-V-O-R-C-E.' Written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, the song is a woman's perspective on the impending collapse of her marriage. The lyrics begin with an old parenting trick of spelling out words mothers and fathers hope their young children will not understand, they (the children) being not yet able to spell or comprehend the word's meaning. The original Tammy Wynette recording features in the films Five Easy Pieces and Brokeback Mountain.

1969 - The Beatles

Working at Abbey Road studios in London The Beatles recorded ‘Maxwell's Silver Hammer.’ John Lennon returned to the studio after recovering from a car crash in Scotland, and a bed was installed in the Abbey Road studio for Yoko, who was pregnant, and who had been more seriously injured in the car accident.

1971 - David Bowie

David Bowie started recording sessions at Trident Studios in London, for what would become the concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. The character of Ziggy was initially inspired by British rock 'n' roll singer Vince Taylor, whom Bowie met after Taylor had had a breakdown and believed himself to be a cross between a god and an alien.

1972 - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney and Wings played their very first show in the small French town of Chateauvillon. The band included Denny Laine, Denny Seiwell, Henry McCullough and Paul's wife, Linda. It was McCartney's first time on the road since The Beatles quit touring in 1966. The band travelled on a double Decker London bus with a psychedelic interior.

1976 - Sex Pistols

The Pretty Things, Supercharge and third on the bill the Sex Pistols all appeared at The Lyceum, London, England, tickets £1.75.

1977 - Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello quit his day job at Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics to become a full time musician.

1983 - The Police

The Police started an eight week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Every Breath You Take' also No.1 in the UK. Taken from the bands album Synchronicity, Sting won Song of the Year and The Police won Best Pop Performance for the song at the 1984 Grammy Awards.

1983 - Wham!

Wham! went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their debut release 'Fantastic!', which went on to spend 116 weeks on the chart.

1988 - Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick went to No.1 on the US singles chart with The Flame, the group's only US No.1.

1988 - Glenn Medeiros

Glenn Medeiros was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You'. The 18 year old from Hawaii was one of the youngest males to reach the top of the charts.

1989 - New Edition

New Edition's production manager was charged with criminal homicide after allegedly shooting the support acts security man after they ran over their stage time.

1995 - Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead gave their last concert with leader Jerry Garcia at Chicago's Soldier Field. Jerry would die of a heart attack a month later while in drug rehab.

1999 - Elton John

Elton John had a pacemaker fitted in an operation at a London hospital following reports about his ill health. Sir Elton was forced to cancel a series of concerts.

2004 - David Bowie

David Bowie was forced to cancel a string of European shows after emergency heart surgery. The 57 year-old singer had an operation last month in Germany, where he was on tour, to treat "an acutely blocked artery". The star's cancellation last month of 11 European dates was originally attributed to a shoulder injury.

2006 - Lily Allen

Lily Allen scored her first UK No.1 single with 'Smile'. The organ riff is a sample of Jackie Mittoo playing keyboards on 'Free Soul' by The Soul Brothers. Lily's actor dad, Keith Allen, was part of the Fat Les band who had a hit with 'Vindaloo' in 1998.

2006 - Muse

Muse started a two week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Black Holes & Revelations' the bands fifth album release and second No.1.

2007 - Shaun Ryder

Happy Mondays' frontman Shaun Ryder was in trouble after he smoked several cigarettes on stage during a concert at The Ritz in Manchester. Smoking had been banned in all enclosed public places in England on 1 July of this year, and anyone flouting the law faced a £50 fine. Performers were only exempt from the smoking ban if the "artistic integrity" of their act required it.

2010 - Santana

During a Santana concert at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, Illinois, guitarist Carlos Santana proposed to his girlfriend, Cindy Blackman who had just finished a drum solo during the band's set. The couple married in December 2010.

2011 - Robert Plant

Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant joined three local musicians at a fundraising charity show in Monmouth Wales, where tickets cost £3. The event was a tribute to his friend, former Led Zeppelin producer Pat Moran, who died of a rare dementia in January. Plant delighted the small crowd in the Monmouthshire town with songs from his Led Zeppelin days as well as tunes from his solo career.

2013 - Lauryn Hill

Former Fugees singer Lauryn Hill began a three-month prison sentence in Connecticut for tax evasion. The 38-year-old was sentenced in May for failing to pay tax on $1.8m (£1.2m) of her earnings between 2005-07. After her release, Hill would be under parole supervision for a year, with the first three months to be spent confined to her home.

2013 - Junior Bradshaw

32 year-old Junior Bradshaw who was involved in a plot to rob and murder soul singer Joss Stone was jailed for 18 years. Both he and Kevin Liverpool, were found guilty at Exeter Crown Court three months ago. The pair were found near the singers home with a body bag and a variety of weapons including a Samurai sword, two hammers and knives.

2015 - AC/DC

Phil Rudd, a drummer with AC/DC was sentenced in New Zealand to eight months house detention for drug possession and making threats to kill. The court heard how Rudd had fired several employees after the failure of his solo album, Head Job, in August last year, Rudd had also called one victim saying: "I'm going to come over and kill you." His sentence would be served at his beachfront home in Tauranga, with Judge Thomas Ingram warning he would be face jail if he breached the conditions.

2015 - The Rolling Stones

Transport for London, the government body that runs the metro rail system in the UK, banned posters promoting The Rolling Stones' forthcoming exhibition, 'Exhibitionism', at London's Saatchi gallery, because of its artwork. The neon advert showed the Rolling Stones iconic tongue and lips design plastered over a woman's bikini bottoms.

Born Today In Music

July 9th

1925 - Alan Dale

Alan Dale, US singer. He had his own TV & radio show during the 50s and scored the 1955 US No.7 single 'Cheery Pink and Apple Blossom White'. Dale died on 20th April 2002.

1929 - Lee Hazlewood

Lee Hazlewood, US male singer, (1967 US No.14 & UK No. 11 single 'Jackson', 1971 UK No.2 single with Nancy Sinatra). Wrote the Nancy Sinatra hit, 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin.' Died of cancer on 4th Aug 2007 at his home near Las Vegas aged 78.

1941 - Don McPherson

Don McPherson, singer with American soul and R&B group Main Ingredient, best known for their 1972 hit song 'Everybody Plays the Fool'. He died on 4th July 1971.

1946 - Bon Scott

British singer Bon Scott (Ronald Belford Scott), with Australian rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. He was brought up in Kirriemuir, Scotland before moving to Melbourne, Australia, with his family in 1952 at the age of six. Having arrived from 'Bonnie Scotland', he was dubbed 'Bon', and the nickname stuck. After a night of heavy drinking, Scott was found dead in the backseat of a friend's car in South London on 19 February 1980, the cause of death being subsequently listed as ’acute alcohol poisoning'.

1946 - Joe Micelli

Joe Micelli, from John Fred and His Playboy Band who had the 1968 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)' which was a parodic play on the title of The Beatles' song  'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'. 

1947 - Mitch Mitchell

Mitch Mitchell, drums, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967 UK No.3 single 'Purple Haze', 1970 UK No.1 single Voodoo Chile'). Mitchell had been in the ITV's 'Ready Steady Go!' house band. Mitchell was found dead in his US hotel room on 12th Nov 2008 aged 61. 

1950 - Gwen Guthrie

American singer-songwriter and pianist Gwen Guthrie who had the 1986 UK No.5 single 'Ain't Nothing Goin' But The Rent'. She also sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Peter Tosh, and Madonna, among others, and wrote songs made famous by Ben E. King and Roberta Flack. Guthrie died on 4 February 1999 aged 48.

1953 - Kate Garner

Kate Garner, vocals, Haysi Fantayzee, (1982 UK No.11 single 'John Wayne Is Big Leggy').

1954 - Debbie Sledge

Debbie Sledge, singer, Sister Sledge, (1979 US No.2 single 'We Are Family', 1985 UK No.1 single 'Frankie').

1959 - D.H. Peligro

D.H. Peligro, American punk rock musician and the second drummer for the Dead Kennedys from February 1981 until their breakup in December 1986. In 1988, Peligro joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers replacing drummer Jack Irons for a short time.

1959 - Jim Kerr

Jim Kerr, singer, songwriter with Scottish rock band, Simple Minds, who had the 1985 US No.1 single 'Don't You, Forget About Me', and the 1989 UK No.1 single 'Belfast Child', plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles. In 2016, they won the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection.

1959 - Marc Almond

English singer-songwriter Marc Almond, who with Soft Cell had the 1981 UK No.1 single 'Tainted Love', (an obscure 1965 northern soul track originally released by Gloria Jones, the girlfriend of Marc Bolan). Solo hits include the 1989 UK No.1 single with Gene Pitney, 'Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart'.

1964 - Courtney Love

American singer, songwriter, actress Courtney Love, who was a notable presence in the punk and grunge scenes of the 1990s. She married Kurt Cobain from Nirvana on 24th Feb 1992. 

1965 - Frankie Bello

Frankie Bello, bass, Anthrax, (1991 UK No.16 single 'Got The Time').

1965 - Tom Hingley

Tom Hingley, from English alternative rock band Inspiral Carpets who had the 1990 UK No.14 single 'This Is How It Feels'.

1971 - Kelvin Grant

Kelvin Grant, vocals, Musical Youth, best remembered for their successful 1982 single 'Pass the Dutchie', which became a No.1 hit around the world. It was a cover version of two songs: 'Gimme the Music' by U Brown, and 'Pass the Kouchie' by Mighty Diamonds, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis (kouchie being slang for a cannabis pipe).

1975 - Isaac Brock

Isaac Brock, singer, guitarist, Modest Mouse, (2007 US No.1 album 'We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank').

1975 - Jack White

Jack White, (John Gillis), guitar, vocals, The White Stripes, (2003 UK No.1 album 'Elephant' spent 46 weeks on the UK chart). Also a member of The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.

1976 - Dan Estrin

Dan Estrin, guitarist, Hoobastank, 2004 US No.2 hit ‘The Reason.’