What Happened Today In Music

February 16th

1957 - Pete Murray

Disc jockey Pete Murray began hosting BBC television's first Rock 'n' Roll music program The Six-Five Special, named for the time the show began, five minutes after six. The show was given air-time immediately after the abolition of what was called the Toddlers' Truce, which had seen television stop between 6 and 7pm so children could be put to bed.

1964 - The Beatles

The Beatles made their second live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, exactly one week after the first. Before an audience of 3,500 at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, The Beatles performed ‘She Loves You’, ‘This Boy’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’, and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’.

1967 - Petula Clark

Petula Clark was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Charlie Chaplin penned 'This Is My Song', the singers second and last UK No.1.

1972 - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin made their Australian live debut when they kicked off a six-date tour at the Subiaco Oval, Perth. Police battled with over 500 fans who rammed locked gates trying to get into the concert. Over 4,000 fans stood outside the venue without tickets and local residents jammed police phone lines to complain about the noise.

1974 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan started a four week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Planet Waves, his first US No.1. The album was originally set to be titled Ceremonies Of The Horsemen, a reference to the song 'Love Minus Zero / No Limit', from the 1965 album 'Bringing It All Back Home'. When Dylan decided to change the title at the last minute, the release was delayed for two weeks.

1974 - Emerson Lake and Palmer

During a tour of America the members of Emerson, Lake & Palmer were arrested in Salt Lake City after swimming naked in the hotel pool. They were each fined $75 (£44).

1974 - David Bowie

Winners in the UK music weekly Disc Readers Awards Poll; Top UK group went to Slade, Top musician, Roy Wood, David Bowie won UK and World male singer, Top single with 'Jean Genie' and album with 'Aladdin Sane', Top female singer was Lynsey De Paul and Brightest hope was won by David Essex.

1975 - Cher

Cher started her own weekly hour of a music and comedy show on CBS-TV. The singer had co-presented The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour with her former husband. Cher's new show featured a female guest each week.

1982 - The Jam

The Jam were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Town Called Malice', & 'Precious', their third No.1 spent three weeks at the top of the chart.

1985 - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Born In The USA', his first UK No.1 album. The singers seventh studio album, was the best-selling album of 1985 in the United States (and also Springsteen's most successful album ever). The album produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles.

1991 - The Simpsons

The Simpsons were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Do The Bartman'. The song was written by Michael Jackson and Bryan Lorenand, The Simpsons became the first cartoon characters to make No.1 since the Archies hit 'Sugar Sugar' in 1969. Jackson was a massive fan of The Simpsons and had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a number one single and do a guest spot on the show.

1999 - Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams won three awards at this year's Brit's. The singer won Best British solo artist, Best Single for 'Angels' and Best Video for 'Millennium.' Manic Street Preachers won Best British Group, Natalie Imbruglia won Best International Female artist and Best Newcomer, Best International Group went to The Corrs.

2002 - George Michael

Thieves broke into George Michael's London home and stole over £100,000 ($170,000) worth of paintings, jewellery and designer clothes and drove off in his £80,000 ($136,000) Aston Martin DB7. They also caused £200,000 ($340,000) worth of damage to his home.

2004 - Doris Troy

US singer Doris Troy died. She had been a session singer with Dionne Warwick, sang on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and released an album on The Beatles Apple label. She had also had a 1964 UK No.37 single with 'Whatcha Gonna Do About It' and a 1963 US No. 10 hit 'Just One Look'. She sang back-up for many acts including The Rolling Stones, (‘You Can't Always Get What You Want’), Carly Simon's ('You're So Vain'), George Harrison, (‘My Sweet Lord’).

2005 - Kid Rock

Kid Rock was arrested for allegedly punching a DJ at a strip club in Nashville, Tennessee. Police were called to the incident but Rock escaped from the club. Shortly after, he was pulled over by an officer who got an autograph but did not do a breath test despite smelling alcohol. (The officer has since been fired). The star was eventually arrested a few hours later, taken to the night court and released on $3,000 (£1,600) bail.

2005 - Cat Stevens

Yusuf Islam, the former Cat Stevens was awarded substantial damages from The Sunday Times and The Sun, after they had printed articles alleging he was involved in terrorism. Both newspapers apologized to the 56 year old musician for the "false and highly defamatory allegations." The papers also paid his legal bills and pledged not to repeat the allegations. The money awarded was given to Tsunami relief projects.

2009 - Chris Brown

Chris Brown talked about his recent arrest for the first time. The R&B singer was being investigated by police over claims he attacked a woman. In a statement Chris Brown said "I am seeking the counselling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person." There had been speculation that his girlfriend Rihanna was the woman in the attack and had been seen with bruises on her face

2015 - Lesley Gore

American singer, songwriter, actress and activist, Lesley Gore, died of lung cancer aged 68. She is best known for the 1963 US No.1 & UK No.9 single 'It's My Party' which was produced by Quincy Jones. Gore composed songs for the soundtrack of the 1980 film Fame, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for ‘Out Here on My Own’, written with her brother Michael.

Born Today In Music

February 16th

1918 - Patty Andrews

Patty Andrews from The Andrew Sisters who were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. Throughout their long career, the sisters sold over 75 million records. Their 1941 hit ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ can be considered an early example of rhythm and blues. She died of natural causes on 30 January 2013 at the age of 94.

1932 - Otis Blackwell

Otis Blackwell, American songwriter and producer, wrote ‘All Shook Up’, ‘Return To Sender’, ‘Don't Be Cruel’, ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ and ‘Fever.’ Blackwell died from a heart attack on May 6th 2002.

1935 - Sonny Bono

American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and politician Sonny Bono, who had the 1965 UK & US No.1 single 'I Got You Babe', as Sonny & Cher. Bono began his music career as a songwriter at Specialty Records, where his song 'Things You Do to Me' was recorded by Sam Cooke, and went on to work for record producer Phil Spector in the early 1960s. He was mayor of Palm Springs, California, from 1988 to 1992, and the Republican congressman for California's 44th district, serving from 1995 until his death in 1998. He was killed on 5 January 1998, aged 62, in a skiing accident.

1939 - Harold Kalin

American singers Harold and Herbie Kalin, The Kalin Twins who had the 1958 UK No.1 & US No.5 single 'When.' The brothers were the first twins to score a No.1 record followed years later by The Proclaimers. 

1949 - Lynn Paul

Lynn Paul, singer with The New Seekers who had the 1972 UK No.1 single 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing'.

1953 - John Bradbury

John Bradbury, best known for having been the drummer in the English ska group The Specials, who co-wrote 'The Selecter', a joint 'A' side with 'Gangsters' and who had the 1981 UK No.1 single 'Ghost Town'. Bradbury died aged 62 on 28 Dec 2015.

1956 - James Ingram

James Ingram, American singer, who had the 1987 UK No.8 single with Linda Ronstadt, 'Somewhere Out There', and the 1990 US No.1 single 'I Don't Have The Heart'. Ingram also co-wrote 'P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)' the sixth single from Michael Jackson's album, Thriller and co-wrote the 1983 hit duet with Michael McDonald 'Yah Mo B There.' Ingram died on 29 January 2019 after a long battle with brain cancer age 66. 

1959 - Ice-T

Ice-T, (Tracy Morrow), male rapper who had the 1993 UK No.21 single 'That's How I'm Livin'.

1960 - Pete Willis

British musician Pete Willis, best known as a founding member of Def Leppard. He co-wrote many tracks and played guitar on the band's first three albums: On Through the Night, High 'n' Dry, and Pyromania, which was being recorded at the time of his departure. 

1961 - Andy Taylor

Andy Taylor, guitarist with Duran Duran who had the 1983 UK No.1 single 'Is There Something I Should Know' plus 25 other UK Top 40 singles including the 1984 US No.1 single 'The Reflex'. Also a member of The Power Station who had the 1985 UK No.14 single 'Some Like It Hot'.

1962 - Tony Kylie

Tony Kylie, from British new wave group The Blow Monkeys who had the 1986 hit 'Digging Your Scene' and the 1987 UK No.5 single 'It Doesn't Have To Be This Way'.

1965 - Dave Lombardo

Dave Lombardo, drummer with American thrash metal band Slayer who released the 1986 album 'Reign in Blood'.

1967 - Damon Reece

Damon Reece, drummer from English space rock band Spiritualized. They released the critically acclaimed 1997 Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, which NME magazine named as their Album of the Year.

1990 - The Weeknd

Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known by his stage name The Weeknd who had the 2015 US No.1 hits 'The Hills' and 'Can't Feel My Face'.

1994 - Ava Max

American singer and songwriter Ava Max. Her breakthrough single 'Sweet but Psycho' released in August 2018 was a No. 1 hit in 22 countries.