THIS DAY IN MUSIC

April 12th: On this Day

1954, Bill Haley recorded 'Rock Around The Clock' at Pythian Temple studios in New York City. Considered by many to be the song that put rock and roll on the map around the world. The song was used over the opening titles for the film 'Blackboard Jungle', and went on to be a world-wide No.1 and the biggest selling pop single with sales over 25 million. Written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers, 'Rock Around The Clock' was first recorded by Italian-American band Sonny Dae and His Knights. More on Rock Around the Clock

1954,

1957, The 'King of Skiffle' Lonnie Donegan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Cumberland Gap.' The Scottish musician was a former member of Chris Barber's Jazz Band.

1963, Billed as 'A Shot Of Rhythm and Blues', The Beatles were one of eight other groups who appeared at The Cavern Club, Liverpool, England. Admission for members 7/6, visitors, 8/6. More On The Cavern

1963, Bob Dylan performed his first major solo concert at the Town Hall in New York City.

1966, Jan Berry (Jan and Dean) was almost killed when he crashed his car into a parked truck a short distance from Dead Man's Curve in Los Angeles. Berry was partially paralysed and suffered brain damage. Berry was able to walk again after extensive therapy.

1966, Tom Jones went into hospital to have his tonsils removed, (there was speculation that he had a nose job).

1967, Mick Jagger was punched in the face by an airport official during a row at Le Bourget Airport in France. Jagger lost his temper after The Stones were being searched for drugs resulting in them missing their flight.

1969, The 5th Dimension started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In', a No.11 hit in the UK.

1973, The film 'That'll Be The Day', premiered in London, featuring David Essex, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Billy Fury and Dave Edmunds.

1975, David Bowie announced his second career retirement, saying, 'I've rocked my roll. It's a boring dead end, there will be no more rock 'n' roll records from me.'

1975, Elton John started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Philadelphia Freedom', his fourth US No.1, it made No.12 in the UK. More on Elton John

1980, The Detroit Spinners were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Working My Way Back To You' a remake of an old Four Seasons hit.

1989, Two DJ's on Los Angeles station KLOS asked 'what ever happened to David Cassidy' The singer called the station up and the presenters invited him onto the show. David played three songs live on air and was subsequently signed by a new record label.

1989, Garth Brooks released his self-titled debut album which was both a critical and chart success, peaking at No.13 on the Billboard 200 and No.2 on the Top Country Albums. This album contains Brooks earliest hits, including his first ever single, 'Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)', and his first No.1, 'If Tomorrow Never Comes' and the Academy of Country Music's 1990 Song of the Year and Video of the Year, 'The Dance'.

1990, The Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre announced that Asteroids 4147-4150, would be named Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr after the four members of The Beatles.

1995, Two weeks after her death, George W. Bush, (then the governor of Texas), declared "Selena Day" in Texas. The Mexican American singer Selena was murdered aged 23 by the president of her fan club Yolanda Sald'var on 31st March 1995.

1997, R Kelly started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his Grammy award winning song 'I Believe I Can Fly.' A No.2 hit in the US, the track was featured in the film 'Space Jam'.

1997, While on tour in the UK, Fun Lovin' Criminals drummer Stephen Borovini received a police caution after he was arrested on suspicion of making obscene phone calls to women working in gyms in the Leeds area.

2000, Metallica filed a suit against Napster, Yale University, The University of Southern California and Indiana University for copyright infringement.

2005, Mariah Carey released 'The Emancipation of Mimi', the album entered the US chart at number one, going six times platinum in less than a year, and subsequently became the most successful album of 2005.

2007, The Beatles' company, Apple Corps, settled a £30 million ($59.2 million) royalties dispute with the band's label, EMI. The suit alleged unpaid royalties on Beatles albums based on an audit of sales between 1994 and 1999, a period which included the release of three Anthology compilations. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.

2008, Day26 the winners of US TV show Making The Band were at No.1 on the US album chart with their self-titled debut album.

2009, Scottish musician and record producer Calvin Harris scored his first UK No.1 single with 'I'm Not Alone'.

2010, The Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Ramano published a story praising The Beatles and saying that it forgave John Lennon for his 1966 comment that the group was "bigger than Jesus." Lennon told a British newspaper in 1966 - at the height of Beatlemania - that he did not know which would die out first, Christianity or rock and roll.

2013, A study published in the journal Science stated that listening to new music was rewarding for the brain. Using MRI scans, a Canadian team of scientists found that areas in the reward centre of the brain became active when people heard a song for the first time. The more the listener enjoyed what they were hearing, the stronger the connections were in the region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens.

2014, The Pulp hit 'Common People' was voted the top Britpop anthem by listeners of BBC Radio 6 Music in the UK, beating Oasis, Blur and Suede to take the title. More than 30,000 people voted, with The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony' second and Oasis tracks 'Don't Look Back in Anger' and 'Wonderwall' in third and fourth.

April 12th: Born on this day

1933, Born on this day, Tiny Tim, singer who had a 1968 US No.17 single with ‘Tiptoe Through The Tulips’. He died of a heart attack on November 29th 1996 on stage while playing his hit ‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips’ at a club in Minneapolis.

1940, Born on this day, Herbie Hancock, US keyboard player, composer of film soundtracks, (1983 UK No.8 single 'Rockit'). Worked with Miles Davis, Chick Corea.

1944, Born on this day, John Kay, guitar, vocals, Steppenwolf, (1968 US No.2 and 1969 UK No.30 single 'Born To Be Wild').

1949, Born on this day, Donald Ray Mitchell, Was Not Was, (1992 UK No.4 single 'Shake Your Head').

1950, Born on this day, David Cassidy, US singer, (1972 UK No.1 single 'How Can I Be Sure', plus nine other UK Top 40 singles), The Partridge Family, (1970 US No.1 single 'I Think I Love You', 1972 UK No.3 single 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do').

1956, Born on this day, Alexander Briley, The Village People, (1978 US No.2 and 1979 UK No.1 single 'Y.M.C.A.').

1957, Born on this day, Vince Gill, US country singer. Has won 17 Country Music Awards and 14 Grammy Awards. In 2000 he married singer Amy Grant.

1958, Born on this day, Will Sergeant, Echo And The Bunnymen, (1983 UK No.8 single 'The Cutter').

1962, Born on this day, Art Alexakis, guitar, vocals, Everclear, (2000 UK No.36 single 'Wonderful', 1997 album, 'So Much For The Afterglow').

1964, Born on this day, Amy Ray, guitar, vocals, Indigo Girls, (1989 US No.22 album 'Indigo Girls').

1965, Born on this day, Sean Welch, The Beautiful South, (1990 UK No.1 single 'A Little Time' plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles).

1967, Born on this day, Sarah Cracknell, singer, Saint Etienne, (1993 UK No.12 single 'You're In A Bad Way').

1970, Born on this day, Nicholas Lofton Hexum, vocalist and rhythm guitarist with 311.

1978, Born on this day, Guy Berryman, bass, Coldplay, who had the 2000 UK No.4 single 'Yellow', 2000 UK No.1 album 'Parachutes' and the 2005 worldwide No.1 album 'X&Y'.

1980, Born on this day, Bryan McFadden, vocals, Westlife, (Irish boy band, scored 12 UK No.1 singles, first UK No.1 1999 'Swear It Again' plus 4 UK No.1 albums). Now solo.

1987, Born on this day, Brendon Urie singer, Panic! at the Disco. (2008 Australian No.1 and US & UK No.2 album 'Pretty.Odd.).