THIS DAY IN MUSIC

May 4th: On this Day

1956, Gene Vincent recorded the classic rock 'n roll song 'Be Bop-A-Lula', at Owen Bradley's studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The song went on to be a US & UK Top 20 hit in this year. Vincent has said that he wrote the words to the song after being inspired by a comic strip called "Little Lulu".

1961, The Marcels were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Rodgers & Hart song from the 1930s 'Blue Moon', their only UK No.1.

1967, The Young Rascals started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Groovin.' Atlantic Records head Jerry Wexler did not want to release the song. US disc jockey Murray the K heard the track and encouraged Atlantic to release it.

1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on UK TV's Top Of The Pops, performing 'Purple Haze'. During afternoon rehearsals for the show, Mick Jagger went into the studio to see Jimi Hendrix.

1968, Mary Hopkin won her heat on the ITV talent show 'Opportunity Knocks'. She later signed with The Beatles owned Apple Records, Paul McCartney produced her UK No.1 single 'Those Were The Days', which also made No. 2 in the US. Hopkin later married record producer Tony Visconti.

1970, Four students at Kent University were killed and eleven wounded by National Guard troops at a campus demonstration protesting the escalation of the Vietnam War. The incident inspired Neil Young to compose 'Ohio' which became a hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young.

1973, Led Zeppelin opened their 1973 North American tour, which was billed as the 'biggest and most profitable rock & roll tour in the history of the United States'. The group would gross over $4 million from the dates, flying between gigs in 'The Starship' a Boeing 720 passenger jet, complete with bar, shower room, TV and video in a 30' lounge and a white fur bedroom.

1973,

1974, ABBA were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Waterloo', the group's first of nine UK No.1 singles was the 1974 Eurovision song contest winner for Sweden. The song was first called 'Honey Pie'.

1974, Grand Funk Railroad started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with their version of the Little Eva hit 'The Loco-Motion.' It was only the second time that a cover version had been a No.1 as well as the original.

1977, The Patti Smith Group, David Johansen, Dead Boys, Blondie, Suicide and Richard Hell & The Voidoids all appeared at a Punk Benefit at CBGB's in New York City.

1978, 'Night Fever' by The Bee Gees was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. The group's third No.1 and the theme from the film 'Saturday Night Fever.' The song was a US No.1 for over two months.

1985, Phyllis Nelson was at No.1 on the UK singles with 'Move Closer', her only UK hit making the American singer a One Hit Wonders.

1987, American blues vocalist, harmonica player Paul Butterfield, who fronted The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, died at his home in North Hollywood, California, of drug-related heart failure, he was 44. Gained international recognition, as one of the early acts performing during the Summer of Love, at Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock festival.

1989, Stevie Ray Vaughan set out on what would be his last ever tour at the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia. The guitarist was killed in a helicopter crash on 27th Aug 1999 after a concert at Alpine Valley Music Theater in Wisconsin, after playing 107 of the 110 dates.

1991, Cher scored her first solo UK No.1 single with 'The Shoop Shoop Song' from the film 'Mermaids'. The song had been a hit for Betty Everett on 1964, and gave Cher her first No.1 in the UK since 1965's 'I Got You Babe'.

1996, Alanis Morissette started a six-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with Jagged Little Pill.  The record produced six successful singles, including 'You Oughta Know', 'Ironic', 'You Learn', 'Hand in My Pocket', and 'Head over Feet'.

1996, George Michael scored his seventh UK No.1 single as a solo artist when 'Fastlove' started a three-week run at the top of the chart. The second of six singles to be taken from George's comeback album Older.

1997, Courtney Love placed an advert in The Seattle Times selling the house she had shared with Kurt Cobain.  The five bedroom four bathroom house was on the market for $3m. The carriage house where Kurt Cobain died had been knocked down during refurbishment.

2000, Metallica were demanding online music service Napster cut off 335,000 users who they claimed had been illegally trading their songs. The band had passed on the names of all those they considered to be "stealing" their material over the internet in the latest development in an ongoing battle over the protection of music copyrights on the web.

2004, Producer Clement Seymour Dodd died aged 72. He was a major force in the development of ska and reggae, and made the first recordings of Bob Marley.

2008, Madonna's latest album Hard Candy went straight to No.1 in the UK, giving the singer a chart double, with her song 4 Minutes, featuring Justin Timberlake, on top of the singles chart for a third week. Hard Candy was Madonna's 10th number one album.

2008, Thieves broke into the childhood home of Motown star Martha Reeves and stole about $1 million worth of uninsured recording equipment, including speakers, microphones and karaoke machines. A suspect was arrested at his home later in the day after he tried to sell the goods to a pawnshop for $400.

2012, American rapper, musician, film director, and human rights activist Adam Yauch died of cancer aged 47. He was best known as a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys, who sold over 40 million records worldwide.

May 4th: Born on this day

1923, Born on this day, Ed Cassidy, drummer, from American group Spirit who had the 1969 US No.25 single 'I Got A Line On You'. In 1964 he formed the Rising Sons with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder. Cassidy died on 12th Dec 2012.

1942, Born on this day, Nicholas Ashford, from husband-and-wife songwriting-production team Ashford and Simpson, who had the 1985 UK No. 3 single 'Solid'. They wrote hits such as: 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', 'You're All I Need To Get By', 'Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing', and 'Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)'. Ashford died August 22, 2011, of complications from throat cancer, in New York.

1942, Born on this day, Ronnie Bond, drummer with English garage rock band The Troggs, who had the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Wild Thing' and the hits 'With a Girl Like You' and 'Love Is All Around'. Bond died on 13th November 1992.

1945, Born on this day, George Wadenius, from jazz-rock American music group Blood Sweat & Tears. They scored the 1969 US No.2 single 'Spinning Wheel', and the 1969 US No.12 single 'You've Made Me So Very Happy'. They had a US No.1 with their second album Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968.

1949, Born on this day, Scottish guitarist Zal Cleminson from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band who had the 1975 UK No.7 single 'Delilah, and the 1975 album Next. During the 1990s Cleminson played with The Party Boys, a casual band that at various times featured Marillion's Fish and Nazareth's Dan McCafferty and Billy Rankin as vocalists.

1951, Born on this day, Bruce Day, from Santana, who had the 1970 US No.4 single 'Black Magic Woman' and the 1977 UK No.11 single 'She's Not There'.

1951, Born on this day, Jackie Jackson, from American family music group The Jackson 5. They were the first group to debut with four consecutive No.1 hits on the Hot 100 with the songs 'I Want You Back', 'ABC', 'The Love You Save', and 'I'll Be There'. And with The Jacksons, had the 1979 hit 'Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)'.

1951, Born on this day, Mick Mars (real name Bob Deal), from American heavy metal band Motley Crue who had the 1989 US No.1 album Dr Feelgood.

1959, Born on this day, Randy Travis, Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted over 20 No.1 hits. Considered a pivotal figure in the history of country music, Travis broke through in the mid-1980s with the release of his album Storms of Life, which sold more than three million copies. The album established him as a major force in the Neotraditional country movement.

1961, Born on this day, Jay Aston, singer with British pop group Bucks Fizz who had the UK hits 'Making Your Mind Up' (1981), 'The Land of Make Believe' (1981) and 'My Camera Never Lies' (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s.

1970, Born on this day, Gregg Alexander, US singer, songwriter, New Radicals, (1999 UK No. 5 single 'You Get What You Give'). Written hits for Ronan Keating, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Enrique Iglesias and the 2003 Grammy award winning song 'The Game Of Love' by Santana and Michelle Branch.

1972, Born on this day, American musician Mike Dirnt, bassist with Green Day who had the 1995 US No.2 album 'Dookie'. Green Day are one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide.

1979, Born on this day, Lance Bass, singer from American boy band *NSYNC. Among the group's singles, 'Bye Bye Bye', 'This I Promise You', 'Girlfriend' and 'It's Gonna Be Me' reached the top 10 in several international charts. The group's second album, No Strings Attached, sold over one million copies in one day.

1984, Born on this day, Ari Levine, producer and songwriter who is part of the Smeezingtons record producing team with Bruno Mars and Philip Lawrence. Worked with Adele, Snoop Dogg, Cee Lo Green, Justin Bieber, Flo Rida and many other artists.