What Happened Today In Music

September 27th

1964 - Ed Sullivan

The Beach Boys made their TV debut on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on US TV where they performed 'I Get Around' and 'Wendy'.

1967 - The Beatles

Working on new songs The Beatles recorded various parts for the new John Lennon song ‘I Am the Walrus’, and the new Paul McCartney song ‘Fool On The Hill.’ Lennon received a letter from a pupil at Quarry Bank High School, that mentioned an English teacher was making his class analyse Beatles' lyrics. Lennon, amused that a teacher was putting so much effort into understanding the Beatles' lyrics, decided to write in his next song the most confusing lyrics that he could.

1968 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd appeared at the Queen's Hall in Dunoon, Scotland. Due to bad weather, all the ferries to Dunoon were cancelled, so Pink Floyd hired their own boat from Gourock and risked the rough seas to make the crossing, eventually appearing in front of 400 fans.

1972 - Rory Storm

Rory Storm singer from UK 60s group Rory Storm and the Hurricanes died aged 32 after taking an overdose of sleeping pills in a suicide pact with his mother. Ringo Starr played drums with Storm before joining The Beatles. 

1978 - Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton sponsored a West Bromwich Albion UEFA cup-tie against Galatasarey of Turkey. After the game, Eric presented each player with a gold copy of his latest album 'Slowhand''

1979 - Jimmy McCullough

Scottish guitarist Jimmy McCullough died from a heroin overdose in his flat in Maida Vale, London, aged 26. Member of Stone The Crows, Thunderclap Newman and Wings (1974 to 1977). When 'Something in the Air' by Thunderclap Newman went to No.1 in 1969, it made McCulloch the youngest guitarist to ever play on a UK No.1 single, as he was was just sixteen years old at the time.

1980 - David Bowie

David Bowie scored his fourth UK No.1 album with his fourteenth studio album Scary Monsters (And Supercreeps). The album featured the singles 'Ashes to Ashes and 'Fashion'.

1986 - The Beatles

The Beatles track 'Twist and Shout' re-entered the US singles chart over twenty-five years after it first appeared, after the song was featured in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

1986 - Cliff Burton

Metallica bass player Cliff Burton was crushed to death after the bands tour bus crashed between Stockholm and Copenhagen. During a European tour members from the band drew cards for the most comfortable bunk on the tour bus, Burton had won the game with an Ace of Spades and was asleep when the tour bus ran over a patch of black ice and skidded off of the road. He was thrown through the window of the bus, which fell on top of him.

1990 - Dee Dee Ramone

Dee Dee Ramone of the Ramones was arrested for possessing marijuana during a drug bust in New York's Greenwich Village.

1998 - Manic Street Preachers

The Manic Street Preachers scored their first UK No.1 album with their fifth album 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours'.

2000 - Jerry Hall

Thieves broke into Jerry Hall's Richmond home and stole jewellery worth £7000 and a laptop computer. Two of Jerry's children were asleep at the time while the ex Mrs Jagger was on stage appearing in the West End Show, The Graduate.

2003 - Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue called in police to investigate a series of threatening letters. The singer became concerned after receiving 700 letters at her home and office. The letters started as ordinary fan mail but became increasingly aggressive.

2004 - Phil Spector

Legendary record producer Phil Spector was formally charged with murder in the February 3rd, 2003 shooting of actress Lana Clarkson. He was convicted in April, 2009 and sentenced to 19 years to life in the California State prison system.

2006 - Jamie Lyons

Jamie Lyons, lead singer of Music Explosion, died of a heart attack at the age of 57. The band scored the garage-band classic 'Little Bit o' Soul', which spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Pop chart in 1967, peaking at #2.

2008 - Metallica

Metallica started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Death Magnetic', the bands ninth studio album.

2008 - Pink Floy

Pink Floyd's manager Bryan Morrison died after spending over two years in a coma. Morrison suffered severe brain injuries in a polo accident at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club, England in 2006, and never recovered. He also managed The Pretty Things and was a music publisher for Syd Barrett, The Bee Gees, Elton John, The Jam T-Rex and Wham!

2011 - Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett became the oldest living person to top the US album chart when the 85-year-old's 'Duets II' album went to No.1. The record, which featured collaborations with Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, was also his first US No.1 in his 60 year career. The previous oldest performer to top the chart was Bob Dylan in 2009 with 'Together Through Life'. At the time he was 67-years old.

2012 - Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne became the new king of the Billboard Hot 100 by placing his 109th song on the chart as an artist. The rapper featured on Game's latest track 'Celebration.' Elvis Presley, with 108 entries, had held the title for 45 years.

2018 - Marty Balin

American singer, songwriter Marty Balin died at the age of 76. He was best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship who had the 1967 US No.18 single 'White Rabbit'. Balin played with Jefferson Airplane at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and at the WoodstockFestival in 1969. 

Born Today In Music

September 27th

1943 - Randy Bachman

Randy Bachman, lead guitarist, songwriter from Canadian rock band Guess Who who had the 1970 US No.1 & UK No.19 single 'American Woman'. He later formed Bachman Turner Overdrive who had the 1974 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet'.

1944 - Shane Fenton

Shane Fenton, (Alvin Stardust), UK singer, 1974 UK No.1 single 'Jealous Mind', plus 10 other UK Top 40 singles). Stardust died on 23 October 2014

1947 - Barbara Dickson

Barbara Dickson, singer, actress, 1985 UK No.1 single with Elaine Paige, 'I Know Him So Well').

1947 - Meat Loaf

American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor Meat Loaf (Marvin Lee Aday). His record breaking 1978 album Bat Out Of Hell spent 457 weeks on the UK album chart. His Bat Out of Hell trilogy of albums (consisting of Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose) has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Meat Loaf has also appeared in over 50 movies and television shows.

1953 - Greg Ham

Greg Ham, Men At Work, (1983 UK and US No.1 single 'Down Under').

1953 - Robbie Shakespeare

Robbie Shakespeare, session bass player, as Sly and Robbie worked with Peter Tosh, Robert Palmer, Jimmy Cliff, Grace Jones, Joe Cocker, (1987 UK No.12 single 'Boops, Here To Go').

1958 - Shaun Cassidy

Shaun Cassidy, singer, actor, (1977 US No.1 single 'Da Doo Ron Ron', Shaun is the half brother of David Cassidy).

1966 - Stephan Jenkins

Stephan Jenkins, Third Eye Blind, (1997 US No.4 & UK No. 33 single 'Semi-Charmed Life').

1970 - Mark Calderon

Mark Calderon, from American R&B group Color Me Badd who had the 1991 UK No.1 single 'I Wanna Sex You Up', and the 1991 US No.1 single 'I Adore Mi Amor'.

1975 - Lee Brennan

Lee Brennan, vocals, 911, (1998 UK No.2 single 'More Than A Woman').

1978 - Bradley Kirk Arnold

Bradley Kirk Arnold, singer, 3 Doors Down. (2003 US No.4 single ‘When I’m Gone’, 2005 US No.1 album ‘Seventeen Days’).

1982 - Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne, (Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.), US rapper, member of the Hot Boys, 2004 US No.5 solo album Tha Carter.

1984 - Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne, Canadian singer, (2002 US & UK No.3 single 'Complicated', 2002 US No.2 & UK No.1 album 'Let Go', 2007 worldwide No.1 single 'Girlfriend'). Lavigne is the youngest female to top the charts aged 17 years and 3 months.