What Happened Today In Music

September 5th

1956 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley surprised his mother with a gift of a pink Cadillac. The car remained in the Presley family and eventually went on display at Graceland.

1963 - Mike Berry

The Rolling Stones kicked off their fourth UK tour at The Astoria London. A 32-date package tour with Mike Berry and the Innocents The Mojos and Simon Scott and the Leroy's.

1964 - The Animals

The Animals started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'House Of The Rising Sun'. When first released the record company printed the time of the song on the record as three minutes feeling that the real time of four minutes was too long for radio airplay.

1965 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones recorded their eighth single 'Get Off Of My Cloud' at RCA studios in Hollywood. The song peaked at No.1 in the US and the UK. 

1965 - Sonny & Cher

Sonny & Cher made their first live UK appearance when they appeared at the 100 Club in London.

1966 - John Lennon

John Lennon started work on his role as Private Gripweed in the film 'How I Won The War'. The black comedy directed by Richard Lester, was filmed in Spain in Almería Province and saw Lennon, taking a long-overdue break from The Beatles after nearly four years of constant touring.

1967 - The Beatles

Working at Abbey Road studios, London, The Beatles began recording John Lennon’s new song ‘I Am The Walrus’, recording 16 takes of the basic backing track.

1968 - The Doors

On their first ever visit to the UK The Doors appeared on Top Of The Pops performing 'Hello I Love You' live on the TV show.

1970 - Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin started recording sessions recording a version of the Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster song 'Me and Bobby McGee'. Joplin, (who was a lover and a friend of Kristofferson's from the beginning of her career to her death), topped the US singles chart with the song in 1971 after her death, making the song the second posthumous No.1 single in US chart history after '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' by Otis Redding.

1976 - Gary Rossington

Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington was seriously injured in a car crash in Florida.

1978 - Joe Negroni

Joe Negroni from Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers died of a brain haemorrhage. They had the 1956 UK No.1 & US No.6 single 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love' and are also noted for being rock's first all-teenaged act.

1981 - Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks went to No.1 on the US album with Bella Donna, featuring the tracks ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’ (the Tom Petty duet), ‘Leather and Lace’ (with Don Henley), ‘Edge of Seventeen’ and ‘After the Glitter Fades.’

1981 - Soft Cell

Soft Cell were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of 'Tainted Love.' The song had been a hit for Gloria Jones in 1964. (Jones who became Marc Bolan's girlfriend was the driver of the car, that crashed and killed Bolan on 16 September 1977. Jones nearly died in the accident).

1987 - Ian Astbury

Ian Astbury of The Cult was arrested after a show in Vancouver ended in a riot. Staff at the concert claimed they were assaulted by Astbury, who spent the night in the local police cells.

1990 - Charley Charles

Ian Dury And The Blockheads drummer Charley Charles died of cancer. Scored the 1978 UK No.1 single 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick'.

1994 - Oasis

Oasis appeared at The Hacienda in Manchester to celebrate the launch of their debut album Definitely Maybe. The album went on to become the fastest selling debut album of all time in the UK and marked the beginning of Oasis' success in America, selling over one million copies there.

1998 - Diane Warren

Aerosmith scored their first US No.1 single with the Diane Warren written song 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing'. The song which was featured in the 1998 film Armageddon gave the band their first No.1 single after 28 years together.

1998 - Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers scored their first UK No.1 single with 'If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next'. The group's 19th hit and the first Welsh act to have a No.1 single since Shakin' Stevens in 1985. The song is in the Guinness World Records as the longest title for a No.1 single without brackets.

1999 - Shania Twain

After spending 58 weeks on the UK album chart, Shania Twain went to No.1 with 'Come On Over'. It became the best-selling country music album, and the second best-selling studio album by a female act. To date, the album has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

2002 - Heather Mills

Heather Mills, Paul McCartney's second wife accepted £50,000 libel damages over an article in the Sunday Mirror. The paper had suggested that Mills acted dishonestly over cash collected for an earthquake appeal.

2006 - Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys won this year's UK Mercury Prize for their album 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.' The Sheffield-based bands album became the fastest-selling debut in chart history after shifting more than 360,000 copies in its first week of release in Feb 2006.

2008 - Musical Tastes

A study of more than 36,000 people from around the world concluded that musical tastes and personality type were closely related. The research, which was carried out by Professor Adrian North of Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh in the UK suggested classical music fans were shy, while heavy metal fans were gentle and at ease with themselves. Fans of Indie music had low self-esteem and were not hard working, fans of Rap music had high self-esteem and were outgoing. Country & Western fans were hardworking and outgoing, Reggae fans were creative but not hardworking, and fans of chart pop had high self-esteem, were not creative, but where hardworking and outgoing.

2012 - Joe South

Singer-songwriter Joe South, who had hits in the late 1960s and early ’70s, including 'Games People Play,' 'Walk a Mile in My Shoes' and '(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden,' died at home in Flowery Branch, Atlanta from a heart attack, aged 72. South also played on Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde album.

2016 - Freddie Mercury

An asteroid was named after Freddie Mercury to mark what would have been the singer's 70th birthday. The Queen frontman has had his name attached to Asteroid 17473, which was discovered in 1991 - the year he died. Queen guitarist Brian May told a gathering of 1,250 fans at Montreux Casino in Switzerland that the asteroid would now be known as Asteroid 17473 Freddiemercury.

2017 - Rick Stevens

Former Tower of Power lead singer Rick Stevens died age 77 after a battle with cancer. Stevens was in his 30s, four years out of Tower of Power and addicted to drugs, when he shot to death three men in a 1976 dealing dispute and served 36 years in prison. 

Born Today In Music

September 5th

1936 - Willie Woods

Willie Woods, Junior Walker and the All Stars, (1969 US No.4 single 'What Does It Take To Win Your Love'). Woods died of lung cancer on 27th May 1997.

1939 - John Stewart

John Stewart, singer, songwriter with The Kingston Trio. As a solo artist he had a 1979 US No.5 single with ‘Gold’. He also wrote The Monkees hit ‘Daydream Believer’. Stewart died aged 68 after he suffered a massive stroke or brain aneurysm in San Diego on 19th Jan 2008.

1945 - Al Stewart

Al Stewart, UK singer, songwriter, (1977 UK No.31 & US No.8 single 'Year Of The Cat').

1946 - Buddy Miles

Buddy Miles drummer with The Ink Spots, Wilson Pickett, Santana, Electric Flag and Jimi Hendrix. Miles featured on the 1970 Hendrix album Band Of Gypsies as well as tracks on Electric Ladyland and The Cry of Love. He died on 28th Feb 2008 died aged 60 at his home in Austin, Texas after struggling with a long-term illness.

1946 - Dean Ford

Dean Ford, singer, guitarist from Scottish pop rock band Marmalade, (originally formed in 1961 as The Gaylords). They scored the 1969 UK No.1 single with their version of The Beatlessong 'Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da'. Ford died on 31 December 2018 aged 73. 

1946 - Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury singer, Queen, (1975 UK No.1 single 'Bohemian Rhapsody' also UK No.1 in 1991, plus over 40 other UK Top 40 singles. 1980 US No.1 single 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'). Solo, (1987 UK No. 4 single 'The Great Pretender'). Mercury died of bronchio-pneumonia on November 24th 1991 aged 45, just one day after he publicly announced he was HIV positive.

1946 - Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright III, US singer, songwriter, (1973 US No.17 single 'Dead Skunk'). Once appeared in TV 's M.A.S.H. He is the father of Martha and Rufus Wainwright,

1947 - Mel Collins

Mel Collins, British saxophonist and flutist and session musician. Collins who played the sax solo on The Rolling Stones' 'Miss You' and has also worked with King Crimson, Camel, Alan Parsons Project, 10cc, Clannad, Eric Clapton, Bad Company, Dire Straits, Roger Waters, Gerry Rafferty, Tears For Fears and others.

1949 - Dave Clempson

Dave Clempson guitar, Humble Pie (1969 UK No.4 single 'Natural Born Bugie').

1954 - Sal Solo

Sal Solo, Classix Nouveaux, (1982 UK No.11 single 'Is It A Dream').

1956 - Roine Stolt

Swedish guitarist, vocalist and composer Roine Stolt. A major figure in Sweden's rock history, Stolt led two of his country's most successful progressive rock bands: Kaipa in the 1970s and The Flower Kings in the 1990s onward.

1964 - Kevin Saunderson

Kevin Saunderson, from American electronic group Inner City, who had the 1989 UK No.4 single 'Good Life' and the hit 'Big Fun'.

1966 - Terry Ellis

Terry Ellis, vocals, En Vogue (1992 US No.2 & UK No.4 single 'My Lovin').

1968 - Brad Wilk

Brad Wilk, drummer, from Rage Against The Machine, who had the 1996 US No.1 album Evil Empire. And with Audioslave had the 2005 US No.1 album Out of Exile.

1980 - Kevin Simm

Kevin Simm, vocals, Liberty X (2002 UK No.1 single 'Just A Little'). The group was formed by the five finalists of the British talent show Popstars who failed to make it into the group Hear'Say. Liberty X went on to achieve ten consecutive UK Top 20 singles.