What Happened Today In Music

October 25th

1958 - Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard made his British radio debut on the BBC's 'Saturday Club.' The show had started life as Saturday "Skiffle" club in 1957 hosted by Brian Matthew and was broadcast from 10am to 12noon Saturday mornings on the BBC Light Programme.

1963 - The Beatles

The Beatles kicked off their first tour of Sweden by playing two shows at Nya Aulan, Sundstavagen, Karlstad, Sweden. The local pop reviewer was not impressed, saying The Beatles should be grateful to their screaming fans for drowning out the group's terrible performance, adding that The Beatles "were of no musical importance whatsoever and that their local support group, The Phantoms, decidedly outshone them."

1964 - Ed Sullivan

The Rolling Stones appeared for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show from New York, performing ‘Around And Around’ and ‘Time Is On My Side’. A riot broke out in the studio, prompting Sullivan’s infamous quote, ‘I promise you they’ll never be back on our show again.’ The Rolling Stones went on to make a further five appearances on Sullivan’s show between 1965 and 1969.

1966 - Jeff Healey

Aged 7 months old, Jeff Healey had his right eye surgical removed (and subsequently his left eye, 4 months later), and replaced with artificial ones, necessitated by a form of cancer of the eyes called retinoblastoma. Three years later Healey was given his first guitar by his father. At the age of 13, the Canadian guitarist formed his first band, Blue Direction.

1968 - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin played a gig at Surrey University, England. Although there are unconfirmed reports of earlier shows, this appears to be the band's first gig with their new name after initially performing as The New Yardbirds. In 2003 a poster for the Surrey gig (billing the group as The New Yardbirds) sold at auction for £2,400.

1968 - Jimi Hendrix

The double album 'Electric Ladyland' by the The Jimi Hendrix Experience was released. It was also made available as two albums with changed artwork after complaints about the naked women who were pictured on the sleeve. The female models were each paid £5 for the photo shoot and another £5 if they posed completely naked.

1969 - Archies

'Sugar Sugar' by The Archies was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. It stayed at the top for eight weeks, and was also No.1 in the US, selling over six million copies worldwide. The Archies were a rock group based on comic book characters.

1970 - President Nixon

Speaking at a US radio conference, President Nixon asked programmers to ban all songs containing drug references.

1975 - Art Garfunkel

Art Garfunkel was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of 'I Only Have Eyes For You.' Written in 1934 for the film Dames the song was a No.2 hit for Ben Selvin in 1934 and most notably a hit for The Flamingos in 1959.

1980 - Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand scored her fourth US No.1 album with 'Guilty.' Also on this day Streisand started a three week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with a song written by the The Bee Gees 'Woman In Love', the singers only UK No.1.

1985 - Gary Holton

Actor and singer Gary Holton died of a drug overdose. Member of The Heavy Metal Kids, and one half of the duo Casino Steel. Holton appeared in the film Quadrophenia and UK TV's Auf Wiedersehen Pet.

1985 - R.E.M. The Smiths and Tom Waits

R.E.M., The Smiths and Tom Waits all appeared on the music TV show The Tube broadcast live from Tyne Tree Television Studios, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

1986 - Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Slippery When Wet'. Featuring two US No.1 singles, 'You Give Love A Bad Name' and 'Livin' On A Prayer'. The album went on to sell over 8 million copies world wide.

1986 - Cyndi Lauper

For the first time in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, the top three spots were held by female solo acts. Cyndi Lauper's 'True Colors' held down the No.1 position, followed by Tina Turner's 'Typical Male' at No.2 and Janet Jackson's 'When I Think Of You' at No.3.

1989 - Nirvana

Nirvana and Tad appeared at the Duchess Of York, Leeds, England. The two acts were on the third night of their debut European tour.

1992 - Roger Miller

Roger Miller died of died of lung and throat cancer in hospital in Los Angeles. Scored the 1965 UK No.1 & US No.4 single 'King Of The Road’. Miller won eleven Grammy Awards as a songwriter and seven Tony awards for writing the music and lyrics for 'Big River'. The Proclaimers had the 1990 UK No.9 hit with their version of 'King Of The Road.'

1997 - Johnny Cash

After falling over on stage when reaching for a guitar pick, Johnny Cash announced during a gig in Michigan that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease.

1997 - Spice Girls

The Spice Girls went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Spice Up Your Life'. Taken from their second album 'Spiceworld' the single set new record, making them the only act to have their first five singles reach No.1.

2000 - William Martin

William Martin drummer with Sam The Sham & the Pharaohs died of a heart attack. The quintessential Tex-Mex band of the 1960s, had the 1965 US No.2 & UK No.11 single 'Wooly Bully'.

2001 - Jerry Garcia

13 law firms were still involved in claims to Grateful Deadguitarist Jerry Garcia's $10m estate six years after his death. Former wives & girlfriends continued to fight on how to distribute his estate and annual royalties of $4.6m.

2002 - Richard Harris

Richard Harris, who had the 1968 US No.2 & UK No.4 hit 'MacArthur Park' died of cancer. The 72-year-old Irish-born actor had been undergoing chemotherapy at a private clinic in London. Though he charted three other times, Harris was better known for his acting roles on stage and film, most recently playing Albus Dumbledore in two Harry Potter films.

2003 - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash's step-daughter, Rosey Nix Adams and her fiddle player Jimmy Campbell were found dead on their tour bus in Clarksville, Tennessee from Carbon monoxide poisoning. Heaters that had been left on were blamed for the accident.

2004 - John Peel

John Peel died in Cuzco, Peru of a heart attack, aged 65. He was BBC’s longest-serving radio DJ and the first DJ to introduce the Ramones, The Smiths, Rod Stewart, Blur, the Sex Pistols,  T Rexand others to the masses. He founded Dandelion Records in 1969, and was also known for his ‘Peel Sessions’, releases of live radio sessions. Peel was appointed an OBE in 1998.

2007 - Akon

Three workers building the set for an Akon outdoor show at Emory University in Atlanta were taken to hospital after a canopy fell on top of them. The concert was later cancelled

2012 - Michael Jackson

Forbes magazine reported that Michael Jackson topped their list of highest-earning dead musical celebrities by earning $145 million in the past year. Elvis Presley ranked No.2 with $55 million in earnings, and Bob Marley No.3 with $17 million.

2014 - Jack Bruce

Jack Bruce, best known as one third of Cream died of liver disease aged 71. Bruce played bass, sang and was the principal songwriter in Cream, and his CV reads like a comprehensive guide to the British blues boom, with spells in Alexis Korner’s Blues Inc, the Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Manfred Mann.

2015 - Marlo Henderson

American guitarist and saxophonist Marlo Henderson died aged 67. As a session musician he played on albums such as Off the Wall by Michael Jackson and worked with Paul McCartney and Minnie Riperton.

Born Today In Music

October 25th

1941 - Helen Reddy

Helen Reddy, Australian singer, songwriter who had the 1975 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'Angie Baby'). Cher had previously turned down the song. Reddy died on 29 September 2020 age 78. 

1944 - Jon Anderson

English singer and songwriter Jon Anderson, who was a member of The Warriors, and Yes who scored the 1983 UK No.28 & US No.1 single 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart'. Anderson is also noted for his solo career and collaborations with other artists, including Vangelis as Jon and Vangelis. 

1944 - Taffy Danoff

Taffy Danoff, from American pop group Starland Vocal Band, who had the 1976 US No.1 & UK No.18 single 'Afternoon Delight' one of the biggest-selling singles of 1976.

1947 - John Hall

John Hall from the British pop, R&B and rock group The Equals who had the 1968 UK No.1 & US No.32 single 'Baby Come Back' written by Eddy Grant.

1948 - Glenn Tipton

English Grammy Award-winning guitar player and songwriter Glenn Tipton from Judas Priest who have sold over 50 million albums worldwide.

1950 - Chris Norman

Chris Norman, from English rock band Smokie who had the 1975 UK No.3 single 'If You Think You Know How To Love Me'. Their most popular hit single was 'Living Next Door to Alice'.

1951 - Richard Lloyd

Richard Lloyd, American guitarist with Television. The group's debut album, Marquee Moon, is often considered one of the defining releases of the punk era.

1955 - Matthias Jabs

Matthias Jabs, from German rock band Scorpions. Their 1990 power ballad 'Wind Of Change' topped the European charts and was a No.4 hit in the US. The Scorpions hold the record for the best-selling single by a German artist and band.

1960 - Christina Amphlett

Australian singer Christina Amphlett with The Divinyls who had the 1991 US No.4 & UK No.10 single, 'I Touch Myself'. Amphlett died on 21st April 2013 after battling breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.

1962 - Chad Smith

Chad Smith, drummer, Red Hot Chili Peppers (1992 UK No.26 single 'Under The Bridge', 2002 UK No.1 album 'By The Way').

1963 - John Leven

John Leven, Europe, (1986 UK No.1 single 'The Final Countdown').

1965 - Nick Thorp

Nick Thorp, from British pop band, Curiosity Killed The Cat who had the 1989 UK No.14 single 'Name And Number' and the UK No.1 album Keep Your Distance.

1968 - Todd Thomas

Todd Thomas, from American alternative hip hop group Arrested Development who scored the 1992 UK No.2 and US No. 8 single 'People Everyday'. The group won two Grammy Awards in 1993 for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance and were also named Band of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.

1970 - Ed Robertson

Ed Robertson, guitar, with Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies who scored the 1998 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'One Week'. The group has sold over 15 million records including albums and singles, and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in March of 2018.

1984 - Katy Perry

Katy Perry, American singer-songwriter, who scored the 2008 single ‘I Kissed a Girl’ which was a worldwide hit topping the charts in over than 20 countries. Her 2013 single 'Roar' gave the singer her eighth non-consecutive US No.1 hit.

1985 - Ciara

Ciara Princess Harris, US singer, songwriter, record producer, (2004 US No.1 single ‘Goodies’, 2006 US No.1 album Ciara: The Evolution).