What Happened Today In Music

November 5th

1956 - The Nat King Cole Show

"The Nat King Cole Show" debuted on NBC-TV in America. The Cole program was the first of its kind hosted by an African-American.

1960 - Johnny Horton

Country & western singer Johnny Horton was killed in a car crash. He had the 1959 US No.1 & UK No.16 single 'The Battle Of New Orleans'.

1966 - Monkees

The Monkees were at the top of the Billboard singles chart with ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, the group’s first No. 1. Bobby Hart who co-wrote the song got the idea for the lyrics when he turned on the radio and heard the end of The Beatles' 'Paperback Writer'. He thought Paul McCartney was singing "Take the last train", and decided to use the line when he found out McCartney was actually singing 'Paperback Writer'.

1967 - Robin Gibb

Bee Gee Robin Gibb was a passenger on a train which crashed in South East London in England killing 49 people and injuring 78. Robin was treated for shock after the accident.

1971 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley kicked off a 15-date North American tour at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Minneapolis. Announcer Al Dvorin uttered the well known phrase: "Elvis has left the building" at the end of the show. He was asked to make the announcement in an effort to quiet the fans who continued to call for an encore.

1977 - Sex Pistols

The manager of the Virgin record store in Nottingham, England was arrested for displaying a large poster advertising the new Sex Pistols album, 'Never Mind The Bollock's, Here's The Sex Pistols'. High street stores banned the album after police warned they could be fined under the 1898 indecent advertising act.

1982 - Mick Jagger

Channel 4 TV's The Tube had its first showing. Presented by Paula Yates and Jools Holland, the show featured The Jam and an interview with Mick Jagger. The first live act on the show was local band Toy Dolls. The show ran until 1987 and was named after the plexiglass tunnel which led down into Studio Five at Tyne Tees TV, the place where all the stars from the 80’s subsequently appeared.

1983 - Billy Joel

Billy Joel was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Uptown Girl', which stayed at the top of the chars for five weeks. The song was initially written about his relationship with his then-girlfriend Elle Macpherson, but it ended up also becoming about his soon-to-be wife Christie Brinkley (both women being two of the most famous supermodels of the 1980s).

1983 - Topper Headon

Topper Headon of The Clash was arrested for walking his dog while drunk on London's Fulham Road.

1986 - Bobby Nunn

Bobby Nunn of The Coasters died of heart failure in Los Angeles. The Coasters scored the 1958 US No.1 single 'Yakety Yak', 1959 US No.2 and UK No.6 single 'Charlie Brown' as well as 'Young Blood' and 'Poison Ivy'.

1988 - Beach Boys

The Beach Boys went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Kokomo', it peaked at No.25 in the UK. The track had been featured in the film Cocktail.

1988 - Kylie Minogue

'The Locomotion', became the first song to reach the US Top 5 in three different versions, when Kylie Minogue's reached No.3 on the US chart. Written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the song is notable for appearing in the American Top 5 three times – each time in a different decade: for Little Eva in 1962 and for Grand Funk Railroad in 1974.

1989 - Barry Sadler

Former US Army Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler died at a Veterans Administration hospital in Nashville from complications brought on by an un-explained gun shot wound to the head, suffered 14 months earlier in Guatemala City. Sadler is best remembered for his hit 'The Ballad of the Green Berets', which stayed on top of the chart for five weeks in 1966. He was 49 years old at time of his death.

1994 - Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow scored her first UK Top 10 single when 'All I Wanna Do' entered the charts at No.4. The US singer songwriter went on to become the first US female to score six UK hits off her debut album 'Tuesday Night Music Club'.

1998 - Morrissey

Former Smiths singer Morrissey lost an appeal ruling that all band profits should have been split equally and faced a backdated payout to former Smiths member Mike Joyce estimated at £1million.

2000 - U2

U2 went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'All That You Can't Leave Behind', the Irish group's 8th UK No.1 album. Creed were at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'With Arms Wide Open'.

2002 - Jam Master Jay

The funeral took place of Jam Master Jay, (Jason Mizell) from Run-DMC who was murdered by an assassin's single bullet on 30th October 2002. A $30,000 reward was offered in connection with the murder, to this day nobody has ever been convicted of the killing.

2003 - Bobby Hatfield

Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers was found dead in hotel room in Michigan 30 minutes before he was due on stage, aged 63. The autopsy report from the Kalamazoo County Medical Examiner gave the opinion that Hatfield suffered a sudden, unexpected death due to acute cocaine toxicity. The Righteous Brothers had the 1965 UK & US No.1 single 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', and the 1990 UK No.1 single 'Unchained Melody' first released in 1965.

2005 - Link Wray

Guitarist Link Wray died aged 76. Wray was credited with inventing 'fuzz' guitar after punching a hole in a speaker giving him a distorted guitar sound. Famous for his 1958 US No.16 single 'Rumble' which was banned on several radio stations, on the grounds that it glorified juvenile delinquency. A rare feat for a song with no lyrics.

2010 - The Rolling Stones

Keith Richards' autobiography Life was at No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list. The book by The Rolling Stones guitarist went on to be a million seller.

2012 - UK Singles Chart

To mark the 60th anniversary of the UK singles chart the Official Charts Company published a chart which lists all the 123 songs that have sold more than a million copies since it began in 1952. Elton John was at No.1 with Candle In The Wind, No.2 was Band Aid with Do They Know It's Christmas? followed by Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody on 2.36million copies.

2013 - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga split from Troy Carter, who had managed her since 2007. Carter was credited with masterminding some of Gaga’s success, including her massive social media audience. She had 60 million Facebook fans and was amongst the top figures on Twitter with 40 million followers.

2014 - Jack Bruce

The funeral for Jack Bruce was held in London, attended by Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and noted musicians Phil Manzanera, Gary Brooker, Vernon Reid and Nitin Sawhney among others. Dozens assembled at the Golders Green Crematorium paying a last tribute singing "Morning Has Broken", "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Theme for an Imaginary Western". The Scottish-born bass player and singer had died last month as a result of liver disease.

2017 - Robert Knight

American singer Robert Knight died age 72. He is best known for the 1967 US Top 20 hit 'Everlasting Love'. In the UK the song was an even bigger hit the following year when a version by Love Affair reached No.1, preventing Knight's version from progressing further than No. 40. 

Born Today In Music

November 5th

1911 - Roy Rogers

Roy Rogers, singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain. He and his wife Dale Evans, his golden palomino, Trigger, and his German Shepherd dog, Bullet, were featured in more than 100 movies & The Roy Rogers Show. The show ran on radio for 9 years before moving to TV from 1951 - 1957. He scored 8 US Top 40 country hits. Rogers died of congestive heart failure on July 6, 1998. 

1931 - Ike Turner

Ike Turner, singer, (1966 UK No.3 single with Tina Turner, 'River Deep Mountain High', 1971 US No.4 single 'Proud Mary'). Turner died on 12th Dec 2007.

1941 - Art Garfunkel

Art Garfunkel, singer, actor. With Paul Simon as Simon and Garfunkel they scored the No.1 hits 'The Sound of Silence', 'Bridge over Troubled Water' and 'Mrs. Robinson'. The 1970 album Bridge Over Trouble Water spent 307 weeks on the UK chart. He scored the solo, 1979 UK No.1 single 'Bright Eyes'.

1943 - Pablo Gomez

Pablo Gomez, from Spanish beat group Los Bravos who had the 1966 UK No.2 & US No.4 single 'Black Is Black'. They were the first Spanish rock band to have a UK & US hit single.

1946 - Loleatta Holloway

American singer, Loleatta Holloway who is best known for disco songs such as 'Hit and Run' and 'Love Sensation', both of which have been sampled extensively. She died on 21 March 2011 aged 64 from heart failure.

1946 - Gram Parsons

Gram Parsons, US singer, songwriter. Member of The International Submarine Band, The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers. Released the 1973 solo album 'Grievous Angel.' Died on 19th September 1973 from a heroin overdose aged 26.

1947 - Peter Noone

Peter Noone, singer with English beat rock band, Herman's Hermits who scored the 1964 UK No.1 single 'I'm Into Something Good' (cover of Earl-Jean's) and the 1965 US No.1 single 'Mrs Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter'.

1948 - Peter Hammill

Peter Hammill, singer, guitar, keyboards, Van Der Graff Generator. (1968 album 'The Aerosol Grey Machine').

1956 - Helen O'Hara

Helen O'Hara, Dexy's Midnight Runners, (1982 UK No.1 & 1983 US No.1 single 'Come On Eileen').

1957 - David Moyse

David Moyse, guitarist for the Australian soft rock band Air Supply who scored the 1980 UK No.11 single 'All Out Of Love' and the 1981 US No.1 single 'The One That You Love'.

1957 - Mike Score

Mike Score, A Flock Of Seagulls, (1982 UK No.10 single 'Wishing, If I Had A Photograph Of You').

1959 - Ken Coomer

Ken Coomer, drummer, from American alternative rock band Wilco who released the albums Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born, Sky Blue Sky and Wilco (The Album).

1959 - Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams, Canadian guitarist, singer, songwriter. His first UK single 'Run To You', was a 1985 UK No.11. His 1991 UK & US No.1 single '(Everything I Do)', I Do It For You', spent a record breaking 16 weeks UK No.1, plus he has scored over 15 other UK Top 40 singles and 3 UK No.1 albums. Adams has garnered many awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations, and 15 Grammy Award nominations. 

1959 - Robert Fisher

Robert Fisher, from Climie Fisher, who had the 1988 UK No.2 single 'Love Changes Everything'. He wrote songs for Rod Stewart, Milli Vanilli, Fleetwood Mac and Jermaine Jackson. Fisher died of cancer on 25th August 1999.

1965 - Paris Grey

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

1968 - Mark Hunter

Mark Hunter, keyboards, from English rock band James who scored the 1991 UK No.2 single 'Sit Down' and the hits 'Laid' and 'Come Home'.

1971 - Jonathan Greenwood

Jonny Greenwood, guitar, keyboards, Radiohead. Their 1993 debut single 'Creep' was initially unsuccessful, but it became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their debut album, 'Pablo Honey'. Their 1997 album OK Computer appeared in many 1997 critics' lists and listener polls for best album of the year.

1974 - Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams, singer, songwriter, (2001 UK No.53 single 'New York, New York'). He was in a group called Whiskeytown, then went solo. His backing band is the Cardinals.

1975 - Lisa Scott- Lee

Lisa Scott-Lee, singer with British dance-pop group Steps. Between 1997 and 2001 Steps scored two No.1 singles in the UK, two No.1 albums and 14 consecutive top 5 singles in the UK.

1985 - Kate Jenna DeAraugo

Kate Jenna DeAraugo, Australian singer, winner of the third season of Australian Idol in 2005.

1987 - Kevin Jonas

Kevin Jonas, American singer and actor, Jonas Brothers, 2009 US No.1 album ‘Lines, Vines and Trying Times’.