What Happened Today In Music

December 11th

1961 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley started a 20-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Blue Hawaii', his seventh US No.1 album.

1961 - The Marvelettes

The Marvelettes went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Please Mr Postman'. The session musicians on the track included 22 year old Marvin Gaye on drums. The song gave The Carpenters a US No.1 and UK No.2 single in 1975.

1964 - Sam Cooke

Soul singer Sam Cooke was shot dead at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California. Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel, told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defence because he had attacked her. Police found Cooke's body in Franklin's apartment-office, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes, but no shirt, pants or underwear. The shooting was ultimately ruled a justifiable homicide.

1968 - The Scaffold

Liverpool folk group The Scaffold were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Lily The Pink', this year's Christmas No.1. 'Lily the Pink' was a new version of an older folk song entitled 'The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham', and a similar version was the unofficial regimental song of the Royal Tank Corps, at the end of World War II.

1968 - Eric Clapton

Filming began for The Rolling Stones 'Rock & Roll Circus.' As well as clowns and acrobats, John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell, and Keith Richards. It was originally meant to be aired on the BBC, but the Rolling Stones withheld it because they were unhappy with their performance. The film was eventually released in 1996.

1971 - Benny Hill

UK comedian Benny Hill was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the innuendo-laden novelty song, 'Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)', giving Hill his only No.1 and the Christmas No.1 hit of 1971. The song was originally written in 1955 as the introduction to an unfilmed screenplay about Hill's milkman experiences.

1972 - James Brown

James Brown was arrested after show in Tennessee for trying to incite a riot. Brown threatened to sue the city for $1m, the charges were later dropped.

1973 - Kiss

Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley was nearly electrocuted during a concert in Florida when he touched a short-circuited light. The guitarist was carried from the stage but returned 10 minutes later to finish the show.

1982 - Toni Basil

Singer, TV actress and dancer Toni Basil went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Mickey', making her a US One Hit Wonder. Also a No.2 hit in the UK, the song was written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as 'Kitty', and was first recorded by UK group Racey during 1979.

1982 - The Jam

The Jam played their last ever gig as a band when they appeared in Brighton, England. Singer and guitarist Paul Weller went on to form The Style Council with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee.

1983 - Flying Pickets

The Flying Pickets were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Yazoo song 'Only You'. Also this years Christmas No.1 and the first a cappella chart-topper in the UK.

1989 - Led Zeppelin

The Recording Industry Association of America certified four Led Zeppelin albums as multi-platinum: Presence (2 million), Led Zeppelin (4 million), Physical Graffiti (4 million) and In Through The Out Door (5 million).

1993 - Mr Blobby

The character Mr Blobby as featured on UK TV's 'The Noel Edmunds House Party', started a one-week run as the UK No.1 single with the novelty song 'Mr Blobby'. The single later received the dubious honour of being voted the most irritating Christmas No.1 single in a HMV poll.

1996 - Morrissey

Johnny Marr and Morrissey were left with a £300,000 legal bill after loosing a case over unpaid royalties with former Smithsmembers Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce.

2000 - Richard Ashcroft

Former Verve front man Richard Ashcroft was forced to cancel the remaining dates on his current UK tour after he fell on stage and broke two ribs. The accident happened during a show in Birmingham.

2001 - David Soul

David Soul won a lawsuit against Matthew Wright, a London theatre critic who criticised Soul's stage performance without even seeing it. Wright's column had made reference to the Monday performance, when in fact, the play did not run on Mondays.

2001 - Brian Harvey

Brian Harvey underwent surgery after suffering a serious head injury in an attack. The former East 17 singer was attacked by a group of youths as he left the Works nightclub in Nottingham, having appeared at a promotional event.

2003 - Bobby Brown

Bobby Brown was charged with battery after allegedly hitting wife Whitney Houston in the face. Brown, turned himself in to the police three days after a reported domestic dispute at the couple's home in Atlanta, Georgia. Houston, who accompanied her husband to court, said they were trying to work out their problems "privately."

2008 - Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell said he was "very embarrassed" after contracts signed by this year's X Factor contestants were leaked to the Daily Mirror newspaper. The 80-page document, which is enforceable "anywhere in the world or the solar system" was signed by all 12 finalists before the live shows began. It included a clause that prevents them from saying anything "unduly negative, critical or derogatory" about Cowell. Also the show claimed the prize as a "£1m recording contract", but the contestants' contract said the prize money was £150,000.

2012 - Ravi Shankar

Indian musician Ravi Shankar died after undergoing heart valve replacement surgery. He was one of the best-known exponents of the sitar and influenced many other musicians throughout the world. George Harrison who was first introduced to Shankar's music by Roger McGuinn and David Crosby, became influenced by Shankar's music and went on to help popularize Shankar.

2016 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan said it was "truly beyond words" to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. In a speech read on his behalf at the ceremony in Sweden, he said he thought his odds of winning were as likely as him "standing on the moon". Patti Smith performed 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' at the ceremony. But the singer had to apologise during her rendition after nerves got the better of her and she forgot the lyrics.

2019 - Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran was named the UK's artist of the decade by the Official Charts Company. Sheeran achieved the milestone after a combined run of 12 No.1 singles and albums between 2010 and 2019 - more than any other artist. He's also had the most weeks (79) at No.1 in both the album and singles charts in this period. 

Born Today In Music

December 11th

1916 - Perez Prado

Perez Prado, (1955 US & UK No.1 single 'Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White'). He died on 14th September 1989.

1926 - Big Mama Thornton

Big Mama Thornton, singer, songwriter, Janis Joplin covered her song 'Ball And Chain'. Thornton also scored the 1953 hit with her version of 'Hound Dog' before Elvis Presley. She died in 1984.

1940 - David Gates

American singer-songwriter, musician and producer, David Gates, best known as the co-lead singer of the group Bread, who scored the 1970 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'Make It With You'. His song 'Popsicles and Icicles' hit No.3 on the US chart for The Murmaids in January 1964 and The Monkees recorded another of his songs, 'Saturday's Child'. By the end of the 1960s, he had worked with many leading artists, including Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Merle Haggard, Duane Eddy and Brian Wilson.

1941 - J. Frank Wilson

J. Frank Wilson, American singer, and lead vocalist of J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers who scored the No.2 US hit 'Last Kiss'. The song was subsequently covered successfully by Wednesday and Pearl Jam.

1944 - Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee, singer, (1960 US No.1 single 'I'm Sorry', UK No.4 single 'Sweet Nothin's', plus 27 US & 18 other UK Top 40 singles).

1948 - Chester Thompson

American drummer and session musician Chester Thompson who performed with Frank Zappa from 1973–74 and Genesis from 1977-2007. Thompson has also worked with Weather Report, Phil Collins, Santana and others.

1951 - Philip 'Spike' Edney

Philip 'Spike' Edney, keyboard player, was known as the fifth member of Queen. Also worked with Duran Duran, Boomtown Rats, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Haircut 100, The Cross, Brian May and The Rolling Stones.

1954 - Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine 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)'.

1958 - Nikki Sixx

Nikki Sixx, songwriter, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Motley Crue. In 2002 he formed the hard rock supergroup Brides of Destruction with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns. His book The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star was published in 2007. 

1961 - Darryl Jones

Darryl Jones also known as "The Munch.’ American bassist who has played with The Rolling Stones since Bill Wyman's departure in 1993. Also worked with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Madonna, Eric Clapton and Joan Armatrading.

1962 - Curtis Williams

Curtis Williams, Kool & The Gang, (1981 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Celebration', 1984 UK No.2 single Joana' and 15 other UK Top 40 hits).

1964 - Justin Currie

Justin Currie, singer, songwriter and bass player from Scottish alternative rock band Del Amitri who had the 1990 UK No.11 single 'Nothing Ever Happens'. The band have had five Top 10 albums in the UK.

1967 - DJ Yella

DJ Yella, NWA, (1990 UK No.26 single 'Express Yourself').

1972 - Easther Bennett

Easther Bennett, from British R&B girl group Eternal who had the 1997 UK No.1 single 'I Wanna Be The Only One', and the 1993 UK No.2 album Always & Forever. They achieved 15 UK Top 20 hits between 1993 and 1999.

1981 - Avenged Sevenfold

Zacky Vengeance (Zachary James Baker), American guitarist, songwriter of Avenged Sevenfold, who had the 2010 US No.1 album Nightmare and the 2013 US No.1 album Hail to the King.