What Happened Today In Music

February 15th

1962 - Ray Charles

Ray Charles recorded 'I Can't Stop Loving You' at United Studios in Hollywood, California. The tune would go on to top both the US and UK charts and would be included on the LP 'Modern Sounds In Country / Western Music', which would lead the Billboard album chart for 14 weeks.

1964 - The Beatles

The Beatles scored their first US No.1 album with Meet The Beatles! The album stayed at No.1 for eleven weeks. The album sold over four million copies in the US by December 31, 1964.

1965 - Nat King Cole

American singer and pianist Nat King Cole died of lung cancer. First hit was the 1943 'Straighten Up and Fly Right', had the 1955 US No.2 single 'A Blossom Fell' and 1957 UK No.2 single 'When I Fall In Love' plus over 20 other US & UK Top 40 singles. He is the father of singer Natalie Cole. In 1956 he became the first black American to host a television variety show.

1968 - Ringo Starr

John and Cynthia John Lennon, along with George and Patti Harrison, flew to India to study meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Paul and Ringo joined them a few days later, but Starr would become bored and leave on March 1st, comparing the experience to be like a 'Butlins holiday camp.' Much of the Beatles' The White Album was written during their stay.

1968 - Little Walter

American blues musician Little Walter (Marion Walter Jacobs) died in his sleep aged 37 from injuries incurred in a fight while taking a break from a performance at a nightclub in Chicago. Joining Muddy Waters' band in 1948, he was the first harmonica player to amplify his harp (on the 1951 ‘She Moves Me’) giving it a distorted echoing sound.

1969 - Sly and the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Everyday People', their first No.1. 

1975 - Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You're No Good', the singers only solo chart topper out of 12 other top 40 hits. Also today Ronstadt went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Heart Like A Wheel.'

1977 - Glen Matlock

Glen Matlock was fired as bass player from the Sex Pistols, being replaced by Sid Vicious. Matlock rejoined in the 90s when the Pistol's reformed.

1979 - Saturday Night Fever

At the 21st Grammy Awards, the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack won Album of the Year and The Bee Gees were named Best Pop Group and Best Arrangement for Voices for 'Staying Alive'. Billy Joel's 'Just the Way You Are' won Record and Song of the Year. Donna Summer's 'Last Dance' won two Grammys: Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song.

1981 - Mike Bloomfield

American guitarist Mike Bloomfield was found dead in his car in San Francisco from an accidental heroin overdose aged 37. He was a member of the Paul Butterfield band and Electric Flag and had played on Bob Dylan's album Highway 61 Revisited. Bloomfield's Telecaster guitar licks were featured on Dylan's ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, and he appeared onstage with Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival, where Dylan used Bloomfield and the Butterfield Band which marked Dylan's first use of an electric band in a live performance.

1988 - Jo Elliot

After singer Jo Elliot had referred to El Paso as 'the place with all those greasy Mexicans', Def Leppard were forced to cancel a concert in El Paso, after they received threats that the gig would be disrupted.

1991 - Rod Stewart

Kelly Emberg the ex-girlfriend of Rod Stewart filed a $25 million (£14.7 million) palimony suit in Los Angeles. The couple lived together from 1985 to 1990. Stewart later said: "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house."

1997 - U2

U2 went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Discotheque', the bands third UK No.1 single. The entire track was leaked onto the internet in December 1996, forcing U2 to move the release date.

2000 - Sting

Sting pulled-out of a concert in Vienna in protest at the inclusion of Jorg Haider's far right freedom party in Austria's new government. Lou Reed had also cancelled shows in the country.

2006 - Paul Weller

Winners at this year's Brit Awards included, James Blunt who won British male solo artist, British female solo artist went to KT Tunstall. Coldplay won Best British album for X&Y and Best British single for 'Speed of Sound.' Kaiser Chiefs won Best British group and Best British Live Act, British urban act went to Lemar, British breakthrough act was Arctic Monkeys, International breakthrough act was won by Jack Johnson. International male solo artist was Kanye West with Madonna winning International female solo artist. Green Day won International group and Best International album with American Idiot and Outstanding contribution to music went to Paul Weller.

2008 - The Beatles

A flat once rented by The Beatles in London went up for sale for £1.75m. The band shared the three-bedroom top floor property in Green Street, Mayfair in the autumn of 1963. A publicity photo of the Fab Four peering over a banister, used as the cover for the December 1963 edition of The Beatles Book, was taken at the top of the property's communal stairwell.

2013 - Chubby Checker

Chubby Checker launched a $500,000 lawsuit against Hewlett-Packard for including an app on its phones and tablets that was not only named after the 71-year-old musician, but measured a man's manhood based on his shoe size.

2015 - Mark Ronson

Mark Ronson's 'Uptown Funk' reached the one million sales mark, 10 weeks after it was first released becoming the 158th track to reach the million mark in British charts history. The song, from the soundtrack to the Fifty Shades Of Grey film also became the most-streamed track ever in the UK.

Born Today In Music

February 15th

1941 - Brian Holland

Brian Holland, Holland/Dozier/Holland, producer and songwriter who wrote many hits for Motown artists such as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Freda Payne and Chairmen Of The Board.

1942 - Glyn Johns

English musician, recording engineer and record producer Glyn Johns who worked with many artists including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Who The Beatles, ('Let It Be' sessions), Eagles, the Faces and Led Zeppelin.

1944 - Denny Zager

Denny Zager, singer with Zager and Evans who had the 1969 US & UK No.1 single 'In The Year 2525'. Despite the record's huge success, follow-up singles such as 'Mr. Turnkey' went largely unnoticed. Zager now builds custom guitars at Zager Guitars, which is based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

1944 - Mick Avory

Mick Avory, drummer with The Kinks who had the 1964 UK No.1 & US No.7 'You Really Got Me', and the 1967 UK No.2 single 'Waterloo Sunset' plus 19 other UK Top 40 singles. He is the longest-serving member of the band, apart from the Davies brothers.

1945 - John Helliwell

English musician John Helliwell, saxophonist with Supertramp, who had the 1979 UK No.7 & US No.6 single 'The Logical Song'. Helliwell also played on Pink Floyd's album A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

1947 - David Brown

American bassist David Brown who was the primary bass player for Santana from 1966 until 1971, then again from 1974 until 1976. Brown played in Santana at Woodstock and at Altamont in 1969 and on the band's first three studio albums. Brown died on September 4, 2000, due to liver and kidney failure.

1950 - Billy Ficca

Billy Ficca, American drummer who put together The Neon Boys with Richard Hell, was a founding member of Television and the experimental post-punk band The Waitresses best known for the 1982 hit 'Christmas Wrapping'.

1952 - Melissa Manchester

Melissa Manchester, US singer, songwriter who had the 1975 US No.6 single 'Midnight Blue'.

1955 - Hugh Padgham

English record producer and audio engineer Hugh Padgham. His co-productions include hits by Phil Collins, XTC, Genesis, The Human League, Sting, and The Police. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 1993. A 1992 poll in Mixmagazine voted him one of the world's ‘Top Ten Most Influential Producers’.

1959 - Ali Campbell

Ali Campbell, singer with UB40, who had the 1983 UK No.1 & 1988 US No.1 single 'Red Red Wine' and over 30 other top 40 hits. Had the solo 1995 UK No.5 single 'That Look In Your Eye'.

1960 - Mikey Craig

Mikey Craig, bassist with Culture Club, who had the 1983 UK No.1 and 1984 US No.12 single 'Karma Chameleon' plus 7 other UK Top 10 singles'.

1974 - Lordi

Tomi Petteri Putaansuu, Mr. Lordi, lead vocalist Lordi. Became Finland's first ever Eurovision Song Contest winners after their song 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' won the contest held in Athens in 2006.

1974 - Stuart Richardson

Stuart Richardson, bassist, with Lostprophets, who had the 2004 UK No.8 single 'Last Train Home', and the 2006 UK No.1 album 'Liberation Transmission'.

1976 - Ronnie Vannucci Jr

Ronnie Vannucci Jr, drummer from The Killers, who scored the 2005 UK No.1 with their debut album Hot Fuss. Their 2017 album Wonderful Wonderful peaked at No.1 on the US & UK chart. Vannucci is also involved in a side project called Big Talk.

1976 - Brandon Boyd

Brandon Boyd, from American rock band Incubus, who had the 2001 US No.9 & UK No.40 single, 'Drive', and the 2004 US No.2 and UK No.6 album A Crow Left of the Murder’, and the 2006 US No.1 album Light Grenades. Worldwide, Incubus has sold over 23 million albums.

1981 - Olivia

Olivia Theresa Longott, US R&B singer, and member of G-Unit, who had the 2005 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'Candy Shop' with 50 Cent.

1995 - Megan Thee Stallion

American rapper, singer, and songwriter Megan Thee Stallion. Her single ‘Savage (Remix)’ featuring Beyoncé, and she featured on Cardi B's single ‘WAP’, both released in 2020, reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.