What Happened Today In Music

September 25th

1954 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley released his second single on Sun Records, 'Good Rockin' Tonight,' a song made popular in 1948 by Wynonie Harris.

1964 - The Temptations

The Temptations begin recording 'My Girl' at Hitsville USA (Studio A), Detroit, Michigan, (the first Temptations single to feature David Ruffin on lead vocals). Written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, the song went on to become their first US No.1 and the first of fifteen US Top Ten hits.

1965 - The Beatles

The Beatles cartoon series premiered on ABC TV in the US. The first story was titled 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and had the group exploring the ocean floor in a diving bell where they met a lovesick octopus.

1968 - Mary Hopkin

Welsh singer Mary Hopkin was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Those Were The Days'. Hopkins had signed to The BeatlesApple label after appearing on UK TV talent show Opportunity Knocks.

1969 - John Lennon

John Lennon recorded the track 'Cold Turkey', with Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman and Yoko. Lennon presented the song to Paul McCartney as a potential single by  The Beatles, but was refused and released it as a Plastic Ono Band single with sole writing credits to him.

1970 - David Cassidy

The first episode of The Partridge Family was shown on US TV, featuring Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, Susan Dey and Danny Bonaduce.

1972 - Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath released their fourth studio album, 'Black Sabbath Vol. 4'. The album which features a monochrome photograph of Ozzy Osbourne with hands raised, taken during a Black Sabbath concert was originally to be titled 'Snowblind', after one of several songs referring to the band's cocaine use.

1975 - Jackie Wilson

Jackie Wilson had a heart attack while performing live on stage at the Latin Casino, New Jersey. Wilson collapsed into a coma suffering severe brain damage. Ironically, he was in the middle of singing one of his biggest hits, 'Lonely Teardrops' and was two words into the line, "....my heart is crying" when he collapsed to the stage, striking his head heavily. He remained semi-comatose for the nine years until his death in 1984, at the age of 49. Van Morrison wrote the song 'Jackie Wilson Said', covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

1976 - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney and Wings played a charity concert in St Marks Square, Venice to raise funds for the historic city. The night was a success but the weight of the equipment used by the group caused more damage to the square.

1980 - John Bonham

John Bonham, drummer with Led Zeppelin, died aged 32 after a heavy drinking session. ‘Bonzo’ was found dead at guitarists Jimmy Page's house of what was described as asphyxiation, after inhaling his own vomit after excessive vodka consumption, (40 shots in 4 hours). During live sets his drum solo, ‘Moby Dick,’ would often last for half an hour and regularly featured his use of his bare hands. In 2007, Ludwig issued a limited edition drum kit in Bonham's memory.

1982 - Queen

Queen made a guest appearance on US TV's Saturday Night Live, where they performed 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' and 'Under Pressure'.

1990 - Nirvana

Drummer Dave Grohl auditioned for Nirvana and was instantly given the job. Grohl's last band Scream had recently split-up.

1992 - Ozzy Osbourne

Two fans were stabbed and 20 arrests were made after trouble broke out at a Ozzy Osbourne gig in Oklahoma City. The sale of alcohol at the concert was blamed for the incident.

1993 - Jazzy Jeff

Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince started a two week run at No.1 in the UK with the single 'Boom! Shake The Room'. Featuring Will Smith who was a rapper and actor starring in TV show The Fresh Prince of Belle Aire in 1993.

1993 - Nirvana

Nirvana went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'In Utero' the bands first UK No.1 album.

1995 - Courtney Love

Courtney Love was given a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, fined $1000 and ordered to attend a anger management course after being found guilty of assaulting Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna.

1999 - Liam Gallagher

Oasis singer, Liam Gallagher was stopped by customs officials at Heathrow airport and made to pay £1300 after not declaring a fur coat he had bought in America.

1999 - Bill Wyman

Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman became the first major artist to release an album on his own personalised digital MP3 player. The matchbox-sized device with no moving parts was one of the smallest of its kind in the world and featured encryption software designed in the UK to prevent piracy.

1999 - The Ozark Mountain Daredevils

Stephen Canaday of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils was killed when the vintage WW II plane he was flying in, rolled, inverted and crashed into a tree. The pilot failed to maintain speed which resulted in a stall.

2000 - Black Sabbath

Ozzy Osbourne formally requested that Black Sabbath be removed from the nomination list for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Calling the inclusion "meaningless", Osbourne went on to say "Let's face it. Black Sabbath have never been media darlings. We're a people's band and that suits us just fine."

2006 - Scissor Sisters

'I Don't Feel Like Dancin' by the Scissor Sisters was at No.1 on the UK singles chart, 'Sexyback' by Justin Timberlake was at No.1 on the US charts and Sandi Thom had the Australian No.1 single with 'I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (with Flowers in My Hair).

2011 - Sly Stone

The New York Post reported that Sly Stone was living in a van, parked in the notoriously rough Los Angeles neighborhood of Crenshaw. The 68-year-old was quoted as saying "I like my small camper. I just do not want to return to a fixed home. I cannot stand being in one place. I must keep moving."

2013 - Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain's childhood home in Aberdeen, Washington went on the market. Cobain's mother Wendy O'Connor and sister Kim Cobain put up for sale the East 1st St. house, where he was raised, for $500,000, in hopes of connecting with someone who would turn it into a museum.

2015 - David Gilmour

David Gilmour's fourth studio album Rattle That Lock went to No.1 on the UK album chart. Gilmour had been writing the material for Rattle That Lock over the past five years, though he pointed out that one piano piece was recorded 18 years ago in his living room.

2017 - Tom Petty

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California. The concert, which would ultimately be the Heartbreakers' final show, ended with a performance of 'American Girl'. Tom Petty died of an accidental drug overdose a week later on October 2, 2017. 

Born Today In Music

September 25th

1930 - Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein, American poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books. He wrote Tompall Glaser's highest-charting solo single 'Put Another Log on the Fire', 'One's on the Way' (a hit for Loretta Lynn), and wrote one of Johnny Cash's best known whimsical hits, 'A Boy Named Sue.' Other songs co-written by Silverstein include 'The Taker' by Waylon Jennings and hits for Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show. He died 10 May 1999. 

1939 - Joseph Russell

Joseph Russell, The Persuasions, acappella group, worked with Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Don McLean. He died on 5 May 2012. 

1943 - Gary Alexander

Gary Alexander guitar, vocals, The Association, (1967 US No.1 single 'Windy').

1943 - John Locke

John Locke, from American group Spirit who had the 1969 US No.25 single 'I Got A Line On You'. He died on 4 August 2006. 

1945 - Onnie Mcintyre

Onnie Mcintyre, from Scottish funk and R&B group the Average White Band who scored the 1975 US No.1 and UK No.6 single 'Pick Up The Pieces'.

1946 - Jerry Penrod

American bassist Jerry Penrod from Iron Butterfly. The 17-minute 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida', the title track of their 1968 album, became a Top Thirty hit in the US.

1946 - Bryan MacLean

Bryan MacLean, guitar, vocals, Love, 1966 US No.33 single '7 And 7 Is', 1968 UK No.24 album Forever Changes. He died of a heart attack on 25th December 1998.

1947 - John Fiddler

John Fiddler, Medicine Head, (1973 UK No.3 single 'One And One Is One').

1947 - Cecil Womack

Cecil Womack, American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. He was one of the musical Womack brothers, and had success both as a songwriter and recording artist, notably with his wife Linda as Womack and Womack. In later years he took the name Zekkariyas. Womack died on February 1, 2013.

1949 - Steve Mackay

American tenor saxophone player Steve Mackay who worked with the Stooges, Violent Femmes, Snakefinger, Commander Cody and others. Mackay died on 10 October 2015 from sepsis at a hospital in Daly City, California at the age of 66.

1955 - Steve Severin

Steve Severin, bass, Siouxsie and the Banshees, (1983 UK No.3 single 'Dear Prudence').

1955 - Zucchero

Zucchero, (Adelmo Fornaciari), Italian singer, (1991 UK No. 4 with Paul Young, 'Senza Una Donna').

1968 - Will Smith

Will Smith, actor, singer, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, (1993 UK No.1 single 'Boom! Shake The Room'). Solo (1997 UK No.1 single 'Men In Black').

1969 - Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal

Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, American guitarist, songwriter, (He adopted his nickname from the bacterial infection of the same name, which he learned about while helping his wife study for her veterinary exams). He was one of two lead guitarists in Guns N' Roses from 2006 until 2014 and performed on their sixth studio album Chinese Democracy.

1974 - Richie Edwards

Richie Edwards, bassist, The Darkness, replacing Frankie Poullain in June 2005. Edwards had worked as a guitar technician for the band and was also once a member of Onion Trump.

1975 - Declan Donnelly

Declan Donnelly, P.J. & Duncan, actor, singer, 1994 UK No.9 single 'Lets Get Ready To Rhumble'). TV presenter.

1980 - Clifford Joseph Harris Jr.

Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (T.I. and also by his alter ego T.I.P.) American Grammy Award-winning rapper, songwriter, actor. (2007 US No.1 album T.I. vs T.I.P.). Featured on the 2013 worldwide hit Blurred Lines with Robin Thicke.

1983 - Childish Gambino

American actor, musician, and DJ, Childish Gambino (born Donald Glover). His 2018 US No.1 hit 'This Is America' won four Grammy Awards at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Music Video.