What Happened Today In Music

October 27th

1957 - Buddy Holly

The Crickets started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'That'll Be The Day'. It was also a No.3 hit in the US where it went on to sell over a million. The song was inspired by a trip to the movies by Holly, Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis in June 1956. The John Wayne film The Searchers was playing and Wayne's frequently-used, world-weary catchphrase, "that'll be the day" inspired the young musicians.

1964 - Sonny and Cher

31 year old Salvatore Philip Bono married 18 year old Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere. For a time they performed together as Caesar and Cleo before changing the name of their act to Sonny and Cher. Their union lasted 12 years.

1966 - Four Tops

The Four Tops were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Reach Out I'll Be There.' The group's only UK No.1. 

1969 - Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters was seriously injured in a car crash in Champagne, Illinois. Three people were killed in the accident.

1973 - Gladys Knight

Gladys Knight and the Pips started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Midnight Train To Georgia'. It was the group's 18th Top 40 hit and first No.1. The record won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus and has become Knight's signature song.

1975 - Bruce Springsteen

After releasing the single and album Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen had the rare honour of simultaneous covers on both Time and Newsweek magazines in the US.

1977 - Baccara

Baccara were at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie'. They were the first Spanish act to score a UK No.1, and first female duo to do so. 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie' is also one of the thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) copies worldwide.

1977 - Roy Estrada

American musician Roy Estrada known as a founding member of Little Feat and who also worked with Frank Zappa was convicted of sexual assault on a child. Estrada served six years in prison. In January 2012, he pleaded guilty to a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child which happened in March 2008. In the plea bargain agreement, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and is not eligible for parole

1979 - Elton John

During a US tour Elton John collapsed on stage at Hollywood's Universal Amphitheatre suffering from exhaustion.

1980 - John Lennon

Mark Chapman bought a five-shot .38 special for $169. A little over six weeks later, he would use the gun to kill John Lennonoutside his New York City apartment.

1980 - Steve Took

Former T. Rex member Steve Took, choked to death on a cherry stone, after some magic mushrooms he had eaten, numbed all sensation in his throat, he was aged 31. Took was also a member of The Deviants with Pink Fairies members Twink and Mick Farren.

1984 - Grateful Dead

During a US tour Grateful Dead allocated a specific recording area for fans to bootleg the show; tonight's gig was in Berkeley, California.

1988 - U2

U2's film 'Rattle And Hum', received its world wide premiere in the group's hometown Dublin.

1989 - Adam Clayton

U2 bass player Adam Clayton was convicted of a drink driving offence by a Dublin court after being found driving twice over the legal limit. He was fined £500 and banned from driving for 1 year

1992 - Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley took his ex-manager to court claiming he had taken $75,000 through unauthorised personal expenses.

2000 - Lonnie Donegan

Lonnie Donegan went to Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE for his services to pop music. Lonnie pioneered skiffle in the 1950s and inspired a generation of teenagers to start bands.

2002 - Tom Dowd

American record producer Tom Dowd died of emphysema. He recorded albums by many artists including: Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Derek and the Dominos, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Cream, Lulu, Chicago, The Allman Brothers Band, The J. Geils Band, Meat Loaf, Sonny & Cher, The Rascals, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Kenny Loggins, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters and Otis Redding.

2003 - Scott Weiland

Scott Weiland singer with The Stone Temple Pilots was arrested on his birthday in Hollywood, California, after being involved in a traffic collision. He was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, but these charges were later dismissed after the singer successfully completed rehab and underwent subsequent drug tests.

2005 - 50 Cent

The distributor of rapper 50 Cent's new film said it would remove posters advertising the film after complaints they glorify gun violence. Posters for 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' showed 50 Cent holding a gun in his left hand and a microphone the other. Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich wrote to Paramount Pictures urging them to take down the posters. The company said it had taken down one poster near a Los Angeles nursery school, and planned to remove more.

2006 - Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse released her second and final studio album Back to Black. The album spawned five singles: 'Rehab', 'You Know I'm No Good', 'Back to Black', 'Tears Dry on Their Own' and 'Love Is a Losing Game' and won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Back to Black sold 3.58 million copies in the UK alone, becoming the UK's second best-selling album of the 21st century. Worldwide, the album has sold over 20 million copies.

2007 - Keith Richards

Keith Richards marched with campaigners protesting against possible Sussex hospital cuts. The Stones guitarist joined 15,000 people for the walk through Chichester to oppose plans which could see St Richard's Hospital downgraded. A spokeswoman for the guitarist said: "Keith is a long-standing member of the West Wittering community and is pleased to lend his support to local efforts to save St Richard's Hospital.’

2007 - Moloko

Former Moloko singer Roisin Murphy was recovering in hospital after damaging her eye socket during a show in Russia. The singer hit her head on a chair during the show at Moscow's Ikra Club and was rushed to hospital for surgery. A spokesman said she lost "a lot of blood" and had severe concussion, but her vision was unaffected and she was "recovering well".

2009 - Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton pulled out of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert in New York City after he underwent an operation to remove gallstones. His place at the Madison Square Garden gig was taken by Jeff Beck.

2013 - Lou Reed

Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed died at the age of 71. An admitted hard drinker and drug user for many years, he underwent a liver transplant in Cleveland in April 2013. Afterwards he claimed on his website to be 'bigger and stronger' than ever. 

2014 - The Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys' 'Always On My Mind' was voted the top cover version of all time in a BBC Music vote. The song, written by John Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, was first made famous by Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley in 1972. Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' came in second place, followed by The Stranglers' version of Dionne Warwick's 'Walk On By'. Jimi Hendrix's take on Bob Dylan's 'All Along The Watchtower' came fourth and Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' completed the top five.

2014 - Sting

The Last Ship, Sting's musical about shipbuilding in north-east England, opened on Broadway. The former frontman with The Police described watching the opening night as "an out-of-body experience". Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Blondie's Deborah Harry were among the first night audience at the Neil Simon Theatre.

2016 - John Lennon

A letter John Lennon wrote to the Queen explaining why he was returning his MBE was found tucked in a record sleeve from a £10 car boot haul. The anonymous owner took the document to a valuation day at The Beatles Story in Liverpool and discovered it was worth about £60,000. Lennon had returned the MBE in protest at Britain's involvement in a civil war.

2019 - Lewis Capaldi

Scottish singer, songwriter Lewis Capaldi achieved his first No.1 single in the US with ‘Someone You Loved’ after the track had spent 23 weeks in the US charts before reaching the top. The singer celebrated by painting his face in the style of the Stars and Stripes.

Born Today In Music

October 27th

1933 - Floyd Cramer

Floyd Cramer, country piano player, (1961 UK No.1 single 'On The Rebound'). Worked with Elvis Presley on 'Heartbreak Hotel' and other hits. Cramer died on 31st December 1997.

1949 - Garry Tallent

American musician and record producer Garry Tallent who is the bass player with the Bruce Springsteen E Street Band. He started playing with Springsteen in 1971 and as of 2013, and not counting Springsteen himself, Tallent is the only original member of the E Street Band remaining in the band.

1949 - Byron Allred

Byron Allred, keyboards, Steve Miller Band, (1974 US No.1 & 1990 UK No.1 single 'The Joker')

1951 - K. K. Downing

K. K. Downing, English guitarist and songwriter, and one of the founding members of the British heavy metal band Judas Priest. Downing officially left Judas Priest in 2011.

1953 - Peter Dodd

Peter Dodd, guitar, The Thompson Twins, (1984 UK No.2 single 'You Take Me Up', 1984 US No.3 single, 'Hold Me Now').

1958 - Hazell Dean

Hazell Dean, UK singer, (1988 UK No.4 single 'Who's Leaving Who').

1958 - Simon Le Bon

Simon Le Bon, vocals, Duran Duran who scored the 1983 UK No.1 single 'Is There Something I Should Know', plus 25 other UK Top 40 singles, and the 1984 US No.1 single 'The Reflex'. Le Bon is also a member of its offshoot Arcadia, who had the 1985 UK No.7 single 'Election Day'. Le Bon went to Pinner County Grammar School, the same school that Elton John attended some years earlier.

1967 - Scott Weiland

Scott Weiland, vocals, Stone Temple Pilots, (1993 UK No.23 single 'Plush'). Velvet Revolver, (2004 US No.1 & UK No.11 album 'Contraband'). Weiland has also established himself as a solo artist, releasing three studio albums, a cover album, and collaborations with several other musicians since 1998. Weiland died on December 3, 2015 after being found in cardiac arrest on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, just before he was scheduled to go on stage with his band The Wildabouts. He was 48 years old.

1984 - Kelly Osbourne

Kelly Osbourne (2002 UK No.3 single 'Papa Don't Preach', 2003 UK No.1 with Ozzy Osbourne, 'Changes'.