What Happened Today In Music

April 22nd

1957 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley had his custom built 'Music Gates' installed at Gracelands. The gates were designed by Abe Saucer and custom built by John Dillars Jr, of Memphis Doors inc.

1964 - The Rolling Stones

The President of The National Federation Of Hairdressers offered a free haircut to the next No.1 group in the UK pop charts. He said The Rolling Stones are the worst, one of them looks as if he's got a feather duster on his head.'

1965 - The Beatles

The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Ticket To Ride.' Taken from the film Help! it was the group's seventh UK No.1.

1966 - Bruce Springsteen

Two dozen local group's appeared at a ‘battle of the bands’ gig in Matawan Keyport Roller Drome in New Jersey. All acts performed three songs each. The Rogues won first place, second was Sonny & The Starfires, and third place went to The Castiles, (with Bruce Springsteen on vocals). The three winners were given an opportunity to perform at the Roller Drome the following week as part of a major concert headlined by The Crystals.

1966 - Reg Presley

'Wild Thing' by The Troggs (who were originally called The Troglodytes) was released in the U.S. on both the Atco and Fontana labels. The song went on to reach No.1. Fronted by Reg Presley, 'Wild Thing' became a major influence on garage rock and punk rock.

1967 - Davy Jones

In the most popular Monkee poll conducted in the music paper Disc & Music Echo, Davy Jones received 63% of the votes, Mickey Dolenz 22%, Peter Tork 8% and Mike Nesmith 7%.

1972 - Deep Purple

Deep Purple scored their second UK No.1 album with Machine Head. The album which features 'Smoke on the Water' and 'Highway Star', is often cited as a major influence in the early development of the heavy metal music genre and commercially, it was Deep Purple's most successful album.

1978 - Bob Marley

Bob Marley and the Wailers performed at the 'One Love Peace Concert' in Jamaica. It was Marley's first public appearance in Jamaica since being wounded in an assassination attempt a year and a half earlier.

1989 - Madonna

Madonna started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Like A Prayer', the singers seventh US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK.

1991 - Dave Matthews

The Dave Matthews Band played their first ever-live show when they appeared at The Earth Day festival in Charlottesville, Virginia.

2001 - Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Survivor.' Their second chart topper, they were the first US female band to have more than one UK No.1. The song won the trio a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Group.

2003 - Felice Bryant

Songwriter Felice Bryant died of cancer. Wrote many hits with her husband Boudleaux including; The Everly Brothers, 'Bye Bye Love', 'All I Have To Do Is Dream', 'Wake Up Little Susie' and 'Raining In My Heart' a hit for Buddy Holly. Other acts to record their song include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, Simon And Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughan, Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, Count Basie, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles.

2007 - Beyonce & Shakira

Beyonce & Shakira were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Beautiful Liar'. The track won the Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration award at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards and the song won an Ivor Novello Award for Best-Selling British Song.

2008 - Tommy Steele

It was revealed that 60s singer Tommy Steele took Elvis Presleyon a secret tour of London in 1958 after Presley struck up a friendship with Steele. When the rock legend flew into London for a day, Steele apparently took him round the city, showing him famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament. For more than 50 years, Presley fans had believed the only time Elvis ever set foot in the UK was during a stop-over at Prestwick Airport in Scotland in March 1960.

2013 - Richie Havens

Richie Havens, the folk singer who opened the legendary 1969 Woodstock rock festival, died of a heart attack at 72. He died at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey.

2020 - Bruce Springsteen

At the Jersey 4 Jersey virtual benefit concert, surviving members of Fountains of Wayne reunited with Sharon Van Etten to pay tribute to Adam Schlesinger, who died of coronavirus three weeks earlier. Bruce Springsteen also performed with his wife Patti Scialfa and played an emotional version of 'Land Of Hope And Dreams' followed by 'Jersey Girl'. Bon Jovi debuted a new song called 'Do What You Can.' The event raised nearly $6 million for coronavirus relief.

Born Today In Music

April 22nd

1922 - Charles Mingus

American jazz double bassist, pianist, composer and bandleader Charles Mingus, His final project was the collaboration with Joni Mitchell Mingus. He died 5th January 1979 aged 56.

1935 - W. S. Holland

American drummer W. S. Holland who played with Carl Perkins, and later for Johnny Cash in the bands The Tennessee Three, The Great Eighties Eight, and The Johnny Cash Show Band. He played drums on the 1955 Sun Records recording of 'Blue Suede Shoes' and performed on the "Million Dollar Quartet" session that featured Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Perkins, and Cash. He died on 23 September 2020 age 85. 

1936 - Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell, country singer, songwriter, TV presenter. Hits include ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix’, ‘Wichita Lineman’, and ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’. As a session musician in the 1960s he worked with Bobby Darin, Ricky Nelson, The Monkees, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra. His guitar playing can be heard on ‘Strangers in the Night’ by Frank Sinatra, ‘You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'‘ by The Righteous Brothers and ‘I'm a Believer’ by The Monkees. Campbell became a patient at an Alzheimer's long-term care and treatment facility in 2014 and died of the disease in Nashville, Tennessee on August 8, 2017 at the age of 81.

1937 - Jack Nitzche

Jack Nitzsche, producer, songwriter. Produced The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and The Walker Brothers. Co-wrote, 'Up Where We Belong' with Buffy Sainte-Marie. Died of a heart attack on 25th August 2000.

1944 - Howard Wyeth

Drummer Howard Wyeth, who has worked with Bob Dylan, Don McLean, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell.He died of a heart attack 27 March 1996.

1950 - Pete Carr

American guitarist Pete Carr. He was lead guitarist for the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and recorded extensively at FAME Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. He recorded with Joan Baez, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., among many others. Carr died on 27 June 2020 age 70. 

1950 - Peter Frampton

British-American rock musician Peter Frampton who with The Herd, had the 1968 UK No.5 single 'I Don't Want Our Loving To Die', with Humble Pie, the 1969 UK No.4 single 'Natural Born Bugie'. As a solo artists he scored the 1976 UK No.10 single 'Show Me The Way' taken from his live release Frampton Comes Alive!. Frampton has worked with David Bowie, George Harrison, Harry Nilsson. Frampton is known for his work as a guitar player and particularly with a Talkbox.

1951 - Paul Carrack

English singer, songwriter Paul Carrack who was a member of Ace, who had the 1974 UK No.20 single 'How Long'. He replaced keyboardist Jools Holland in Squeeze in 1981 (sang on the hit single 'Tempted'). Was a member of Mike And The Mechanics, (sang lead on their 1989 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'The Living Years'). Carrack has also worked with artists such as Elton John, The Pretenders, B.B. King and played keyboards on The Smiths' eponymous debut album, The Smiths. He now works as a solo artist.

1956 - Kenny Lyons

Kenny Lyons, from American alternative rock band The Lemonheads. A cover of Simon And Garfunkel's 'Mrs. Robinson', became one of the band's most successful single in the early 90s.

1969 - Craig Logan

Craig Logan from English pop band Bros who had the 1988 UK No.1 single 'I Owe You Nothing' plus 10 other UK Top 40 singles.

1974 - Shavo Odadjian

Shavo Odadjian, bassist with Armenian-American heavy metal band System of a Down who had the 2001 US No.1 album Toxicity and the 2005 US No.1 & UK No.2 album Mezmerize.

1979 - Daniel Johns

Daniel Johns from Australian rock band Silverchair who had the 1997 Australian No.1 single 'Freak' and the 1995 Australian No.1 album Frogstomp plus three other Australian No.1 albums. During their career, Silverchair won more ARIA Music Awards than any other artist in history with 21 wins.

1984 - Amelle Berrabah

Amelle Berrabah, singer with British girl group Sugababes who had the 2002 UK No.1 single, 'Round Round'. In 2006, British Hit Singles & Albums named the Sugababes as the most successful female act of the 21st century with six UK No.1 singles and eighteen UK top ten hits.

1990 - Machine Gun Kelly

Colson Baker, known professionally as Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), American rapper, musician, noted for his compositional blending of contemporary and alternative hip hop with rock. He released his debut studio album, Lace Up, in 2012, which peaked at No.4 on the US Billboard chart and contained his breakout single 'Wild Boy'. His sixth studio album Mainstream Sellout peaked at No.1 on the US chart in 2022.