What Happened Today In Music
May 4th
1956 - Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent recorded the classic rock 'n roll song 'Be Bop-A-Lula', at Owen Bradley's studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The song went on to be a US & UK Top 20 hit in this year. Vincent has said that he wrote the words to the song after being inspired by a comic strip called "Little Lulu".
1961 - The Marcels
The Marcels were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Rodgers & Hart song from the 1930s 'Blue Moon', their only UK No.1.
1967 - Young Rascals
The Young Rascals started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Groovin.' Atlantic Records head Jerry Wexler did not want to release the song. US disc jockey Murray the K heard the track and encouraged Atlantic to release it.
1967 - Jimi Hendrix
The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on UK TV's Top Of The Pops, performing 'Purple Haze'. During afternoon rehearsals for the show, Mick Jagger went into the studio to see Jimi Hendrix.
1968 - Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin won her heat on the ITV talent show 'Opportunity Knocks'. She later signed with The Beatles owned Apple Records, Paul McCartney produced her UK No.1 single 'Those Were The Days', which also made No. 2 in the US. Hopkin later married record producer Tony Visconti.
1970 - Neil Young
Four students at Kent University were killed and eleven wounded by National Guard troops at a campus demonstration protesting the escalation of the Vietnam War. The incident inspired Neil Young to compose 'Ohio' which became a hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
1973 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin opened their 1973 North American tour, which was billed as the 'biggest and most profitable rock & roll tour in the history of the United States'. The group would gross over $4 million from the dates, flying between gigs in 'The Starship' a Boeing 720 passenger jet, complete with bar, shower room, TV and video in a 30' lounge and a white fur bedroom.
1974 - Abba
ABBA were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Waterloo', the group's first of nine UK No.1 singles was the 1974 Eurovision song contest winner for Sweden. The song was first called 'Honey Pie'.
1974 - Little Eva
Grand Funk Railroad started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with their version of the Little Eva hit 'The Loco-Motion.' It was only the second time that a cover version had been a No.1 as well as the original.
1977 - CBGB's
The Patti Smith Group, David Johansen, Dead Boys, Blondie, Suicide and Richard Hell & The Voidoids all appeared at a Punk Benefit at CBGB's in New York City.
1978 - Bee Gees
'Night Fever' by The Bee Gees was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. The group's third No.1 and the theme from the film 'Saturday Night Fever.' The song was a US No.1 for over two months.
1985 - Phyllis Nelson
Phyllis Nelson was at No.1 on the UK singles with 'Move Closer', her only UK hit making the American singer a One Hit Wonders.
1987 - Paul Butterfield
American blues vocalist, harmonica player Paul Butterfield, who fronted The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, died at his home in North Hollywood, California, of drug-related heart failure, he was 44. Gained international recognition, as one of the early acts performing during the Summer of Love, at Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock festival.
1989 - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan set out on what would be his last ever tour at the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia. The guitarist was killed in a helicopter crash on 27th Aug 1990 after a concert at Alpine Valley Music Theater in Wisconsin, after playing 107 of the 110 dates.
1991 - Cher
Cher scored her first solo UK No.1 single with 'The Shoop Shoop Song' from the film 'Mermaids'. The song had been a hit for Betty Everett on 1964, and gave Cher her first No.1 in the UK since 1965's 'I Got You Babe'.
1996 - Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette started a six-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with Jagged Little Pill. The record produced six successful singles, including 'You Oughta Know', 'Ironic', 'You Learn', 'Hand in My Pocket', and 'Head over Feet'.
1996 - George Michael
George Michael scored his seventh UK No.1 single as a solo artist when 'Fastlove' started a three-week run at the top of the chart. The second of six singles to be taken from George's comeback album Older.
1997 - Courtney Love
Courtney Love placed an advert in The Seattle Times selling the house she had shared with Kurt Cobain. The five bedroom four bathroom house was on the market for $3m. The carriage house where Kurt Cobain died had been knocked down during refurbishment.
2000 - Metallica
Metallica were demanding online music service Napster cut off 335,000 users who they claimed had been illegally trading their songs. The band had passed on the names of all those they considered to be "stealing" their material over the internet in the latest development in an ongoing battle over the protection of music copyrights on the web.
2004 - Clement Seymour Dodd
Producer Clement Seymour Dodd died aged 72. He was a major force in the development of ska and reggae, and made the first recordings of Bob Marley.
2008 - Martha Reeves
Thieves broke into the childhood home of Motown star Martha Reeves and stole about $1 million worth of uninsured recording equipment, including speakers, microphones and karaoke machines. A suspect was arrested at his home later in the day after he tried to sell the goods to a pawnshop for $400.
2012 - Adam Yauch
American rapper, musician, film director, and human rights activist Adam Yauch died of cancer aged 47. He was best known as a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys, who sold over 40 million records worldwide.
2016 - Rolling Stones
After Donald Trump's campaign played ‘Start Me Up’ following his victory speech celebrating his path to the Republican nomination, The Rolling Stones asked him to stop using their music, joining several other artists in decrying his use of their songs.
2021 - Nick Kamen
English singer-songwriter, musician and model Nick Kamen died following a long battle with bone marrow cancer age 59. He was best known for the singles ‘Each Time You Break My Heart’ from 1986 and ‘I Promised Myself’ from 1990, as well as for appearing in a 1985 Levi's advert.
May 4th
1923 - Ed Cassidy
Ed Cassidy, drummer, from American group Spirit who had the 1969 US No.25 single 'I Got A Line On You'. In 1964 he formed the Rising Sons with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder. Cassidy died on 12th Dec 2012.
1937 - Dick Dale
American rock guitarist Dick Dale, known as 'The King of the Surf Guitar'. He pioneered and created what many call the surf music style. Dale worked closely with Fender to produce custom made amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier. His song 'Misirlou' featured over the opening credits to Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Dale died of heart failure on 16 March 2019, at the age of 81.
1942 - Nicholas Ashford
Nicholas Ashford, from husband-and-wife songwriting-production team Ashford and Simpson, who had the 1985 UK No. 3 single 'Solid'. They wrote hits such as: 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', 'You're All I Need To Get By', 'Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing', and 'Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)'. Ashford died August 22, 2011, of complications from throat cancer, in New York.
1942 - Ronnie Bond
Ronnie Bond, drummer with English garage rock band The Troggs, who had the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Wild Thing' and the hits 'With a Girl Like You' and 'Love Is All Around'. Bond died on 13th November 1992.
1944 - Peggy Santiglia
Peggy Santiglia, American singer-songwriter of the "girl group era". She is best known for her 1963 US No.1 hit 'My Boyfriend's Back' with The Angels, which she recorded at the age of 18.
1945 - George Wadenius
George Wadenius, from jazz-rock American music group Blood Sweat & Tears. They scored the 1969 US No.2 single 'Spinning Wheel', and the 1969 US No.12 single 'You've Made Me So Very Happy'. They had a US No.1 with their second album Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968.
1949 - Zal Cleminson
Scottish guitarist Zal Cleminson from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band who had the 1975 UK No.7 single 'Delilah, and the 1975 album Next. During the 1990s Cleminson played with The Party Boys, a casual band that at various times featured Marillion's Fish and Nazareth's Dan McCafferty and Billy Rankin as vocalists.
1951 - Bruce Day
Bruce Day, American bassist and vocalist for the California smooth rock band Pablo Cruise. He previously played in a San Francisco high school band with Carlos Santana. He died of unknown causes on 30 June 1999 at the age of 48.
1951 - Jackie Jackson
Jackie 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)'.
1951 - Mick Mars
Mick Mars (Bob Deal), American musician and guitarist from American heavy metal band Motley Crue who had the 1989 US No.1 album Dr Feelgood. For most of his professional career, Mars has openly struggled with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic, inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis.
1959 - Randy Travis
Randy Travis, Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted over 20 No.1 hits. Considered a pivotal figure in the history of country music, Travis broke through in the mid-1980s with the release of his album Storms of Life, which sold more than three million copies. The album established him as a major force in the Neotraditional country movement.
1961 - Jay Aston
Jay Aston, singer with British pop group Bucks Fizz who had the UK hits 'Making Your Mind Up' (1981), 'The Land of Make Believe' (1981) and 'My Camera Never Lies' (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s.
1970 - Gregg Alexander
Gregg Alexander, US singer, songwriter, New Radicals, (1999 UK No. 5 single 'You Get What You Give'). He has written hits for Ronan Keating, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Enrique Iglesias and the 2003 Grammy award winning song 'The Game Of Love' by Santana and Michelle Branch.
1979 - Lance Bass
Lance Bass, singer from American boy band *NSYNC. Among the group's singles, 'Bye Bye Bye', 'This I Promise You', 'Girlfriend' and 'It's Gonna Be Me' reached the top 10 in several international charts. The group's second album, No Strings Attached, sold over one million copies in one day.
1984 - Ari Levine
Ari Levine, producer and songwriter who is part of the Smeezingtons record producing team with Bruno Mars and Philip Lawrence. Worked with Adele, Snoop Dogg, Cee Lo Green, Justin Bieber, Flo Rida and many other artists.
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