188 Classic Rock

April 15th 1894, Born on this day, Bessie Smith, US blues singer, 'Empress Of The Blues'. Songs include, 'Downhearted Blues', 'St Louis Blues', and 'Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out'. Died in a car accident on 26th September 1937

April 15th 1944, Born on this day, Dave Edmunds, guitar, vocals, producer, Love Sculpture, (1968 UK No.5 single 'Sabre Dance'), solo (1970 UK No.1 and US No.4 single 'I Hear You Knocking'). Member of Rockpile.

April 15th 1948, Born on this day Michael Kamen, American composer and orchestral arranger. Worked with many acts including Pink Floyd, Queen, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Kamen co-wrote Bryan Adams' ballad ‘(Everything I Do), I Do It for You.’ He died...

April 14th 2015, American R&B and soul singer Percy Sledge died of liver cancer at his home in Baton Rouge aged 73. The inspiration behind his 1966 US No.1 hit 'When a Man Loves a Woman', came when Sledge's girlfriend left him for a modelling career after...

April 14th 1945, Born on this day, Ritchie Blackmore, guitarist, Deep Purple, (1970 UK No.2 single 'Black Night', 1973 US No.4 single 'Smoke On The Water'), Rainbow, (1981 UK No.3 single 'I Surrender').

April 14th 1983, The Pretenders bass player Pete Farndon died from a drug overdose. He was sacked from the group on June 14th 1982, (two days before Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott was found dead of heart failure). Farndon was in the midst of...

April 14th 1980, Gary Numan released 'The Touring Principle', the first long-form rock video to be made commercially available in the UK.

April 14th 1969, The recording of 'The Ballad Of John and Yoko' took place, with just two Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Paul played bass, drums and piano with John on guitars and lead vocals. The song was banned from many radio stations as...

April 14th 1967, Polydor Records released The Bee Gees 'New York mining Disaster 1941' It was released with a promotional slogan announcing 'The most significant talent since The Beatles. The record became a Top 20 hit in the UK and US.

April 14th 1972, David Bowie released 'Starman' as a single in the UK, which became his first hit since 1969's 'Space Oddity' three years before. The lyrics describe Ziggy Stardust bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation...