188 Classic Rock

24th April 1975, Peter Ham, British singer, songwriter with Badfinger committed suicide by hanging himself in the garage of his Surrey home, aged 27. Ham co-wrote 'Without You', with band mate Tom Evans (who also later committed suicide). The song won...

April 24th 1972, John Lennon's controversial single, 'Woman Is the Nigger of the World' was released in the US. The song peaked at No.57, despite virtually every radio station in the country refusing to play it. Yoko Ono said the phrase during a magazine...

April 24th 1979, Ray Charles' 'Georgia On My Mind' was proclaimed the state song of Georgia. The music to the song was written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael who also recorded a version of the song in New York in the same year. Ray Charles, a native of Georgia,...

April 24th 1992, David Bowie married Somali born supermodel and actress Iman in Switzerland. Iman first got married at the age of eighteen to a young Somali man, in 1977, she married American basketball player Spencer Haywood.

April 24th 2016, Papa Wemba, the King of Rumba Rock died aged 66 during a show. The musician collapsed on stage in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, during the FEMUA urban music festival. He was one of the most popular musicians of his time in Africa and played...

April 24th 2016, American soul singer Billy Paul died at his home in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, New Jersey, from pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. He was best known for his 1972 hit 'Me and Mrs Jones', which won a Grammy award and...

April 24th 1968, Louis Armstrong was at No.1 in the UK with the single 'What A Wonderful World / Cabaret.' At 69 years of age, it made Armstrong the oldest act ever to score a UK No.1.

Today we remember the late great blues man Cornelius Green (December 12, 1928 – April 23, 1995), known professionally as Lonesome Sundown, was an American blues musician, best known for his recordings for Excello Records in the 1950s and early 1960s....

April 23rd 1955, Born on this day, Ray Burns, (Captain Sensible), from English punk rock band The Damned, who had the 1983 UK No.3 single 'Eloise'. Captain Sensible had the solo 1982 UK No.1 single with a cover of 'Happy Talk' from the Rodgers and Hammerstein...

23rd April 1936, Born on this day, Roy Orbison singer, songwriter, who had a 1964 UK & US No.1 single with ‘Pretty Woman’ plus over 20 US & 30 UK Top 40 singles. With the Traveling Wilburys he had a 1988 UK No.21 single with ‘Handle With Care’. Orbison...