August 21st 1952, Born on this day, Joe Strummer, singer, songwriter, guitarist, The Clash, (1979 UK No. 11 single 'London Calling', 1982 US No. 8 single 'Rock The Casbah, 1991 UK No.1 single 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go', first released 1982 plus 15...
August 21st 1938, Born on this day, Kenny Rogers, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual...
Happy birthday to Ginger Baker, born on 19th Aug 1939, drummer with Cream who had the 1966 UK No.11 single 'I Feel Free'. Baker was also a member of the Graham Bond Organisation, Blind Faith, and Ginger Bakers Airforce and is also known for his numerous...
August 18th 2012, American singer and songwrite Scott McKenzie died aged 73. He was best known for his 1967 hit single and generational anthem, 'San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)'. He also joined a new version of The Mamas and the Papas...
2nd Aug 1983, James Jamerson died of complications stemming from cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure and pneumonia in Los Angeles, he was 47 years old. As one of The Funk Brothers he was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records’ hits in the...
14th Aug 1988, Guitarist Roy Buchanan died after hanging himself with his own shirt in Fairfax County Adult Detention Center having been arrested for drunkenness. Buchanan released over 15 solo albums; Jeff Beck dedicated the song 'Cause We've Ended As...
August 9th 1963, The first ever edition of 'Ready Steady Go! was shown on UK TV. Introduced by Keith Fordyce and 19 year-old Cathy McGowan. The first show featured The Searchers, Jet Harris, Pat Boone, Billy Fury and Brian Poole and The Tremeloes. The...
August 6th 2009, Willy DeVille died at the age of 58 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. The band he formed, Mink Deville, appeared at the legendary CBGB club in New York in the 1970s and scored the 1977 hit 'Spanish Stroll.' Doctors discovered...
August 6th 2004, Rick James was found dead at his Los Angeles home. Known as 'The King of Punk-Funk' James scored the 1981 US No.3 album ‘Street Songs’ and 1981 US No.16 single ‘Super Freak part 1’. In the late 60's James worked as a songwriter and producer...
4th Aug 1967, Pink Floyd released their debut album The Piper At the Gates of Dawn on which most songs were penned by Syd Barrett. In subsequent years, the record has been recognised as one of the seminal psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s. When reviewed,...
3rd Aug 1963, The Beatles played their last ever performance at The Cavern Club in Liverpool. During their set a power cut silenced their instruments and plunged the Cavern into temporary darkness. Lennon and McCartney performed an acoustic version of...
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 23rd 1960, Born on this day, Steve Clark, guitarist with Def Leppard, who had a 1987 UK No.6 single with ‘Animal’, a 1987 worldwide No.1 album with Hysteria and a 1988 US No.1 single with ‘Love Bites’. Clark died on January 8th 1991, aged 30 after...
Benjamin Clarence "Bull Moose" Jackson (April 22, 1919 – July 31, 1989) was an American blues and rhythm and blues singer and saxophonist, who was most successful in the late 1940s. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, he played violin as a child,...
Happy birthday George "Harmonica" Smith (April 22, 1924 – October 2, 1983) (born Allen George Smith) was an American electric blues harmonica player. Born in West Helena, Arkansas, United States, but brought up in Cairo, Illinois, he began playing professionally...
June 27th 1944, Born on this day, Bruce Johnson, vocals, guitar, The Beach Boys, (1966 UK & US No.1 single 'Good Vibrations', plus over 25 other UK Top 40 singles). He wrote the No.1 Barry Manilow hit 'I Write the Songs and also sang on the recordings...
Happy birthday to Don Henley, born on 22nd July 1947, singer, songwriter, and drummer with The Eagles, who had the 1977 US No.1 & UK No.8 single 'Hotel California', plus 5 US No.1 albums. The Eagles 'Greatest Hits 1971-1975' is the second biggest selling...
22nd July 1973, David Bowie released the single 'Life On Mars', which peaked at No.3 on the UK chart. The track which was first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory, features guest piano work by Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman. The line "Look at those...
August 22nd 1969, The Beatles met at John Lennon's Tittenhurst Park home in England for their final ever photo session. Three shots from this session (by Ethan Russell) formed the front and back covers of the Capitol compilation album Hey Jude. Yoko Ono...
Happy birthday to Brian Wilson, born on 20th June 1942. American singer, songwriter with The Beach Boys who scored the 1966 UK & US No.1 single 'Good Vibrations', plus over 25 other UK Top 40 singles. The 1966 classic album Pet Sounds is widely considered...
19th April 2012, Levon Helm, died of throat cancer aged 71. A drummer, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Helm formed his own high school band, the Jungle Bush Beaters, at 17, he later joined The Hawks (who became Bob Dylan's backing group) who then became...
18th April 2006, A line from U2's 1992 hit 'One' was voted the UK's favourite song lyric after in a poll of 13,000 people by music channel VH1. The line "One life, with each other, sisters, brothers" came top. The Smiths lyric "So you go, and you stand...
April 18th 1935, Born on this day, Paul A. Rothchild, American record producer, worked with The Doors, ('Break on Through (To the Other Side)', 'Light My Fire', 'People Are Strange'), Janis Joplin, (No.1 album Pearl and her only No.1 single, 'Me and Bobby...
17th April 1960, Touring in the UK, 21-year-old US singer Eddie Cochran was killed when the taxi he was travelling in crashed into a lamppost on Rowden Hill, Chippenham, Wiltshire, (where a plaque now commemorates the event). Songwriter Sharon Sheeley...
April 16th 1947, Born on this day, Gerry Rafferty, UK singer songwriter, Stealers Wheel, (1973 US No.3 & UK No.8 single 'Stuck In The Middle With You', The song was used in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 movie Reservoir Dogs, during the famous "ear" scene.)....
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