Happy birthday to Pete Townshend, born 19th May 1945, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, The Who, (1965 UK No.2 single 'My Generation' 1967 US No.9 single 'I Can See For Miles' plus over 20 other UK Top 40 hit singles, 16 US Top 40 singles...
June 21st 2001, John Lee Hooker, American blues singer and guitarist died in his sleep aged 83. Had hits with 'Boom Boom', 'Dimples' and 'I'm In The Mood'. His songs have been covered by many artists including Cream, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Jimi...
18th May 1967, Pink Floyd started recording their forthcoming single 'See Emily Play' at Sound Techniques Studios, Chelsea, London. Syd Barrett was inspired to write See Emily Play, by the ‘looning about’ of the early Pink Floyd fan Emily Young, (who...
May 18th 1967, The Beatles were selected to represent the UK for the first-ever global-wide satellite broadcast. The group agreed to be shown in the studio recording a song written especially for the occasion, scheduled for June 25. John Lennon wrote...
May 18th 1985, Simple Minds were at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Don't You Forget About Me', (a No. 7 hit in the UK). Written by Keith Forsey (who won an Oscar for "Flashdance... What a Feeling") and Steve Schiff (guitarist and songwriter from the...
May 18th 1942, Born on this day, Albert Hammond, Gibraltarian singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 1966 Hammond co-founded the British vocal group the Family Dogg, scoring a UK Top 10 hit with "A Way of Life" in 1969. As a solo artist he scored...
May 17th 1942, Born on this day, Taj Mahal, US multi-instrumentalist, composer of film soundtracks. In the early 60's he formed The Rising Sons with Ry Cooder, one of the first interracial bands of the period. Mahal has worked with Howlin' Wolf, Buddy...
May 17th 2012, Donna Summer, the 1970s pop singer known as the Queen of Disco, died of lung cancer, an illness she believed she contracted from inhaling toxic particles released after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York. She won five Grammy...
17th May 1964, Bob Dylan made his first major concert UK appearance when he played at the Royal Festival Hall in London with an afternoon show listed as a ‘Folksong Concert’. Dylan's 18-song set included the live debut of Mr. Tambourine Man and took place...
May 16th 1946, Born on this day, Robert Fripp, King Crimson, (1969 UK No.5 album, 'In The Court Of The Crimson King'). He has also worked extensively as a studio musician, notably with David Bowie on the albums "Heroes" and Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps),...
May 16th 1970, Crosby Stills Nash & Young went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Deja Vu'. The album featured three Top 40 singles: 'Teach Your Children,' 'Our House,' and 'Woodstock'. In 2003, the album was ranked number 148 on Rolling Stone magazine's...
16th May 1966, The Beach Boys released the album Pet Sounds in the US. The album is now regarded as the masterpiece of composer-producer Brian Wilson. To confirm this, Pet Sounds has been widely ranked as one of the most influential records ever released...
May 16th 1966, Bob Dylan's iconic Blonde On Blonde album was released, reaching No.9 in the US charts and No.3 in the UK. Rock's first double album, and Dylan's seventh studio effort, it was recorded with Al Kooper, Robbie Robertson and Nashville country...
July 8th 1966, The Beatles released the ‘Nowhere Man’ 4-track EP in the UK, which included: ‘Drive My Car’, ‘Michelle’ and ‘You Won't See Me’. All four tracks were taken from The Beatles sixth UK studio album, Rubber Soul.1966, The Beatles released the...
8th July 1973, Led Zeppelin's fifth album Houses Of The Holy was on both the US and UK album charts. The album spent a total of 39 weeks on the US chart. The cover art for Houses Of The Holy was inspired by the ending of Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's...
May 15th 1982, Asia went to No.1 on the US album chart with their self-titled album. It spent a total of nine weeks at No.1 and became the best-selling album in the US for the year 1982. The supergroup included former members of several veteran progressive...
May 14th 2015, Blues singer, songwriter and guitarist B.B. King died in his sleep aged 89 from a series of small strokes caused by type 2 diabetes. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time, Rolling Stone magazine...
May 14th 1976, 33 year-old Keith Relf, former lead singer for The Yardbirds, was electrocuted while tuning a guitar which was not properly earthed. The accident happened in his West London home where he was found by his eight year old son, still holding...
May 14th 1998, American singer and actor Frank Sinatra died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles aged 82, after suffering a heart attack. Sinatra had his first hit in 1940, working in the Swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, won an...
June 25th 1945, Born on this day, Carly Simon, US singer, songwriter, (1973 UK No.3 and US No.1 single 'You're So Vain', 1974 US No.5 single with James Taylor 'Mockingbird'). In 2015, after keeping quiet for more than 40 years, Carly Simon admitted that...
June 25th 1966, The Beatles started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Paperback Writer', the group's 12th US No.1. The track is marked by the boosted bass guitar sound throughout, partly in response to John Lennon demanding to know...
May 13th 1970, The world premiere of The Beatles film 'Let It Be' took place in New York City. The film which was originally planned as a television documentary features an unannounced rooftop concert by the group, their last performance in public. Released...
Happy Birthday Stevie! 13th May 1950, Born on this day, Stevie Wonder, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. A child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century. Wonder who has been blind from shortly...
May 12th 1973, Led Zeppelin started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with their fifth album Houses Of The Holy. The group's third US No.1 album went on to spend 39 weeks on the US chart. Houses Of The Holy has now been certified 11 times...
May 12th 1946, Born on this day, Ian McLagan, keyboards, Small Faces (1967 UK No.3 & US No.17 single 'Itchycoo Park', & 1968 UK No.1 album 'Ogden's Nut Gone Flake'). The Faces, (1971 UK No.6 & US No.17 single 'Stay With Me'). Also worked withThe Rolling...
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