1925 Benny Hill born in Southhampton, England. English comedian and actor, best remembered for his television programme The Benny Hill Show, an amalgam of slapstick, burlesque, and double entendre in a format that included live comedy and filmed segments, with him at the focus of almost every segment. Benny Hill’s health declined in the late 1980s. After a mild heart attack on 24 February 1992, doctors told him he needed to lose weight and recommended a heart bypass. He declined, and a week later was found to have kidney failure. He died at the age of 68 on 20 April 1992. The cause of death was recorded as coronary thrombosis
1924 Telly Savalas (Aristotle Savalas) born in New York. Singer/Actor (1975 UK No.1 single ‘If’). Died of prostate cancer on 22nd January 1994.
1939 DJ Wolfman Jack(Bob Smith) born in New York. Master of ceremonies for the rock ‘n’ roll generation of the ’60s on radio, and later on television during the ’70s. Died of a heart attack 1/7/95.
1941 Placido Domingo born in Madrid, Spain. Spanish singer, (1994 UK No.21 single with Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti, ‘Libiamo / La Donna E Mobile’).
1941 Richie Havens born in Jersey City, New Jersey. American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk, soul, and rhythm and blues. (1971 US No.16 single with his version of George Harrison’s’ ‘Here Comes The Sun’, appeared at Woodstock, Newport, and Isle Of Wight festivals).
1942 Edwin Starr(Chalres Hatcher) born in Nashville, Tennessee. US Soul Singer/Songwriter. 1970 US No.1 and UK No.3 single ‘War’). Starr died on 2nd April 2003 aged 61 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England
1942 Mac Davis (Scott Davis) born in Lubbock, Texas. US Singer/Songwriter. (1972 US No.1 single ‘Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me’, No.29 in the UK. Wrote ‘In The Ghetto’ and ‘Don’t Cry Daddy’ for Elvis Presley).
1947 Jim Ibbotson born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1969 on Drums/Keyboards.He left in 1976. (1971 US No.9 single ‘Mr Bojangles’).
1948 Peter Kircher born in Folkestone, Kent. UK Drummer who joined Status Quo in 1981.
1950 Billy Ocean (Leslie Charles) born in Trinadad. UK Vocalist. (1988 US No.1 & UK No.3 single ‘Get Out Of My Dreams Get Into My Car’).
1956 Rob Brill born in Babylon, New York. Drummer with Berlin, (1986 UK & US No.1 single ‘Take My Breath Away’).
1957 English singer Frankie Vaughan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Garden Of Eden’. (Vaughan recorded a large number of songs that were covers of United States hit songs).
1957 Filming begins on Elvis Presley’s second movie, Loving You.
1957 An unknown singer named Patsy Cline wins on CBS’ Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scoutsprogram with a rendition of the song Walking After Midnight.
1959 Vic Reeves, one half of UK comedy act Reeves and Mortimer, (1991 UK No.1 single with The Wonder Stuff ‘Dizzy’).
1959 The Kingston Trio’s Tom Dooley is certified gold
1963 The Beatles made their third appearance on the Radio Luxembourg program The Friday Spectacular. The Beatles were interviewed by the host and played two tracks, ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘Ask Me Why.
1965 Robert Del Naja, 3- D, Massive Attack, (1991 UK No.13 single ‘Unfinished Sympathy’).
1965 Jam Master Jay, (Jason Mizell), Run-DMC. Murdered by an assassin’s single bullet on 30th Oct 2002. (1986 UK No.8 single with Aerosmith ‘Walk This Way’, 1998 UK No.1 single ‘It’s Like That’).
1965 The Animals are forced to cancel a show at New York City’s famous Apollo Theater after US Immigration officials force the group to leave the country.
1965 Over 3,000 screaming fans met The Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison at Sydney Airport when they arrived for a 16 date tour of Australia and New Zealand. More on The Rolling Stones
1966 Wendy James born in Brighton, England. UK Vocalist with Transvision Vamp, (1989 UK No.3 single ‘Baby I Don’t Care’).
1966 George Harrison married Patti Boyd at Leatherhead Register Office in Surrey with Paul McCartney as Best man. George had first met Patti on the set of The Beatles movie ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. She left Harrison in the mid-’70s and started an affair with Harrison’s friend Eric Clapton, who wrote the song “Layla” about her. The two married in May 1979, but split in 1988.
1968 Jimi Hendrix recorded his version of the Bob Dylan song ‘All Along the Watchtower’ at Olympic Studios in London. Rolling Stone Brian Jones and Dave Mason from Traffic both played on the session. The track was released in the US as a single in 1968, peaking at No.20.
1970 Elvis Presley’s last film ‘Change Of Habit’ was released.
1970 Johnny Farnham/B.J. Thomas went to No.1 in the Australian Singles Chart with ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’. Staying at the top spot for 3wks.
1972 Pink Floyd appeared at The Guildhall, Portsmouth, England. This was the first time that they were able to perform the whole of what became the ‘Dark Side of The Moon’ album in its entirety, the previous night’s performance in Brighton having been halted for technical reasons.
1973 The Rolling Stones kicked off an 11 date Pacific tour at Honolulu International Centre, Hawaii.
1973 Chris Kilmore, Incubus, (2004 US No.2 and UK No.6 album ‘A Crow Left of the Murder’, 2006 US No.1 album ‘Light Grenades’).
1974 T Rex appearing at Newcastle City Hall, England were T. Rex. Tickets cost £1.50 ($2.55).
1974 Bob Dylan meets future president Jimmy Carter at a gathering in Georgia, where Carter is serving as governor. “Carter has his heart in the right place,” Dylan would later say. “He has a sense of who he is.”
1976 Emma Bunton born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England. Baby spice, The Spice Girls, (1996 UK No.1 & 1997 US No.1 single ‘Wannabe’, 2001 UK No.1 solo single ‘What Took You So Long’).
1977 Rick Ross (Chandler Broz), American hip-hop artist, (2006 US No.1 with his debut album ‘Port of Miami’).
1978 The soundtrack album ‘Saturday Night Fever’ started a 24 week run at No.1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.
1979 Nokio, Dru Hill, (1999 US No.1 & UK No.2 single with Will Smith, ‘Wild Wild West’).
1979 Lynyrd Skynyrd reunite at the Volunteer Jam in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the first time the band have played since the 1977 plane crash which killed three of their members. Lynyrd Skynyrd perform an instrumental version of “Free Bird” alongside TheCharlie Daniels Band.
1980 Benjamin Moody, guitar, Evanescence, (2003 UK No.1 & US No.5 single ‘Bring Me To Life’, 2003 UK No.1 & US No.3 album ‘Fallen’).
1980 Split Enz released I Got You on this day.
1982 B.B. King donated his entire record collection of over 20,000 discs to Mississippi University’s centre for the Study of Southern Culture,
1984 Soul singer Jackie Wilson died aged 49. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage while singing ‘Lonely Teardrops’, and had remained in a coma until his death 8 years later. His 1957 single Reet Petite became a posthumous No.1 when re-issued in 1987 due in part to a new animated video made for the song, featuring a clay model of Wilson. Van Morrison wrote ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ which was covered by Dexy’s Midnight Runners.
1984 Yes started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart ‘a No.28 hit in the UK.
1987 Bruce Springsteen inducted Roy Orbison into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame.
1987 The Coasters, became the first vocal group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987 Roy Orbison, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson are among those inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987 Keith Richards inducted Aretha Franklin at the 2nd annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Awards, held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Keith later took part in a jam with Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Roy Orbison, Sting, and Daryl Hall. Also on this day, in Barbados, Jerry Hall was arrested at the airport for apparently attempting to smuggle marijuana. She was released on bail and all charges were later dropped after it was disclosed she had been set up.
1989 Bobby Brown went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Don’t Be Cruel’.
1989 Phil Collins scored his seventh US No.1 single with ‘Two Hearts’.
1989 Six weeks after his death Roy Orbison started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘The Legendary Roy Orbison’ collection.
1992 Billy Idol pleaded guilty to assault and battery charges after an incident outside a West Hollywood restaurant. He was fined $2,700 (£1,588) and ordered to appear in a series of anti-drug commercials.
1996 Edem Ephraim and Dennis Fuller of The London Boys were killed in a car crash in The Alps, also killed was Edem’s wife Bettina.
1997 Colonel’ Tom Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager and agent died of a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 87. Born Andreas van Kuijk, a Dutch immigrant who changed his name as soon as he arrived in the US, Parker never applied for a green card and feared deportation his entire life. He briefly managed country singers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.
1997 Songwriter Jesse Levine died of kidney failure aged 58. Co-wrote, ‘Knock Three Times’ and ‘Tie A Yellow Ribbon’ both US & UK No.1’s for Dawn in the early 70’s.
1998 James Brown is released from a hospital where he had been treated for an addiction to painkillers. Brown, 64, had been admitted to a Columbia, S.C., hospital Jan. 15.
1999 Gary Glitter appeared at Bristol crown court charged with eight sexual offences on girls dating back to 1976 and 50 charges relating to indecent photographs.
2001 Texas went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘The Greatest Hits’.
2001 Limp Bizkit started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)’, taken from their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
2002 American singer and actress Peggy Lee died of complications from diabetes and a heart attack at the age of 81. 1958 US No. 8 & UK No.5 single ‘Fever.’ Lee worked with Benny Goodman, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones and was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning Best Contemporary Vocal Performance for her 1969 hit ‘Is That All There Is?’
2003 David Palmer, former keyboard player for Jethro Tull changed his name to Dee Palmer after a successful sex change operation. Palmer was the keyboard player for Jethro Tull between 1969 and 1980. He played on all the Tull classics including ‘Thick As A Brick’ and ‘Aqualung.’
2004 As the third season of American Idol was aired on US TV a memo was leaked showing a list of songs banned from being performed at this year’s auditions that included, Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’ and ‘Fallin’ by Alicia Keys. Also all songs by Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, No Doubt, R. Kelly, Tom Petty, Korn and Linkin Park were not allowed after concerns over the cost of securing rights for the song’s use, (or the composers not wanting their song’s to be performed on the show).
2007 Mika scored his debut UK number one hit single with ‘Grace Kelly’, which went on to be became the third biggest-selling single in the UK in 2007. Amy Winehouse kept her place at the top of the UK album chart with ‘Back to Black’.
2012 Adele was at No.1 on the US album chart with her second studio album 21. The album which yielded five hit singles including the lead single ‘Rolling in the Deep’, has now sold over 26.4 million copies worldwide.
2013 will.i.am feat. Britney Spears went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with “Scream And Shout”. Staying at No.1 for one week.
2015 An Israeli man was arrested on suspicion of hacking into the computers of pop stars including Madonna and selling unreleased songs online. During the investigation it appeared the suspect had broken into the computers of a number of international artists, stole unreleased demos and final tracks and sold them over the internet.