On This Day In Music 20th March

1935 Johnny Rebb (John Debridge) born in Sydney, NSW. Johnny Rebb & His Rebels had several hit in Australia in 1959. He died on the 28th July 2014 in New Casstle aged 79, from a heart attack. 
1936 Lee “Scratch” Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perr in Kendal, Jamaica. Jamaican music producer and inventor noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development of dub music with his early adoption of remixing and studio effects to create new instrumental or vocal versions of existing reggae tracks. He has worked with and produced for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, the Congos, Max Romeo, Adrian Sherwood, the Beastie Boys, Ari Up, The Clash and many others.
1937 Jerry Reed (Jerry Reed Hubbard) born in Atlanta, Georgia. American country music singer, guitarist, composer and songwriter, as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included “Guitar Man”, “U.S. Male”, “A Thing Called Love”, “Alabama Wild Man”, “Amos Moses”, “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” (which garnered a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male), “Ko-Ko Joe”, “Lord, Mr. Ford”, “East Bound and Down” (the theme song for the 1977 blockbuster Smokey and the Bandit, in which Reed co-starred), “The Bird”, and “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)”. Reed died in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 1, 2008, of complications from emphysema at the age of 71.
1937 R&B singer Joe Rivers (of Johnnie & Joe) is born in Charleston, South Carolina. 
1940 Rod Lauren is born in Fresno, California. American actor and singer. Lauren is a one-hit wonder who hit #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the song “If I Had a Girl” in 1960 and performed twice on The Ed Sullivan Show that year.
1941 Vito Picone (lead singer of The Elegants) is born in South Beach, Staten Island, New York. 
1944 Jance Garfat born in California. Bbassist for Dr Hook from 1972- 1985). He died in November 6th, 2006 (age 62) from a motocycle accident, in San Francisco, California, 
1949 Jimmie Vaughan born in Dallas County, Texas. American blues rock guitarist and singer based in Austin, Texas. He is the older brother of Texas blues guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan.
1950 Carl Palmer born in Birmingham, Warks, England. UK Drummer/Songwriter/Singer with Atomic Rooster, (1971 UK No.4 single ‘The Devil’s Answer’), Emerson Lake and Palmer, (1977 UK No.2 single ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’), Asia, 1982 US No.4 single ‘Heat Of The Moment’. 
1951 Guy Perry born in Brooklyn, NY. US Guitarist who joined the Motels in January 1982. 
1953 Poison Ivy, (Kristy Wallace) is born in San Bernardino, California. Guitarist with The Cramps. Wallace was married to Cramps singer Lux Interior who died in Glendale, California on February 4, 2009. 
1956 Ian Moss born in Alice Springs. Guitarist with Cold Chisel. In 1989 he released his debut solo album Matchbook which mad No.1 in Australia. It included ‘Tucker’s Daughter’ & ‘Telephone Booth’. 
1956 Alphonso Martin born in Birmingham, England.He joined Steel Pulse in 1976 as a friend of David Hinds. He played percussion and backup vocals for fifteen years, and also contributed lead vocals on the songs “Shining”, “Your House”, “Reaching Out”, “Soul of My Soul”, and “Evermore”, until leaving the band in 1991 after the release of Victims to pursue other interests. (1978 UK No.35 ‘Prodigal Son’). 
1959 Ian Rossiter born in , Newport, Monmouthshire. Drummer with Stereo MC’s, (1992 UK No.12 single ‘Step It Up’). 
1959 Richard Drummie born in London, England. UK guitar/keyboard/singer-songwriter- with Go West. (1985 UK No.5 single ‘We Close Our Eyes’). 
1960 Elvis Presley started his first recordings since being discharged from the US Army. A 12 hour session in a Nashville recording studio produced his next No.1 single, ‘Stuck On You’. Scotty Moore and Bill Black, who had quit Presley’s touring band in 1957, were in the studio with him for the last time. 
1961 Elvis Presley started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Surrender’, his fifth No.1 of the 60’s. It also made No.1 in the UK. The song was based on the 1911 Italian song, ‘Return To Sorrento.’ 
1961 Slim Jim Phantom (James McDonnell) born in Brooklyn, New York. Drummer with The Stray Cats, (1980 UK No.9 single ‘Runaway Boys’, 1983 US No.3 single ‘Stray Cat Strut’).
1961 “Ebony Eyes” by The Everly Brothers peaked at #8 on the US singles chart.
1961 “Don’t Worry” by Marty Robbins peaked at #3 on the US singles chart.
1961 “Where The Boys Are” by Connie Francis peaked at #4 on the US singles chart.
1961 Ricky Nelson records “Hello Mary Lou”,
1964 The Beatles appeared live on the UK television program Ready Steady Go!, miming to ‘It Won’t Be Long’, ‘You Can’t Do That’, and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’. They were also presented with a special award from US magazine Billboard, in recognition of The Beatles having the top three singles on the chart simultaneously. 
1965 “The Birds And The Bees” by Jewel Akens peaked at #3 on the US singles chart.
1965 “Ferry Cross The Mersey” by Gerry & The Pacemakers peaked at #6 on the US singles chart. 
1965 “King Of The Road” by Roger Miller peaked at #4 on the singles chart.
1965 The first of a twice-nightly UK package tour kicked of at London’s Finsbury Park Astoria featuring Stevie Wonder, The Miracles, Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes and The Temptations. 
1965 The first Motown package tour begins in the UK with a show in North London. On the bill are The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Martha & the Vandellas. 
1967 David Shuttleworth, drums, Terrorvision, (1999 UK No.2 single ‘Tequila’). 
1967 “Penny Lane” single by The Beatles was certified Gold by the RIAA
1968 Fredrik Schnfeldt, guitar, The Wannadies, (1996 UK No. 18 single, ‘You And Me Song’). 
1968 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Legend Of Xanadu’, the group’s only UK No.1. 
1968 Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Richie Furay and Jim Mesina, were arrested in Los Angeles for ‘being at a place where it was suspected marijuana was being used.’ Clapton was later found innocent, the others paid small fines. 
1969 John Lennon married Yoko Ono at the British Consulate Office in Gibraltar. They spent their honeymoon in Amsterdam campaigning for an international “Bed-In” for peace. They planned another “Bed-in” in the United States, but were denied entry. The couple then went to Montreal, and during a “Bed-in” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel recorded ‘Give Peace a Chance’. Lennon also detailed this period in The Beatles’ ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’, recorded by Lennon and McCartney on April 14, 1969. 
1970 David and Angela Bowie were married at Beckenham Registry Office, London. They were divorced in 1980. 
1970 Elton John’s “Border Song” is released, but fails to chart in the UK (#92 US). Nearly a year later, “Your Song” becomes his first hit.
1971 “She’s A Lady” by Tom Jones peaked at #2 on the US singles chart.
1971 At their own expense The Rolling Stones placed full page advertisements in all the UK’s music papers disclaiming any connection with the release of the Decca album ‘Stone Age’ saying ‘in our opinion the content is below the standard we try to keep.’ 
1971 Janis Joplin started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Kris Kristofferson’s ‘Me And Bobby McGee’. Joplin died the year before on 4th October aged 27. 
1972 Shelly Poole, singer, songwriter, Alisha’s Attic, daughter of 60’s musician Brian Poole, (1996 UK No.14 ‘I Am I Feel’). Now a solo artist, 2006 album ‘Hard Time For The Dreamer.’ 
1972 Alex Kapranos, vocals, Franz Ferdinand, (winners of the 2004 Mercury Music Prize for their self-titled debut album). 
1972 Ringo Starr records “Back Off Boogaloo.” 
1973 Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Com On Feel The Noize’, the groups fourth UK No.1. 
1976 “Junk Food Junkie” by Larry Groce peaked at #9 on the US singles chart. 
1975 Skyhooks went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with ‘Horror Movie’. Staying at the top of the charts for 2wks. 
1975 Patti Smith and Television begin a 7-week residency at CBGB in New York City. During these shows, Smith refines that songs that later appear on her debut album Horses. 
1976 Chester Bennington, vocals, Linkin Park, (2002 US No.2 & UK No.4 single ‘In The End’, 2002 US No.2 & 2001 UK No.4 album ‘Hybrid Theory’). Bennington died of an apparent suicide by hanging at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California on July 20, 2017. 
1976 “Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)” by Bee Gees peaked at #12 on the US singles chart. 
1976 Status Quo started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their third No.1 album ‘Blue For You’. The bands record label set up a deal with Levi Jeans, advertising in over 6,000 clothes shops to help promote the album. 
1976 Alice Cooper gets married for the first (and only) time. His bride is Sheryl Goddard, a 19-year-old dance instructor who had performed on his Welcome To My Nightmare tour. 
1977 Lou Reed was banned from appearing The London Palladium in England because of his punk image. 
1977 T Rex played their final ever gig when they appeared at The Locarno in Portsmouth, England. 
1978 “London Town” album by Paul McCartney & Wings was certified Gold by the RIAA
1980 25 years ago, demanding to see singer Jackson Browne or a member of the Eagles pop group, a Texas trucker holds the office manager of New York’s Elektra/Asylum Records hostage at gunpoint for two hours. The man will release his hostage and surrender to police when a local radio station agrees to play the Eagles’ tune “Desperado.”
1980 28 year- old Joseph Riviera held up the Asylum Records office in New York and demanded to see either Jackson Browne or The Eagles. Riviera wanted to talk to them to see if they would finance his trucking operation. He gave him-self up when told that neither act was in the office at the time. 
1982 Joan Jett And The Blackhearts started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’, a No.4 hit in the UK. The song had been a B-side from 60’s bands The Arrows. 
1982 Nick Wheeler (lead guitarist for The All-American Rejects) is born in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 
1982 The Jam went to No.1 on the UK chart with their sixth album ‘The Gift.’ 
1982 “Sweet Dreams” by Air Supply peaked at #5 on the US singles chart.
1982 “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts peaked at #1 on the US singles chart and stayed there for seven weeks; “Weird Al” parodied it into “I Love Rocky Road”.
1982 “Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)” by Rod Stewart peaked at #20 on the US singles chart.
1982 “That Girl” by Stevie Wonder peaked at #4 on the US singles chart. 
1982 The duo Buckner & Garcia appear on American Bandstand to perform their hit single “Pac-Man Fever,” the first successful song about a video game. 
1988 Canadian jazz pianist Gil Evans, who often worked with Miles Davis, dies of peritonitis at age 75. 
1989 After 37 years on the air, Dick Clark announces he will discontinue hosting his creation, ABC-TV’s highly influential American Bandstand. The show continues with another host, but folds for good soon after. 
1990 Gloria Estefan’s tour bus was rammed by a tractor-trailer on the way to a concert. Emilio Estefan and their son Nayib were injured; Gloria suffered a serious back injury, which required an operation two days later.
1990 “Black Velvet” single by Alannah Myles was certified Gold by the RIAA
1990 All Around The World” single by Lisa Stansfield was certified Gold by the RIAA
1990 Eric Clapton plays three songs on Saturday Night Live: “Pretending,” “No Alibis” and “Wonderful Tonight.” 
1991 Eric Clapton’s four year old son, Conor, fell to his death from the 53rd story of a New York City apartment after a housekeeper who was cleaning the room left a window open. The boy was in the custody of his mother, Italian actress, Lori Del Santo and the pair were visiting a friend’s apartment. Clapton was staying in a nearby hotel after taking his son to the circus the previous evening. The tragedy inspired his song ‘Tears in Heaven’. 
1991 Michael Jackson signed a $1 billion (£0.6 billion) contract with Sony, the richest deal in recording history. 
1993 Shaggy was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Oh Carolina’, the Jamaican singer’s first of four UK No.1’s. 
1993 Reggae rules as “Oh Carolina” by Shaggy hits #1 in the UK while Snow’s “Informer” holds the top spot in America. It’s the first #1 for both artists – Snow is Canadian; Shaggy is Jamaican-American 
1993 Dr. Dre’s debut solo single, “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang,” peaks at #2 on the Hot 100, where it stays for one week. 
1993 Two children are killed in an Irish Republican Army bombing in Warrington, England, inspiring the Cranberries song “Zombie. 
1994 Madonna snags her third Razzie for Worst Actress at the 14th Golden Raspberry Awards. Her first came in 1987 for Shanghai Surprise, and the second followed in 1988 for Who’s That Girl. This time around, it’s her role as Rebecca Carlson in Body Of Evidence that underwhelms the judges. 
1995 Nicki French went to No.1 in the Australian Singles Chart with ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’. Staying at No.1 for 2wks. 
1997 UK police were investigating singer Mark Morrison after they discovered he had sent a friend to carry out his community service, a sentence he was given after being involved in a fight. 
1997 Yanni becomes the first Western artist to play a concert at the Taj Mahal when he performs the first of three shows at the monument. Before a financial settlement is reached, farmers displaced by the spectacle threaten to immolate themselves in protest 
2000 Geri Halliwell scored her third UK No.1 single with ‘Bag It Up’. It made the former Spice Girl the first woman in UK chart history to have 10 UK No.1 hits. 
2000 American composer Vivian Fine dies at age 86. 
2000 Gene “Eugene” Andrusco (of Adam Again, Lost Dogs, The Swirling Eddies) dies of a brain aneurysm at age 30. 
2001 Jon, Paul and Bradley from pop group S Club 7 were apprehended by police as they walked through Covent Garden, London, openly smoking a marijuana joint. They were taken to Charring Cross police station where they were held for four hours. 
2002 The Daily Mail newspaper reported that Robbie Williams had become a priest. He was ordained via the Internet by the non-denominational Universal Ministries and officiated the wedding of Billy Morrison from rock band The Cult and Jennifer Holliday. 
2003 On the day the Iraq war begins, Bruce Springsteen opens his Melbourne, Australia, show with a quiet, acoustic version of his hit “Born In The U.S.A.” and follows it, pointedly, with a cover of Edwin Starr’s “War.” 
2004 Quincy Jones receives an honorary doctorate in Music from The University of Washington. 
2005 Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’, spending 7 weeks at the top of the charts, it became the best-selling single of 2005. It was a re-release of Christie’s 1971 hit. 
2006 The song “Thank You For Being A Friend” is played at Leeds Crown Court when John Humble pleads guilty to perpetrating the Wearside Jack hoax (he pretended to be the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer). 
2008 The Eagles launch their world tour in support of their album Long Road Out of Eden. 
2009 Blues guitarist/singer Mel Brown dies of complications from emphysema at age 69. 
2009 The quirky garden store Fountains Of Wayne, which provided the moniker for the band of that name, closes shop after more than 40 years in business. The Wayne, New Jersey, landmark was a Christmas hotspot, as giant santas and holiday displays appeared every season. It was also the backdrop for some scenes from the HBO series The Sopranos. 
2010 Three days after their lead singer Alex Chilton died of a heart attack, Big Star play the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, with a number of guests joining to pay tribute to Chilton. 
2015 American drummer A. J. Pero died from an apparent heart attack. He was a member of Twisted Sister and Adrenaline Mob. Adrenaline Mob’s band members attempted but failed to wake Pero on their tour bus traveling from Baltimore to Poughkeepsie. 
2016 Trisha Yearwood stars as Mary in the Palm Sunday broadcast of the Fox live musical The Passion, the story of Jesus Christ’s last hours on Earth. 
2017 Rihanna begins her stint as Marion Crane on Bates Motel, a role originated by Janet Leigh as the infamous shower-stabbing victim in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Psycho.