On This Day In Music 17th April

1934 Don Kirshner born in Boca Raton, Florida. He launched the careers of Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Harry Nilsson, The Monkees and The Archies. He died of heart failure in a Boca Raton, Florida hospital on January 17, 2011 at age 76,.On April 14, 2012, Don Kirshner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1930 Chris Barber born in Hertfordshire, England – English Musician. Chris & his jazz band had a No.1 hit in 1959 with Petite Fleur. 
1930 Alexander Graves born in Alabama. US Singer with the Moonglows. 
1936 Tony Bellus (born Anthony J. Bellusci;) in Chicago, Illinois. His best known recorded song is Robbin’ The Cradle, a self-composed ballad he recorded in his native Chicago in 1959.
1941 Billy Fury (Ronald Wycherley) born in England. English Pop Singer. (died 28/1/83 of a heart attack), 1961 UK No.3 single ‘Halfway To Paradise’, plus 25 other Top 40 UK singles). 
1943 Roy Estrada born in Santa Ana, California. an American musician and backing vocalist, best known for his bass guitar work with Frank Zappa and for having been a founder member of Little Feat, playing on their first two albums. As of 2016, Estrada is incarcerated in a Texas prison. He was convicted for sex offenses, first having been convicted of child sex abuse in 1994 and serving six years’ imprisonment, then pleading guilty to abuse of a young relative in 2012. He will not be eligible for parole until 2036, at which time he will be 93 years old.
1943 Teen idol Bobby Curtola (1962’s “Fortune Teller”) is born in Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada.Canadian rock and roll singer and teen idol. Curtola died at his home in Edmonton on June 4, 2016, at age 73.
1948 Jan Hammer born in Czechoslavakia. Keyboard player, Mahavishnu Orchestra, (1985 US No.1 & UK No.5 single ‘Miami Vice Theme’, 1987 UK No.2 single ‘Crockett’s Theme’). 
1953 Harry Belafonte makes his film debut in Bright Road, also starring Dorothy Dandridge. He soon becomes a star of stage and screen. 
1954 Michael Sembello born in Philadelphia. US Session Musician/Vocalist (1983 US No.1 & UK No. 43 single ‘Maniac’, featured in the film ‘Flashdance’. a No.43 hit in the UK). 
1955 Pete Shelley (Peter Mcneish) born in Leigh, Lancashire, England. UK Guitarist/Songwriter/Vocals with the Buzzcocks, He had a hit in 1982 in Australia with “Homosapien”. He died of a suspected heart attack on the morning of 6 December 2018, aged 63.
1959 Fred Loneragan is born. Lead Singer with Australian band the Machinations. 
1959 Rick Swinn is born. Vocalist with Australian Band the Venetians. 
1960 The car taking Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent to London Airport crashed, killing 21-year old Cochran, Vincent was injured in the accident. Cochran’s current hit at the time was ‘Three Steps to Heaven’. 
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 and singer Gene Vincent survived the crash, Cochran’s current hit at the time was ‘Three Steps to Heaven’. The taxi driver, George Martin, was convicted of dangerous driving, fined £50, disqualified from driving for 15 years, and sent to prison for six months. 
1964 Them (with Van Morrison) make their first concert appearance, at Belfast’s Maritime Hotel. 
1964 James Keenan born in Ravenna, Ohio. Vocalist with Tool, (2001 US No.1 album ‘Lateralus’). Also a member of A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. 
1965 Bob Dylan’s debut album ‘The Freewheeling’ Bob Dylan’ was at No.1 on the UK chart. 
1965 Paul McCartney spent the day shopping for furniture in Portobello Road, London disguised in a cloth cap, moustache, glasses and overcoat. 
1967 American singer-songwriter and guitarist Liz Phair. Her 1993 debut studio album Exile in Guyville was ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
1967 Matt Chamberlain one of the world’s most widely-heard session drummers. Worked with, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Morrissey, Fiona Apple, Christina Aguilera, Dido, David Bowie, Elton John, Peter Gabriel, The Wallflowers, Natalie Merchant, Robbie Williams, Kanye West, Garbage, John Mayer and William Shatner.
1969 The first solo concert by The Band is held in San Francisco, California. 
1970 Redman Reginald “Reggie” Noble) born in Newark, New Jersey. US rapper, (2001 US No.4 album ‘Malpractice’, 2002 UK No.1 single with Christina Aguilera ‘Dirrty’.) 
1970 Johnny Cash plays for President Richard Nixon at the White House, performing his song “What Is Truth.” Nixon requested a song called “Welfare Cadillac,” which Cash politely declines to play. 
1970 Paul McCartney released his first solo album McCartney. Including ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’, ‘Every Night’, ‘Junk’ & ‘The Lovely Linda’. 
1970 While performing at the White House at the invitation of President Richard Nixon, Johnny Cash was asked to perform “Okie From Muskogee”. Cash declined because it was not his song, but had been a hit for Merle Haggard. Instead, Cash sang his No.1 hit, ‘A Boy Named Sue’.
1970 Santana began sessions for what would be their breakthrough album Abraxas at Wally Heider Recording Studio, San Francisco, California. When released in September of this year, Abraxas peaked at #1 on the US chart. 
1971 All four Beatles had solo singles in the UK charts, Paul McCartney with ‘Another Day’, John Lennon, ‘Power To The People’, George Harrison, ‘My Sweet Lord’ and Ringo Starr, ‘It Don’t Come Easy.’ 
1971 Three Dog Night started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Joy To The World’. The group’s second US No.1; a No.24 hit in the UK. 
1972 Keith Richards girlfriend Anita Pallenberg gave birth to their second child, daughter Dandelion. 
1972 “Betcha by Golly, Wow”, by The Stylistics from Philadelphia, earned a gold record for the group. The Stylistics also scored million sellers with “You are Everything”, “I’m Stone in Love with You”, “Break Up to Make Up” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New”. Th
1973 Pink Floyd’s album ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ went gold in the US. The LP went on to stay in the US chart for more than ten years and became the longest charting rock record of all time. 
1973 Tito and John Jackson from The Jackson Five were arrested for buying stolen TV and stereo equipment. 
1974 Victoria Adams (Victoria Adams) born in Hertfordshire, England. Vocalsit with The Spice Girls (Posh Spice) (1996 UK No.1 & 1997 US No.1 single ‘Wannabe’, plus eight other UK No.1 singles), Solo 2000 UK No. 2 single ‘Out Of Your Mind’). 
1974 Vinnie Taylor guitarist with US rock ‘n roll revival band Sha Na Na was found dead in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Charlottesville, Virginia from a drug overdose. Sha Na Na played at the Woodstock Festival, their 90-second appearance in the Woodstock film brought the group national attention. The group appeared in the movie Grease as Johnny Casino & The Gamblers. 
1975 Elvis Presley bought a Convair 880 Jet formally owned by Delta Airlines for $250,000, which he re-christened Lisa Marie. Presley spent a further $600,000 refurbishing the Jet to include personal quarters, a meeting area and a dance floor. 
1977 The Stranglers, Cherry Vanilla, The Police and The Jam all appeared at The Roundhouse, London, England. 
1982 Bucks Fizz were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘My Camera Never Lies’, the group’s third and last No.1. 
1982 Vangelis was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Chariots Of Fire’, he also won an Oscar for best original score. 
1983 Felix Pappalardi, producer and bass player with American rock band Mountain was shot dead by his wife Gail Collins during a jealous rage. Collins was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. Pappalardi who was 43 had produced the Cream albums ‘Disraeli Gears’ and ‘Wheels of Fire.’ 
1987 Carlton Barrett of The Wailers was shot dead outside his house in Kingston. 
1987 Reggae drummer and percussion player Carlton Barrett of The Wailers was shot dead outside his house in Kingston, Jamaica. Joined Bob Marley and The Wailers in 1970, wrote the Marley song ‘War’. Barrett was the originator of the one-drop rhythm, a percussive drumming style. 
1988 British singer-songwriter, Eliza Doolittle, (born Eliza Sophie Caird). Her debut self-titled album released in 2010, (where it debuted at No.3 on the UK Albums Char), produced two UK top forty hits: ‘Skinny Genes’ and ‘Pack Up’. 
1989 British singer-songwriter, Eliza Doolittle, (born Eliza Sophie Caird). Her debut self-titled album released in 2010, (where it debuted at No.3 on the UK Albums Chart), produced two UK top forty hits: ‘Skinny Genes’ and ‘Pack Up’.
1991 Nirvana appeared at the OK Hotel in Seattle, where they played a new song, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, live for the first time. Other local bands such as Mudhoney, Tad, Mother Love Bone, and Soundgarden all appeared at the club, which has now been turned into a residential property. 
1993 David Bowie went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Black Tie White Noise’ his eighth UK No.1 LP. 
1994 Pink Floyd started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘The Division Bell’, their fourth No.1 album. 
1998 Linda McCartney died after a long battle against cancer. Married Paul McCartney in 1969 when she was working as a photographer. As well as a being a member of Wings, she became an animal rights campaigner and launched her own brand of vegetarian food. 
2002 Music weekly The NME published a list of the 50 most influential icons. At No.10, Public Enemy, 9, U2, 8, The Jam, 7, Radiohead, 6, Oasis, 5, The Sex Pistols, 4, David Bowie, 3, The Stone Roses, 2, The Beatles and No.1 The Smiths. 
2003 Earl King, New Orleans Blues guitarist Earl King died aged 69. Wrote ‘Come On, (Let The Good Times Roll’). 
2004 Kurt Cobain’s Mark IV-style Mosrite Gospel guitar sold for $100,000 at the Icons of 20th Century Music auction held in Dallas, Texas. Other items sold included Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s song writing piano which sold for $140,000 and a 1966 Rickenbacker guitar owned by The Byrds Roger McGuinn’s sold for $99,000. 
2007 Bryan Ferry was forced to make an apology after praising Nazi iconography in a German magazine. Talking to Welt am Sonntag, he said the Nazis “knew how to put themselves in the limelight and present themselves…I’m talking about the films of Leni Riefenstahl and the buildings of Albert Speer and the mass marches and the flags. Just amazing – really beautiful.” British MPs asked shoppers to think twice about shopping in Marks and Spencer asking for Ferry to be dropped as the face of the M&S Autograph menswear collection. Ferry said he was “deeply upset” by the publicity surrounding the interview. 
2008 Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen and a member of The E Street Band, died of cancer at the age of 58. Federici had worked with Springsteen for over 40 years, starting with Steel Mill and Child with Springsteen. 
2009 Morrissey walked off stage during his set at the Coachella festival in California after declaring he could “smell burning flesh”. The committed vegetarian took offence to the smell coming from nearby barbecues. Sir Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure also appeared at the event. 
2016 Singer Joss Stone postponed shows in the Caribbean to be with her sick dog, which she said was “the closest thing I have to a child”. She said her pet had “made it through the night” but she had to “go back and make sure she was ok”. 
Paul A. Rothchild born in Brooklyn, New York. 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 McGee’). Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Love. In 1990, Rothchild was diagnosed with lung cancer. Although he was planning a huge 60th birthday party, he succumbed to the disease on March 30, 1995 at the age of 59.