February 4 – Today in Music History

1929 Paul Burlison American pioneer rockabilly guitarist and a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio. Burlison worked with Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. He died on Sept 27th 2003.
1941 John Steel born in Gateshead, County Durham, England. UK Drummer with The Animals, (1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘House Of The Rising Sun’).
1944 Florence Larue born in Pennsylvania. Vocalist with US Group The 5th Dimension, (1969 US No.1 & UK No.11 single ‘Aquarius’).
1948 Margie and Mary Ann Ganser born in Oceanside, Nassau County, New York. These twins were vocalists for The Shangri-Las, who had a 1964 US No.1 & UK No.11 single with ‘Leader Of The Pack’. Mary Ann died on the 16 Mar 1970 (aged 22), in Forest Hills, Queens County, New York. Her cause of death has been alternately reported as both encephalitis and as an overdose of barbiturates. Margie died of breast cancer on July 28th 1996 in Oceanside, Nassau County, New York, USA.
1948 Alice Cooper (Vincent Furnier) born in Detroit, Michigan. US Singer, Earwigs, Alice Cooper Band, (1972 UK No.1 & US No.7 single ‘School’s Out’).
1950 James Dunn born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Baritone Vocalist with The Stylistics, (1975 US No.1 single ‘You Make Me Feel Brand New’, 1975 UK No.1 single ‘Can’t Give You Anything But My Love’ plus 15 other UK Top 40 singles).
1950 Phil Ehart born in Coffeyville, Kansas. US Drummer with Kansas, (1978 US No.3 single ‘Dust In The Wind’, UK No.59 single ‘Carry On Wayward Son’).
1952 Jerry Shirley born in Wattenham Cross, London, England. UK Drummer with Humble Pie, (1969 UK No.4 single ‘Natural Born Bugie’).
1955 Elvis Presley played two shows (7.30pm and 9.30pm) at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hank Snow was also on the bill.
1955 “Mambo Italiano” by Rosemary Clooney hit #1 on the U.K. pop chart.
1960 Tim Booth born in Shrewsbury, England. Vocalist with James, (1991 UK No.2 single ‘Sit Down’), Solo.
1961 Johnny Burnette is rushed to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood for an emergency appendectomy. The Nashville rocker, whose “You’re Sixteen” is in the Top Forty, is forced to cancel $10,000 worth of engagements. He also had to postpone a 28-date tour of the British Isles that was to begin in three days.
1962 Clint Black born in Katy, Texas. US Country Singer. US hit with ‘Desperado’, from The Eagles tribute album ‘Common Thread’. 1992 US No 8 album, ‘The Hard Way’.
1963 Kevin John Wasserman born in Los Angeles, California . Guitarist with The Offspring, who had the 1999 UK No.1 & US No. 59 single ‘Pretty Fly, (For A White Guy)’, and the 1999 US No.6 & UK No.10 album ‘Americana’).
1965 The Righteous Brothers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Phil Spector song ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. Also a US No.1 at the same time. In 1999 the PRS announced that it was the most played song of the 20th Century.
1966 Bob Dylan and The Band played at the Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. This was the first date on a world tour which would become noted as Dylan’s first that used electric instruments, after he had ‘gone electric’ at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
1967 The Monkees self-titled debut album started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK chart.
1967 The Seekers made No.2 in America with the single ‘Georgy Girl’.
1968 Steve Queralt born in Oxford, England. Bass Guitarist with British indie group Ride who had the 1992 UK No.9 single ‘Leave Them All Behind’.
1968 Billed as ‘Tour 60 cities in 66 Days’ The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared at the Winterland in San Francisco.
1968 Working at Abbey Road studios, London, The Beatles recorded ‘Across The Universe’. John and Paul decided the song needed some falsetto harmonies so they invited two girl fans into the studio to sing on the song. The two were Lizzie Bravo, a 16-year-old Brazilian living near Abbey Road and 17-year-old Londoner Gayleen Pease.
1969 the Beatles appointed Eastman and Eastman, Linda Eastman’s father’s law firm, as general counsel to Apple. This was McCartney’s response to the previous day’s hiring by the rest of the band of Allen Klein.
1970 John Lennon and Yoko Ono donated their hair for an auction in aid of the Black Power movement.
1971 The Osmonds, vocal group of five brothers fronted by 13 year old Donny, receives its first gold record certified by the RIAA for $1 million worth of sales of “One Bad Apple.” The song, which many believe is a clear imitation of the Jackson 5, is the Osmonds’ debut for Mike Curb’s MGM Records.
1971 “Chicago III” album by Chicago was certified Gold by the RIAA
1972 “A Nod Is As Good As A Wink…to A Blind Horse” album by Faces was certified Gold by the RIAA
1975 Natalie Imbruglia born in Berkeley Vale, Sydney. Australian Singer/Actress (1997 UK No.2 single ‘Torn’, 1997 UK No.5 album ‘Left Of The Middle’).
1975 Saxophonist Louis Jordon died aged 66. Influenced artists from Chuck Berry to Joe Jackson.
1975 American jazz, blues, songwriter and saxophonist Louis Jordon died aged 66. Known as “The King of the Jukebox”, between 1942-1950 he scored eighteen No.1 singles and fifty-four Top Ten hits on the US R&B chart.
1975 Vocalist/saxophonist Louis Jordan dies of a heart attack. He is the record holder of most weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B charts with 113. Of those 18 chart-topping hits, four stayed at No. 1 for more than 10 weeks. His biggest pop hit is the 1944 No. 1 song “G.I. Jive.”
1977 Warner Brothers released one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac. It sold over 17 million copies. Talk about a Big Mac, eh? Recorded in Los Angeles when the two couples (John and Christine McVie & Linsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks) were breaking up. The album captures the emotions that come together when former lovers must continue to work closely. The album contained four Top Ten hits: “Go Your Own Way,” “Don’t Stop,” “Dreams” and “You Make Loving Fun.” “Rumours” will be the Number One pop album for 31 weeks.
1978 Abba started a seven week run at No.1 on the UK chart with ‘The Album’ their third No.1 LP.
1978 Talking Heads Appearing at the Oasis, Swindon, Talking Heads plus special guests Dire Straits.
1978 The Bee Gees started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Staying Alive’. From the film soundtrack Saturday Night Fever, it gave the brothers their fifth US No.1, also No.1 in the UK.
1978 Up Town Ranking’ by Althia and Donna was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. It was the Jamaican duo’s only hit, making the teenagers One-hit Wonders.
1978 “Turn To Stone” by ELO peaked at #13 on the US singles chart.
1978 “We Are The Champions” by Queen peaked at #4 on the American pop singles chart.
1981 “Barry” album by Barry Manilow was certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA
1982 Scottish singer Alex Harvey died of a heart attack while waiting to take a ferry back to shore after performing a concert with his new band, the Electric Cowboys. In an ambulance on the way to the hospital, he suffered a second heart attack, this one fatal. It occurred on the day before his 47th birthday, in Zeebrugen, Belgium. Formed Alex Harvey Big Soul Band in 1959 and then mid 1960’s band Tear Gas. Had the 1975 UK No.7 single with Sensational Alex Harvey Band ‘Delilah’ and 1975 album ‘Next’.
1982 Kimberly Wyatt, American singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress and choreographer. She is best known as a former member of the Pussycat Dolls who she joined in 2003. In 2010, she announced her departure from the group, continuing with her new band Her Majesty & The Wolves.
1983 Karen Carpenter died aged 32 of a cardiac arrest at her parent’s house in Downey, California; the coroner’s report gave the cause of death of imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa. The Carpenters 1970 album Close to You, featured two hit singles: ‘(They Long to Be) Close to You’ and ‘We’ve Only Just Begun.’ They peaked at No.1 and No.2, on the US chart. In 1975 – In Playboy’s annual opinion poll; its readers voted Karen Carpenter the Best Rock Drummer of the year.
1983 “Eye In The Sky” album by Alan Parsons Project was certified Platinum by the RIAA
1983 “Special Forces” album by Thirty-Eight Special (.38) was certified Platinum by the RIAA
1984 Paul Gardiner bass player with Gary Numan’s Tubeway Army died of a heroin overdose. kimop;./
1984 Culture Club started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Karma Chameleon’ the group’s 5th US Top 10 hit, also a No.1 in the UK.
1984 Eurythmics scored their first UK No.1 album with their second release ‘Touch’, featuring the singles ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’, ‘Who’s That Girl’ and ‘Right By Your Side’.
1984 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble kicked off their 114-date ‘Couldn’t Stand the Weather tour’ at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
1984 “Think Of Laura” by Christopher Cross peaked at #9 on the American singles chart.
1986 Sheriff went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘When I’m With You’, not a hit in the UK.
1986 “Bon Jovi” album by Bon Jovi was certified Gold by the RIAA by the RIAA
1987 Boris Gardiner went to No.1 in the Australian Singles Chart with ‘I Wanna Wake Up With You’. Staying at the top spot for 5wks in a row.
1988 “Out Of The Blue” album by Debbie Gibson was certified Platinum by the RIAA
1988 “$19.98 Home Vid. Cliff ’em All” video by Metallica was certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA
1988 “Inside Information” album by Foreigner was certified Gold by the RIAA
1989 Jethro – US Singer. Appeared with Henry Haynes as Homer & Jethro. Died of cancer. Born 10th March, 1923
1989 “When The Children Cry” by White Lion peaked at #3 on the US singles chart.
1991 The Divinyls went to No.1 in the Australian Singles Chart with ‘I Touch Myself’. Staying at the top of the charts for 1wk.
1992 Pearl Jam appeared at The Borderline in London, England, tickets cost £5 ($8.50).
1993 “Greatest Hits 1966-1992” album by Neil Diamond was certified Platinum by the RIAA
1995 Former lead singer of East 17, Brian Harvey, was fined £1,000 after being convicted of kicking a press photographer who was curled up on the ground in a ball. Harvey was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £2,852.
1995 Celine Dion started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Think Twice’. The song peaked at No.95 on the US chart. ‘Think Twice’ received an Ivor Novello Award for the Song of the Year in 1995.
1996 Former Milli-Vanilli member Rob Pilatus was hospitalised after a man hit him over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood, California. Pilatus was attempting to steal the man’s car at the time of the attack.
1998 US soul singer Gwen Guthrie died of cancer in Orange, New Jersey. Worked with Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and wrote songs for Sister Sledge and Roberta Flack. most famous for her 1986 hit, “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent.”
1998 Former lead singer of East 17, Brian Harvey, was fined £1,000 after being convicted of kicking a press photographer who was curled up on the ground in a ball. Harvey was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £2,852.
1999 American soul singer Gwen Guthrie died of cancer aged 48. Sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Madonna and wrote songs for Sister Sledge and Roberta Flack. Had the 1986 R&B No.1 ‘Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ on But the Rent’.
2000 Bjorn Ulvaeus confirmed that the members of Abba had turned down a $1 billion (£0.58 billion) offer by American and British consortium to reform the group. “It is a hell of a lot of money to say no to, but we decided it wasn’t for us,” band member Benny Andersson told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
2000 Atomic Kitten started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Whole Again’, the group’s first UK chart topper. The song was written by Andy McCluskey from OMD.
2000 Shirelles singer Doris Coley died of breast cancer aged 58. (1961 US No.1 & UK No.4 single ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’).
2001 Atomic Kitten started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Whole Again’, the group’s first UK chart topper. The song was written by Andy McCluskey from OMD.
2002 Shakira went to No.1 in the Australian Singles Chart with ‘Whenever, Wherever’. Staying at the top spot for 6wks in a row.
2003 Police questioned Noel Gallagher after a photograph of him trespassing on a railway line appeared in a newspaper. The Oasis guitarist was in a studio in Cornwall recording the bands new album when he took a walk along the railway line. British Transport Police said ‘he was setting a bad example.’
2003 Courtney Love was arrested at Heathrow airport for ‘endangering an aircraft’ on a transatlantic flight. The singer was said to have hurled abuse at the cabin crew on the flight from Los Angeles to London after her nurse who was in an economy seat was barred access to sit with Love in the upper class cabin.
2004 Police questioned Noel Gallagher after a photograph of him trespassing on a railway line appeared in a newspaper. The Oasis guitarist was in a studio in Cornwall recording the bands new album when he took a walk along the railway line. British Transport Police said ‘he was setting a bad example.’
2007 A Razorlight’s gig in Lyon was halted mid-set because of an altercation between singer Johnny Borrell and bassist Carl Dalemo. The pair exchanged insults before they came to blows onstage. Borrell then stormed off leaving the French crowd amazed and unsure about what was going on.
2007 Norah Jones scored her third UK No.1 album with ‘Not Too Late’, also a No.1 in the US and over 20 other countries.
2009 Lux Interior, (Erick Lee Purkhiser) singer and founding member of The Cramps died aged 62. He met his wife (better known as Poison Ivy, a.k.a. Ivy Rorschach), in Sacramento in 1972, when he and a friend picked her up when she was hitchhiking. The couple later founded The Cramps.
2009 Robert Plant said he felt Led Zeppelin couldn’t reunite for a full tour and album because the band feels incomplete without drummer John Bonham. During an interview on UK station Absolute Radio Plant stated, ‘The reason that it stopped was because we were incomplete, and we’ve been incomplete now for 29 years,’ he said. He admitted: ‘I think the thing about it is really, is that to visit old ground, it’s a very incredibly delicate thing to do, and the disappointment that could be there once you commit to that and the comparisons to something that was basically fired by youth and a different kind of exuberance to now, it’s very hard to go back and meet that head on and do it justice’.
2013 Lead singer with the 1960s rock and roll band The Troggs, Reg Presley died aged 71. Hit singles, included ‘Wild Thing’, ‘I Can’t Control Myself’ and the UK No.1 ‘With a Girl Like You’. He also wrote the song ‘Love Is All Around’, which featured in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral and was a No.1 hit for Wet Wet Wet in 1994. Presley used his royalties from that cover to fund research subjects such as alien spacecraft, lost civilisations, alchemy, and crop circles, and outlined his findings in the book Wild Things They Don’t Tell Us, published in October 2002.
2016 Van Morrison described becoming a Sir as “amazing” and “exhilarating” after receiving a knighthood from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. He received his knighthood for services to the music industry and tourism in Northern Ireland.
2016 American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger and bandleader Maurice White died. With Earth, Wind & Fire, he had the 1975 US No.1 single ‘Shining Star’, and the 1981 UK No.3 single ‘Let’s Groove’. White won seven Grammys,and was nominated for a total of twenty Grammys and also worked with Deniece Williams, The Emotions, Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond.
2017 Black Sabbath the band credited with inventing heavy metal music, played their last concert. The two-hour gig at the NEC Arena in their home city of Birmingham saw the rock veterans play 15 songs ending with their first hit, ‘Paranoid’. Ticker tape and balloons fell as singer Ozzy Osbourne, 68, thanked fans for nearly five decades of support. Sabbath’s The End Tour began in the US in January last year and took in 81 dates across the world.
2020 Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson asked fans to boycott the band he helped start because of a forthcoming performance at a hunting event in Nevada. In a tweet Wilson said there was nothing he could do to stop the concert at Safari Club International’s annual convention in Reno, Nevada, which would feature the touring group led by co-founder Mike Love. The convention would also include a keynote speech by Donald Trump Jr. Animal rights activists described the annual convention as one of the world’s largest gatherings for trophy hunters and a celebration of the “senseless killing” of hundreds of animals.
2021 Sir Elton John said he had “very positive” talks with British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden about EU travel for UK musicians, but said visa-free touring was not currently “on the cards”. John was one of many stars that had signed a letter demanding action to cut red tape and fees for musicians after Brexit saying that the matter was “swept under the carpet” before the UK left the EU.