February 6 – Today in Music History

1916 Bill Doggett born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Was an American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist. (1956 US No.2 single ‘Honky Tonk Parts I & II’). He died, aged 80, of a heart attack in New York, November 13, 1996.
1941 Dave Berry (David Grundy) born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. UK Singer. (1964 UK No.5 single ‘The Crying Game’).
1942 John London session bass player. He worked with The Monkees, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. London died on February 12th 2000.
1943 Fabian (Fabino Forte Bonaparte) born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. US Singer, (1959 US No.3 single ‘Tiger’).
1945 Bob Marley born in Nine Mile, Saint Ann, Jamaica. Jamacian Reggae Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist 1981 UK No.8 single with ‘No Woman No Cry’, plus over ten other UK Top 40 singles and the 1976 US No.8 & UK No. 15 album ‘Rastaman Vibration’. Marley died of cancer on May 11th 1981.
1946 Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle. Once married to folk singer Loudon Wainwright lll, Kate is the mother of singers Rufus and Martha Wainwright. She rose to prominence with sister Anna when they recorded together in the 1970s. McGarrigle died of cancer on 18th Jan 2010.
1947 Alan Jones born in Swansea, South Wales, U.K. Barritone Sax with Amen Corner, (1969 UK No.1 single ‘If Paradise Is Half As Nice’).
1950 Mike Batt born in Southampton, Hampshire, England. Songwriter, The Wombles, (1974 UK No.3 single ‘Remember You’re A Womble’) composer of ‘Bright Eyes’ 1979 UK No.1 single for Art Garfunkel. Discovered UK singer, songwriter Katie Melua.
1950 Natalie Cole born in Los Angeles, California. US singer, (1989 UK No.2 single ‘Miss You Like Crazy’), daughter of Nat ‘King’ Cole.
1957 Simon Phillips born in Los Angeles, California. US-based English jazz, pop and rock drummer, songwriter, and record producer. He worked with rock bands during the 1970s and 1980s and was the drummer for the band Toto from 1992 to 2014. Phillips worked as a session drummer for Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Bernie Marsden, Jon Lord, Mike Oldfield, Judas Priest, Mike Rutherford, Tears for Fears, 10cc and The Who. He was the drummer for The Who during the band’s American reunion tour in 1989. He became the drummer for the band Toto in 1992 after the death of Jeff Porcaro.
1958 George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen. The group who were named after Lennon’s school featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.
1958 Mike Batt born in Southampton, England. UK Musician/Singer/Songwriter and producer. He wrote the song ‘Bright Eyes’ for Art Garfunkel.
1960 27-year-old Jesse Belvin, who scored a 1956 hit with ‘Goodnight, My Love’, was killed in a car accident in Hope, Arkansas. His wife and the car’s driver also died of their injuries. The three were trying to make a fast get-a-way from the first ever mixed race audience concert in the town of Little Rock, after threats had been made against Belvin’s life.
1961 “Pepe” by Duane Eddy peaked at #18 on the US singles chart.
1962 Axl Rose born in Lafayette, Indiana. Lead Vocalist with Guns N’ Roses, (1988 US No.1 & 1989 UK No.6 single ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’).
1962 Richie McDonald born in Lubbock, Texas. Lead Vocals/Guitarist with Lonestar, (2000 US No.1 & UK No. 21 single ‘Amazed’).
1964 Gord Downie is born in Amherstview, Ontario. Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. He was the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from its formation in 1984 until his death in 2017. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and popular artists in Canadian music history. Downie has released seven solo albums, two posthumously: Coke Machine Glow (2001), Battle of the Nudes (2003), The Grand Bounce (2010), Secret Path (2016), a collaboration with the Sadies, And the Conquering Sun (2014), Introduce Yerself (2017), and Away Is Mine (2020).[3] His first to hit number one was Introduce Yerself, shortly after his death. Downie died of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, on October 17, 2017, at the age of 53 in Toronto.
1965 The Righteous Brothers started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Phil Spector produced ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. The song was also No.1 in the UK for the duo (who were not related in any way).
1965 The Rolling Stones second album ‘Rolling Stones No.2’ started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK charts. The album followed its predecessor’s tendency to largely feature R&B covers. However, it did contain three compositions from the still-developing Mick Jagger/Keith Richards songwriting team.
1965 “All Day And All Of The Night” by The Kinks peaked at #7 on the US singles chart.
1966 Rick Astley (Richard Paul “Rick” Astley) born in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, . UK Singer, (1987 UK & US No.1 single ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, UK biggest seller of 87. Scored 7 other UK Top 10 hits, 1987 UK No.1 album ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ 34 weeks on UK chart.).
1967 Pink Floyd were photographed for the weekly British girls magazine Jackie. The magazine was the best-selling teen magazine in Britain for ten years. The best-ever selling issue was the 1972 special edition to coincide with the UK tour of American singer David Cassidy.
1970 Eric Clapton played the first of two nights at The Fillmore East, New York.
1971 “I Really Don’t Want To Know” by Elvis Presley peaked at #21 on the US singles chart.
1971 Led Zeppelin announced a small UK club tour which would see the group playing Universities and small venues with ticket prices at 12 shillings (60p). Zeppelin manager Peter Grant said ‘We decided to do the clubs and forget about the bread and the big concert halls’.
1974 “The Way We Were” single by Barbra Streisand was certified Gold by the RIAA
1980 Yasutaka Nakata, Japanese musician, songwriter, record producer and DJ. In addition to his own group Capsule, he is the exclusive songwriter, arranger and producer for singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (two No.1 Japanese albums) and electro-pop group Perfume (four No.1 Japanese albums).
1980 “Dream Police” album by Cheap Trick was certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA
1981 “Middle Man” album by Boz Scaggs was certified Platinum by the RIAA. First released in 1980 it included ‘JoJo’ & ‘Breakdown Dead Ahead’.
1981 “Super Trouper” album by Abba was certified Gold by the RIAA
1981 T Rex appeared at St Albans City Hall during a 15 date UK tour.
1981 Composer Hugo Montenegro died in California. Had the 1968 UK No.1 & US No.2 single ‘The Good The Bad And The Ugly’ from the soundtrack to the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western film. Worked for RCA records, producing a series of albums and soundtracks and television themes, including two volumes of Music From The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
1981 George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney begin recording the John Lennon tribute, “All Those Years Ago”,
1981 In two tributes to the late John Lennon in one day, Yoko Ono released “Walking On Thin Ice – For John” in the U.S. Meanwhile, the three remaining former Beatles reunited under George Harrison’s auspices to record “All Those Years Ago.”
1982 Kraftwerk were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Model / Computer Love’, the first German act to score a UK No.1 single. The single spent 21 weeks on the UK chart.
1982 The J Geils Band started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Centrefold’, the bands only US No.1. A No.3 hit in the UK. The bands album ‘Freeze- Frame’ started a four-week run at No.1 on the US album chart on the same day.
1982 Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey was hospitalised after being attacked.
1982 “Waiting On A Friend” by Rolling Stones peaked at #13 on the US singles chart.
1982 “Turn Your Love Around” by George Benson peaked at #5 on the US singles chart.
1986 Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey’s mother and sister were held at gunpoint by terrorists in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
1987 Gary Numan’s record label ‘Numa’, closed down.
1988 Tiffany started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Could’ve Been’, a No.4 hit in the UK. Tiffany had recorded the song 5 years ago when she was 13.
1988 “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac peaked at #14 on the US singles chart.
1988 “Hazy Shade Of Winter” by Bangles peaked at #2 on the US singles chart.
1988 “Tunnel Of Love” by Bruce Springsteen peaked at #9 on the US singles chart.
1989 Jamaican sound engineer, and producer King Tubby died after being shot in the street outside his home. Worked with Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, Carlton Barrett.
1990 Billy Idol suffered serious injuries when he failed to pull up at a stop sign and crashed from his Harley-Davidson motorbike into a car.
1990 Over 200 women filed court actions against Chuck Berry after it was alleged that he had been secretly filming them in the toilets of the restaurant he owned.
1991 “The Immaculate Collection” video by Madonna was certified Gold, Platinum, and Multi Platinum 1.50 by the RIAA
1992 “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album by The Beatles was certified Multi Platinum 8.00 by the RIAA
1993 6-Feb-1993 — Little Angles Little Angles went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Jam’ their only UK No.1 LP.
1993 Lenny Kravitz appeared on the UK Channel 4 television show ‘Saturday Zoo.’
1994 Chaka Demus and Pliers started a two week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Tease Me.’
1996 Ex Jam members Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler reached a high court settlement with Paul Weller after suing him for more than £100,000, after claiming they were owed royalties and group assets.
1998 American singer and guitarist Carl Wilson from The Beach Boys died aged 51 after a long battle with lung cancer, (Wilson was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in early 1997). He sang lead vocal on ‘God Only Knows’, ‘Good Vibrations,’ and ‘I Can Hear Music.’ Wilson sang backing vocals on Elton John’s ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.’
1998 Austrian singer Falco (Johann Holzel) was killed in a road accident after his car collided with a bus. He scored the 1986 UK & US No.1 single ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ making him the first-ever Austrian act to score a UK and US No.1 hit single.
2001 Guitarist Don Felder was fired from The Eagles. He would later launch a $50 million law suit against drummer Don Henley and guitarist Glen Frey, alleging wrongful termination and breach of implied-in-fact contract. Henley and Frey then countersued Felder for breach of contract, alleging that Felder had written and attempted to sell the rights to a “tell-all” book. Both parties settled out-of-court for an undisclosed amount.
2004 US singer Faith Evans and her husband Todd Russaw agreed to enrol in a rehabilitation programme after facing drugs charges. Prosecutors said the charges for alleged possession of cocaine and marijuana would be dropped if they successfully completed the 13-week rehab scheme.
2005 Athlete went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their second album ‘Tourist’. Kenny Chesney was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Be As You Are.’
2005 Eminem was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Like Toy Soldiers’, the rappers 6th No.1, taken from the album Encore. The track featured samples from ‘Toy Soldiers’ by Martika and ’50 Ways to Leave Your Lover’ by Paul Simon.
2007 Frankie Laine died aged 93 of heart failure, at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego.
2007 An exhibition of Kylie Minogue’s stage costumes, awards and accessories was launched in central London. The display at the Victoria and Albert Museum showed her changing image from 1987 onwards, from the dungarees she wore as Charlene in the Australian soap Neighbours and the gold hot pants she wore in her Spinning Around video.
2008 A Los Angeles judge issued a restraining order against Britney Spears’ manager, after her mother made the request to the court. Lynne Spears claimed Sam Lutfi, 33, had drugged the troubled pop star and interfered with her finances. In a six-page declaration, Lynne Spears said Mr Lutfi “moved into Britney’s home and has purported to take control of her life, home and finances”. Her declaration focused on the night of 28 January, a few days before the Grammy-winning superstar was admitted to hospital for a mental evaluation.
2008 Feist won the seventh annual Shortlist Music Prize – American’s version of the Mercury Prize. The Canadian singer-songwriter won for her album The Reminder, which included the song 1234 used in an Apple iPod advert. Feist was also nominated for four Grammy awards, including best new artist.
2011 Irish guitarist and singer Gary Moore died in his sleep of a heart attack in his hotel room while on holiday in Estepona, Spain. Moore had been a member of Skid Row, Thin Lizzy and Colosseum II, before going solo, scoring the 1979 UK No.8 single ‘Parisienne Walkways’. Moore’s greatest influence in the early days was guitarist Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, who was a mentor to Moore when performing in Dublin.
2013 It was announced that Warner Music was set to buy the record label Parlophone which was formerly a part of EMI Music from Universal Music for £487m ($765m). The Parlophone label group also included the Chrysalis and Ensign labels, but The Beatles, part of Parlophone, was exempted from the sale. She died on 23 July 2014 at the age of 91.
2014 Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was named as the greatest song of all time by NME. ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was one of the last songs written for Nirvana’s breakthrough album, ‘Nevermind’, which was released in 1991. The rest of the top 5 tracks were: 5: ‘Last Nite’, The Strokes, 4: ‘How Soon Is Now?’, The Smiths, 3: ‘I Feel Love’, Donna Summer, 2: ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, Joy Division.
2016 American singer-songwriter Dan Hicks, best-known as the lead musician and founder of the Seventies acoustic band Hicks and His Hot Licks, died at the age of 74 after suffering with throat and liver cancer. Hot Licks’ hits included ‘I Scare Myself’ and ‘Canned Music’, which blended genre such as country, blues, jazz and swing
2017 US Tax Court Judge Mark Holmes had always been puzzled by the rap at the end of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, so when the star’s former lawyer John Branca appeared in front of him, he took the opportunity to settle the matter. “What exactly does ‘the funk of 40,000 years’ mean?” “Karma,” answered Branca. The exchange came during the first day of a trial looking into Michael Jackson’s debts to the taxman. The IRS claimed that Jackson’s estate owed it over $700 million (£566 million) in taxes and penalties, a massive chunk of the star’s estimated $1bn fortune. It put Jackson’s team in the strange position of arguing the star was worth much less, after his image was tarnished by accusations of child molestation, skin bleaching and drug use.