News from the live music scene in the north east

Rock Musicians Who Died In Tragic Circumstances
The world of rock music is known for its electrifying performances, passionate lyrics, and legendary artists who have left an indelible mark on the genre. However, behind the glitz and glamour, there have been tragic stories of talented musicians whose lives were cut short, leaving fans and the music industry in mourning.

Eddie Cochran
An influential early rock ‘n’ roll star, Cochran tragically met his demise in a fatal car accident in the United Kingdom in 1960. At just 21 years old, he had already made a significant impact on the music scene with “Summertime Blues.” Interestingly, he had a premonition about his own death following the tragic plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson.

Duane Allman
The exceptionally talented guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band, Duane met a tragic end in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia in 1971. His death at the young age of 24 marked a devastating loss for the music world. Tragically, a year later, another band member, bassist Berry Oakley, also succumbed to a fatal motorcycle accident near the same location. Both men, only 24 years old, are now buried side by side in Macon.

Keith Moon
The legendary and chaotic drummer of The Who, Moon lived a tumultuous life filled with excess. In a tragic accident in 1970, Moon unintentionally ran over his friend and chauffeur, resulting in his death. His own life was tragically cut short at the age of 32 in 1978 due to an overdose of Heminevrin. Interestingly, he passed away in the same room where Cass Elliot had died four years earlier.

Keith Relf
he underrated yet talented frontman of the Yardbirds, Relf met a shocking end in 1976 when he electrocuted himself while playing an electric guitar in his basement. Despite the band’s success, Relf’s remarkable talents often went overlooked. His untimely death at the age of 33 left a void in the music industry.

Richard Manuel
Renowned for his soulful voice as a member of The Band, Manuel battled with addiction and depression. Following the group’s breakup in 1986, Manuel tragically took his own life at the age of 42. His former bandmates and close friend Eric Clapton honored his memory in their music, paying tribute to his profound impact.

Jimi Hendrix
A groundbreaking guitarist of unmatched influence in rock history, Hendrix tragically passed away at the premature age of 27 in 1970. His accidental death due to a mixture of barbiturates and red wine deprived future generations of his unparalleled talent. Hendrix’s sudden and untimely demise reverberated throughout the music world, leaving a lasting impact.

Janis Joplin
Celebrated for her emotive and powerful voice, Joplin met a tragic end in 1970 at the age of 27 due to a heroin overdose, just weeks after the passing of Jimi Hendrix. Despite her untimely death, Joplin’s contributions to blues and rock music remain iconic and treasured by fans worldwide.

John Lennon
A pivotal figure as a founding member of the Beatles, Lennon was tragically assassinated by Mark David Chapman in 1980 at the age of 40. Lennon’s legacy extended beyond his musical talents, as he was also a vocal advocate for social and political causes. His untimely death was a profound loss to the music community and beyond.

Bon Scott
The charismatic frontman of AC/DC renowned for his captivating stage presence and distinctive voice, Scott met a tragic end at the age of 33 in 1980 due to acute alcohol poisoning. Scott’s sudden and premature death marked the end of an era for the Australian rock band, leaving fans mourning the loss of his vibrant energy and talent.

Jim Morrison
The enigmatic frontman of the Doors known for his poetic lyrics and wild stage presence, Morrison left an enduring impact on rock music. In 1971, at the young age of 27, Morrison was discovered dead in a bathtub in Paris under mysterious circumstances. The exact cause of his death remains shrouded in speculation, with theories ranging from a drug overdose to heart failure. Jim Morrison’s legacy continues to captivate music enthusiasts worldwide.

Randy Rhoads
The US-born guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz died at the age of just 25 in a bizarre plane crash on March 19, 1982. On the way to a festival in Orlando, Florida, the band’s tour bus stopped in Leesburg for repairs to a faulty air-conditioning system.
Seeing an airstrip nearby, tour bus driver and ex-commercial pilot Andrew Aycock took a small plane without permission, and with Rhoads and make-up artist Rachel Youngblood on board, ‘buzzed’ the tour bus. One of the plane’s wings clipped the top of the bus and it ploughed into a garage. Everyone on board was killed instantly.

Keith Relf
The vocalist with British blues rockers The Yardbirds was famous for co-writing Shapes Of Thing and for singing an early version of what would become the Led Zeppelin classic Dazed And Confused. Relf died in 1976 at the age of 33 when he was electrocuted in the basement of his home in London while playing an electric guitar that wasn’t properly earthed.
The fact that Relf was in poor health generally – he suffered from emphysema and asthma throughout his life – most likely contributed to his being unable to survive the shock.

Terry Kath
A founding member of American rock band Chicago, guitarist Kath died in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 31. His preponderance for drug taking was well known. But it was another love – of guns – that got him in the end. On January 23, 1978 Kath was partying at the home of Chicago roadie Don Johnson.
Kath took an unloaded .38 revolver, out it to his head and pulled the trigger. He then moved onto a semiautomatic 9mm pistol, and believing the magazine to be empty, started the same routine. Alas, Kath had missed a single round that was in the chamber, and died instantly when the gun went off.

Steve Peregrin Took
The English multi-instrumentalist found fame alongside Marc Bolan in Tyrannosaurus Rex, but had a well-documented history of drug abuse and was known for the ‘hilarious’ trick of spiking unsuspecting victims’ drinks with hallucinogens.
‘The Phantom Spiker’ was sacked from Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1969. By 1980 and aged 31, Took was living in Notting Hill with Valerie Billiet. The pair injected morphine, but it wasn’t this insanely dangerous practice that killed him. In fact, he asphyxiated after inhaling the cherry in a cocktail he was drinking at the time. Doh!.

Claude Francois
The celebrated French singer who wrote Comme D’Habitude (the original version of Frank Sinatra’s My Way) was a huge star in his home country, selling a staggering 70 million albums during his career. His died at his Paris apartment on 11 March, 1978 at the age of just 39.
Francois was taking a shower when he noticed that a light fixture in the bathroom wasn’t flush on the wall. He decided to try to straighten it and as he did so – with his hands all wet – the vocalist was fatally electrocuted

Dennis Wilson
Beach Boy Dennis was a super-talented musician, but an erratic human being. When he died on December 28, 1983, the 39 year old was homeless in California and plagued by addiction. Wilson got himself into a violent fight at a bar and went to hospital to get fixed up.
Hours later he discharged himself and started boozing on a friend’s yacht in Marina del Rey. He decided it would be a good idea to dive into the water to try to retrieve various bits and pieces he’d thrown overboard from his own yacht three years previously – and drowned in the attempt.

Jeff Porcaro
The drummer with AOR monsters Toto died at the age of 38 on August 5, 1992. The story goes that he’d been spraying insecticide in the yard of his home, suffered an allergic reaction, and died that evening in hospital. The LA County Coroner’s Office, however, stated that the cause of death was a heart attack induced by cocaine abuse.
Surviving band members and family vigorously denied this, saying that while Porcaro did use cocaine, in no way was he a heavy abuser. Guitarist Steve Lukather pointed out that Porcaro had a congenital heart condition and that two uncles died of heart disease when they were 40.

Michael Hutchence
The Australian sex symbol and lead singer of INXS committed suicide on November 27, 1997 at the age of 37. The inquest into Hutchence’s death at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sydney concluded that he killed himself while depressed and under the influence of alcohol and “other drugs”.
Why was he depressed? Because Hutchence was caught in the middle of a messy separation between his girlfriend Paula Yates and Bob Geldof. He was found in a kneeling position facing the door, hanged by his own snakeskin belt. Yates later claimed Hutchence hadn’t wanted to kill himself, and had died accidentally in a solitary sex game.

Randy California
The Spirit guitarist was one of the faces of the late ‘60s hippy movement in the US. But despite the well-known substance abuse of the era, California died in 1997 at the age of 45 in a tragic accident.
While swimming in the Pacific Ocean on January 2 at Molokai, Hawaii, near to his mum’s house, the musician and his 12-year-old son Quinn got into difficulty when a rip current took hold. California managed to save his son by pushing him to the shore, but couldn’t save himself and drowned.

Jeff Buckley
The son of ‘60s solo artist Tim Buckley, the Californian guitarist, singer and songwriter died at the age of just 30 on May 29, 1997. Already feted for his soulful writing and extraordinary, sweeping voice, Buckley made the fatal decision to go swimming wearing clothes and boots in Wolf River Harbor, a water channel in the Mississippi river near Memphis, Tennessee.
Roadie Keith Foti was on the banks when he noticed that the singer had disappeared. His body was finally found on June 4 by two locals. The autopsy established that there was no sign of either drugs or alcohol in Buckley’s system.

Dimebag Darrell
The guitarist with Texas thrash metallers Pantera died in the most unusual circumstances on December 8, 2004. Pantera had disbanded in 2003 and Darrell Abbott was performing live with his new act, Damageplan, at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.
Not long after the band had started their set a 25-year-old former marine, Nathan Gale, shot Abbott with a 9mm Beretta pistol. The guitarist took three bullets to the head and died instantly. Gale went on to kill four people in total and wound seven others before police officers shot him dead.

Mike Edwards
English cellist Mike Edwards has probably suffered the most bizarre death of any rock musician. The ELO man, who was with the band from 1972 to 1975, had moved to Devon to work on a number of projects, and to teach the cello and violin. He died on September 3, 2010 at the age of 62 on the A381 between Harbertonford and Halwell, near to his home in Totnes.
Edwards was driving a van when a cylindrical hay bale weighing 1300 pounds rolled down a hillside and collided with the vehicle. A subsequent court case ruled that two defendants were not guilty of health and safety violations.

Samong Traisattha
Thai black metal outfit Surrender of Divinity’s bassist and vocalist Samong Traisattha was stabbed to death in his own home on January 8, 2014. He was 36 years old. According to the musician’s wife, a fan called Prakam Harnphanbusakorn had come round for a drink and to talk about getting some T-shirts printed.
She found her husband dead in the living room. A Facebook user then posted a photo of the body on the social networking site and wrote a confession saying they had killed the musician because he played black metal, but wasn’t a true Satanist.

Sandy Denny
The hugely respected Fairport Convention folk singer who lit up Led Zep’s Battle of Evermore wasn’t in the best of health by the time she hit 30. Known for her drinking and cocaine abuse, Denny’s behaviour had become erratic when she went on holiday with her parents and baby Georgia in March of 1978.
She fell down a staircase and hit her head on concrete. The doctor treating her prescribed a painkiller called distalgesic, which was dangerous when mixed with alcohol. On April 17 Sandy collapsed at the home of her friend Miranda Ward and died four days later in a Wimbledon hospital at the age of just 31.

Stiv Bators
The American vocalist of both The Dead Boys and Lords of the New Church had almost died on stage once, when a stunt designed to look like he was hanging himself went wrong. Bators was pronounced clinically dead for a number of minutes, but miraculously survived.
After such a lucky escape, Bators’ actually death at the age of 40 seems almost banal. He was run over by a taxi in Paris, and was sent to hospital. Bators waited for hours, but eventually left without seeing a doctor. He died in his sleep on June 4, 1990 as a result of the concussion.

Kirsty MacColl
The English singer songwriter’s unforgettable duet with Pogues singer Shane MacGowan on Fairytale Of New York had turned her into a household name. Sadly, she died at the age of 41 when a speedboat hit her. On December 18, 2000 MacColl was on holiday in Cozumel, Mexico with her sons and partner.
Despite being in a designated diving zone with restricted entry, a speedboat entered the area. MacColl saw that it was heading directly for her eldest son, Jamie, and managed to push him out of the way. But she was struck by the boat herself and died instantly.

Euronymous
Oystein Aarseth, also known as Euronymous, was a Norwegian black metal guitarist in the band Mayhem. Having got himself into a silly feud with another Norwegian black metal acolyte, Varg Vikernes, also known as Count Grisnackh, things degenerated to the point where on the night of August 10, 1993, Vikernes drove to Aarseth’s apartment in Toyengata, and knifed him outside the front door.
His body was found with 23 stab wounds – two to the head, five to the neck and 16 to the back. He was 25. Vikernes was arrested nine days later and was eventually sentenced to 21 years in prison.

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UK Subs then and now Bolan 1962

Ozzy 2025 Rory 1980

Thunders and Johansen Zeppelin 1971

Badfinger and George Harrison The Damned then and now

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In Memoriam:
Remembering the rock musicians we lost in 2023
Raising a toast to those musicians, producers, songwriters and artists who passed away.
Jeff Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023)
Ground-breaking British guitarist who revolutionised the instrument during a 60-year career that saw him play in Screaming Lord Sutch And The Savages, The Yardbirds, The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice, as well as releasing 12 solo albums that spanned blues, hard rock and jazz fusion.
Frank Wyatt (Died January 10, 2023)
Keyboard player, saxophonist and flautist with US progressive rockers Happy The Man, appearing their albums Happy The Man (1977) and Crafty Hands (1978).
Yukihiro Takahashi (June 6, 1952 – January 11, 2023)
The lead vocalist, drummer and a co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra, who also guested on albums by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Bill Nelson and more.
Robbie Bachman (February 18, 1953 – January 12, 2023)
The drummer and co-founder of Canadian hard rockers Bachman-Turner Overdrive, who he played with from 1973 to 1977.
Van Conner (March 17, 1967 – January 17, 2023)
The founding bassist and songwriter with proto-grunge band the Screaming Trees, who went on to success with the albums Sweet Oblivion (1992) and Dust (1996).
David Crosby (August 14, 1941 - January 18, 2023)
Singer and guitarist who helped popularise folk rock with The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash/Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and his own solo albums.
Alex Napier (Died January 19, 2023)
Original drummer with Uriah Heep, who played with the band for four years, appearing on their 1970 debut album …Very ’Eavy… Very ’Umble.
Anthony ‘Top’ Topham (July 3, 1947 – January 23, 2023)
Original guitarist with The Yardbirds, who he co-founded at the age of 15. Left the band after five months, and went on to play with Peter Green and Christine McVie.
Dean Daughtry (September 8, 1946 – January 26, 2023)
Co-founding pianist with the Atlanta Rhythm Section who played with the southern rockers for nearly 50 years.
Floyd Sneed (November 22, 1942 – January 27, 2023)
Longtime drummer with Three Dog Night, who enjoyed 21 US Top 40 hits in the late 60s and 70s.
Barrett Strong (February 5, 1941 – January 28, 2023)
Songwriter behind Money (That’s What I Want), I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone and more. His songs were recorded by The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye and Led Zeppelin among others.
Tom Verlaine (December 13, 1949 – January 28, 2023)
Guitarist and singer with New York punk band Television, whose landmark debut album, Marquee Moon, was an influence on everyone from Red Hot Chili Peppers to The Strokes.
Phil Spalding (November 19, 1957 – February 5, 2023)
Bassist with 80s prog supergroup GTR, playing alongside Steve Hackett and Steve Howe. Also played bass for The Who, Mick Jagger, Joe Cocker, Elton John and more.
Bruce Barthol (November 11, 1947 – February 20, 2023)
Original bassist for psychedelic folk-rockers Country Joe And The Fish, who appeared on the Bay Area band’s first three albums.
Steve Mackey (November 10, 1966 – March 2, 2023)
Bassist with Pulp, who rose during the Britpop era. Joined the band in 1989, playing on every studio album from 1992’s Separations onwards.
Michael Rhodes (September 16, 1953 – March 4, 2023)
Acclaimed bassist, who appeared on albums by Steve Winwood, Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart and countless more.
Gary Rossington (December 4, 1951 - March 5, 2023)
Founding guitarist and longest-serving member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who played with the band from their inception in 1964, surviving the 1977 plane crash which killed singer Ronnie Van Zant and five other people.
Jim Durkin (February 7, 1965 – March 8, 2023)
Longtime guitarist with California thrashers Dark Angel, playing with them from 1981 until their split in 1992, and re-joining them in 2002 and again in 2013.
Joshua Madsen (Died March 9, 2023)
Former drummer with cult Danish thrashers Artillery, playing on four albums between 2013 and his death in a vehicle accident in 2013.
Jim Gordon (July 14, 1945 – March 13, 2023)
Drummer with Derek And The Dominos, Steely Dan, Joe Cocker and elite session collective The Wrecking Crew. Jailed in 1983 for the murder of his mother following a psychotic episode linked to undiagnosed schizophrenia.
Mick Slattery (Died March 17, 2023)
Original Hawkwind guitarist, who co-founded the space rock linchpins as Hawkwind Zoo with Dave Brock in 1969 before departing shortly afterwards. Went on to play with ex-Hawkwind colleague Nik Turner’s Space Ritual.
Tom Leadon (September 16, 1952 – March 22, 2023)
Guitarist with Tom Petty’s pre-fame country rock band Mudcrutch in the 1970s and again when they reconvened in 2007. Also played bass for Linda Ronstadt and Silver, while his brother, Bernie, was guitarist with the Eagles.
Wayne Swinny (Died March 22, 2023)
Guitarist with Memphis rockers Saliva, who notched up a run of US Top 40 albums in the early 2000s. Died at the age of 59 following a brain haemorrhage.
Keith Reid (October 19, 1946 – March 23, 2023)
English-born lyricist most famous for his with work with Procol Harum, notably their enigmatic 1967 hit A White Shade Of Pale.
Ray Shulman (December 8, 1949 – March 30, 2023)
Co-founding bassist and composer with progressive rockers Gentle Giant. Appeared on all of their albums from 1970’s self-titled debut to 1980’s Civilian, while his later production credits include the Sugarcubes.
Seymour Stein (April 18, 1942 – April 2, 2023)
Music industry mogul who co-founded Sire Records. His early US signings included Barclay James Harvest, The Deviants and Focus, but was most famous for launching Ramones, Talking Heads and Madonna, among countless others.
Guy Bailey (October 15, 1960 – April 6, 2023)
Co-founding guitarist with UK rockers the Quireboys, who played with them from 1984 to 1993. He had recently reunited with former singer Spike, writing a new set of songs the latter says will be released under the Quireboys name.
John Regan (October 28, 1951 – April 7, 2023)
New York-born bassist most notable for playing with ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley in his band Frehley’s Comet. He also appeared on albums by Peter Frampton, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, David Lee Roth and more.
Ian Bairnson (August 3, 1953 - April 7, 2023)
Former guitarist with the Pilot and the Alan Parsons Project, with whom he played between 1975 and 1990. The Shetland-born Bairnson also played the solo on Kate Bush’s debut single Wuthering Heights.
Johnny Fean (November 17, 1951 – April 28, 2023)
Guitarist with veteran Irish rockers Horslips, playing on all of the Dublin groups best-known albums.
Gordon Lightfoot (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023)
Canadian singer-songwriter most famous for If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown and The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.
Frank Kozik (January 9, 1962 – May 6, 2023)
Underground artist whose work appeared on record sleeves and posters for the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and more. He also ran influential independent label Man’s Ruin until 2001.
Francis Monkman (9 June 1949 – 12 May 2023)
Keyboard player and guitarist with Curved Air, Sky, Matching Mole and short-lived Brian Eno/Phil Manzanera collaboration 801. His solo career took in original songs as well as soundtrack and library music.
Algy Ward (July 11, 1959 – May 17, 2023)
Former bassist with punk bands The Saints and The Damned, who went on to front cult NWOBHM outfit Tank, cited by Metallica as an influence.
Pete Brown (25 December 1940 – 19 May 2023)
Poet and lyricist noted for his collaborations with Cream and Jack Bruce. Also fronted Pete Brown And His Battered Ornaments, which featured guitarist Chris Spedding and sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith.
Andy Rourke (January 17, 1964 – May 19, 2023)
Former bassist with The Smiths, playing on the four studio albums they released between 1984 and 1987.
Tina Turner (November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023)
Legendary R&B singer who notched up a string of hits with then-husband Ike Turner in the 60s and early 70s, including River Deep – Mountain High, Proud Mary and Nutbush City Limits, before launching a hugely successful solo comeback in the 1980s.
Cynthia Weil (October 18, 1940 – June 1, 2023)
US songwriter who, with her husband Barry Mann, wrote countless iconic hits, including We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, covered by The Animals.
Tony McPhee (March 23, 1944 – June 6, 2023)
Guitarist, singer and leader of influential British blues rockers The Groundhogs, fronting the band from their inception in 1963 through to their initial split in 1976, and again from the mid-80s until his retirement in 2015 following a series of strokes.
Blackie Onassis (August 27, 1965 – June 13, 2023)
Former drummer with US alt-rock band Urge Overkill between 1991 and their hiatus in 1997, appearing on their hit cover of Neil Diamond’s Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon.
Teresa Taylor (November 10, 1962 – June 18, 2023)
Drummer with cult Texas alt-rockers Butthole Surfers, playing with them between 1983 and 1989 under the name Teresa Nervosa and again from 2008 to 2009.
George Tickner (September 8, 1946 – July 5, 2023)
Co-founder and rhythm guitarist with Journey, appearing on the hard rock band’s first three albums.
Randy Meisner (March 8, 1946 – July 26, 2023)
Founder and bassist with country rock pioneers Poco and, later, the Eagles. Appeared on the latter band’s first five albums, singing on the 1975 hit Take It To The Limit.
Sinéad O’Connor (December 8, 1966 – July 26, 2023)
Irish singer who rose to international fame with her 1990 cover of the Prince song Nothing Compares 2 U and parent album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.
John Gosling (February 6, 1948 – August 4, 2023)
Former keyboard player with The Kinks, who joined in 1970 and left seven years later, playing on the albums Lola Versus Powerman and Muswell Hillbillies.
Jamie Reid (January 16, 1947 – August 8, 2023)
Artist and designer famed for his provocative work with the Sex Pistols, designing the sleeves for iconic singles God Save The Queen and Anarchy In The UK, and their album Never Mind The Bollocks.
Robbie Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023)
Guitarist and co-founder of The Band, who, under their previous name of The Hawks, had worked with Bob Dylan at the start of his ‘electric period’. He later went on to collaborate with filmmaker Martin Scorsese, including on 2023’s Killers Of The Flower Moon.
Chris Overland (October 24, 1956 – August 22, 2023)
Co-founder and guitarist with British melodic rock mainstays FM. He played on their first two albums before leaving, later becoming a professional guitar tutor.
Bernie Marsden (7 May 1951 – 24 August 2023)
Guitarist with Wild Turkey, Cozy Powell’s Hammer, Babe Ruth and, most famously, Whitesnake, with whom he played with between 1978 and 1982, contributing to albums including Ready An’ Willing and Live… In The Heart Of The City.
Jimmy Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023)
Popular American country rock singer responsible for enduring 1977 hit Margaritaville. He sold more than 23 million albums in the US, and authored several books, including Tales From Margaritaville and Where Is Joe Merchant?.
Gary Wright (April 26, 1943 – September 4, 2023)
US-born singer and keyboard player with British blues rockers Spooky Tooth, who went on to score a solo hit with the 1976 single Dream Weaver.
Steve Harwell (January 9, 1967 – September 4, 2023)
Singer with Grammy-nominated US ska-punk band Smash Mouth, of All Star fame, from their inception in 1994 until his retirement in 2021 due to health issues.
Tom Davies (December 14, 1975 - September 5, 2023)
Long-serving bassist with US stoner rock lynchpins Nebula.
Bruce Guthro (August 31, 1961 – September 5, 2023)
Canadian-born singer with influential Celtic rockers Runrig, who joined the band in 1998 and played with them until their dissolution in 2018.
Kent Stax (July 4, 1962 – September 20, 2023)
Drummer with early 80s Washington DC hardcore crew Scream, who was replaced by Dave Grohl when he left in 1986 due to personal reasons. Rejoined the band for their 2009 reunion.
Ron Howden (January 5, 1945 – September 29, 2023)
Founder and drummer with cult UK prog band Nektar, playing with them from 1972 until their split in 1978 and again in the reunited line-up between 2002 and 2016.
Steve Riley (January 22, 1956 – October 24, 2023)
Former drummer with Keel, WASP and LA Guns, playing with the latter for two spells in the late 80s and late 2000s. He most recently led his own version of the band, Riley’s LA Guns.
Scott Kempner (February 6, 1954 – November 29, 2023)
Guitarist and songwriter with 70s punks The Dictators and garage rockers The Del-Lords.
Pete Solley (October 19, 1948 – November 16, 2023)
London-born keyboard player who founded prog rock band Paladin, before going on to play with The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Procol Harum and Whitesnake.
Charlie Dominici (June 16, 1951 – November 2023)
Former singer with Dream Theater, who appeared on the prog metal band’s 1989 debut album When Dream And Day Unite before leaving shortly afterwards.
Mars Williams (May 29, 1955 – November 20, 2023)
Illinois-born sax player with The Psychedelic Furs, who played with them for six years from 1983. He was also a member of The Waitresses.
Brian Godding (August 19, 1945 – November 26, 2023)
Guitarist with cult 60s band Blossom Toes and early pioneer of the twin-guitar sound later popularised by the likes of Wishbone Ash.
Geordie Walker (18 December 1958 – 26 November 2023)
Influential guitarist with post-punk band Killing Joke and, later, Murder Inc. and The Damage Manual.
Shane MacGowan (25 December 1957 – 30 November 2023)
Singer and lyricist with The Pogues, who he fronted from their inception in 1982 until his departure in 1991 and again during sporadic reunions from 2001. Also fronted his own band, Shane MacGowan And The Popes.
Myles Goodwin (June 23, 1948 – December 3, 2023)
Singer and guitarist with multi-platinum Canadian rockers April Wine, with whom he released 16 albums, as well as two solo albums.
Denny Laine (October 29, 1944 – December 5, 2023)
Co-founder, guitarist and sometime vocalist with The Moody Blues and later Wings, singing on the former’s 1965 hit Go Now and playing between 1971 and 1981, co-writing their Number One hit Mull Of Kintyre.
Bob Johnson (18 March 1944 – 15 December 2023)
Longtime bassist with folk rockers Steeleye Span, whose time in the band took in two tenures, from 1972 to 1977 and again from 1980 to 2001.
Colin Burgess (16 November 1946 – c. 15 December 2023)
Original drummer with AC/DC, playing with the Australian rock icons between November 1973 and February 1974. Was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall Of Fame with his other band, The Master’s Apprentice.
Jim Ladd (January 17, 1948 – December 17, 2023)
Influential US radio DJ and author. Appeared on Roger Waters’ 1987 album Radio Kaos and inspired Tom Petty’s 2002 album The Last DJ.

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Rush the Police 1977

The Runaways, CBGBs 1976 Bruce

Asstd Rock Stars AC/DC 1976

Maiden 1975 The Jam, Rainbow 1977

Scorpions cringey pic Zep 1969

Priest 70s Ace of KISS

Indiana 1975 James and Vanian 1976

Strummer and Pursey 1978 Pistols Winterland 1978

Ramones 1979 X-Ray Spex 1977

Iggy Pop Ozzy - Houston Coliseum 1971

Swell Maps The Maniacs 1977

Jam Rainbow 1977 Rick Parfitt's guitar

Magazine 1977 Ramones 1977

Priest 1978 KISS Love Gun Tour

Gen x DeeDee London 1980

Zep Cramps' Posion Ivy

Clash 1977 Girlschool then and now

The Rezillos 1978 Steve Marriott

Maiden 1982 Sweet

Gen X 1977 Ramones Apollo 1980

JJ, Stranglers

UFO 1974 PISTOLS 1977

Ian Curtis (Joy Division) 1980 Van Halen 1978

Jones and Wyman

1974

Quo, Lincoln Festival 1972

Downing and Tipton

Priest and Motorhead

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ON THIS DAY - February 8th
2023 - Burt Bacharach
American composer, songwriter, record producer, pianist, and singer Burt Bacharach died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 94. With Hal David he wrote many classic songs including, 'Close To You', '24 Hours From Tulsa', 'Make It Easy On Yourself', 'Magic Moments', 'I Say A Little Prayer'. He won two Oscars for the film score to Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, and for the song 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head'. Bacharach's songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 different artists and as of 2014, he had written 73 US and 52 UK Top 40 hits.

2013 - Axl Rose
LA Superior Court Judge Charles Palmer threw out a claim by Axl Rose of fraud and misrepresentation against Guitar Hero III. Rose claimed that his deal with the company to license the song 'Welcome to the Jungle' for use in the game included a promise from Activision that no images of Slash would be used in the game. Later, both Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani’s band No Doubt sued the company over their own portrayals in Band Hero, a Guitar Hero series spin-off.

2013 - Digital Music
A report on the rise of digital music showed that one in five consumers (19.6%) bought all their music as downloads. The report said that 27.7% of UK music fans purchased downloads from stores such as iTunes or Amazon; or streamed songs on services like Spotify or YouTube and that the streaming market was now worth £49m to record labels.

2005 - Keith Knudson
American rock drummer, vocalist, and songwriter Keith Knudson from with The Doobie Brothers died of pneumonia aged 56. The Doobie Brothers scored the 1979 US No.1 single 'What A Fool Believes' and 1993 UK No.7 single 'Long Train Runnin.' He founded the band Southern Pacific with fellow Doobie Brother John McFee.

2002 - Bob Wooler
Bob Wooler died aged 76. He was the resident DJ and booker at The Cavern Club in Liverpool during the early 1960s. Wooler introduced The Beatles to their manager, Brian Epstein.

1994 - Oasis
Oasis were forced to cancel their first foreign tour after they were deported from Holland. The band were involved in a drunken brawl on a cross-channel ferry resulting in members of the band being arrested and locked in the brig on the ferry.

1990 - Del Shannon
Suffering from depression American singer songwriter Del Shannon died of self inflicted gunshot wounds. He scored the 1961 UK and US No.1 single 'Runaway', plus nine US and 12 other UK Top 40 singles. In 1963, he became the first American to record a cover version of a song by the Beatles: his version of ‘From Me to You’ charted in the US before The Beatles' version. Shannon had been working with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne and was rumoured to be replacing Roy Orbison who had recently died, in the Traveling Wilburys supergroup.

1986 - Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going', as featured in the film 'The Jewel Of The Nile.' The video was banned in the UK because it featured non-musician union members. Boyzone took the song to No.1 in 1999.

1983 - Kim Wilde
Winners at the second annual Brit Awards held in London included Paul McCartney who won Best British Male Solo Artist, Kim Wilde won Best British Female Solo Artist, Dire Straits won British Group, British Breakthrough Act went to Yazoo, International Act was Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Best Selling Single Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen" and the Life Achievement Award went to Pete Townshend .
1981 - R.E.M.
R.E.M. made their first ever-recording sessions at Bombay Studios Smyrna, Georgia. Tracks included 'Gardening At Night', 'Radio Free Europe' and '(Don't Go Back To) Rockville.'

1980 - David Bowie
The divorce became final between David Bowie and his wife Angie. He won custody of their son Zowie, (now known as Joe), Angie received a £30,000 ($51,000) settlement.

1977 - Television
Marquee Moon the debut album by American rock band Television was released. The album was met with widespread acclaim and was hailed by critics as an original musical development in rock music. Marquee Moon also proved to be a foundational record of alternative rock, as Television's innovative post-punk instrumentation for the album strongly influenced the new wave and indie rock movements of the 1980s and rock guitar playing in general.

1973 - Max Yasgur
Max Yasgur died of a heart attack aged 53. He was the owner of the dairy farm in Bethel, New York at which the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held between August 15 and August 18, 1969.

1968 - The Band Of Joy
The Band Of Joy, featuring John Bonham and Robert Plant, made their first London appearance, supporting Edwin Starr at the The Marquee Club in London. The Marquee was witness to the London scene of the late 60s, represented at the club by bands such as the Move, The Syn, Pink Floyd (who played the club many times), Neat Change, The In Crowd, Soft Machine and Arthur Brown.

1964 - The Beatles
On their first full day in New York, The Beatles (minus George who had a sore throat), went for a photo-opportunity walk around Central Park. Over 400 girl fans followed The Beatles and extra police were called in to control them. Later in the day The Ronettes interviewed The Beatles for radio.

1964 - The Kingsmen
With 'Louie Louie' by The Kingsmen under FBI investigation for containing obscene lyrics, the song's publishers offered $1,000 to anyone who could definitively distinguish the dirty words.

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When our age group finally hits the nursing home . . .

If every day is a gift, today was socks.

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ON THIS DAY - January 20th
2022 - Meat Loaf
American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor Meat Loaf (Marvin Lee Aday) died aged 74. His record-breaking 1978 album Bat Out Of Hell spent 457 weeks on the UK album chart. His Bat Out of Hell trilogy of albums (consisting of Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose) has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, (his first album stayed on the charts for over nine years). In 1984, Meat Loaf legally changed his first name from Marvin to Michael because he was "haunted" by a Levi Strauss & Co. commercial which contained the line, “Poor fat Marvin can't wear Levi's.”

2021 - UK musicians
Some of the UK's biggest music stars sent an open letter to the British government demanding action to ensure visa-free touring in the European Union. Sir Elton John, Liam Gallagher, Ed Sheeran, Sting and Radiohead were among 110 artists who signed the letter. It said they had been "shamefully failed" by the government over post-Brexit travel rules for UK musicians.

2017 - Paul McCartney
Sir Paul McCartney was suing Sony over control of The Beatles' back catalogue. McCartney had gone to a US court, seeking to regain the publishing rights to 267 of the band's classic songs. He had been trying to get them back since the 1980s, when Michael Jackson famously out-bid him for the rights. Jackson's debt-ridden estate sold the songs to Sony in 2016.

2002 - George Harrison
George Harrison had the posthumous UK No.1 single with the re-release of the 1971 former No.1 'My Sweet Lord'. Harrison's single replaced Aaliyah's 'More Than A Woman', the only time in chart history that one deceased artist had taken over from another at No.1.

2001 - Kirsty MacColl
A memorial service was held for Kirsty MacColl who was killed in a boating accident off the coast of Mexico in December 2000. Bono from U2 and Billy Bragg were among friends and fans that packed St Martin-in-the-fields church in London.

2000 - The Beatles
Tourism chiefs in Liverpool were banned from putting up motorway signs saying 'Liverpool, the Birthplace Of The Beatles' because the Highways Agency thought the signs would distract motorists.

2000 - Ray Jones
English bassist Ray Jones from The Dakotas died. They had the 1964 UK No.1 & US No.7 single 'Little Children' as Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas. In addition to backing Kramer, the group itself is best known for their instrumental single ‘The Cruel Sea’, that reached No.18 in the UK charts in July 1963. The track was re-titled ‘The Cruel Surf’ in the US, and was subsequently covered by The Ventures.

1999 - Bill Albaugh
Bill Albaugh drummer from the Sixties psychedelic group The Lemon Pipers died aged 53. The Lemon Pipers scored the 1967 US No.1 single 'Green Tambourine'. The song has been credited as being the first bubblegum pop chart-topper and it was also the first US No.1 hit for the Buddah label.

1988 - The Beatles
The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Yoko, Sean, and Julian Lennon all attend. Paul McCartney did not attend, sending instead a letter stating that continuing business differences with the other ex-Beatles was the reason for his absence.

1982 - Ozzy Osbourne
During an Ozzy Osbourne concert in Des Moines, Iowa, a member of the audience threw a bat onto the stage. Stunned by the light, the bat lay motionless, and thinking it was a rubber fake, the singer picked it up and attempted to bite its head off. As he did this, the bat started to flap its wings and Ozzy soon realized it wasn't fake but in fact a living thing. After the show Ozzy was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for rabies shots.

1972 - Pink Floyd
On the first date of a UK tour at The Dome, Brighton, England, Pink Floyd attempted to premiere their new album The Dark Side Of The Moon but due to technical problems this was abandoned after a performance of the track 'Money'.

1969 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin appeared at the Wheaton Youth Center, Wheaton, during their first North American tour. Some reports suggest that only 55 fans attended this show, (if so, this would make it the smallest audience they ever played to). This show was on a Monday and the night of Richard Nixon's inauguration. Zeppelin were paid $250 to appear.

1969 - Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen had two of his poems published in the Ocean County College Literary Yearbook Seascapes. Springsteen was in his second semester at the Toms River, New Jersey College.

1968 - John Fred
One Hit Wonders John Fred and the Playboy Band started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Judy In Disguise, (With Glasses)', it made No.3 in the UK. The song was inspired by The Beatles 'Lucy In The Sky'.

1967 - Monkees
The Monkees TV show was shown for the first time in the UK. The series followed the adventures of four young men (the Monkees) trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. They went on to sell more than 75 million records worldwide and had international hits, including 'Last Train to Clarksville', 'Pleasant Valley Sunday', 'Daydream Believer', and 'I'm a Believer'.

1965 - Alan Freed
American disc jockey Alan Freed died from uraemia and cirrhosis brought on by alcoholism at the age of 42. Freed called himself the "father of rock and roll", and appeared in the movies such as Rock Around the Clock and Don't Knock the Rock. His career was destroyed by the payola scandal that hit the broadcasting industry in the early 1960s.

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ON THIS DAY - January 6th
2020 - Martin Griffin
Martin Griffin former drummer of Hawkwind and spin-off project Hawklords, died following a short illness age 69. Between 1978 and 1982 Griffin drummed on albums such as Sonic Attack, Church of Hawkwind and Choose your Masques. During the seventies he ran Roche recording studios in Cornwall, recording many upcoming artists including Elvis Costello, ABC and Secret Affair.

2017 - FM Radio
Norway announced that it would become the first country in the world to gradually stop using the FM radio network. The move, which aimed to ditch the analogue platform in favour of a digital one called Digital Audio Broadcasting, would bring a clearer sound to the nation's five million people.

2007 - Pete Kleinow
US country-rock steel guitar player 'Sneaky' Pete Kleinow, died aged 72. He was one of the original members of the Flying Burrito Brothers with the Byrds' Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons. Also worked with John Lennon and Joni Mitchell.

2006 - Alex St. Claire
Guitarist, trumpeter and drummer Alex St. Claire died. Member of The Omens, The Solid Senders and an original member of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band and Frank Zappa.

2006 - Elvis Presley
A collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia bought by a council worker who embezzled nearly £600,000 was set to be sold to compensate the local authority. Julie Wall, 46, from Rippon Drive in Sleaford, was jailed for three years for the offence last October. The collection - which included rare recordings and foreign pressings of Elvis songs, was to be auctioned off by a High Court receiver to provide compensation.

2006 - Lou Rawls
American soul, jazz, singer Lou Rawls died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The 72-year-old, Grammy-winning artist had been battling lung cancer. Rawls who released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, had the 1976 US No.2 and UK No.10 single 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine'.

2001 - David Gilmour
Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour won the right to his dot com name. Dave took legal action in his battle to reclaim davidgilmour.com from Andrew Herman who had registered the URL and was selling Pink Floyd merchandise through the site.

1997 - George Harrison
Two bronze busts worth £50,000 were stolen from a garden at George Harrison's estate in Henley-on- Thames, Oxfordshire. Thieves had climbed a 10- foot-wall and cut the figures of two monks from their stone plinths.

1993 - David Bowie
It was reported that David Bowie had lost over £2.5 million in unpaid royalties to an Italian Mafia-linked bootleg fraud.

1990 - Phil Collins
Phil Collins started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with '...But Seriously', his fourth solo studio album.

1987 - Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton started what became an annual event by playing six shows at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

1980 - Georgeanna Tillman
Georgeanna Tillman singer with Motown girl group The Marvelettes died from lupus and sickle cell anemia aged 35. The Marvelettes scored the 1961 US No.1 single 'Please Mr Postman'. In 1963 Tillman was diagnosed with lupus, she also had been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia during childhood.

1979 - Village People
The Village People scored their only UK No.1 single with Y.M.C.A. At its peak the single was selling over 150,000 copies a day. In the gay culture from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the YMCA's reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot.

1977 - Sex Pistols
EMI Records dropped The Sex Pistols giving the band £40,000 to release them from their contract.

1975 - Led Zeppelin
The mayor of Boston cancelled a Led Zeppelin concert after over 2,000 fans rioted trying to buy tickets. The fans caused an estimated $50,000 to $75,000 damage at Boston Garden. The gig during the bands North American tour was rescheduled for Feb 4th.

1975 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd started sessions start at Abbey Road Studios London for their next album Wish You Were Here. Their ninth studio album was released on 12 September 1975 and features 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' a tribute to Syd Barrett whose mental breakdown had forced him to leave the group seven years earlier.

1973 - Carly Simon
Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain', (with Mick Jagger on backing vocals), started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. The distinctive bass guitar intro is played by Klaus Voormann who designed the cover of The Beatles 1966 album Revolver. In 2015, after keeping quiet for more than 40 years, Carly Simon admitted that 'You're So Vain' was about Warren Beatty, but only one verse of it. Simon said the other verses were about two other men.

1968 - The Beatles
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour started an eight week run at No.1 on the US album chart, the group's 11th US chart topper.

1967 - The Who
The Who played their first gig of this year when they appeared at Morecambe, Central Pier in England. The band played over 200 gigs in this year, including their first ever US tour.

1964 - Marty Wilde
The first night of a 14 date UK tour 'Group Scene 1964', featuring The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, Marty Wilde, The Swinging Blue Jeans and Dave Berry and The Cruisers, played at the Granada Theatre, Harrow on The Hill, Middlesex.

1962 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley had his third UK No.1 album with 'Blue Hawaii'; it spent a total of 18 weeks at the top of the charts.

1958 - Flying V
Gibson guitars launched it' 'Flying V' electric guitar. Guitarists who played a Flying V include, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.

1956 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley performed in the gym at Randolph High School, Mississippi; this was the last time he ever appeared in a small auditorium.

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ON THIS DAY - January 3rd
2024 - The Beatles
The Beatles had the biggest-selling vinyl single of 2023 in the UK with their record-breaking ‘last’ song, 'Now and Then'. With over 33,000 copies sold since its release, they broke several records including the longest time between an artist’s first and last No.1 and the UK’s fastest-selling vinyl single of the century. The ballad that John Lennon wrote and recorded around 1977 as a home demo was completed by his surviving bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, using overdubs and guitar tracks by George Harrison from the abandoned 1995 Anthology sessions.

2021 - Gerry Marsden
Musician Gerry Marsden died age 78 after being diagnosed with a blood infection in his heart. With Gerry And The Pacemakers he had the 1963 UK No.1 single 'How Do You Do It' and the 1965 US No.6 single, 'Ferry Cross The Mersey'. In common with The Beatles they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. Their cover of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' was released in 1963, peaking at No.1. After becoming a chart hit the song gained popularity on the Anfield terraces, and the song quickly became the football anthem of Liverpool F.C., which adopted 'You'll Never Walk Alone' as its official motto on its coat of arms.

2020 - Bo Winberg
Swedish singer and guitarist Bo Winberg died. He was a member of The Spotnicks, who together with the Shadows and the Ventures are counted as one of the most famous instrumental bands during the 1960s. The Spotnicks were famous for wearing 'space suit' costumes on stage, and for their innovative electronic guitar sound.

2020 - Rod Stewart
Sir Rod Stewart was charged by police following an alleged altercation at a hotel in Florida on New Year’s Eve. A police document released in the US accused Stewart of punching a security guard after he and his companions, including his son Sean, attempted to get into a private party in a children’s area at the Breakers Palm Beach Hotel.

2017 - Vinyl Sales
Vinyl sales topped three million last year, the highest UK total in 25 years. More than 3.2 million records were sold in 2016, a rise of 53% on the previous year, according to the BPI, which represents the music industry. David Bowie's Blackstar was the most popular album on vinyl, selling more than double the number of copies of 2015's biggest-seller, Adele's 25.

2014 - Phil Everly
Phil Everly, one half of the Everly Brothers, died of complications from lung disease aged 74, in California. In their heyday between 1957 and 1962, the Everly Brothers had 19 Top 40 hits, including 'Bye Bye Love', 'Wake Up Little Susie' and 'All I Have to Do Is Dream' and influenced acts such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys. The Everly Brothers had 35 Billboard Top-100 singles, 26 in the top 40. They hold the record for the most Top-100 singles by any duo. In the UK, they had 30 chart singles, 29 in the top 40, 13 top 10, and 4 at No. 1 between 1957 and 1984.

2012 - Bob Weston
British musician Bob Weston died age 64. He had a brief role as guitarist and songwriter with Fleetwood Mac in the early 1970s. He also recorded and performed with a number of other musicians, including Graham Bond, Long John Baldry, Murray Head, Sandy Denny and Danny Kirwan.

2002 - Noel Gallagher
Liam and Noel Gallagher topped a poll of celebrities you would least like to live next to, getting 40% of the vote. Readers of Your Home magazine voted the brothers from Oasis as 'Neighbours From Hell'.

1981 - David Bowie
David Bowie made his final appearance as the Elephant Man at The Booth Theatre, Broadway in New York City.

1976 - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's song, 'Hurricane', peaked at No.33 on the Billboard singles chart, helping to cause enough publicity to eventually get former boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter released from jail. The song promoted Carter's innocence and a movie about Carter's life, starring Denzel Washington, was released in 2000.

1972 - Pink Floyd
Two weeks of rehearsals for Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon tour began at the Bermondsey in London (the venue was owned by The Rolling Stones).

1970 - George Harrison
Working on the Get Back sessions at Studio Two of EMI Studios, London, three Beatles (Paul, George, and Ringo) record 16 takes of the George Harrison song 'I Me Mine'. John Lennon was away in Denmark at the time. A decade later it became the title of George Harrison's auto-biography.

1969 - Jimi Hendrix
Appearing live on The Lulu show on UK TV, The Jimi Hendrix Experience were booked to perform two songs, 'Voodoo Child', (which was performed in full), then Hendrix stopped performing his new single 'Hey Joe' after a verse and chorus and instead launched into a version of the Cream song 'Sunshine Of Your Love' as a tribute to the band who had split a few days earlier. Hendrix then proceeded to continuing jamming, running over their allocated time slot on the live show, preventing the show's host Lulu from closing the show properly.

1967 - Carl Wilson
Having received a US army draft notice, Beach Boy Carl Wilson refused to be sworn in, saying he was a conscientious objector.

1967 - Bee Gees
The Bee Gees set sail from Australia, where they had been living for the past nine years, and head to England, the land of their birth, where they arrived five weeks later. A few weeks after arriving in England, the family received a phone call from Robert Stigwood, the partner of Beatles manager Brian Epstein. Stigwood had heard tapes of the Gibbs and requested a meeting.

1964 - The Beatles
The Beatles were seen for the second time on US TV when a clip from the BBC's 'The Mersey Sound' showing the group playing 'She Loves You' was shown on The Jack Paar Show. The first US airing showing The Beatles was on Nov 18, 1963, on the NBC news program "The Huntley-Brinkley Report" (albeit pre-recorded) of The Beatles in concert.

1963 - Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his sixth UK No.1 'The Next Time / Bachelor Boy.' Both songs were taken from the film Summer Holiday.

1957 - Guy Mitchell
Guy Mitchell was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Singing The Blues.' (Tommy Steele and Marty Robbins had also released versions and Steele would replace this version at No.1). Also a US No.1.

1955 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley appeared in Boonesville, Virginia. The 20 year-old singer was still a regional star, but by the end of 1956 he had become a national sensation, recording two albums, (which included 'Heartbreak Hotel' and 'Blue Suede Shoes'), appeared on national television 11 times, played over 100 concerts and signed a seven year contract with Paramount Pictures.

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ON THIS DAY - December 19th

2016 - The Official Chart Company
The Official Chart Company announced it was changing the way it calculated the Top 40 to reflect the rise in streaming. Currently, 100 streams counted as one "sale" of a song. From January 2017, the ratio will become 150:1. It was hoped that the change would break the bottleneck at the top of the charts, as hits on streaming services linger for weeks on end.

2012 - Pink Floyd
Nick Mason stepped in to help save Foote's, the historic London music shop where he bought his first ever drum kit. The Pink Floyd drummer, along with the store's sales director, Rob Wilson, were buying the business (which will now re-open in a new location at 41 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London) from the family who has owned it since the '30s.

2006 - Pink Floyd
Two giant eyeballs donated by Pink Floyd raised £16,500 for the homeless charity Crisis. The 6ft-high props, made to promote the Pulse DVD, were on the auction site eBay for a week and attracted 46 bids. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, a vice-president of Crisis, said extra help was needed in the winter months.

2005 - Elton John
Sir Elton John turned down £5.7m for the exclusive rights to his civil union to his partner David Furnish. The couple had considered the offer from a US television channel, putting the money in the Elton John Aids Foundation, but they told Attitude magazine they had decided to keep the day private.

2000 - Robert Buck
10,000 Maniacs guitarist Robert Buck died of liver failure aged 42. Best know for ‘Hey Jack Kerouac’, ‘What's The Matter Here’ and 'Candy Everybody Wants'.

1994 - Richie James
The Manic Street Preachers played the first of three nights at The Astoria, London, the last shows Richey Edwards made with the band before disappearing. Edwards vanished on February 1st 1995 leaving no clues to his whereabouts and has never been seen since.

1993 - Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke drummer with The Byrds died of liver failure aged 47. Also worked with the Flying Burrito Brothers and Jerry Jeff Walker. Before his death Clarke had expressed a wish of alerting children to the dangers of alcoholism. Following his wishes, Clarke's girlfriend Susan Paul started a foundation in Clarke's name, called the Campaign for Alcohol-free Kids.

1991 - Joe Cole
Joe Cole, an American roadie for Black Flag and Rollins Band, was shot and killed in an armed robbery. Cole and Henry Rollins had attended a Hole concert at the Whisky a Go Go and were returning home after having stopped at an all-night grocery store when two armed men – described as black in their 20s – approached them demanding money. Angry that Rollins and Cole had only $50 between them, the gunmen ordered the two men to go inside their house for more cash. Rollins entered at gunpoint. However, Cole was killed outside after being shot in the face at close range while Rollins escaped out the back door and alerted the police. The murder remains unsolved. Cole is remembered in the Sonic Youth songs ‘JC’ and ‘100%’ on their album Dirty.

1979 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley's personal physician, George Nichopoulos, was charged with 'illegally and indiscriminately' prescribing over 12,000 tablets of uppers, downers, and painkillers for the star during the 20 months preceding his untimely death. Although he was acquitted this time, he was charged again in 1980 and again in 1992 and was stripped of his medical license in July 1995.

1970 - Elton John
Elton John's first US hit, ‘Your Song’ entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it went on to reach number eight. The Hollies had been offered the song and Three Dog Night had already recorded a version which was included on their ‘It Ain't Easy’ album.

1969 - The Beatles
The Beatles latest Christmas record, 'The Beatles' Seventh Christmas Record' was released to members of their fan club in the UK and the US.

1969 - Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger was fined £200 plus 50 guineas costs at Marlborough Magistrates Court for illegal possession of cannabis.

1968 - Led Zeppelin
During a UK tour Led Zeppelin appeared at The Civic Hall, Exeter, supported by The Empty Vessels, featuring Martin Turner and Steve Upton who later formed Wishbone Ash. Zeppelin were paid £125 for the gig.

1967 - Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield appeared at the Community Concourse, San Diego, California. The group became a springboard for the careers of Neil Young Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina.

1964 - The Beatles
The Beatles fourth album 'Beatles For Sale' started a seven-week run at No.1 on the album charts. Recorded when Beatlemania was just past its peak 'Beatles for Sale' was The Beatles' fourth album in just 21 months.

1964 - The Supremes
The Supremes scored their third US No.1 single of the year when 'Come See About Me', went to the top of the charts. It made No.27 on the UK chart.

1958 - Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'It's Only Make Believe'. The song became the first to reach the Top 10 in four different years by different artists: Billy Fury (1964), Glen Campbell (1970) and Child (1978).

1957 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley had his draft notice served on him for the US Army. He went on to join the 32nd Tank Battalion third Armor Corps based in Germany.

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ON THIS DAY - December 18th
2022 - Martin Duffy
Keyboardist Martin Duffy died aged 55 from a brain injury after a fall at home in Brighton. Duffy originally played in Felt and later joined Primal Scream. Duffy also played with The Charlatans following the death of founder-member Rob Collins.

2022 - Terry Hall
Musician Terry Hall died aged 63. He was the lead singer of The Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three. The Specials, had the 1981 UK No.1 single 'Ghost Town' and with Fun Boy Three he had the 1982 UK No.4 single 'It Ain't What You Do It's The Way That You Do It' (with Bananarama). Hall was also a member of Colour Field who had the 1985 UK No.12 single 'Thinking Of You'.

2015 - Stone Temple Pilots
A US medical examiner said Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland died from a toxic mix of drugs including cocaine, alcohol and ecstasy. Weiland, who was 48, rose to fame with the Stone Temple Pilots was found dead on his tour bus outside a hotel in Bloomington, Minneapolis, on 3 December of this year.

2013 - Ian Watkins
Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins was sentenced to 35 years in jail for a string of child sex offences. Watkins, 36, from Pontypridd, Wales, had pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court last month to 13 child sex offences.

2005 - Kirsty MacColl
‘Fairytale of New York’ was voted the favourite Christmas song ever in a VH1 poll. The song by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl took the top spot, Mariah Carey's ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, was voted into 2nd place and Wham's ‘Last Christmas’ came third. Other songs voted into the Top 10 were, ‘Mistletoe and Wine’, Sir Cliff Richard at No.4, ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ by Slade at No.5, ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’, Wizzard, No.6, ‘Christmas Time’, The Darkness, No.7, ‘Saviour's Day’, Sir Cliff Richard No.8, Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984), Band Aid at No.9 and ‘Lonely This Christmas’ by Mud at No.10.

2004 - Kurt Cobain
A guitar played by George Harrison and John Lennon sold for £294,000 ($570,000) at auction in New York. The Gibson SG guitar was used by Harrison from 1966 to 1969, including the recording of Revolver , and by Lennon during The White Album sessions. Other items sold in the Christie's auction included a letter by Kurt Cobain which fetched £10,000 ($19,400), and a school book report by Britney Spears (£1,000).

2003 - James Brown
James Brown and country music star Loretta Lynn were honoured for their contributions to US culture. The pair were invited to a gala attended by President George Bush at the Kennedy Arts Centre in Washington.

2001 - Clifford T. Ward
Singer songwriter Clifford T. Ward died aged 57 after suffering from multiple sclerosis since 1984. His first album, Singer Songwriter, was released in 1972 on Dandelion Records (a label formed by the late disc jockey John Peel). He had the 1973 UK No.8 single 'Gaye'. Working as an English teacher in the late 60’s, one of his pupils was the future wife of Sting, Trudie Styler.

2000 - Kirsty MacColl
Singer, songwriter Kirsty MacColl was killed in a boating accident off the coast of Mexico when a speedboat hit her. MacColl was aged 41. McColl and her sons were diving at the Chankanaab reef, of Cozumel, Mexico in a designated diving area that watercraft were restricted from entering. MacColl saw the boat coming before her sons did; Louis (then 13) was not in the boat's path, but Jamie (then 15) was. She was able to push him out of the way (he sustained minor head and rib injuries) but in doing so, she was hit by the boat and killed instantly.

1988 - Mike Peters
Mike Peters of The Alarm was rushed to hospital after having his eyes burnt by spotlights during a gig in Chester, causing the remaining dates on their UK tour to be cancelled.

1983 - Keith Richards
Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards married 27-year old Patti Hansen on his 40th birthday.

1982 - Hall and Oates
Hall and Oates started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Maneater', the duo's fifth US No.1 and biggest hit in the UK reaching No.6 on the charts.

1972 - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan starting filming his role in the American western drama Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid along with James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson. Dylan composed the score and songs for the film, most prominently 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'.

1971 - T Rex
T. Rex scored their first No.1 album with their sixth release 'Electric Warrior'. The album which became the biggest seller of the year contained two of T. Rex's most popular songs, 'Get It On' and 'Jeepster.'

1966 - The Rolling Stones
Tara Browne was killed when driving at high speed in his Lotus Elan after it collided with a parked lorry in South Kensington, London. A close friend of The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Brian Jones his death was immortalized in The Beatles song 'A Day In The Life’ after John Lennon read a report on the coroner's verdict into Browne's death.

1962 - The Beatles
On their fifth visit to West Germany The Beatles played the first night of a two-week engagement at the Star-Club, Hamburg. A 13 night run, playing 3 hours each night. The final night's performance was recorded and became known as ‘The Star-Club Tapes’, released in 1977 against the wishes of the ex-Beatles themselves.

1961 - Tokens
The Tokens started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'; it reached No.11 in the UK. REM included a live version of the song on the 1993 'Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight' single.

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ON THIS DAY - December 13th
2019 - Tom Petty
A settlement was reached in the (with Tom Petty) estate battle between the rock legend’s widow and his two daughters from a previous marriage. Petty’s daughters Adria Petty and Annakim Violette sued Dana York Petty for $5 million after claiming that the widow superseded the daughters’ rights to “equal participation” over decisions involving the singer’s estate and catalog.

2019 - Roy Loney
Roy Loney, the founding lead singer of the influential San Francisco power pop band the Flamin' Groovies, died age 73. The Flamin' Groovies came together in San Francisco in 1965 when guitarists Loney and childhood friend Tim Lynch began working with guitarist Cyril Jordan, bassist George Alexander and drummer Danny Mihm. Three years later, they released the self-financed Sneakers EP, which helped them get signed to Epic.

2012 - The Rolling Stones
A collection of love letters written by Mick Jagger to American singer Marsha Hunt sold at auction for £187,250. The letters were penned in the summer of 1969 while The Rolling Stones frontman was in Australia. They are believed to be the inspiration for the band's hit single 'Brown Sugar'.

2005 - John Lennon
A cheque signed by John Lennon made out to the Inland Revenue sold for £2,000 at a UK auction. It was sold by former madam Lindi St Clair, (formerly known as Miss Whiplash), after she decided she had no use for it. Clair who now runs a duck farm in Herefordshire had bought the cheque for £4,000 in 1988. It was signed by Lennon on 23rd January 1968 on a District Bank Limited form and made out for £6,946.

2002 - Cliff Richard
UK music channel Music Choice analysed all the Christmas No.1 singles from the past 30 years and identified criteria for their success. These included the use of sleigh bells, children singing, church bells harmony and references to love. They concluded that Sir Cliff Richards 1988 hit 'Mistletoe and Wine' was the perfect Christmas hit.

2002 - Zal Yanovsky
Canadian guitarist and singer Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin Spoonful died of a heart attack. Was a member of The Mugwumps with Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot. Formed Lovin Spoonful with John Sebastian in 1964, they scored the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.8 single 'Summer In The City'.

2001 - Chuck Schuldiner
American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chuck Schuldiner died of brain cancer. He founded the pioneering band Death in 1983. Schuldiner is often referred to as "The Godfather of death metal". Death's best-selling album is the 1991 release Human.

2000 - Paul McCartney
Sir Paul McCartney held his first-ever London book signing at Waterstones in Piccadilly. Sir Paul was in the store to sign copies of his new book, Paul McCartney Paintings.

2000 - Melody Maker
It was announced that after 74 years the rock weekly Melody Maker was to close. The Christmas edition would be the last one then it would merge with the NME creating a more sizeable broad-based magazine.

1999 - Shaun Ryder
Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder was ordered to pay £160,000 to his ex management team over a dispute in his contract. Ryder said he was so high after a 'joint' he didn't bother to read the small print; the court was told the contract had 'done his nut in'.

1970 - Dave Edmunds
Dave Edmunds was at No.1 on the singles chart with his version of the 1955 Smiley Lewis hit 'I Hear You Knocking.' The Welsh singer, songwriter and producers only No.1 hit.

1969 - Diana Ross
Diana Ross took the Latino Casino in Philadelphia to court for $27,500 after her two pet dogs died after eating cyanide tablets left by an exterminator in her dressing room.

1966 - Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix made his TV debut on ITV's 'Ready Steady Go!' (Marc Bolan was also on the show). The Jimi Hendrix Experience also recorded 'Foxy Lady' on this day. The United States version of Are You Experienced listed the song with a spelling mistake as 'Foxey Lady' and this is how it is still known among many North American fans.

1962 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Return To Sender', his 13th UK No.1. Elvis performed 'Return To Sender' in the film Girls! Girls! Girls!. The opening bars and backing on baritone saxophone was performed by Bobby Keys who later went on to work with The Rolling Stones, The Who, Harry Nilsson, George Harrison and Eric Clapton.

1961 - The Beatles
The Beatles performed at the The Cavern Club Liverpool playing two shows at lunchtime and then again at night. Decca Records' Mike Smith attended the night performance with a view to offering The Beatles a recording contract.

1955 - Dickie Valentine
Dickie Valentine was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Christmas Alphabet', the first Christmas song to reach the No.1 position. It was the first Christmas No.1 that was actually about Christmas, a trend that would continue off and on over the next several decades.

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ON THIS DAY - December 3rd
2021 - Melvin Parker
American drummer Melvin Parker died. He and his brother, saxophonist Maceo Parker, were key members of James Brown's band. Parker was the drummer on three of Brown's recordings: ‘Out of Sight,’ ‘Papa's Got A Brand New Bag,’ and ‘I Got You (I Feel Good).’

2015 - Gladstone Anderson
Jamaican pianist, keyboard player, and singer, Gladstone Anderson (also known by his nickname "Gladdy") died age 81. He played a major part in the island's musical history, playing a key role in defining the ska sound and the rocksteady beat, and playing on hundreds of recordings and as leader of Gladdy's All Stars who scored the instrumental song hit with 'The Liquidator' in 1969 and 1980.

2015 - Scott Weiland
American musician and singer-songwriter Scott Weiland died aged 48. He was found in cardiac arrest on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, just before he was scheduled to go on stage with his band The Wildabouts. He was 48 years old. Weiland was best known as the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots from 1986 to 2013, as well as Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008.

2014 - Ian McLagan
English keyboard instrumentalist Ian McLagan died of a stroke age 69. He was a member of Small Faces and the Faces and also worked with many other artists including with The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker, Billy Bragg, Jackson Browne, Chuck Berry and Bruce Springsteen.

2009 - Ronnie Wood
Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood was arrested in Esher, Surrey on suspicion of assault, after a passer-by dialled 999 as a violent argument took place between Wood and his 21-year-old on-off girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova. He was later cautioned by police.

2008 - Derek Wadsworth
Composer, keyboardist and arranger Derek Wadsworth died in Oxfordshire. As a musician, he worked with Georgie Fame, Alan Price, George Harrison, Mike Oldfield, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Simply Red. Arranger for David Essex, Dusty Springfield, Nina Simone, Judy Garland, Kate Bush, Cat Stevens, Rod Stewart, Small Faces, The Rolling Stones and Manfred Mann.

2007 - Diana Ross and Brian Wilson
Diana Ross and the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson were both celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors, attended by President Bush. Hootie and the Blowfish paid tribute to Brian Wilson with a medley of some of the Beach Boys' best-known songs.

1986 - Judas Priest
Judas Priest were sued by two families, alleging that the band were responsible for their son's forming a suicide pact and shooting themselves after listening to Judas Priest records. The parents and their legal team alleged that a subliminal message of 'do it' had been included in the Judas Priest song Better By You, Better Than Me from the Stained Class album and alleged the command in the song triggered the suicide attempt. The trial lasted from 16 July to 24 August 1990, when the suit was dismissed.

1979 - The Who
A concert by The Who at The Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, turned to disaster when 11 members of the audience were trampled to death after a stampede to claim unreserved seats, another 26 fans were injured. The concert was using 'festival seating' where seats are available on a first come-first served basis. When the waiting fans outside the Coliseum heard the band performing a late sound check, they thought that the concert was beginning and tried to rush into the still-closed doors.

1977 - Paul McCartney
Wings started a nine-week run at No.1 in the UK with 'Mull Of Kintyre'. The first single to sell over 2 million copies in the UK, (it was co-written by Denny Laine who sold his rights to the song when he became bankrupt).

1976 - Pink Floyd
A giant 40ft inflatable pig could be seen floating above London, England after breaking free from its moorings. The pig, nicknamed Algie, was being photographed for the forthcoming Pink Floyd Animals album cover. The Civil Aviation Authority issued a warning to all pilots that a flying pig was on the run, and the pig eventually crashed into a barn in Godmersham, Kent, where the farmer complained of his cows being scared by the incident.

1976 - Bob Marley
An attempt was made on Bob Marley's life when seven gunmen burst into his Kingston home injuring Marley his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor, the attack was believed to be politically motivated.

1975 - Ronnie Wood
Ronnie Wood's wife Krisse was arrested for alleged possession of cannabis and cocaine after a raid on the couple's house in Richmond. Krissie’s friend Audrey Burgon was also arrested, newspapers reported that the two women were found ‘sleeping together.’

1969 - The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones recorded 'Brown Sugar' at Muscle Shoals studios. The single went on to be a UK & US No.1. The song was written by Mick Jagger with Marsha Hunt in mind; Hunt was Jagger's secret girlfriend and mother of his first child Karis.

1966 - The Monkees
The Monkees made their live debut at the International Arena, Honolulu. The massive success of the TV series and its spin-off records had created intense pressure to mount a touring version of the group.

1966 - Ray Charles
Ray Charles was given a five-year suspended prison sentence and a $10,000 fine after being convicted of possessing heroin and marijuana. Charles began a heroin addiction that would span decades during his teen years.

1966 - The New Vaudeville Band
British act The New Vaudeville Band started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Winchester Cathedral'. A No.4 hit in the UK.

1965 - Beryl Marsden
The Beatles set out on what would be their last ever UK tour at Glasgow's Odeon Cinema. Also on the bill, The Moody Blues The Koobas and Beryl Marsden. The last show was at Cardiff's Capitol Cinema on 12th December.

1965 - Keith Richards
Rolling Stone Keith Richards was knocked unconscious by an electric shock on stage at the Memorial Hall In Sacramento, California, when his guitar made contact with his microphone.

1965 - The Beatles
The Beatles sixth studio album Rubber Soul was released. Often referred to as a folk rock album, Rubber Soul incorporates a mix of pop, soul and folk musical styles. The title derives from the colloquialism "plastic soul", which referred to soul played by English musicians.

1965 - The Who
The Who released their debut studio album My Generation in the UK. In the United States, it was released by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track listing. In 2003 it was named the second greatest guitar album of all time by Mojo magazine.

1964 - The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones had their second UK No.1 single with their version of 'Little Red Rooster'. The Stones had recorded the song at Chess Studios in Chicago, the same studios where Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Little Walter had recorded their blues classics.

1961 - The Beatles
Brian Epstein invited The Beatles into his office to discuss the possibility of becoming their manager. John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best arrived late for the 4pm meeting, (they had been drinking at the Grapes pub in Matthew Street), but Paul McCartney was not with them, because, as Harrison explained, he had just got up and was "taking a bath".

1956 - Guy Mitchell
Guy Mitchell was at No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of 'Singing The Blues', which spent nine weeks at the top of the charts. Two other charting versions of the song were released almost simultaneously with Mitchell's, one by UK singer Tommy Steele (with the Steelmen) and the other by US country singer Marty Robbins.

1955 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley's first release on RCA Victor Records was announced. The first two songs ‘Mystery Train’ and ‘I Forgot to Remember to Forget’ had been purchased from Sam Phillips of Sun Records. Elvis was described by his new record company as 'The most talked about personality in recorded music in the last 10 years.'

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ON THIS DAY - November 13th
2019 - Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart was featured on the cover of Britain’s Railway Modeller magazine. The singer had put the finishing touches to a 25-year project building a railway city, which was modelled on both New York and Chicago around 1945. The model railway which spans 1,500 square feet was housed in the attic of his Los Angeles home.

2016 - Leon Russell
Leon Russell died in Nashville, he was 74. He led Joe Cocker’s band Mad Dogs & Englishmen and appeared at George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh. Many of his songs became hits for others, among them 'Superstar' (written with Bonnie Bramlett) for the Carpenters, 'Delta Lady' for Joe Cocker and 'This Masquerade' for George Benson. More than 100 acts have recorded 'A Song for You,' which Russell said he wrote in 10 minutes.

2015 - Eagles of Death Metal
The blues-rock band Eagles of Death Metal were in the midst of performing a sold-out show at Le Bataclan in Paris, France, when the venue was attacked by terrorists armed with automatic rifles, grenades and explosive suicide vests. The band escaped unharmed through a backstage door, but 89 audience members were killed, including the band's merchandise manager, Nick Alexander.

2012 - The Beatles
The original collage that was reproduced and included in copies of The Beatles' 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band record sold for $87,720. The piece, which was designed by Peter Blake, was sold to an unnamed bidder as part of an auction of modern British art at Sotheby’s in London.

2000 - The Beatles
The Beatles launched their first official website www.thebeatles.com. The site went live on the same day as the release of their retrospective 'Compilation 1' album.

1993 - Kate Bush
The Kate Bush musical short film The Line, The Cross & The Curve opened at the London Film Festival. The short, starring actress Miranda Richardson as a ballet dancer cursed by magic slippers, is an extended music video featuring songs from Bush's album The Red Shoes.

1992 - Ronnie Bond
Ronnie Bond drummer with The Troggs died. Scored the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Wild Thing' and 1966 UK No.1 ‘With A Girl Like You.’

1990 - Rod Stewart
Patricia Boughton filed a lawsuit against Rod Stewart claiming that a football he kicked into the crowd during a concert at Pine Knob Music Theatre had ruptured a tendon in her middle finger. And as a result the injury had made sex between her and her husband difficult.

1982 - Men At Work
Men At Work started a 15-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with their debut album 'Business As Usual', which went on to sell over five million copies in the US.

1976 - Sex Pistols
The Melody Maker announced UK dates for the first major punk tour with The Sex Pistols and the Ramones co-headlining along with Talking Heads, The Vibrators and Chris Spedding. The 14-date tour which was due to start at Newcastle City Hall on Nov 29th never took place.

1976 - Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart started an 8 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tonight's The Night'. It was Rod's second US No.1; it made No.5 in the UK after being banned by many radio stations due to song being about the seduction of a virgin. The song features whispers from actress Britt Ekland who was Stewart's girlfriend at the time.

1976 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin scored their seventh UK No.1 with the film soundtrack double album The Song Remains The Same, peaking at No.2 on the US chart. The tracks were recorded at Madison Square Garden, New York City in 1973.

1970 - Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett released his second solo album Barrett only 10 months after his debut The Madcap Laughs. David Gilmour produced the whole album, which also featured performances by Pink Floyd's Richard Wright on keyboards. The album has since been reissued in remastered form with extra tracks from the sessions.

1968 - Hugo Montenegro
Hugo Montenegro was at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'The Good The Bad And The Ugly', the soundtrack from a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western film. The first instrumental No.1 since 1963.

1968 - Brian Jones
Rolling Stone Brian Jones bought 'Cotchford Farm' in Sussex. The author AA Milne who wrote Winnie The Pooh had owned the house.]

1965 - Bruce Springsteen
The Castiles, which featured a young singer called Bruce Springsteen appeared at The Fire House, Hazlet, New Jersey. The night was billed as a Teenage Go, Go Dance.

1964 - The Rolling Stones
Decca Records released The Rolling Stones' 'Little Red Rooster'. Written by Willie Dixon (as The Red Rooster), and previously recorded by Howlin’ Wolf and Sam Cooke, the single was recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago. The single was a No.1 hit in the UK and remains the only time a blues song has ever topped the UK pop chart.

1963 - The Beatles
The Beatles recorded a television interview at Westward Television Studios in Plymouth, Devon, for a local teen program "Move Over, Dad". Due to a large crowd of excited fans outside, The Beatles had to be smuggled from their dressing-room at the ABC Cinema, where they were scheduled to appear that night, into an adjacent building, then through a tunnel, to get to Westward Studios for the interview taping.

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ON THIS DAY - November 8th
2009 - Morrissey
Former Smiths frontman Morrissey stopped a concert halfway through his second song after being hit by a beer bottle. The 50-year-old singer who was hit in the eye by a plastic bottle of beer, said goodnight to the 8,000 strong crowd in Liverpool, England before walking off.

2008 - AC/DC
AC/DC started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart with 'Black Ice' the bands fifteenth studio album and the second-best selling album of 2008. Black Ice went to #1 in 29 countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US.

1999 - Lester Bowie
American jazz trumpet player and composer Lester Bowie died of liver cancer aged 58. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. In 1993, he played on the David Bowie album Black Tie White Noise, including the song ‘Looking for Lester’, which was named after him.

1980 - Kiss
Kiss kicked off their 11 date Unmasked Tour of Australia and New Zealand laying two nights at Perth Entertainment Centre.

1975 - David Bowie
David Bowie made his US TV debut performing 'Fame', on the Cher CBS-TV show. Bowie who was living in New York at the time had written the song with John Lennon during a jamming session.

1971 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin released their fourth album. With no title printed on the album, and generally referred to as Four Symbols, The Fourth Album or Led Zeppelin IV it has gone on to sell over 37 million copies worldwide. The 19th century rustic oil painting on the front of the album was purchased by Robert Plant from an antique shop in Reading, Berkshire, England. The 20th century urban tower block on the back of the full gatefold LP cover is Butterfield Court in Eves Hill, Dudley.

1969 - George Harrison
’Something’ the first Beatles A-side composed by George Harrison entered the UK singles chart, it peaked at No.4 in the UK and went on to be a No.1 on the US chart. The song has been covered by over 150 artists, making it the second-most covered Beatles song after 'Yesterday'.

1968 - Joe Cocker
The Who, Joe Cocker and The Grease Band, The Mindbenders and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown all appeared at The Walthamstow Granada Theatre, England.

1965 - The Beatles
The Beatles worked on a new George Harrison song ‘Think For Yourself’ at Abbey Road for their forthcoming Rubber Soul album. After rehearsing the song, they recorded the basic instrumental track in one take.

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ON THIS DAY - October 24th

2018 - Wah Wah Watson
American guitarist and session musician Wah Wah Watson (Melvin Ragin) died aged 67. He was famed for his skills with a wah-wah pedal and became a member of the Motown Records studio band, The Funk Brothers, where he recorded with The Temptations (his guitar work on 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone'), The Jackson 5, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes.

2018 - Tony Joe White
US singer, songwriter Tony Joe White died of a heart attack at the age of 75. He is best known for his 1969 US No.8 single 'Polk Salad Annie' (also recorded by Elvis Presley and Tom Jones) and ‘Rainy Night in Georgia’ which he wrote but was first made popular by Brook Benton in 1970. He also wrote 'Steamy Windows' a UK No.13 single for Tina Turner.

2017 - Fats Domino
American pianist and singer-songwriter Fats Domino died aged 89 at his home in Harvey, Louisiana after a long-term illness. Domino attracted national attention with his first recording, ‘The Fat Man’, made in late 1949 for Imperial Records, an early rock-and-roll record. ‘The Fat Man’ sold one million copies by 1953 and it is widely considered the first rock-and-roll record to achieve this feat. Domino had 35 records in the US Billboard Top 40. Domino’s 1956 version of ‘Blueberry Hill’ was selected for the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry of historic sound recordings worthy of preservation.

2016 - Bobby Vee
American singer Bobby Vee died age 73. Vee had 38 chart hits, ten of which reached the Top 20. Vee's recording of 'Take Good Care of My Baby' in the summer of 1961 went to No.1 in the US and No.3 in the UK. Vee's career began in the midst of tragedy. On February 3, 1959, "The Day the Music Died," when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, were killed in an airplane. Vee then 15 years old, and a hastily assembled band of Fargo schoolboys calling themselves the Shadows volunteered for and were given the unenviable job of filling in for Holly and his band at their next gig. Their performance was a success, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Vee's career as a popular singer.

2013 - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
NME published their latest '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' list. The top 5 read: 1. The Smiths - 'The Queen Is Dead', 2. The Beatles - 'Revolver' 3. David Bowie - 'Hunky Dory', 4. The Strokes - 'Is This It' and at 5. The Velvet Underground & Nico - 'The Velvet Underground'.

2006 - Kurt Cobain
Forbes.com revealed that Kurt Cobain had overtaken Elvis Presley as the highest earning dead celebrity. Cobain's work earned $50m (£27m) in the 12 months to October 2006, compared with Presley's $42m (£22m). Former Beatle John Lennon earned $35m (£19m).

2004 - Queen
Queen became the first rock act to receive an official seal of approval in Iran. Western music was still strictly censored in the Islamic Republic, where homosexuality is considered a crime, but an album of Queen's greatest hits was released this week in Iran. Freddie Mercury, was proud of his Iranian ancestry, and illegal bootleg albums and singles had made Queen one of the most popular bands in Iran.

2001 - Kim Gardner
Kim Gardner former bassist with Ashton Gardner & Dyke died of Cancer. Had the 1971 UK No.3 single 'The Resurrection Shuffle' and Gardner formed 60s band The Birds with guitarist Ronnie Wood.

1998 - Ian Brown
Former Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown was jailed for 4 months after being found guilty of disorderly behaviour during a flight from Paris to Manchester. Brown had threatened to chop the hands off an air stewardess during a heated exchange.

1987 - Sting
Sting went to No.1 on the album chart with his third solo release 'Nothing Like The Sun.' The title comes from Shakespeare's Sonnet No.130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun"), which Sting used in the song "Sister Moon". The album won Best British Album at the 1988 Brit Awards.

1977 - Keith Richards
Rolling Stone Keith Richards was fined £205 after admitting having cannabis, Chinese heroin, mandrax tablets and a revolver at his Chelsea home in the UK. Later in the evening, Keith and Anita Pallenberg accidentally set fire to their London hotel bedroom.

1973 - John Lennon
John Lennon began litigation against the US government, accusing them of tapping his telephone.

1970 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were at No.1 on the album chart with the 'Atom Heart Mother', the group's first No.1. The album cover shows a cow standing in a pasture with no text nor any other clue as to what might be on the record.

1966 - The Monkees
Newsweek interviewed The Monkees. They are asked how the music is created. Singer Davy Jones tells them, "This isn't a rock 'n' roll group. This is an act."

1963 - The Beatles
On the first day of their first foreign tour, The Beatles spent the day in Stockholm, Sweden, recording a performance for a radio program entitled "The Beatles popgrupp fran Liverpool pa besok i Stockholm", (The Beatles pop group from Liverpool visiting Stockholm). The Beatles, enthused by the chance to play before an audience that wasn't screaming, played seven songs, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’ ‘Money’, ‘You Really Got a Hold On Me’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ and ‘Twist and Shout.’

1962 - James Brown
US Soul singer James Brown recorded his legendary 'Live At The Apollo' album. The album was listed at No.24 in Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

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ON THIS DAY - October 19th
2020 - Spencer Davis
Spencer Davis, one of the key figures of the 60s beat scene, died at the age of 81. The Welsh guitarist was the driving force behind The Spencer Davis Group, who scored transatlantic hits with 'Keep On Running' and 'Somebody Help Me'. The band, which also featured a teenage Stevie Winwood, toured with The Who and The Rolling Stones in the 60s.

2014 - Raphael Ravenscroft
Raphael Ravenscroft who played the sax riff on the Gerry Rafferty hit 'Baker Street' died aged 60 of a suspected heart attack. He was only paid £27.50 for the 'Baker Street' session, and it has been reported that the cheque bounced and that it was kept on the wall of Ravenscroft's solicitors; by contrast the song is said to have earned Rafferty £80,000 a year in royalties.

2010 - Elton John
Elton John described today's songwriters as "pretty awful", Pop music as "uninspiring" and talent shows like American Idol as "boring" in an interview with UK Radio Times magazine.

2009 - Elvis Presley
A clump of hair believed to have been trimmed from Elvis Presley's head when he joined the US Army in 1958 sold for $15,000 (£9,200) at an auction in Chicago, America. Other items sold belonging to Presley included a shirt which sold for $52,000 (£32,000), a set of concert-used handkerchiefs, $732 (£450) and photos from the reception of Presley's 1967 wedding to Priscilla, sold for nearly $6,000 (£3,700).

2007 - Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr was made a visiting professor of music at the University of Salford in Manchester. The former Smiths guitarist was set to deliver a series of workshops and masterclasses to students on the BA Popular Music and Recording degree.

2005 - Music Industry
A survey concluded that the average person spent around £21,000 on music during their lives, the figure included the amount spent on Hi-Fi equipment, concerts and CDs. Music enthusiasts were likely to spend more than double that, parting with just over £44,000 in a lifetime, according to the survey conducted by UK company Prudential.

1998 - Noel Gallagher
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher made a surprise appearance at the launch party of the new London venue Sound Republic. He jammed onstage with Pete Townshend and members from Ocean Colour Scene and Boo Radleys.

1997 - Glen Buxton
Original Alice Cooper band guitarist Glen Buxton died from pneumonia, aged 49. Born in Akron, Ohio, he attended High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he met Dennis Dunaway and Vincent Furnier, later to call himself the titular Alice Cooper. Buxton co-wrote several classic Alice Cooper hits, including 'School's Out', 'I'm Eighteen' and 'Elected.'

1991 - Noel Gallagher
Oasis played The Boardwalk in their hometown Manchester, the group's first gig with Noel Gallagher in the group.

1989 - Alan Murphy
Alan Murphy guitarist with Level 42 died of pneumonia related to aids. Murphy also worked with Kate Bush, Go West and Mike & the Mechanics.

1985 - A-Ha
A-Ha went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Take On Me', making them the first Norwegian group to score a US No.1. The video for the song featured the band in a pencil-sketch animation method called rotoscoping, combined with live action which won six awards and was nominated for two others at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.

1980 - AC/DC
AC/DC kicked off a 20-date UK tour at Bristol Colston Hall. The band's first gigs since the death of singer Bon Scott.

1979 - Tom Petty
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their third album Damn the Torpedoes. It built on his two previous albums' commercial success and critical acclaim and reached No.2 on the Billboard album chart (kept from No.1 by Pink Floyd's The Wall). The album featured the two hit singles 'Don't Do Me Like That (US No.10) and 'Refugee' (US No.15).

1973 - David Bowie
David Bowie released his seventh album Pin Ups. The album, which features supermodel Twiggy on the front cover, is a collection of cover versions of some of the singer’s favourite songs, including tracks by Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things, The Who, The Yardbirds and The Kinks.

1968 - Cream
On their farewell tour Cream appeared at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, where live recordings were made which were included on the 'Goodbye Cream' album which was released the following year.

1968 - Humble Pie
18 year old Peter Frampton met Steve Marriott at a Small Faces show in London. After striking up a friendship, the two started planning a new group which emerged next April as Humble Pie.

1966 - The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds arrived in New York for their first US tour with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page on lead guitars. After two dates of the tour, Beck developed acute tonsillitis and quit the group. He would go on to form The Jeff Beck Group, that gave Rod Stewart his first major exposure.

1961 - Helen Shapiro
Helen Shapiro was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Walkin' Back To Happiness.' The singer's second and final No.1.

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