TODAY IN HISTORY – August 5th
1915 – Born this day, Les Paul, legendary guitarist.
1959 – Born this day, Pete Burns. Singer of Dead or Alive who has a UK No. 1 hit with “You Spin Me Round Like A Record”.
1965 - Jan Berry of Jan and Dean was accidentally knocked off a camera car and broke his leg on the first day of filming a new film Easy Come, Easy Go. Several other people were also hurt, causing Paramount to cancel the movie entirely.
1965 - The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Help!' The group's eighth consecutive UK No.1 single. John Lennon later stated he wrote the lyrics of the song to express his stress after the Beatles' quick rise to success. "I was fat and depressed and I was crying out for 'Help'."
1966 – Beatle John Lennon told the press that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ, leading many US radio stations to yank Beatles’ songs off the air in protest of the statement.
1972 - Aerosmith signed to CBS Records for $125,000 after record company boss Clive Davis saw them play at Max's Kansas City Club New York.
1975 - Drummer Sandy West and guitarist Joan Jett formed the first ever all female heavy rock band after being introduced by producer Kim Fowley. The band released four studio albums, among its best known songs: 'Cherry Bomb', 'Queens of Noise' and a cover of The Velvet Underground's 'Rock n Roll'.
1975 – Stevie Wonder signed the recording industry’s largest contract to date - $13 million over a 7 year period with his current label Tamla/Motown.
1978 – The Rolling Stones went to No.1 for the 8th time in the USA with “Miss You”.
1983 – David Crosby was sentenced to 8 years in a Texas jail, on cocaine and weapons charges.
1986 - Culture Club keyboard player Michael Rudetsky was found dead at Boy George's London home in Hampstead.
1992 - Jeff Porcaro drummer from Toto died age 38. His death has been the subject of controversy: some say the attack was caused by an allergic reaction to garden pesticide, while others say Porcaro's heart was weakened by smoking and cocaine use. Porcaro also worked with many other acts including Sonny and Cher, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Steely Dan, Paul Simon and Boz Scaggs.
2000 – Police were called to Gary Glitter’s West London home when a crowd gathered outside and started to shout abuse at the former pop star, who was currently back in London to attend to business affairs before heading abroad again.
2003 - Dido started a four week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Life For Rent' the UK singers second No.1 album.
2005 - Bob Dylan's song 'Like a Rolling Stone' topped a poll of rock and film stars to find the music, movies, TV shows and books that changed the world. The 1965 single beat Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' into second place in a survey for Uncut magazine. Sir Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Robert Downey Jr, Rolling Stone Keith Richards and Lou Reed were among those who gave their opinions.
2009 – Most played song on NZ radio is “I Gotta Feeling” – Black Eyed Peas
2009 - A 53-year-old who claimed he was secretly engaged to Miley Cyrus was charged with trying to stalk the US singer. Mark McLeod was arrested after trying to contact the Hannah Montana actress on a film set near Savannah, Georgia. McLeod claimed he had met Cyrus 18 months earlier and that she had accepted his marriage proposal. He told police that Cyrus' father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, approved of their relationship and that Cyrus had sent him "secret messages" through her TV show.
1915 – Born this day, Les Paul, legendary guitarist.
1959 – Born this day, Pete Burns. Singer of Dead or Alive who has a UK No. 1 hit with “You Spin Me Round Like A Record”.
1965 - Jan Berry of Jan and Dean was accidentally knocked off a camera car and broke his leg on the first day of filming a new film Easy Come, Easy Go. Several other people were also hurt, causing Paramount to cancel the movie entirely.
1965 - The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Help!' The group's eighth consecutive UK No.1 single. John Lennon later stated he wrote the lyrics of the song to express his stress after the Beatles' quick rise to success. "I was fat and depressed and I was crying out for 'Help'."
1966 – Beatle John Lennon told the press that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ, leading many US radio stations to yank Beatles’ songs off the air in protest of the statement.
1972 - Aerosmith signed to CBS Records for $125,000 after record company boss Clive Davis saw them play at Max's Kansas City Club New York.
1975 - Drummer Sandy West and guitarist Joan Jett formed the first ever all female heavy rock band after being introduced by producer Kim Fowley. The band released four studio albums, among its best known songs: 'Cherry Bomb', 'Queens of Noise' and a cover of The Velvet Underground's 'Rock n Roll'.
1975 – Stevie Wonder signed the recording industry’s largest contract to date - $13 million over a 7 year period with his current label Tamla/Motown.
1978 – The Rolling Stones went to No.1 for the 8th time in the USA with “Miss You”.
1983 – David Crosby was sentenced to 8 years in a Texas jail, on cocaine and weapons charges.
1986 - Culture Club keyboard player Michael Rudetsky was found dead at Boy George's London home in Hampstead.
1992 - Jeff Porcaro drummer from Toto died age 38. His death has been the subject of controversy: some say the attack was caused by an allergic reaction to garden pesticide, while others say Porcaro's heart was weakened by smoking and cocaine use. Porcaro also worked with many other acts including Sonny and Cher, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Steely Dan, Paul Simon and Boz Scaggs.
2000 – Police were called to Gary Glitter’s West London home when a crowd gathered outside and started to shout abuse at the former pop star, who was currently back in London to attend to business affairs before heading abroad again.
2003 - Dido started a four week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Life For Rent' the UK singers second No.1 album.
2005 - Bob Dylan's song 'Like a Rolling Stone' topped a poll of rock and film stars to find the music, movies, TV shows and books that changed the world. The 1965 single beat Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' into second place in a survey for Uncut magazine. Sir Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Robert Downey Jr, Rolling Stone Keith Richards and Lou Reed were among those who gave their opinions.
2009 – Most played song on NZ radio is “I Gotta Feeling” – Black Eyed Peas
2009 - A 53-year-old who claimed he was secretly engaged to Miley Cyrus was charged with trying to stalk the US singer. Mark McLeod was arrested after trying to contact the Hannah Montana actress on a film set near Savannah, Georgia. McLeod claimed he had met Cyrus 18 months earlier and that she had accepted his marriage proposal. He told police that Cyrus' father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, approved of their relationship and that Cyrus had sent him "secret messages" through her TV show.