TODAY IN HISTORY - DECEMBER 31st
1942 - Born on this day, Andy Summers, guitarist, Police, (1983 UK & US No.1 single 'Every Breath You Take', plus 4 other UK No.1 singles).
1943 - Born on this day, Henry John Deutschendorf, (John Denver), singer, songwriter. 1974 UK & US No.1 single 'Annie's Song'. Killed in a plane crash on 12th October 1997.
1947 - Born on this day, Burton Cummings, Guess Who & solo, (1970 US No.1 & UK No.19 single 'American Woman').
1948 - Born on this day, US singer Donna Summer, (1977 UK No.1 single 'I Feel Love' 1979 US No.1 & UK No.11 single 'Hot Stuff, over 25 other top 40 hits). Summer died on May 17, 2012, at her home in Naples, Florida at the age of 63. She was diagnosed with lung cancer not related to smoking.
1951 - Born on this day, Tom Hamilton, bass, Aerosmith, (1989 UK No.13 single 'Love In An Elevator', 1989 album 'Pump' spent 53 weeks on the US charts, 1993 US No.1 & UK No.2 album 'Get A Grip', 1998 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing').
1961 - The Beach Boys made their live debut using their new name when they appeared at Long Beach Civic Auditorium, California.
1963 - The Kinks made their live debut when they played at the Lotus House Restaurant, London. Now recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era, brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies remained members throughout the group's 32-year run.
1966 - The Monkees started a 7-week run at No.1 on the US singles charts with the Neil Diamond song 'I'm A Believer'. Also No.1 in the UK in 1967.
1970 - Paul McCartney filed a suit against the rest of The Beatles to dissolve their partnership.
1973 - Australian band AC/DC made their live debut when they appeared at Chequers Bar in Sydney.
1977 - Born on this day, South Korean singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, record producer and television personality, PSY, (born Park Jae-sang), who had the 2012 internationally hit single 'Gangnam Style.'
1979 - David Bowie performed an acoustic version of 'Space Oddity' on the UK TV 'Kenny Everett New Year's Show'.
1982 - Guitarist with The E Street Band, Miami Steve Van Zandt married Maureen Santora in New Jersey. Best man was Bruce Springsteen.
1984 - Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, crashed his Corvette Stingray, on the A57 outside Sheffield, Allen lost his left arm in the accident. Allen was on his way to a New Year's Eve party at his family's home when a Jaguar passed him. The driver had been egging Allen on and would not allow him to pass. In his rage to pass this driver, he did not see a turn up ahead and lost control of his car. He was thrown from the car, with his left arm severed due to the seatbelt not being properly fastened.
1985 - Ricky Nelson was killed along with six others, when his charted light aircraft crashed in Texas. It's rumoured that freebasing cocaine caused an onboard explosion. Nelson had played himself on his parent's US TV The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet.' (1958 US No.1 'Poor Little Fool', 1961 UK No.2 single 'Hello Mary Lou' plus over 30 US Top 40 hit singles).
1991 - Ted Nugent donated 200 pounds of venison to a Salvation Army soup kitchen in Detroit with the message 'I kill it, you grill it'.
1996 - Paul McCartney became a Sir after he was listed in the Queens New Year's Honours List.
2003 - Australian singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia married Silverchair singer Daniel Johns.
1999 - The Manic Street Preachers performed to 57,000 fans at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. The Guinness Book of Records confirmed that the concert set a new record as the biggest indoor show ever staged in Europe, tickets £30.
2000 - Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson married actress Kate Hudson the daughter of actress Goldie Hawn. The couple separated in 2006.
2005 - According to official figures singer-songwriter James Blunt's 'Back To Bedlam' was the biggest selling UK album of 2005. The former soldier, who was virtually unknown this time last year, outsold Coldplay's album 'X&Y' which finished second and Robbie Williams came in third place with ‘Intensive Care’ album.
2005 - The John Lennon song Imagine was voted the nations favourite song a quarter of a century after his death. A UK radio station conducted the poll of 7,000 listeners. The Beatles were voted into second and third place with 'Hey Jude' and 'Let It Be.'
2006 - George Michael was paid a reported £1.5m for an hour's concert at a Russian billionaire's New Year party. The unnamed businessman paid for Michael to entertain his 300 guests on his private estate 20 miles outside Moscow. Michael had just finished the British leg of his Twentyfive tour which included a free concert for nurses in London.
2009 - Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi from Status Quo were both appointed OBEs for services to music and charity.
2010 – The most played song on NZ radio this past week is “Raise Your Glass” by Pink and the most played song on NZ radio for the year is “Black Box” by Stan Walker.
1942 - Born on this day, Andy Summers, guitarist, Police, (1983 UK & US No.1 single 'Every Breath You Take', plus 4 other UK No.1 singles).
1943 - Born on this day, Henry John Deutschendorf, (John Denver), singer, songwriter. 1974 UK & US No.1 single 'Annie's Song'. Killed in a plane crash on 12th October 1997.
1947 - Born on this day, Burton Cummings, Guess Who & solo, (1970 US No.1 & UK No.19 single 'American Woman').
1948 - Born on this day, US singer Donna Summer, (1977 UK No.1 single 'I Feel Love' 1979 US No.1 & UK No.11 single 'Hot Stuff, over 25 other top 40 hits). Summer died on May 17, 2012, at her home in Naples, Florida at the age of 63. She was diagnosed with lung cancer not related to smoking.
1951 - Born on this day, Tom Hamilton, bass, Aerosmith, (1989 UK No.13 single 'Love In An Elevator', 1989 album 'Pump' spent 53 weeks on the US charts, 1993 US No.1 & UK No.2 album 'Get A Grip', 1998 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing').
1961 - The Beach Boys made their live debut using their new name when they appeared at Long Beach Civic Auditorium, California.
1963 - The Kinks made their live debut when they played at the Lotus House Restaurant, London. Now recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era, brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies remained members throughout the group's 32-year run.
1966 - The Monkees started a 7-week run at No.1 on the US singles charts with the Neil Diamond song 'I'm A Believer'. Also No.1 in the UK in 1967.
1970 - Paul McCartney filed a suit against the rest of The Beatles to dissolve their partnership.
1973 - Australian band AC/DC made their live debut when they appeared at Chequers Bar in Sydney.
1977 - Born on this day, South Korean singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, record producer and television personality, PSY, (born Park Jae-sang), who had the 2012 internationally hit single 'Gangnam Style.'
1979 - David Bowie performed an acoustic version of 'Space Oddity' on the UK TV 'Kenny Everett New Year's Show'.
1982 - Guitarist with The E Street Band, Miami Steve Van Zandt married Maureen Santora in New Jersey. Best man was Bruce Springsteen.
1984 - Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, crashed his Corvette Stingray, on the A57 outside Sheffield, Allen lost his left arm in the accident. Allen was on his way to a New Year's Eve party at his family's home when a Jaguar passed him. The driver had been egging Allen on and would not allow him to pass. In his rage to pass this driver, he did not see a turn up ahead and lost control of his car. He was thrown from the car, with his left arm severed due to the seatbelt not being properly fastened.
1985 - Ricky Nelson was killed along with six others, when his charted light aircraft crashed in Texas. It's rumoured that freebasing cocaine caused an onboard explosion. Nelson had played himself on his parent's US TV The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet.' (1958 US No.1 'Poor Little Fool', 1961 UK No.2 single 'Hello Mary Lou' plus over 30 US Top 40 hit singles).
1991 - Ted Nugent donated 200 pounds of venison to a Salvation Army soup kitchen in Detroit with the message 'I kill it, you grill it'.
1996 - Paul McCartney became a Sir after he was listed in the Queens New Year's Honours List.
2003 - Australian singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia married Silverchair singer Daniel Johns.
1999 - The Manic Street Preachers performed to 57,000 fans at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. The Guinness Book of Records confirmed that the concert set a new record as the biggest indoor show ever staged in Europe, tickets £30.
2000 - Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson married actress Kate Hudson the daughter of actress Goldie Hawn. The couple separated in 2006.
2005 - According to official figures singer-songwriter James Blunt's 'Back To Bedlam' was the biggest selling UK album of 2005. The former soldier, who was virtually unknown this time last year, outsold Coldplay's album 'X&Y' which finished second and Robbie Williams came in third place with ‘Intensive Care’ album.
2005 - The John Lennon song Imagine was voted the nations favourite song a quarter of a century after his death. A UK radio station conducted the poll of 7,000 listeners. The Beatles were voted into second and third place with 'Hey Jude' and 'Let It Be.'
2006 - George Michael was paid a reported £1.5m for an hour's concert at a Russian billionaire's New Year party. The unnamed businessman paid for Michael to entertain his 300 guests on his private estate 20 miles outside Moscow. Michael had just finished the British leg of his Twentyfive tour which included a free concert for nurses in London.
2009 - Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi from Status Quo were both appointed OBEs for services to music and charity.
2010 – The most played song on NZ radio this past week is “Raise Your Glass” by Pink and the most played song on NZ radio for the year is “Black Box” by Stan Walker.