TODAY IN HISTORY - February 12th
1935 - Born this day, Ray Manzarek, keyboards, The Doors, 1967 US No.1 and UK No.9 single Light My Fire and 1971 single Riders On The Storm.
1950 - Born this day, Steve Hackett, guitar, 1974 UK No.21 single I Know What I Like In Your Wardrobe, quit Genesis in 1977 for solo work.
1952 - Born on this day, Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter Michael McDonald, who with The Doobie Brothers had the 1979 US No.1 single 'What A Fool Believes', and the 1993 UK No.7 single 'Long Train Runnin'. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan.
1959 - Born this day, Per Gessle, Roxette, 1990 US No.1 and UK No.3 single It Must Of Been Love.
1961 - The Miracles' 'Shop Around' became Motown Record's first million-selling single. It was also the label's first #1 hit on Billboard's R&B singles chart. In the following ten years, The Miracles would have six more million sellers.
1964 - The Beatles played New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall, a first for a pop group and a significant step in the Fab Four's reach for mass acceptance.
1965 - Pye Records announced that they'd signed 'the British Bob Dylan', when they added Donovan to the label. The Scottish singer-songwriter produced a series of hit albums and singles between 1965 and 1970 and became a friend of leading pop musicians including Joan Baez, Brian Jones, and The Beatles. He influenced John Lennon when he taught him a finger-picking guitar style in 1968.
1967 - 15 police officers invaded and raided 'Redlands' the English country home of Keith Richards. One of the most famous raids of the decade. At the party being held, Marianne Faithfull was found naked in a fur rug, and she, Keith, and Mick Jagger were later among those charged with drug possession.
1968 - Born this day, Chynna Phillips, in Los Angeles, California, Wilson Phillips, 1990 US No.1 and UK No.6 single Hold On, daughter of Michelle Gilliam, Mamas And The Papas.
1968 - Jimi Hendrix was given an honorary high school diploma and the key to his hometown of Seattle.
1969 - '(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice' by Amen Corner was at No.1 on the UK singles chart, the group's only UK No.1. The song was first offered to The Tremeloes as a potential single, who rejected it.
1970 - John Lennon performed Instant Karma, on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops, becoming the first Beatle to have appeared on the show since 1966.
1970 - Born this day, Jim Creeggan, bass, Barenaked Ladies, 1998 US No.1 and UK No.5 single One Week.
1972 - Al Green went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Let's Stay Together, his only US chart topper. Tina Turner took the song to No.26 in 1984.
1977 - Julie Covington was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Don't Cry For Me Argentina, taken from the Evita musical, (Covington had been in the 1977 TV series based on an all female group Rock Follies).
1977 - The Police recorded their first single, Fall Out for £150 at Pathway Studios, London.
1977 - Blondie, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and the Ramones all appeared at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, California.
1977 - Pink Floyd released their tenth studio album Animals in the US, where it reached No.3 in the charts. The album's cover image, a pig floating between two chimneys on Battersea Power Station, was conceived by bassist Roger Waters and realised by long-time design and photographic collaborators Hipgnosis.
1989 - Aretha Franklin lost a court case against Broadway producer Ashton Springer, who sued for $1 million (£0.58 million) when Aretha failed to turn up for rehearsals for the stage show Sing Mahalia Sing, blaming her fear of flying on the non appearance.
1994 - Celine Dion started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with The Power Of Love, the singers first US No.1, and a No.4 hit in the UK.
1997 - David Bowie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2000 - US blues singer Screamin' Jay Hawkins died aged 70. A Golden Gloves boxing champion at 16, he was married nine times, spent two years in jail, was temporary blinded by one of his flaming props on stage in 1976. He recorded 'I Put A Spell On You' in 1956, covered by CCR, The Animals and Nina Simone.
2003 - Former Doors drummer John Densmore took out legal action against The Doors keyboard player Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger for breach of contract, trademark infringement and unfair competition. The band had reformed with ex-Cult singer Ian Astbury and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Densmore said "It shouldn't be called The Doors if it's someone other than Jim Morrison singing."
2005 - The Class 47 locomotive 47828 was named after Clash frontman Joe Strummer at a ceremony in Bristol. The diesel train, owned by Cotswold Rail, was named after the singer/guitarist who died, aged 50, in 2002.
2006 - Meck feat Leo Sayer was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Thunder In My Heart (Again)'. DJ Meck's remix of Leo Sayer's September 1977 hit which only reached No. 22.
2008 – At the 50th Grammy Awards Amy Winehouse scooped 5 major awards including Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Rehab” and Best New Artist. She was denied a visa to the US so had to accept her awards via satellite. Kanye West picked up 4 awards and even Bruce Springsteen picked up a couple. The coveted “Album of the Year” went to jazz legend Herbie Hancock.
2008 – Best comedy album at the Grammy Awards went to Wellington Duo “Flight of the Conchords” .
2008 - Ronald Isley's appeal against a three-year jail term for tax fraud was rejected by a US court. The 65-year-old singer of the Isley Brothers argued against being imprisoned in an Indiana jail on the grounds of age and poor health. The court heard he cashed royalty cheques belonging to his brother O'Kelly, who died in 1996 and spent millions of dollars made from undeclared performances on a yacht and two homes. Isley was ordered to pay more than $3.1m (£1.62m) to the US tax service for "pathological" evasion.
2009 - A full frontal nude photo of Madonna, taken in 1979 before she became famous, sold at auction for $37,500. The black and white picture was taken at a time when Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was a 20-year-old dancer trying to make ends meet in New York.
1935 - Born this day, Ray Manzarek, keyboards, The Doors, 1967 US No.1 and UK No.9 single Light My Fire and 1971 single Riders On The Storm.
1950 - Born this day, Steve Hackett, guitar, 1974 UK No.21 single I Know What I Like In Your Wardrobe, quit Genesis in 1977 for solo work.
1952 - Born on this day, Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter Michael McDonald, who with The Doobie Brothers had the 1979 US No.1 single 'What A Fool Believes', and the 1993 UK No.7 single 'Long Train Runnin'. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan.
1959 - Born this day, Per Gessle, Roxette, 1990 US No.1 and UK No.3 single It Must Of Been Love.
1961 - The Miracles' 'Shop Around' became Motown Record's first million-selling single. It was also the label's first #1 hit on Billboard's R&B singles chart. In the following ten years, The Miracles would have six more million sellers.
1964 - The Beatles played New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall, a first for a pop group and a significant step in the Fab Four's reach for mass acceptance.
1965 - Pye Records announced that they'd signed 'the British Bob Dylan', when they added Donovan to the label. The Scottish singer-songwriter produced a series of hit albums and singles between 1965 and 1970 and became a friend of leading pop musicians including Joan Baez, Brian Jones, and The Beatles. He influenced John Lennon when he taught him a finger-picking guitar style in 1968.
1967 - 15 police officers invaded and raided 'Redlands' the English country home of Keith Richards. One of the most famous raids of the decade. At the party being held, Marianne Faithfull was found naked in a fur rug, and she, Keith, and Mick Jagger were later among those charged with drug possession.
1968 - Born this day, Chynna Phillips, in Los Angeles, California, Wilson Phillips, 1990 US No.1 and UK No.6 single Hold On, daughter of Michelle Gilliam, Mamas And The Papas.
1968 - Jimi Hendrix was given an honorary high school diploma and the key to his hometown of Seattle.
1969 - '(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice' by Amen Corner was at No.1 on the UK singles chart, the group's only UK No.1. The song was first offered to The Tremeloes as a potential single, who rejected it.
1970 - John Lennon performed Instant Karma, on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops, becoming the first Beatle to have appeared on the show since 1966.
1970 - Born this day, Jim Creeggan, bass, Barenaked Ladies, 1998 US No.1 and UK No.5 single One Week.
1972 - Al Green went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Let's Stay Together, his only US chart topper. Tina Turner took the song to No.26 in 1984.
1977 - Julie Covington was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Don't Cry For Me Argentina, taken from the Evita musical, (Covington had been in the 1977 TV series based on an all female group Rock Follies).
1977 - The Police recorded their first single, Fall Out for £150 at Pathway Studios, London.
1977 - Blondie, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and the Ramones all appeared at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, California.
1977 - Pink Floyd released their tenth studio album Animals in the US, where it reached No.3 in the charts. The album's cover image, a pig floating between two chimneys on Battersea Power Station, was conceived by bassist Roger Waters and realised by long-time design and photographic collaborators Hipgnosis.
1989 - Aretha Franklin lost a court case against Broadway producer Ashton Springer, who sued for $1 million (£0.58 million) when Aretha failed to turn up for rehearsals for the stage show Sing Mahalia Sing, blaming her fear of flying on the non appearance.
1994 - Celine Dion started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with The Power Of Love, the singers first US No.1, and a No.4 hit in the UK.
1997 - David Bowie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2000 - US blues singer Screamin' Jay Hawkins died aged 70. A Golden Gloves boxing champion at 16, he was married nine times, spent two years in jail, was temporary blinded by one of his flaming props on stage in 1976. He recorded 'I Put A Spell On You' in 1956, covered by CCR, The Animals and Nina Simone.
2003 - Former Doors drummer John Densmore took out legal action against The Doors keyboard player Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger for breach of contract, trademark infringement and unfair competition. The band had reformed with ex-Cult singer Ian Astbury and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Densmore said "It shouldn't be called The Doors if it's someone other than Jim Morrison singing."
2005 - The Class 47 locomotive 47828 was named after Clash frontman Joe Strummer at a ceremony in Bristol. The diesel train, owned by Cotswold Rail, was named after the singer/guitarist who died, aged 50, in 2002.
2006 - Meck feat Leo Sayer was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Thunder In My Heart (Again)'. DJ Meck's remix of Leo Sayer's September 1977 hit which only reached No. 22.
2008 – At the 50th Grammy Awards Amy Winehouse scooped 5 major awards including Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Rehab” and Best New Artist. She was denied a visa to the US so had to accept her awards via satellite. Kanye West picked up 4 awards and even Bruce Springsteen picked up a couple. The coveted “Album of the Year” went to jazz legend Herbie Hancock.
2008 – Best comedy album at the Grammy Awards went to Wellington Duo “Flight of the Conchords” .
2008 - Ronald Isley's appeal against a three-year jail term for tax fraud was rejected by a US court. The 65-year-old singer of the Isley Brothers argued against being imprisoned in an Indiana jail on the grounds of age and poor health. The court heard he cashed royalty cheques belonging to his brother O'Kelly, who died in 1996 and spent millions of dollars made from undeclared performances on a yacht and two homes. Isley was ordered to pay more than $3.1m (£1.62m) to the US tax service for "pathological" evasion.
2009 - A full frontal nude photo of Madonna, taken in 1979 before she became famous, sold at auction for $37,500. The black and white picture was taken at a time when Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was a 20-year-old dancer trying to make ends meet in New York.