TODAY IN HISTORY – FEBRUARY 7th
1949 - Born this day, Alan Lancaster, bass, Status Quo, left in 1984, 1977 UK No.3 single Rockin' All Over The World, plus 50 other UK top 75 singles since 1968.
1959 - The funeral of Buddy Holly took place at The Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas. A thousand people showed up. His tombstone reads "Holley", the correct spelling of his given surname and includes pictures of a guitar.
1962 - Born this day, Garth Brooks, US country singer, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1991 US No.1 album Ropin’ The Wind spent 70 weeks on the US chart. 1994 UK No.13 single The Red Strokes, biggest selling artist of the 1990s with over 60 million sales. Before he became the reigning male artist in country music, Garth Brooks worked as a sporting goods employee and as a manager of a cowboy-boot store.
1962 - Born this day, David Bryan, keyboards, Bon Jovi, 1987 US No.1 and UK No.4 single Livin' On A Prayer.
1964 - The Beatles were mobbed by 5,000 fans at Kennedy airport in New York when Pan-Am flight PA101 landed bringing them for their first US tour, beginning 15 weeks of chart domination. To commemorate the event, Baskin-Robbins introduced a new flavour: Beatlenut. Fans surrounded the Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles were staying.
1967 - Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees returned to the UK after living in Australia for nine years.
1969 - George Harrison entered hospital to have his tonsils removed. (Removed the next day).
1969 - Tom Jones premiered on ABC-TV after the network acquired the rights to the singing sensation’s popular United Kingdom show. The network paid a British production company an estimated $20 million for those rights.
1969 - The Who recorded 'Pinball Wizard' at Morgan Studio's, London, England. The song is one of the band's most famous live songs, being played at almost every Who concert since its debut live performance on 2 May 1969. The track which featured on their 1969 rock opera album Tommy was released as a single in 1969 and reached No. 4 in the UK charts and No. 19 in the US.
1969 - Doors singer Jim Morrison was arrested for drunk driving and driving with no license in Los Angeles, California.
1970 - Led Zeppelin scored their first UK No.1 album with Led Zeppelin II. Featuring the US single Whole Lotta Love, it went on to stay on the chart for 138 weeks and sold over 6 million copies in the US.
1970 - One hit wonders Shocking Blue went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Venus, making them the first Dutch act to top the US charts. It made No.8 in the UK. Bananarama took the song to No.8 on the UK chart in 1986.
1974 - Born this day, Danny Goffey, drums, Supergrass, 1995 UK No.2 single Alright.
1975 - Born this day, Wes Borland, guitar, Limp Bizkit, 2001 UK No.1 single Rollin' and US and UK No.1 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water.
1976 - Bob Dylan started a five week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Desire, his second US No.1 album.
1976 - Paul Simon started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, it was the singer's first solo US No.1.
1979 - Stephen Stills became the first rock performer to record on digital equipment in Los Angeles' Record Plant Studio.
1980 - The first Japanese Walkman - then called a Stowaway - went on sale.
1981 - Kool & The Gang started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Celebration, the groups first No.1 and 8th top 40 hit. It was a No.7 hit in the UK.
1981 - Woman by John Lennon started a two week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart. It was Lennon's third No.1 in seven weeks after his death on December 8, 1980.
1985 - Matt Monro, 60's UK ballad singer died from liver cancer at the Cromwell Hospital, Ealing, London. 1964 UK No.4 & US No.23 single 'Walk Away' plus 10 other UK Top 40 hits including the 1965 hit with his version of The Beatles' 'Yesterday'.
1987 - George Michael and Aretha Franklin were at No.1 in the UK with the single I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), a song written by Simon Climie.
1994 - Blind Melon's lead singer Shannon Hoon was forced to leave the American Music Awards ceremony for his loud and disruptive behaviour. Hoon was later charged with battery, assault, resisting arrest, and destroying a police station phone.
1999 - Blondie went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Maria, giving the group their 6th UK No.1 single, 20 years after their first.
2003 - Courtney Love arrived at a benefit concert at London's Old Vic Theatre dressed as Donald Duck. Courtney joined Elton John on stage for a version of 'The Bitch Is Back'.
2004 - Queen's single 'We Will Rock You' topped a poll of music fans to find the greatest rock anthem of all time. The 1977 song beat the band's classic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' into second place in a survey of 1,000 people carried out for the UCI cinema chain. The poll was carried out to mark the release of new Jack Black comedy 'School of Rock.'
2005 - Michael Jackson's Thriller was named the top pop video in a poll of Channel 4 viewers in the UK. The 1983 video, which depicts the singer as a werewolf and a zombie, beat videos by Madonna and Robbie Williams. Animated videos for Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer and A-Ha's Take On Me were in second and third place respectively. 4th was Queen with Bohemian Rhapsody, 5th, Madonna Like a Prayer, 6th, Robbie Williams, Rock DJ, 7th, Michael Jackson, Billie Jean, 8th, The Verve, Bittersweet Symphony, 9th, Madonna Vogue and 10th Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit.
2008 – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – the Indian mystic who taught meditation to the West, died in his dutch home overnight aged 91. The guru was most famous for attracting the Beatles his Indian headquarters in 1968 and many of the songs on “The White Album” refer to their experiences there. The Beatles were somewhat taken in by the Mahareshi and ended up feeling rather conned. Several biographies describe an irritated John Lennon when asked by the Maharishi why he was leaving India as saying. “If you’re so bloody enlightened, you should already know”.
2008 - Amy Winehouse was told she could not perform at this year's Grammy awards ceremony because her US visa application has been rejected by the embassy in London. The singer was arrested for marijuana possession in Norway last year. Winehouse has been nominated for six Grammy awards ahead of the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday.
1949 - Born this day, Alan Lancaster, bass, Status Quo, left in 1984, 1977 UK No.3 single Rockin' All Over The World, plus 50 other UK top 75 singles since 1968.
1959 - The funeral of Buddy Holly took place at The Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas. A thousand people showed up. His tombstone reads "Holley", the correct spelling of his given surname and includes pictures of a guitar.
1962 - Born this day, Garth Brooks, US country singer, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1991 US No.1 album Ropin’ The Wind spent 70 weeks on the US chart. 1994 UK No.13 single The Red Strokes, biggest selling artist of the 1990s with over 60 million sales. Before he became the reigning male artist in country music, Garth Brooks worked as a sporting goods employee and as a manager of a cowboy-boot store.
1962 - Born this day, David Bryan, keyboards, Bon Jovi, 1987 US No.1 and UK No.4 single Livin' On A Prayer.
1964 - The Beatles were mobbed by 5,000 fans at Kennedy airport in New York when Pan-Am flight PA101 landed bringing them for their first US tour, beginning 15 weeks of chart domination. To commemorate the event, Baskin-Robbins introduced a new flavour: Beatlenut. Fans surrounded the Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles were staying.
1967 - Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees returned to the UK after living in Australia for nine years.
1969 - George Harrison entered hospital to have his tonsils removed. (Removed the next day).
1969 - Tom Jones premiered on ABC-TV after the network acquired the rights to the singing sensation’s popular United Kingdom show. The network paid a British production company an estimated $20 million for those rights.
1969 - The Who recorded 'Pinball Wizard' at Morgan Studio's, London, England. The song is one of the band's most famous live songs, being played at almost every Who concert since its debut live performance on 2 May 1969. The track which featured on their 1969 rock opera album Tommy was released as a single in 1969 and reached No. 4 in the UK charts and No. 19 in the US.
1969 - Doors singer Jim Morrison was arrested for drunk driving and driving with no license in Los Angeles, California.
1970 - Led Zeppelin scored their first UK No.1 album with Led Zeppelin II. Featuring the US single Whole Lotta Love, it went on to stay on the chart for 138 weeks and sold over 6 million copies in the US.
1970 - One hit wonders Shocking Blue went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Venus, making them the first Dutch act to top the US charts. It made No.8 in the UK. Bananarama took the song to No.8 on the UK chart in 1986.
1974 - Born this day, Danny Goffey, drums, Supergrass, 1995 UK No.2 single Alright.
1975 - Born this day, Wes Borland, guitar, Limp Bizkit, 2001 UK No.1 single Rollin' and US and UK No.1 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water.
1976 - Bob Dylan started a five week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Desire, his second US No.1 album.
1976 - Paul Simon started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, it was the singer's first solo US No.1.
1979 - Stephen Stills became the first rock performer to record on digital equipment in Los Angeles' Record Plant Studio.
1980 - The first Japanese Walkman - then called a Stowaway - went on sale.
1981 - Kool & The Gang started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Celebration, the groups first No.1 and 8th top 40 hit. It was a No.7 hit in the UK.
1981 - Woman by John Lennon started a two week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart. It was Lennon's third No.1 in seven weeks after his death on December 8, 1980.
1985 - Matt Monro, 60's UK ballad singer died from liver cancer at the Cromwell Hospital, Ealing, London. 1964 UK No.4 & US No.23 single 'Walk Away' plus 10 other UK Top 40 hits including the 1965 hit with his version of The Beatles' 'Yesterday'.
1987 - George Michael and Aretha Franklin were at No.1 in the UK with the single I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), a song written by Simon Climie.
1994 - Blind Melon's lead singer Shannon Hoon was forced to leave the American Music Awards ceremony for his loud and disruptive behaviour. Hoon was later charged with battery, assault, resisting arrest, and destroying a police station phone.
1999 - Blondie went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Maria, giving the group their 6th UK No.1 single, 20 years after their first.
2003 - Courtney Love arrived at a benefit concert at London's Old Vic Theatre dressed as Donald Duck. Courtney joined Elton John on stage for a version of 'The Bitch Is Back'.
2004 - Queen's single 'We Will Rock You' topped a poll of music fans to find the greatest rock anthem of all time. The 1977 song beat the band's classic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' into second place in a survey of 1,000 people carried out for the UCI cinema chain. The poll was carried out to mark the release of new Jack Black comedy 'School of Rock.'
2005 - Michael Jackson's Thriller was named the top pop video in a poll of Channel 4 viewers in the UK. The 1983 video, which depicts the singer as a werewolf and a zombie, beat videos by Madonna and Robbie Williams. Animated videos for Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer and A-Ha's Take On Me were in second and third place respectively. 4th was Queen with Bohemian Rhapsody, 5th, Madonna Like a Prayer, 6th, Robbie Williams, Rock DJ, 7th, Michael Jackson, Billie Jean, 8th, The Verve, Bittersweet Symphony, 9th, Madonna Vogue and 10th Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit.
2008 – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – the Indian mystic who taught meditation to the West, died in his dutch home overnight aged 91. The guru was most famous for attracting the Beatles his Indian headquarters in 1968 and many of the songs on “The White Album” refer to their experiences there. The Beatles were somewhat taken in by the Mahareshi and ended up feeling rather conned. Several biographies describe an irritated John Lennon when asked by the Maharishi why he was leaving India as saying. “If you’re so bloody enlightened, you should already know”.
2008 - Amy Winehouse was told she could not perform at this year's Grammy awards ceremony because her US visa application has been rejected by the embassy in London. The singer was arrested for marijuana possession in Norway last year. Winehouse has been nominated for six Grammy awards ahead of the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday.