TODAY IN HISTORY – FEBRUARY 9th
1941 - Born this day, Ben E. King, singer. Famous for his song “Stand by Me”
1942 - Born this day, Carole King [Klein], in Brooklyn, New York, US singer, songwriter, many with Gerry Goffin, 1962 UK No.3 and US No.22 single It Might As Well Rain Until September, 1970 US No.1 album Tapestry has sold over 15 million copies. Grammy award winner in 1971.
1951 - Born this day, Dennis Thomas, Kool & The Gang, 1981 US No.1 and UK No.7 single Celebration, 1984 UK No.2 single Joanna plus over 15 other top 40 hits.
1960 - Born this day, Holly Johnson, vocals, Big In Japan, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, 1984 UK No.1 and US No.10 single Relax, and solo, 1989 UK No.4 Love Train and 1989 UK No.1 album Blast.
1964 - The Beatles, televised live from New York, first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. More than 73 million people across the country tuned in that night, and it was reported that during the hour in which the show was aired, the country experienced the lowest crime rate, among teenagers, of the decade. Conservative groups were outraged by the rock and roll quartet. They performed 5 songs including their current No.1 I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You, plus All My Loving, Till There Was You, and I Saw Her Standing There.
1967 - Canadian conductor Percy Faith died aged 67. He scored the 1953 hit 'Song from the Moulin Rouge' and 1960 US No.1 'Theme From A Summer Place', nine weeks at No.1, which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1961.
1972 - Paul McCartney's new group, Wings, made its first public appearance. Nottingham University was Wings' first stop on its Britain Tour. The group arrived unannounced asking social secretaries if they would like them to perform that evening.
1974 - Seasons In The Sun, recorded by Canadian Terry Jacks and his wife Susan as The Poppy Family, entered the record pop charts on this date and remained on them for 15 weeks. The song was in the Number 1 spot for 3 weeks, and was later certified gold. Seasons In The Sun had originally been recorded by The Kingston Trio ten years earlier.
1980 - Marianne Faithfull lost her voice while singing on Saturday Night Live, leading to wide-spread speculation that she was back on drugs.
1981 - Died this day, Bill Haley (William John Clifton), rock 'n' roll singer, Bill Haley and the Comets. He spearheaded the Fifties rock revolution. He died in Harlington, Texas at the age of 55. Haley, with his Comets, recorded what became known as the anthem of rock and roll, Rock Around the Clock, from the movie, Blackboard Jungle. The song turned into a multimillion dollar hit and one of many hits Haley and the Comets had, including: Dim Dim the Lights, Razzle Dazzle, Crazy Man Crazy, Rock the Joint, See You Later Alligator and Shake Rattle & Roll. Bill Haley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Haley had sold over 60 million records during his career.
1982 - George Harrison presented UNICEF with a cheque for $9 million, 10 years after the fund raising concert for Bangladesh.
1985 - Madonna started a 3 week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Like A Virgin.
1985 - Elaine Page and Barbara Dickson were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Know Him So Well.' The song was taken from the musical Chess, written by Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson from Abba. It gave Benny and Bjorn their 10th No.1 as writers.
1987 - Peter Gabriel was voted Best British Male Artist at the UK Record Industry's BPI awards. Sledgehammer won as Best Video.
1991 - C & C Music Factory started a 2 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Gonna Make You Sweat. It became a No.3 hit in the UK.
1997 - Brian Connolly singer with the 1970's Glam rock group Sweet died of kidney and liver failure aged 51. Connolly replaced Ian Gillan (later of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath) in Wainwright's Gentlemen who became Sweetshop and then shortened to Sweet.
1998 - Brit Award winners included All Saints best single and video with 'Never Never', The Verve, best group and album with 'Urban Hymns', best male artist was Finley Quaye, best female was Shola Ama and Stereophonics won the best newcomers.
2001 - Don Felder filed suit against the Eagles after being ousted from the band.
2001 - Eminem beefed up security for his UK shows following the threat of gay rights protests. Campaigners said the rapper was a homophobe who fuelled prejudice with hate-filled lyrics.
2009 - Ringo Starr became the 2,401st person to be added to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame during a ceremony that marked the 50th anniversary of the attraction. The Beatles as a group were given a star in 1998.
2009 – Grammy for “Song of the Year” goes to Coldplay “Viva La Vida
2010 - The White Stripes were taking on the US Air Force, complaining that it used one of the group's songs 'Fell In Love With A Girl' in a TV advert without permission. In a statement on their website, the duo said they took "strong insult and objection, with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support."
2013 – Ringo Starr plays Vector Arena (Auckland).
1941 - Born this day, Ben E. King, singer. Famous for his song “Stand by Me”
1942 - Born this day, Carole King [Klein], in Brooklyn, New York, US singer, songwriter, many with Gerry Goffin, 1962 UK No.3 and US No.22 single It Might As Well Rain Until September, 1970 US No.1 album Tapestry has sold over 15 million copies. Grammy award winner in 1971.
1951 - Born this day, Dennis Thomas, Kool & The Gang, 1981 US No.1 and UK No.7 single Celebration, 1984 UK No.2 single Joanna plus over 15 other top 40 hits.
1960 - Born this day, Holly Johnson, vocals, Big In Japan, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, 1984 UK No.1 and US No.10 single Relax, and solo, 1989 UK No.4 Love Train and 1989 UK No.1 album Blast.
1964 - The Beatles, televised live from New York, first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. More than 73 million people across the country tuned in that night, and it was reported that during the hour in which the show was aired, the country experienced the lowest crime rate, among teenagers, of the decade. Conservative groups were outraged by the rock and roll quartet. They performed 5 songs including their current No.1 I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You, plus All My Loving, Till There Was You, and I Saw Her Standing There.
1967 - Canadian conductor Percy Faith died aged 67. He scored the 1953 hit 'Song from the Moulin Rouge' and 1960 US No.1 'Theme From A Summer Place', nine weeks at No.1, which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1961.
1972 - Paul McCartney's new group, Wings, made its first public appearance. Nottingham University was Wings' first stop on its Britain Tour. The group arrived unannounced asking social secretaries if they would like them to perform that evening.
1974 - Seasons In The Sun, recorded by Canadian Terry Jacks and his wife Susan as The Poppy Family, entered the record pop charts on this date and remained on them for 15 weeks. The song was in the Number 1 spot for 3 weeks, and was later certified gold. Seasons In The Sun had originally been recorded by The Kingston Trio ten years earlier.
1980 - Marianne Faithfull lost her voice while singing on Saturday Night Live, leading to wide-spread speculation that she was back on drugs.
1981 - Died this day, Bill Haley (William John Clifton), rock 'n' roll singer, Bill Haley and the Comets. He spearheaded the Fifties rock revolution. He died in Harlington, Texas at the age of 55. Haley, with his Comets, recorded what became known as the anthem of rock and roll, Rock Around the Clock, from the movie, Blackboard Jungle. The song turned into a multimillion dollar hit and one of many hits Haley and the Comets had, including: Dim Dim the Lights, Razzle Dazzle, Crazy Man Crazy, Rock the Joint, See You Later Alligator and Shake Rattle & Roll. Bill Haley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Haley had sold over 60 million records during his career.
1982 - George Harrison presented UNICEF with a cheque for $9 million, 10 years after the fund raising concert for Bangladesh.
1985 - Madonna started a 3 week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Like A Virgin.
1985 - Elaine Page and Barbara Dickson were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Know Him So Well.' The song was taken from the musical Chess, written by Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson from Abba. It gave Benny and Bjorn their 10th No.1 as writers.
1987 - Peter Gabriel was voted Best British Male Artist at the UK Record Industry's BPI awards. Sledgehammer won as Best Video.
1991 - C & C Music Factory started a 2 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Gonna Make You Sweat. It became a No.3 hit in the UK.
1997 - Brian Connolly singer with the 1970's Glam rock group Sweet died of kidney and liver failure aged 51. Connolly replaced Ian Gillan (later of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath) in Wainwright's Gentlemen who became Sweetshop and then shortened to Sweet.
1998 - Brit Award winners included All Saints best single and video with 'Never Never', The Verve, best group and album with 'Urban Hymns', best male artist was Finley Quaye, best female was Shola Ama and Stereophonics won the best newcomers.
2001 - Don Felder filed suit against the Eagles after being ousted from the band.
2001 - Eminem beefed up security for his UK shows following the threat of gay rights protests. Campaigners said the rapper was a homophobe who fuelled prejudice with hate-filled lyrics.
2009 - Ringo Starr became the 2,401st person to be added to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame during a ceremony that marked the 50th anniversary of the attraction. The Beatles as a group were given a star in 1998.
2009 – Grammy for “Song of the Year” goes to Coldplay “Viva La Vida
2010 - The White Stripes were taking on the US Air Force, complaining that it used one of the group's songs 'Fell In Love With A Girl' in a TV advert without permission. In a statement on their website, the duo said they took "strong insult and objection, with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support."
2013 – Ringo Starr plays Vector Arena (Auckland).