TODAY IN HISTORY – July 22nd
1376 – According to legend, a Pied Piper rid the German town of Hamelin of its rats. When the townspeople refused to pay the piper for his deed, he mesmerized their children with his tunes. The children followed him out of town never to be seen again. Historians now say that the legend is based on events that took place in 1284 when young men left Hamelin to find work in other lands.
1939 – Born this day, English actor Terence Stamp, played ageing drag queen in “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” (1994). Turned down the role of “Alfie” in 1960’s and his flatmate Michael Caine was then offered the role and launched his career. Stamp had high profile romances with Jean Shrimpton, Bridget Bardot and Julie Christie during the “Swinging” 1960’s in London. The Kinks song “Waterloo Sunset” which features lines about “Terry and Julie” is thought to be about the romance between Stamp and Christie.
1944 – Born this day, Ric Davies, keyboards/singer, Supertramp.
1947 - Born on this day, Don Henley, singer, songwriter, and drummer with The Eagles, who had the 1977 US No.1 & UK No.8 single 'Hotel California', plus 5 US No.1 albums. The Eagles 'Greatest Hits 1971-1975' is the second biggest selling album in the world with sales over 30m. Henley had the 1985 solo US No.5 & UK No.12 single 'The Boys of Summer'.
1965 – Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Bill Wyman were each fined 5 pound at East Ham Magistrates Court, London after being found guilty of insulting behaviour at a Romford Road service station, where they had urinated against a wall.
1967 - Pink Floyd appeared at The Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen, Scotland. The venue is home to one of Scotland's finest dance floors - famous for its bounce - which floats on fixed steel springs. During the 1960s The Beatles, (in 1963), The Small Faces and Cream all appeared at the Beach.
1969 - Aretha Franklin was arrested for causing a disturbance in a Detroit parking lot. After posting 50-dollars bail, she ran down a road sign while leaving the police station.
1972 – Paul and Linda McCartney were arrested in Sweden for possession of drugs…again!
1979 – Little Richard, now known as the Reverend Richard Pennman told his congregation about the evils of rock and roll music, declaring, “If Gold can save on old homosexual like me, he can save anybody”.
1985 – Country singer Dolly Parton announced plans to open a 400 acre theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The name for this new amusement park – Dollywood.
1989 – Former actress, Martika started a two week run at No 1 on the US singles chart with “Toy Soldiers”.
1989 - The soundtrack album 'Batman' by Prince started a six-week run at No.1 on the US album chart.
1996 - Donovan was forced to postpone a comeback tour of the US because of a 30-year-old marijuana conviction in the UK. American authorities delayed granting him a waiver to enter the country.
1999 – Simple Minds closed their official fan club due to dwindling membership.
2006 - Johnny Cash was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘American V: A Hundred Highways.’ Released posthumously on July 4, the vocal parts were recorded before Cash's death, but the instruments were not recorded until 2005.
2009 – OJ looks up Rolling Stone magazine’s list of Top 100 singers after discovering that Don Henley (his birthday today) ranked number 87.
1. Aretha Franklin
2. Ray Charles
3. Elvis Presley
4. Sam Cooke
5. John Lennon
6. Marvin Gaye
7. Bob Dylan
8. Otis Redding
9. Stevie Wonder
10. James Brown
11. Paul McCartney
12. Little Richard
13. Roy Orbison
14. Al Green
15. Robert Plant
16. Mick Jagger
17. Tina Turner
18. Freddie Mercury
19. Bob Marley
20. Smokey Robinson
25. Michael Jackson
32. Bono
50. Bonnie Raitt
75. Iggy Pop
2013 - She had been a hot favourite from her first audition and has continued to wow audiences, so it didn't came as a huge surprise when Greymouth's Jackie Thomas took out the top spot in the first season of The X Factor New Zealand tonight.
1376 – According to legend, a Pied Piper rid the German town of Hamelin of its rats. When the townspeople refused to pay the piper for his deed, he mesmerized their children with his tunes. The children followed him out of town never to be seen again. Historians now say that the legend is based on events that took place in 1284 when young men left Hamelin to find work in other lands.
1939 – Born this day, English actor Terence Stamp, played ageing drag queen in “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” (1994). Turned down the role of “Alfie” in 1960’s and his flatmate Michael Caine was then offered the role and launched his career. Stamp had high profile romances with Jean Shrimpton, Bridget Bardot and Julie Christie during the “Swinging” 1960’s in London. The Kinks song “Waterloo Sunset” which features lines about “Terry and Julie” is thought to be about the romance between Stamp and Christie.
1944 – Born this day, Ric Davies, keyboards/singer, Supertramp.
1947 - Born on this day, Don Henley, singer, songwriter, and drummer with The Eagles, who had the 1977 US No.1 & UK No.8 single 'Hotel California', plus 5 US No.1 albums. The Eagles 'Greatest Hits 1971-1975' is the second biggest selling album in the world with sales over 30m. Henley had the 1985 solo US No.5 & UK No.12 single 'The Boys of Summer'.
1965 – Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Bill Wyman were each fined 5 pound at East Ham Magistrates Court, London after being found guilty of insulting behaviour at a Romford Road service station, where they had urinated against a wall.
1967 - Pink Floyd appeared at The Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen, Scotland. The venue is home to one of Scotland's finest dance floors - famous for its bounce - which floats on fixed steel springs. During the 1960s The Beatles, (in 1963), The Small Faces and Cream all appeared at the Beach.
1969 - Aretha Franklin was arrested for causing a disturbance in a Detroit parking lot. After posting 50-dollars bail, she ran down a road sign while leaving the police station.
1972 – Paul and Linda McCartney were arrested in Sweden for possession of drugs…again!
1979 – Little Richard, now known as the Reverend Richard Pennman told his congregation about the evils of rock and roll music, declaring, “If Gold can save on old homosexual like me, he can save anybody”.
1985 – Country singer Dolly Parton announced plans to open a 400 acre theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The name for this new amusement park – Dollywood.
1989 – Former actress, Martika started a two week run at No 1 on the US singles chart with “Toy Soldiers”.
1989 - The soundtrack album 'Batman' by Prince started a six-week run at No.1 on the US album chart.
1996 - Donovan was forced to postpone a comeback tour of the US because of a 30-year-old marijuana conviction in the UK. American authorities delayed granting him a waiver to enter the country.
1999 – Simple Minds closed their official fan club due to dwindling membership.
2006 - Johnny Cash was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘American V: A Hundred Highways.’ Released posthumously on July 4, the vocal parts were recorded before Cash's death, but the instruments were not recorded until 2005.
2009 – OJ looks up Rolling Stone magazine’s list of Top 100 singers after discovering that Don Henley (his birthday today) ranked number 87.
1. Aretha Franklin
2. Ray Charles
3. Elvis Presley
4. Sam Cooke
5. John Lennon
6. Marvin Gaye
7. Bob Dylan
8. Otis Redding
9. Stevie Wonder
10. James Brown
11. Paul McCartney
12. Little Richard
13. Roy Orbison
14. Al Green
15. Robert Plant
16. Mick Jagger
17. Tina Turner
18. Freddie Mercury
19. Bob Marley
20. Smokey Robinson
25. Michael Jackson
32. Bono
50. Bonnie Raitt
75. Iggy Pop
2013 - She had been a hot favourite from her first audition and has continued to wow audiences, so it didn't came as a huge surprise when Greymouth's Jackie Thomas took out the top spot in the first season of The X Factor New Zealand tonight.