TODAY IN HISTORY – 17th June
1917 – Dean Martin (Dino Paul Crocetti) was born in Ohio, USA. Famous comedian, singer and actor. Part of the famous “Rat Pack”. Hits included “That’s Amore” and “Everybody loves somebody sometime”. Died 1995.
1943 – Born this day, Barry Alan Pincus, in New York. Better known as “Barry Manilow”. Early in his career wrote commercial jingles for KFC, Pepsi, McDonalds and Band Aids. He even recorded a medley of his commercial jingles titled “A Very Strange Medley”.
1947 – Born this day, Paul Young. Vocalist for Mike and the Mechanics, sung lead vocal on “Living Years”. Died 15 July 2000.
1954 - Guitarist Danny Cedrone died following a freak accident; 10 days after he had recorded the lead guitar break on ‘Rock Around The Clock’ with Bill Haley and His Comets. Session player Cedrone was paid $21 for his work on the session, as at that time Haley chose not to hire a full-time guitarist for his group. He died of a broken neck after falling down a staircase.
1959 – A London court awarded popular pianist Liberace $22, 400 in libel damages in a suit against The London Daily Mirror for implying in an editorial that the flamboyant entertainer was a homosexual. (He died of Aids in 1987 but claimed right to the end he was not homosexual). Once claimed to be “A one man Disneyland”.
1965 – Elvis was #1 in the UK with “Crying in the Chapel”.
1971 - Carole King went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Tapestry’ for the first of 15 consecutive weeks. The album contained ‘It's Too Late’, ‘I Feel the Earth Move’, ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’’ and ‘You've Got a Friend’.
1972 – Don McLean had his first UK #1 single with “Vincent” a song written about the 19th century artist Van Gogh. The song is played daily at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
1973 - Dolly Parton recorded 'I Will Always Love You' in RCA's Studio "B" in Nashville. Written for her one-time partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner (the two were splitting professionally at the time). The song was later a world-wide hit for Whitney Houston.
1978 – “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb reached #1 on the US singles chart for the first of 7 weeks. He had 2 other #1 songs “I just wanna be your everything” and “Love is (thicker than water)”.
1978 – From the film Grease, “You’re the one that I want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John started a 9 week stay at #1 on the UK singles chart.
1979 - Anita Ward was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Ring My Bell'. The only hit for the gospel singer from Memphis, making her a One-hit Wonder.
1987 – Model Kelly Emberg gave birth to Rod Stewart’s daughter Ruby.
1987 - Florida real estate agent Vittoria Holman sued Motley Crue and their concert promoter for hearing loss allegedly incurred at a concert in December 1985. Holman and her daughter had front row seats less than 10 feet (3 meters) from the speakers. The case was settled out of court with the band's insurance company paying Holman over $30,000. (£18,200).
1997 - #1 in the UK on this day was Hanson, “Mmmbop”.
2009 - 60-year-old Billy Joel and his third wife, 27-year-old Katie Lee Joel announced that were splitting up after nearly five years of marriage. Joel's nine-year union with model Christie Brinkley ended in 1994. His nine-year marriage to Elizabeth Weber, for whom he wrote 'Just The Way You Are', ended in 1982. It's believed that Billy had a prenuptial agreement to protect the millions his many hits have earned.
2012 - Bruce Springsteen played his longest show when he turned in a three-hour-and-48-minute, 32-song, set at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. (This surpassed the previously longest show, Dec. 31, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York, which clocked in at 3:43).
1917 – Dean Martin (Dino Paul Crocetti) was born in Ohio, USA. Famous comedian, singer and actor. Part of the famous “Rat Pack”. Hits included “That’s Amore” and “Everybody loves somebody sometime”. Died 1995.
1943 – Born this day, Barry Alan Pincus, in New York. Better known as “Barry Manilow”. Early in his career wrote commercial jingles for KFC, Pepsi, McDonalds and Band Aids. He even recorded a medley of his commercial jingles titled “A Very Strange Medley”.
1947 – Born this day, Paul Young. Vocalist for Mike and the Mechanics, sung lead vocal on “Living Years”. Died 15 July 2000.
1954 - Guitarist Danny Cedrone died following a freak accident; 10 days after he had recorded the lead guitar break on ‘Rock Around The Clock’ with Bill Haley and His Comets. Session player Cedrone was paid $21 for his work on the session, as at that time Haley chose not to hire a full-time guitarist for his group. He died of a broken neck after falling down a staircase.
1959 – A London court awarded popular pianist Liberace $22, 400 in libel damages in a suit against The London Daily Mirror for implying in an editorial that the flamboyant entertainer was a homosexual. (He died of Aids in 1987 but claimed right to the end he was not homosexual). Once claimed to be “A one man Disneyland”.
1965 – Elvis was #1 in the UK with “Crying in the Chapel”.
1971 - Carole King went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Tapestry’ for the first of 15 consecutive weeks. The album contained ‘It's Too Late’, ‘I Feel the Earth Move’, ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’’ and ‘You've Got a Friend’.
1972 – Don McLean had his first UK #1 single with “Vincent” a song written about the 19th century artist Van Gogh. The song is played daily at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
1973 - Dolly Parton recorded 'I Will Always Love You' in RCA's Studio "B" in Nashville. Written for her one-time partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner (the two were splitting professionally at the time). The song was later a world-wide hit for Whitney Houston.
1978 – “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb reached #1 on the US singles chart for the first of 7 weeks. He had 2 other #1 songs “I just wanna be your everything” and “Love is (thicker than water)”.
1978 – From the film Grease, “You’re the one that I want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John started a 9 week stay at #1 on the UK singles chart.
1979 - Anita Ward was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Ring My Bell'. The only hit for the gospel singer from Memphis, making her a One-hit Wonder.
1987 – Model Kelly Emberg gave birth to Rod Stewart’s daughter Ruby.
1987 - Florida real estate agent Vittoria Holman sued Motley Crue and their concert promoter for hearing loss allegedly incurred at a concert in December 1985. Holman and her daughter had front row seats less than 10 feet (3 meters) from the speakers. The case was settled out of court with the band's insurance company paying Holman over $30,000. (£18,200).
1997 - #1 in the UK on this day was Hanson, “Mmmbop”.
2009 - 60-year-old Billy Joel and his third wife, 27-year-old Katie Lee Joel announced that were splitting up after nearly five years of marriage. Joel's nine-year union with model Christie Brinkley ended in 1994. His nine-year marriage to Elizabeth Weber, for whom he wrote 'Just The Way You Are', ended in 1982. It's believed that Billy had a prenuptial agreement to protect the millions his many hits have earned.
2012 - Bruce Springsteen played his longest show when he turned in a three-hour-and-48-minute, 32-song, set at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. (This surpassed the previously longest show, Dec. 31, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York, which clocked in at 3:43).