TODAY IN HISTORY - MAY 13th
1941 - Born this day, Ritchie Valens [Valenzuela], singer, 1958 US No.2 and 1959 UK No.29 single Donna. Died 3 February 1959 in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.
1943 - Born this day, Mary Wells, in Detroit, Michigan, singer. Her hit records in the early 1960s include Two Lovers, You Beat Me to the Punch, and The One Who Really Loves You. 1964 US No.1 and UK No.5 single My Guy, written by Smokey Robinson). Died of cancer 26 July 1992.
1950 - Born this day, Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac, 1969 UK No.1 single Albatross, left the band in 1972.
1950 - Born this day, Stevie Wonder [Steveland Morris Hardaway], in Saginaw, Michigan, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist. Blind since birth after being given too much oxygen while in an incubator. Joined Motown in 1961. Stevie first entered the US singles chart in 1963 aged 13 as Little Stevie Wonder with 1963 US No.1 single, Fingertips Parts One And Two. Making him the youngest singer to top the US charts. On his 21st birthday Stevie received all of his childhood earnings. Despite having earned $30 million so far, he received only $1 million. His 1982 single Ebony And Ivory with Paul McCartney is his biggest hit. It spent seven weeks as the US No.1. His 1976 US No.1 double album Songs In The Key Of Life, had a 14 week stay at the top of the US album charts. Stevie has scored over 40 US and 35 UK Top 40 singles.
Stevie had his first UK No.1 in 1984 with I Just Called To Say I Love You from the film Lady In Red. During 1985 radio stations in South Africa banned all of Stevie's records after he dedicated the Oscar he won to Nelson Mandela. Stevie was arrested in 1985 during an antiapartheid demonstration outside the South African Embassy in Washington, he was released after being questioned by police. He was seriously injured in 1973 when his car crashed into a truck, leaving him in a coma for four days. It was reported in 1999 that Stevie was to undergo an operation to regain his sight. The breakthrough by top eye specialists involved inserting a microchip in the retina.
1955 - Elvis Presley's performance at Jacksonville, Florida, on this date was the first Presley show which resulted in a frenzied riot. Fans ripped the shirt off Elvis Presley's back. Young women and teenagers went wild over the pelvic-thrusting Presley, and this sparked a concerted effort on the part of conservatives and religious groups to ban Presley from appearing in their towns.
1961 – Born this day, Dennis Rodman. Basketball player. Generally accepted as one of the greatest rebounders in the game he has won 5 NBA Championships. Learned a thing or 2 about Madonna including the art of self promotion. He was claimed that while he was dating Madonna she wanted to have his baby.
1966 - Born this day, Darius Rucker, Hootie & The Blowfish, 1995 US No.1 album Cracked Rear View sold over 15 million copies. 1995 UK No.50 single Hold My Hand.
1966 - The Monkees second album 'More Of The Monkees', went to No.1 on the UK charts. In 1967 only four albums reached No.1; 'The Sound Of Music' which spent 17 weeks at No.1, The Beatles 'Sgt Pepper's', 25 weeks at No.1 and The Monkees first and second albums spent 9 weeks at No.1.
1967 - The Supremes scored their 10th US No.1 single with The Happening, it made No.6 in the UK. It was the last single to be released as the Supremes, from now on they were known as Diana Ross and the Supremes.
1970 - The world premiere of The Beatles film 'Let It Be' took place in New York City. The film which was originally planned as a television documentary features an unannounced rooftop concert by the group, their last performance in public. Released just after the album, it was the final original Beatles release.
1971 - On his twenty-first birthday Stevie Wonder received all his childhood earnings. Despite having earned $30 million so far, he received only $1
million.
1971 - Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane crashed her Mercedes into a wall near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and was hospitalised.
1974 - Forty-three people were arrested and more than fifty were injured after youths started throwing bottles outside a Jackson Five concert at RFK stadium in Washington DC.
1978 - Boney M were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Rivers of Babylon'. The single which stayed at the top of the charts for five weeks was originally by the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians, whose version of the song appeared in the sound track to the 1972 movie The Harder They Come.
1978 - Yvonne Elliman went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the Gibb brothers song 'If I Can't Have You'. The song was featured in the film 'Saturday Night Fever'; a No.4 hit in the UK.
1979 - David Lee Roth from Van Halen, collapsed on stage during a concert in Spokane, Washington.
1979 - Born on this day, Michael Madden, bass, Maroon 5, (2004 UK No.1 album ‘Songs About Jane’, 2004 US No.1 & UK No.4 single ‘She Will Be Loved’).
1985 - 'The Boss', Bruce Springsteen, married actress-model Julianne Phillips in ceremonies in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The couple went their separate ways in 1989. Springsteen's hit, I'm on Fire was in the top ten when the couple tied the wedding knot. Springsteen remarried in June of 1991, this time to a member of his E Street Band, Patti Scialfa. Despite his popularity, Springsteen has never had a No.1 song. His closest to the top of the pop music charts was a four-week stay at No.2 with Dancing in the Dark (in June/July 1984).
1988 - Scottish band Fairground Attraction were at No.1 on the UK singles with 'Perfect'. The group featured Eddi Reader who had previously worked as a backing singer with the Eurythmics and Sandie Shaw. 'Perfect' won the award for Best Single at the 1989 BRIT Awards.
1989 - Bon Jovi went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I'll Be There For You', the group's fourth US No.1, a No.18 hit in the UK.
1989 - Simple Minds went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Street Fighting Years', their fourth No.1 album. The album featured 'Mandela Day', 'Belfast Child' and 'Biko'.
2000 – Former Happy Monday’s lead singer, Shaun Ryder's Volkswagen Corrado was found abandoned after being used as the getaway car in an armed robbery on Harry Ramsden's fish and chip restaurant in Manchester. £7,000 cash was taken in the robbery.
2002 - Dionne Warwick was arrested at Miami International Airport for possession of marijuana after authorities found 11 joints in a lipstick case in the singer's hand luggage. The charges were dropped after she completed a drug program and made a contribution to charity.
2003 - Michael Jackson launched a court case suing Motown Records. Jacko filed the lawsuit in LA, saying he hadn't been paid royalties due for the music he did with the Jackson Five in the 60s and 70s. The singer also claimed his music has been used in TV ads without his permission.
2003 - Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong pleaded guilty to selling drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
2007 - Brian May was under 24-hour security watch after a deranged man announced he was setting off to murder him - then disappeared. Police were hunting for a schizophrenic who left a letter behind at his home blaming the Queen guitarist for his illness. In it the man - said May was an "impostor" and that HE was the real rock star. He signed the letter "Brian May."
2009 – “Love Story” – Taylor Swift number 1 once again on the Radioscope Airplay charts in New Zealand.
2010 – Tickets to Metallica’s two Auckland shows sold out in just 20 minutes this morning leaving some angry fans empty handed. Shows are Oct 13 & 14 at Vector Arena.
2011 - Like A Rolling Stone was voted as Bob Dylan’s best-ever song by Rolling Stone Magazine, who had asked the opinions of a panel of writers, academics and musicians to compile a poll to mark Dylan's 70th birthday on 24th May. Like A Rolling Stone, was described by U2's Bono as 'a black eye of a pop song', while Mick Jagger praised the simplicity of Desolation Row. Keith Richards argued that the original 1963 solo version of Girl From The North Country, ranked 30th, was superior to Dylan's 1969 duet of the same song with Johnny Cash.
2012 - Donald Dunn, bassist with Booker T and the MG's died in his sleep after playing a show at the Blue Note night club in Tokyo the night before. He had been in the country as part of an ongoing tour with Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd. Booker T and the MG's scored the 1962 US No.3 single 'Green Onions', and the 1969 UK No.4 single 'Time Is Tight'.
1941 - Born this day, Ritchie Valens [Valenzuela], singer, 1958 US No.2 and 1959 UK No.29 single Donna. Died 3 February 1959 in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.
1943 - Born this day, Mary Wells, in Detroit, Michigan, singer. Her hit records in the early 1960s include Two Lovers, You Beat Me to the Punch, and The One Who Really Loves You. 1964 US No.1 and UK No.5 single My Guy, written by Smokey Robinson). Died of cancer 26 July 1992.
1950 - Born this day, Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac, 1969 UK No.1 single Albatross, left the band in 1972.
1950 - Born this day, Stevie Wonder [Steveland Morris Hardaway], in Saginaw, Michigan, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist. Blind since birth after being given too much oxygen while in an incubator. Joined Motown in 1961. Stevie first entered the US singles chart in 1963 aged 13 as Little Stevie Wonder with 1963 US No.1 single, Fingertips Parts One And Two. Making him the youngest singer to top the US charts. On his 21st birthday Stevie received all of his childhood earnings. Despite having earned $30 million so far, he received only $1 million. His 1982 single Ebony And Ivory with Paul McCartney is his biggest hit. It spent seven weeks as the US No.1. His 1976 US No.1 double album Songs In The Key Of Life, had a 14 week stay at the top of the US album charts. Stevie has scored over 40 US and 35 UK Top 40 singles.
Stevie had his first UK No.1 in 1984 with I Just Called To Say I Love You from the film Lady In Red. During 1985 radio stations in South Africa banned all of Stevie's records after he dedicated the Oscar he won to Nelson Mandela. Stevie was arrested in 1985 during an antiapartheid demonstration outside the South African Embassy in Washington, he was released after being questioned by police. He was seriously injured in 1973 when his car crashed into a truck, leaving him in a coma for four days. It was reported in 1999 that Stevie was to undergo an operation to regain his sight. The breakthrough by top eye specialists involved inserting a microchip in the retina.
1955 - Elvis Presley's performance at Jacksonville, Florida, on this date was the first Presley show which resulted in a frenzied riot. Fans ripped the shirt off Elvis Presley's back. Young women and teenagers went wild over the pelvic-thrusting Presley, and this sparked a concerted effort on the part of conservatives and religious groups to ban Presley from appearing in their towns.
1961 – Born this day, Dennis Rodman. Basketball player. Generally accepted as one of the greatest rebounders in the game he has won 5 NBA Championships. Learned a thing or 2 about Madonna including the art of self promotion. He was claimed that while he was dating Madonna she wanted to have his baby.
1966 - Born this day, Darius Rucker, Hootie & The Blowfish, 1995 US No.1 album Cracked Rear View sold over 15 million copies. 1995 UK No.50 single Hold My Hand.
1966 - The Monkees second album 'More Of The Monkees', went to No.1 on the UK charts. In 1967 only four albums reached No.1; 'The Sound Of Music' which spent 17 weeks at No.1, The Beatles 'Sgt Pepper's', 25 weeks at No.1 and The Monkees first and second albums spent 9 weeks at No.1.
1967 - The Supremes scored their 10th US No.1 single with The Happening, it made No.6 in the UK. It was the last single to be released as the Supremes, from now on they were known as Diana Ross and the Supremes.
1970 - The world premiere of The Beatles film 'Let It Be' took place in New York City. The film which was originally planned as a television documentary features an unannounced rooftop concert by the group, their last performance in public. Released just after the album, it was the final original Beatles release.
1971 - On his twenty-first birthday Stevie Wonder received all his childhood earnings. Despite having earned $30 million so far, he received only $1
million.
1971 - Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane crashed her Mercedes into a wall near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and was hospitalised.
1974 - Forty-three people were arrested and more than fifty were injured after youths started throwing bottles outside a Jackson Five concert at RFK stadium in Washington DC.
1978 - Boney M were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Rivers of Babylon'. The single which stayed at the top of the charts for five weeks was originally by the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians, whose version of the song appeared in the sound track to the 1972 movie The Harder They Come.
1978 - Yvonne Elliman went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the Gibb brothers song 'If I Can't Have You'. The song was featured in the film 'Saturday Night Fever'; a No.4 hit in the UK.
1979 - David Lee Roth from Van Halen, collapsed on stage during a concert in Spokane, Washington.
1979 - Born on this day, Michael Madden, bass, Maroon 5, (2004 UK No.1 album ‘Songs About Jane’, 2004 US No.1 & UK No.4 single ‘She Will Be Loved’).
1985 - 'The Boss', Bruce Springsteen, married actress-model Julianne Phillips in ceremonies in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The couple went their separate ways in 1989. Springsteen's hit, I'm on Fire was in the top ten when the couple tied the wedding knot. Springsteen remarried in June of 1991, this time to a member of his E Street Band, Patti Scialfa. Despite his popularity, Springsteen has never had a No.1 song. His closest to the top of the pop music charts was a four-week stay at No.2 with Dancing in the Dark (in June/July 1984).
1988 - Scottish band Fairground Attraction were at No.1 on the UK singles with 'Perfect'. The group featured Eddi Reader who had previously worked as a backing singer with the Eurythmics and Sandie Shaw. 'Perfect' won the award for Best Single at the 1989 BRIT Awards.
1989 - Bon Jovi went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I'll Be There For You', the group's fourth US No.1, a No.18 hit in the UK.
1989 - Simple Minds went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Street Fighting Years', their fourth No.1 album. The album featured 'Mandela Day', 'Belfast Child' and 'Biko'.
2000 – Former Happy Monday’s lead singer, Shaun Ryder's Volkswagen Corrado was found abandoned after being used as the getaway car in an armed robbery on Harry Ramsden's fish and chip restaurant in Manchester. £7,000 cash was taken in the robbery.
2002 - Dionne Warwick was arrested at Miami International Airport for possession of marijuana after authorities found 11 joints in a lipstick case in the singer's hand luggage. The charges were dropped after she completed a drug program and made a contribution to charity.
2003 - Michael Jackson launched a court case suing Motown Records. Jacko filed the lawsuit in LA, saying he hadn't been paid royalties due for the music he did with the Jackson Five in the 60s and 70s. The singer also claimed his music has been used in TV ads without his permission.
2003 - Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong pleaded guilty to selling drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
2007 - Brian May was under 24-hour security watch after a deranged man announced he was setting off to murder him - then disappeared. Police were hunting for a schizophrenic who left a letter behind at his home blaming the Queen guitarist for his illness. In it the man - said May was an "impostor" and that HE was the real rock star. He signed the letter "Brian May."
2009 – “Love Story” – Taylor Swift number 1 once again on the Radioscope Airplay charts in New Zealand.
2010 – Tickets to Metallica’s two Auckland shows sold out in just 20 minutes this morning leaving some angry fans empty handed. Shows are Oct 13 & 14 at Vector Arena.
2011 - Like A Rolling Stone was voted as Bob Dylan’s best-ever song by Rolling Stone Magazine, who had asked the opinions of a panel of writers, academics and musicians to compile a poll to mark Dylan's 70th birthday on 24th May. Like A Rolling Stone, was described by U2's Bono as 'a black eye of a pop song', while Mick Jagger praised the simplicity of Desolation Row. Keith Richards argued that the original 1963 solo version of Girl From The North Country, ranked 30th, was superior to Dylan's 1969 duet of the same song with Johnny Cash.
2012 - Donald Dunn, bassist with Booker T and the MG's died in his sleep after playing a show at the Blue Note night club in Tokyo the night before. He had been in the country as part of an ongoing tour with Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd. Booker T and the MG's scored the 1962 US No.3 single 'Green Onions', and the 1969 UK No.4 single 'Time Is Tight'.