TODAY IN HISTORY - May 21st
1948 - Born this day, [Gerard Hugh] Leo Sayer, in Shoreham by Sea, Sussex, England, singer, 1973 UK No.2 single The Show Must Go On, 1974 UK No.6 single One Man Band, 1974 UK No.4 single Long Tall Glasses, 1975 UK No.2 single Moonlighting, 1976 UK No.2 single You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, 1977 UK No.1 single When I Need You.
1955 - Born this day, Stan Lynch, musician, drummer, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 1980 US No.15 single Refugee, 1989 UK No.28 single I Won't Back Down.
1964 - The Drifters recorded Under The Boardwalk.
1968 - Pete Townshend of The Who married dress designer Karen Astley.
1968 - Rolling Stone Brian Jones appeared at Great Marlborough Street Magistrates court, London on a charge of possession of marijuana and was released on £200 bail.
1972 - Born this day, The Notorious B.I.G, 1995 UK No.34 single One More Chance, 1997 US No.1 single Hypnotize. Died 9 March 1997, gunned down on the streets of Los Angeles, aged 24.
1974 - Two would-be concert promoters were arrested by police in America on fraud charges in connection with selling mail order tickets for a forthcoming Elten John show. (Elten with an E and not an O). Police took away over $12,000 in cheques.
1977 - Rod Stewart scored his fourth UK No.1 single with the double A-side I Don't Want To Talk About It / First Cut Is The Deepest.
1977 - Stevie Wonder started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with his tribute to Duke Ellington, Sir Duke, it was his sixth US No.1, and it made No.2 in the UK.
1979 - Elton John started a tour of Russia, the first Western star ever to do so.
1980 - Joe Strummer of The Clash was arrested at a much troubled gig in Hamburg, Germany, after smashing his guitar over the head of a member of the audience, he was released after an alcohol test proved negative.
1983 - David Bowie went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Let's Dance, it was his second US No.1, and also a No.1 in the UK.
1983 - Michael Jackson's album Thriller went back to No.1 for the third time on the UK charts and stayed at the top for another five weeks.
1985 - Born this day, Mutya Buena, Sugarbabes, 2002 UK No.1 single Round Round, 2002 UK No.2 album Angels With Dirty Faces.
1985 - Marvin Gaye's last album was released. Dream of a Lifetime featured songs that critics considered too offensive such as the controversial, pop version of The Lord's Prayer. Three of the songs from the album were completed after Gaye's death. Marvin Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
1995 - Hootie & the Blowfish started a four week run at No.1 on the US album charts with Cracked Rear View. The album went on to sell over 15 million copies.
2001 - U2 frontman Bono became a father for the fourth time. His wife, Ali, gave birth today in a Dublin hospital to a boy, weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The 41-year-old Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, took time off from U2's Elevation tour, which began in the United States in March, to be with his wife for the birth. The hospital said mother and baby were doing well. The couple's three other children are daughters Jordan, 11, and Eve, 8. Son Elijah is nearly two.
2003 - Mariah Carey hit back at Eminem's threats to sample the slushy voicemail messages she left on his mobile. Carey described the rapper as 'a little girl' saying it's 'like dealing with a girlfriend in 7th grade', and he shouldn't do it because it'll get him in a bit of trouble with her lawyers.
2008 – A poll done of 3000 marathon runners reveals that the top song to inspire them to complete a lap is “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor followed by “Don’t stop me now”- Queen, “Keep on Running” – Spencer Davis Group and “Chariots of Fire” – Vangelis, respectively.
2012 – Bee Gee, Robin Gibb, died today aged 62 after a battle with cancer. Robin had his first Bee Gees hit when he sang lead on the smash hit single “Massachusetts” the age of 17. With his brother Barry (and to a lesser extent twin brother Maurice) he formed one of the most successful song writing partnerships in popular music.
1948 - Born this day, [Gerard Hugh] Leo Sayer, in Shoreham by Sea, Sussex, England, singer, 1973 UK No.2 single The Show Must Go On, 1974 UK No.6 single One Man Band, 1974 UK No.4 single Long Tall Glasses, 1975 UK No.2 single Moonlighting, 1976 UK No.2 single You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, 1977 UK No.1 single When I Need You.
1955 - Born this day, Stan Lynch, musician, drummer, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 1980 US No.15 single Refugee, 1989 UK No.28 single I Won't Back Down.
1964 - The Drifters recorded Under The Boardwalk.
1968 - Pete Townshend of The Who married dress designer Karen Astley.
1968 - Rolling Stone Brian Jones appeared at Great Marlborough Street Magistrates court, London on a charge of possession of marijuana and was released on £200 bail.
1972 - Born this day, The Notorious B.I.G, 1995 UK No.34 single One More Chance, 1997 US No.1 single Hypnotize. Died 9 March 1997, gunned down on the streets of Los Angeles, aged 24.
1974 - Two would-be concert promoters were arrested by police in America on fraud charges in connection with selling mail order tickets for a forthcoming Elten John show. (Elten with an E and not an O). Police took away over $12,000 in cheques.
1977 - Rod Stewart scored his fourth UK No.1 single with the double A-side I Don't Want To Talk About It / First Cut Is The Deepest.
1977 - Stevie Wonder started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with his tribute to Duke Ellington, Sir Duke, it was his sixth US No.1, and it made No.2 in the UK.
1979 - Elton John started a tour of Russia, the first Western star ever to do so.
1980 - Joe Strummer of The Clash was arrested at a much troubled gig in Hamburg, Germany, after smashing his guitar over the head of a member of the audience, he was released after an alcohol test proved negative.
1983 - David Bowie went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Let's Dance, it was his second US No.1, and also a No.1 in the UK.
1983 - Michael Jackson's album Thriller went back to No.1 for the third time on the UK charts and stayed at the top for another five weeks.
1985 - Born this day, Mutya Buena, Sugarbabes, 2002 UK No.1 single Round Round, 2002 UK No.2 album Angels With Dirty Faces.
1985 - Marvin Gaye's last album was released. Dream of a Lifetime featured songs that critics considered too offensive such as the controversial, pop version of The Lord's Prayer. Three of the songs from the album were completed after Gaye's death. Marvin Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
1995 - Hootie & the Blowfish started a four week run at No.1 on the US album charts with Cracked Rear View. The album went on to sell over 15 million copies.
2001 - U2 frontman Bono became a father for the fourth time. His wife, Ali, gave birth today in a Dublin hospital to a boy, weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The 41-year-old Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, took time off from U2's Elevation tour, which began in the United States in March, to be with his wife for the birth. The hospital said mother and baby were doing well. The couple's three other children are daughters Jordan, 11, and Eve, 8. Son Elijah is nearly two.
2003 - Mariah Carey hit back at Eminem's threats to sample the slushy voicemail messages she left on his mobile. Carey described the rapper as 'a little girl' saying it's 'like dealing with a girlfriend in 7th grade', and he shouldn't do it because it'll get him in a bit of trouble with her lawyers.
2008 – A poll done of 3000 marathon runners reveals that the top song to inspire them to complete a lap is “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor followed by “Don’t stop me now”- Queen, “Keep on Running” – Spencer Davis Group and “Chariots of Fire” – Vangelis, respectively.
2012 – Bee Gee, Robin Gibb, died today aged 62 after a battle with cancer. Robin had his first Bee Gees hit when he sang lead on the smash hit single “Massachusetts” the age of 17. With his brother Barry (and to a lesser extent twin brother Maurice) he formed one of the most successful song writing partnerships in popular music.