TODAY IN HISTORY - October 15th
1948 - Born this day, Chris De Burgh (Christopher John Davison), 1986 UK No.1 single The Lady In Red. His daughter Rosanna Davison won the 2003 Miss World title. Princess Diana thought the song “Lady in Red” was a dedication to her but infact the song was inspired by his first meeting of wife, Diana, when he saw her across a crowded nightclub dressed in red!
1953 - Born this day, Tito Jackson, The Jackson Five, 1970 US No.1 and UK No.2 single I Want You Back), The Jacksons, 1977 UK No.1 single Show You The Way To Go.
1955 - Buddy & Bob (Buddy Holly) opened for Elvis Presley at the ‘Big D Jamboree’, held at Lubbock’s Cotton Club, Texas. Nashville talent scout Eddie Crandall was in audience and arranged for Holly to audition and record demos for the Decca US label.
1960 - The Beatles (minus Pete Best) and two members of Rory Storm's Hurricanes (Ringo Starr and Lou Walters) recorded a version of George Gershwin's ‘Summertime’ in a Hamburg recording studio. The track which was cut onto a 78-rpm disc marked the first session that included John, Paul, George, and Ringo together.
1961 – On this day Jordon Luck was born. Originally hailing from Geraldine he went to Timaru Boys High School before forming the Dance Exponents (which became The Exponents) and having a number of quintessentially “Kiwi” hit songs during the 80’s & 90’s like “Why does love do this to me”, “Victoria”, “Whatever happened to Tracy?”, “Who loves who the most” & “I’ll say goodbye”.
1965 - Jimi Hendrix signed his first recording contract, he received $1 and a 1% royalty on all of his recordings.
1966 - The Four Tops started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Reach Out And I'll Be There. The group's 2nd US No.1 and their first No.1 in the UK.
1966 - The Monkees recorded I'm A Believer.
1972 - Lieutenant Pigeon were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Mouldy Old Dough. Keyboard player Rob Woodward had his mum play piano on the single, making them the only mother and son act to score a UK No.1.
1973 - Keith Richards was found guilty of trafficking cannabis by a Nice court and was given a one-year suspended sentence and a 5,000 franc fine. He was also banned from entering France for two years.
1976 - The Sex Pistols signed to EMI Records for £40,000, they were dropped by the company when the contract was terminated 3 months later in January 1977, with the label stopping production of the Anarchy In The UK single and deleting it from its catalogue.
1977 - Debbie Boone started a 10 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with You Light Up My Life, the longest stay at the top since Guy Mitchell's Singing The Blues. It made No.48 in the UK.
1979 - Abba played their first concert in North America when they appeared in Vancouver.
1981 – The Dance Exponents (Jordon Luck, Brian Jones, Dave Gent & Michael “Harry” Harrallambi) play their first ever gig at Christchurch’s Hillsborough Tavern.
1988 - Bon Jovi started a four week run at No.1 on the US album chart with New Jersey.
1988 - UB40 went to No.1 on the US singles chart with their version of the Neil Diamond song Red Red Wine. It was also a No.1 hit in the UK.
1995 - Paul and Linda McCartney were the guest voices on Fox-TV's The Simpsons in an episode called "Lisa the Vegetarian". Macca's stipulation for appearing was that Lisa's decision to become a vegetarian would be a permanent character change, to which producer David Mirkin agreed.
1996 - Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was charged with assault for attacking a cameraman who was trying to take pictures of Lee and his wife Pamela Anderson Lee outside an L.A. club. After pleading no contest, Lee was sentenced to four months in prison.
1997 - Michael Jackson played the last date on the HIStory Tour at King's Park Rugby Stadium, Durban, South Africa. During the tour, Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans, visiting 5 continents and 35 countries.
2000 - U2 went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Beautiful Day.
2000 - Dave Edmunds had a triple heart bypass operation. The 56 year-old Welsh rocker had the operation at LA's Cedars Sinai Hospital. Best known for his hit song “I Hear You Knocking”.
2003 - Mike Smith, the former lead singer of The Dave Clark Five suffered a fall at his home in Spain that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Smith died of pneumonia on February 28th, 2008, less than two weeks before the band was to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2007 - Britney Spears visited a Los Angeles police station to be photographed and fingerprinted ahead of her hit-and-run court case. The 25-year-old singer spent about 30 minutes at the station after a judge ordered her to submit to the procedures. Ms Spears was charged last month for allegedly crashing into a parked car while driving without a valid licence.
2008 - Jon Bon Jovi became the latest musician to disapprove of the use of his songs in John McCain's US presidential campaign. The Bon Jovi song, ‘Who Says You Can't Go Home’, was used during rallies held by Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Foo Fighters, Heart and Jackson Browne had all asked Mr McCain to stop using their tracks in his presidential bid. Bon Jovi, a Democrat supporter, threw a $30,000 (£17,000) per person, fund-raising dinner for Democratic candidate Barack Obama at his New Jersey home in September.
2013 – Kiwi music legend, Dave Dobbyn, is inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame. Famous for hits including “Slice of Heaven”, “Better The Devil You Know”, “Outlook For Thursday”, “Loyal”, “Language” & “Welcome Home”.
2013 - Hit song Royals has won the 2013 Apra Silver Scroll award for New Zealand singing sensation Lorde. Lorde, 16-year-old North Shore singer Ella Yelich-O'Connor, and Joel Little, accepted the award from previous Silver Scroll winner Bic Runga.
1948 - Born this day, Chris De Burgh (Christopher John Davison), 1986 UK No.1 single The Lady In Red. His daughter Rosanna Davison won the 2003 Miss World title. Princess Diana thought the song “Lady in Red” was a dedication to her but infact the song was inspired by his first meeting of wife, Diana, when he saw her across a crowded nightclub dressed in red!
1953 - Born this day, Tito Jackson, The Jackson Five, 1970 US No.1 and UK No.2 single I Want You Back), The Jacksons, 1977 UK No.1 single Show You The Way To Go.
1955 - Buddy & Bob (Buddy Holly) opened for Elvis Presley at the ‘Big D Jamboree’, held at Lubbock’s Cotton Club, Texas. Nashville talent scout Eddie Crandall was in audience and arranged for Holly to audition and record demos for the Decca US label.
1960 - The Beatles (minus Pete Best) and two members of Rory Storm's Hurricanes (Ringo Starr and Lou Walters) recorded a version of George Gershwin's ‘Summertime’ in a Hamburg recording studio. The track which was cut onto a 78-rpm disc marked the first session that included John, Paul, George, and Ringo together.
1961 – On this day Jordon Luck was born. Originally hailing from Geraldine he went to Timaru Boys High School before forming the Dance Exponents (which became The Exponents) and having a number of quintessentially “Kiwi” hit songs during the 80’s & 90’s like “Why does love do this to me”, “Victoria”, “Whatever happened to Tracy?”, “Who loves who the most” & “I’ll say goodbye”.
1965 - Jimi Hendrix signed his first recording contract, he received $1 and a 1% royalty on all of his recordings.
1966 - The Four Tops started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Reach Out And I'll Be There. The group's 2nd US No.1 and their first No.1 in the UK.
1966 - The Monkees recorded I'm A Believer.
1972 - Lieutenant Pigeon were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Mouldy Old Dough. Keyboard player Rob Woodward had his mum play piano on the single, making them the only mother and son act to score a UK No.1.
1973 - Keith Richards was found guilty of trafficking cannabis by a Nice court and was given a one-year suspended sentence and a 5,000 franc fine. He was also banned from entering France for two years.
1976 - The Sex Pistols signed to EMI Records for £40,000, they were dropped by the company when the contract was terminated 3 months later in January 1977, with the label stopping production of the Anarchy In The UK single and deleting it from its catalogue.
1977 - Debbie Boone started a 10 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with You Light Up My Life, the longest stay at the top since Guy Mitchell's Singing The Blues. It made No.48 in the UK.
1979 - Abba played their first concert in North America when they appeared in Vancouver.
1981 – The Dance Exponents (Jordon Luck, Brian Jones, Dave Gent & Michael “Harry” Harrallambi) play their first ever gig at Christchurch’s Hillsborough Tavern.
1988 - Bon Jovi started a four week run at No.1 on the US album chart with New Jersey.
1988 - UB40 went to No.1 on the US singles chart with their version of the Neil Diamond song Red Red Wine. It was also a No.1 hit in the UK.
1995 - Paul and Linda McCartney were the guest voices on Fox-TV's The Simpsons in an episode called "Lisa the Vegetarian". Macca's stipulation for appearing was that Lisa's decision to become a vegetarian would be a permanent character change, to which producer David Mirkin agreed.
1996 - Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was charged with assault for attacking a cameraman who was trying to take pictures of Lee and his wife Pamela Anderson Lee outside an L.A. club. After pleading no contest, Lee was sentenced to four months in prison.
1997 - Michael Jackson played the last date on the HIStory Tour at King's Park Rugby Stadium, Durban, South Africa. During the tour, Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans, visiting 5 continents and 35 countries.
2000 - U2 went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Beautiful Day.
2000 - Dave Edmunds had a triple heart bypass operation. The 56 year-old Welsh rocker had the operation at LA's Cedars Sinai Hospital. Best known for his hit song “I Hear You Knocking”.
2003 - Mike Smith, the former lead singer of The Dave Clark Five suffered a fall at his home in Spain that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Smith died of pneumonia on February 28th, 2008, less than two weeks before the band was to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2007 - Britney Spears visited a Los Angeles police station to be photographed and fingerprinted ahead of her hit-and-run court case. The 25-year-old singer spent about 30 minutes at the station after a judge ordered her to submit to the procedures. Ms Spears was charged last month for allegedly crashing into a parked car while driving without a valid licence.
2008 - Jon Bon Jovi became the latest musician to disapprove of the use of his songs in John McCain's US presidential campaign. The Bon Jovi song, ‘Who Says You Can't Go Home’, was used during rallies held by Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Foo Fighters, Heart and Jackson Browne had all asked Mr McCain to stop using their tracks in his presidential bid. Bon Jovi, a Democrat supporter, threw a $30,000 (£17,000) per person, fund-raising dinner for Democratic candidate Barack Obama at his New Jersey home in September.
2013 – Kiwi music legend, Dave Dobbyn, is inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame. Famous for hits including “Slice of Heaven”, “Better The Devil You Know”, “Outlook For Thursday”, “Loyal”, “Language” & “Welcome Home”.
2013 - Hit song Royals has won the 2013 Apra Silver Scroll award for New Zealand singing sensation Lorde. Lorde, 16-year-old North Shore singer Ella Yelich-O'Connor, and Joel Little, accepted the award from previous Silver Scroll winner Bic Runga.