1929 - Screamin Jay Hawkins (”I Put a Spell On You”) is born on this day.

1931 - Papa Dee Allen of War is born today.

1935 - Johnny Funches of the Dells is born.

1938 - Ian Stewart, keyboardist for the Rolling Stones is born on this day.

1939 - Dion Dimucci is born today.

1941 - Martha Reeves (Martha & The Vandellas) is born.

1943 - Robin McDonald of Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas is born on this day.

1945 - Danny McCullock of the Animals is born today.

1949 - Wally Bryson of The Young Rascals is born.

1950 - Cesar Zuiderwyk of Golden Earring is born on this day.

1950 - Glenn Hughes of the Village People is born today.

1950 - Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Records is born.

1953 - Elvis Presley records “My Happiness” and is paid $4 for it.

1954 - Country singer Ricky Skaggs is born on this day.

1955 - Terry Chambers of XTC is born today.

1962 - Jack Irons of Pearl Jam is born.

1966 - Bobby Fuller (”I Fought the Law”) is found dead in his car outside his apartment.  The death is ruled suicide but foul play has always been questioned.

1972 - Members of Sly and the Family Stone were arrested after police found two pounds of marijuana in their motor home.

1988 - Nico (Christa Paffgen) of Velvet Underground died of a minor heart attack while riding a bicycle in Ibiza, Spain where she was on vacation with her son.

1988 - Ike Turner was sentenced to one year in jail in Santa Monica, California for possessing  and transporting cocanine.

#1 Songs This Week:

1943 - Dick Haymes: “You’ll Never Know”

1959 - Paul Anka: “Lonely Boy”

1960 - Brenda Lee: “I’m Sorry”

1964 - Four Seasons: “Rag Doll”

1967 - The Association: “Windy”

1968 - Des O’Connor: “I Pretend,” UK

1971 - Paul Revere & The Raiders: “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)”

1980 - Billy Joel: ‘Glass Houses,’ LP

1980 - Billy Joel: “It’s Still Rock ‘n’ Roll To Me”

1992 - Jimmy Nail: “Ain’t No Doubt,” UK

1994 - All-4-One: “I Swear”

1998 - Beastie Boys: ‘Hello Nasty,’ UK LP

2004 - Usher: “Confessions, Part 2″

Tags: This Day in Rock & Roll History, This Day in Rock and Roll History, today in rock history

1932 - Vince Guaraldi (”Cast Your Fate to the Wind”) is born today.

1941 - Spencer Davis (”Gimme Some Lovin”) is born on this day.

1942 - Gale Garnett (”We’ll Sing in the Sunshine”) is born.

1947 - Ron Asheton of Iggy Pop and The Stooges is born today.

1949 -  Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath is born.

1949 - Mike Vale of Tommy James and the Shondells is born on this day.

1952 - Chet McCracken of  The Doobie Brothers is born today.

1952 - Phoebe Snow is born.

1952 - Nicolette Larson (”Lotta Love”) is born today.

1955 - Annette Funicello and the Mouseketeers appear for the first time on TV on an ABC special celebrating the opening of Disneyland.

1959 - Billie Holliday died of cirrhosis of the liver in a New York hospital after years of alcohol abuse at the age of 43.

1957 - Jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane died of liver cancer at Huntington Hospital in Long Beach, New York at age 40.

1965 - Motown recordsd releases the Miracles “Tracks of My Tears.”

1968 - The animated film “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles premiered at the London Pavilion. They make a guest appearnce.

1970 - Mandy Smith is born today.  She started dating 47-year old Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones at the age of 13. They married in 1989 and divorced in 1992.  Mandy’s mother dated Wyman’s son. 

1974 - The Moody Blues opened what they claimed to be the first Quadraphonic recording studio.

1979 - Gary Moore left Thin Lizzy and was replaced by guitarist Midge Ure.

1985 - Tom Fletcher of McFly is born on this day.

1996 - Chas Chandler of the Animals and producer of two of Jimi Hendrix’s recorded dies of a heart attack.

#1 Songs This Week:

1949 - Vaughan Monroe: “Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)”

1954 - Kitty Kallen: “Little Things Mean a Lot”

1968 - Hugh Masekela: “Grazing in the Grass”

1974 - Demis Roussos: “The Roussos Phenomenon EP,” UK

1977 - Barry Manilow: “Looks Like We Made It”

1981 - Irene Cara: “Bette Davis Eyes”

1982 - Kim Carnes: “Fame,” UK

1988 - Richard Marx: “Hold On To The Nights”

1991 - EMF: “Unbelievable”

1993 - Barbra Streisand: ‘Back To Broadway,’ LP

2003 - Beyonce featuring Jay-Z: “Crazy In Love”

2005 -  R Kelly: “TP.3  Reloaded”

Tags: This Day in Rock & Roll History, this day in rock and roll, today in rock history

1940 - Tony Jackson of the Searchers is born on this day.

1947 - Thomas Boggs of the Box Tops is born today.

1952 - Steward Copeland of the Police is born on this day.

1959 - The Coasters record “Poison Ivey” at Atlantic Studios in New York City.

1962 - The Beach Boys sign with Capitol Records and have their first hit “Surfin Safari” later that year.

1963 - The Beach Boys record “In My Room.”

1966 - Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton form the rock group Cream.  The groups lasts only 2 years but produces some classic rock hits: “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Badge,”"Strange Brew,” and “White Room.”

1972 - Smokey  Robinson made his final appearance with the Miracles at a concert in Washington, DC.

1976 - The Allman Brothers split.

1976 - Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina split.

1980 - Singer songwriter was killed when a tractor trailer truck crashed into the car he was driving on the New York expressway.

1984 - Billy Williams (”I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”) died at the age of 74.

1986 - Dolly Parton opens ‘Dollywood’ in Tennessee.

1988 - Steve Cayter a road crew techncian for Def Leppard died onstage of a brain hemorrhage before a show at Alpine Valley Theater.

1989 - Tom Jones lost a peternity suit and was ordered to pay $200 a week to 27-year old Katherine Berkery of New York.

1995 - Queen Latifah was the victim of a car-jacking attempt that went wrong leaving her bodyguard shot and wounded.

1995 - Wayne Osmond of The Osmonds underwent a brain tumor operation at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

1996 - John Panozzo of Styx died of cirrhosis of the liver at age 48.

2008 - Jo Stafford (”You Belong To Me”) dies of congestive heart failure.

#1 Songs This Week:

1944 - Bing Crosby: “I’ll Be Seeing You”

1953 - Percy Faith: “The Theme From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)”

1958 - Elvis Presley: “Hard-Headed Woman”

1964 - Four Seasons: “Rag Doll”

1964 - Rolling Stones: “It’s All Over Now,” UK

1970 - Three Dog Night: “Mama Told Me (Not To Come)”

1977 -  Barry Manilow: ‘Barry Manilow Live,’ LP

1977 - Shaun Cassidy: “Da Doo  Ron Ron”

1977 - Johnny Mathis: ‘The Johnny Mathis Collection,’ UK LP

1978 - Andy Gibb: “Shadow Dancing”

1983 - The Police: “Every Breath You Take”

1994 - ‘The Lion King,’ OST

2000 - Coldplay: ‘Parachutes,’ UK LP

2000 - Matchbox 20: “Bent”

2001 -Robbie Williams: “Eternity/The Road to Eternity,” UK

2005 - Mariah Carey: “We Belong Together”

Tags: This Day in Rock & Roll History, this day in rock and roll, today in rock history

1944 - Millie Jackson (”It Hurts So Good”) is born on this day.

1945 - Peter Lewis of Moby Grape is born today.

1946 - Linda Ronstadt is born.

1948 - Artemis Pyle of Lynyrd Skynyrd is born on this day.

1952 - Jeff Carlisi of 38 Special is born today.

1952 - 8-year old Gladys Knight wins $8,000 on the Ted Knight Amateur Hour singing “Too Young.”

1963 - Filming begins on “Viva Las Vegas” with Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret.

1985 - Nude photos of Madonna taken in 1977 appeared in Playboy and Penthouse magazines.

1990 - Troy Dixon from Heavy D and the Boyz died from an accidental fall.

1997 - Ary Groenhuijzen of the Teddy Bears (”To Know Him Is To Love Him” died at the age of 50.

#1 Songs This Week: 

1941 - Sammy Kaye: “Daddy”

1955 - Bill Haley & The Comets: “Rock Around the Clock”

1956 - Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers: “Why Do Fools Fall In Love”

1963 - Jan & Dean: “Surf City”

1965 -  Rolling Stones: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

1966 - Tommy James & the Shondells: “Hanky Panky”

1967 - The Beatles: ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,’ LP

1972 - Elton John: ‘Honky Chateau,’ UK LP

1973 - Jim Croce: “Bad Bad Leroy Brown”

1978 - Rolling Stones - ‘Some Girls,’ LP

1979 - Donna Summer: “Bad Girls”

1987 - Heart: “Alone”

1989 -  Simply Red: “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”

1989 - Soul II Soul: ‘Club Classics Volume One”

1990 - Glenn Madeiros with Bobby Brown: “She Ain’t Worth It”

1994 - Wet, Wet, Wet: “Love Is All Around,” UK

1998 - Brandy & Monica: “The Boy Is Mine”

2000 - Vertical Horizon: “Everything You Want”

2001 - Usher: ‘8701,’ UK LP

2007 -Enemy: ‘We’ll Live and Die in These Towns,’ UK LP

2008 - Katy Perry: “I Kissed a Girl”

Tags: This Day in Rock & Roll Hisotry, this day in rock and roll, today in rock history

1912 - Woody Guthrie is born on this day.

1926 - Lowman Pauling of the Five Royales is born today.

1948 - Tommy Mattola of Sony music and former husband of Mariah Carely is born.

1952 - Chris Cross is born on this day.

1964 - Rolling Stones: “It’s All Over Now,” UK

1966 - Ellen Reid of Crash Test Dummies is born today.

1971 - Nick McCabe of the Verve is born.

1973 - A drunk driver killed Clarence White of the Byrds while he was loading equipment after a gig in Palmdale, California.

1975 - Taboo of the Black Eyes Peas is born on this day.

1978 - Ruben Studdard of American Idol is born today.

1984 - Phillipe Wynne, lead singer of the Detroit Spinners died of a heart attack while performing at Ivey’s nightclub in Oakland, California at age 43.

1992 - Olivia Newton-John reveals that she has breast cnacer.

#1 Songs This Week:

1947 - The Harmonicats: “Peg ‘O My Heart”

1956 - Gogi Grant: “The Wayward Wind”

1960 - Brenda Lee: “I’m Sorry”

1962 - Bobby Vinton: ‘Roses Are Red My Love”

1975 - Paul McCartney & Wings: “Listen To What The Man Said”

1979 - Donna Summer: “Bad Girls”

1986 - Genesis: “Invisible Touch”

1986 - Madonna: “Papa Don’t Preach,” UK

1991 - EMK: “Unbelievable”

2002 - Red Hot Chili Peppers: ‘By the Way,’ UK LP

2006 - Nelly  Furtado featuring Timbaland: “Promiscuos”

Tags: This Day in Rock & Roll History, this day in rock music history, today in rock and roll history

1942 - Roger McQuinn of the Byrds is born on this day.

1942 - Stephen  Jo Bladd of the J Geils Band is born today.

1945 - Diane Renay (”Navy Blue”) is born.

1946 - Cheech Marin of Cheech & Chong (”Basketball Jones”) is born on this day.

1964 - The  Supremes record Come See About Me.”

1973 - “The Every Brothers ended ten years ago,”  says Don Everyly on the stage of the John Wayne Theatre, Buena  Park, California. Brother Phil smashes his guitar and walks off ending the duo’s career.

#1 Songs This Week:

1942 - Kay Kyser: Jingle Jangle Jingle”

1957 - Elvis Presley: “Teddy Bear” 

1959 - Paul Anka: “Lonely Boy”

1964 - Four Seasons: “Rag Doll” 

1973 - Billy Preston: “Will IT Go Round in Circles”

1974 - Elton John: ‘Caribou,’ UK LP

1974 - George McCrai: “Rock Your Baby”

1982 - The Human League: “Don’t You Want Me”

1985 - Duran Duran: “A View To Kill”

1985 - Tears for Fears: ‘Songs From The Big Chair,’ LP

1991 - Bryan Adams: “Everything I Do I Do For You,” UK

1996 - 2Pac: “How Do You Want It/California Love

1997 - The Prodigy: ‘The Fat of the Land,’ UK LP

1999 - Destiny’s Child: “Billss, Billsl Bills”

2000 - The Corrs: “Breathless,” UK

- Usher: “U  Remind Me”

Tags: This Day in Rock & Roll History, this day in rock history, today in rock music

1943 - Christine McVie of Chicken Shack and Fleetwood Mac is born on this day.

1947 - Wilco Johnson of Dr Feelgood is born today.

1949 - John Wetton of King Crimson, UK, Uriah Heep, Roxy Music and Asia is born.

1950 - Eric Carr of Kiss is born on this day.

1952 - Liz Mitchell of Boney M is born today.

1952 - Philip Taylor Kramer of Iron Butterfly is born.

1953 - Billy and Bobby Alessi of the Alessi Brothers is born today.

1954 - 19-year old Elvis Presley signs a contract with Sun Records.  He also gave notice to his employer Crown Electric Company.

1960 - Ray Gillen of Black Sabbath is born on this day.

1962 - Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum is born today.

1969 - Elvis Presley was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

1975 - Johnny Nash: “Tears on My Pillow,” UK 

1977 - Dominic Howard of Muse is born. 

1979 - Minnie Riperton (”Loving You”) died of cancer at the age of 31.

1983 - Former Traffic member Chris Wood died of liver failure after a long illness.

1996 - Smashing Pumpkins Jimmy Chamberlain was charged with drug possession in his New York hotel room after the death of his bandmate Jonathan Melvoin.

#1 Songs This Week:

1943 - The Song Spinners: “Comin in On a Wing and a Prayer”

1950 - Nat King Cole: “Mona Lisa”

1951 - Nat King Cole: “Too Young”

1962 - Ray Charles: “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” UK

1962 - Bobby Vinton: “Roses Are Red”

1969 - Zager & Evans: “In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)”

1974 - George McCrae: “Rock Your Baby”

1980 - Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra: “Xanadu,” UK

1984 - Prince: “When Doves Cry”

1995 - TLC: “Waterfalls”

2004 - Usher: “Burn”

Tags: This Day in Rock & Roll History, this day in rock history, today in rock and roll

1930 - Thurston Harris (”Little Bittie Pretty One”) is born on this day.

1931 - Tab Hunter (”Young Love”) is born today.

1949 - Jeff  Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is born on this day.

1951 - Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is born today.

1953 - Peter Brown (”Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me”) is born on this day.

1954 - Benny DeFranco of the DeFranco Family is born.

1959 - Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi is born on this day.

1966 - Mel Applby of Mel an Kim is born.

1967 - Kenny Rogers forms what will become the First Edition.

1971 - The first stage performance of  “Jesus Christ Superstar” takes place in Pittsburgh. 

1975 - L’il Kim is born today.

1996 - Jonathan Melvoin of the Smashing Pumpkins died of a drug overdose in New York City at the age of 34.

#1 Songs This Week:

1944 - Bing Crosby: “I’ll Be Seeing You”

1946 - The Ink Spots: “The Gypsy”

1955 - Alma Cogan: “Dreamcoat,” UK

1955 - Bill Haley and the Comets: “Rock Around the Clock”

1960 - Hollywood Argyles: “Alley Oop”

1966 - Tommy James & the Shondells: “Hanky Panky”

1970 - Bob Dylan: ‘Self Portrait,’ UK LP

1970 - ‘Woodstock,’  OST, LP

1970 - Three Dog Night: “Mama Told Me Not to Come”

1977 - Shaun Cassidy: “Da Doo Ron Ron”

1981 - Cliff Richard: ‘Love Songs,’ UK LP

1986 - Simply Red: “Holding Back the Years”

1987 - Heart: “Alone”

1999 - Limp Biscuit: ‘Significant Other,’ LP

2002 - Nelly: “Hot in Here”

2004 - Lloyd Banks: ‘The Hunger for More,’ LP

Tags: this day in rock & roll, This Day in Rock & Roll History, today in rock history

1937 - ‘Jumpin’ Gene Simmons (”Haunted House”) is born on this day.

1938 - Sandy Stewart (”My Coloring Book”) is born today.

1941 - Ian Whitcomb (”You Turn Me On”) is born.

1943 - Jerry Miller of Moby Grape is born on this day.

1947 - Arlo G uthrie is born today.

1949 - Dave Smalley of the Young Rascals is born.

1949 - Ronnie James Dio of Rainbow and Black Sabbath is born on this day.

1950 - Greg Kihn (”Jeopardy”) is born today.

1954 - Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys is born.

1959 - Sandy West, drummer for the all-girl band the Runaways is born on this day.

1967 - Kenny Rogers leaves the New Christy Minstrels.

1968 - Eric Clapton announced that Cream would break up after their current tour.

1969 - The funeral of Rolling Stone Brian Jones took place at Hatherly Road Parish Church in Cheltenham.

1970 - Jason Orange of Take That is born today.

1976 - A 16-year old girl is stabbed to death at a Yes concert in Jersey City, New Jersey.

1977 - Cher gave birth to a baby boy, Eijah Blue.  Allman Brothers Greg Allman was the father.

1978 - Rolling Stone Bill Wyman was knocked unconcious from a fall off the stage during a concert in the US.

1979 - Chuck Berry was sentenced to 5 months in jail for tax evasion.

1980 - Jessica Simpson is born on this day.

1981 - Jerry Lee Lewis undergoes two stomach operations at a Memphis hospital.

1989 - The Monkees receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

#1 Songs This Week:

1948 - Kay Kyser: “Woody Woodpecker”

1958 - Sheb Wooley: “Purple People Eater”

1961 - Bobby Lewis: “Tossin and Turnin”

1963 -  David Essex: “Easier Said Than Done”

1965 -’ Beatles VI’, LP

1965 - Rolling Stones: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

1974 - Hues Corporation: “Rock the Boat”

1976 - Starland Vocal Band: “Afternoon Delight”

1976 - Rod Stewart: ‘A Night on the Town,’ UK LP

1985 - Phil Collins: “Sussidio”

1993 - SWV: “Weak”

2004 - Fantasia: “I Believe”

2005 - George Strait: ‘Somewhere Down in Texas,’ LP

Tags: This Day in Rock & Roll History, This Day in Rock and Roll History, today in rock