Musician Birthdays: David Geffen (Record label owner, responsible for signing the Eagles, CSNY, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, etc., born in 1943)

– In 1961: The Beatles played three gigs in one day. The first was a lunchtime show at the Cavern Club, then at night they appeared at the Cassanova Club, Liverpool and at Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool.

– In 1964: New York band The Echoes recruited a new young unknown piano player, named Billy Joel.

– In 1967: Pink Floyd started their first sessions at the EMI Studios, St. John’s Wood, London on their debut album The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, working on the song ‘Matilda Mother’. While Pink Floyd were recording their album with former Beatles engineer Norman Smith, The Beatles themselves were working in the studio next door, recording ‘Fixing A Hole’ for their Sgt. Pepper’s album.

– In 1970: Simon and Garfunkel went to No.1 on the UK chart with ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. The album went on to stay on the chart for over 300 weeks, returning to the top of the charts on eight separate occasions and spending a total of 41 weeks at No.1.

– In 1972: Led Zeppelin released ‘Rock And Roll / Four Sticks’ as a 7 inch single in the US, peaking at No.47 on the chart. The song was written as a spontaneous jam session, whilst the band were trying to finish ‘Four Sticks’. Drummer John Bonham played the introduction to Little Richard’s ‘You Keep A-Knockin’ and Page added a guitar riff; with the tapes rolling the basic song was finished fifteen minutes later.

– In 1977: Fleetwood Mac released ‘Rumours’. The album went on to sell more than 15 million copies world-wide and spent 31 weeks at No.1 on the US chart.

– In 1981: Dolly Parton started a two week run at No.1 on the US charts with ‘9 to 5’, the singers first No.1, a No.47 hit in the UK.

– In 1987: Ben E King was at No.1 in the UK singles chart with ‘Stand By Me.’ The track was first released in 1961 and became a hit in 1987 after being featured in the film ‘Stand By Me.’

– In 1998: Celine Dion went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘My Heart Will Go On’. The song was the theme from the movie Titanic. The world’s best selling single of 1998.

– In 2002: Elton John accused the music industry of exploiting young singers and dumping talented artists for manufactured group’s. He said ‘There are too many average and mediocre acts; it damages real talent getting airplay. It’s just fodder.’

– In 2004: Simon Cowell was set to appear in a new episode of The Simpsons. The TV Pop Idol judge would play a nursery boss who gets punched by Homer Simpson.

– In 2008: Britney Spears failed in a court bid to regain visitation rights to her two children. Spears was banned from monitored visits in January of this year after refusing to hand the children back, resulting in a stand-off with police at her house. The singer’s ex-husband Kevin Federline was awarded primary custody of two-year-old Sean Preston and Jayden James, aged one, in October.

– In 2009: Rihanna issued a statement thanking fans for their support after an alleged assault by her R&B singer boyfriend Chris Brown, but the singer declined to comment on a leaked photograph which appeared to show her with facial injuries. The Los Angeles Police Department had launched an internal investigation and asked for the public’s help in finding the person who leaked the photograph.