Musician Birthdays: Neil Diamond (singer/songwriter, famous for hit, “I’m a Believer”, born in 1941), Waren Zevon (singer/songwriter, famous for hit, “Werewolves of London”, born in 1947), John Belushi (singer/actor/comedian, famous for being the singer of the Blues Brothers along with Dan Aykroyd, famous for hit, “Soul Man”, born in 1949)

– In 1958: Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Jailhouse Rock’. It became the first ever single to enter the chart at No.1 and was Presley’s second UK No.1. It went on to sell over 4 million copies in the US.

– In 1962: Brian Epstein signed a management deal with The Beatles. Epstein was to receive 25 per cent of the bands gross earnings, the normal management deal was 10 per cent.

– In 1969: New Jersey state prosecutors issue a warning to US record dealers that they would be charged with distributing pornography if they were caught selling the John Lennon / Yoko Ono LP ‘Two Virgins’. The front cover of the album showed the pair frontally nude, while the back cover showed them from behind. The album still managed to reach No.124 on the US, but failed to chart at all in the UK, where only 5,000 copies were ever pressed.

– In 1969: The Doors appeared at Madison Square Garden, New York City, They were paid over $50,000 for the gig making them one of the highest paid acts this year.

– In 1970: Led Zeppelin appeared at Leeds University, Leeds, England. It was at this show when Zeppelin had a meeting with fine arts lecturer Zacron to discuss their ideas for the album sleeve of the band’s next album, Led Zeppelin III. Zacron, born Richard Drew, had studied at Kingston College of Art with members of the Yardbirds.

– In 1976: Bob Dylan started a five week run at No.1 on the US chart with his 17th studio album Desire. The album features ‘Hurricane’, which protests the conviction of former middleweight boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter for triple murder in 1966, arguing his innocence.

– In 1979: The Clash released their first single in the US, ‘I Fought The Law’ (written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly’s Crickets).

– In 1980: A billboard was erected on Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, California to promote Pink Floyd’s new album The Wall. A blank wall was pasted up and each day a brick was ‘removed’ to slowly reveal the inside spread and title of the album.

– In 1981: Steve Tyler of Aerosmith was hospitalised after being involved in a crash on his motorbike.

– In 1992: Nirvana played their first ever show in Australia at the Phoenician Club in Sydney. Also on the bill, Tumbleweed and The Meanies.

– In 1999: The Offspring went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Pretty Fly, For A White Guy’. Taken from their fifth studio album Americana the single was a No.1 hit in ten other countries.

– In 2008: Amy Winehouse was admitted into rehab in a battle to kick her addiction to drugs. A statement from her record company, Universal said she entered the facility “after talks with her record label, management, family and doctors to continue her ongoing recovery against drug addiction.”

Musician Birthdays: Django Reinhardt (jazz guitarist, born in 1910)

– In 1956: Rock ‘n’ Roll fans in Cleveland aged under 18 were banned from dancing in public (unless accompanied by an adult), after Ohio Police introduced a law dating back to 1931.

– In 1967: Pink Floyd spent the first of three days recording the Syd Barrett songs Arnold Layne and Candy And A Current Bun at Sound Techniques Studios, Chelsea, London. According to Roger Waters, Arnold Layne was based on a real person – a transvestite whose primary pastime was stealing women’s clothes and undergarments from washing lines in Cambridge.

– In 1971: Steel Mill played their final show when they appeared at the Upstage Club, Asbury Park, New Jersey. Singer Bruce Springsteen formed new bands during the rest of the year known under such names as the Bruce Springsteen Jam, Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom, and finally the Bruce Springsteen Band.

– In 1971: George Harrison became the first solo Beatle to have a No.1 when ‘My Sweet Lord’ went to the top of the UK single charts. The song from his ‘All Things Must Pass’ album stayed at No.1 for five weeks. The track returned to the top of the UK charts in 2002, following his death.

– In 1977: Patti Smith broke her vertebra when she fell off the stage at a gig in Tampa, Florida.

– In 1986: Ray Charles was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the first induction dinner, held in New York City.

– In 1988: Michael Jackson went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ which was also a No.3 hit in the UK.

– In 1988: Nirvana recorded a 10-song demo with Seattle producer Jack Endino. Sub Pop records boss Jonathan Poneman hears the tape and offers to put out a Nirvana single.

– In 1990: David Bowie announced his forthcoming and final world tour, ‘Sound And Vision’ 1990, during which he will invite each local audience to decide on a ‘greatest hits’ running order, organised through local radio stations.

– In 1991: John Sebastian, owner and general manager of KLSK FM in Albuquerque, New Mexico, played Led Zeppelins ‘Stairway To Heaven’ for twenty-four solid hours to inaugurate a format change to Classic Rock. Police showed up with guns drawn: once after a listener reported that the DJ had apparently suffered a heart attack, and later because of suspicion that, this being eight days into the Gulf War, the radio station had been taken hostage by terrorists dispatched by Zeppelin freak Saddam Hussein.

– In 2000: Santana started a three week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Supernatural’, the album which went on to win eight Grammy awards spent a total of nine weeks at No.1 during this year.

– In 2003: R Kelly was arrested on new child pornography charges. The singer was detained in Miami after police said digital sex pictures were discovered at his home in Florida last June. The singer was already facing 21 charges relating to producing child pornography and appearing in a video having sex with an underage girl. He was charged with a further 12 counts of possession of child pornography.

Musician Birthdays: Richie Havens (folk singer/songwriter, famous for the song, “Freedom”, also famous for performing at Woodstock ’69, born in 1941), Billy Ocean (R&B, soul singer, famous for hit, “Caribbean Queen”, born in 1950)

– In 1963: The Beatles made their third appearance on the Radio Luxembourg program The Friday Spectacular. The Beatles were interviewed by the host and played two tracks, ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘Ask Me Why.

– In 1966: George Harrison married Patti Boyd at Leatherhead Register Office in Surrey with Paul McCartney as Best man. George had first met Patti on the set of The Beatles movie ‘A Hard Days Night’.

– In 1968: Jimi Hendrix recorded his version of the Bob Dylan song ‘All Along the Watchtower’ at Olympic Studios in London. Rolling Stone Brian Jones and Dave Mason from Traffic both played on the session. The track was released in the US as a single in 1968, peaking at #20.

–  In 1972: Pink Floyd appeared at The Guildhall, Portsmouth, England. This was the first time that they were able to perform the whole of what became the ‘Dark Side of The Moon’ album in its entirety, the previous night’s performance in Brighton having been halted for technical reasons.

– In 1973: The Rolling Stones kicked off an 11 date Pacific tour at Honolulu International Centre, Hawaii.

– In 1978: The soundtrack album ‘Saturday Night Fever’ started a 24 week run at No.1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.

– In 1982: B.B. King donated his entire record collection of over 20,000 discs to Mississippi University’s centre for the Study of Southern Culture,

– In 1984: Soul singer Jackie Wilson died aged 49. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage while singing ‘Lonely Teardrops’, and had remained in a coma until his death 8 years later. His 1957 single Reet Petite became a posthumous No.1 when re-issued in 1987 due in part to a new animated video made for the song, featuring a clay model of Wilson. Van Morrison wrote ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ which was covered by Dexy’s Midnight Runners.

– In 1984: Yes started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart ‘a No.28 hit in the UK.

– In 1987: Bruce Springsteen inducted Roy Orbison into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame.

– In 1987: The Coasters, became the first vocal group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

– In 1992: Billy Idol pleaded guilty to assault and battery charges after an incident outside a West Hollywood restaurant. He was fined $2,700 (£1,588) and ordered to appear in a series of anti-drug commercials.

– In 2001: Limp Bizkit started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)’, taken from their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.

– In 2002: American singer and actress Peggy Lee died of complications from diabetes and a heart attack at the age of 81. 1958 US No. 8 & UK No.5 single ‘Fever.’ Lee worked with Benny Goodman, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones and was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning Best Contemporary Vocal Performance for her 1969 hit ‘Is That All There Is?’

– In 2004: As the third season of American Idol was aired on US TV a memo was leaked showing a list of songs banned from being performed at this year’s auditions that included, Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’ and ‘Fallin’ by Alicia Keys. Also all songs by Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, No Doubt, R. Kelly, Tom Petty, Korn and Linkin Park were not allowed after concerns over the cost of securing rights for the song’s use, (or the composers not wanting their song’s to be performed on the show).