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.