Musician Birthdays: Janis Joplin (Singer/songwriter, famous for hits “Me and Bobby McGee”, “Piece of My Heart”, born in 1943), Dolly Parton, (country singer/songwriter/actress, famous for hit, “I Will Always Love You”, born in 1946),  Robert Palmer, famous for hits, “Simply Irrestible”, “Addicted To Love”, born in 1949)

– In 1959: The Platters ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’, started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart.

– In 1963: The Beatles made their first national TV appearance in the UK on ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’ performing ‘Please Please Me’.

– In 1967: The Beatles began recording ?A Day in the Life? at Abbey Road studio?s London, recording four takes of the new song

– In 1971: Tracks from The Beatles White Album (including ‘Helter Skelter), were played in the courtroom at the Sharon Tate murder trial to find out if any songs could have influenced Charles Manson and his followers to commit murder. Actress Sharon Tate who was married to film director Roman Polanski, was eight and a half months pregnant when she was murdered in her home, along with four others, by followers of Charles Manson.

– In 1978: Johnny Rotten was fired from The Sex Pistols for ‘not being weird enough anymore.’

– In 1980: Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ started a 15-week run at #1 on the US album chart. The group’s third US #1, it went on to sell over 23 million copies in the US alone. ‘The Wall’ is still the third largest grossing album in the US, behind Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ and Eagles’ ‘Greatest Hits’.

– In 1988: Bon Jovi’s and Mötley Crüe manager Doc McGheep pleaded guilty to importing more than 40,000lb of marijuana into the US from Colombia via a shrimp boat. McGhee received a five-year suspended prison sentence, a fine of $15,000, and was ordered to set up an anti-drugs foundation.

– In 1991: Janet Jackson went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Love Will Never Do’, her 5th US No.1, a No.31 hit in the UK.

– In 1997: Madonna won the Best Actress award for her role in Evita at the Golden Globe Awards.

– In 1998: American Rockabilly singer, songwriter Carl Perkins died aged 65 from throat cancer. He wrote the classic rock & roll song ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, the first record by a Sun label to sell a million copies.

– In 2001: It was reported that Paul McCartney was set to become the world?s first pop star billionaire. McCartney was said to be worth ?725 million ($1,233) and was expected to become a billionaire after huge sales from The Beatles compilation hits album.

– In 2006: American soul singer, Wilson Pickett died in hospital near his Ashburn, Virginia home of a heart attack aged 64. Pickett recorded the soul classics ?Mustang Sally?, ?Everybody Needs Somebody to Love? and ?In The Midnight Hour? plus he scored 15 other US Top 40 singles.

– In 2007: Canadian singer songwriter and former Mamas and the Papas singer Denny Doherty died at the age of 66. He died at his home near Toronto, Canada after a short illness. The group scored the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single ‘Monday Monday.’

Musician Birthdays: Jonathan Davis (singer of Korn, born in 1971)

– In 1964: The Beatles made their US chart debut when ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ entered the chart at No.45 just ten days after its release, making it the fastest-breaking and the fastest selling single in Capitol Records history. It went on to spend seven weeks at the No.1 position.

– In 1965: The Rolling Stones recorded ‘The Last Time’ and ‘Play With Fire’ at the RCA studio in Hollywood, California. Phil Spector played acoustic guitar on ‘Play With Fire.’

– In 1967: Jimi Hendrix recorded an appearance on UK TV show Top Of The Pops and also played a show at the Seven and a Half Club in Mayfair, London.

– In 1974: Former members from Free, (Paul Rodgers & Simon Kirke), Mott The Hoople, (Mick Ralphs), and King Crimson, (Boz Burrell), formed Bad Company. The band went on to score a US No.1 album with their debut release.

– In 1975: Barry Manilow scored his first US No.1 single when ‘Mandy’, (originally titled ‘Brandy’ when it was recorded in 1972 by Scott English), went to the top of the charts.

– In 1984: Van Halen kicked off their 103-date ‘1984’ North American tour at Jacksonville Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida.

– In 1989: At just 38 years old, Stevie Wonder became the youngest living person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, other inductees include The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, Otis Redding and Dion DiMucci.

– In 1991: During an AC/DC North American tour three fans were killed during a crush in a crowd at a gig in Salt Lake City.

– In 1996:  Lisa Marie Presley divorced Michael Jackson after less then two years of being married.

– In 2000: Spencer Goodman was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas. Goodman was convicted of kidnapping and murdering the wife of ZZ Top manager Bill Ham in 1991. Ham was present for the execution.

– In 2004: Josh Groban was at No.1 on the US album chart with ?Closer.?

– In 2006: Animals in Michael Jackson’s private zoo were declared to be in good health after officials paid a surprise visit to the singer’s Neverland ranch. A medical officer from the US department of agriculture inspected the property following concerns voiced by the animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Jackson had earlier moved out of Neverland and had taken up residence in Bahrain in the Middle East.

– In 2008: Four photographers were arrested for reckless driving after they chased Britney Spears’ car on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The four were among a group of paparazzi seen driving at high speed, each of the men were ordered to post $5,000 (?2,539) bail. The cars were following Ms Spears’ car too closely and travelling at an unsafe speed and made several unsafe lane changes, according to police.

– In 2011: The largest collection of Beatles memorabilia went on display in a new museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rodolfo Vazquez, a 53-year-old accountant, turned his mammoth Beatles collection into a museum with more than 8,500 objects – setting the new world record for the largest collection of Beatles memorabilia. Some of the items included a box of condoms bearing the names of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, a brick from the Cavern Club, a hunk of the stage from the Star Club in Hamburg, and certified copies of the band members’ birth certificates. Among his favorite items were 64 boxes of chewing gum in the form of Beatles records.

Musician Birthdays: Eartha Kitt (US singer/songwriter/actress, also famous for playing Catwoman on Batman TV series, born in 1927), Mick Taylor (guitarist for John Mayall & The Blues Breakers, the Rolling Stones, born in 1948), Steve Earle (US Singer/Songwriter, born in 1955), Susanna Hoffs (singer/guitarist of the Bangles, born in 1959), Kid Rock (US Singer/songwriter/rapper, born in 1971)

– In 1963: The Beatles played at the Cavern Club at lunchtime and in the evening played at the Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead. At the Majestic, every ticket had been sold in advance, leaving 500 disappointed fans waiting outside.

– In 1964: The Rolling Stones released their first EP, which included, ‘You Better Move On’, ‘Poison Ivy’, ‘Bye Bye Johnny’ and ‘Money’. It peaked at No.15 on the UK chart.

– In 1966: NBC-TV in the US bought The Monkees series, placing it on their 1966 autumn schedule.

– In 1967: The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded a session for Radio Luxembourg’s Ready Steady Radio. The band ran up a bar bill of £2.5 shillings, ($6.21), which they were unable to pay.

– In 1969: Led Zeppelin I, the band’s debut album, was released in the US, coinciding with the band’s first headlining US concert tour. It was to peak at No. 10 in the US chart, and at No. 6 in the UK. The RIAA in the US has now certified it as having sold over 10 million copies in the US alone.

– In 1970: The Doors played the first of four shows at the Felt Forum in New York City. The shows were recorded for the bands forthcoming ‘Absolutely Live’ album.

– In 1975: Television and Blondie appeared at GBGB’s, New York City.

– In 1976: Barry Manilow scored his second US No.1 single with ‘I Write The Songs’, written by Beach Boy Bruce Johnson.

– In 1981: Mötley Crüe formed when bass guitarist Nikki Sixx left the band London and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist, guitarist Greg Leon, (who later left). Sixx and Lee then added guitarist Bob “Mick Mars” Deal. Vince Neil accepted an offer to join (after turning them down) in April of this year.

– In 1998: Savage Garden started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Truly Madly Deeply’.

– In 2003: A long-lost recording featuring John Lennon and Mick Jagger was set to spark a biding war at a London auction. The acetate record was recorded in 1974 with Jagger singing the blues song ‘Too Many Cooks’ and Lennon playing guitar. The track had never been release because the two artists were both signed to different record companies.

– In 2008: The Police played the first nine dates in Australian and New Zealand at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, on their 152-date Reunion tour.