Musician Birthdays: Garth Brooks (US country singer, famous for hits: “Friends In Low Places”, “Rodeo”, “Ain’t Going Down ‘Til The Sun Comes Up”, “The Thunder Rolls”, etc. Born in 1962), Sully Erna (singer, guitarist of Godsmack, famous for hit, “I Stand Alone”, born in 1968), Wes Borland (guitarist for Limp Bizkit, famous for hit, “Rollin”, born in 1975)

– In 1959: Buddy Holly was buried in Lubbock, Texas. His tombstone reads “Holley”, the correct spelling of his given surname and includes pictures of a guitar.

– In 1963: The first Beatles single ‘Please Please Me’ was released in the US on the Vee Jay label.

– In 1964: Pan Am flight 101 was greeted by over 5,000 Beatles fans as it arrived at New York’s JFK airport, bringing The Beatles to the US for the first time and causing riotous scenes as they touched down.

– In 1967: Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees returned to the UK after living in Australia for nine years.

– In 1969: John and Yoko were featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents, (2/6). John was named as Rolling Stones Man Of The Year.

– In 1969: The Who recorded ‘Pinball Wizard’ at Morgan Studio’s, London, England.

– In 1969: Doors singer Jim Morrison was arrested for drunk driving and driving with no license in Los Angeles, California.

– In 1970: Led Zeppelin scored their first UK No.1 album with ‘Led Zeppelin II’. Released in November 1969, and featuring the US No. 4 single ‘Whole Lotta Love’, it went on to stay on the UK chart for 136 weeks. Also reaching No. 1 in the US, the RIAA in the US has now certified it as having sold over 12 million copies in the US alone.

– In 1976: Paul Simon started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ’50 Ways To Leave Your Lover’, the singers first solo US No.1.

– In 1979: Stephen Stills became the first rock performer to record on digital equipment in Los Angeles’ Record Plant Studio.

– In 1987: Madonna went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Open Your Heart’, her 5th US No.1, a No.4 hit in the UK.

– In 1994: Blind Melon’s lead singer Shannon Hoon was forced to leave the American Music Awards ceremony for his loud and disruptive behavior. Hoon was later charged with battery, assault, resisting arrest, and destroying a police station phone.

– In 2003: Courtney Love arrived at a benefit concert at London’s Old Vic Theatre dressed as Donald Duck. Courtney joined Elton John on stage for a version of ‘The Bitch Is Back’.

– In 2004: Queen’s single ‘We Will Rock You’ topped a poll of music fans to find the greatest rock anthem of all time. The 1977 song beat the band’s classic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ into second place in a survey of 1,000 people carried out for the UCI cinema chain. The poll was carried out to mark the release of new Jack Black comedy ‘School of Rock.’

– In 2008: Amy Winehouse was told she could not perform at this year’s Grammy awards ceremony because her US visa application has been rejected by the embassy in London. The singer was arrested for marijuana possession in Norway last year. Winehouse has been nominated for six Grammy awards ahead of the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Musician Birthdays: Bob Marley (Jamaican reggae singer/songwriter, famous for hits: “I Shot the Sheriff”, “No Woman, No Cry”, “Redemption Song”, and more, born in 1945), Natalie Cole (US Singer famous for hit, “Miss You Like Crazy”, also famous as the daughter of Nat King Cole, born in 1950), Axl Rose (Singer of Guns N’ Roses, famous for hits, “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Paradise City”, “November Rain”, “Patience”, and more, born in 1962)

– In 1958: George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen. The group who were named after Lennon’s school featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.

– In 1965: The Righteous Brothers started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Phil Spector produced ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. The song was also No.1 in the UK for the duo (who were not related in any way).

– In 1971: Led Zeppelin announced a small UK club tour which would see the group playing Universities and small venues with ticket prices at 12 shillings (60p). Zeppelin manager Peter Grant said ‘We decided to do the clubs and forget about the bread and the big concert halls’.

– In 1982: The J Geils Band started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Centrefold’, the bands only US No.1. A No.3 hit in the UK. The bands album ‘Freeze- Frame’ started a four-week run at No.1 on the US album chart on the same day.

– In 1988: Tiffany started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Could’ve Been’, a No.4 hit in the UK. Tiffany had recorded the song 5 years ago when she was 13.

– In 1990: Billy Idol suffered serious injuries when he failed to pull up at a stop sign and crashed from his Harley-Davidson motorbike into a car.

– In 1990: Over 200 women filed court actions against Chuck Berry after it was alleged that he had been secretly filming them in the toilets of the restaurant he owned.

– In 1998: American singer and guitarist Carl Wilson from The Beach Boys died aged 51 after a long battle with lung cancer, (Wilson was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in early 1997). He sang lead vocal on ‘God Only Knows’, ‘Good Vibrations,’ and ‘I Can Hear Music.’ Wilson sang backing vocals on Elton John’s ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.’

– In 2001: Guitarist Don Felder was fired from The Eagles. He would later launch a $50 million law suit against drummer Don Henley and guitarist Glen Frey, alleging wrongful termination and breach of implied-in-fact contract. Henley and Frey then countersued Felder for breach of contract, alleging that Felder had written and attempted to sell the rights to a “tell-all” book. Both parties settled out-of-court for an undisclosed amount.

– In 2008: A Los Angeles judge issued a restraining order against Britney Spears’ manager, after her mother made the request to the court. Lynne Spears claimed Sam Lutfi, 33, had drugged the troubled pop star and interfered with her finances. In a six-page declaration, Lynne Spears said Mr Lutfi “moved into Britney’s home and has purported to take control of her life, home and finances”. Her declaration focused on the night of 28 January, a few days before the Grammy-winning superstar was admitted to hospital for a mental evaluation.

Musician Birthdays: Al Kooper (singer for Blood, Sweat and Tears, famous for hit, “Spinning Wheel”, born in 1944), Duff McKagan (bassist of Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, born in 1964) Bobby Brown (US R&B singer/songwriter, famous for hits “My Perogative”, “Humpin’ Around”, and more, born in 1969)

– In 1957: 5,000 fans greeted Bill Haley when he arrived from New York on the liner Queen Elizabeth at Southampton, for his debut U.K. concert tour. Haley was the first American rock artist to tour the U.K.

– In 1962: The Beatles played two shows, one at the Cavern Club at lunchtime and, in the evening, at the Kingsway Club in Southport. This was the first time Ringo Starr appeared live with the group after drummer Pete Best became ill.

– In 1967: The News of the World reported that Mick Jagger had taken LSD at the home of a member of The Moody Blues. Jagger sued the paper for libel.

– In 1983: Def Leppard’s album, Pyromania, started a 92-week run on the U.S. charts. It never reached #1, but sold over 6 million copies in the U.S. alone.

– In 1999: the members of *NSYNC made a guest appearance on Sabrina The Teenage Witch on U.S. TV.

– In 2003: Courtney Love blamed her bad language for the alleged air rage incident that led to her arrest at London’s Heathrow Airport. As she left Heathrow’s police station the singer said, “I cussed at a lady. My daughter always said I had a potty mouth.” When asked what it had been like inside the police station, the singer said, “It was fine. They were wonderful in there. It was like being on Prime Suspect.”

– In 2006: The Rolling Stones played three songs during the half-time show of the Super Bowl in Detroit. After the event, the Stones expressed their displeasure over having Mick Jagger’s microphone turned down to censor a line in the song, “Start Me Up.”

Musician Birthdays: Alice Cooper (US heavy metal singer, famous for hit, “I’m Eighteen”, born in 1948), Clint Black (US country singer, famous for hit, “Like the Rain”, born in 1962), Natalie Imbruglia (Australian singer/songwriter, famous for hit, “Torn”, born in 1975)

– In 1955: Elvis Presley played two shows (7.30pm and 9.30pm) at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hank Snow was also on the bill.

– In 1965: The Righteous Brothers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Phil Spector song ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. Also a US No.1 at the same time. In 1999 the PRS announced that it was the most played song of the 20th Century.

– In 1966: Bob Dylan and The Band played at the Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. This was the first date on a world tour which would become noted as Dylan’s first that used electric instruments, after he had ‘gone electric’ at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

– In 1968: Working at Abbey Road studios, London, The Beatles recorded ‘Across The Universe’. John and Paul decided the song needed some falsetto harmonies so they invited two girl fans into the studio to sing on the song. The two were Lizzie Bravo, a 16-year-old Brazilian living near Abbey Road and 17-year-old Londoner Gayleen Pease.

– In 1978: The Bee Gees started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Staying Alive’. From the film soundtrack Saturday Night Fever, it gave the brothers their fifth US No.1, also No.1 in the UK.

– In 1983: Karen Carpenter died aged 32 of a cardiac arrest at her parent’s house in Downey, California; the coroner’s report gave the cause of death of imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa. The Carpenters 1970 album Close to You, featured two hit singles: ‘(They Long to Be) Close to You’ and ‘We’ve Only Just Begun.’ They peaked at No.1 and No.2, on the US chart. In 1975 – In Playboy’s annual opinion poll; its readers voted Karen Carpenter the Best Rock Drummer of the year.

– In 1984: Culture Club started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Karma Chameleon’ the group’s 5th US Top 10 hit, also a No.1 in the UK.

– In 1984: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble kicked off their 114-date ‘Couldn’t Stand the Weather tour’ at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

– In 2003: Courtney Love was arrested at Heathrow airport for ‘endangering an aircraft’ on a transatlantic flight. The singer was said to have hurled abuse at the cabin crew on the flight from Los Angeles to London after her nurse who was in an economy seat was barred access to sit with Love in the upper class cabin.

– In 2004: Police questioned Noel Gallagher after a photograph of him trespassing on a railway line appeared in a newspaper. The Oasis guitarist was in a studio in Cornwall recording the bands new album when he took a walk along the railway line. British Transport Police said ‘he was setting a bad example.’