Musician Birthdays: Dave Davies (guitarist/singer of The Kinks, famous for the hits, “Lola” and “You Really Got Me”,  born in 1947), Sean Kingston (reggae singer, rapper and pop artist, famous for the hit “Beautiful Girls”, born in 1990)

– In 1959: 22 year old Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, aged 17, died in a crash shortly after take-off from Clear Lake, Iowa, the pilot of the single-engined Beechcraft Bonanza plane was also killed. Holly hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tourbus. All three were traveling to Fargo, North Dakota, for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour which Holly had set – covering 24 cities in three weeks, to make money after the break-up of his band, The Crickets, last year.

– In 1968: The Beatles started work on their new single ‘Lady Madonna’ at Abbey Road studios in London. Recording three piano and drum takes with overdub bass, fuzz guitars, drums, and vocals.

– In 1970: Led Zeppelin II was in the Top 20 on both the UK & US album charts after peaking at No.1. The album went on to spend 138 weeks on the UK chart. The album is now recognised by writers and music critics as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums ever recorded.

– In 1973: Elton John started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Crocodile Rock’. Elton’s first of five US No.1 singles.

– In 1979: Blondie had their first of five UK No.1 singles, with ‘Heart Of Glass’, taken from the band’s third studio album, Parallel Lines. ‘Heart of Glass’ was originally recorded in 1975 under the name ‘Once I Had a Love.’

– In 1979: The Blues Brothers went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Briefcase Full Of Blues’.

– In 1996: Queen Latifah was stopped by police for speeding who found a concealed weapon and marijuana, the singer was given two years probation.

– In 1996: The Ramones claimed to have played their last gig in the UK, at The Brixton Academy, after 22 years together.

– In 2010: AC/DC singer Brian Johnson, joined a growing group of critics of Bob Geldof and U2 singer Bono over their very public charity work, saying they should stop lecturing audiences about charity work and instead do their good deeds in private. Johnson said “When I was a working man I didn’t want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa. I’m sorry mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done. It just makes me angry.”

Musician Birthdays: Graham Nash (singer/guitarist of the Hollies and CSNY, born in 1942), Shakira (singer famous for hit, “Whenever, Wherever”, born in 1977)

– In 1959: Buddy Holly, Richard Valens and The Big Bopper all appeared at the Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa. This was all three acts last ever gig before being killed in a plane crash the following day.

– In 1962: The Beatles played their first professionally organised gig outside of Liverpool at The Oasis Club, Manchester. The groups set started with their version of ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’.

– In 1966: The Rolling Stones released ’19th Nervous Breakdown’ it peaked at No.2 on the UK singles chart.

– In 1969: Yoko Ono divorced her husband Tony Cox, Yoko was granted custody of their daughter Kyoko. John Lennon married Yoko the following month on 30th March.

– In 1973: Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake and Palmer injured his hands when his piano rigged to explode as a stunt, detonated prematurely during a concert in San Francisco.

– In 1976: Genesis released ‘A Trick Of The Tail’, their seventh studio album and the first to feature drummer Phil Collins as full-time lead vocalist following the departure of original vocalist Peter Gabriel. After auditioning over 400 vocalists, which saw Collins teaching the potential lead singers the songs, the band decided that Collins should be the new vocalist.

– In 1979: Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose in New York City. There had been a party to celebrate Vicious’ release on $50,000 (£29,412) bail pending his trial for the murder of his former girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, the previous October. Party guests, said that Vicious had taken heroin at midnight. An autopsy confirmed that Vicious died from an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that was consistent with heroin overdose. A syringe, spoon and heroin residue were discovered near the body.

– In 2004: TV network CBS apologised for its broadcast of the American Super Bowl after Janet Jackson was left exposed when Justin Timberlake ripped her top. The pair had been performing a raunchy half-time duet when one of Jackson’s breasts was exposed as Timberlake pulled at her top. CBS quickly cut away from the scene but was still flooded with calls from angry viewers about the half-time entertainment, produced by MTV. Timberlake insisted it had been an accident saying “I am sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the half-time performance of the Super Bowl.”

Musician Birthdays: Rick James (US singer/songwriter, famous for the hit, “Super Freak”, born in 1948), Mike Campbell (guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, born in 1954), Lisa Marie Presley (famous as the daughter of Elvis Presley, born in 1968)

– In 1949: RCA Records issued the first ever 45rpm single, the invention of this size record made jukeboxes possible.

– In 1963: 17 year-old Neil Young performed his first professional date at a country club in Winnipeg.

– In 1964: The Beatles started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, the first US No.1 by a UK act since The Tornadoes ‘Telstar’ in 1962 and the first of three consecutive No.1’s from the group.

– In 1967: At Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles started work on a new song ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. It wasn’t until The Beatles had recorded the song that Paul McCartney had the idea to make the song the thematic pivot for their forthcoming album.

– In 1967: Pink Floyd spent the day recording parts for the Syd Barrett songs ‘Arnold Layne’ and ‘Candy And A Current Bun’ at Sound Techniques Studios, Chelsea, London. Floyd also turned professional on this day after signing a deal with EMI Records.

– In 1968: The Who kicked off their third North American tour at the Civic Auditorium San Jose, California

– In 1969:  Tommy James and the Shondells started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Crimson And Clover’, the group’s second and last No.1. Billy Idol had a 1987 US No.1 with ‘Mony Mony’ a No.3 hit for Tommy James in 1968.

– In 1972: Chuck Berry had his first UK No.1 single with a live recording of a song he’d been playing live for over 20 years ‘My Ding-a-Ling’. UK public morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse attempted to have the song banned due to its innuendo-laden lyrics. The Average White Band members guitarist Onnie McIntyre and drummer Robbie McIntosh played on the single.

– In 1992: George Michael and Elton John went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, also a No.1 in the UK. All proceeds from the single went to Aids charities.

– In 1997: Blur went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Beetlebum’. The song’s title, is said to be a stab at Liam Gallagher, lead singer of Oasis, for his over-idolisation of The Beatles.

– In 1999: Four hundred people were injured at an Australian concert by Marilyn Manson when he stormed off stage after being bombarded with missiles and abuse at the show in Perth. One of Manson’s guitar technicians needed treatment for cuts to his head.

– In 2001: A collection of Sir Elton John’s private photos on display at a museum in Atlanta were withdrawn. The exhibition, which included snaps of nude men, was said to be too explicit, some school trips to the museum had been cancelled.

– In 2008: US space agency Nasa announced that ‘Across the Universe’ by the Beatles was to become the first song ever to be beamed directly into space. The track would be transmitted through the Deep Space Network – a network of antennas – on the 40th anniversary of the song being recorded, being aimed at the North Star, Polaris, 431 light-years from Earth. In a message to Nasa, Sir Paul McCartney said the project was an “amazing” feat. “Well done, Nasa,” he added. “Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul.”

Musician Birthdays: John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten, most famous as the lead singer of the Sex Pistols, famous for hits “Anarchy In the UK” and “God Save the Queen”, born in 1956), Jeff Hanneman, (guitarist of thrash metal band, Slayer, born in 1964), Chad Channing (Nirvana’s first drummer before Dave Grohl joined, born in 1967), Justin Timberlake (singer/songwriter/film actor, most famous as one of the singers for N’Sync and having a solo career, born in 1981)

– In 1967: The Beatles spent a second day at Knole Park, Sevenoaks, Kent, England to complete filming for the ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ promotional video. The film was shot in colour, for the benefit of the US market, since UK television was still broadcasting only in black and white. Taking time out from filming John Lennon bought a 1843 poster from an antiques shop in Surrey which provided him with most the lyrics for The Beatles song ‘Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite’.

– In 1970: The Jackson Five went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I Want You Back’. The song was originally written for Gladys Knight & The Pips and was the first of four No.1’s for the group. It made No.2 in the UK.

– In 1981: Blondie went to No.1 on the US singles hart with ‘The Tide Is High’, the group’s third US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK.

– In 1987: Paul Simon went back to No. 1 on the UK album chart with ‘Graceland’, the album stayed on the chart for 101 weeks.

– In 1988: Janet Jackson started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Together Again’.

– In 2007: Jim Morrison was enlisted to help fight global warming more than 35 years after his death. ‘Woman in the Window’, a previously unreleased poem written and recorded by The Doors frontman shortly before he died in 1971 was being set to music and used to publicise the Global Cool campaign.