Musician Birthdays: Junior Wells (US blues singer, born in 1932), Donny Osmond (singer of the Osmonds, born in 1957), Jakob Dylan (singer/songwriter, also known as the son of Bob Dylan, born in 1969), Tre Cool (drummer for Green Day, born in 1972)

– In 1955: Johnny Cash played two shows at Arkansas High School, in Swifton, Elvis Presley opened the show.

– In 1967: The Doors appeared at the New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut. Before the show a policeman found singer Jim Morrison making out with an 18 year-old girl in a backstage shower and after an argument the policeman sprays mace in Morrison’s face. Once on stage Morrison tells the story of the backstage episode and starts taunting the police who drag him off the stage and arrest him. The crowd riots leaving the venue in disarray and many are arrested. Later over 100 protestors gathered at the police station in demonstration and more arrests were made.

– In 1972: The Moody Blues started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Seventh Sojourn’.

– In 1978: Chic started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Le Freak’, a No.7 hit in the UK.

– In 1988: According to a poll released in the US, the music of Neil Diamond was favoured as the best background music for sex, Beethoven was the second choice and Luther Vandross was voted third.

– In 1989: Billy Joel started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’, a No.7 hit in the UK.

– In 1991: During their Use Your Illusion Tour, Guns n’ Roses played the first of three nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.

– In 1995: Darren Robinson, founder member of The Fat Boys died of a heart attack, weighing 450lb (204kg) at the time of his death. Also known as Buffy, The Human Beat Box, and DJ Doctor Nice.

– In 1995: Michael Jackson scored his 6th solo UK No.1 single when ‘Earth Song’ started a 6-week run at the top of the charts. It gave Jackson the UK Christmas No.1 of 1995 and his best-selling UK single ever. The song kept the first single released by The Beatles in 25 years, ‘Free as a Bird’, off the No.1 position.

– In 2000: Sharon Corr of The Corrs called for the legalisation of cannabis, claiming that the drug has medicinal properties. Sharon said, ‘Some people with certain conditions can get a brief reprieve from their symptoms through cannabis’.

– In 2000: U2 made their first-ever appearance on the long-running NBC program ‘Saturday Night Live.’ The band played ‘Beautiful Day’ and ‘Elevation.’

– In 2001: Channel 4 TV apologised to viewers after Madonna said ‘motherfucker’ during live UK TV coverage at The Tate Gallery, London. Madonna was presenting a prize to artist Martin Creed. A TV spokesman said that did have a bleeper system but they missed the offending word.

– In 2003: Ozzy Osbourne was admitted to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Berkshire after being injured in a quad bike accident at his UK home. The 55 year-old singer broke his collarbone, eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck. News of Osbourne’s accident reached the House of Commons, where the government sent a goodwill message.

– In 2006: Mariah Carey threatened legal action against porn star Mary Carey in an attempt to stop her trademarking her similar-sounding stage name. The singer believed fans could get the two performers confused if the adult film actress Mary Carey’s trademark application was successful.

– In 2010: Eric Clapton announced he was to sell off part of his extensive guitar collection to raise money for his Crossroads rehab Centre in Antigua. Highlights of the sale would include a guitar Clapton played at the Cream reunion shows in 2005, estimated to sell for more than £13,000. The sale to be held by Bonhams in New York would also feature a vast collection of amps and speakers, including a pair of Marshall speaker cabinets.

Musician Birthdays: Sammy Davis Jr. (Singer/actor, born in 1925), Jim Morrison (singer of the Doors, born in 1943), Greg Allman (guitarist for the Allman Brothers, born in 1947), Sinead O’ Connor (Singer/songwriter, born in 1966), Corey Taylor (guitarist/singer for Slipknot and Stone Sour, born in 1973)

– In 1961: The Beach Boys first single ‘Surfin’ was released on Candix Records, a small label based in Los Angeles.

– In 1963: Frank Sinatra Jr was kidnapped at gunpoint from a hotel in Lake Tahoe. He was released two days later after his father paid out the $240,000 ransom demanded by the kidnappers, who were later captured, and sentenced to long prison terms. In order to communicate with the kidnappers via a payphone the senior Sinatra carried a roll of dimes with him throughout this ordeal, which became a lifetime habit, he is said to have been buried with a roll of dimes.

– In 1965: The Rolling Stones recorded their ninth UK single ‘19th Nervous Breakdown’ at RCA studios in Hollywood, California.

– In 1966: Working at Abbey Road in London, Paul McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal for ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’. Then The Beatles set about remaking a new John Lennon song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever.’

– In 1968: Singer and guitarist Graham Nash left The Hollies and started work with David Crosby and Stephen Stills who went on to form Crosby Stills and Nash.

– In 1969: Mick Jagger was quoted saying ‘I don’t really like singing very much, I enjoy playing the guitar more than I enjoy singing and I can’t play the guitar either’.

– In 1969: On trial in Canada on drug possession charges, Jimi Hendrix told a Toronto court that he had only smoked pot four times in his life, snorted cocaine twice and took LSD no more than five times. Telling the jury that he had now ‘outgrown’ drugs. They find the guitarist not guilty.

– In 1977: Four people were arrested after a riot broke out when Blondie didn’t arrive for a gig in Brisbane. Over 1,000 Australian fans had waited over an hour for the group to appear on stage, but the gig was cancelled due to singer Debbie Harry being unwell.

– In 1979: Styx went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Babe’, the group’s only US No.1, a No.6 hit in the UK.

– In 1980: John Lennon was shot five times by 25 year old Mark Chapman outside the Dakota building in New York City where John and Yoko lived. Chapman had been stalking Lennon for days outside the Dakota apartments and asked for an autograph as Lennon walked through the courtyard. As he signed a piece of paper Chapman fired. Lennon was pronounced dead from a massive loss of blood at 11.30pm.

– In 1982: American country singer, songwriter Marty Robbins died aged 57 of complications following cardiac surgery. Had the first No.1 of the 60’s in the US with ‘El Paso’, (winning him a Grammy Award). Robbins later portrayed a musician in the 1982 Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man.

– In 1984: Hall and Oates started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Out Of Touch’, the duo’s 6th US No.1, it made No.48 in the UK.

– In 1984: Vince Neil from Motley Crue was involved in a car accident in Redondo Beach, Ca, which killed Nick Dingley from Hanoi Rocks and injured two other passengers. Neil was jailed for 20 days and paid $2.6 million in compensation.

– In 1995: Courtney Love appeared on the ABC TV show ’10 Most Fascinating People’, telling the presenter that she wished she had done ‘eight thousand million things differently’ to have prevented the death of her husband Kurt Cobain.

– In 2000: A plaque to commemorate the 20th anniversary of John Lennon’s death was unveiled outside his childhood home in Liverpool.

– In 2000: Sting joined the ranks of Tinseltown’s greatest when his star was unveiled on the celebrated Walk Of Fame in Hollywood.

– In 2004: Former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was one of five people killed after a man stormed the stage during a Damageplan show at the Alrosa Villa Club in Columbus. Nathan Gale, aged 25, began firing at the band and crowd, was then shot and killed by a police officer who arrived shortly after the first shots were fired.

Musician Birthdays: Harry Chapin (singer/songwriter who wrote “Cats in the Cradle”, born in 1942), Tom Waits (singer/songwriter/actor, born in 1942)

– In 1963: The Beatles second album ‘With The Beatles’ started a 21-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart. It replaced their first album ‘Please Please me’ which had been at the top of the charts since it’s release 30 weeks previously. Also today, all four Beatles appeared on BBC TV’s ‘Juke Box Dury’. Some of the songs The Beatles judged were ‘Kiss Me Quick’ by Elvis Presley, ‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’ by the Swinging Blue Jeans. ‘Did You Have a Happy Birthday’ by Paul Anka and ‘Where Have You Been All My Life’ by Gene Vincent.

– In 1964: Beach Boy Brian Wilson married Marilyn Rovell in L.A. The couple divorced in 1979. Marilyn and her sister and cousin were in a group, the Honeys, who were produced by Brian Wilson. Marilyn and Brian had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who became members of Wilson Phillips.

– In 1967: Otis Redding went into the studio to record ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’. The song went on to be his biggest hit. Redding didn’t see its release; he was killed three days later in a plane crash.

– In 1968: The Beatles ‘White Album’ started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK chart. The double set was the first on the Apple label and featured ‘Back In The USSR’, ‘Dear Prudence’, and the Harrison song ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’

– In 1974: Carl Douglas started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Kung Fu Fighting’. The song was recorded in 10 minutes, had started out as a B-side and went on to sell over 10 million.

– In 1979: The Police had their second UK No.1 single with ‘Walking on the Moon’, taken from their second album ‘Reggatta De Blanc’. The video for the song was filmed at Kennedy Space Center interspersed with NASA footage.

– In 1991: George Michael and Elton John were at No.1 in the UK with a live version of ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go down On Me’, (a hit for Elton in 1974). All proceeds from the hit went to aids charities.

– In 1991: Michael Jackson started a 7 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Black Or White’, his 12th solo No.1, also a No.1 in the UK.

– In 1991: Two weeks after Freddie Mercury’s death ‘Queen’s Greatest Hits II’ started a four week run at No.1 on the UK album chart.

– In 1991: U2 went to No.1 on the US album charts with ‘Achtung Baby’. Featuring ‘One’, Zoo Station’, ‘The Fly’ and ‘Even Better Than The Real Thing’.

– In 1992: Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged EP became the first Sony Minidisc to be released in the US.

– In 1996: Bush went to No. 1 on the US album chart with ‘Razorblade Suitcase’.

– In 2003: Britney Spears was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘In The Zone’ the singer’s fourth US No.1 album. The singer broke her own record from being the first female artist to have three albums enter the US chart at No.1 to being the first female artist to have 4 albums enter at No.1 consecutively.

Musician Birthdays: Peter Buck (guitarist for R.E.M., born in 1956), Randy Rhoads (guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, born in 1956)

– In 1949: American blues artist, Leadbelly died. Huddie William Ledbetter wrote many songs including ‘Goodnight Irene’, ‘Cotton Fields’, ‘The Rock Island Line’, and ‘The Midnight Special’. Leadbelly was jailed several times for fights and knife related incidents, he was once jailed for shooting a man dead during an argument over a woman.

– In 1961: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best met with Brian Epstein for further discussions about his proposal to manage them. Epstein wanted 25% of their gross fees each week. He promises that their bookings will be better organised, more prestigious, and will expand beyond the Liverpool area. He also promises that they will never again play for less than £15, except for Cavern lunchtime sessions, for which he will get their fee doubled to ten pounds. Lennon, as leader of The Beatles, accepts on their behalf.

– In 1962: Bob Dylan recorded ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ during a session at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City.

– In 1965: The Rolling Stones record ‘19th Nervous Breakdown’ and ‘Mother’s Little Helper’ at RCA’s Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles.

– In 1966: The Beatles recorded Christmas and New Year’s greetings for pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London. Both stations were broadcasting from ships anchored off the British coastline.

– In 1967: The Beatles started a seven-week run at No.1 in the UK with ‘Hello Goodbye’ their 13th No.1 single.

– In 1969: Led Zeppelin made their debut on the US singles chart with ‘Whole Lotta Love’, it went on to make No.4 on the chart and was the first of six Top 40 singles for the group in the US. During the bands career, Zeppelin never released any singles in the UK.

– In 1969: The Rolling Stones played a free festival at Altamont in California, along with Jefferson Airplane, Santana, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. Rolling Stones fan Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death as the group played by Hell’s Angels who’d been hired to police the event. It’s claimed Hunter was waving a revolver. One other man drowned, two men were killed by in a hit-and run accident and two babies were born.

– In 1975: Paul Simon went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’, his first US No.1 solo album.

– In 1978: Sex Pistol Sid Vicious smashed a glass in the face of Patti Smith’s brother Todd Smith during a fight at New York City club Hurrah.

– In 1986: Peter Cetera and Amy Grant went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘The Next Time I Fall’, not a hit in the UK.

– In 1988: American singer songwriter Roy Orbison died of a heart attack aged 52. Scored the 1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘Pretty Woman’, plus over 20 US & 30 UK Top 40 singles including ‘Only the Lonely’ and ‘Crying’. Formed his first band The Wink Westerners in 1949, was a member of The Traveling Wilburys (known as Lefty Wilbury) with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty and had the 1988 UK No.21 single ‘Handle With Care’. Orbison endured a great deal of tragedy in his life. His first wife, Claudette died in a motorcycle accident in 1966 and two of his three sons, died in a house fire.

– In 1995: Michael Jackson collapsed and was treated for dehydration while rehearsing for the HBO special Michael Jackson: One Night Only at The Beacon Theater in New York.

– In 2003: Elvis Costello married jazz artist Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John’s UK mansion. About 150 guests, including Sir Paul McCartney, attended the wedding. It was Costello’s third marriage.

Edit to add: I can’t believe I left out Randy Rhoads’s birthday!