ON THIS DAY :-
May 1st:
1786 . . The Mozart opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premiered in Vienna.
1869 . . The Folies Bergère opens in Paris.
1967 . . Elvis Presley marries Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas
1970 . . Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin combined for the first time on Elton's first American album "Elton John".
1974 . . At President Nixon's request, the Carpenters performed at the White House for a May Day special. Their opening track was "Close To You". They did 7 numbers containing 8 songs, ending with "We've only just Begun"
1979 . . Elton John became the first pop music star to perform in Israel.
1984 . . Mick Fleetwood filed for bankruptcy in the U.S.
1999 . . The Paintings of Paul McCartney exhibit opened at the Lyz Art Forum, Siegen, Germany. The exhibit featured 70 paintings by the former Beatle, including a piece called 'Bowie Spewing'.
May 2nd:
1965 . . Ed Sullivan announced he would never have Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stoneson his CBS-TV Sunday night show again. In time, he did invite them back
1970 . . One hit wonder Norman Greenbaum's 'Spirit In The Sky.' was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. 'Spirit In The Sky.'was also a No.1 hit for Doctor and the Medics in 1986 and Gareth Gates in 2003.
1989 . . Employees called police to a jewellery store in California to report a suspicious person. He turned out to be Michael Jackson shopping in disguise.
1992 . . A nonfamous UK duo called Nirvana filed a suit against the American band of the same name claiming that they had been using the name since 1968. The dispute was settled out of court in the British bands favour.
2004 . . Guns N' Roses' anthem 'Sweet Child O' Mine' is voted as the greatest guitar riff ever ahead of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' and Deep Purple's 'Smoke On The Water'.
2005 . . Cream members, Eric Clapton, drummer Ginger Baker and bass player Jack Bruce reunited 36 years after they had split up for the first of 4 nights at London's Royal Albert Hall. Eric Clapton agreed to are union because of the failing health of the other members.
May 3rd:
1957 . . The movie "The Tommy Steele Story" (Anglo Amalgamated Film Distributors Ltd). premiered in London. It took less than 2 months to produce.
1969 . . Jimi Hendrix was arrested when Canadian customs officials found heroin in his bag.
1971 . . New York City's Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center announced that it would begin presenting rock, pop and jazz concerts as well as classical.
1977 . . Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow performed at a benefit concert for the New York Public Library.
1986 . . Dollywood (Dolly Parton's theme park) opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
2004 . . The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by bassist Robert Daisley & drummer Lee Kerslake who claimed they were owed royalties from Ozzy Osbourne. Since 1997 they have been claiming they were entitled to money from the albums 'Blizzard of Ozz' & 'Diary of a Madman'. Sharon Osbourne, said their contributions were removed from the albums because of their "abusive and unjust behaviour".
May 4th:
1886 . . Gramophone patent awarded to Chichester Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter.
1956 . . Lonnie Donegan quit Chris Barber's Jazz Band to form his own skiffle group.
1959 . . First Grammy award winners announced. They include Volare by Domenico Modugno (record of the year), Tequila by Champs (R&B) and Tom Dooley by Kingston Trio
1968 . . Mary Hopkin won her heat on ITV's talent show 'Opportunity Knocks'. She signed with Apple Records, Paul McCartney produced her UK No.1 single 'Those Were The Days', which also made No. 2 in US. Mary married producer Tony Viscont.
1970 . . Four students at Kent University were killed and eleven wounded by National Guard troops at a campus demonstration protesting the escalation of the Vietnam War. The incident inspired Neil Young to compose 'Ohio' which became a hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
1991 . . Phil Collins and Al Jarreau received Honorary Doctor of Music Degrees from Berklee College of Music during cermonies in Boston.
May 5th:
1891 . . The Music Hall (later Carnegie Hall) had its grand opening with its first public performance. The first performer was Pyotr Llych Tchaikovsky.
1963 . . Recommended by George Harrison, Dick Rowe Head of A&R at Decca records, went to see The Rolling Stones play at Crawdaddy Club, London. The band were signed to the label within a week. (Dick Rowe, who turned down The Beatles)
1987 . . Over 130 Girls fainted during a gig by Curiosity Killed The Cat in Liverpool.
1990 . . The John Lennon tribute concert was held at the Pier Head Arena in Merseyside, featuring Lenny Kravitz, Al Green, Joe Cocker, The Christians, Kylie Minogue, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Deacon Blue, Lou Reed, Joe Walsh and Wet Wet Wet.
1995 . . Rock n Roll naughty boy Steven Adler was answering a felony count of possession of heroin, as well as 2 misdemeanor drug charges.
1999 . . Garth Brooks was named artist of the decade at the 34 annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
May 6th:
1965 . . In a Clearwater, Florida hotel room, Keith Richards starts writing for the Stones, he and Jagger worked out the opening riff of the song Satisfaction, following Richard's purchase of a Gibson fuzz-box that day.
1973 . . Paul Simon set out on his first tour without partner Art Garfunkel, using The Jesse Dixon Singers as a back- up group on stage.
1977 . . While Dolly Parton made her New York singing debut on this date, Led Zeppelin were setting a new record for the largest audience at a single-act concert in Pontiac, MI., in front of 76,229 people, breaking their own world attendance record which was at Silverdome in Michigan,
1982 . . Former manager of The Bay City Rollers Tam Paton, was convicted on a charge of gross indecency with boys and was sentenced to three years in jail.
2002 . . Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen was voted No.1 in a poll by the Guinness Hit Singles book Top 100 British Singles, 'Imagine' by John Lennon was No.2 and 'Hey Jude', The Beatles No.3.
2004 . . Beatles memorabilia sold at Christie's in London for a record £788,643. The auction included a leather collar worn by John Lennon which sold for £117,250. A signed copy of a management deal with The Beatles and manager Brian Epstein sold for £122,850. A Vox Kensington guitar used by Lennon and Harrison went for £100,000.
May 7th:
1941 . . Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo."
1967 . . Ringo Starr, Brian Jones and members of The Beach Boys and The Moody Blues were in the audience to watch Jimi Hendrix who played two shows at London's Saville Theatre.
1972 . . Reginald Dwight changed his name by Deed poll to Elton Hercules John. Elton comes from Elton Dean, a Bluesology sax player. John comes from Long John Baldry, British R&B singer and founder of Blues Inc.. Hercules was the name of the horse in the British comedy series Steptoe and Son, which he enjoyed.
1978 . . Bob Dylan sold 90,000 tickets in less than eight hours for upcoming concerts at London's Wembley Empire Pool.
1982 . . Diana Ross received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame lines both sides of Hollywood Boulevard from Gower to La Brea, and both sides of Vine Street, from Yucca to Sunset. Diana's location is 6712 Hollywood Blvd.
2003 . . Pete Townshend was cleared of possessing pornographic images of children. He was placed on a national register of sex offenders for five years. Police determined that he did not possess images of child abuse but that he was guilty of accessing a child pornography Internet site in 1999.
May 8th:
1954 . . The BBC banned "Such a Night" by Johnny Ray after listeners complained about its 'suggestiveness'.
1965 . . There were NINE British records in US Top 10: 1. Hermans' Hermits: Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter. 3. Beatles: Ticket to Ride. 4. Wayne Fontana: Game of Love 5. Petula Clarke: I Know a Place. 6. Seekers: I'll Never Find Another You. 7. Herman's Hermits: Silhouettes. 8. Freddie and the Dreamers: I'm Telling You Now 9. Rolling Stones: The Last Time. 10. Sounds Orchestral: Cast Your Fate to the Wind. (No 2. was Gary Lewis & the Playboys: Count Me In)
1967 . . Gerry And The Pacemakers announced they were splitting up, recognising they could no longer keep pace with the rapidly changing UK rock scene. They were the second Liverpool band to chart [after the Beatles], but first to reach No1. and the first act ever to top UK chart with their initial 3 singles.
1988 . . Prince's 10th album was released entitled "Lovesexy." Some stores refused to sell the album due to the nude portrait that was on the cover.
1990 . . Tom Waits won $2.5 million when a Los Angeles court ruled that Frito-Lay unlawfully used a Waits sound alike in its Doritos ads
1996 . . A Los Angeles judge ruled against Tommy Lee and wife Pamela Anderson in their bid to keep Penthouse magazine from publishing still photos from an X-rated home movie that was stolen from their home
1998 . . The Smashing Pumpkins filed a suit against Westwood One. The claim was that the radio syndicator had breached an oral and implied agreement when they licensed a 1991 interview with the band.
May 9th:
1959 . . The UK music paper Melody Maker introduced a Juke Box Top 20 Chart compiled from 200 Juke Boxes around the UK
.1963 . . During a concert at London's Albert Hall, Paul McCartney met future girlfriend 17 year-old Jane Asher for the first time
1973 . . Mick Jagger makes official donation of $350,000 to aid victims of Nicaraguan earthquake, adding £150,000 of his money to the receipts of Stones benefit concert at La Forum - brill I wish more did this. god they can afford it.
1974 . . Bruce Springsteen's performance at Boston's Harvard Square Theatre prompts Jon Landau to say: 'I have seen the future of rock and roll and his name is Bruce Springsteen.'
1988 . . Several Department stores in Minnesota refuse to stock the newly released Prince album, "Lovesexy" because the cover photo features a nude photo of him.
1998 . . Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page were musical guests on NBC's "Saturday Night Live." They performed their collaboration "Come To Me."
2000 . . A U.S. federal appeals court upheld a $5.4 million jury decision that Michael Bolton had plagiarized parts of the song "Love is a Wonderful Thing." The original song, of the same name, was released in 1966 by the Isley Brothers.
May 10th:
1964 . . Dusty Springfield made her U.S. television debut on the "Ed Sullivan Show."
1969 . . The Turtles and the Temptations played at the White House upon the request of Tricia Nixon. Allegedly they had been snorting cocaine off Abraham Lincoln's desk, and Mark Volman fell off the stage 5 times.
1969 . . Frank Sinatra's version of 'My Way' made the British Top ten for the first time. Over the next three years it re-entered the Top 50 singles chart eight times.
1975 . . Stevie Wonder and his band Wonderlove played for 125,000 people at the Washington Monument as part of Human Kindness Day.
1994 . . Rapper Tupac Shakur began serving a 15-day county jail term for attacking director Allen Hughes on a video set.
1999 . . Marti Pellow announced that he had quit Wet Wet Wet and had signed a solo deal with Sir Elton John's former manager John Reid.
2003 . . Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) was given an honorary doctorate degree in music by the Berklee College of Music.
May 11th:
1928 . . First scheduled TV service started by GEC station WLY in New York
1964 . . The rock band Rolling Stones were refused lunch at The Grand Hotel, Bristol, where they were staying while on a UK tour because they were not wearing jackets and ties.
1967 . . The ABC-TV special "Rodgers & Hart Today" aired. It starred Bobby Darin, the Supremes, Petula Clark and the Mamas & the Papas.
1970 . . The triple soundtrack album 'Woodstock' was released in the US, going gold within two weeks.
1974 . . Robert Plant and his idol Elvis Presley did an impromptu version of "Love Me" when they met at Gracelands after a Presley concert. Plant fed his Elvis Presley infatuation on his 1984's The Honeydrippers, Vol. 1, album.
1995 . . Jimmy Vaughn, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray reunited for a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn. All five had played with Vaughan at his last show on August 26, 1990, before he was killed in a helicopter crash.
May 12th:
1963 . . Bob Dylan walked out of rehearsals for the US TV Ed Sullivan show after being told he couldn't perform 'Talking John Birch Society Blues' due to it mocking the US military.
1967 . .'Are You Experienced', the debut album by Jimi Hendrix was released in the UK. Sadly 36 years later, on this very same date in 2003, Noel Redding aged 57, bass player for Jimi Hendrix Experience was reunited with Jimi.
(He died of natural causes)
1971 . . Rolling Stone Mick Jagger married Bianca Macias at St Tropez Town Hall. The couple separated in 1977.
1977 . . At the second Ivor Novello Awards, Led Zeppelin received the Outstanding Contribution to British Music award.
1977 . . After being dropped by EMI and A&M records in less than 6 months, Virgin records announced they had signed The Sex Pistols.
1983 . . Meat Loaf filed for bankruptcy with debts of over $1 million.
1981 . . Deborah Harry of Blondie announced that she would be making a solo album.
2001 . . The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Napster to stop its users from trading copyrighted material without charge.
May 13th:
1938 . . "When the Saints Go Marching In" was recorded by Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra.
1971 . . Grace Slick smashed her Mercedes into a concrete wall near San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
1971 . . On his twenty- first birthday Stevie Wonder received all his childhood earnings. His contract with Motown expired this day and the royalties set aside for him in a trust fund became available. Despite having earned $30 million so far, he received only $1 million.
1974 . . Forty-three people were arrested and more than fifty were injured after youths started throwing bottles outside a Jackson Five concert at RFK stadium in Washington DC.
1979 . . David Lee Roth from Van Halen collapsed on stage during a concert in Spokane, Washington.
1993 . . The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bette Midler and Barry White were guest voices on the season finale of the "The Simpsons." The episode was entitled "Krusty Gets Kancelled."
2000 . . Happy Mondays singer, Shaun Ryder's Volkswagen Corrado was found abandoned after being used as the getaway car. The car was used in an armed robbery on Harry Ramsden's fish and chip restaurant in Manchester. £7,000 cash was taken in the robbery
May 14th:
1956 . . Buddy Holly got a prescription for contact lenses. He couldn't get used to wearing them so he continued to use his trademark glasses.
1959 . . Cliff Richard's first movie, "Serious Charges," premiered.
1976 . . Keith Relf (Yardbirds) was electrocuted by his son's electric guitar. He was 33 years old.
1985 . . Michael Jackson received a humanitarian award from U.S. President Ronald Reagan at the White House.
1988 . . Led Zeppelin reunited for the Atlantic Records 40th anniversary party in New York, appearing with the son of John Bonham, Jason on drums.
1993 . . Four 'Super Hero', Costumes worn by the group Kiss, sold in a sale at Christies, London, for £20,000.
1998 . . In a Beverly Hills Municipal court, George Michael was convicted and fined £500/$810 for a "lewd act" in a .Los Angeles lavatory. He was also ordered to undergo psychological counselling and carry out 80 hours community service.
May 15th:
1915 . . Tom Brown's Band from Dixieland opened up at Lamb's Cafe at Clark & Randolph Streets in Chicago, with Ray Lopez, cornet and manager; Tom Brown, trombone and leader; Gussie Mueller clarinet, Arnold Loyacano piano and string bass; and Billy Lambert on drums. (In Chicago Gussie Mueller was hired by bandleader Bert Kelly, and his place was taken by young New Orleans clarinetist Larry Shields).
1957. . Elvis Presley inhaled a cap on one of his teeth. He had to be taken to a Los Angeles hospital to have it removed from his lung.
1970 . . Pink Floyd perform two-and-a-half-hour set at Crystal Palace, complete with fireworks and fifty-foot inflatable octopus. The concert is so loud that fish die in the lake
1970 . . Pirate Station, Radio North Sea International was bombed by commando frogmen hired by a director of the rival pirate station, Radio Veronica.
1974 . . Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones) released his first solo album, "Monkey Grip." It was the first solo effort by a member of the Rolling Stones.
1984 . . Nils Lofgren replaced "Miami" Steve Van Zandt in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.
1991 . . Manic Street Preacher guitarist Richey Edwards carved '4 real' into his arm with a razor blade while being interviewed by music paper The NME.
2002 . . Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay suffered facial injuries after an incident with a photographer at the premiere of 'Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones' in London.
May 16th:
1946 . . The Irving Berlin musical, "Annie Get Your Gun," opened at New York's Imperial Theatre for the first of 1,147 performances.
1966 . .Bruce Springsteen's four-piece high school group The Castiles, (named after a soap brand), recorded two original songs “That’s What You Get” and “Baby I” at the Bricktown Studio in New Jersey. Both were co-written by Bruce Springsteen & lead singer George Theissat, only five copies of the record were pressed.
1969 . . Pete Townshend spent the night in a US jail for assaulting a man at The Fillmore East. What Townshend didn't know was the man who jumped onto the stage was a plainclothes policeman trying to warn the audience that a fire had broken out. The Who guitarist was later fined $30 for the offence.
1974 . . Queen's rock guitarist Brian May collapses onstage in New York while the band were on tour. Suffering with hepatitis, he was flown back to the UK.
1983 . . The television special "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever" aired. It was a taping of the first time that Michael Jackson performed the moonwalk for a live audience. Non of the Funk Brothers were invited or given any credit.
2000 . . The Artist announced that he was reclaiming the name "Prince" since his contract with Warner-Chappell had expired. The contract officially ended on December 31, 1999.
May 17th:
1960 . . Billboard reports that Berry Gordy is forming his own record label, to become Tamla Motown
1963 . . The first Monterey Folk Festival was held featuring Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Peter Paul and Mary.
1969 . . It was reported that for the first time ever album sales had overtaken single sales in the UK. 49,184,000 albums were produced during 1968 compared with 49,161,000 singles.
1980 . . Drummer Peter Criss left Kiss and was replaced by Eric Carr.
1980 . . Dr. George Nickopoulas is indicted on fourteen counts of over-prescribing drugs to Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and nine others
1986 . . Whitney Houston becomes the first-ever female singer to hit top of Billboard singles chart with three consecutive singles when Greatest Love of All reaches No. 1
1999 . . No Doubt sued the clothing manufacturer No Fear with the claim that the companies clothing items that had the "No Doubt" name on them infringe on the bands copyrighted service mark.
2000 . . The Eagles filed suit against the "Hotel California" restaurant in Dallas, TX, alleging trademark violations.
May 18th:
1963 . . The Beatles began their first headlining tour at the Grenada Theatre in Slough, England.
1967 . . John Lennon and Paul McCartney sang backing vocals on The Rolling Stones track 'We Love You' during a session at Olympic Studios, London.
1968 . . Tiny Tim's "Tiptoe through the Tulips" was released. It was originally a number one hit for Nick Lucas in 1929.
1978 . . "The Buddy Holly Story" had its world premiere in Dallas, TX.
1999 . . 25-year-old Robbie O'Neil was found dead from a heroin overdose at Shane MacGowan's London flat.
2002 . . Madonna's boyfriend Guy Ritchie was arrested after attacking a fan outside the superstar's London home. Ritchie was said to have kicked and punched a male fan after the couple returned home from a night out.
2004 . . It was announced that the Country Cow Creamery would be producing the ice cream flavors Ozzy's Carnivorous Carrot Cake and Death by Sharon in honor of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.
May 19th:
1958 . . Bobby Darin's single, "Splish Splash," was released as the first eight-track master recording pressed to a plastic 45-RPM disc.
1960 . . DJ Alan Freed and eight others were charged by federal grand jury for commercial bribery, better known as payola. Alan Freed refused to testify and became the scapegoat for the others.
1965 . . FBI agents visited Wand Records investigating the lyrics to the song "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen.
1976 . . Rolling Stone Keith Richards crashed his car near Newport Pagnell, Bucks, after falling asleep at the wheel; marijuana and cocaine were found by the police resulting in another fine for the guitarist.
1979 . . Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reunite for an impromptu jam at a Welcome Home party for Eric and Patti Clapton. They had a same stage and played all the Little Richard and Eddie Cochran songs they knew.
1980 . . Ringo Starr and his future wife were involved in a car crash less than half a mile from where Marc Bolan was killed, the car was a write-off but Starr and Bach were not seriously injured.
1989 . . Alison Moyet was granted a divorce from husband Malcolm Lee
May 20th:
1954 . . Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" was released. It was not successful until it was released in 1955 on the soundtrack to "Blackboard Jungle."
1961 . . Cliff Richard made his debut on ITV's 'Thank Your Lucky Stars.'
1967 . . BBC Ban Beatles' Day in the Life, on the grounds that it might encourage drug-taking.
1971 . . Pete Cetera, bass player and singer with Chicago, undergoes five hours of emergency surgery after losing four teeth in a fight at a Dodgers-cubs baseball game. Four rednecks objected to the length of his hair.
1978 . . The Buddy Holly Story, starring Gary Busey, has its premiere in Lubbock, Texas
1997 . . U2 caused traffic chaos in Kansas City, Missouri after they paid for traffic control to close down five lanes to shoot the video for 'Last Night On Earth'. The following day a Cadillac crashed into a plate glass window to avoid a cameraman.
1998 . . Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) started serving a 6-month sentence for felony spousal abuse
2005 . . Kylie Minogue had a cancerous lump removed from her breast at St Frances Xavier Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The singer had been due to begin the 20-date Australian leg of her current worldwide Showgirl tour in Sydney
May 21st:
1968 . . Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) was arrested for a second time for possession of cannabis in his London apartment.
1975 . . 1975 Elton John performs the first of eight concerts in the USSR - The first Western rock star to play there. 4,000 people see the show
1980 . . Joe Strummer of The Clash was arrested at a much troubled gig in Hamburg, Germany, after smashing his guitar over the head of a member of the audience, he was released after an alcohol test proved negative.
1980 . . Five Jimi Hendrix Gold discs were stolen from The Electric Ladyland Studios, California.
1982 . . the world famous Hacienda Club was opened in Manchester, England. Madonna made her UK TV debut at the club when C4 music show The Tube was broadcast live.
1994 . . Manchester United Football Club scored an UK No.1 single with 'Come On You Reds'.
1994 . . The Wonder Stuff announced that they were splitting up, the bands Phoenix Festival show in July would be their last.
May 22nd:
1954 . . Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) celebrated his bar mitzvah.
1955 . . In Bridgeport, CT, a Fats Domino concert was canceled because policed feared a rock 'n' roll riot would occur.
1958 . . Jerry Lee Lewis arrives at Heathrow for start of UK tour, accompanied by his fourteen-year-old wife (and third cousin), Myra.
1966 . . Bruce Springsteen and his first band, the Castilles, recorded their first and only record, "That's What You Get" backed with "Baby I." It was never released.
1975 . . First-ever army Rock Festival is held at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when 40,000 GIs rock to Joe Cocker and Pure Prairie League
1981 . . Bob Marley's funeral takes place in Jamaica
1992 . . Michael Jackson financed the funeral of a 9-year-old boy that had been killed in a drive-by shooting.
1997 . . It was declared "Eddie Bo Day" in New Orleans by mayor Marc Morial while Bo was playing in Karachi, Pakistan. Eddie Bo was also named New Orleans' music ambassador to Pakistan.
2000 . . Steely Dan received the Founders Award for a lifetime of songwriting at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards
May 23rd:
1964 . . Ella Fitzgerald's cover of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" hit #34 in the U.K. She was the first artist to chart in the U.K. with a Beatles cover.
1970 . . The Grateful Dead their first show outside of the U.S. at a British concert at the Hollywood Rock Festival.
1979 . . Due to a record company dispute, Tom Petty was forced to file for bankruptcy owing $575,000 (£338,235). A long-running battle with his record company followed.
1982 . . The UK Musicians Union moved a resolution to ban synthesizers and drum rhythm machines from sessions and live concerts fearing that their use would put musicians out of work.
1992 . . A statement issued by Freddie Mercury's attorneys, stated that the Queen singer had bequeathed the majority of his estate (£10 million) to his long time friend Mary Austin.
2000 . . Noel Gallagher walked out on his band Oasis during a European tour. The move was put down to a series of burst- ups with his brother Liam. The band drafted in replacement guitarist Matt Deighton for the rest of the European dates.
2002 . . Cliff Richard announced plans to launch a new wine "Vida Nova". 27,000 bottles of the Portuguese red from the grapes of his 25 acre estate would go on sale at £8.99 ($15.28) a bottle.
May 24th:
1956 . . The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland. The event was the brainchild of Marcel Baisoncon of the European Broadcasting Union. Seven countries participated and they were each allowed two songs. Both Luxembourg and the winner Switzerland used the same singer for both. Switzerland won with 'Refrain' by Lys Assia.
1969 . . BBC television aired the first '33 & A Third Revolutions Per Monkee', guests included Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Julie Driscoll.
1970 . . Peter Green (guitar virtuoso) played his last gig with Fleetwood Mac when they played at the Bath Festival, Somerset, England.
1971 . . Bob Dylan visits Wailing Wall in Jerusalem on his 30th birthday
1983 . . Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet broke up the band Yaz.
1984 . . US backed pirate station Laser 558, started broadcasting in the UK. Within a few months the station claimed to have over 10 million listeners.
1990 . . Axl Rose and Erin Everly filed for divorce. They had been married for less than a month.
1999 . . David Bowie wrote and recorded the song "What's Really Happening" during a live Webcast. The song appeared on the album "hours."
May 25th:
1965 . . Dave Davies (Kinks) was knocked unconscious when he careened into drummer Mick Avory's cymbal during a London concert.
1967 . . John Lennon of The Beatles took delivery of his psychedelic painted 1965 Rolls Royce Phantom V. Chassis 5VD73. John had commissioned artist "The Fool" to paint the car for him.
1968 . . The 1968 Monterey Pop Festival was canceled.
1969 . . The Hollies recorded "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" with Elton John on piano.
1973 . . Carole King's concert in Central Park draws 100,000 people - the biggest crowd there up to this point.
1995 . . The earliest known recording of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, from 1961, was sold at Christies in London for £50,250 ($85,425).
2003 . . Jemini, the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, failed to get a single point, the first time a UK entry had ended up with NO points.
May 26th:
1932 . . Frankie Laine (and partner Ruth Smith) sets the all-time marathon dancing record lasting 3,501 hours (145 consecutive days) until 18 October 1932, earning him $600
1969 . . To promote world peace, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began their 2nd "Bed-In For Peace", in room 1742 of The Hotel La Reine Elizabeth, Montreal, Canada.
1978 . . In the Irish television guide; at 4.00 'Top Cat', 4.30 'Skippy' and at 5.30 'Youngline' (a series for young people highlighting their interests) featuring a new pop group U2 (alias Hype).
1988 . . Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Cats" opened in Moscow with a British and American cast.
1990 . . For the first time ever the Top five positions in the US singles chart were held by female artists; Madonna was at No.1 with 'Vogue', Heart were at No.2, Sinead O'Connor No.3, Wilson Phillips at No.4 and Janet Jackson was at No.5
1994 . . Michael Jackson marries Lisa-Marie Presley in the Dominican Republic. They were divorced in January of 1996.
1996 . . Eric Clapton was fighting the flames to save his collection of guitars as the firemen arrived at the blaze at his house, which caused over one and a half million pounds worth of damage.
2002 . . The first episode of 'At Home With The Osbournes' was shown on MTV in the UK.
May 27th:
1964 . . Eleven boys were suspended at a Coventry, England, school for having a hair style like Mick Jagger.
1964 . . Pirate radio station 'Sutch' was started by Screaming Lord Sutch, broadcasting from former army fort 'Shivering Sands', in The Thames Estuary.
1967 . . Columbia and RCA Victor announced that they would raise the list price of mono albums by a dollar on June 1. It was the first increase since 1953.
1977 . . The Sex Pistols single 'God Save The Queen' was released in the UK. Banned by TV and radio, high street shops and pressing plant workers refused to handle the record. It sold 200,000 copies in one week and peaked at No.2 on the UK charts.
1987 . . During a show in Rome's Flaminio Stadio, U2's sound system set off earthquake alarms in two neighborhoods.
1989 . . Cliff Richard released his one hundredth single, 'The Best Of Me', which became his 26th Top 3 UK hit.
1997 . . Oasis singer Liam Gallagher was left with cuts and bruises after a scuffle with a youth at the Tower Thistle Hotel in east London. Members of the band had been drinking at the bar when the fight broke out.
2005 . . Robbie Williams was voted by a UK nation-wide survey of 5,000 people into first place beating Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie to be named the best live solo artist.
May 28th:
1941 . . Frank Sinatra joined Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra in recording "This Love of Mine."
1955 . . "Billboard" reported that "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" was the most popular song in the U.S.
1957 . . The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) was established. The NARAS is known for organizing the Grammy Awards
1964 . . The BBC received over 8,000 postal applications for tickets for The Rolling Stones appearance on Juke Box Dury.
1976 . . The Allman Brothers Band broke up after Gregg Allman testified against his personal road manager in a drug case. The band reformed in 1978.
1977 . . Bruce Springsteen reaches a settlement against manager Mike Appel in which Bruce gets control of his music publishing. Appel receives a million dollars
1982 . . Promoter Bill Graham staged a special Vietnam Veterans benefit concert in San Francisco starring The Jefferson Starship, The Grateful Dead and Country Joe.
1990 . . Mitch Mitchell former drummer with Jimi Hendrix took out a High Court action against Private Eye magazine over an allegedly defamatory item.
May 29th:
1942 . . The Irving Berlin song "White Christmas", was recorded by Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter Orchestra for Decca Records. The song was written for the film "Holiday Inn". More than 30-million copies of Crosby's most famous, hit song have been sold and a total of around 70-million copies, including all versions of the standard, have been sold.
1959 . . One of rock's first outdoor events takes place (in the rain) at Herndon Stadium in Atlanta. Ray Charles, B.B. King, Ruth Brown and Drifters are on the bill.
1970 . . Cliff Richard releases his 50th single -Goodbye Sam Hello Samantha.
1977 . . In Baltimore, Elvis Presley left the stage in the middle of a concert and did not return. It was the first time he terminated a show in this manner.
1981 . . Prince performed in Europe for the first time.
1997 . . Singer songwriter Jeff Buckley disappeared after talking a swim in the Mississippi River, his body was found on 4th June 1997 after being spotted by a passenger on a tourist riverboat.
2002 . . Australian actress and singer Natalie Imbruglia became the new face of L'Oreal when she signed a deal worth £100,000 ($170,000) with the French cosmetics manufacturer.
May 30th:
1962 . . During the days of Stalin, "The King of Swing" Benny Goodman with clarinet in hand, led the first American jazz band to play in the Soviet Union.
1966 . . Dolly Parton and Carl Dean were married
1974 . . Bernadette Whelan a 14 year- old David Cassidy fan died of heart failure four days after attending a concert of his. Over 1,000 other fans had to be given first aid during the White City Stadium show.
1987 . . Adam Horovitz (Beastie Boys) arrested in Liverpool on UK tour after allegedly hitting a girl fan during a riot at the Royal Court
1987 . . Irish acts held No. 1 and No. 3 on Hot 100 with U2's 'With or Without You' and Chris de Burgh's 'Lady in Red'
1990 . . Midnight Oil closed down 6th Avenue in New York City as they played a protest concert in front of Exxon's offices. The protest was in reaction to the Exxon Valdez disaster.
2004 . . Madonna was forced to pay out £250,000 in a lawsuit after copying ideas by the late French erotic photographer Guy Burton. Madonna had admitted that the video for her song 'Hollywood' was inspired by Burton.
May 31st:
1917 . . The first jazz record, "Dark Town Strutters Ball," by Brooks Shelton. was released. Columbia had interviewed the the band earlier that year, Jan 30 1917.
1961 . . Chuck Berry opens Berry Park, an outdoor amusement park in Wentzville (near St. Louis)
1971 . . 36 Grateful Dead fans were medically treated after unknowingly drinking L.S.D. laced cider, at US gig.
1976 . . The Who perform loudest concert ever at Charlton Athletic football ground, at 120 decibels, using 76,000-watt PA system, beating Deep Purple's record.
1977 . .The BBC announced a ban on the Sex Pistols single 'God Save The Queen' saying it is, 'in gross bad taste'. And the IBA issued a warning to all radio stations saying the playing the single would be in breach of Section 4:1:A of
the Broadcasting act. It reached No.2 on the UK chart.
1982 . . R.E.M. signed a five-album deal with I.R.S. Records, an independent label based in California.
1998 . . Geri Halliwell announced she had quit The Spice Girls saying "This is because of differences between us. I am sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best."

DAY BY DAY MUSIC TRIVIA
JAN / FEB / MARCH / APRIL / MAY / JUNE / JULY / AUGUST / SEPT / OCT / NOV / DEC

MAY: Births & Deaths | MAY: Past Charts | MAY: Music Quiz

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