2019 – Bruce Dickinson
Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, left his wife of 29 years to move in with a ‘superfan’ 15 years his junior. It was reported that the singer was now living with fitness instructor Leana Dolci at her Paris home.
2015 – George Michael
A former prison officer was jailed for 12 months after admitting selling stories about George Michael to the Sun newspaper for £2,150, ($3,249). Michael was jailed for eight weeks in September 2010 for crashing his Range Rover while under the influence of cannabis.
2013 – YouTube Awards
The first ever YouTube awards were held in New York City. The event featured Eminem, Lady Gaga and M.I.A making live music videos directed by the awards’ creator, Spike Jonze, and others. Eminem won Artist of the Year, while Taylor Swift’s ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ took the YouTube Phenomenon award.
2005 – Madonna
Winners at this years MTV Europe awards included Coldplay who won best UK act and best song for ‘Speed Of Sound’, Green Day won best rock act and best album, Alicia Keys was named best R&B act, System of a Down won best alternative act, The Black Eyed Peas won the best pop award and for the first time, the awards included a category for best African act, won by 2 Face. Madonna, in her first live TV performance since a riding accident, launched the show by emerging from a giant disco ball. Madonna also presented MTV’s ‘Free Your Mind’ humanitarian award to Live 8 organiser Bob Geldof.
2003 – P. Diddy
P Diddy ran in the New York City Marathon and raised $2,000,000 for the educational system for the children of New York. He finished the marathon in four hours and eighteen minutes.
2002 – Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan, died mid-way through a UK tour and shortly before he was due to perform at a memorial concert for George Harrison with The Rolling Stones. He was aged 71. Donegan who launched the skiffle craze in the UK had the 1959 hit ‘Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour’, the 1960 UK No.1 single ‘My Old Man’s A Dustman’, ‘Rock Island Line’, plus over 30 other UK Top 40 singles.
1997 – Metallica
Metallica came to a out of court agreement with a fan who claimed he lost his sense of smell after being dropped on his head by fans at one of their shows four years earlier.
1995 – Hootie and the Blowfish
Hootie and the Blowfish reached an out of court settlement with Bob Dylan for the group’s unauthorized use of Dylan’s lyrics in their song ‘Only Want To Be With You’.
1993 – Leon Theremin
Russian inventor Leon Theremin died. Most famous for his invention of the theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments. He first performed the theremin with the New York Philharmonic in 1928.
1992 – Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi released their fifth studio album, Keep The Faith, which spent a total of 49 weeks on the US chart. The album produced three Top 40 hits: ‘Keep The Faith’, ‘Bed of Roses’ and ‘In These Arms’.
1991 – Bill Graham
A free concert was held in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco to honor the memory of promoter Bill Graham, who was killed in a helicopter crash the week before. Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, Grateful Dead, Journey and Joan Baez were the featured acts.
1990 – The Righteous Brothers
25 years after their version was recorded, The Righteous Brothers went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Unchained Melody’. The track had been featured in the Patrick Swayze film ‘Ghost.’ Written by Alex North and Hy Zaret, ‘Unchained Melody is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, with over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages.
1990 – Vanilla Ice
‘Ice Ice Baby’, by Vanilla Ice became the first rap record to top the US singles chart, (and later also a UK No.1 single). The track was initially released as the B-side to the rapper’s cover of ‘Play That Funky Music’, and became the A-side after US DJ’s started playing the track.
1984 – Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Caribbean Queen’. The song was originally called ‘European Queen’.
1984 – Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney went to No.1 on the UK album chart with the film soundtrack to ‘Give My Regards To Broad Street’, featuring the UK No.2 single ‘No More Lonely Nights.’
1979 – Robin Scott
One Hit Wonder M went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Pop Muzik’. M was Robin Scott who scored one other UK top 40 hit, ‘Pop Muzik’ made No.2 in the UK.
1977 – Elton John
During a concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, Elton John announced his retirement from live performances.
1973 – David Bowie
David Bowie scored his second UK No.1 album when Pinups started a five-week run at the top of the charts. The set contained Bowie covering his favourite 60s songs; his version of The Mersey’s ‘Sorrow’ made No.3 on the UK singles chart, (first recorded by The McCoys in 1965).
1973 – Hall and Oates
Daryl Hall and John Oates released Abandoned Luncheonette. The most well-known track from the album ‘She’s Gone’ did not become a hit when first released but gained momentum from two later covers, one by Lou Rawls, and one by Tavares. After the latter cover topped the Billboard R&B chart in 1974, the original was re-released and became a top 10 pop hit in 1976, reaching No. 7 in the US.
1972 – Carly Simon
James Taylor and Carly Simon were married by a judge in Simon’s Manhattan apartment, beginning their eleven year marriage. That evening, Simon joined him on stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and announced their union to a cheering audience.
1967 – The Beatles
The filming for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour was completed finishing with a sequence at Ringo’s country house in Weybridge, Surrey, BBC television bought the rights to broadcast the film twice, the first broadcast, in black-and-white was scheduled for December 26, 1967. The second showing, on the color channel BBC2, was not yet available to all Britons, was set for January 5, 1968.
1964 – The Rolling Stones
During a Rolling Stones North American tour a 17 year-old Stones fan fell from the balcony during a gig in Cleveland, Ohio. The Mayor of Ohio banned all future pop concerts, saying; “Such groups do not add to the community’s culture or entertainment.”
1962 – The Crystals
The Crystals started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘He’s A Rebel’, it made No.19 on the UK chart.
1960 – Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley had his fifth UK No.1 single with ‘It’s Now Or Never’, it stayed at No.1 for eight weeks. The song which was based on the Italian song, ‘O Sole Mio’, gave Presley his first post-army No.1.
1958 – Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley went on manoeuvres for the first time with the US Army’s 32nd Tank Regiment near the German, Czech border.
1957 – Jerry Lee Lewis
Sun Records released ‘Great Balls Of Fire’, by Jerry Lee Lewis. The single went on to sell over five million copies worldwide, and was a No.1 hit in the UK and No.2 in the US.
