2021 – Senseless Things
Mark Keds the former frontman with early 90s British indie-punks Senseless Things died of unspecified causes at the age of 50. Keds was also briefly a member of The Wildhearts, as well as Jolt, Lams, Trip Fontaine and Deadcuts.
2017 – Tommy Allsup
Rockabilly guitarist Tommy Allsup, who narrowly avoided boarding the plane that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, died aged 85. The musician famously lost a coin toss for a seat on the plane. His place was taken by teen star Ritchie Valens, who also perished when the plane crashed. Allsup went on to become a Grammy-winning musician, who played with Merle Haggard, Roy Orbison and Willie Nelson.
2016 – David Bowie
David Bowie topped the UK album chart with his latest release Blackstar less than 24 hours after his death. With sales of over 43,000 units the album outsold its nearest competitor, Elvis Presley’s If I Can Dream, by 25,000.
2008 – Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams’ manager told The Times newspaper that the singer would refuse to make another album for his record label EMI, saying he was unhappy after the label was taken over by Terra Firma. Tim Clark told the paper Williams would not deliver a new album because he had no idea how the label would handle it. Williams had sold 47 million albums around the world since leaving Take That in 1995, making him one of EMI’s most successful artists.
2008 – Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr helped launch the celebrations for Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture. He was joined by acrobats who dangled on wires from cranes as the opening party kicked off a year-long programme of more than 350 events.Organisers hoped the Capital of Culture tag would attract an extra two million visitors to Liverpool and boost the economy by £100m.
2005 – James Griffin
Former Bread guitarist and Academy Award-winning songwriter James Griffin died at his home in Nashville at the age of 61 after suffering from cancer. Bread had the 1970s hits ‘Make It With You’, ‘Baby I’m-a Want You’, and ‘Everything I Own.’
2003 – Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend issued a public statement denying being a paedophile after his name was linked with a police Internet porn inquiry. But The Who guitarist did admit studying child pornography for research into a campaign against it.
2002 – Mickey Finn
Mickey Finn percussionist and sideman to Marc Bolan in Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. Rex), died of kidney and liver problems aged 55. (1971 UK No.1 single ‘Hot Love’, plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles).
2000 – Whitney Houston
It was reported that Whitney Houston was under investigation after allegedly trying to smuggle 15.2 grams of Marijuana out of Hawaii. A security officer found the drug in the singer’s handbag, Houston then walked away when he tried to detain her.
1999 – Barry Pritchard
Barry Pritchard guitarist and singer with The Fortunes died of a heart attack. The group’s biggest hit was ‘You’ve Got Your Troubles’ which was a UK No.2 hit in 1965, also reaching No.7 seven in the US.
1998 – Oasis
Rolling Stone magazine readers poll picked Be Here Now by Oasis as album of the year. Be Here Now was an instant commercial success, becoming the fastest-selling album in British chart history and topping the album chart in 15 countries. It was the biggest-selling album of 1997 in the UK, with 1.47 million units sold that year. As of 2016, the album has sold eight million copies worldwide.
1992 – Nirvana
Nirvana appeared on NBC-TV’s Saturday Night Live performing two songs, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and ‘Territorial Pissings’. Also on this day the group’s Nevermind went to No.1 on the US album chart.
1986 – Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys scored their first UK No.1 single with ‘West End Girls.’ The first version of the song was released in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States, after the duo signed with EMI, the song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague.
1985 – Rod Stewart
A Brazilian rock Festival held in Rio, claimed to be the biggest ever staged. The festival featured; Queen, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Whitesnake, Yes and Iron Maiden.
1975 – Pink Floyd
The Alan Freeman BBC Radio 1 show broadcast a Pink Floyd show recorded at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England on 16th Nov 1974. The band had played four nights at Wembley on their The Dark Side Of The Moon tour and tapes from these shows have been remixed.
1975 – Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin played their first concert in 18 months when they appeared at the Ahoy, Rotterdam, Holland, playing one of two warm-up shows for their forthcoming North American tour. The set list included some new songs: ‘Sick Again’, ‘The Rain Song’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘No Quarter’ and ‘Trampled Under Foot’.
1973 – The Rolling Stones
It was confirmed that the forthcoming Rolling Stones tour of Japan had been cancelled, despite record breaking ticket sales. Mick Jagger had earlier been informed that he was banned from entering the country because of a drugs conviction.
1967 – Jimi Hendrix
The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded ‘Purple Haze’ at De Lane Lea studios in London. Hendrix later stated ‘The Purple Haze,’ was about a dream he had and that he was walking under the sea.” In concert, Hendrix sometimes substituted lyrics for comic effect; “‘scuse me while I kiss the sky” was rendered “‘scuse me while I kiss this guy” (while gesturing towards his drummer Mitch Mitchell).
1964 – The Kingsmen
‘Louie Louie’ by The Kingsmen was the No.1 song on the US Cash Box music chart. For a while, the record was banned by a handful of US radio stations because of its indecipherable lyrics, which were rumored to contain some naughty words. Even the F.B.I. investigated the song, but finally concluded that they could find nothing wrong.
1964 – Johnny Cash
Ring Of Fire The Best of Johnny Cash became the first No.1 album when Billboard debuted their Country Album Chart. It was his sixteenth album in total and the first compilations album by Cash.
1963 – The Beatles
The Beatles recorded their first national TV show ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’. They mimed to their new single ‘Please Please Me’ which was released on this day.
1962 – Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Young Ones’. It stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks and made Cliff the first UK artist to enter the chart at No.1.
1958 – Elvis Presley
The release date for the Elvis Presley single ‘Jailhouse Rock’ was put back a week after Decca Records pressing plant in the UK were unable to meet the advance orders of 250,000 copies. Some of the characters named in the song are real people. Shifty Henry was a well-known LA musician, not a criminal. The Purple Gang was a real mob. “Sad Sack” was a U.S. Army nickname in World War II for a loser.
