October 13th: The Biggest Music Headlines

Scroll down the page to see all the music headlines, stories and events for October 13 throughout music history

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer

Bob Dylan Wins The Nobel Prize In Literature

On October 13, 2016, Bob Dylan became the first songwriter to win the Nobel Prize for Literature and the first American to receive the award since 1993 (when the honor went to writer Toni Morrison). While the decision to expand the award to a songwriter was deemed “radical” to some, as reported by the New York Times, members of the Swedish Academy stood by their choice to celebrate Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” The 75-year-old artist, who penned such celebrated songs as “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “Like a Rolling Stone,” was humbled by the announcement, marveling to the UK’s Telegraph, that it felt “amazing, incredible. Whoever dreams about something like that?”

In 1974, beloved TV host Ed Sullivan died at the age of 73. The namesake of the long-running Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971) was instrumental in promoting many of the world’s biggest musical acts, including Elvis Presley, the Jackson Five, the Supremes, and The Beatles. In addition to helping country music cross over to a mainstream audience, Sullivan also had a vital hand in breaking racial barriers at a time when Black artists were not regularly booked on variety shows. Defying the norms, the Harlem-born host gave a national platform to acts who were not known among white audiences, including Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, and Jackie Wilson.

In 1963, the Beatles made their debut on the UK’s long-running music show, Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Booked as the headlining act, the band’s set was broadcast to 15 million viewers.

In 1965, The Who recorded their iconic hit, “My Generation” at Pye Studios in London. The song, which also served as the title track to their 1965 debut album, was one of their highest-charting singles in the UK, peaking at No.2.

In 2002, British singer Will Young, who rose to fame as the first winner of the UK music contest, Pop Idol, landed at the top of the UK album charts with his debut album, From Now On. The LP featured his record-breaking-selling single, “Anything is Possible.”

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BORN ON OCTOBER 13:

1941: Paul Simon
1944: Robert Lamm (Chicago)
1947: Sammy Hagar
1959: Marie Osmond
1968: Carlos Mar’n (Il Divo)
1980: Ashanti

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October 13th

On this day in music

13 Oct 2023 Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour opened in US theatres. It was met with significant ticket demand, amassing a record $37 million on its first day of pre-sales in the U.S. and over $100 million in total global pre-sales. The Eras Tour became the highest-grossing concert film of all time, earning $267.1 million in its limited theatrical run worldwide The film documents her wildly popular Eras Tour using footage shot during three Los Angeles shows in August.
13 Oct 2017 Dolly Parton donated $1 million to the Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital in Nashville, to research pediatric infectious diseases. She announced the donation on a visit to the facility, where she performed songs from her children's album I Believe in You.
13 Oct 2016 Bob Dylan was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the first songwriter to win the prestigious award. The 75-year-old rock legend received the prize "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".
13 Oct 2012 An oil painting by the German artist Gerhard Richter which was owned by Eric Clapton sold for £21m ($34m) - an auction record for a work by a living artist. Clapton was set to give the money to the Crossroads Centre drug and alcohol rehabilitation center founded by the guitarist in Antigua.
13 Oct 2011 American band Maroon 5 were on the top 10 of the UK singles chart with 'Moves Like Jagger', featuring Christina Aguilera. Its lyrics referred to a male's ability to impress a female with his dance moves, which he compared to those of Mick Jagger. The video featured old video footage of Jagger and his iconic dance moves. Moves Like Jagger was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards.
13 Oct 2009 Al Martino, a Pop crooner who scored over 10 hits including 'I Love You Because', 'Spanish Eyes' and 'I Love You More And More Every Day', died at the age of 82. He was often remembered for playing the Frank Sinatra type role of Johnny Fontane in The Godfather. Martino was at No.1 on the first ever UK pop chart published on 8th Nov 1952 by the New Musical Express.
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13 Oct 2008 In a video message on his website, Ringo Starr announced that he no longer has time to sign autographs and asked fans not to send him any mail at all. "No more fan mail and no objects to be signed. Nothing." After finishing a tour of the US and Canada, he was dividing his time between Los Angeles, the South of France and his UK home in Surrey.
13 Oct 2004 The US Internal Revenue Service charged 63-year-old Ronald Isley, lead singer of the Isley Brothers, with tax evasion for failing to report income from royalties and performances by the band between 1997 and 2002. He was later found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.
13 Oct 2002 Will Young went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut album 'From Now On.' Young came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise. His debut single, 'Anything is Possible', was released two weeks after the show's finale and became the fastest-selling debut single in the United Kingdom.
13 Oct 2002 UK rock band Muse took legal action against Celine Dion after she announced her forthcoming Las Vegas show would be called 'Muse'. Singer Matt Bellamy from the band said 'We don't want anyone to think we're Celine Dion's backing band.'
13 Oct 2001 Australian singer songwriter Peter Doyle died of throat cancer aged 52. Solo artist and a member of The New Seekers. Scored the hits, ‘What Have They Done To My Song Ma’, ‘Never Ending Song of Love’ and ‘I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing’ with The New Seekers.
13 Oct 2000 UK newspaper The Mirror reported that Toni Braxton had pulled out of this years US Mobo awards after one of her breast implants had exploded. A spokesman for her Arista record label said "We don't comment on our artistes personal lives."
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13 Oct 1990 George Michael went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Praying For Time', his 6th US solo No.1, and his the last solo single to occupy the top of the chart in the US.
13 Oct 1986 Neil Young headlined the first Bridge School benefit concert in support of the non-profit institution that provided education for children with verbal and physical disabilities. Young and his wife Pegi co-founded the school when their son, Ben, was born with cerebral palsy. The all-acoustic concert - featuring performances by Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and a reunited Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - turned into an annual event that adds many more big-name acts to the roster.
13 Oct 1984 U2 scored their second UK No.1 album with 'The Unforgettable Fire.' The album was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois and featured the single 'Pride (In The Name Of Love').
13 Oct 1984 Stevie Wonder started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Just Called To Say I Love You', his 7th US No.1, also No.1 in the UK.
13 Oct 1979 'Reggatta De Blanc' the second album from The Police started a four-week run at No.1 in the UK. The album which features the band's first two No.1 hits, 'Message in a Bottle' and 'Walking on the Moon', cost only £6,000 to record.
13 Oct 1979 Michael Jackson went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Don't Stop Till You Get Enough', his second US solo No.1, a No.3 hit in the UK.
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13 Oct 1977 32 year old Shirley Brickley of The Orlons was shot and killed by an intruder in her Philadelphia home. The Orlons had five US Top 20 hits in the 60’s including ‘The Wah Watusi’, ‘Don't Hang Up’ and ‘South Street’. The Orlons provided back-up vocals on Dee Dee Sharp's 1962 hit ‘Mashed Potato Time’ and Dee Dee Sharp's second hit, ‘Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)’.
13 Oct 1974 TV host Ed Sullivan died. Leader of the Ed Sullivan Singers and Orchestra. Introduced The Beatles and other UK acts to America via his Ed Sullivan TV show, from New York City, which ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, on CBS every Sunday night at 8pm. The Beatles appearance on February 9th 1964 is considered a milestone in American pop culture and the beginning of the British Invasion in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers.
13 Oct 1973 The Rolling Stones started a four week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Goats Head Soup' the group's fourth US No.1.
13 Oct 1970 Janis Joplin's ashes were scattered at Stinson Beach in Marin County, California. The singer had been found dead on the floor beside her bed at the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood California on 4th Oct. The official cause of death was an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol.
13 Oct 1965 The Who recorded 'My Generation' at Pye studios, London. When released as a single it reached No.2 on the UK chart, held off the No.1 position by The Seekers 'The Carnival Is Over'. Roger Daltrey would later say that he stuttered the lyrics to try to fit them to the music. The BBC initially refused to play the song because it did not want to offend people who stutter.
13 Oct 1963 The Beatles made their debut on ITV's 'Sunday Night at The London Palladium', topping the bill and transmitted live to an audience of 15 million viewers. They played, 'From Me To You', 'She Loves You', 'Twist and Shout' and 'I'll Get You.'
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13 Oct 1962 Don Everly collapsed during rehearsals on stage at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on the eve of a 22 date Everly Brothers UK tour. He was flown back to the US for treatment and the tour continued with Phil Everly performing solo.

Born on this day in music

13 Oct 1980 American singer, songwriter and actress Ashanti Douglas, who had the 2002 US No.1 single 'Foolish', the lead single for Ashanti's eponymous debut album (2002). It earned Ashanti three Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album, winning in the latter category.
13 Oct 1970 Welsh singer Paul Potts, who became the winner of the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent with his performance of 'Nessun dorma, an aria from Puccini's opera Turandot. He had the 2007 UK No.1 album One Chance, which topped charts in 13 countries.
13 Oct 1968 Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, from the multi-national classical crossover vocal group Il Divo, which was created and then promoted by British media magnate Simon Cowell for Syco Music. Their 2004 self-titled album was No.1 in 14 countries around the world. During the pandemic, Marin contracted COVID-19. On 7 December 2021, Marin was hospitalised in Manchester, England. He was subsequently put into a medically induced coma, and died on 19 December, at the age of 53.
13 Oct 1962 Rob Marche, guitarist with British new wave group Jo Boxers that formed in London, England in 1982. They had the 1983 UK No.3 single 'Boxer Beat'. Their next hit, 'Just Got Lucky', broke the band internationally, peaking inside the US top 40 in November 1983.
13 Oct 1960 American singer Joey Belladonna best known as the vocalist for thrash metal band Anthrax. Belladonna was the lead singer of Anthrax from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the classic lineup.
13 Oct 1959 Gerry Darby, from English jazz, soul group Carmel, who had the 1983 UK No.15 single 'Bad Day'.
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13 Oct 1959 American singer, actress and doll designer Marie Osmond, who is part of The Osmonds family. She had the 1973 US No.5 & UK No.2 single 'Paper Roses'. Her musical career, primarily focused on country music, included a large number of chart singles with four reaching No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. She and her singer brother Donny Osmond hosted the television variety show Donny & Marie.
13 Oct 1950 English guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Simon Nicol, who is a founding member of British folk rock group Fairport Convention. Their only top 40 single being 'Si Tu Dois Partir', a French-language cover of the Dylan song 'If You Gotta Go, Go Now' from Unhalfbricking – Fairport Convention remain highly influential in British folk rock and British folk in general.
13 Oct 1948 American singer, classically trained pianist, guitarist, John Ford Coley, from England Dan & John Ford Coley, who had the 1976 US No. 2 & UK No. 26 single, 'I'd Really Love To See You Tonight.'
13 Oct 1948 Peter Spencer, from English rock band Smokie (originally spelt Smokey) who had the 1975 UK No.3 single 'If You Think You Know How To Love Me'. Their most popular hit single was 'Living Next Door to Alice'. In the mid 70s Smokey Robinson threatened to file a lawsuit, alleging that the band's name would confuse his audience. To avoid legal action, the group changed the spelling to "Smokie".
13 Oct 1947 American rock vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Sammy Hagar. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose before launching a successful solo career, scoring a hit in 1984 with 'I Can't Drive 55'. He later replaced David Lee Roth in Van Halen in 1985 and left the band in 1996. A lifelong entrepreneur, Hagar has founded four spirits brands and 13 restaurants. In 2008, with his wife, Kari Hagar, he founded a private non-profit focused on children's causes and hunger relief, the Hagar Family Foundation.
13 Oct 1944 American keyboardist, singer and songwriter Robert Lamm, with Chicago, who had the 1976 UK & US No.1 single 'If You Leave Me Now'. The band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois as The Chicago Transit Authority before shortening the name in 1970. Lamm wrote many of the band's biggest hits, including 'Questions 67 & 68', 'Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?', '25 or 6 to 4', and 'Harry Truman'. Chicago have had five consecutive No.1 albums on the Billboard chart and 20 top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
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13 Oct 1941 American singer-songwriter and guitarist Paul Simon. With Simon and Garfunkel he had hits including 'The Sound of Silence' (1965), 'Mrs. Robinson' (1968), 'America' (1968), and 'The Boxer' (1969), served as a soundtrack to the 1960s counterculture. The duo's 1970 album 'Bridge Over Troubled Water spent 307 weeks on the UK chart. As a solo artist, Simon has explored genres including gospel, reggae, and soul. He scored the 1986 UK No.4 single 'You Can Call Me Al', and his 1986 UK No.1 album Graceland spent 115 weeks on the UK chart. Two of his works, Sounds of Silence (1966) (as part of Simon & Garfunkel) and Graceland, were inducted into the National Recording Registry for their cultural significance. He was honoured with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001 and the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize in 2007.
13 Oct 1940 English rock, blues and blue-eyed soul singer Chris Farlowe, who had the 1966 UK No.1 single 'Out Of Time', which was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. His other best known singles are Mike d'Abo's 'Handbags and Gladrags' and 'My Way of Giving', a cover of a Small Faces album track. In 1972 he joined Atomic Rooster and is featured on the albums Made in England (1972) and Nice 'n' Greasy (1973).
13 Oct 1935 American gospel singer and songwriter Etterlene DeBarge from R&B/soul vocal group DeBarge. Their 1985 single 'Rhythm of the Night', hit No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it their highest-charting single in America. She died on 16 February 2024 at the age of 88.
13 Oct 1927 American singer, arranger, composer, conductor, pianist, and music producer Anita Kerr. She worked on sessions as the Anita Kerr Singers with many artists as well as a producer working with artists including Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Red Foley, Hank Snow, Brenda Lee, Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney, Roy Orbison and Willie Nelson. She died on 10 October 2022, in Carouge, Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of 94, just 3 days short of her 95th birthday.
13 Oct 1926 American jazz double bassist Ray Brown, known for his extensive work with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald. He was also a founding member of the group that would later develop into the Modern Jazz Quartet. Brown guested as a bass player on 'Razor Boy', the second track on Steely Dan's second album, Countdown to Ecstasy, released in 1973. Brown died in his sleep on July 2, 2002, after having played golf, before a show in Indianapolis.