This Day In Music Search

Billboard reported that Taylor Swift's Eras Tour had already grossed an estimated US$554 million, and projected the US leg to finish with $591 million, surpassing the former all-time female record set by Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour ($407 million) in 2008–2009.

American drummer Dino Danelli died age 78. He was best known as an original member and the drummer in the rock group The Young Rascals and performed on three No.1 hits including ‘Good Lovin'‘ (1966), and ‘Groovin'‘ (1967).

Bertha Barbee-McNeal, a co-founder of Motown hitmakers the Velvelettes, died in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the age of 82. In 1963, the group released the non-charting ‘There He Goes’ before making a mark with ‘Needle in a Haystack’ and ‘He Was Really Sayin’ Somethin’, Both became trademarks for the group, who were also especially noted for 1966’s ‘These Things Will Keep Me Loving You.’

American singer Wanda Young died at the age of 78. She was a member and after 1965, the lead singer of the Motown all-female singing group the Marvelettes. They gave Motown their first No.1 Pop single in late 1961 with ‘Please Mr. Postman’. The Beatles later recorded ‘Please Mr. Postman’ on their second studio album With the Beatles and in 1975, the Carpenters' remake of ‘Please Mr. Postman’ was a No.1 hit around the world.

Various Pink Floyd items were sold at an Entertainment Memorabilia auction by Bonhams in Knightsbridge London. A demo pressing of the single 'Point Me To The Sky/Careful With That Axe Eugene' sold for £720. Pink Floyd signatures, in various blue marker pens on four separate pieces of paper mounted and framed together with a copy of The Dark Side Of The Moon sold for £624.00 and a demo pressing of the single by Syd Barrett 'Octopus' / 'Golden Hair' from 1969, misspelt 'Barratt' corrected in ink on A-side, sold for £300.

Madonna paid former husband Guy Ritchie around £50m as part of their divorce settlement. The singers US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press the figure included the value of the couple's Ashcombe home in England, and the financial part of the settlement had been worked out but custody of the couple's children had yet to be finalised.

Courtney Love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation after she admitted being under the influence of cocaine and opiates. She was banned from taking non-prescription drugs, drinking alcohol or being in places that serve alcohol.

Blue featuring Elton John went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.' Previously a No.11 hit for Elton in 1976. It gave Elton only his 5th No 1 after over 30 years of hits.

Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh was given an honorary Doctorate of Music from Kent State University in Ohio.

American funk and soul singer Rufus Thomas died of heart failure aged 84. He began his career as a tap dancer, vaudeville performer, and master of ceremonies in the 1930s. He later worked as a disc jockey on radio station WDIA in Memphis. He recorded on Sun Records in the 1950s and on Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. Thomas scored the 1963 US No.10 single 'Walking The Dog' and the 1970 UK No.18 & US No.28 single 'Do The Funky Chicken' and the 1970 hit ‘(Do the) Push and Pull (1970). A street is named in his honour, just off Beale Street in Memphis.

Former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren announced that he was running for the Mayor of London. He said he would be campaigning for brothels, pot shops and boozing in libraries. "I changed London with the Sex Pistols, I can change London as Mayor."

Boy George was knocked unconscious when a mirror ball fell on his head during a show in Dorset, England.

Backstreet Boys roadie Michael Barrett filed a $3 million lawsuit against the group claiming damages after a 50-pound cannon fell on his head during a show.

'Spice World The Movie', featuring The Spice Girls premiered at The Empire, Leicester Sq, London. The following year it was nominated for the 'worst film' at the Golden Raspberry Awards.

Rod Stewart married New Zealand model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills. Stewart was quoted as saying 'I Found the Girl that I Want, I won't be putting my banana in anybody's fruit bowl from now on'. They split in 1999.

Soul singer James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for various offences including possession of weapons and resisting arrest.

Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid entered the UK chart at No.1 and stayed at the top for five weeks. It became the biggest selling UK single of all time with sales over 3 and a half million. Band Aid was masterminded by former Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, who had been moved by a TV news story of famine in Ethiopia. Geldof had the idea of raising funds with a one-off charity single featuring the cream of the current pop world. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Paul Young, Culture Club, George Michael, Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, Paul Weller, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo and Bananarama all appeared on the recording.

U2 appeared at the Windsor Castle Pub, Harrow Road, London, admission was free.

Pink Floyd started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Another Brick in the Wall Part 2', their only UK chart topper. It was Pink Floyd's first UK single since 'Point Me at the Sky' (1968) and the Christmas No.1 of 1979. It sold more than four million copies worldwide and topped singles charts in 14 countries. The single, as well as the album The Wall, were banned in South Africa in 1980 after it was adopted by supporters of a nationwide school boycott protesting instituted racial inequities in education under apartheid. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group, but Floyd lost to Bob Seger's Against the Wind.

The Sex Pistols were refused entry into the USA two days before a scheduled NBC TV appearance. Johnny Rotten because of a drugs conviction, Paul Cook & Sid Vicious because of 'moral turpitude' and Steve Jones because of his criminal record.

Charlie Rich started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the country & western ballad 'The Most Beautiful Girl', the singers only No.1 single, was also a No.2 hit in the UK.

John Lennon played what would be his final ever gig in the UK when he appeared at The Lyceum Ballroom, London, with the Plastic Ono Band in a UNICEF 'Peace For Christmas' benefit. George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Delaney and Bonnie, Billy Preston and The Who's drummer, Keith Moon also took part.

The Beatles played two separate shows at the same venue, the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead, Merseyside. First they played a standard Majestic booking then at midnight, the first-ever "Mersey Beat" poll awards show took place. As poll winners, The Beatles closed the show (at 4:00 am).

Elvis Presley gave his final performance on Louisiana Hayride, a live radio program that was broadcast on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana. Presley made 50 appearances on the show. At the end of the show, Horace Logan first made the now legendary phrase ‘Elvis has left the building’.

Hank Williams married Audrey Sheppard, with the ceremony taking place at a filling station. Their son, Randall Hank Williams would achieve fame in his own right as Hank Williams Jr., who was born on May 26, 1949. The marriage ended in divorce on May 29, 1952.

American big-band musician, arranger, composer, and bandleader Glenn Miller was killed when his aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel while traveling to entertain US troops in France during World War II. Miller was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best-known big bands. In just four years Glenn Miller scored 23 No.1 hits. Miller's recordings include 'In the Mood', 'Moonlight Serenade', 'Pennsylvania 6-5000', and 'Chattanooga Choo Choo'.

American jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer Fats Waller died of pneumonia on a train trip near Kansas City, Missouri. Waller wrote many songs including 'Ain't Misbehavin', 'Your Feet's Too Big' and 'The Reefer Song'. In 1926 Waller was kidnapped at gunpoint in Chicago and driven to a club owned by gangster Al Capone. Inside the club he was ordered to perform at what turned out to be a surprise birthday party for the gangster. He enjoyed success touring the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1930s, appearing on one of the first BBC television broadcasts on September 30, 1938.

American musician Alana Haim with pop-rock band Haim, which also consists of her two sisters, Este Haim and Danielle Haim. Alana has been nominated for five Grammy Awards.

Sergio Pizzorno, guitar, vocals, with Kasabian who had the 2005 UK No.8 single 'Cutt Off',and the 2006 UK No.1 album Empire. Kasabian won a Brit Award in 2010 for Best British Group.

Edele Lynch and Keavy Lynch, singers with Irish girl group B*Witched. Their first four singles, 'C'est la Vie', 'Rollercoaster', 'To You I Belong' and 'Blame It on the Weatherman', all reached No.1 in the UK Singles Chart, and the group has sold over 3 million albums worldwide.

English musician, Nick Beggs noted for playing the bass guitar and the Chapman Stick. With Kajagoogoo he had the 1983 UK No.1 single 'Too Shy'. Beggs has also worked with Howard Jones, Gary Numan, Belinda Carlisle, Emma Bunton and John Paul Jones.

Tim Reynolds, American multi-instrumentalist with the Dave Matthews Band. Dave Matthews Band are the first group to have six consecutive studio albums debut at the top of the US charts.

Kit Hain, English musician and songwriter. She formed the British pop-rock duo Marshall Hain well known for their 1978 hit 'Dancing In The City'.

English musician and artist Paul Simonon, best known as the bassist for The Clash, who had the 1979 UK No. 11 single 'London Calling' and the 1982 US No. 8 single 'Rock The Casbah. Their 1991 UK No.1 single Should I Stay Or Should I Go was first released in 1982. Other work includes his involvement in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen and playing on the Gorillaz album Plastic Beach in 2010, which saw Simonon reunite with the Clash guitarist Mick Jones and Blur frontman Damon Albarn.

Grammy-winning American musician Royce Jones best known for his work as a touring vocalist with the bands Steely Dan (in 1973 and 1974) and Ambrosia (joined 1978).

American actor and singer-songwriter Don Johnson. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series Miami Vice. He scored the 1986 US No.5 & single, 'Heartbeat'. 'Till I Loved You', a duet with then-girlfriend Barbra Streisand, was also a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

American guitarist Bob Berryhill from American surf music band The Surfaris, who had the 1963 US No.2 & UK No.3 single 'Wipe Out.' The track spent four months on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1963, reaching No.2, behind Stevie Wonder's 'Fingertips'.

Carmine Appice, drummer with Vanilla Fudge, who had the 1968 US No.6 single 'You Keep Me Hangin' On'. He was also a member of the power trio Beck, Bogart and Appice and later the Rod Stewart band. He co-wrote the 1978 No.1 hit 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?' with Rod Stewart.

American singer Harry Ray, from the Moments who had the 1970 US No.3 single 'Love On A Two-Way Street', and the 1975 UK No.3 single 'Girls'. Ray suffered a fatal stroke and died on October 1, 1992, at age 45.

English musician, songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur Dave Clark, from English pop rock band, Dave Clark Five, who scored the 1964 UK No.1 single 'Glad All Over', and the 1965 US No.1 single 'Over And Over' , plus over 15 other UK top 40 singles.

American singer Frank Maffei. He was a baritone and second tenor vocalist with Danny & the Juniors, the American doo-wop and rock and roll vocal group. They are best known for their 1957 No.1 hit 'At the Hop' and their 1958 follow-up hit 'Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay'. Maffei died on 19 July 2025.

Cindy Birdsong, American singer with The Supremes (joined in 1968), when she replaced co-founding member Florence Ballard. Birdsong had previously been a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.

American country and pop singer Jerry Wallace, he charted nine hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the 1959 US No.8 single 'Primrose Lane'. Wallace died on May 5, 2008, in Corona, California, after suffering congestive heart failure.

American disc jockey Alan Freed. He also produced and promoted large travelling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout North America, including popularising the term "rock and roll". Freed appeared in several motion pictures that presented many of the big musical acts of his day, including Rock Around the Clock, featuring Bill Haley & His Comets. He died 20th January 1965.

American farmer Max Yasgur. He was the owner of the 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York, where the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held on August 15–18, 1969. He was later sued by his neighbours for property damage caused by the concert attendees. Yasgur died of a heart attack on 8th February 1973 aged 53.

American record producer, A&R scout and civil rights activist John Hammond. He became one of the most influential figures in 20th-century popular music (and is the father of blues musician John P. Hammond). He heard folk singer Bob Dylan, playing harmonica on a session for Carolyn Hester; he signed him to Columbia Records and kept him on the label despite the protests of executives, who referred to Dylan as "Hammond's folly". He produced Dylan's early recordings, 'Blowin' in the Wind' and 'A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall'. He worked with many other artists including Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, George Benson and Janis Joplin. In 1983, he brought guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan to Columbia and was credited as executive producer on his debut album. Hammond died on 10th July 1987.