March 15

Birthdays

1912: Lightnin' Hopkins (Blues Artist)

1916: Harry James (Jazz Trumpeter & Bandleader)

1931: D.J. Fontana (Drummer for Elvis)

1940: Phil Lesh (The Grateful Dead)

1941: Mike Love (The Beach Boys)

1944: Sly Stone

1944: David Costell (Gary Lewis and the Playboys)

1946: Howard Scott (War)

1947: Ry Cooder

1947: Frank Lugo (? and the Mysterians)

1955: Dee Snider (Twisted Sister)

1962: Terence Trent D'arby

1963: Bret Michaels (Poison)

1964: Rockwell

1968: Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray)

1972: Mark Hoppus (Blink 182)

1975: Will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas)

1977: Joe Bourdon (DJ for Linkin Park)

Events

1929: Pinetop Smith dies from a gunshot wound in a dance-hall fight in Chicago.

1945 : Billboard magazine began listing a top albums chart. The first #1 was "The Nat King Cole Trio.

1954: The Chords recorded "Sh-Boom".

1955: Fats Domino recorded "Ain't It (That) A Shame".

1955: Elvis Presley signed a management contract with Colonel Tom Parker.

1958: Elvis Presley performs his last concert before leaving for the Army, a show at Memphis' Russwood Park. Aside from two benefit shows in 1961, this would be the last Presley concert until 1969.

1965: Elvis Presley begins filming his 19th movie, Harum Scarum, in Los Angeles.

1966: Tonight's winners at the Grammy Awards in New York City: Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass for "A Taste Of Honey" (Record Of The Year), Frank Sinatra's September Of My Years (Album Of The Year), and "The Shadow Of Your Smile" (Song Of The Year).

1968:  "LIFE" magazine called Jimi Hendrix "the most spectacular guitarist in the world."

1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono, attempting to marry in Paris, are caught "standing in the dock at Southampton / Trying to get to Holland or France," as later documented in the Beatles song "The Ballad Of John And Yoko." Passport problems keep them from boarding.

1971: CBS-TV announces it will cancel The Ed Sullivan Show, then the longest-running TV show in history, after 23 years.

1972: After Los Angeles station KHJ’s DJ Robert W. Morgan broadcasts Donny Osmond's version of "Puppy Love" for 25 1/2 hours straight, worried callers summon the local police, who break into the studio, convinced that hippies or anarchists have taken it over. Turns out it was just a publicity stunt.

1975: Mick Jagger settles his paternity suit with singer Marsha Hunt out of court.

1975 :  The group T. Rex disbanded.

1976: KISS Destroyer is released.

1978: The Alan Freed biopic American Hot Wax, widely considered one of the best rock and roll movies of all time, premieres in New York City, featuring appearances and performances by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

1982: Bob Dylan is inducted, somewhat belatedly, into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

1986: The Bangles were at No.2 on the UK singles chart with 'Manic Monday', a song written by Prince under the pseudonym Christopher, it also made No.2 in the US, held of No.1 by Prince with 'Kiss'.

1989: The Rolling Stones sign a contract for $70 million -- the largest ever amount to that time -- for their upcoming 50 date US tour.

1998: Madonna scored her sixth UK No.1 album with 'Ray Of Light', no other female artist had achieved more than three UK No.1 albums.

1999: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inducts Curtis Mayfield, Del Shannon, Dusty Springfield, Paul McCartney, The Staple Singers, Billy Joel, and Bruce Springsteen at their annual ceremony in New York City. Marking their reunion after ten years, Springsteen performs at the ceremony with the E Street Band.

2004: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inducts Bob Seger, George Harrison, The Dells, ZZ Top, Jackson Browne, Prince, and Traffic at their annual ceremony in New York City.

2004: Former Crazy Town guitarist Rust Epique died of heart failure from an apparent heart attack at his home in Las Vegas. Epique was 35.

2004:  A federal judge denied Axl Rose's request for a restraining order to block the release of a Guns ‘N’ Roses greatest hits collection. Rose sued because he said he had not approved the album.

2005: former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown was arrested after a fight during a concert in San Francisco after a fan jumped on stage and attacked the singer, who then became involved in a fracas with a security guard. Brown was arrested at his hotel after the show at the Great American Music Hall but released without charge.

2006: Remnants of Fats Domino's three pianos are discovered and saved by the Louisiana State Museum after attempting to salvage his Ninth Ward home after Hurricane Katrina.

2010: Sony Music announced the biggest recording deal in history with the estate of Michael Jackson worth more than $200 m. The deal involved 10 album projects over seven years including one of previously unreleased material. Sony had sold about 31 million copies of Jackson's albums worldwide since his death on 25 June, 2009.