May 26

Births

1886: Al Jolson

1909: Colonel Tom Parker (Elvis Manager)

1920: Peggy Lee (Norma Dolores Egstrom) (Singer)

1940: Billy Davis Jr. (Singer in The 5th Dimension)

1942: Larry Taylor (Bass for Canned Heat)

1943: Georgie Fame (Jazz Singer & Keyboardist)

1943: Levon Helm (Drums & Vocals for The Band)

1945: Verden Allen (Keyboards for Mott The Hoople)

1945: Gary Peterson (The Guess Who)

1946: Mick Ronson (Guitarist & Producer, member of The Rats, then worked with David Bowie)

1948: Stevie Nicks (Singer for Fleetwood Mac and Solo

1949: Hank Williams Jr, (Country Singer)

1959: Wayne Hussey (Guitar for Dead Or Alive)

1964: Lenny Kravitz (Singer & Guitarist)

1972: Alan White (Drums for Oasis)

1978: Jaheim Hoagland (aka Jaheim) (R&B Singer)

1981: Isaac Slade (lead singer and pianist for The Fray)

Events

1955: Decca Records, home to Bill Haley and His Comets, announces that the group has sold three million records in the past year, due mostly to "Rock Around The Clock" and "Shake, Rattle And Roll."

1961: The Marcels make their US television debut, performing "Blue Moon" on ABC-TV's American Bandstand.

1963: After a Beatles performance at the Majestic Ballroom, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, John Lennon and Paul McCartney write "She Loves You" in their hotel room, originally an answer song of sorts to the Bobby Rydell hit "Forget Him."

1964: Marianne Faithful recorded the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards song ‘As Tears Go By’, accompanied by future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on bass.

1966: The Beatles recorded ‘Yellow Submarine’ at Abbey Road studios in London. Recovering from a case of food poisoning, producer George Martin missed this recording, EMI engineer Geoff Emerick worked on the session.

1967: The Beatles recorded the single "All You Need Is Love".

1968: US blue artist Little Willie John died in prison after being convicted of manslaughter. Co-wrote and was the first to record a 'Fever' (covered by Peggy Lee in 1958), and 'Need Your Love So Bad' covered by Fleetwood Mac.

1969: John and Yoko began an eight-day 'bed in', in room 1742 of The Hotel La Reine Elizabeth, Montreal, Canada, to promote world peace. They recorded ‘Give Peace a Chance’ in the hotel room (Petula Clark can be heard on the chorus). The song was credited to Lennon & McCartney, even though Paul had nothing to do with the record.

1971: WNEW-FM in New York becomes the first radio station to play Don McLean's new single, "American Pie," which it features in its 8:36 entirety.

1973: Model and singer Marsha Hunt, inspiration for the Rolling Stones song "Brown Sugar," names Mick Jagger in a paternity suit, claiming the singer fathered her two-year-old daughter Karis. That same day, Stones guitarist Keith Richards is busted, along with girlfriend Anita Pallenberg, in his Chelsea home for possession of heroin, illegal pharmaceuticals, guns, and ammo.

1973: Deep Purple's single "Smoke On The Water" was released.

1974: Tragedy struck at a David Cassidy concert at London's White City when over 1,000 fans had to be treated by first aid workers due to the frenzied excitement. One fan Bernadette Whelan died from heart failure four days later.

1975: Cher's divorce from Sonny Bono becomes final, leaving her free to marry Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers just four days later.

1975: Bob Dylan and the Band release the Album ‘The Basement Tapes’.

1976: Peter Frampton released the single "Baby, I Love Your Way".

1977: Elvis Presley performs what would be his last concert, performing at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, IN for a crowd of 18,000. Although Elvis appears pale, weak, and overweight, as he had with increasing regularity, there is nothing to suggest his impending death -- indeed, there is nothing unusual about this show on the tour, except that Elvis for some reason introduces practically everyone from his life while on stage. Some take this as "proof" Elvis knew he was in his final days; others maintain that he was worried about the imminent publication of Elvis: What Happened?, a tell-all biography by former bodyguards Sonny and Red West that publicly broke the story of his drug abuse, and what those revelations might do to his image. The last song he performs from the stage is "Can't Help Falling In Love." Footage of the final concert is taken but has not been widely seen since; the audio portion can be heard on the LP The Last Farewell (released on CD as Adios: The Final Performance, A.J. Records CD 92-2002). Presley's father, Vernon, will pass away two years later to the day.

1977: Billy Powell singer with The O'Jays died of cancer. (1972, hit 'Back Stabbers', 1973 US No.1 & UK No.9 single 'Love Train'). Originally known as The Triumphs, and then The Mascots, they took the name "The O'Jays", in tribute to radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay.

1982: Roxy Music leader Bryan Ferry marries his first wife, model Lucy Helmore. The same day, Marie Osmond marries her first husband, Brigham Young University basketball player Steve Craig.

1990: David Bowie was sued by his ex wife Angie for $56 million.

1990: For the first time ever the Top five positions on the US singles chart were held by female artists; Madonna was at No.1 with 'Vogue', Heart were at No.2, Sinead O'Connor No.3, Wilson Phillips at No.4 and Janet Jackson was at No.5

1993: Ron Isley of the Isley Brothers marries his first wife, R&B singer Angela Winbush.

1994: Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. The couple divorced in 1995.

1995: Flavor Flav (Public Enemy) was sentenced to three months in jail for firing a gun at a neighbor in his New York apartment.

1996: A fire at the home of Eric Clapton caused over one and a half million pounds worth of damage; Firemen arrived on the scene to find Clapton braving the blaze to save his collection of guitars.

1997: Bob Dylan was admitted to a Malibu Hospital with chest pains, causing all his summer tour to be cancelled.

1999: The Manic Street Preachers refused to play a concert because Queen Elizabeth II was present. The group had vowed to never perform for the monarchy because they considered it an outdated institution.

2000: Drummer Tommy Lee was jailed for five days for drinking alcohol. Lee appeared in front of a LA court charged with violating his probation by consuming alcohol, an act that directly contravenes the terms of his parole.

2002: The first episode of 'At Home With The Osbournes' was shown on MTV in the UK.

2006: Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale became parents when their baby boy Kingston James McGregor Rossdale was born.

2009: A US judge ended a bitter two-year battle over the late soul singer James Brown's estate. Judge Jack Early ruled half of his assets will go to a charitable trust, a quarter to his wife and young son, and the rest to his six adult children. Brown's family and wife Tomi Rae Hynie Brown had fought over his fortune since he died of heart failure in 2006.