May 2

Births

1929: Link Wray (Guitar Player)

1936: Engelbert Humperdinck (Singer)

1944: Bob Henrit (Drummer for Argent)

1945: Goldy McJohn (Keyboards for Steppenwolf)

1945: Randy Cain (Singer in The Delfonics)

1945: Judge Dread (Reggae Artist)

1946: Lesley Gore (Singer)

1948: Larry Gatlin (The Gatlin Brothers)

1950: Lou Gramm (Singer for Foreigner)

1951: Jo Callis (Synthesizer, Keyboards & Guitar in Human League)

1954: Prescott Niles (Bass for The Knack)

1985: Lily Allen (Singer)

Events

1956: In a definite sign of the times, five records -- Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel," Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally," Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes," The Platters' "(You've Got The) Magic Touch," and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" -- occupy the Billboard R&B and Pop Top 10, the first time so many records had "crossed over" at the same time.

1957: Elvis Presley recorded the Leiber and Stoller song 'Jailhouse Rock' as featured in his third motion picture of the same name.

1960: Ben E. King, the Drifters' second lead singer, leaves the group to start a solo career with Atco.

1963: The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'From Me To You', the group's first No.1 and the first of eleven consecutive No.1's. The title of the song was inspired from a letters column called From You To Us that ran in the British music newspaper, The New Musical Express.

1964: After 51 weeks at the top, the Beatles finally relinquish the #1 album position in the UK -- to the Rolling Stones' self-titled debut.

1965: Ed Sullivan breaks a vow he made the year before and books The Rolling Stones back on his long-running CBS variety show -- but not before keeping the band in the studio all day, in order to keep from inciting the fans. The bands performs four songs: "The Last Time," "Little Red Rooster," "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love," and the instrumental "2120 South Michigan Avenue."

1967: The Beach Boys announce their intention to scrap their highly anticipated Pet Sounds follow up, the album Smile. After decades of imagined Smile albums, assembled from bootlegs and released recordings, founder and resident genius Brian Wilson finally releases a finished version of the project in 2005.

1969: The Who debut their much-discussed rock opera Tommy by playing the finished album for the press in London at Ronnie's Jazz Club. Ten years later to the day, they would premiere their new movie, Quadrophenia, in New York.

1969: Benny Benjamin (Motown drummer in The Funk Brothers) died of a stroke at the age of 43.

1972: In New York City, Bruce Springsteen auditions for Columbia Records A&R head John Hammond, who is so impressed he immediately arranges a set that night at the Gaslight Club for his fellow execs.

1975: Apple Records officially ends its life as a record label, though it will be revived as a Beatles-only label in 2004.

1979: The Who performed their first concert after the death of Keith Moon. Kenney Jones, formerly of the Faces, was the new drummer.

1980: Joy Division played what would be their last gig with singer Ian Curtis when they appeared at Birmingham University, England. Curtis committed suicide two weeks later.

1982: Adam and the Ants disbanded.

1991: The video for the R.E.M. song 'Losing My Religion', was banned in Ireland because its religious imagery was seen as unfit for broadcast.

1991: Nirvana booked into Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California for 16 days. On a budget of $65,000 and with Butch Vig producing the band started recording what would become the ‘Nevermind’ album.

1992: Little known UK duo Nirvana filed a suit against the American band of the same name claiming that they had been using the name since 1968. The dispute was settled out of court in the British bands favor.

1992: Bonnie Raitt received an honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music during commencement ceremonies in Boston.

1992: The Cure scored their first UK No.1 album with 'Wish', their 15th album release, featuring the top 10 single 'Friday I'm In Love'.

1998: Japanese rock star Hideto Matsumoto was found hanged in the bathroom at his Tokyo apartment and died in hospital a short time later at the age of 33. His funeral, held on May 7th, was attended by over 70,000 people and required 100 police officers, 170 security guards, police boats and helicopters. 21 people were hospitalised for injuries caused by the massive crowd at his funeral.

1998: Loretta Lynn made the announcement backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, that she intended to return to college and get a degree.

1999: St Vincent and the Grenadines issued a *NSYNC postage stamp in honor of the boy band.

2003: Kings Of Leon played their first ever UK date when they appeared at The Empress Ballroom in Blackpool.

2004: Total Guitar magazine's readers voted Guns N' Roses' anthem ‘Sweet Child O' Mine’ as the greatest guitar riff ever ahead of Nirvana's grunge anthem ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Led Zeppelin's ‘Whole Lotta Love’ came third, followed by Deep Purple's ‘Smoke On The Water’. Total Guitar editor Scott Rowley said: "To a new generation of guitarist's, Guns N' Roses are more thrilling than the Sex Pistols."

2005: After 36 years, Cream (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker & Jack Bruce) reunites at London's Royal Albert Hall for a four-night stint.

2006: Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was released from hospital in New Zealand after the 62 year-old suffered "mild concussion" when he fell out of a coconut tree while on holiday in Fiji. He was airlifted to Auckland's Ascot Hospital for observation, where he underwent a brain scan.

2007: 1,876 guitarists gather in Wroclaw, Poland, to set a new Guinness World Record by simultaneously performing "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix.

2007: Britney Spears made her first appearance on stage since she left a rehabilitation clinic. Spears performed five songs at the House of Blues club in San Diego, California.

2008: Chad Kroeger was banned from driving for a year after being convicted of drunk-driving in the Canadian city of Vancouver. The 33-year-old Nickelback singer had almost twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he was stopped by police speeding in his Lamborghini.

2009: Motown's rarest 45, Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)," sets a world record by selling for nearly $40,000 at a London auction. The unreleased single is one of only two known copies.

2009: LeAnn Rimes becomes the first major star to sing the national anthem prior to the Kentucky Derby, won by Mine That Bird at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

2009: Bob Dylan takes the day off from his European tour and, along with 13 other tourists, takes a bus trip to visit John Lennon's childhood home in Liverpool, newly opened to the public. He is not recognized.

2011: Singer Rick Springfield was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk through Malibu in his vintage Corvette.  He had a blood alcohol level of .010.  The legal limit in California is 0.08.