May 20

Births

1944: Joe Cocker (Singer)

1946: Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian) (Singer)

1954: Guy Hoffman (Drummer & Vocals for The Violent Femmes)

1955: Steve George (Keyboards for Mr Mister)

1958: Jane Wiedlin (Guitar & Vocals for The Go-Go's)

1959: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Hawaiian Singer)

1961: Nick Heyward (Guitar & Vocals for Haircut 100 & Solo)

1961: Dan Wilson (Guitarist & Vocals with Semisonic)

1963: Brian Nash (Guitar for Frankie Goes To Hollywood)

1964: Patti Russo (Singer with Meat Loaf)

1966: Thomas Gorman (Guitarist for Belly)

1972: Busta Rhymes (Trevor Tahiem Smith) (Rapper)

1984: Naturi Naughton (Singer in 3LW)

1984: Kenny Vasoli (Lead Vocals and Bass for The Starting Line)

Events

1942: "I've Got A Gal in Kalamazoo" was recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.

1954: Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" was released. It was not successful until it was released in 1955 on the soundtrack to "Blackboard Jungle."

1957: Frank Sinatra recorded the song "Witchcraft".

1964: Elvis' 15th movie, Viva Las Vegas, co-starring Ann-Margret, premieres in Hollywood.

1964: Rudy Lewis of The Drifters died aged 28 under mysterious circumstances the night before the group was set to record 'Under the Boardwalk'. Former Drifters backup singer Johnny Moore was brought back to perform lead vocals for the recording session.

1966: At tonight's Who gig in Windsor, England, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey perform with the rhythm section of the opening act when John Entwistle and Keith Moon are late for the show. When the duo finally arrive, with the show half over, Townshend hits Moon over the head with his guitar. Keith and John quit the band, but are convinced to return within the week.

1966: Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band play their first gig at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco.

1967: The Beatles premiere their new album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, on Kenny Everett's BBC radio program Where It's At. All the tracks are played save "A Day In The Life," which the "Beeb" has banned the day before for its seemingly positive attitude towards drug use. Paul and John give live interviews about the making of the album.

1967: Jimi Hendrix signs with the Reprise label.

1968: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, fresh off their trip to India to study with the Maharishi, arrive at George Harrison's home in Esher, Surrey, to demo 28 new songs, all but a handful of which will turn up in some form on the band's next LP, The Beatles (a/k/a "The White Album").

1968: Pete Townshend of the Who marries his first and only wife, Karen Astley, daughter of composer Ted Astley. The couple would divorce in 2000.

1971: Chicago singer and bassist Peter Cetera attends a Chicago Cubs game, where four Marines who notice his long hair beat him so badly he breaks his jaw and loses four teeth. He spends five hours in surgery and two days in intensive care.

1985: After extensive renovations, the historic Apollo Theatre in Harlem reopens with a concert that features Hall and Oates performing with Temptations Eddie Kendrick and David Ruffin. The concert is later released as Live At The Apollo.

1988: At the height of the "Is Elvis Dead" phenomenon, Priscilla Presley holds a press conference to confirm that the King did, indeed, pass on in 1977.

1995: The Eagles' Don Henley marries his first and only wife, model Sharon Summerall, in Malibu, with Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Randy Newman, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett, Sheryl Crow, and other celebs attending. At the reception, live music is provided by Tony Bennett, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Sting.

1997: U2 caused traffic chaos in Kansas City, Missouri after they paid for traffic control to close down five lanes so they could shoot the video for 'Last Night On Earth'. Apart form major traffic jams a passing Cadillac crashed into a plate glass window trying to avoid a cameraman. 

May 18

Births

1911: Big Joe Turner (Blues Singer & Pianist)

1912: Perry Como (Pop Singer)

1946: Bruce Gilbert (Guitar for Wire)

1948: Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys)

1949: Bill Wallace (Bass for The Guess Who)

1949: Rick Wakeman (Keyboards for Yes)

1952: George Strait (Country Singer)

1957: Michael Cretu (Enigma)

1961: Russell Senior (Guitar for Pulp)

1967: Rob Base (Robert Ginyard) (Rapper)

1975: Jack Johnson (Singer & Guitarist)

Events

1963: At the first annual Monterey Folk Festival, Bob Dylan joins Joan Baez onstage to duet on his antiwar song "With God On Our Side."

1964: Yet another riot erupts at a Rolling Stones show, this time at the Chantinghall Hotel in Hamilton, Scotland, where 4,000 fake tickets create pandemonium.

1964: The Animals recorded "House Of The Rising Sun".

1966: Bruce Springsteen steps into a recording studio for the first time, recording with his garage band The Castiles in Brick Town, NJ.

1967: John Lennon and Paul McCartney sang backing vocals on The Rolling Stones track 'We Love You' during a session at Olympic Studios, London.

1967: The Beatles, it is announced, have been selected to represent the UK in the first global satellite broadcast, which will be called One World and broadcast on June 25. The band is commissioned to write a song for the event; Paul comes up with "Your Mother Should Know," but John comes up with the winning global anthem in "All You Need Is Love."

1968: Tiny Tim released the single "Tiptoe Through The Tulips".

1968: Archie Bell and The Drells started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tighten Up', a huge beach music song.

1970: The Beatles release the Album Let It Be.

1971: The Band start their first-ever tour outside of North America, playing De Doelen in Rotterdam, Holland.

1974: Ray Stevens started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the novelty song 'The Streak' which capitalized on the then popular craze of streaking.

1975: Chaos ensues when the BBC stages a "Fun Day" concert in London featuring teen heartthrobs The Bay City Rollers; the crowd is so manic that 44 are injured, four of them seriously.

1978: The controversial but highly-regarded biopic The Buddy Holly Story, starring Gary Busey performing Buddy's songs himself, premiere in Dallas, TX. Busey's performance is so natural he is nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars the next year (losing out to Jon Voight in Coming Home.)

1980: Joy Division singer and guitarist Ian Curtis hanged himself in the kitchen of his house in Macclesfield, England at the age of 23. Curtis had the Iggy Pop album 'The Idiot', playing on his stereo and left a note that said, 'At this very moment, I wish I were dead. I Just can't cope anymore.' Joy Division released the critically acclaimed debut album Unknown Pleasures in 1979, and recorded their follow-up Closer in 1980. Suffering from epilepsy, a failing marriage, and bouts of depression, Curtis committed suicide on the eve of Joy Division's debut North American tour.

1981: Diana Ross shocks the music industry by leaving Motown Records after 20 years for a new home on RCA. The $20 million contract sets a new record.

1988: In a Tampa courtroom, original drummer for the Byrds, Michael Clarke, is given permission to use the band name for his own touring group.

1994: Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley are married in the Dominican Republic in a private ceremony, one so private that the press doesn't find out about the wedding for two months.

1996: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony started an 8 week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Tha Crossroads”.

2000: Madonna's boyfriend Guy Ritchie was arrested after attacking a fan outside the superstar's London home. Ritchie was said to have kicked and punched a male fan after the couple returned home from a night out.

2002: Barry Manilow's TV special Ultimate Manilow, a concert filmed at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, airs on CBS.

2003: The Isley Brothers set a record for the longest period between #1 albums when Body Kiss reaches the top of the Billboard charts.  Their first #1 in over 30 years.

2004: Clint Warwick (Bass for The Moody Blues) died of Liver Cancer at age 63.

2004: It was announced that the Country Cow Creamery would be producing the ice cream flavors Ozzy's Carnivorous Carrot Cake and Death by Sharon in honor of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.

2005: Two years after the abdominal aneurysm which nearly killed him, Gordon Lightfoot returns to performing with a triumphant concert in Toronto's Massey Hall.

May 17

Births                           

1942: Taj Mahal (Blues Guitarist)

1949: Bill Bruford (Drummer for Yes & King Crimson)

1958: Paul Dianno (Vocals for Iron Maiden)

1961: Enya Ni Bhraonain (Singer for Clannad and Solo)

1963: Page Samuel McConnell (Pianist, Organist, Keyboardist for Phish)

1965: Trent Reznor (Singer & Songwriter for Nine Inch Nails)

1966: Jan Kincaid (Drums & Keyboards for The Brand New Heavies)

1968: Dave Abbruzzese (Drummer with Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994)

1970: Jordan Knight (New Kids On The Block)

1974: Andrea Corr (Vocals for The Corrs)

1976: Kandi Burruss (Xscape)

1980: Dallas Taylor (Singer for Underoath)

Events

1933: Jimmie Rodgers, already terminally ill with tuberculosis, begins recording his last two dozen songs for RCA Victor in Nashville.  He died nine days later at the age of 35.

1958: The Killer's hometown of Ferriday, LA, holds its first annual "Jerry Lee Lewis Day."

1963: The first annual Monterey Folk Festival opens with musical performances by, among others, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Peter Paul and Mary, and Joan Baez.

1966: Bob Dylan, who had recently "gone electric" and added rock and roll instruments to his folk music, appears at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England; just before he begins a version of his latest hit, "Like A Rolling Stone," a member of the audience, a folk purist angry at the move to rock, shouts out, "Judas!" Dylan responds with "I don't believe you," adding, "You're a liar!" Then proceeds to tell the band to play the song "f****** loud."

1969: Chicago released their debut Album Chicago Transit Authority.

1970: On the same afternoon, with the same band, and at the same session, Jean Knight records "Mr. Big Stuff" and King Floyd records "Groove Me" at the Malaco Studios in Jackson, MS.

1974: The Elton John TV special Say Goodbye To Norma Jean And Other Things airs on ABC.

1975: An angry Mick Jagger thrusts his hand through the plate-glass window of a restaurant in Montauk, NY, requiring 20 stitches.

1975: Elton John was awarded a Platinum Record for sales of a million copies of the LP 'Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy', the first album ever to be certified Platinum (1 Million Copies) on the day of its release.

1978: The disco film Thank God It's Friday, starring Donna Summer, premieres in Los Angeles.

1980: After Gene Simmons' girlfriend, Diana Ross, tells KISS drummer Peter Criss he's too talented for the band, the drummer quits, to be replaced by Eric Carr.

1980: Just weeks after his harrowing incarceration in Tokyo, Paul McCartney appears (with wife Linda) as the musical guests on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live.

1987: Tom Petty's home in Encino, CA, is ravaged by fire, causing over a million dollars' worth of damage.

1989: Rolling Stone ex-bassist Bill Wyman opens the first of his Stones-themed restaurants, Sticky Fingers, in London.

1990: Nirvana played the last date of a North American tour at the Zoo in Boise, Idaho. This was Chad Channing’s final gig with the band, drummer Dave Grohl replaced him in Sept of this year after his band Scream had split-up.

1992: Lawrence Welk died from pneumonia in Santa Monica, California.

1993: Barry Manilow is the guest star (playing himself) on the "One" episode of CBS-TV's Murphy Brown.

1993: Johnny Cash begins four days of recording in producer Rick Rubin's living room in Los Angeles, backed only by his own guitar. It marks the start of work on his "American Recordings" album.

1995: Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Little Richard share the stage for the first time ever at a concert in Sheffield, England.

1996: Johnny "Guitar" Watson died on stage while on tour in Yokohama, Japan. According to eyewitness reports, he collapsed mid guitar solo. His last words were "ain't that a bitch", probably in reference to the song "Ain't that a Bitch".

2000: The Eagles filed suit against the "Hotel California" restaurant in Dallas, TX, alleging trademark violations.

2001: A new $37-million Country Music Hall of Fame opens in downtown Nashville.

2002: Lance Bass of boy-band *NSYNC underwent hospital treatment to correct an irregular heartbeat. Bass was hoping to qualify for a seat onboard a Russian rocket flight to the International Space Station.

2003: June Carter Cash's funeral is held in her hometown of Henderson, TN, with two thousand mourners attending, including her husband Johnny Cash as well as Kris Kristofferson and Hank Willams, Jr. Emmylou Harris, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Sheryl Crow all perform tributes.

2003: Singer with Stone Temple Pilots Scott Weiland, was arrested on suspicion of drug possession after being stopped during a routine traffic search in Los Angeles, He was released on $10,000 bail.

2006: Paul McCartney and his wife Heather Mills admitted that they had given up the fight to save their marriage, saying that after fours years together, they were going their separate ways.