March 12

Births

1917: Leonard Chess (Founder of Chess records)

1922: Jack Kerouac (Writer)

1940: Al Jarreau (Jazz Singer)

1946: Liza Minnelli (Singer)

1948: James Taylor (Singer / Songwriter)

1949: Mike Gibbins (Drums for Badfinger)

1949: Bill Payne (Vocals & Keyborads for Little Feat)

1956: Steve Harris (Bass for Iron Maiden)

1957: Marlon Jackson (The Jackson 5)

1977: Ben Kenny (Bass for Incubus)

1978 - Claudio Sanchez (Singer for Coheed and Cambria)

1979: Pete Doherty (Singer for The Libertines)

Events

1955:  American jazz saxophonist and composer Charlie Parker died of a heart attack in New York City while watching Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra on television. He was 34. The coroner who performed his autopsy mistakenly estimated Parker's 34-year-old body to be between 50 and 60 years of age after years of drug and alcohol abuse.

1958:  A Philadelphia court sentences Billie Holiday to one year probation for pleading guilty to heroin possession two years earlier.

1963:  Beatles perform as a trio, John Lennon is ill with a cold.

1966:  Love's 1st album is released "Love".

1968:  The Rolling Stones started recording their single ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ with new producer Jimmy Miller at Olympic studios in London.

1969:  Infamous London police officer Det. Sgt. Norman Pilcher, well-known for singling out and busting rock stars, enters George Harrison's house in Esher, Surrey, England and arrests the Beatle and his wife Pattie for possession of marijuana (specifically, cannabis resin). That same morning, Paul McCartney marries girlfriend Linda Eastman at the register office in Marylebone, London and again at the Anglican church in St. John's Wood. No other Beatles attend.

1971:  Rolling Stone Mick Jagger marries Bianca P’rez Morena de Macias.

1971: The Allman Brothers Band played the first of two nights at the Fillmore East, New York. Both show's were recorded and released as The Allman Brothers live double album, which became the groups breakthrough album.

1974:  During his infamous "Lost Weekend," John Lennon attends the Smothers Brothers comedy show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles with singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson. A drunk Nilsson begins to heckle the brothers, thinking he's helping the show, and a drunken John helps him do it. Both are thrown out.

1975: The divorce of George Jones and Tammy Wynette is finalized. Wynette takes custody of their only child, Tamala, and keeps their home on Franklin Road in Nashville.

1981:  Bow Wow Wow were forced to cancel the first dates of a UK tour after Greater London Council stated that singer Annabella Lwin aged 15 would be guilty of truancy.

1983:  U2 scored their first UK No.1 album with 'War', which went on to spend a total of 147 weeks on the chart. The album featured the singles 'New Years Day' and 'Two Hearts Beat As One'.

1996:  Nancy Sinatra gives her famous white go-go boots, the ones that were made for walkin', to the Beverly Hills Hard Rock Cafe.

1998:  Ska Artist Judge Dread died due to heart attack as he walked off stage.

1998:  Korn served a cease-and-desist demand to a Michigan assistant principal, the high school and the school district who suspended a student for wearing a T-shirt that had the band's name on it.

2001:  Judy Garland's 'Over The Rainbow' was voted the Song Of The Century in a poll published in America. Musicians, critics and fans compiled the list by the RIA.

2003:  On the eve of the Rolling Stones' first tour of China, the Chinese government provides the group with a list of provocative songs the group is prohibited from playing, including "Brown Sugar," “Beast Of Burden”, "Honky Tonk Women," and "Let's Spend The Night Together."

2007: Disappointed with his share of the profits from a cell phone commercial that was authorized to use the group's famous 1968 hit "The Weight," The Band's Levon Helm sues Cingular, the commercial's creator.

2008: An all-Beatles-song episode of FOX-TV's American Idol, seven years in the making, draws an estimated 31 million viewers.

2009: Hundreds of fans gathered at the O2 arena in London as Michael Jackson tickets went on sale to the public. The 50-year-old pop veteran had confirmed he would be playing a 50-date residency at the venue, beginning on 8 July 2009. Some 360,000 pre-sale tickets had already sold. Organisers said the This Is It tour had become the fastest-selling in history, with 33 seats sold each minute.

2010: Over 130 people were arrested and eight people were hospitalised as fans tried to gatecrash a Metallica show in Colombia. 1,500 police and four tanks were brought in to manage the crowds as property was vandalized and destroyed, as thousands of ticketless fans rioted during Metallica’s first Colombian concert in eleven years.

March 11

Births

1903: Lawrence Welk (Bandleader)

1947: Mark Stein (Lead Vocals & Keyboardist for Vanilla Fudge)

1948: George Kooymans (Guitar for Golden Earring)

1950: Bobby McFerrin (Jazz Vocalist)

1955: Nina Hagen (New Wave Singer)

1957: Cheryl Lynn (R&B Singer)

1961: Bruce Watson (Guitar for Big Country)

1964: Vinnie Paul (Drummer for Pantera)

1968: Lisa Loeb (Singer / Songwriter)

1969: Rami Jaffee (Keyboards for The Wallflowers)

1979: Joel & Benji Madden (Guitar & Vocals for Good Charlotte)

1981: LeToya Luckett (Singer in Destiny's Child)

1981: Paul Wall (Rapper)

Events

1958: In the wake of his marriage to 13-year-old Myra Gale Brown, his second cousin, Jerry Lee Lewis is divorced by his present (second) wife, Jane Mitcham.

1967: Pink Floyd releases their 1st song (Arnold Layne)

1968:  The Otis Redding single 'Dock Of The Bay', went gold in the US three months after the singer was killed in a plane crash.

1969: The Jackson 5 sign with Motown.

1969: After 25 years as a successful bluegrass duo, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs split officially.

1970:  Winners at this years Grammy awards included Joe South for song of the year with 'Games People Play', Crosby Stills and Nash won best new artist, The Fifth Dimension won Record of the year with 'Aquarius / Let The Sun Shine In.'

1971: The Doors' Jim Morrison, fleeing numerous criminal charges in the US, arrives in Paris, where he will suffer a fatal overdose four months later in the bathtub of his apartment.

1991: Janet Jackson signs $40M 3-album deal with Virgin records.

1993: Oasis recorded their first demos at The Real People's studio in Liverpool. The set included 'Rock 'n' Roll Star', 'Columbia' and 'Fade Away.'

1995: Van Halen kicked off their 131-date ‘Balance World Tour’, at the Pensacola Civic Center, Pensacola Civic Center, Florida. (Dubbed the "Ambulance" Tour by Eddie Van Halen due to his hip surgery, and his brother, drummer Alex Van Halen wearing a neck brace for most of the tour).

1996: Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker walked free from Kensington police station after police failed to charge him with any criminal offence following his 'stage invasion', during Michael Jackson's performance at the Brit Awards on 19th February 1996.

1997: Paul McCartney knighted Sir Paul by Queen.

1998: Trumpet player Stacey Guess of the Squirrel Nut Zippers dies of a drug overdose.

2000: KISS began their "Farewell Tour."

2002: Pat Green is hospitalized in Brownsville, Texas, with facial fractures after he's attacked on the beach in South Padre Island by two men.

2005: The front door of Ozzy Osbourne's childhood home in Birmingham went up for sale because the current owner was fed up with fans defacing it. Ali Mubarrat, who now owned the house in Lodge Road, Aston, said over the years it had become a pilgrimage destination. He was now auctioning the door on eBay and giving the money to charity.

2006: The Disney Channel Original Movie, ‘High School Musical’ was at No.1 on the US album chart. The album went on to break all records for a soundtrack selling over 7 million copies worldwide. A No.1 album In Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

2008: Madonna was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a star-studded ceremony in New York City. She received her honor at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel from singer Justin Timberlake. The 49-year-old thanked her detractors in an acceptance speech, including those who "said I couldn't sing, that I was a one hit wonder". Rock star John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, The Ventures and The Dave Clark Five were also among the inductees.

March 10

Births

1903: Bix Beiderbecke (Jazz Musician)

1940: Dean Torrence (Singer in Jan and Dean)

1947: Tom Scholtz (Guitar for Boston)

1963: Jeff Ament (Bass for Pearl Jam)

1963: Rick Rubin (Producer)

1964: Neneh Cherry (R&B / Hip-Hop Artist)

1966: Edie Brickell (Singer / Songwriter)

1966: Dave Krusen (Drummer for Pearl Jam)

1970: Matt Barlow (Singer for Iced Earth)

1971: Timbaland (Rapper & Producer)

1971: Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

1973: John LeCompt (Guitar for Evanescence)

1977: Robin Thicke (R&B Singer)

1978: Ben Burnley (Lead Vocals & Rhythm Guitar for Breaking Benjamin)

1983: Carrie Underwood (Country Artist)

1983: Che'Nelle (R&B Singer)

Events

1937: Benny Goodman plays a gig for 21,000 jitterbugging fans at New York City's Paramount Theatre.

1955: Trumpeting their new signing, RCA Victor places a half-page ad in Billboard announcing Elvis Presley as the "new singing rage."

1956: Bobby Darin makes his first television appearance, singing "Rock Island Line" on CBS-TV's Dorsey Brothers Stage Show.

1963: Three days after an emotional public service, Patsy Cline's body is buried quietly at Shenandoah Memorial Park in Winchester, VA.

1964: Simon and Garfunkel record "The Sounds Of Silence".

1967: Sonny and Cher guest star as "Jerry and Ramona" on tonight's "The Hot Number Affair" episode of the NBC-TV spy spoof The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

1977: At 7:00 in the morning on a trestle table set up out-side Buckingham Palace, London, The Sex Pistols signed to A&M Records. The contract lasted for six days.

1979: Gloria Gaynor started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Will Survive'.  The song was originally released as the B-side to a song first recorded by The Righteous Brothers called 'Substitute.'

1988: Younger brother of The Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, died in hospital. His death from myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) followed a long battle with cocaine addiction, which had weakened his heart.

1979: In what has to be one of the more bizarre appearances at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, James Brown takes the stage at the Ryman Auditorium on the invite of his good friend Porter Wagoner. James plays it straight, delivering surprisingly traditional renditions of "Tennessee Waltz" and "Your Cheatin' Heart," but also unleashing "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag." Jean Shepard is vocal in her dislike of Brown's set, but Barbra Mandrell, for one, applauds the unusual guest appearance.

1981: Jimmy Page joins Jeff Beck at a concert In London for three encore jams, marking the first time the Led Zeppelin guitarist has taken the stage since the breakup of his band.

1997: American rhythm and blues singer Lavern Baker died from coronary complications aged 57.

2000: Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde was arrested for leading an animal rights protest against the clothing firm Gap, who were accused of using leather from cows slaughtered 'illegally and cruelly'. The protest took place in a store in Manhattan.

2000: Country artist Vince Gill marries Christian singer Amy Grant in Nashville, with about 75 people attending. Grant takes her vows barefoot.

2003: The Righteous Brothers, AC/DC, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, The Clash, The Police, and Floyd Cramer are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York City.

2003: During a show in London, Dixie Chick Natalie Maines tells the crowd, "We're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas." The audience cheers, but many U.S. radio stations stop playing Chicks music, as the nation prepares for war in Iraq.

2005: Michael Jackson shows up at his child molestation trial in Los Angeles an hour late and still in his pajamas. After being threatened with jail time for making the court wait, Jackson listens to testimony from one of his former visitors at his Neverland Ranch, a teenager who testifies that the singer tried to get him drunk on soda cans filled with red wine, which he reportedly called "Jesus' Blood," and white wine or "Jesus Juice."

2008: The Dave Clark Five, The Ventures, Little Walter, Leonard Cohen, John Mellencamp, and Madonna are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York City.