February 23

Births

1685: George Handel (Composer)

1944: Johnny Winter (Guitarist & Singer)

1946: Rusty Young (Guitar for Poco)

1948: Steve Priest (Bass for Sweet)

1952: Brad Whitford (Rhythm Guitar for Aerosmith)

1955: Howard Jones (Singer / Songwriter)

1958: David Sylvian (Lead Singer for Japan & Solo)

1962: Michael Wilton (Guitar for Queensryche)

1963: Rob Collins (Keyboards for The Charlatans)

1971: Jeff Beres (Bass for Sister Hazel)

1972: Steve Holy (Country Singer)

1979: D-Rock (De'Angelo Holmes) (Rapper in Ying Yang Twins)

Events

1970: 5th Dimension guest star more or less as themselves on tonight's "To Sing a Song of Murder" episode of ABC-TV's drama series It Takes A Thief.

1970: Ringo Starr makes the first solo TV appearance of a Beatle when he appears on NBC's Laugh-In.

1972: Backstage at Elvis Presley's final Vegas show of his latest engagement, wife Priscilla informs him that she's been seeing karate master Mike Stone, whom Elvis introduced to her. The King is furious. The next day, she moves out of Elvis' California home.

1978: At tonight's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Marvin Gaye wins his very first awards: two for the comeback single "Sexual Healing."

1978: David Coverdale's Whitesnake made their debut at the Sky Bird Club, Nottingham, England.

1979: Dire Straits played their first American show when they appeared in Boston.

1985: Stevie Wonder is among the anti-apartheid protesters arrested in front of Washington DC's South African Embassy, but is soon released.

1989: Isaac Hayes is sentenced to by an Atlanta judge for failing to pay his ex-wife over $346,000 in alimony and child support, but is released upon making a $22,000 down payment.

1990: Reba McEntire has a son, Shelby Stephen Blackstock, at Nashville's West Side Hospital.

1999: Oasis guitarist Paul Arthurs was arrested and jailed overnight for being drunk and disorderly. Police found the guitarist outside a Tommy Hilfiger store in London.

1999: Eminem's first album, "The Slim Shady LP", was released.

2002: The Bee Gees play what turns out to be their final show as a trio, at Miami Beach's Love and Hope Ball.

2002: Counry singer LeAnn Rimes marries dancer Dean Sheremet at the Perkins Chapel in Dallas.

2003: The British tabloid News Of The World claims that Michael Jackson has had a number of painful skin operations to peel his skin white.

2003: Howie Epstein bassist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers died of a suspected drug overdose in New Mexico.

2003: Norah Jones cleaned up at the 45th Grammy Awards, held at Madison Square Garden, New York. The singer, songwriter won, Album of the year and Record of the year, with 'Don't Know Why.' Song of the year, Best new artist and Best female pop vocal for 'Don't Know Why'.