March 30

Births

1914: Sonny Boy Williamson (Blues Harmonica Player & Singer)

1943: Ken Forssi (Bass for Love)

1945: Eric Clapton (Guitar Legend & Singer)

1948: Jim "Dandy" Mangrum (Singer for Black Oak Arkansas)

1950: Dave Ball (Guitar for Procol Harum)

1962: MC Hammer (Stanley Kirk Burrell) (Rapper)

1964: Tracy Chapman (Singer /Songwriter)

1966: Joey Castillo (Drummer for Queens Of The Stone Age & Eagles Of Death Metal)

1968: Celine Dion (Singer)

1973: Adam Goldstein (DJ AM)

1976:  Mark McClelland (Bass for Snow Patrol)

1979:  Norah Jones (Singer / Songwriter)

Events

1923: The world's first dance marathon, which would become quite the fad in the Roaring Twenties, was held in New York City's Audubon Ballroom.

1957: Buddy Knox became the first artist in the Rock 'n' Roll era to write his own number one hit when ‘Party Doll’ topped the US singles chart.

1962: Pravda, the official newspaper of the USSR, runs an article warning Russians against falling victim to the decadent new Western fad known as "The Twist."

1963: 16 year old Lesley Gore recorded "It's My Party".  She also appeared on “American Bandstand” on the same day.

1963: The Chiffons started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘He’s So Fine’. In 1971 George Harrison was taken to court accused of copying the song on his 1970 ‘My Sweet Lord’ and ordered to pay $587,000 to the writers.

1966: A famous riot occurs at a Rolling Stones show in Paris, one which leads to the arrest of no less than 85 concertgoers.

1967: The Beatles visit Chelsea Manor Studios in London to photograph the cover of their newest album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, wearing satin marching band outfits of various bright colors and posing amid cardboard cutouts of several dozen famous personages. Michael Cooper's series of photographs would become amongst the most famous in rock history.

1967: While set to perform "Purple Haze" on BBC-TV's Top Of The Pops, a technician instead mistakenly cues up Alan Price's version of Randy Newman's "Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear." Hendrix good-naturedly replies: "I don't know the words to this one, man."

1970: Miles Davis releases the Album Bitches Brew.

1974: John Denver went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Sunshine On My Shoulders', the singers first of four US No.1's. Denver was killed in a plane crash on 12th October 1997.

1975: Jeff Beck (Yardbirds Guitarist) released his first solo album, "Blow by Blow," in the U.S

1976: The Sex Pistols played their first show at The 100 club, London for 50 people. They begin a weekly residency at the club in June.

1978: Paul Simonon and Nicky Headon, from The Clash, were arrested in Camden Town, London after shooting down racing pigeons with air guns from the roof of Chalk Farm Studios. Four police cars and a helicopter were required to make the arrest. Their fines totalled $1,360.

1989: Gladys Knight performs her first solo show ever at Bally's in Las Vegas.

1999: Kiss cancelled three concert dates in Russia due to anti-American sentiment over the U.N. bombing of Yugoslavia.

2001: LeAnn Rimes reached an out of court settlement with her father and her former manager. The country star filed a lawsuit claiming the pair had stolen $12 million from her.

2004: At a restaurant near Lake Tahoe, the jazz trio house band are shocked when Paul McCartney steps onstage to join them for a rendition of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore."

2005: Neil Young undergoes successful surgery to remove a brain aneurysm.

2007: A crazed stalker is arrested in Peasmarsh, Sussex, England, after driving at high speed through Paul McCartney's security checkpoint and up to just a few yards from his mansion. Led away after leading police on three-mile chase, the trespasser began screaming "I must get to him!" He was later judged mentally ill.