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.

1998: Tommy Lee from Motley Crue was sentenced to six months jail after being found guilty of spousal abuse.

1998: Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward was taken to hospital in London after suffering a heart attack during a band rehearsal.

1998: Frank Sinatra's funeral is held at the Beverly Hills' Church of the Good Shepherd, with attendees including Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Liza Minnelli, Jack Nicholson, Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Sophia Loren, Bob Newhart, Faye Dunaway, Angie Dickinson, and ex Mia Farrow. Dylan's statement reads, in part, "Right from the beginning, he was there with the truth of things in his voice... He was one of the very few singers who sang without a mask." Ten years later to the day, May 13th is declared Frank Sinatra Day by the Congress of the United States.

2003: South Carolina's parole board pardons James Brown of all past offenses committed in the state, even the felonies, spurring James to spontaneously sing "God Bless America" at the conclusion of the hearing.

2005: Kylie Minogue had a cancerous lump removed from her breast at St Frances Xavier Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The singer had been due to begin the 20-date Australian leg of her current worldwide Showgirl tour in Sydney.

2006: Their hometown of Hawthorne, CA dedicates a monument to the three Wilson brothers in the Beach Boys.

2007: Rihanna featuring Jay-Z started a 10 week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Umbrella' which spent 10 consecutive weeks at No.1 in the UK making it the longest running No.1 single since Wet Wet Wet's ‘Love Is All Around'. Rihanna and Jay-Z won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for the track.

2011: Singer Darius Rucker of Hootie & The Blowfish receives an honorary doctorate and delivers the commencement speech at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.