April 3

Births

1922: Doris Day (Singer)

1928: Don Gibson (Country Artist)

1941: Jan Berry (Jan and Dean)

1941: Phillippe Wynne (Singer in The Spinners)

1942: Wayne Newton (Singer)

1943: Richard Manuel (Piano in The Band)

1944: Tony Orlando (Singer)

1946: Dee Murray (Bass for Elton John)

1949: Richard Thompson (Singer / Songwriter & Guitarist for Fairport Convention & Solo)

1951: Mel Schacher (Bass for Grand Funk Railroad)

1961: Eddie Murphy (Comedian & Singer (Yes, he had an album he sang on)

1962: Simon Raymonde (Bass for Cocteau Twins)

1962: Mike Ness (Guitar & Vocals for Social Distortion & Solo)

1968: Sebastian Bach (Singer for Skid Row)

1985: Leona Lewis (Pop Singer)

Events

1955: Fred Astaire appeared on television for the first time on "The Toast of the Town," with host, Ed Sullivan.

1956: Elvis Presley makes the first of what would be two appearances on NBC-TV's Milton Berle Show, performing "Heartbreak Hotel," "Money Honey" and "Blue Suede Shoes" via live remote on the flight deck of the USS Hancock docked in San Diego. The show is seen by 40 million people around the US, approximately one-fourth of all TV sets. (Later in the show, Elvis plays "Blue Suede Shoes" again, this time with "Uncle Miltie" joining in as the King's "brother Melvin."

1960: During recording sessions at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee, Elvis Presley recorded ‘It's Now Or Never’, ‘Fever’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?

1961: Paul Anka guest stars as himself on tonight's "" episode of CBS-TV's Make Room For Daddy.

1964: Bob Dylan has his first chart hit as "The Times They Are A-Changin'" enters the UK charts. One year later to the day, the single "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is his first to dent the US Top 40.

1965: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs released "Wooly Bully”.

1968: Roy Clark makes the first of several guest appearances on "The Beverly Hillbillies," playing Cousin Roy and Mother Myrtle.

1969: Having technically become a fugitive due to leaving Florida after his infamous stage antics in Miami, the Doors' Jim Morrison turns himself into the FBI in Los Angeles. He's released on $2000 bail, but not before being charged with six counts of lewd behavior and one of interstate flight. The case is eventually reduced to two misdemeanors and still pending appeal when Morrison dies in 1971 apparently by a hemorrhage after snorting heroin.

1971: The Temptations scored their second US No.1 with 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)'.

1975: At his home, Steve Miller is arrested for an altercation with his party guest, Benita Diorio, when the veteran rocker sets fire to her clothes and personal effects. When the cops arrive Miller digs himself deeper by resisting arrest. Charges are dropped the next day.

1978: Cher's first solo TV special, appropriately titled Cher... Special, airs on CBS, featuring guest stars Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart, and The Tubes.

1979: Kate Bush kicked off the 28-date 'Tour Of Life' trek making her concert debut at Liverpool's Empire Theatre, England. Bush never set out on another tour again.

1984: Producer Jack Douglas is awarded $3 million in royalties owed him by the John Lennon estate for his work on the Lennon/Ono album Double Fantasy.

1987: While playing the opening night of their latest tour, onstage in Arizona, U2's "Bono introduces a version of "Helter Skelter" by announcing "This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles. We're stealing it back."

1988: After working on each other's solo projects, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison gather in Malibu, FL, to record an all-star single called "Handle With Care." The session goes so well that the group, calling itself the Traveling Wilburys, goes on to record two whole albums together.

1989: 23 people were arrested after several thousand fans without tickets tried to gate-crash a Grateful Dead concert at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1989: Pepsi dismissed Madonna as a spokesperson after her "Like a Prayer" video was called "blasphemous" by the Vatican.

1990: Sarah Vaughan died of lung cancer at age 66.

1991: Paul McCartney tapes his episode of MTV's acoustic showcase Unplugged.

1993: When his version of Leon Russell's "A Song For You" enters the Billboard singles chart, Ray Charles becomes the first performer to chart in six decades. He'd first made the R&B charts in 1949 with the Maxin Trio's "Confession Blues."

1994: A forthcoming tour by Nirvana and Hole was cancelled amid continuing speculation about Kurt Cobain's drug problems.

1996: MC Hammer filed for bankruptcy.

1998: Guitarist Dave Navarro left the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

1998: Michael Jackson and someone are the proud parents of Jackson's second child, daughter Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson.

2000: Mariah Carey was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital suffering from dehydration and complications from food poisoning after eating raw oysters.

2006: Founding member and original drummer for The Wonder Stuff, Martin Gilks died aged 41, after losing control of his motorbike in London. Gilks was voted the best drummer on the planet in an NME poll in 1989.

2007: Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones denies to MTV his own earlier claim, made in an interview with the New Musical Express, that he once snorted the ashes of his late father.

2008: Mariah Carey's latest single, "Touch My Body," goes to #1, beating Elvis Presley's old record of 17 chart toppers. Only the Beatles have more with 20.

April 2

Births

1928: Serge Gainsbourg (French Jazz Musician)

1939: Marvin Gaye (Singer)

1942: Leon Russell (Singer/ Songwriter & Piano Player)

1946: Kurt Winter (Guitarist for The Guess Who)

1947: Emmylou Harris (Country Singer / Songwriter)

1949: David Robinson (Drummer for The Cars)

1952: Leon Wilkerson (Bass for Lynryd Skynyrd)

1954: Gregory Abbott (R&B Singer)

1961: Keren Woodward (Singer in Bananarama)

1962: Billy Dean (Country Artist)

1967: Greg Camp (Guitar for Smash Mouth)

1967: Prince Paul (Hip-Hop DJ & Producer)

1979: Jesse Carmichael (Keyboards for Maroon 5)

1980: Yung Joc (Jasiel A. Robinson) (Rapper)

Events

1956: Johnny Cash recorded "I Walk The Line" & “Get Rhythm” at Sun Studios in Memphis, TN.

1964: The Beach Boys recorded "I Get Around" which became their first US No.1 in the summer of this year.

1965: The first edition of new music show 'Ready Steady Goes Live!' was shown on UK TV.

1966: Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass set a chart record when four of their albums make the Top 10 of the Billboard album chart at the same time.

1967: An overzealous audience member throws a smoke bomb onto the stage at the Rolling Stones concert at the Town Hall in Vienna, Austria, leading to a riot and the arrest of 154 fans.

1967: Steve Winwood forms Traffic with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason.

1969: Frank Sinatra's "My Way" enters the charts.

1969: Bruce Springsteen’s new group Child made their live debut at the Pandemonium Club in Wanamassa, New Jersey.

1970: Janis Joplin get tattoos on her wrist and heart, the one on her chest reading "One For The Boys."

1977: Fleetwood Mac's LP Rumours hits #1. As of 2011, it is the 10th best-selling album in US history selling over 40 Million copies.

1977: "Lucille" brings Kenny Rogers his first #1 country single in Billboard magazine.

1977: Frank Sinatra scored his first ever UK No.1 album with 'Portrait Of Sinatra', his 46th album release.

1987: Drummer Buddy Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor at the age of 69.

1990: Eric Clapton was fined $500 with $15 costs by Walton-on- Thames Magistrates court, after being booked for speeding at 105mph; Clapton was also banned from driving for three months.

1990: Nirvana went into Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin and started work on demo versions of ‘In Bloom’, ‘Dive’, ‘Lithium’, ‘Pay To Play’, ‘Imodium’, ‘Sappy’ and ‘Polly’ with Butch Vig producing.

1991: LL Cool J gave a pair of sneakers to every student and teacher at The Thompson Middle School in Dorchester, England to celebrate them winning the 'foot locker cool school video' contest.

1993: Robert Flack guest stars as herself on today's episode of ABC-TV's Loving.

1993: The London tabloids break the news that Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman's son Stephen is engaged to 46-year-old Patsy Smith, mother of Wyman's ex-wife, 22-year-old Mandy Smith.

1997: After 32 years, Joni Mitchell is reunited with her first daughter, Kilauren Gibb. Joni gave the child up for adoption at the start of her career.

1998: Rob Pilatus, one half of pop duo Milli Vanilli was found dead in a Frankfurt Hotel room after taking a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol. Milli Vanilli won the 1989 best new artist Grammy after hits like 'Blame it on the Rain' and 'Girl, You Know It's True,' selling 30 million singles and 14 million albums. But in late 1990, the performers were stripped of the award after it was revealed that neither actually sang on the Milli Vanilli album.

1999: The Black Crowes played a concert in Knoxville, Tennessee. Joshua Harmon, a teenager sitting in the second row sued the band, a year later for $5,000 claiming significant hearing loss.

2001: Mariah Carey signed the richest recording deal in history.  The 31-year old singer signed a deal with Virgin for three albums worth $100M. The singer had sold over 120 million records worldwide, scoring 14 US No.1 singles.

2002: Elton John and Ryan Adams perform together at a studio in the back of the Grand Ole Opry House, a taping for "CMT Crossroads." Among their collaborations are duets on Jim Reeves' "He'll Have To Go" and Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls Of Fire".

2004: Coldplay singer Chris Martin was accused of attacking a photographer after leaving a London restaurant with his wife Gwyneth Paltrow. A Coldplay spokesman said photographer Alessandro Copetti had been running after Paltrow's taxi and tripped. Mr Copetti said he had been taking pictures of the singer and his wife outside a restaurant when Martin kicked him from behind.

2005: Kanye West had to abandon a signing appearance in Fresno, California, after a fight broke out between a fan and a security guard. West was taken out of the back door of the new FTK urban boutique, while the owners locked all the doors and cleared around 1,000 fans from the store's parking area.

2006: Gnarls Barkley started an eight-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Crazy.' The American duo made chart history by becoming the first act ever to reach No.1 through computer downloads only. The single was not available to buy in shops until the following week.

2006: Brad Paisley performs "When I Get Where I'm Going" during the funeral for Buck Owens at the Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield. Also on hand are Dwight Yoakam, Garth Brooks, Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, Lulu Roman, John Berry and Trace Adkins.

April 1

Births

1945: John Barbata (Drums for The Turtles & Jefferson Starship)

1946: Ronnie Lane (Bass for The Small Faces)

1947: M (Robin Scott) (Singer)

1948: Jimmy Cliff (Reggae Artist)

1949: Gil Scott-Heron (Poet & Musician)

1950: Billy Currie (Keyboards & Violin for Ultravox)

1951: Henry Gross (Vocals for Sha Na Na)

1954: Jeff Porcaro (Drums for Toto)

1961: Mark White (Guitar & Keyboards for ABC)

1961: Susan Boyle (Singer)

1964: Leslie Langston (Bass for Throwing Muses)

1965: Peter O'Toole (Bass & Guitar for Hothouse Flowers)

1971: Method Man (Clifford Smith) (Rapper in Wu-Tang Clan)

1972: Jesse Tobias (Session Guitarist)

1974: Richard Christy (Howard Stern Show)

1975: John Butler (Singer / Songwriter)

1986: Hillary Scott (Singer for Lady Antebellum)

Events

1877: Thomas Edison designs plans for a telephone with a "carbon transmitter," a device that would later be altered to create the microphone.

1917: Pianist Scott Joplin was suffering from tertiary syphilis and a resulting descent into madness.  In January 1917, he was admitted to Manhattan State Hospital, a mental institution. He died there on April 1, 1917 of dementia.

1928: The first gramophone with record-changing ability, Victor's "Automatic Orthophonic," goes on sale.

1956: Elvis Presley arrives at Paramount Studios for a screen test, lip-synching "Blue Suede Shoes" and performing a scene as Bill Starbuck in The Rainmaker, still in production. Presley will eventually be passed over for this film, and his role taken over by Burt Lancaster. Still impressed, however, Paramount and director Hal Wallis sign Elvis to a seven-year contract five days later.

1957: Elvis Presley performs the first two of only four concerts he will ever stage outside the US when he headlines at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens.

1960: In Miami, Elvis Presley tapes his post-Army comeback special, Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home, Elvis, also starring Sammy Davis Jr., Nancy Sinatra, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. Elvis sings "Fame And Fortune" and "Stuck On You," as well as Sinatra's own "Witchcraft." Frank responds by singing "Love Me Tender."

1964: John Lennon is reunited with his father Freddie after 17 years.

1966: The Troggs recorded "Wild Thing" at Regent Sound Studio in London. The song went on to be a No.1 US hit in June the following year.

1966: Pye Records released David Bowie's first solo single, 'Do Anything You Say'. Bowie had previously recorded as David Jones and The Lower Third.

1969: The Beach Boys leave the Capitol label, suing them for over $2 million in back royalties and announcing their intention to start their own label, Brother.

1970: Ringo Starr enters Abbey Road alone for what would be the very last Beatles session, overdubbing percussion on "The Long and Winding Road," "Across The Universe," and "I Me Mine." Producer Phil Spector wraps things up by applying strings to all three.

1970: John Lennon and Yoko Ono play an April Fool's joke on an already confused press by announcing that they would undergo mutual sex-change operations.

1976: The Buzzcocks played their debut live gig when the appeared at Bolton Institute Of Technology. The power was turned off after three numbers.

1976: Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's house was broken into with thieves taking guitars valued at over $11,000.

1978: Paul Simon, Peter Frampton, and James Taylor's jointly-owned soccer team, the Philadelphia Fury, plays its first match.

1983: Kirk Hammett joined Metallica.

1984: Marvin Gaye’s father fatally shot him after an argument that started after his parents squabbled over misplaced business documents. Gaye attempted to intervene, and was killed by his father using a gun that Marvin Jr. had given him four months before. Marvin Gaye would have turned 45 the next day. Marvin Sr. was sentenced to six years of probation after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped after doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumor.

1985: Tom Bailey, singer with The Thompson Twins, collapsed from exhaustion while staying at The Holiday Inn, Chelsea. He was flown to Paris to see his private doctor.

1985: David Lee Roth quit Van Halen shortly after releasing his version of The Beach Boys', ‘California Girls’, (which featured Carl Wilson on background vocals).

1990: Willie Nelson's tour bus crashed into a car in Riverdale, Canada, killing the car driver.

1990:  Guns and Roses' Duff McKagan divorces Mandy Brix, lead singer for Lame Flames.

1992: Billy Idol is fined $2000 and told to make public service announcements against alcohol and drug use for hitting a woman.

1992: Jimmy Buffett is the proud father of his second daughter, Sarah Delaney, with wife Jane Slagsvol.

1997: April Fools! Planning to sing at his own wedding, Trace Adkins' management company sends a contract and a bill for $7,500 to the family of his bride-to-be, Rhonda Forlaw.

1998: Rozz Williams of Christian Death hanged himself.  He was 34 years old.

2003: R&B singer Edwin Starr at the age of 61 suffered a heart attack and died whilst taking a bath at his home in Bramcote near Nottingham, England.

2004: Paul Atkinson (The Zombies) died at the age of 58 in a Santa Monica hospital due to liver and kidney disease.

2007: Indie rock band Modest Mouse were at No.1 on the album chart with ‘We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.' The album featured former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr who joined the band in May 2006.

2008: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich declares today "Cheap Trick Day" in honor of its native sons.