April 7

Births

1908: Percy Faith (Conductor)

1915: Billie Holiday (Jazz Singer)

1920: Ravi Shankar (Indian Sitar Player)

1937: Charlie Thomas (The Drifters)

1938: Spencer Dryden (Drummer for Jefferson Airplane)

1943: Mick Abrahams (Guitarist for Jethro Tull)

1947: Florian Schneider-Esleben (Kraftwerk)

1949: John Oates (Guitar & Vocals in Hall and Oates)

1951: Janis Ian (Folk Singer / Songwriter)

Events

1956: The first national rock and roll radio series, Alan Freed's Rock 'N' Roll Dance Party, debuts on the CBS Radio Network.

1956: The Platters make their television debut on the Dorsey Brothers' Stage Show, broadcast on CBS.

1958: The Capitol label officially abandons issuing 78 rpm records.

1958: The Platters released the single "Twilight Time".

1962: Elvis Presley arrives in Hawaii to begin shooting the ocean shots for his latest film, Blue Hawaii. At his hotel, the Kaiser Hawaiian Village, he is mobbed by over a thousand fans and sprints away from them, losing several pieces of jewelry in the process. (His ring was returned the next day.)

1962: Unknown London musicians Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, attending a performance of Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated at the Ealing Jazz Club, meet a young guitarist named Brian Jones.

1967: San Francisco's KMPX becomes the first FM station to play "deep cuts" from albums, rather than merely singles, a "free-form" non-format that will soon transform rock radio.

1970: B.J. Thomas' "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," featured in the Robert Redford / Paul Newman film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, wins Best Original Song at this year's Academy Awards.

1975: Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore leaves the group to form Rainbow. He will be replaced by Tommy Bolin.

1979: Siouxsie And The Banshees played a charity gig for MENCAP, but after crowd trouble were latter faced with a $4000 bill for seat damage.

1979: The Doobie Brothers went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Minute By Minute', the group's only US chart topper.

1981: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play their first concert outside North America, opening their new tour at the Congress Centre in Hamburg, Germany.

1981: Kit Lambert (Producer & Manager of The Who) died of a cerebral hemorrhage after falling down the stairs of his mother's house.

1985: Wham! became the first western pop group to perform live in China, when they played at the workers gymnasium in Beijing.

1985: Prince ended his 32-city tour in Miami, FL, and said that he was withdrawing from live performances for "an indeterminate number of years.

1988: While rehearsing a morbid "hanging" stunt for his upcoming tour, Alice Cooper is nearly killed when the safety rope breaks, leaving him swinging in the air for a few moments. Fortunately, a roadie quickly steps in and gets him down.

1994: Percy Sledge pleads guilty to evading taxes on $260,000 of his income and is sentenced to six months in prison (which he is allowed to serve in a "halfway house").

1994: Courtney Love was arrested on drugs and theft charges after a reported overdose. At this time, Love was unaware that her husband Kurt Cobain was dead at their home.

1995: Airport police seized a loaded pistol from Eddie Van Halen's carry-on luggage. No charges were filed.

1997: Oasis singer Liam Gallagher married actress Patsy Kensit at Marylebone Registry office, London. They divorced three years later.

1997: An Amsterdam university began offering a course entitled "Madonna 101."

1998: George Michael was arrested at The Will Rogers Memorial Park for committing a sex act in a public toilet. He was arrested by undercover Beverly Hills police officer Marcelo Rodriguez. Michael later said; "I was followed into the restroom and this cop - well, I didn't know he was a cop at the time obviously – started playing this game. I think it's called ‘I'll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I'm gonna nick you!" The singer was later fined $810 after being convicted of a "lewd act."

2001: Paul McCartney bought the four-bedroom Beverly Hills home of Courtney Love for $3.995m. The gated 1930's house had it's own swimming pool and 1.5 acres of land.

2006: A fan site for the legendary psych-pop band Love reports (correctly) that leader Arthur Lee is dying from leukemia.

2008: Bob Dylan is awarded an honorary Pulitzer for "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."

2008: Olivia Newton-John begins a walk across the entire length of China's Great Wall in order to raise funds for and awareness of the battle to cure breast cancer. The walk will take three weeks and cover 141 miles.

2011: Tennessee Highway Patrol officers arrested rapper Webbie on drug possession and tampering with evidence charges after he was pulled over following a performance in Kentucky.  Webbie, whose real name is Webster Gradney Jr., was riding in a rental car that was stopped south of Nashville. Authorities say the 25-year-old rapper from Baton Rouge, La., was found with $13,000 and 2 ounces of marijuana. Troopers also say he threw marijuana out the car window.

April 6

Births

1927: Gerry Mulligan (Jazz Saxophonist)

1937: Merle Haggard (Country Artist)

1952: Udo Dirkschneider (Singer for Accept)

1965: Frank Black (Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV) (Guitarist & Singer for The Pixies & Solo)

Events

1956: Having impressed Paramount Studios with his screen test five days earlier, Elvis Presley is signed to a seven-year, three- picture deal worth nearly half a million dollars.

1956: Capitol Tower, the home of Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA, was dedicated. It was the first circular office tower designed in America. It is 13 stories tall and 92 feet in diameter.

1962: Russia's official newspaper, Pravda, warns Soviet teens of the decadent dangers of the new "twist" dance craze.

1965: The Beach Boys recorded "California Girls".

1966: The first session of what would become The Beatles album 'Revolver' started in the evening at Abbey Road studios London, with the recording of the basic track of 'Tomorrow Never Knows.'

1968: Founding member Syd Barrett, already in a mental downward spiral from LSD abuse, leaves Pink Floyd.

1968: The Beatles Apple Corps Ltd. record company, management and publishing firm, opened their offices in London.

1969: Original bassist Pete Quaife leaves the Kinks.

1971: The Rolling Stones unveil their new custom record label, Rolling Stones Records, which also features the group's new logo, the infamous tongue-and-lips "pop art" drawing created by London graphic artist John Pasche.

1972: The Monkees' Micky Dolenz guest stars as himself in tonight's "Barbara Lost" episode of ABC-TV's My Three Sons.

1971: Carly Simon is introduced to James Taylor backstage after her concert at Los Angeles' famous Troubadour nightclub. Instantly smitten, they would marry in November of 1972.

1974: After initially arguing with his record company about releasing it as a single ("it's the same thing over and over"), Billy Joel gets his first Top 40 hit with "Piano Man."

1974: California's biggest annual rock concert, the California Jam, has its debut in Ontario, CA, featuring performances by The Eagles, Earth Wind and Fire, Seals and Crofts, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and Black Oak Arkansas performing for a crowd of 200,000.

1974: The concert documentary Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones, the first-ever such film with a quadraphonic soundtrack, premieres at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York.

1975: Labelle performs their recent hit, "Lady Marmalade," on CBS-TV's Cher show.

1979: In Beverly Hills, Rod Stewart marries George Hamilton's ex-wife, Alana. The couple would divorce in 1984.

1984: Longtime E Street Band guitarist "Miami" Steve Van Zandt, a/k/a Little Steven, announces he's leaving the group. He will return in 1995.

1987: Roger Waters' lawyers issued a statement that Roger believed himself to be the creative driving force behind Pink Floyd and therefore he would contest the use of the name by anyone else and any former members of Pink Floyd.

1990: Drummer Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) suffered a mild concussion in New Haven, CT. when he fell after swinging from scaffolding above his elevated drum kit.

1991: Ringo Starr guest stars as himself in tonight's "Brush With Greatness" episode of Fox-TV's The Simpsons.

1992: George Harrison performs his first full live solo concert since 1969, appearing in London in a benefit for the Natural Law political party.

1993: Rap grout The Beatnuts release their debut EP “Intoxicated Demons”.

1997: The Michael Jackson short film/theme ride Captain EO is shown for the last time at Disneyland.

1998: Chubby Checker, Lesley Gore, Fabian, and Dick Clark all guest star as themselves in tonight's "Opus One" episode of CBS-TV's Murphy Brown.

1998: Tammy Wynette died after years of medical problems, numerous hospitalizations, approximately 26 major operations and an addiction to large doses of pain medication, Wynette died while sleeping on her couch at age 55. Wynette's doctor from Pennsylvania said she died of a blood clot in her lung.

1998: Wendy O. Williams, former singer of the Punk Rock band The Plasmatics, died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Williams was known for her wild stage theatrics which included blowing up equipment, near nudity and chain-sawing guitars. In January 1981 police in Milwaukee arrested her for simulating sex on stage, later that same year in Cleveland, Ohio Williams was acquitted of an obscenity charge for simulating sex on stage wearing only shaving cream.

1999: Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead appear at an Al Gore Presidential fundraiser, with Gore's wife, notorious anti-rock crusader Tipper, playing congas.

2003: Linkin Park started a two week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Meteroa’ the bands first US No.1 album.

2004: Niki Sullivan (The Crickets) died suddenly of a heart attack, aged 66, in Sugar Creek, Missouri, near Kansas City; despite his good health and no indications of any illness.

2006: Eminem filed for divorce from his wife Kim less than three months after the couple re-married.

April 5

Births

1928: Tony Williams (Singer for The Platters)

1932: Billy Bland (R&B Singer)

1934: Stanley Turrentine (Jazz Tenor Saxophonist)

1941: Dave Swarbrick (Vocals & Violin for Fairport Convention)

1944: Nicholas Caldwell (Singer in The Whispers)

1948: Dave Holland (Drummer for Judas Priest)

1950: Agnetha Faltskog (Blonde singer in ABBA)

1951: Everton Morton (Drummer for The English Beat)

1954: Stan Ridgeway (Singer for Wall Of Voodoo & Solo)

1961: Jacob Slichter (Drummer for Semisonic)

1964: Kid (Christopher Reid) (Rapper in Kid ‘N’ Play)

1966: Mike McCready (Guitar for Pearl Jam)

1968: Paula Cole (Singer / Songwriter)

1970: Miho Hatori (Vocals for Cibo Matto & Golillaz)

1972: Pat Green (Country Artist)

1973: Pharrell Williams (Rapper in Neptunes & Producer)

Events

1936: The fourth deadliest tornado in US history rips through Tupelo, MS, killing 235 but sparing Elvis Presley, still an infant, who is held in his Great Uncle Noah's house by his mother Gladys until the storm passes.

1955: Ray Charles marries his second wife, Della Beatrice Howard, in Houston, TX.

1958: Johnny Mathis' compilation album Johnny's Greatest Hits, the first "greatest hits" LP, enters the Billboard charts, where it will stay for almost nine and a half years. It's a record that would only be broken in 1982 by Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon.

1964: The Beatles film the famous opening scene from their first movie, A Hard Day's Night, running away from several rabid female fans at London's Marylebone train station.

1964: The Searchers make their US television debut, singing "Needles and Pins" and "Ain't That Just Like Me" on CBS' Ed Sullivan Show.  They were the 1^st British band to play on the show after The Beatles.  It was The Searchers US debut.

1967: Monkees fans march in London in protest of band member Davy Jones' announced induction into the Army. The teen heartthrob is eventually exempted from duty for being his family's main provider.

1975: Minnie Riperton went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the Stevie Wonder produced song 'Loving You'.  It was the singers only US chart hit. Riperton died of cancer on 12th July 1979.

1977: David Bowie appeared on Dinah Shore's TV special.

1978: Duran Duran made their live debut at The Lecture Theatre, Birmingham Polytechnic.

1980: R.E.M. played their first ever gig when they appeared at St Mary's Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia.

1981: Bob "The Bear" Hite (Singer for Canned Heat) was found dead in his van of a heart attack in 1981, at the age of 38.

1983: The Beach Boys were banned from the Fourth of July concert at the White House. U.S. President Ronald Reagan overturned the ban two days later.

1984: Marvin Gaye's funeral takes place at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, drawing some very notable mourners, including Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Berry Gordy.

1987: Buddy Rich's funeral in Los Angeles draws some very notable mourners, including Frank Sinatra, Artie Shaw, and Johnny Carson.

1990: After serving months of his sentence for drug possession, resisting arrest, and other charges, James Brown is put on a work-release program, moving from his jail to South Carolina's Lower Savannah Work Center, where he provides counseling for drug addicts. He is paid four dollars an hour.

1993: Construction began on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

1993: In Beverly Hills, CA, Marky Mark Wahlberg had assault charges against him dropped. He had reached an out-of-court settlement with the man he allegedly beat in 1992.

1994: Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) committed suicide by shooting himself in the head at his home in Seattle. Cobain’s body wasn’t discovered until April 8, by an electrician who had arrived to install a security system, who initially believed that Cobain was asleep, until he saw the shotgun pointing at his chin. A suicide note was found that said, "I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now". A high concentration of heroin and traces of Valium were found in Cobain’s body. His death was officially ruled as suicide by a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

1995: Jimi Hendrix's one-time girlfriend Monika Dannerman committed suicide, two days after losing a court battle with another of the guitarist's ex-lovers.

1998: Cozy Powell (Drummer for ELP, Black Sabbath & Rainbow) died following a car crash while driving his Saab 9000 at 104 mph in bad weather on the M4 motorway near Bristol, England. According to the BBC report, at the time of the crash, Powell's blood-alcohol reading was over the legal limit, he was not wearing a seatbelt, and he was talking to his girlfriend on his mobile phone. The official investigation also found evidence of a slow puncture in a rear tire. It was suggested that this could well have caused a sudden collapse of the tire with a consequent loss of control of the car.

1998: The Spice Girls performed their first ever-live UK concert when they appeared in front of a 9,000 strong audience in Glasgow, Scotland.

1999:  Three of Tammy Wynette's daughters filed a $50 million lawsuit that blamed Wynette's death on negligence by her husband and her doctor.

2000: Ziggy Marley became the official spokesman for the Hemp Bar.

2002: Stone Tempe Pilots singer Layne Staley died after injecting a mixture of heroin and cocaine known as a "speedball” at age 34.

2006: Gene Pitney died at the age of 66. His tour manager found him dead in the Hilton Hotel, in Cardiff, Wales, in the middle of a UK tour. His final show at Cardiff's St. David's Hall earned him a standing ovation; he ended with "Town Without Pity". An autopsy confirmed heart disease, caused by atherosclerosis.

2006: Marion "Suge" Knight staved off receivership by seeking bankruptcy protection for himself and his music label, Death Row Records. The record producer had been ordered to pay more than $100m to a former associate who said she had helped start the record label in 1989. Lawyers for Mr. Knight said he did not have the money to pay the judgement, and was forced to seek federal protection. The label helped launch the careers of rappers such as Snoop Doggy Dogg.

2007: Former Kiss guitarist Mark St. John died from an apparent brain hemorrhage at the age of 51. St. John was Kiss' third official guitarist, having replaced Vinnie Vincent in 1984 and appeared on the album ‘Animalize’.

2008: Toto breaks up after performing its final concert in Seoul.

2011: Less than six weeks after being released from jail on a drunken driving charge, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil faced two new misdemeanor charges in a Las Vegas casino showroom confrontation with an ex-girlfriend.  He was accused of poking his finger into the chest of Alicia Jacobs in a casino comedy club late March 24, and of cursing and pointing or poking at Jacobs and her friends, John Katsilometes and Patricia McCrone.

2011: A statue in tribute to Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain was unveiled in his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington.