May 2

Births

1929: Link Wray (Guitar Player)

1936: Engelbert Humperdinck (Singer)

1944: Bob Henrit (Drummer for Argent)

1945: Goldy McJohn (Keyboards for Steppenwolf)

1945: Randy Cain (Singer in The Delfonics)

1945: Judge Dread (Reggae Artist)

1946: Lesley Gore (Singer)

1948: Larry Gatlin (The Gatlin Brothers)

1950: Lou Gramm (Singer for Foreigner)

1951: Jo Callis (Synthesizer, Keyboards & Guitar in Human League)

1954: Prescott Niles (Bass for The Knack)

1985: Lily Allen (Singer)

Events

1956: In a definite sign of the times, five records -- Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel," Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally," Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes," The Platters' "(You've Got The) Magic Touch," and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" -- occupy the Billboard R&B and Pop Top 10, the first time so many records had "crossed over" at the same time.

1957: Elvis Presley recorded the Leiber and Stoller song 'Jailhouse Rock' as featured in his third motion picture of the same name.

1960: Ben E. King, the Drifters' second lead singer, leaves the group to start a solo career with Atco.

1963: The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'From Me To You', the group's first No.1 and the first of eleven consecutive No.1's. The title of the song was inspired from a letters column called From You To Us that ran in the British music newspaper, The New Musical Express.

1964: After 51 weeks at the top, the Beatles finally relinquish the #1 album position in the UK -- to the Rolling Stones' self-titled debut.

1965: Ed Sullivan breaks a vow he made the year before and books The Rolling Stones back on his long-running CBS variety show -- but not before keeping the band in the studio all day, in order to keep from inciting the fans. The bands performs four songs: "The Last Time," "Little Red Rooster," "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love," and the instrumental "2120 South Michigan Avenue."

1967: The Beach Boys announce their intention to scrap their highly anticipated Pet Sounds follow up, the album Smile. After decades of imagined Smile albums, assembled from bootlegs and released recordings, founder and resident genius Brian Wilson finally releases a finished version of the project in 2005.

1969: The Who debut their much-discussed rock opera Tommy by playing the finished album for the press in London at Ronnie's Jazz Club. Ten years later to the day, they would premiere their new movie, Quadrophenia, in New York.

1969: Benny Benjamin (Motown drummer in The Funk Brothers) died of a stroke at the age of 43.

1972: In New York City, Bruce Springsteen auditions for Columbia Records A&R head John Hammond, who is so impressed he immediately arranges a set that night at the Gaslight Club for his fellow execs.

1975: Apple Records officially ends its life as a record label, though it will be revived as a Beatles-only label in 2004.

1979: The Who performed their first concert after the death of Keith Moon. Kenney Jones, formerly of the Faces, was the new drummer.

1980: Joy Division played what would be their last gig with singer Ian Curtis when they appeared at Birmingham University, England. Curtis committed suicide two weeks later.

1982: Adam and the Ants disbanded.

1991: The video for the R.E.M. song 'Losing My Religion', was banned in Ireland because its religious imagery was seen as unfit for broadcast.

1991: Nirvana booked into Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California for 16 days. On a budget of $65,000 and with Butch Vig producing the band started recording what would become the ‘Nevermind’ album.

1992: Little known UK duo Nirvana filed a suit against the American band of the same name claiming that they had been using the name since 1968. The dispute was settled out of court in the British bands favor.

1992: Bonnie Raitt received an honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music during commencement ceremonies in Boston.

1992: The Cure scored their first UK No.1 album with 'Wish', their 15th album release, featuring the top 10 single 'Friday I'm In Love'.

1998: Japanese rock star Hideto Matsumoto was found hanged in the bathroom at his Tokyo apartment and died in hospital a short time later at the age of 33. His funeral, held on May 7th, was attended by over 70,000 people and required 100 police officers, 170 security guards, police boats and helicopters. 21 people were hospitalised for injuries caused by the massive crowd at his funeral.

1998: Loretta Lynn made the announcement backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, that she intended to return to college and get a degree.

1999: St Vincent and the Grenadines issued a *NSYNC postage stamp in honor of the boy band.

2003: Kings Of Leon played their first ever UK date when they appeared at The Empress Ballroom in Blackpool.

2004: Total Guitar magazine's readers voted Guns N' Roses' anthem ‘Sweet Child O' Mine’ as the greatest guitar riff ever ahead of Nirvana's grunge anthem ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Led Zeppelin's ‘Whole Lotta Love’ came third, followed by Deep Purple's ‘Smoke On The Water’. Total Guitar editor Scott Rowley said: "To a new generation of guitarist's, Guns N' Roses are more thrilling than the Sex Pistols."

2005: After 36 years, Cream (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker & Jack Bruce) reunites at London's Royal Albert Hall for a four-night stint.

2006: Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was released from hospital in New Zealand after the 62 year-old suffered "mild concussion" when he fell out of a coconut tree while on holiday in Fiji. He was airlifted to Auckland's Ascot Hospital for observation, where he underwent a brain scan.

2007: 1,876 guitarists gather in Wroclaw, Poland, to set a new Guinness World Record by simultaneously performing "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix.

2007: Britney Spears made her first appearance on stage since she left a rehabilitation clinic. Spears performed five songs at the House of Blues club in San Diego, California.

2008: Chad Kroeger was banned from driving for a year after being convicted of drunk-driving in the Canadian city of Vancouver. The 33-year-old Nickelback singer had almost twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he was stopped by police speeding in his Lamborghini.

2009: Motown's rarest 45, Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)," sets a world record by selling for nearly $40,000 at a London auction. The unreleased single is one of only two known copies.

2009: LeAnn Rimes becomes the first major star to sing the national anthem prior to the Kentucky Derby, won by Mine That Bird at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

2009: Bob Dylan takes the day off from his European tour and, along with 13 other tourists, takes a bus trip to visit John Lennon's childhood home in Liverpool, newly opened to the public. He is not recognized.

2011: Singer Rick Springfield was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk through Malibu in his vintage Corvette.  He had a blood alcohol level of .010.  The legal limit in California is 0.08.

May 1

Births

1907: Kate Smith (Singer)

1930: Little Walter (Blues Harmonica Player)

1939: Judy Collins (Folk Singer)

1945: Rita Coolidge (Singer)

1954: Ray Parker, Jr. (Singer in Raydio and Solo)

1966: Johnny Colt (Bass for The Black Crowes)

1967: Tim McGraw (Country Singer)

1968: D'arcy Wretsky-Brown (Bass for Smashing Pumpkins)

1970: Bernard Butler (Guitar & vocals for Suede)

Events

1931: Kate Smith makes her radio show debut with the twice-weekly Kate Smith Sings show on NBC.

1942: The US government seizes the nation's jukebox factories and puts them to work making war materials.

1955: A St. Louis guitarist named Chuck Berry is signed to Chess Records in Chicago after bluesman Muddy Waters recommends him to the label.

1957: The Kingston Trio form in Palo Alto, CA.

1963: Lesley Gore performs her first big hit, "It's My Party," on ABC-TV's American Bandstand.

1965: Spike Jones (Lindley Armstrong) died of emphysema.

1966: The Beatles perform what is to be their last British concert when they appear at the Empire Pool in Wembley, England, to perform at the "1965-66 Annual Poll-Winners' All-Star Concert" given by the New Musical Express. The fifteen-minute set consists of "I Feel Fine," "Nowhere Man," "Day Tripper," "If I Needed Someone," and "I'm Down." Due to legal wrangling over license, this performance is, sadly, not filmed for posterity.

1967: Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys is arrested by the FBI for draft-dodging and refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the United States. Wilson, a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, is eventually exonerated by his draft board and rejoins the band, touring in Ireland.

1967: Elvis Presley's entourage flies to Vegas to meet the singer and fiance Priscilla Beaulieu, and the couple are married at 9:30 am in the Aladdin Hotel suite of hotel owner (and Parker friend) Milton Prell. Elvis' best men are Joe Esposito and Marty Lacker. The officiating judge is David Zenoff, a Nevada Supreme Court Justice. After the ceremony the group decamps to the lobby, where a press conference is held. Mafioso Red West, furious at being excluded from the ceremony, refuses to attend the breakfast reception.

1969: Bob Dylan guest stars on ABC-TV's The Johnny Cash Show, featuring the two icons collaborating on three Dylan songs: "I Threw It All Away," "Living The Blues," and "Girl From The North Country.".

1969: Jimi Hendrix was arrested at Toronto International Airport for possesion of narcotics and was released on $10,000 bail.

1970: Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin combined for the first time on Elton’s first American album "Elton John".

1972: Paul Simon released his self-titled solo debut album.

1973: Washington, DC mayor Walter Washington officially declares today Marvin Gaye day in the singer's hometown.

1973: Bachman-Turner Overdrive released its first LP (self-titled) with former Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman.

1974: The Carpenters are invited to the Nixon White House in order to perform for the President and his visitor, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt.

1975: The Rolling Stones announce their upcoming tour by being driven down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, performing "Brown Sugar" on the back of a flatbed truck.

1979: Elton John performs in Israel, the first Western pop act to do so.

1980: the South African government banned Pink Floyd's single 'Another Brick In The Wall' after black children adopted the song as their anthem in protest against inferior education.

1983: The Style Council played their first-ever live gig at the Empire Theatre Liverpool.

1984: Fleetwood Mac drummer and founder member Mick Fleetwood filed for bankruptcy.

1989: A suspicious man is arrested in a Los Angeles jewelry store after anonymous calls to the police; the man in question turns out to be Michael Jackson in a ludicrous disguise.

1997: The house where Kurt Cobain committed suicide went up for sale. The asking price for the five-bedroom house built in 1902 was $3 million. The carriage house where the Nirvana guitarist died had been demolished.

1998: Snoop Doggy Dog and MC Delmar Arnaud were each found with less than an ounce of marijuana and were arrested and booked on one count of misdemeanor marijuana possession each.

1999: The Lyz Art Forum in Siegen, Germany, presents an exhibition of 70 paintings by Paul McCartney, including "Bowie Spewing," which is indeed a young portrait of the singer.

2000: Former Village Voice scribe Jimmy McDonough sues Neil Young for $1.8 million in civil court for allegedly backing down from his agreement to authorize a biography McDonough spent years writing.

2003: While being treated for kidney failure, Barry White suffers a stroke, paralyzing the right side of his body. The singer never fully recovers, and dies a few months later.

2005: Coldplay became the first British band to have a new entry in the US Top 10 singles chart since The Beatles. Coldplay's latest single ‘Speed Of Sound’ entered the chart at number eight, only the second time a UK band has achieved the feat. The Beatles managed it with 'Hey Jude' in 1968.

2005: Matchbox 20 singer Rob Thomas went to No.1 on the US album chart with his first solo album 'Something To Be.' This marked the first time a male artist from a rock group had debuted at number one with his first solo album since the Billboard Top 200 was introduced 50 years ago. 

April 30

Births

1925: Johnny Horton (Country Singer)

1933: Willie Nelson (Country Singer)

1948: Wayne Kramer (Guitar and Lead Vocals in MC5)

1964: Barrington Levy (Reggae Artist)

1967: Turbo B (Rapper in Snap!)

1967: J.R. Richards (Singer for Dishwalla)

1968: Ben Ayres (Guitar & Vocals for Cornershop)

1968: Paulo 'Destructor' JR (Bass for Sepultura)

1971: Darren Emerson (DJ for Underworld)

1971: Chris Henderson(Guitarist for 3 Doors Down)

1973: Jeff Timmons (Singer in 98 Degrees)

1982: Lloyd Banks (Rapper)

Events

1941: Jazz giant Charlie Parker makes his first appearance on wax, blowing on Jay McShann's song "Swingmatism” on Decca Records.

1953: Frank Sinatra begins working with his new arranger, Nelson Riddle.

1957: Elvis Presley recorded "Jailhouse Rock".

1960: Fats Domino recorded "Walking To New Orleans".

1965: Manchester group Herman's Hermits began their first US tour supported by The Zombies.

1966: Richard Farina (Folk Singer) died in a motorcycle accident on this day.

1969: The Beatles recorded "Let It Be".

1968: Organist Al Kooper announces he's leaving Blood, Sweat and Tears.

1968: The Cilla Black Show, featuring the theme song "Step Inside Love" written by Paul McCartney, debuts on the BBC, making Cilla the first Englishwoman with her own TV show.

1970: Allman Brothers tour manager Twiggs Lyndon is arrested for stabbing a club manager to death over a contract dispute. Incredibly, Lyndon gets off by pleading temporary insanity caused by being the tour manager for the Allman Brothers.

1976: The Who's Keith Moon pays $100 to nine different New York cabdrivers to block off a full city block, allowing the drummer to throw all his furniture through the hotel room window and onto the street.

1977: Led Zeppelin break the single-act attendance record for a concert when 76,229 fans pay to see them at the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI, breaking the previous record set by the Who, also set at the Silverdome.

1980: Roger Daltrey of the Who premieres his first major acting vehicle, the crime drama film McVicar.

1982: Lester Bangs (Rock journalist for Creem and Rolling Stone Magazine) died of an overdose of Darvon, Valium and Nyquil.

1983: Blues legend Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) died in his sleep from Heart Failure, at his home in Westmont, Illinois.

1983: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of London's legendary Marquee Club, Manfred Mann reforms in their original Sixties incarnation to play the venue they (and so many others) started in.

1988: For the first time since its release 11 years earlier, Pink Floyd's landmark LP Dark Side Of The Moon leaves the Billboard charts, only to return a few months later.

1990: Prince played a concert at Rupert's Night-club, Minneapolis. The $100 a head ticket proceeds all went to the family of his former bodyguard Charles 'Big Chick' Huntsberry who had died from a heart attack.

1991: Nirvana signed a recording contract with Geffen's DGC label for $290,000.

1998: Boyzone singer Ronan Keating married Yvonne Connolly on the Caribbean island Nevis.

2001: A light aircraft carrying Sting went off the runway as it landed in Florence. None of the four aboard, Sting a friend and two pilots were hurt. Brake failure was suspected as the cause of the accident.

2002: Roger Daltrey guest stars a music teacher on tonight's "That '70s Musical" episode of Fox-TV's That 70's Show.

2003: Sixties soul icon Earl King is buried in his hometown of New Orleans with an authentic jazz funeral. Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton send their condolences.

2004: Michael Jackson is arraigned on his child molestation charges, pleading not guilty to ten different criminal counts, also including extortion and false imprisonment.

2004: In Los Angeles, CA, Courtney Love (Hole) entered a plea of "not guilty" for two charges of felony drug possession.

2004: Ray Charles appears at his Los Angeles recording studio to attend a ceremony marking it as a national historic landmark. It will be the last public appearance he ever makes.

2005, The Dave Matthews Band agreed to pay $200,000 after their tour bus dumped human waste on a boatload of tourists in Chicago in August 2004. Bus driver Stefan Wohl who was alone on board the bus at the time the sewage was dumped was fined $10,000, the band had already donated $100,000 to two group's that protect the Chicago River and its surrounding area. The Dave Matthews Band offered their "deepest apologies" to more than 100 boat passengers who were on an architectural tour.

2005: American guitarist Norma-Jean Wofford died. Known as 'The Duchess', she worked with Bo Diddley as a Bo-ette from 1962 to 1966.

2007: Zola Taylor (The Platters) died in Los Angeles at age 69, from pneumonia.

2008: Mariah Carey married actor Nick Cannon in the Bahamas following a whirlwind two-month romance. The pop diva met Cannon, 27, while shooting the music video for her single 'Bye Bye.' It was the second marriage for Carey, who married Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola in 1993, which ended in 1998.

2008: A giant inflatable pig which floated away during a Roger Waters concert was recovered in tatters in California. Two families from La Quinta who found what was left of the inflatable, decided to share four life tickets to the Coachella festival that were offered as part of the reward.

2008, Gail Renard, who was given the hand written lyrics to 'Give Peace A Chance' by John Lennon in 1969, announced plans to sell the lyric sheet at a Christie's auction. At the time, Lennon told Renard to hang on to the piece of paper, saying "It will be worth something someday." The piece of music history was expected to fetch around $400,000, but when it was actually sold in July of this year, it went for $790,000.

2011: Mariah Carey gives birth to twins, one boy and one girl.