Good Sunday evening, dear friend, and loyal reader of this post. Welcome to this day in the history of music. Enjoy the facts and the read. 1.) On this day in 1958, American songwriter and impresario Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamla Records, precursor to Motown Records, in Detroit, Michigan. 2.) On this day in 1963, The Rolling Stones released their debut single, 'Come On'. Recorded the previous month, the track was originally written and released by Chuck Berry in 1961. The B-side was also a cover version, Willie Dixon’s 'I Want to Be Loved'. The single reached No.21 on the UK chart. 3.) On this day in 1964, during a world tour, The Beatles flew from Amsterdam to Hong Kong. When the plane stopped to refuel in Beirut, police turned firefighting foam on hundreds of fans who had invaded the runway at the airport. 4.) On this day in 1964, during their first-ever US tour, The Rolling Stones were booed off stage at a gig in San Antonio, Texas. Some performing Monkeys who had been in the act before the Stones were brought back on stage for another performance. 5.) On this day in 1969, British supergroup Blind Faith, featuring Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Rick Grech, and Steve Winwood, made their live debut at a free concert in London's Hyde Park. Their only album release provoked controversy because the cover featured a topless pubescent girl, holding a silver space ship, which some perceived as a phallic symbol. The US record company issued it with an alternative cover, which showed a photograph of the band on the front. Rumours about the girl's relationship to the band fuelled the controversy; among them were that she was a groupie kept as a slave by the band members. 6.) On this day in 1969, The Who's fourth album, 'Tommy' album entered the UK chart, peaking at No.2. One of two full-scale rock operas from The Who (the other being the 1973 'Quadrophenia'). The double album tells a loose story about a "deaf, dumb, and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement. Tommy was the first musical work to be billed overtly as a rock opera. 7.) On this day in 1969, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell both appeared on the first ABC TV Johnny Cash Show from Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Dylan sang I Threw It All Away and Living The Blues and duetted with Johnny Cash on Girl From The North Country. 8.) On this day in 1975, Elton John's ninth studio album, Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboys, went to No.1 on the US album chart, the first album ever to enter the US chart at No.1. (where it stayed for seven weeks). Captain Fantastic is a concept album that gives an autobiographical glimpse at the struggles John (Captain Fantastic) and Taupin (the Brown Dirt Cowboy) had in the early years of their musical careers in London. 9.) On this day in 1975, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" by John Denver hits #1. 10.) On this day in 1977, Led Zeppelin played the first of six sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City during their 11th and final North American tour. Playing a 3-hour set, tickets cost $8.50 - $10.50. 11.) On this day in 1987, David Bowie played a concert in West Berlin in front of the Reichstag with the speakers pointing towards the nearby Berlin Wall, where thousands of young East Berliners stood and listened. 12.) On this day in 1995, Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood was admitted to the hospital after his ear was leaking blood. The problem was diagnosed as his arm movement from continuous guitar playing. 13.) On this day in 1997, Hanson started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'MMMbop'. Originally called The Hanson Brothers, lead singer Zak Hanson was just 13-years-old at the time of the hit. One of the biggest debut singles of all time, reaching No.1 in 27 countries. 14.) On this day in 1998, Songwriter Wally Gold died in a New Jersey hospital aged 70. He wrote 'It's My Party' hit for Lesley Gore and It’s Now or Never, a hit for Elvis Presley. Member of the late 50s group The Four Esquires, and he produced Kansas & Gene, and Pitney. 15.) On this day in 2004, the single "Live Like You Were Dying" single released by Tim McGraw (Grammy Award Best Country Song, 2004; Billboard Song of the Year, 2004) (Side note: This Day In Music makes no mention of this historical music event for this music artist.) 16.) On this day in 2022, Liam Gallagher was at No.1 on the UK chart with his third solo studio album, C'mon You Know. It was preceded by the lead single 'Everything's Electric', co-written by Dave Grohl, which charted at No.18 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Gallagher's first solo single to reach the UK Top 20. C'mon You Know became Gallagher's fourth solo album to debut at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. (Side note: On This Day makes no mention of this historic music event for this music artist.) 17.) On this day in 2024, Taylor Swift played the first night on the UK leg of her Eras tour with the first of three nights at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. Swift was set to perform for more than a million people over 15 UK shows this summer. The Eras tour had made the most money of any tour in music history and was on track to make £1.5 billion. Around 11 million tickets had been sold for the 152 shows in 22 countries. (Side note: On This Day makes no mention of this historic music event for this music artist.) Born On This Day In The Music World: 1.) Born on this day in 1730, Georg von Pasterwiz, Austrian composer, born in Bierhütten, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1803) 2.) Born on this day in 1917, Dean Martin, American singer, actor, comedian, and film producer, nicknamed the "King Of Cool". He was a member of the Rat Pack and the host of the television variety program The Dean Martin Show (1965–1974) and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (1974–1985). Hits include the 1956 UK & US No.1 single 'Memories Are Made Of This' and 'Everybody Loves Somebody'. He died on December 25th, 1995. 3.) Born on this day in 1924, Dolores Gray [Sylvia Dolores Finkelstein], American Tony Award-winning stage and screen singer and actress (Designing Woman; Kismet; Destry Rides Again), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2002). 4.) Born on this day in 1928, Composer Charles Strouse. The American composer and lyricist is most famous for his Broadway productions, including his first Broadway musical, "Bye Bye Birdie" written with his long-time collaborator Lee Adams, which opened on Broadway in 1960. The musical about a teen singing idol joining the army, featured **ahem** Van **ahem**, Chita Rivera, and Paul Lynde, and went on to win four Tony Awards including Best Musical. Other hits followed including "Applause" with Lauren Bacall in 1970, which also won the Tony for Best Musical, and "Annie" in 1977, originally based on the popular 1920s newspaper comic strip "Little Orphan Annie". The latter includes the songs "Tomorrow", which became a standard, and "It's the Hard Knock Life", which was sampled by rapper Jay-Z in 1998. Strouse died on May 15th 2025. 5.) Born on this day in 1958, Prince Rogers Nelson, the American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor. He produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career, including the 1984 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'When Doves Cry'. His releases have sold over 80 million copies worldwide. He won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. Prince died on April 21, 2016, aged 57, after being found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park, his Minnesota home. 6.) Born on this day in 1967, David Navarro, American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of Jane's Addiction (1991 UK No.34 single 'Been Caught Stealing'), and as a former member of Red Hot Chili Peppers from 1993 - 1998. (1994 UK No.9 single 'Give It Away'). Also worked with Alanis Morissette on her album Jagged Little Pill and the bands Deconstruction and The Panic Channel. 7.) Born on this day in 1985, Charlie Simpson, guitar, vocals, from the English pop rock band Busted. Formed in 2000, the band had four UK No.1 singles and released two studio albums - Busted (2002) and A Present for Everyone (2003) - before disbanding in January 2005. 8.) Born on this day in 1989, Dave Bayley, lead vocalist for Glass Animals. Their song 'Heat Waves' reached No.1 in Australia in February 2021 and eventually reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No.5 on the UK Singles Chart. At the 2022 Brit Awards, Glass Animals were nominated for two Brit Awards (Best British Rock Act and 'Heat Waves' for Best British Single). 9.) Born on this day in 1990, Iggy Azalea, an Australian singer who scored the 2014 US No.1 single 'Fancy'. 10.) Born on this day in 1991, American rapper Fetty Wap (Willie Maxwell II). His debut single 'Trap Queen' reached No.2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015, and his eponymous debut studio album peaked at No.1 on the US chart. 11.) Born on this day in 1993, English singer-songwriter George Ezra. His 2014 hit single 'Budapest' reached the top 10 in numerous countries, and his debut studio album Wanted on Voyage reached No.1 in the UK and was the third best-selling album of 2014 in the UK. 12.) Born on this day in 1993, Swae Lee [Khalif Brown], American singer and rapper (Rae Sremmurd - "Sunflower"), born in Inglewood, California. Have a blessed night, and a great Monday. Take care, and GOD bless.
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