ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

1962 - Ray Charles

Ray Charles was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Don Gibson penned country ballad 'I Can't Stop Loving You'. His only UK No.1 was taken from his Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music album. pretty sure this No.1 hit was indelibly seared into my consciousness around that time and whilst it has become such a classic it feels like it is in the public domain and the American Songbook for sure, it remains a country classic by Gibson and rendered stratospheric here by the master Ray Charles. I was nine years old

1962 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones made their live debut at the Marquee Jazz Club, London, with Dick Taylor on bass (later of The Pretty Things) and Mick Avory on drums, (later of The Kinks). Billed as The Rollin’ Stones, they were paid £20 for the gig, the equivalent of £330 in 2010.

 

a bit later 1963?

1964 - George Harrison

The Beatles appeared at the Hippodrome Theatre in Brighton with The Fourmost and the Shubdubs (whose drummer, Jimmy Nicol, would later fill in for an ill Ringo Starr on The Beatles' world tour). Also in the US The Ed Sullivan Show re-broadcast The Beatles' first live television appearance on the Sullivan show (from February 9). On the way to tonight's gig George Harrison was involved in a minor crash in his brand new E-Type Jaguar in Kings Road, Fulham, London. Passing pedestrians collected bits of broken glass as souvenirs.

Jimmy Nichol steps in for Ringo

1983 - Chris Wood

Former Traffic member Chris Wood died of liver failure after a lengthy illness. He also played with Jimi Hendrix in 1968, appearing on the Electric Ladyland album and worked with Free, John Martyn and the Small Faces.

Chris Wood - Troubled & Perpetually Overlooked (Louder Sounds)

1986 - Boy George

Boy George and singer Marilyn were arrested in London, England for possession of hard drugs.

'Marilyn & Boy George'

Boy George, 1987, Gabor Scott.

Boy George and Peter Robinson 'Marilyn' later

more on Boy George's nightmare here at Rolling Stone

2000 - John Lennon

A statue erected in the memory of John Lennon was unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square. The sculpture featured a revolver with a knotted barrel created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward.

Carl Fredrik Reutersward

BIRTHDAYS

1952 - Philip Taylor Kramer

Philip Taylor Kramer, bass guitar, Iron Butterfly. His disappearance on February 12, 1995 caused a mystery lasting four years. On May 29, 1999, Kramer's Ford Aerostar minivan and skeletal remains were found by photographers looking for old car wrecks to shoot at the bottom of Decker Canyon near Malibu, California. Based on forensic evidence his death was ruled as a probable suicide.

1947 - Wilko Johnson

English singer, guitarist, songwriter Wilko Johnson who with Dr Feelgood had the 1979 UK No.9 single 'Milk And Alcohol' and a founding member of Solid Senders. Wilko stated in early 2013 that he had terminal cancer and was given just 10 months to live, and aptly announced he was going on a farewell tour. On 22 March 2013, Wilko played what he thought would be his final show guesting with Madness on the television programme Madness Live: Goodbye Television Centre which was broadcast on BBC Four. In Oct 2014 Johnson said he has been "cured" of the terminal pancreatic cancer.

A note from Route

"A very happy birthday to Wilko Johnson, who is 72 today. Here’s to many more for Wilko, a man who miraculously survived terminal pancreatic cancer in 2013. He faced that illness with remarkable bravery, accepted his fate with great dignity and even gave a farewell tour. Wilko has a strong association with Louder Than Words Festival. One year, former Clash drummer Terry Chimes was giving a talk at the festival, and something he said really stuck in our mind. Terry is now a chiropractor. He was talking about Wilko and Steve Jobs, who had the same cancer. Terry talked about how he watched both men deal with their illness. As Terry saw it, in sharp contrast to Wilko, Steve Jobs railed against the disease, stirring up his rancour and threatening revenge against his enemies in the time he had left. It came as no surprise to Terry that the cancer took Jobs’ life and Wilko survived it. Dr Feelgood indeed!"

1943 - Christine McVie

Christine McVie, keyboards, vocals, Chicken Shack, and then Fleetwood Mac, who scored the US No.1 single 'Dreams' taken from their worldwide No.1 album Rumours which spent 31 weeks on the US chart. Eight of her songs appeared on Fleetwood Mac's 1988 Greatest Hits album.

Shot . . . . . truly dreadful!

1937 - Howie Casey

Saxophonist Howie Casey who was a member of Derry and the Seniors, the first rock and roll band from Liverpool to play clubs in Germany and later, as leader of the renamed Howie Casey and the Seniors, the first Liverpool group to record an LP. He later featured on several albums by Paul McCartney (Band on the Run, Wings at the Speed of Sound and Back to the Egg) and played live with Paul McCartney on the Wings Over the World tour. He also worked with Marc Bolan The Who, Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins.