ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

February 15th

1965 - Nat King Cole

American singer and pianist Nat King Cole died of lung cancer. First hit was the 1943 'Straighten Up and Fly Right', had the 1955 US No.2 single 'A Blossom Fell' and 1957 UK No.2 single 'When I Fall In Love' plus over 20 other US & UK Top 40 singles. He is the father of singer Natalie Cole. In 1956 he became the first black American to host a television variety show.

1968 - Ringo Starr

John and Cynthia Lennon, along with George and Patti Harrison, flew to India to study meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Paul and Ringo joined them a few days later, but Starr would become bored and leave on March 1st, comparing the experience to be like a 'Butlins holiday camp.' Much of the Beatles' The White Album was written during their stay.

1968 - Little Walter

American blues musician Little Walter (Marion Walter Jacobs) died in his sleep aged 37 from injuries incurred in a fight while taking a break from a performance at a nightclub in Chicago. Joining Muddy Waters' band in 1948, he was the first harmonica player to amplify his harp (on the 1951 ‘She Moves Me’) giving it a distorted echoing sound.




1969 - Sly and the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Everyday People', their first No.1. 


1975 - Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You're No Good', the singers only solo chart topper out of 12 other top 40 hits. Also today Ronstadt went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Heart Like A Wheel.'




1977 - Glen Matlock

Glen Matlock was fired as bass player from the Sex Pistols, being replaced by Sid Vicious. Matlock rejoined in the 90s when the Pistol's reformed.

1979 - Saturday Night Fever

At the 21st Grammy Awards, the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack won Album of the Year and The Bee Gees were named Best Pop Group and Best Arrangement for Voices for 'Staying Alive'. Billy Joel's 'Just the Way You Are' won Record and Song of the Year. Donna Summer's 'Last Dance' won two Grammys: Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song.


1981 - Mike Bloomfield

American guitarist Mike Bloomfield was found dead in his car in San Francisco from an accidental heroin overdose aged 37. He was a member of the Paul Butterfield band and Electric Flag and had played on Bob Dylan's album Highway 61 Revisited. Bloomfield's Telecaster guitar licks were featured on Dylan's ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, and he appeared onstage with Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival, where Dylan used Bloomfield and the Butterfield Band which marked Dylan's first use of an electric band in a live performance.
Any excuse . . . . . . 




2000 - Sting

Sting pulled-out of a concert in Vienna in protest at the inclusion of Jorg Haider's far right freedom party in Austria's new government. Lou Reed had also cancelled shows in the country.

2006 - The Brit Awards

Winners at this year's Brit Awards included, James Blunt who won British male solo artist, British female solo artist went to KT Tunstall. Coldplay won Best British album for X&Y and Best British single for 'Speed of Sound.' The Kaiser Chiefs won Best British group and Best British Live Act, British urban act went to Lemar, British breakthrough act was Arctic Monkeys, International breakthrough act was won by Jack Johnson. International male solo artist was Kanye West with Madonna winning International female solo artist. Green Day won International group and Best International album with American Idiot and Outstanding contribution to music went to Paul Weller.

2008 - The Beatles

A flat once rented by The Beatles in London went up for sale for £1.75m. The band shared the three-bedroom top floor property in Green Street, Mayfair in the autumn of 1963. A publicity photo of the Fab Four peering over a banister, used as the cover for the December 1963 edition of The Beatles Book, was taken at the top of the property's communal stairwell.

2015 - Mark Ronson

Mark Ronson's 'Uptown Funk' reached the one million sales mark, 10 weeks after it was first released becoming the 158th track to reach the million mark in British charts history. The song, from the soundtrack to the Fifty Shades Of Grey film also became the most-streamed track ever in the UK

BIRTHDAYS

1959 - Ali Campbell

Ali Campbell, singer with UB40, who had the 1983 UK No.1 & 1988 US No.1 single 'Red Red Wine' and over 30 other top 40 hits. Had the solo 1995 UK No.5 single 'That Look In Your Eye'.

1955 - Hugh Padgham

English record producer and audio engineer Hugh Padgham. His co-productions include hits by Phil Collins, XTC, Genesis, The Human League, Sting, and The Police. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 1993. A 1992 poll in Mixmagazine voted him one of the world's ‘Top Ten Most Influential Producers’.

1947 - David Brown

American bassist David Brown who was the primary bass player for Santana from 1966 until 1971, then again from 1974 until 1976. Brown played in Santana at Woodstock and at Altamont in 1969 and on the band's first three studio albums. Brown died on September 4, 2000, due to liver and kidney failure.

1944 - Mick Avory

Mick Avory, drummer with The Kinks who had the 1964 UK No.1 & US No.7 'You Really Got Me', and the 1967 UK No.2 single 'Waterloo Sunset' plus 19 other UK Top 40 singles. He is the longest-serving member of the band, apart from the Davies brothers.

1942 - Glyn Johns

English musician, legendary recording engineer and record producer Glyn Johns who worked with many artists including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Beatles, ('Let It Be' sessions), Eagles, the Faces and Led Zeppelin.

1941 - Brian Holland

Brian Holland, anyone growing up when I did would have been aware of the leegedas who were Holland/Dozier/Holland, producer and songwriters who wrote many hits for Motown artists such as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Freda Payne and Chairmen Of The Board. We saw their names on seemingly every soul hit we bought  . . . . . legends not sued here lightly

with endless thank to my source this day in music