April 7th: On this Day

 

2003, Avril Lavigne dominated Canada's national music awards the Junos, winning four prizes including best single, album and new artist. Shania Twain who hosted the show won three awards. Best group went to Sum 41.

 

2002, UK Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of 'Unchained Melody.' Making Gates the seventh act to have a Top 40 hit with the song). Jennifer Lopez was at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Ain't It Funny.' And Celine Dion had the UK & US No.1 album 'A New Day Has Come.'

 

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

 

1996, Take That went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their 'Greatest Hits' album.

 

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

 

1994, Percy Sledge pleaded guilty to tax evasion. The soul singer was given five years probation and ordered to pay more than $95,000 in back taxes. He also received a sentence of six months in a halfway house and was ordered to participate in a substance-abuse program.

 

1990, Bonnie Raitt started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Nick Of Time.'

 

1990, Motley Crue's Tommy Lee was injured when performing a stunt during a concert, falling 20 feet from a lighting rig.

 

1990, Taylor Dayne went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the Diane Warren song 'Love Will Lead You Back', a No.69 hit in the UK.

 

1990, The Carpenters started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Only Yesterday'; The LP went back to the top at the end of April 1990 for a further five weeks.

 

1988, during a European tour, Alice Cooper accidentally hung himself in a rehearsal when a safety rope snapped; he dangled for several seconds before a roadie saved him.

 

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

 

1984, a record 40 British acts appeared on the US Top 100 singles chart, with Culture Club, Duran Duran, Thompson Twins, Eurythmics, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney and Yes all having current hits.

 

1981, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off their first full-scale tour in Hamburg, Germany. This was Springsteen's first tour outside North America, which would take in 10 countries.

 

1979, appearing at the California Music Festival, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Cheap Trick, The Boomtown Rats and Ted Nugent.

 

1979, Siouxsie And The Banshees played a charity gig for MENCAP, but after crowd trouble were latter faced with a £2,000 bill for seat damage.

 

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

 

1975, Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore quit Deep Purple to form his own band Rainbow. Tommy Bolin replaced Blackmore.

 

1973, Diana Ross started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Lady Sings The Blues.'

 

1973, Vicki Lawrence started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.'

 

1972, appearing at The Empire Pool, London, The Grateful Dead, tickets £1.

 

1970, on this week's US Top 5 singles chart; No.5, 'Bridge Over Trouble Water' by Simon and Garfunkel, No.4, 'Spirit In The Sky', Norman Greenbaum', No.3, 'Instant Karma' by John Lennon, No.2, 'ABC' The Jackson Five and at No.1, 'Let It Be', The Beatles.

 

1963, appearing at The Savoy Ballroom, Portsmouth, England, The Beatles.

 

1962, Shelley Fabares started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Johnny Angel'. It only reached No.41 on the UK chart.

 

1962, While at Ealing Jazz Club, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met Brian Jones for the first time. Jones was calling himself Elmo Lewis and was playing guitar with Paul Jones.

 

1956, The CBS Radio Network premiered the first regularly scheduled national broadcast rock & roll show, Alan Freed's 'Rock 'n Roll Dance Party.'

 

 

 

April 7th: Born on this day

 

1979, Born on this day, Duncan James, singer, Blue, (2002 UK No.1 single 'If You Come Back').

 

1960, Born on this day, Simon Climie, songwriter, producer, (1988 UK No.2 single, 'Love Changes Everything').

 

1952, Born on this day, Bruce Gary, The Knack, (1979 US No.1 & UK No.6 single 'My Sharona').

 

1951, Born on this day, Janis Ian, US singer songwriter, (1975 US No.3 single 'At Seventeen.' 1975 US No.1 album 'Between The Lines').

 

1950, Born on this day, Steve Ellis, vocals, Love Affair, (1968 UK No.1 single 'Everlasting Love').

 

1949, Born on this day, John Oates, Hall and Oates, (1982 US No.1 & UK No.6 single 'Maneater', plus five other US No.1's).

 

1948, Born on this day, Carol Douglas, The Chantels, (1958 US No.24 single 'Maybe').

 

1947, Born on this day, Florian Schneider- Esleben, Kraftwerk, (1975 US No.25 single 'Autobahn', 1982 UK No.1 single 'Computer Love / The Model').

 

1947, Born on this day, Patricia Bennett, The Chiffons, (1963 US No.1 single 'He's So Fine', 1972 UK No.4 single 'Sweet Talkin Guy', first issued 1966).

 

1946, Born on this day, Bill Kreutzmann, drums, The Grateful Dead, (1970 UK No.69 and US No.127 album, 'Workingman's Dead').

 

1943, Born on this day, Alan Buck, The Four Pennies, (1964 UK No.1 single 'Juliet').

 

1943, Born on this day, Mick Abrahams, guitarist Blodwyn Pig, Jethro Tull, (1969 UK No.3 single and 1972 US No.11 single 'Living In The Past').

 

1938, Born on this day, Spencer Dryden, drums, Jefferson Airplane, (1967 US No.18 single 'White Rabbit'). Died of cancer on 10th January 2005.

 

1937, Born on this day, Charlie Thomas, vocals, The Drifters, (1960 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Save The Last Dance For Me').

 

1915, Born on this day, Billie Holiday, (Elinore Harris), the greatest female jazz singer of all time. Made over 100 records, worked with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, numerous arrests for drugs possession. Died on 17th July 1959 from liver failure, aged 44.

 

 

April 7th: I knew the bride

 

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

 

 

 

April 7th: Three steps to heaven

 

2000, Heinz, bass player and singer with The Tornados died aged 57. The group had the Joe Meek produced 1962 UK & US No.1 single 'Telstar', making them the first UK group to score a US No.1 single.

 

1998, American country singer Tammy Wynette died aged 55. She scored 12 hit singles including 'Stand By Your Man' and sold over 30 million records world-wide, married five times and once filed for bankruptcy.

 

1994, Lee Brilleaux singer and harmonica player with Dr Feelgood died of throat cancer. (1979 UK No.9 single 'Milk And Alcohol').

 

1981, Kit Lambert died after falling down a flight of stairs at his mother's home in London. Lambert managed The Who from 1964-1967 and produced the 'Tommy' album.

 

There's a tiny inaccuracy there, mark.

 

Heinz was never a singer with the Tornados.

 

They were an instrumental group formed as Joe Meek's studio group but they later became Billy Fury's backing group and still were when Telstar was at the top of the American charts. They weren't allowed to tour the US because Larry Parnes wouldn't let them because the Americans wouldn't take Fury too.

 

Heinz became a solo act in mid 1963 backed by the Outlaws (Chas'n'Dave and Ritchie Blackmore) on his Decca singles. Ritchie was also in the Wild Boys who backed Heinz on his Columbia singles.

 

He wasn't a great singer but he certainly attracted some classic musicians- when he made a comeback in the 70s, his backing group were Dr Feelgood inc Lee Brilleaux.

BTW all This Day In Music posts, come from thisdayinmusic.com