Frank Sinatra began working with his new music arranger Nelson Riddle in 1953.
Elvis Presley recorded the Leiber and Stoller song ‘Jailhouse Rock’ in 1957, as featured in his third motion picture of the same name. In the movie, Mike Stoller had a small role as a piano player. ‘Jailhouse Rock’ later became the first song to debut at No.1 in Great Britain.
UK Rock ‘n’ Roller Tommy Steele was knocked unconscious in 1960 when fans rushed the stage during the opening night of his British tour. As a result of various injuries, Steele was forced to cancel a week’s worth of shows.
The Everly Brothers started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK singles music chart in 1960 with ‘Cathy’s Clown’, giving Warner Brothers a No.1 with their first release.
The Young Rascals went to No.1 on the US singles music chart with ‘Good Lovin’ in 1966. The song had been a hit for The Olympics the year before.
In 1970, Twiggs London, the road manager for the Allman Brothers Band was arrested for murder after he stabbed a club manager during an argument over a contract. At the ensuing trial, Lyndon’s lawyers argued that he had been temporarily insane at the time of the incident and that touring with the Allman Brothers would drive anyone insane. Lyndon was acquitted.
Keith Moon, The Who’s drummer, paid nine cab drivers $100 each to block-off both ends of a New York street in 1976 so he could throw the contents of his hotel room out of the window.
Glenn Campbell went to No.1 on the US singles music chart with ‘Southern Nights’ in 1977. This was Campbell’s second US No.1 music hit.
Led Zeppelin broke a new world attendance record at a concert when they played to 76,229 people at a gig at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan in 1977. The Who held the previous record at the same venue with 75,962 people.
Country music singer George Jones wins three times in the 16th Academy Of Country Music awards at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium in 1981. Jones takes Top Male Vocalist and ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman is Song and Single Record Of The Year.
Michael Jackson started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles music chart in 1983 with ‘Beat It’, his fifth solo US No.1. The third single from the singer’s Thriller album featured Eddie Van Halen on the song’s distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but Halen was prevented by his label from appearing in the music video.
Prince played a concert at Rupert’s Night Club in 1990 in Minneapolis. The cost of the show was $100 and all proceeds from the tickets went to the family of his former bodyguard Charles ‘Big Chick’ Huntsberry, who had died from a heart attack.
In 1991, Nirvana signed a recording contract with Geffen’s DGC label for $290,000.
Faith Hill’s remake of ‘Piece Of My Heart’ ascends to the No.1 spot on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1994.
The three former members of Spandau Ballet lost a court case against band songwriter Gary Kemp in 1999. They had claimed they were owed over $1 million in lost royalties. The Judge said he had become a fan of the band during the case.
The third George Strait Stadium Festival Tour becomes the first concert held at Nashville’s Adelphia Coliseum in 2000. On the bill: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Lee Ann Womack, Mark Chesnutt, Asleep At The Wheel and Billy Gilman.
In 2001, due to brake failure, an airplane carrying Sting and 3 others went off the runway after landing in Florence. Sting, a friend and two pilots were hurt.
New child abuse charges were made against Michael Jackson in 2004 which included conspiracy, covering allegations of child abduction, extortion and false imprisonment. A new court date was set for May 28, 2004.
The Dave Matthews Band agreed to pay $200,000 in 2005 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 protected 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.
In 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.
A giant inflatable pig which floated away during a 2008 Roger Waters concert was recovered in tatters in California. Two families from La Quinta who found what was left of the inflatable pig, decided to share four life tickets to the Coachella festival that were offered as part of the reward.
Gail Renard 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 in 2008. At the time of receiving the piece of paper, John Lennon had told Gail to “Hang on to the piece of paper and someday it would be worth something.” The piece of music history was expected to fetch around $400,000, but when it was actually sold in July of 2008, it went for $790,000.
Keith Urban records ‘Little Bit Of Everything’ with producer Nathan Chapman at Nashville’s Blackbird Studio in 2013.
Guitarist Wilko Johnson, in 2014, had a major operation in an attempt to treat his pancreatic cancer. Johnson was diagnosed at the end of 2012 and was given only 10 months to live after rejecting chemotherapy. Johnson told Q magazine that a cancer doctor had become curious as to why he wasn’t dead. He also went on to say that as a result of him not being sick was a concern and the doctor scheduled more tests.
And now it is time to say Happy Birthday to the people that brought us great music or had a hand in creating the music we all love. Those born today, April 30th are:
1929 – Johnny Horton – singer who had the US No.1 music single ‘The Battle Of New Orleans’.
1933 – Willy Nelson – US singer.
1943 – Bobby Vee – US singer – had the 1961 US No.1 music single ‘Take Good Care Of My Baby’.
1944 – Richard Shoff – The Sandpipers.
1951 – Des Tong – bass with Sad Café.
1953 – Merrill Osmond – The Osmonds.
1958 – Wonder Mike (Michael Anthony Wright) – rapper from The Sugarhill Gang.
1962 – Robert Reynolds – bass with The Mavericks – US country rock group.
1967 – Ben Ayres – guitar and vocals for Cornership.
1971 – Chris Henderson – guitarist with 3 Doors Down.
1982 – Cleo Higgins – vocals for Cleopatra.
1982 – Lloyd Banks (Christopher Lloyd) – US singer and rapper.
1987 – Nikki Webster – Australian singer and model.
1989 – Harry Bauer Rodrigues – American producer of trap and bass music. Scored the US 2013 US No.1 music hit ‘Harlem Shake’.
