1967 – Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest held in Vienna representing Britain with the song ‘Puppet On A String’. She became the first UK female artist to win the contest.
1968 – Cliff Richard sang ‘Congratulations’ the UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest held at the Royal Albert Hall London, winning second place behind the entry from Spain.
1981 – Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest held in Dublin, Ireland with the UK entry ‘Making Your Mind Up’.
1985 – At 3:50pm GMT, over 5,000 radio stations worldwide aired the charity single by USA for Africa ‘We Are The World’. The single went on to be a No.1 in the US & UK, and most Western territories.
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.
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. Known as the first lady of country music, she also had the 1991 hit with The KLF ‘Justified and Ancient’.
1999 – A charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney was held at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Among the performers were Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinéad O’ Connor.
2006 – Gene Pitney was found dead aged 65 in his bed in a Cardiff hotel. The American singer was on a UK tour and had shown no signs of illness.
2007 – A Swedish couple ran into trouble with authorities after trying to name their baby Metallica. Michael and Karolina Tomaro went to court with the country’s National Tax Authority about naming their daughter after the rock band. The six month old had been baptised Metallica, but tax officials said the name was “inappropriate”.
2008 – Beyonce Knowles married Jay-Z at his New York apartment. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, his wife Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce’s former bandmates in Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams all attended the private ceremony.
2013 – Kate Bush received her CBE for services to music from the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, England. The singer-songwriter, who was catapulted to fame in 1978 when ‘Wuthering Heights’ topped the charts, said she was ‘incredibly thrilled’. The 54 year old dedicated the award to her family and joked that it would have pride of place at the top of her Christmas tree.
2016 –Fleetwood Mac announced that Lindsey Buckingham had been fired from the band and would be replaced by Crowded House’s Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, former lead guitarist of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers on their upcoming tour. Describing Lindsey’s departure as bittersweet, Stevie Nicks stated: “Our relationship has always been volatile.”
