1964 – During a UK tour The Rolling Stones were refused lunch at The Grand Hotel, Bristol, where they were staying because they were not wearing jackets and ties. The following day the Daily Express ran the story with the headline, ‘The Rolling Stones gather no lunch.’
1971 – On his 21st birthday Stevie Wonder received all of his childhood earnings. Despite having earned $30 million so far, he received only $1 million.
1981 – Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley died aged 36. He had the 1981 single ‘No Woman No Cry’, plus over ten other UK Top 40 singles. In 1990, the 6th February was proclaimed a national holiday in Jamaica to commemorate his birth.
1998 – American singer and actor Frank Sinatra died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles aged 82, after suffering a heart attack. He had his first hit in 1940, working in the Swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1953 film ‘From Here to Eternity’. He went on to score over 25 Top 40 singles including the 1966 No.1 ‘Strangers In The Night’. His 1969 single ‘My Way’, re-entered the UK charts eight times and spent a total of 165 weeks on the UK chart.
2000 – Thieves stole the gates to Strawberry Fields the Merseyside landmark immortalised by The Beatle’s song. The 10′ high iron gates were later found at local scrap metal dealers in Liverpool.
2001 – Travis played a gig at singer’s Fran Healy’s local primary school at Weston Park, Crouch End, London. The 150 crowd paid a £1 entry fee to the summer fete.
2002 – The musical ‘We Will Rock You’ opened in London at the Dominion Theatre. The musical was written by comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor. The musical tells the story of a group of Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion, and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and does the same.
2007 – Brian May was under 24-hour security watch after a deranged man announced he was setting off to murder him – then disappeared. Police were hunting for a schizophrenic who left a letter behind at his home blaming the Queen guitarist for his illness. In it the man – said May was an “impostor” and that HE was the real rock star. He signed the letter “Brian May.”
2013 – Two men were arrested in Dublin after the city centre statue of Phil Lynott was pushed over and seriously damaged. The life-size bronze sculpture was unveiled in 2005 and had become a tourist destination and landmark since then.
2020 – Little Richard died of bone cancer at the age of 87. He had his biggest hits in the 1950s and was known for his exuberant performances and flamboyant outfits. With the likes of Chuck Berry and Elvis, he was one of the handful of US acts who mixed blues, R&B and gospel that led to the evolution of rock ‘n’ roll. He sold more than 30 million records worldwide with hits including ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’, ‘Lucille’, ‘Tutti Frutti’ and ‘Long Tall Sally’.
