1956 – Anne Shelton was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Lay Down Your Arms.’ She was a British vocal star of the 40’s & 50’s and one time singer with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
1963 – The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘She Loves You’, the group’s second No.1. It became the biggest seller of the year and the biggest selling Beatle’s single in the UK.
1968 – Roy Orbison’s house in Nashville burnt down, his two eldest sons both died in the blaze. Roy was on tour in the UK at the time of the accident.
1978 – The video for Queen’s single ‘Bicycle Race’ was filmed at Wimbledon Stadium. It featured 65 naked female professional models racing around the stadium’s track on bicycles, which had been hired for the day. The rental company was reported to have requested payment for all the saddles when they found out how their bikes had been used.
1984 – Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Relax’ became the longest running chart hit since Engelbert Humperdink’s ‘Release Me’, after spending 43 weeks on the UK singles chart.
1991 – Geffen Records threw a party to launch Nirvana’s single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. The band ended up being thrown out of their own party after starting a food fight.
1997 – A 34 year old man was awarded more than £20,000 by a French court after he lost his hearing when he stood too close to loudspeakers at a U2 concert in 1993.
1998 – At a Sotheby’s auction, a notebook belonging to former Beatle’s roadie Mal Evans containing the lyrics to ‘Hey Jude’ sold for £111,500, a two-tone denim jacket belonging to John Lennon went for £9,200 and the Union Jack dress worn by Spice Girl Ginger Spice sold for £41,320.
2000 –Elton John threw a tantrum when he was set to appear at a sell-out show at the Estoril Casino near Lisbon. Elton was unhappy after the audience were slow in leaving a VIP dinner before the concert, he left the building and flew home on his private jet without playing a note.
2003 – American singer songwriter Johnny Cash died of respiratory failure aged 71. One of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, he was known as “The Man in Black.” He traditionally started his concerts by saying, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” He also had his own US TV show in the late 60’s early 70s.
2009 – Leonard Cohen collapsed on stage during a concert in Valencia and was taken to hospital. He was later discharged after doctors told him he had food poisoning. He was in the middle of singing his song “Bird On The Wire” when he fainted, prompting the band to stop playing and rush to help him.
2014 – A life-size bronze statue of singer Amy Winehouse was unveiled in Camden, North London. Her father, Mitch Winehouse, said she was “in love with Camden” and it was the place fans associated with her. Created by sculptor Scott Eaton, the statue features the Back to Black star with her hand on hip and her trademark beehive hairdo.
