May 24th: The Biggest Music Headlines

2020 – Al Rex
American bassist Al Rex died age 91. He started playing for Bill Haley & His Comets and its predecessor Bill Haley and the Saddlemen in 1949 and became noted for ‘wild antics’ on stage.

2017 – Elvis Presley
Sonny West, one of the original members of Elvis Presley’s Memphis Mafia, died of lung cancer at the age of 79. Joining Elvis in 1960, he was abruptly fired, along with his cousin Red and bodyguard Dave Hebler, in 1976 without explanation. The following year he co-authored the book Elvis, What Happened?.

2010 – Slipknot
Paul Gray, the bassist with US metal band Slipknot, was found dead in a hotel in Des Moines, Iowa. The body of the 38-year-old musician was found by an employee at the hotel in a suburb of the city. Police said foul play was not suspected, but an autopsy would be carried out. The nine members of Slipknot wore masks in public and referred to other bandmates by numbers; Gray was number two.

2009 – Billy Joel
Billy Joel was being sued by his former drummer for hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties. Liberty Devitto, claimed that Joel hadn’t paid him proper royalties for 10 years of his work. Devitto was Joel’s drummer from 1975 until 2005, when he said he was abruptly thrown out of the band. He said: “People get fired, they get severance or insurance for a certain period of time. I didn’t even get a phone call. It was cold.”

2007 – Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse, Madonna and Arctic Monkeys were among the winners at this years Ivor Novello Awards. Winehouse won best contemporary song for her hit ‘Rehab’, while Madonna collected the international hit of the year for ‘Sorry.’ Sheffield-based band Arctic Monkeys collected the best album award for ‘Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not.’

2004 – Madonna
Madonna kicked off the North American leg of her Re-invention World Tour by playing three sold out nights at The Los Angeles Forum. The tour became the top grossing of the year, with ticket sales of nearly $125 million, with over 900,000 fans attending the 60 date tour. As a follower of the Kabbalah, Madonna didn’t play any Friday night gigs as the teaching of the religion forbids it.

2003 – Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney made his first ever live performance in Russia when he appeared in-front of 20,000 fans in Red Square.

2000 – Chrissie Hynde
A New York Judge told Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde that if she wanted her March arrest for protesting the sale of leather goods in a Gap store dismissed, she’d better keep her nose clean for the next six months.

2000 – Andrea Corr
Andrea and Sharon Corr from The Corrs both collapsed in the mid-day sun whilst shooting their new video in the Mojave Desert in California. The pair were treated in hospital for heat exhaustion and were back on the set within 24 hours.

1999 – Queen
Queen singer Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, was honoured on a new set of millennium stamps issued by the Royal Mail. Mercury, who featured on the 19p stamp, was a keen stamp collector, and his collection was bought by the Post Office in 1993. The stamp marked his contribution to the Live Aid charity concert in 1985, and caused controversy by featuring a small portion of Queen’s drummer, Roger Taylor, in the background – UK stamps by tradition only carry pictures of living persons who are members of the Royal Family.

1997 – Hanson
Hanson started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘MMMBop’, the brothers first US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK. ‘MMMBop’ was phenomenally successful, especially for a debut single, reaching No.1 in 27 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Mexico.

1997 – Spice Girls
The Spice Girls went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Spice’, making them only the third all girl group to do so after The Supremes and The Go-Go’s and the first ever UK girl group to do so.

1991 – Gene Clark
Founder member of The Byrds Gene Clark died of a heart attack aged 49. Wrote The Byrds hits ‘I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better’, and ‘Eight Miles High’, member of McGuinn, Clark and Hillman and solo.

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1980 – Phil Collins
Genesis fans turning up at the Roxy Club box office in Los Angeles to buy tickets for a forthcoming gig were surprised to find the band members Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford selling the tickets themselves.

1975 – Earth Wind and Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Shining Star’, the group’s first and only US No.1.

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1974 – David Bowie
David Bowie released his eighth studio album Diamond Dogs. The cover art features Bowie as a striking half-man, half-dog grotesque painted by Belgian artist Guy Peellaert. It was controversial as the full painting clearly showed the hybrid’s genitalia.

1970 – Peter Green
Guitarist and founding member Peter Green played his last gig with Fleetwood Mac when they appeared at the Bath Festival, Somerset, England.

1969 – Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s album Nashville Skyline peaked at No.3 in the US chart. The singer’s ninth album, it also scored Dylan his fourth UK No.1. The album featured ‘Lay Lady Lay’, which became one of Dylan’s biggest pop hits, reaching No.7 in the US, his biggest single in three years.

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1969 – Billy Preston
The Beatles with Billy Preston started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Get Back’, the group’s 17th US No.1. Credited to “The Beatles with Billy Preston”, it was the Beatles’ only single that credited another artist, ‘Get Back’ was also the Beatles’ first single release in true stereo in the US.

1968 – The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones released the single ‘Jumpin Jack Flash’ in the UK, the track gave them their seventh UK No.1 hit. Keith Richards has stated that he and Jagger wrote the lyrics while staying at Richards’ country house, where they were awoken one morning by the sound of gardener Jack Dyer walking past the window. When Jagger asked what the noise was, Richards responded: “Oh, that’s Jack – that’s jumpin’ Jack.”

1966 – Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart appeared at the Whisky a Go Go. West Hollywood, California. Supported by Buffalo Springfield and The Doors.

1963 – The Beatles
The Beatles recorded the first of their very own BBC radio program, “Pop Go the Beatles”. The theme song for the program was a version of “Pop Goes the Weasel”. The Beatles’ guests for this first show were the Lorne Gibson Trio.

1963 – Elmore James
US blues guitarist and singer Elmore James died of a heart attack aged 45. James wrote ‘Shake Your Money Maker’, which was covered by Fleetwood Mac in 1968. Known as “The King of the Slide Guitar”, James influenced Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Keith Richards.

1962 – Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Good Luck Charm’ his 11th UK No.1 single. It completed his second hat-trick of chart topping singles in the UK.

1956 – Lys Assia
The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland. The event was the brainchild of Marcel Baisoncon of the European Broadcasting Union. Seven countries participated and they were each allowed two songs. Both Luxembourg and the winner Switzerland used the same singer for both. Switzerland won with ‘Refrain’ by Lys Assia.

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