On this day today:
1940 - Mickey Newbury born in Houston, Texas, is renowned for his significant contributions to music, particularly in 1968 when he achieved a remarkable feat by having hits across four different charts. One of his notable successes from that year includes writing "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," performed by The First Edition, which became a hit on the pop charts.
1945 - Pete Townshend of The Who is born in Chiswick, United Kingdom.
1948 - Grace Jones is born in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Beginning in 1977, Jones embarked on a music career, securing a record deal with Island Records and initially becoming a high-profile figure of New York City's Studio 54-centered disco scene. In the early 1980s, she moved toward a new wave style that drew on reggae, funk, post-punk, and pop music, frequently collaborating with both the graphic designer Jean-Paul Goude and the musical duo Sly & Robbie. She scored Top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart with "Private Life", "Pull Up to the Bumper", "I've Seen That Face Before", and "Slave to the Rhythm".
1960 - The Drifters record "Save the Last Dance for Me."
1962 - Less than three months before her death, Marilyn Monroe makes one of her last public appearances at President John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday celebration, where she famously sings "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" in his honor.
1962 - Mick Jagger was first mentioned in print by the British music magazine Disc. The publication reported: "A 19-year-old Dartford rhythm-and-blues singer, Mick Jagger, has joined Alexis Korner's group, Blues Inc., and will sing with them regularly on their Saturday night dates at Ealing and Thursday session at the Marquee Jazz Club, London. Jagger, at present completing a course at the London School of Economics, also plays harmonica."
1972 - Elton John releases Honky Chateau, which includes "Rocket Man."
1972 - Jenny Berggren (lead singer of Ace of Base) is born Jenny Cecilia Petrén in Gothenburg, Sweden.
1973 - Stevie Wonder reached #1 in America with his song "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life". The song was inspired by Syreeta Wright, his wife at the time, who also sometimes co-wrote songs with him. This hit became one of Wonder's signature songs and earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
1979 - Two months after their marriage, Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd finally had their wedding reception, when Clapton had a break in his touring schedule. The event was notable not just for the celebration of their union but also because it brought together former Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison. The three of them jammed together for the first time in nearly a decade, marking a memorable moment in music history.
1984 - The song "Thriller" falls off the Hot 100, ending a run of hits from the Thriller album that started on November 6, 1982, when "The Girl Is Mine" entered the tally.
1986 - Former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel transitioned from a cult performer to a pop star with the release of his fifth solo album, So. This album included the hit single "Sledgehammer," which became his most successful single, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1990 - Madonna's "Vogue," a song inspired by a dance popular in gay nightclubs where dancers "strike a pose" like fashion models, reached #1 in America on May 19, 1990. The song and its accompanying music video celebrated the dance style and became an anthem in both the pop and LGBTQ+ communities, cementing Madonna's status as a cultural icon.
1992 - DJ/producer Marshmello is born Christopher Comstock in Philadelphia.
1992 - Pop/soul singer Sam Smith is born in London, England.
1992 - Billy Ray Cyrus releases his debut album, Some Gave All, featuring his signature song "Achy Breaky Heart."
1993 - Depeche Mode begin their Devotional tour in Lille, France.
1997 - Backstreet Boys release "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," their breakthrough single in the US.
1998 - Sonny and Cher get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1999 - Moby released Play, an album of electronic tunes featuring samples of field recordings and old blues numbers. Extensive music licensing helped the songs gain widespread exposure, making the album a global hit.
2010 - David Guetta's "Gettin' Over You" becomes the billionth track to be Shazamed.
2010 - 'Stairway To Heaven' was named the UK's favourite rock song in a survey by listeners to radio station Absolute Classic Rock. Led Zeppelin had two other tracks in the top 10; ‘Whole Lotta Love’ was voted at No. 4 and ‘Rock 'n' Roll’, from the group’s fourth album, was at No. 7.
2017 - Linkin Park released the pop-oriented album One More Light. Tragically, this album marked their last with lead singer Chester Bennington, who took his own life on July 20, 2017.
2023 - According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Ed Sheeran, Adele, and Harry Styles were among the UK's wealthiest individuals under the age of 35. At 32 years old, Sheeran was ranked seventh with a fortune of £300 million, largely attributed to the success of his sixth album, Subtract. Adele, aged 29, held the ninth position with a wealth of £165 million. Meanwhile, Harry Styles, also 29, achieved the biggest-selling UK album of the year with Harry's House, accumulating a wealth of £150 million.
