Almanac: May 18*

Births:

• 1911 - Big Joe Turner (d. 1985)
• 1912 - Perry Como (d. 2001)
• 1922 - Kai Winding (d. 1983)
• 1939 - Glen Hardin (74)
• 1942 - Rodney Dillard (Dillards) (71)
• 1944 - Albert Hammond (69)
• 1946 - Bruce Gilbert (Wire) (67)
• 1946 - George Alexander (Flamin' Groovies) (67)
• 1948 - Joe Bonsall, Jr. (Oak Ridge Boys) (65)
• 1948 - Butch Tavares (Tavares) (65)
• 1949 - Rick Wakeman (Strawbs, Yes) (64)
• 1949 - Bill Wallace (Guess Who) (64)
• 1949 - Gary Scruggs (64)
• 1950 - Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) (63)
• 1952 - George Strait (61)
• 1954 - Wreckless Eric (born Eric Goulden) (59)
• 1958 - Victoria Wilcox (Toyah) (56)
• 1961 - Hugh Whittaker (Housemartins) (52)
• 1961 - Russell Senior (Pulp) (52)
• 1969 - Martika (born Marta Marrero) (44)
• 1970 - Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle) (43)
• 1975 - Jack Johnson (38)

Deaths:

• 1975 - Leroy Anderson - Cancer (66)
• 1980 - Ian Curtis (Joy Division) - Suicide (23)
• 2004 - Clint Warwick (Moody Blues) - Liver disease (63)
• 2004 - Elvin Jones - Heart problems (76)

On This Day:

• 1957 - Rusty & Doug Kershaw made their debuts on the Grand Ole Opry.
• 1964 - A riot broke out at a Rolling Stones concert in Scotland after 4,000 fans showed up with forged tickets.
• 1964 - Paul McCartney is interviewed by David Frost on the BBC.
• 1966 - The Castiles with lead singer Bruce Springsteen made their first recordings.
• 1967 - The Beatles agreed to do a worldwide satellite broadcast of them recording the song All You Need is Love.
• 1968 - The North California Rock Festival was held with the Doors, the Grateful Dead, the Steve Miller Band, Taj Mahal, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Country Joe & the Fish and the Jefferson Airplane.
• 1978 - Bob Marley & the Wailers opened a U.S. tour in Ann Arbor, MI.
• 1978 - The movie The Buddy Holly Story with Gary Busey premiers in Dallas, TX.
• 1982 - Joe Strummer of the Clash reappears after going into hiding for a month in Paris.
• 1986 - The made for TV movie Stagecoach starring Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings aired.
• 1993 - Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• 1998 - Berry Gordy received the inaugural ASCAP American Legend Award.

Recorded:

• 1963 - Louie Louie - Kingsmen

Released:

• 1968 - Tiptoe Through the Tulips - Tiny Tim

Number Ones - U.S. Singles:

• 1959 - Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison (2 weeks)
• 1963 - If You Wanna Be Happy - Jimmy Soul (2 weeks)
• 1968 - Tighten Up - Archie Bell & the Drells (2 weeks)
• 1974 - The Streak - Ray Stevens (3 weeks)
• 1985 - Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds (1 week)
• 1991 - I Like the Way (The Kissing Game) - Hi-Five (1 week)
• 1996 - The Crossroads - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (8 weeks)

Number Ones - U.S. Albums:

• 1985 - No Jacket Required - Phil Collins (2 weeks (4 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1991 - Out of Time - R.E.M. (1 week)
• 2002 - Hood Rich - Big Tymers (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Singles:

• 1961 - On the Rebound - Floyd Cramer (1 week)
• 1967 - Silence is Golden - Tremeloes (3 weeks)
• 1974 - Sugar Baby Love - Rubettes (4 weeks)
• 2008 - That's Not My Name - Ting Tings (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Albums:

• 1968 - Scott 2 - Scott Walker (1 week)
• 1996 - 1977 - Ash (1 week)
• 2003 - Justified - Justin Timberlake (3 weeks (1 previous week at number 1))
• 2008 - Home Before Dark - Neil Diamond (1 week)

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Watch: Deep Purple's Video For "Vincent Price" Takes a Dark Yet Humorous Tone

Deep Purple have released an official video for their song Vincent Price from the new album Now What?!

The group's album took a plunge off the charts in their second week after release after selling only 4,000 copies.  This, American rock fans, is a crime as this album proves that the band remains vital 45 years after their forming.

The single for Vincent Price will be out June 7 on vinyl, CD single and as a download.

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Pogues' Guitarist Philip Chevron States His Cancer Is Inoperable

Philip Chevron, the guitarist for the Pogues and Radiators From Space, announced his medical condition on the Pogues website with the headline "This time the cancer is lethal."

Cheveron first said he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer in June of 2007 but announced he had beaten it in early-2008, although it took him another year to recover from the treatments. That cancer has returned in his neck and head and, according to the recent statement, is not operable.

Pogues and Radiators from Space guitarist Philip Chevron has revealed that the head & neck cancer for which he received treatment in 2007 and a clean bill of health in April 2012 has in fact returned. In August 2012, Chevron and his doctors noticed a new tumour and this one is in a position whereby treatment is seriously ill-advised and would almost certainly cause Stroke or worse. The cancer is, in short, inoperable and will prove fatal in time, though it is at present impossible to measure life expectancy.

Chevron, who was last year part of the releases The Pogues In Paris on Polydor and the Radiators' Sound City Beat on Chiswick, is currently taking a break from both bands. The Pogues are on a prolonged time out, emerging only in support of matters relating to their 30th anniversary this year, while the Radiators from Space have formed a splinter group, The Trouble Pilgrims, in which Chevron plays no part. In recent times Chevron has accepted several theatre music commissions, including the Old Vic Theatre in London and Galway's Druid Theatre.

Philip thanks his friends, colleagues, family and management team for their enduring support and hopes to make some notable musical contributions before, as he puts it, the cancer becomes "lethal".

Chevron was a founding member in the late-70's of the punk rock band Radiators From Space. While the group was taking a break in 1981, he became friends with Shane McGowan who asked him to join the Pogues, who had just released their first album, first as a temporary banjo player and finally as guitarist so that McGowan could concentrate on singing.

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George Michael In Car Accident in England

George Michael was involved in a one-car automobile accident in Hertfordshire, England on Thursday night.

The pop singer was airlifted to hospital with a head injury following the incident on the M1 motorway in the UK at 5:50 PM on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the 49-year-old star confirmed that Michael was a passenger in a Range Rover and that no other vehicles were involved.

The BBC reports that the singer sustained "superficial cuts" and was "fine".

"George Michael was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic accident yesterday evening. No third party was involved," Connie Filippello, George's spokesperson said. "We have no further comment at this time."

Another man was flown by air ambulance to a specialist trauma centre in London.

Ambulance spokesman Gary Sanderson added "A man who we believe to be in his 40's sustained a head injury and following treatment, stabilization and immobilization by land and air ambulance crews, he was flown to hospital for further care."

Hertfordshire Police said the northbound carriageway of the road was closed for an hour while emergency services dealt with the incident.

"The exact circumstances of what happened are unclear at this time and until further investigations have been carried out it would be inappropriate for us to comment further," a police spokesman said.

In 2010 Michael received an eight-week jail sentence for crashing his Range Rover while under the influence of cannabis.  He was banned from driving for five years and fined £1,250.

Following his release he told reporters that he wanted to "start again".

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Almanac: May 17^

Births:

• 1925 - Red Smiley (Reno & Smiley) (d. 1972)
• 1939 - Pervis Jackson (Spinners) (d. 2008)
• 1941 - Malcolm Hale (Spanky & Our Gang) (d. 1968)
• 1942 - Taj Mahal (71)
• 1944 - Jesse Winchester (69)
• 1949 - Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson) (67)
• 1953 - George Johnson (Brothers Johnson) (60)
• 1958 - Paul Di'Anno (Iron Maiden) (55)
• 1958 - Alan Rankine (Association) (55)
• 1961 - Enya (52)
• 1963 - Page McConnell (Phish) (50)
• 1965 - Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) (48)
• 1968 - Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam) (45)
• 1970 - Jordan Knight (New Kids on the Block) (43)
• 1973 - Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures) (40)
• 1974 - Andrea Corr (Corrs) (39)

Deaths:

• 1992 - Lawrence Welk - Pneumonia (89)
• 1996 - Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Heart attack (61)
• 1996 - Kevin Gilbert - Asphyxiation (29)
• 2002 - Sharon Sheeley (songwriter of Poor Little Fool, Dum Dum) - Cerebral hemorrhage (62)

On This Day:

• 1952 - Johnny Horton debuted on the Louisiana Hayride.
• 1958 - It was Jerry Lee Lewis Day in Farriday, LA.
• 1963 - The first Monterey Folk Festival was held with artists including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul & Mary.
• 1964 - Bob Dylan made his first major appearance in the U.K. at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
• 1966 - Bob Dylan appeared at The Free Trade Hall in Manchester for a show that eventually was put out as part of his Bootleg Series.
• 1967 - The Bob Dylan documentary Don't Look Back premiered in San Francisco.
• 1971 - The musical Godspell opened on Broadway.
• 1974 - The Elton John special Goodbye Norma Jean and Other Things airs.
• 1975 - Elton John received a platinum record for Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
• 1975 - Mick Jagger punched a window in a restaurant, requiring twenty stitches in his hand.
• 1978 - The movie Thank God It's Friday (with Donna Summer) premiered in Los Angeles.
• 1980 - Paul and Linda McCartney were musical guests on Saturday Night Live.
• 1987 - Tom Petty's house was destroyed by fire.
• 1980 - Peter Criss left Kiss to pursue a solo career. Eric Carr was his replacement.
• 1989 - Bill Wyman opened his first Sticky Fingers restaurant in London.
• 2000 - The Eagles filed a lawsuit against the Hotel California restaurant in Dallas, TX.
• 2001 - The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Nashville.
• 2009 - Barbara Mandrell, Roy Clark and Charlie McCoy received their medallions as the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Divorces:

• 2006 - Paul McCartney & Heather Mills (separation)

Released:

• 1969 - Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago

Number Ones - U.S. Singles:

• 1952 - Blue Tango - Leroy Anderson (5 weeks)
• 1986 - Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston (3 weeks)

Number Ones - U.S. Albums:

• 1975 - That's The Way of the World - Earth, Wind & Fire (3 weeks)
• 1986 - Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston (7 weeks (7 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1997 - Carrying Your Love With Me - George Strait (1 week)
• 2003 - Get Rich or Die Tryin' - 50 Cent (1 week)
• 2008 - Hard Candy - Madonna (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Singles:

• 1957 - Rock-a-Billy - Guy Mitchell (1 week)
• 1962 - Nut Rocker - B. Bumble & the Stingers (1 week)
• 1975 - Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette (3 weeks)
• 1980 - What's Another Year - Johnny Logan (2 weeks)
• 1986 - The Chicken Songs - Splitting Image (3 weeks)
• 1998 - Under the Bridge/Lady Marmalade - All Saints (1 week (1 previous week at number 1))
• 2009 - Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Albums:

• 1980 - The Magic of Boney M: 20 Greatest Hits - Boney M (2 weeks)
• 1997 - Spice - Spice Girls (1 week)
• 1998 - International Velvet - Catatonia (1 week)
• 2009 - 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day (1 week)

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