Almanac: April 1, 2016

Birthdays:

• 1895 - Alberta Hunter (d. 1984)
• 1921 - Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith (d. 2014)
• 1927 - Amos Milburn (d. 1980)
• 1932 - Debbie Reynolds (84)
• 1934 - Jim Ed Brown (d. 2015)
• 1939 - Rudolph Isley (Isley Brothers) (77)
• 1942 - Philip Margo (Tokens) (74)
• 1942 - Danny Brooks (born Jim Mealey) (Dovells) (74)
• 1942 - Alan Blakley (Tremeloes) (d. 1996)
• 1945 - John Barbata (Turtles) (71)
• 1946 - Ronnie Lane (Small Faces, Faces) (d. 1997)
• 1947 - M (born Robin Scott) (69)
• 1948 - Jimmy Cliff (68)
• 1948 - Simon Cowe (Lindisfarne) (68)
• 1949 - Gil Scott-Heron (d. 2011)
• 1950 - Billy Currie (Ultravox) (66)
• 1954 - Jeff Porcaro (Toto) (d. 1992)
• 1956 - Peter O'Toole (Hothouse Flowers) (60)
• 1958 - D. Boon (born Dennes Boon) (Minutemen) (d. 1985)
• 1961 - Susan Boyle (55)
• 1961 - Mark White (ABC) (55)
• 1964 - Leslie Langston (Throwing Muses) (52)
• 1971 - Method Man (born Clifford Smith) (Wu-Tang Clan) (45)
• 1972 - Jesse Tobias (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Morrissey) (44)
• 1975 - John Butler (41)
• 1980 - Kip Moore (36)
• 1981 - Hannah Spearritt (S Club 7) (35)
• 1986 - Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum) (30)

Deaths:

• 1917 - Scott Joplin - Syphilitic dementia (49)
• 1984 - Marvin Gaye - Murdered (44)
• 1998 - Rozz Williams (born Roger Painter) (Christian Death) - Suicide (34)
• 1999 - Jesse Stone (producer) (97)
• 2004 - Paul Atkinson (Zombies) - Liver and kidney disease (58)
• 2005 - Jack Keller (songwriter) - Leukemia (68)

On This Day:

• 1955 - George Martin was promoted to head of A&R at Parlophone.
• 1956 - Elvis Presley did a screen test at MGM.
• 1961 - The Beatles played the first of 91 straight nights at The Top Ten Club in Hamburg, Germany. 
• 1963 - Fats Domino signed with ABC-Paramount Records. 
• 1967 - The Country Music Hall of Fame opened in Nashville. 
• 1969 - Slade, than known as Ambrose Slade, played live for the first time in Walsall, England.
• 1969 - The Beach Boys said they were suing Capitol Records for $2 million in back royalties.
• 1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono released press statements that they were having dual sex change operations.  
• 1970 - London's Earl's Court received over one million requests for tickets for the Rolling Stones' upcoming six dates. 
• 1972 - The Mar Y Sol festival in Puerto Rico opened its three day run.
• 1976 - AC/DC made their live debut in Britain.
• 1976 - The Buzzcocks played live for the first time in Bolton, England. They were cut off after three songs. 
• 1978 - The Philadelphia Fury soccer team, owned by Paul Simon, James Taylor, Peter Frampton and others, made their debut. 
• 1983 - Kirk Hammett joined Metallica.
• 1985 - Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins collapsed from exhaustion. 
• 1985 - David Lee Roth quit Van Halen. 
• 1990 - Willie Nelson's tour bus was in an accident with a car, killing the car's driver. 
• 1992 - Billy Idol was fined $2,000 for hitting a woman in the face the previous October. 
• 2002 - Paul McCartney opened his Driving USA Tour in Oakland, CA.
• 2005 - U2 opened their Vertigo World Tour in Anaheim, CA.
• 2006 - Eric Church made his Grand Ole Opry debut. 

Divorces:

• 1990 - Duff McKegan (Guns N' Roses) and Mandy Brix (Lame Flames)

Recorded

• 1961 - This Time - Troy Shondell
• 1966 - Wild Thing - Troggs

Released:

• 1966 - Do Anything You Say - David Bowie (debut solo single)
• 2008 - Troubadour - George Strait

Broadcasts:

• 1975 - Shang-a-Lang (Britain's ITV) - Debut of Bay City Rollers' show

Number Ones - U.S. Singles:

• 1989 - Eternal Flame - Bangles (1 week)
• 2006 - Temperature - Sean Paul (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Singles:

• None