Music Almanac - April 1

Birthdays

• 1895 - Alberta Hunter (d. 1984)
• 1921 - Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith (d. 2014)
• 1927 - Amos Milburn (d. 1980)
• 1932 - Debbie Reynolds (d. 2016)
• 1934 - Jim Ed Brown (d. 2015)
• 1939 - Rudolph Isley (Isley Brothers)
• 1942 - Philip Margo (Tokens)
• 1942 - Danny Brooks (born Jim Mealey) (Dovells)
• 1942 - Alan Blakley (Tremeloes) (d. 1996)
• 1945 - John Barbata (Turtles)
• 1945 - Kenny Buttrey (session drummer) (d. 2004)
• 1946 - Ronnie Lane (Small Faces, Faces) (d. 1997)
• 1947 - M (born Robin Scott)
• 1948 - Jimmy Cliff
• 1948 - Simon Cowe (Lindisfarne)
• 1949 - Gil Scott-Heron (d. 2011)
• 1950 - Billy Currie (Ultravox)
• 1951 - Henry Gross
• 1954 - Jeff Porcaro (Toto) (d. 1992)
• 1956 - Peter O'Toole (Hothouse Flowers)
• 1958 - D. Boon (born Dennes Boon) (Minutemen) (d. 1985)
• 1961 - Susan Boyle
• 1961 - Mark White (ABC)
• 1964 - Leslie Langston (Throwing Muses)
• 1971 - Method Man (born Clifford Smith) (Wu-Tang Clan)
• 1972 - Jesse Tobias (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Morrissey)
• 1975 - John Butler
• 1980 - Kip Moore
• 1981 - Hannah Spearritt (S Club 7)
• 1986 - Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum)
• 1994 - Ella Eyre

Deaths

• 1917 - Scott Joplin - Syphilitic dementia (49)
• 1984 - Marvin Gaye - Murdered (44)
• 1992 - Nigel Preston (The Cult) - Heroin overdose (28)
• 1998 - Rozz Williams (born Roger Painter) (Christian Death) - Suicide (34)
• 1999 - Jesse Stone (composer, producer) (97)
• 2004 - Paul Atkinson (Zombies) - Liver and kidney disease (58)
• 2005 - Jack Keller (songwriter) - Leukemia (68)
• 2015 - Cynthia Lennon (born Cynthia Powell) - Cancer (75)

On This Day

• 1927 - RCA introduced the first automatic record changer.
• 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.
• 1969 - Four musicians from Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios break off and open Muscle Shoals Sound Studios.
• 1969 - Rick Nelson appeared at The Troubadour, introducing his new country-rock sound.
• 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.
• 1974 - Tom Petty and Mudcrutch moved from Gainesville, AL to Los Angeles.
• 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.
• 1978 - In Walker, LA, Jerry Lee Lewis refuses to perform at a show, tells the audience to "kiss my ass" and collapses unconscious on the stage.
• 1979 - Mark Herndon became Alabama's drummer.
• 1980 - Brian Johnson was named the replacement for the late Bon Scott in AC/DC.
• 1982 - Sawyer Brown debuted under the name Savannah.
• 1983 - Kirk Hammett joined Metallica.
• 1984 - George Jones opened the Jones Country Music Park in Colmesneil, Texas.
• 1985 - Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins collapsed from exhaustion.
• 1985 - David Lee Roth quit Van Halen.
• 1987 - The Texas Legislature names it George Jones Day.
• 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.
• 1996 - M.C. Hammer filed for bankruptcy.
• 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.
• 2008 - Scott Weiland left Velvet Revolver.
• 2008 - The Rolling Stones released their concert film Shine a Light.
• 2016 - Guns N' Roses announce Slash and Duff McKagan were returning to the band.
• 2017 - Bob Dylan finally accepted his Nobel Prize in Literature.

Marriages

• 1932 - Gene Autrey and Ina Mae Spivey

Divorces

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

Recorded

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

Released

• 1946 - New Spanish Two-Step - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys (single)
• 1957 - Four Walls - Jim Reeves (single)
• 1957 - Bye Bye Love - Everly Brothers (single)
• 1959 - Tallahassee Lassie - Freddy Cannon (debut single)
• 1966 - Do Anything You Say - David Bowie (debut solo single)
• 1976 - 2112 - Rush
• 1985 - Be Near Me - ABC (single)
• 2008 - Troubadour - George Strait

Broadcasts

• 1965 - The Jimmy Dean Show (ABC) - Connie Smith, Sheb Wooley, Stoneman Family
• 1966 - The Jimmy Dean Show (ABC) (final episode)
• 1970 - Hee Haw (CBS) - Linda Ronstadt, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Susan Raye
• 1970 - The Johnny Cash Show (ABC) - Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, Roy Orbison, Shel Silverstein
• 1975 - Shang-a-Lang (Britain's ITV) - Debut of Bay City Rollers' show
• 1976 - The Mac Davis Show (NBC) - Osmond Brothers, Kate Smith
• 1977 - Nashville 99 (CBS) - Jerry Reed, Mel Tillis, Charley Pride
• 1981 - Country Comes Home (CBS) - Johnny Cash, Crystal Gayle, Roy Clark, Loretta Lynn, Ray Charles, Lacy J. Dalton, The Oak Ridge Boys, Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell
• 1989 - Saturday Night Live (NBC) - Living Colour

Number Ones - U.S. Singles

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

Number Ones - U.S. Albums

• 1995 - Me Against the World - 2Pac (4 weeks)
• 2006 - High School Music - Soundtrack (1 week (1 previous week))

Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles

• 1944 - Main Stem - Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (4 weeks)
• 1978 - The Closer I Get to You - Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (2 weeks)
• 1989 - Lucky Charm - The Boys (1 week)
• 1995 - This is How We Do It - Montell Jordan (7 weeks)
• 2017 - That's What I Like - Bruno Mars (3 weeks)

Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles

• 1944 - Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry - Al Dexter (1 week)
• 1967 - Walk Through This World With Me - George Jones (2 weeks)
• 1978 - Ready For the Good Times to Get Better - Crystal Gayle (1 week)
• 1989 - Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye - George Strait (1 week)
• 1990 - Five Minutes - Lorrie Morgan (1 week)
• 1995 - Thinkin' About You - Trisha Yearwood (2 weeks)

Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles

• 1967 - Somethin' Stupid - Frank and Nancy Sinatra (9 weeks)
• 1972 - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack (6 weeks)
• 1978 - Can't Smile Without You - Barry Manilow (1 week (1 previous week))

Number Ones - U.K. Singles

• 1995 - Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle) - Outhere Brothers (1 week)
• 2000 - Never Be the Same Again - Melanie C & Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (1 week)
• 2006 - So Sick - Ne-Yo (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Albums

• 1961 - South Pacific - Soundtrack (1 week (108 previous weeks))
• 1989 - Like a Prayer - Madonna (2 weeks)
• 1995 - The Colour of My Love - Celine Dion (1 week)
• 2000 - Supernatural - Santana (2 weeks)
• 2006 - Journey South - Journey South (1 week)