Music Almanac - April 15

Birthdays

• 1894 - Bessie Smith (d. 1937)
• 1927 - Albert Goldman (author) (d. 1994)
• 1933 - Roy Clark (d. 2018)
• 1934 - Tim Field (Springfields) (d. 2016)
• 1937 - Bob Luman (d. 1978)
• 1939 - Marty Wilde (born Reginald Smith)
• 1940 - Clarence Satchell (Ohio Players) (d. 1995)
• 1944 - Dave Edmunds
• 1947 - Michael DeBello
• 1947 - Woolly Wolstenholme (Barclay James Harvest) (d. 2010)
• 1948 - Phil Mogg (UFO)
• 1948 - Michael Kamen (d. 2003)
• 1958 - Matt Reid (Berlin) (
• 1962 - Nick Kamen
• 1965 - Linda Perry
• 1965 - Graeme Clark (Wet Wet Wet)
• 1965 - Oscar Harrison (Ocean Colour Scene)
• 1966 - Samantha Fox
• 1967 - Frankie Poullain (Darkness)
• 1968 - Ed O'Brien (Radiohead)
• 1978 - Chris Stapleton
• 1978 - Luis Fonsi
• 1980 - Patrick Carney (Black Keys)
• 1982 - Marliss "Marc" Pugh (Another Bad Creation)
• 1983 - Matt Cardle
• 1983 - Margo Price
• 1997 - Zoe Virant (Girl Authority)

Deaths

• 1951 - Junior Barnard (born Lester Barnard) (Texas Playboys) - Car accident (30)
• 1998 - Rose Maddox (Maddox Brothers and Rose) - Kidney failure (72)
• 2001 - Joey Ramone (Ramones) - Lymphoma (49)
• 2011 - Kent Morrill (Wailers) - Cancer (70)
• 2014 - Little Joe Cook (Little Joe & the Thrillers) (91)
• 2017 - Allan Holdsworth - Heart disease (70)
• 2017 - Sylvia Moy (songwriter) - Pneumonia (78)

On This Day

• 1950 - Hank Williams was arrested in Nashville after he accidentally set a fire while smoking in bed.
• 1958 - Buddy Holly's guitar was stolen at a St. Louis show.
• 1959 - Johnny Cash played his first show ever outside of the U.S. in Melbourne, Australia.
• 1966 - Buffalo Springfield played their first show, opening for the Byrds in San Bernadino, CA.
• 1969 - Archie Bell was discharged from the military.
• 1969 - Elvis Presley signed a one-month contract to perform at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.
• 1971 - Puff the Magic Dragon, A Whiter Shade of Pale and White Rabbit all made the Illinois Crime Commissions list of drug oriented songs.
• 1972 - A fundraiser for George McGovern in Los Angeles stars James Taylor, Carole King, Quincy Jones and Barbra Streisand.
• 1972 - A Philadelphia radio station gave the career of Billy Joel a boost when they broadcast a concert and put Captain Jack on their playlist, leading to the singer signing with Columbia Records.
• 1976 - Loretta Lynn's autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter, was released.
• 1977 - Lynyrd Skynyrd was honored before the Atlanta Braves home opener.
• 1978 - The group Television had to cancel a show when their equipment truck was involved in a crash, killing the driver.
• 1982 - Billy Joel underwent surgery to repair a badly fractured wrist after crashing his motorcycle.
• 1982 - The IRS was looking for $103,000 in back taxes from Johnny Paycheck.
• 1984 - Neil Diamond, Richard Adler Al Hoffman, Henry Mancini and George David Weiss were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• 1984 - Neil Young and Willie Nelson met for the first time.
• 1987 - Bantam Books paid Barbara Mandrell $310,000 to write her autobiography.
• 1996 - Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli was jailed for three violent attacks and a parole violation.
• 1996 - The balance of Jerry Garcia's ashes were scattered in San Francisco.
• 1996 - Country singer Clay Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
• 1999 - Vince Gill was involved in a three-car accident in Nashville. One of the other victims ends up giving Gill an audition tape.
• 2002 - Dave Matthews postponed a show at Madison Square Garden due to strained vocal chords.
• 2003 - Melissa Etheridge announced she was engaged to Tammy Lynn Michaels.
• 2004 - Courtney Love was ordered to stand trial for drug possession.
• 2006 - Elton John raised over $700,000 for his AIDS Foundation by selling 10,000 items out of his own closets.
• 2008 - It was proclaimed Mariah Carey Day in Los Angeles
• 2010 - Whitney Houston received poor reviews for her first concert in the U.K. in eleven years.
• 2012 - Coachella featured a hologram performance by Tupac Shakur.
• 2013 - Billy Currington accosted an elderly tour boat operator in Georgia. He was charged a week later with making terroristic threats.
• 2014 - Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 collapsed and was put in an induced coma while his body recovered from years of alcohol abuse.
• 2014 - Miley Cyrus was hospitalized for an adverse reaction to antibiotics.
• 2016 - Artists like Alicia Keys, Chance the Rapper, Ludacris, Nicki Minaj and J. Cole attended a White House meeting on criminal justice reform.
• 2017 - Jethro Tull was at number 1 on the Classical Albums chart with Jethro Tull: The String Quartets.

Marriages

• 2017 - Sam Hunt and Hannah Lee Fowler

Divorces

• 1975 - Bill Monroe and Bessie Lee Mauldin (filed)
• 2011 - Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman

Recorded

• 1962 - Three Stars Will Shine Tonight (Theme From Dr. Kildare) - Richard Chamberlin
• 1965 - Engine Engine #9 - Roger Miller
• 1968 - Think - Aretha Franklin
• 1968 - Dreams of the Everyday Housewife - Glen Campbell
• 1969 - The Ballad of John & Yoko - Beatles
• 1981 - I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World - Ronnie Milsap

Released

• 1957 - Don't Be Angry - Stonewall Jackson (debut single)
• 1957 - Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On - Jerry Lee Lewis (single)
• 1963 - Sweet Dreams (Of You) - Patsy Cline
• 1964 - Shout - Lulu (U.K. single release)
• 1966 - Aftermath - Rolling Stones
• 1974 - Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd
• 1977 - Rattus Norvegicus - The Stranglers (debut album)
• 1982 - Metal on Metal - Anvil
• 1983 - Rock For Light - Bad Brains
• 1991 - The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1959-1968 - Various Artists
• 2003 - Dragonfly - Ziggy Marley (debut album)
• 2003 - Say You Will - Fleetwood Mac
• 2008 - Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum (debut album)

Awards

• 1971 - Academy Awards
• Best Documentary Feature - Woodstock
• Best Original or Adaptation Score - Let It Be - Beatles
• Best Original Song - For All We Know - Fred Karlin, Robb Royer, Jimmy Griffin

Broadcasts

• 1965 - The Jimmy Dean Show (ABC) - George Jones, Gene Pitney
• 1970 - Johnny Cash Show (ABC) - George Jones, Judy Collins, June Carter Cash
• 1979 - Pat Boone and Family Easter Special
• 1989 - Saturday Night Live (NBC) - Dolly Parton (host and musical guest)
• 1998 - CMT's first live concert - Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, Beth Nielsen Chapman
• 2005 - Reba (WB) - Dolly Parton

Number Ones - U.S. Singles

• 1950 - If I Knew You Were Comin' (I'd've Baked a Cake) (2 weeks)
• 1967 - Somethin' Stupid - Frank & Nancy Sinatra (4 weeks)
• 1972 - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack (6 weeks)
• 1989 - She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals (1 week)
• 1995 - This is How We Do It - Montell Jordan (7 week)

Number Ones - U.S. Albums

• 1989 - Loc-ed After Dark - Tone-Loc (1 week)
• 2006 - King - T.I. (1 week)

Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles

• 1944 - When My Man Comes Home - Buddy Johnson and His Band (1 week)
• 1950 - Mistrusting Blues - Little Esther With Mel Walker and the Johnny Otis Orchestra (4 weeks)
• 1978 - Too Much, Too Little, Too Late - Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams (4 weeks)
• 1989 - Every Little Step - Bobby Brown (1 week)

Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles

• 1967 - Lonely Again - Eddy Arnold (2 weeks)
• 1995 - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Reba McEntire (1 week)

Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles

• 2006 - You and Me - Lifehouse (1 week (8 previous weeks))

Number Ones - U.K. Singles

• 1965 - The Minute You're Gone - Cliff Richard (1 week)
• 1972 - Amazing Grace - Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (5 weeks)
• 1989 - Eternal Flame - Bangles (4 weeks)
• 2000 - Fill Me In - Craig David (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Albums

• 1978 - 20 Golden Greats - Nat King Cole (3 weeks)
• 1989 - When the World Knows Your Name - Deacon Blue (2 weeks)
• 1995 - Greatest Hits - Bruce Springsteen (1 week)
• 2000 - Play - Moby (5 weeks)
• 2006 - Ringleader of the Tormentors - Morrissey (1 week)