Music Almanac - April 23

Birthdays

• 1936 - Roy Orbison (d. 1988)
• 1939 - Ray Peterson (d. 2005)
• 1940 - Dale Houston (Dale & Grace) (d. 2007)
• 1947 - Kent Robbins (songwriter) (d. 1997)
• 1947 - Glenn Cornick (Jethro Tull) (d. 2014)
• 1949 - John Miles
• 1952 - Narada Michael Walden
• 1960 - Steve Clark (Def Leppard) (d. 1991)
• 1964 - Gen (born Simon Matthews) (Jesus Jones)
• 1967 - Brent Muscat (Faster Pussycat, L.A. Guns)
• 1968 - Stan Frazier (Suger Ray)
• 1968 - Paul Clifford (Wonder Stuff)
• 1968 - Tim Womack (Sons of the Desert)
• 1974 - Carlos Dengler (Interpol)
• 1975 - Jón Þór Birgisson (Sigur Rós)
• 1976 - Aaron Dessner (The National)
• 1979 - Barry Fratelli (Fratellis)
• 1983 - Taio Cruz

Deaths

• 1986 - Harold Arlen (81)
• 1991 - Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls) - Drug overdose (38)
• 1995 - Lonesome Sundown (born Cornelius Green) (66)
• 2006 - Phil Walden (founder of Capricorn Records) - Lung cancer (66)
• 2011 - Tom King (Outsiders) - Congestive heart failure (68)
• 2011 - Norio Ohga (president of Sony who initiated development of the CD) (81)
• 2011 - Huey P. Meaux (producer) (d. 2011)
• 2012 - Chris Ethridge (Flying Burrito Brothers) - Pancreatic cancer (65)
• 2012 - Thomas Marth (Killers) - Suicide (33)
• 2017 - Kerry Turman (bassist for the Temptations) (59)On This Day

• 1942 - Roy Orbison received his first guitar for his sixth birthday.
• 1956 - Elvis Presley Las Vegas debut at the Frontier Hotel was cut from two to one week.
• 1960 - The Nerk Twins (John Lennon & Paul McCartney) performed at the Fox and Hounds Pub in Reading, England.
• 1961 - Red Foley was acquitted of tax evasion due to a hung jury.
• 1963 - The Beatles and the Rolling Stones met for the first time.
• 1965 - The Rolling Stones started their third North American Tour in Montreal.
• 1965 - Frank Sinatra was the subject of the longest entertainer profile in Life magazine history.
• 1969 - The Ash Grove in Los Angeles burned to the ground.
• 1973 - Chet Atkins had a malignant tumor removed from his colon.
• 1976 - Bob Marley & the Wailers opened their Rastaman Vibration North American and European Tour in Upper Darby, PA.
• 1976 - Don Willimas became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
• 1977 - Adam and the Ants made their first live appearance at the Roxy Club in London.
• 1978 - Sid Vicious filmed his version of My Way for the Sex Pistols' film The Great Rock n Roll Swindle.
• 1981 - Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins performed together in West Germany, eventually becoming the album The Survivors.
• 1983 - U2 started their War North American tour in Chapel Hill, NC.
• 1987 - Carole King sued Lou Adler, claiming he owed her $400,000 in royalties. She also wanted ownership of her recordings.
• 1988 - Whitney Houston passed both the Beatles and the Bee Gees with her seventh straight chart topper, Where Do Broken Hearts Go?
• 1988 - Bruce Springsteen brought Roy Orbison on stage at his Los Angeles concert so the crowd could sing Happy Birthday to him. Roy would die before the end of the year.
• 1989 - It was Roy Orbison Day in Texas.
• 1992 - George Michael announced he would donate $500,000 to charity from the single Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me.
• 1992 - Part of Mississippi Highway 23 was renamed the Tammy Wynette Highway.
• 1995 - A Liverpool native, John Hodgson, found a tape in the attic with twelve Beatles recordings from 1959.
• 1997 - The Four Tops received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• 1999 - At the Volunteer Jam '99 concert, Charlie Daniels is joined by Garth Brooks, Billy Ray Cyrus, Rhett Akins, Lee Roy Parnell and Johnny Neel.
• 1999 - Ray Stevens announced he was suffering from prostate cancer.
• 2000 - Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger and Ralph Stanley were given the Living Legend Award by the Library of Congress.
• 2003 - Bruce Springsteen defended the Dixie Chicks after the backlash from singer Natalie Maines statement about President George Bush.
• 2004 - Green Day is forced to release an official statement to counter rumors that Billie Joe Armstrong had died.
• 2006 - Take That, who had recently reformed, opened their U.K. tour in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
• 2007 - Bevan Davies joined Static-X, replacing Will Hunt.
• 2008 - Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi was sentenced to three years probation for driving under the influence.
• 2008 - Amy Winehouse went out on one of her infamous drug and drinking binges in London with the evening including headbutting two men.
• 2010 - Bret Michaels was admitted to the hospital in critical condition with a brain hemorrhage.
• 2017 - The original members of Bananarama announced their intentions to reform for a British tour.

Marriages

• 1994 - Lari White (The Whites) and Chuck Cannon
• 1997 - Bobby Helms and Rita Long
• 2006 - Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts) and Tiffany Fallon
• 2012 - Neil Diamond and Katie McNeil

Divorces

• 1993 - Mick Mars (Motley Crue) and Emi-Canyn

Recorded

• 1963 - Surf City - Jan & Dean
• 1977 - Sweet Music Man - Kenny Rogers

Released

• 1954 - Work With Me Annie - Royals (renamed Hank Ballard & the Midnighters)
• 1971 - Sticky Fingers - Rolling Stones
• 1975 - Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me for a Little While) - Doobie Brothers (single)
• 1976 - Black and Blue - Rolling Stones
• 1976 - The Ramones - Ramones (debut album)
• 1979 - Voulez-Vous - ABBA
• 1985 - We Are the World - Various Artists (album)
• 1988 - Alphabet Street - Prince (single)
• 2002 - No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem - Kenny Chesney

Broadcasts

• 1952 - The Kate Smith Hour (NBC) - Hank Williams
• 1969 - The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (CBS) - Johnny Cash, June Carter, Vikki Carr, John Hartford
• 1979 - Kenny Everett Video Show (BBC) - David Bowie
• 1985 - Another World - Liberace
• 1989 - The Henderson Kids (U.K.) - Kylie Minogue (first time on British TV)
• 1990 - My Two Dads (NBC) - Bobby Rydell
• 2003 - The Twilight Zone (UPN) - Jessica Simpson

Number Ones - U.S. Singles

• 1977 - Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston (1 week)
• 1983 - Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners (1 week)
• 1988 - Where Do Broken Hearts Go - Whitney Houston (2 weeks) (Her 7th straight number 1, setting a chart record)

Number Ones - U.S. Albums

• 1994 - The Division Bell - Pink Floyd (4 weeks)
• 2011 - 21 - Adele (1 week (3 previous weeks))
• 2016 - The Life of Pablo - Kanye West (1 week)

Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles

• 1955 - My Babe - Little Walter (5 weeks)
• 1977 - The Pride (Part 1) - Isley Brothers (1 week)
• 1988 - Da Butt - E.U. (1 week)

Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles

• 1977 - She's Got You - Loretta Lynn (1 week)
• 1983 - American Made - Oak Ridge Boys (1 week)
• 1988 - I'll Always Come Back - K.T. Oslin (1 week)
• 2005 - Anything But Mine - Kenny Chesney (2 weeks)
• 2016 - Humble and Kind - Tim McGraw (1 week)

Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles

• 1977 - When I Need You - Leo Sayer (1 week)
• 1988 - Anything For You - Miami Sound Machine (3 weeks)

Number Ones - U.K. Singles

• 1954 - I See the Moon - Stargazers (1 week)
• 1964 - A World Without Love - Peter & Gordon (2 weeks)
• 1969 - Get Back - Beatles With Billy Preston (6 weeks)
• 1994 - The Most Beautiful Girl in the World - Prince (2 weeks)
• 2011 - Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO Featuring Lauren Bennett & Goonrock (4 weeks)

Number Ones - U.K. Albums

• 1983 - Let's Dance - David Bowie (3 weeks)
• 1988 - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden (1 week)
• 2005 - The Singles - Basement Jaxx (1 week)
• 2011 - Wasting Light - Foo Fighters (1 week)