This Day In Music History

1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time at The Woolton Church Parish Fete where The Quarry Men were appearing. As The Quarry Men were setting up for their evening performance, McCartney eager to impress Lennon picked up a guitar and played ‘Twenty Flight Rock’ (Eddie Cochran) and ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ (Gene Vincent). Lennon was impressed, and even more so when McCartney showed Lennon and Eric Griffiths how to tune their guitars, something they'd been paying someone else to do for them.

1963, Essex started a two-week run at No.1 on the US chart with 'Easier Said Than Done', a No.41 hit in the UK.

1963, James Brown went to No.2 on the US album chart with 'Live At The Apollo'. The album spent a total of 33 weeks on the chart.

1967, Pink Floyd made their first appearance on BBC TV music show Top Of The Pops to promote their new single ‘See Emily Play’. A badly damaged home video recording recovered by the British Film Institute of this show was given a public screening in London on 9th January 2010 at an event called "Missing Believed Wiped" devoted to recovered TV shows. It was the first time any footage was seen of the performance since its original broadcast.

1968, The Rolling Stones scored their fifth US No.1 single when 'Jumpin Jack Flash' hit the top of the charts.

1971, American jazz trumpeter, singer and bandleader, Louis Armstrong died. Had many hits including the 1964 US No.1 'Hello Dolly!', 1968 UK No.1 'What A Wonderful World’ plus ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’, ‘Ain't Misbehavin’, and ‘We Have All the Time in the World.’ He made frequent use of laxatives as a means of controlling his weight, resulting in Armstrong appearing in humorous, advertisements for laxative product Swiss Kriss; the ads bore a picture of him sitting on a toilet, as viewed through a keyhole, with the slogan "Satch says, 'Leave it all behind ya!"

1973, Queen released their debut single ‘Keep Yourself Alive’ in the UK.

1985, Phil Collins went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Sussudio', his third US No.1, it made No.12 in the UK.

1991, Van Halen started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'.

1996, Crowded House went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Very Best Of' album.

1997, The Prodigy went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'The Fat Of The Land'.

2003, Skip Battin bassist and songwriter with The Byrds died of complications from Alzheimer's disease. (1965 US & UK No.1 single 'Mr Tambourine Man'). Also played with New Riders Of The Purple Sage and The Flying Burrito Brothers.

2003, Beyonce featuring Jay-Z started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Crazy In Love.' The track features a sample from The Chi-Lites' 1970 'Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)'. Also 8 weeks at No.1 on the US chart.

1925, Born on this day, Bill Haley, (William John Clifton Haley), singer, guitarist, 'The first Rock 'n' Roll star.' As Bill Haley and his Comets he had the 1955 UK & US No.1 single 'Rock Around The Clock.' Haley was one of the earliest acts to bring rock and roll to the attention of white America and the rest of the world. He sold over 60 million records during his career. Haley died on 9th February 1981.

1939, Born on this day, Jet Harris, guitar, The Shadows, (1963 UK No.1 single 'Foot Tapper' plus 28 other UK Top 40 singles).

1949, Born on this day, Mike Shrieve, drums, Santana, (1970 US No. 4 single 'Black Magic Woman', 1977 UK No.11 single 'She's Not There').

1952, Born on this day, Graham Oliver, Saxon, (1980 UK No.5 album 'Wheels Of Steel').

1963, Born on this day, Tim Bricheno, guitar, All About Eve, (1988 UK No.10 single 'Martha's Harbour'), The Sisters Of Mercy, (1992 UK No.3 single 'Temple Of Love').

1975, Born on this day, 50 Cent, (Curtis Jackson), US rapper. 2003 US No.1 single 'In Da Club', debut album, 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin' was named the biggest selling US album in 2003 going platinum six times over.