The Day in Music:February 3rd

Born on this day:   

                                            

1935, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, singer, guitarist

1943, Dennis Edwards, The Temptations

1943, Eric Haydock, bass, The Hollies

1947, Dave Davies, guitarist, The Kinks

1947, Melanie, singer-songwriter

1949, Arthur Kane, bass, The New York Dolls

1956, Lee Ranaldo, guitar, Sonic Youth

1959, Lol Tollhurst, drums, keyboards, The Cure

1977, Daddy Yankee, reggaeton singer/rapper

1990, Sean Kingston, Jamaican-American singer

1959, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens died in a crash shortly after take-off from Clear Lake, Iowa, the pilot of the single-engined Beechcraft Bonanza plane was also killed. Holly hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tour bus. All three were traveling to Fargo, North Dakota, for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour which Holly had set – covering 24 cities in three weeks, to make money after the break-up of his band, The Crickets, the previous year.

1967, Producer Joe Meek shot his landlady Violet Shenton and then shot himself at his flat in London. Meek produced The Tornadoes hit “Telstar,” the first #1 in the U.S. by a British group. For more on this story, see this day in spotlight.

1968, One hit wonders The Lemon Pipers went to #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Green Tambourine.” The song was a #7 hit in the U.K.

1973, Elton John started a three-week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Crocodile Rock.” It was Elton John’s first of five U.S. #1 singles.

1979, Blondie had their first of five U.K. #1 singles with “Heart of Glass,” taken from the band's third studio album,Parallel Lines. “Heart of Glass” was originally recorded in 1975 under the name “Once I Had a Love.”

1990, During a European tour, Bob Dylan started a six-night residency at London’s Hammerstein Odeon.

1992, On their first European tour, Pearl Jam played at The Esplanade Club in Southey, England to 300 people, the band’s first U.K. show. The tour also took Pearl Jam to Norway, Sweden, Holland, France, Spain and Italy.

2007, Razorlight’s gig in Lyon was halted mid-set because of an altercation between singer Johnny Borrell and bassist Carl Dalemo. The pair exchanged insults before they came to blows onstage. Borrell then stormed off leaving the French crowd amazed and unsure about what was going on.