18 OCTOBER
In Music History
2021 Kanye West legally changes his name to the mononym Ye, his longtime nickname.
2013 Rockabilly guitarist Roland Janes dies at age 80 after suffering a heart attack. As a Sun Records session guitarist, he played on tracks from Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, and Sonny Burgess, among others.
2011 A Birmingham County Court declares four of the original members of UB40 bankrupt. Even after selling 70+ million records over their 33-year career, saxophone player Brian Travers, drummer Jimmy Brown, trumpeter Terence "Astro" Wilson and percussionist Norman Hassan fail to fight off bankruptcy proceedings over debts related to the band's now defunct record label DEP International.
2011 The Stone Roses announce they are to reunite after a 15-year split. The band confirms three gigs at Heaton Park in Manchester on June 29th, 30th and July 1st 2012, and also claim a world tour and new album is in the works.
2008 T.I. claims the top two spots on the Hot 100 with "Live Your Life" (featuring Rihanna) at #1, trailed by "Whatever You Like."
2008 R&B/soul singer Dee Dee Warwick dies after a long struggle with ill health in Essex County, New Jersey, at age 63. Known for the '60s hits "I Want to Be with You" and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me."
2007 Miley Cyrus, who stars on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, kicks off the Best Of Both Worlds Tour in St. Louis with opening act the Jonas Brothers. She does the first half of the show in character as Hannah, then transforms into Miley for the second half.
2001 Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, whose languishing career made a spectacular comeback with her 2000 release, Paulina, is the big winner at the third annual El Premio de la Gente Ritmo Latino Music Awards. Rubio wins for Album of the Year and Best Female Artist of the Year, while her hit "Y Yo Sigo Aqui" wins in the music video category.
2000 Jazz/pop singer Julie London dies in Encino, California, at age 74, five years after a stroke left her in poor health. Known for her signature song, "Cry Me a River" (1955).
1994 Tenor saxophonist Lee Allen dies of cancer in Los Angeles, California, at age 68. A prominent rock-and-roll session musician, his sax playing can be heard anywhere from Little Richard's "Tutti-Frutti" to Fats Domino's "I'm Walking" to Etta James' "Tough Lover."
1991 Los Angeles declares it "Rocky Horror Picture Show Day" in honor of the 1975 cult classic musical.
1989 During a gig opening for The Rolling Stones in Los Angeles, Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses announces on stage: "Unless certain people in this band get their s--t together, these will be the last Guns N' Roses shows you'll f--king ever see. Cause I'm tired of too many people in this organization dancing with Mr. Brownstone." It's an early indicator of the fissures that will arise between the capricious Rose and his drug-addicted bandmates.
1988 The Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup for the ages, release their debut album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. The band is comprised of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Electric Light Orchestra frontman Jeff Lynne. For the project, the five music legends humorously take on Wilbury family pseudonyms: Lucky (Dylan), Nelson (Harrison), Lefty (Orbison), Charlie T. Jr. (Petty) and Otis (Lynne). The album includes two popular songs, "Handle With Care" and "End Of The Line," and goes on to win a Grammy for the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1990.
1988 Stephen M. Love, brother of Beach Boys singer Mike Love, pleads guilty in LA Municipal Court to one count of grand theft. He had embezzled $900,000 from the band he formerly managed. God only knows why.
1986 Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie marries her second husband, Portuguese music composer Eduardo Quintela.
Second SNL Is Paul Simon's Show
1975Saturday Night Live airs its second episode, hosted by Paul Simon, who gets most of the airtime.
Read more18 OCTOBER
Featured Events
2008 Adele is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "Cold Shoulder" and "Chasing Pavements." Sarah Palin is on the show, which leads to a huge audience and lots of exposure for Adele, giving her a big boost in America.
2000 Rage Against The Machine lead singer Zack De La Rocha quits the politically charged rock outfit, releasing a statement saying, "Our decision-making process has completely failed. It is no longer meeting the aspirations of all four of us collectively as a band, and from my perspective, has undermined our artistic and political ideal." The other three members form Audioslave with Chris Cornell; Rage returns to action (with De La Rocha) in 2007.
1974 Al Green's "Grits Incident": When a stewardess friend of Green's shows up to meet the singer, he ends up at his Memphis home with her and his companion, Mary Woodson, who is dangerously obsessed with the singer. When Green goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth, Woodson bursts in and pours a pot of boiling grits on him, burning him badly before going in the next room and killing herself with his gun. Green takes these disturbing events as a sign from God and focuses his career on gospel music and preaching.More
1969 Promoter Richard Nader puts on the first "Rock and Roll Revival" concerts, with performances by Chuck Berry, The Coasters, The Shirelles, Sha Na Na and Bill Haley. Held at Madison Square Garden's Felt Forum, the two shows sell out, leading to a series of similar concerts and the emergence of the "oldies" format.More
1961 Mirisch Pictures releases the film version of the Broadway musical West Side Story, starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, and Rita Moreno. The soundtrack features music by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim - including the song "Somewhere," later recorded by Tom Waits, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Kylie Minogue, and others.
1947 Celebrated songwriter Laura Nyro, whose compositions include "Wedding Bell Blues" and "And When I Die," is born in New York City. She dies of cancer in 1997 at age 49; in 2012 she is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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