1 April

Pick a Day

1 APRIL

In Music History

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2020 Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne dies at 52 after contracting coronavirus. He's one of the first popular entertainers to die from the virus, which a week later claims the life of John Prine.

2016 Actor-turned-singer Kiefer Sutherland releases his debut single, "Not Enough Whiskey."

2015 Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon's first wife, dies of cancer at age 75 in Mallorca, Spain.

2008 Scott Weiland officially departs Velvet Revolver, effectively ending the band.

2008 The Rolling Stones release Shine A Light, the soundtrack to their concert film of the same name, directed by Martin Scorsese.

2007 The Hammersmith Palais in London, subject of The Clash song "(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais," hosts its last concert - a gig by The Fall.

2005 Jack Keller dies of leukemia at age 68 in Nashville, Tennessee. The songwriter is known for his pop collaborations with Howard Greenfield, including "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "Run To Him." He was also a writer and producer for The Monkees TV series.

2004 Guitarist Paul Atkinson (of The Zombies) dies at age 58 from liver and kidney disease, while also suffering from cancer.

1999 "Shake, Rattle And Roll" composer Jesse Stone, aka Charles Calhoun, dies at age 97 in Alamonte Springs, Florida.

1995 Tupac Shakur is in jail (serving time for sexual abuse), but his third album, Me Against the World, hits #1, where it stays for four weeks.

1992 Nigel Preston, drummer and founding member of The Cult, dies of a heroin overdose at age 28.

1992 MC Hammer's 2 Legit 2 Quit tour begins in Hampton, Virginia. By the end of the tour, two of his support acts have become more popular than he is: Boyz II Men and TLC.

1992 Jimmy Buffett and his wife Jane welcome their second daughter, Sarah Delaney.

1992 Billy Idol pleads no contest to charges of misdemeanor assault and battery and is fined $2,000. The incident happened in October 1991, when Idol ended up in a car with two women and allegedly punched one of them. Alcohol was involved.

1991 At his Wembley Arena concert in London, Rod Stewart calls for his wife Rachel Hunter to join him on stage for "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," but she instead sends out his buddy Elton John, dressed in women's clothes and makeup, to prank her husband. Stewart gamely plays along and sings to Elton.

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MC Hammer Files For Bankruptcy

1996

After blowing through more than $30 million, MC Hammer files for bankruptcy protection.

The 32-year-old rapper got a huge windfall in 1990 when his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em took off, eventually selling over 10 million copies. Forbes put him at #19 on their list of the highest-paid entertainers, with estimated earnings of $33 million. So, how did he burn through the cash? Payroll costs escalated as team Hammer grew to over 70, with lots of dancers, backup singers and hangers-on draining his cash. In 1991, he built a mansion in Fremont, California, on 12 acres of land. It has two pools, two saunas, gold-plated gates, Italian marble, a guardhouse, a theater, tennis courts and a baseball diamond. Whatever it cost to build is surely nowhere near the $5.3 million he sells it for in 1997. Another huge money suck is Oaktown Stable, which he established to keep thoroughbred racehorses - 19 at its peak. His horse Dance Floor finished third in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. Costs of two helicopters, a private jet and a Lamborghini all add up, and his income can't keep pace: His albums decline in sales, with 1991's Too Legit to Quit selling less than 4 million US copies, and 1994's The Funky Headhunter about 1.5 million. By the time he declares bankruptcy, he claims $9.6 million in assets and $13.7 million in debts. Oddly, Hammer was an astute and fastidious businessman when he was rising up the ranks: His first album was financed for $20,000 supplied by Oakland A's baseball players (he was a batboy with the team), and he made Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em for only $10,000.

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