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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Muscle Shoals Sound Studios Opens For Business

1969

After playing on hits for the likes of Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, four session musicians start Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, where they record The Staple Singers, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart and The Rolling Stones.


When Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, David Hood and Jimmy Johnson can't come to terms with FAME owner Rick Hall, they buy a nearby building and set up their own operation. Their studio is in nearby Sheffield, but they call it Muscle Shoals Sound Studios - a name that started as a joke but makes sense because the area is known for the "Muscle Shoals Sound," not the "Sheffield Sound." The building isn't much to look at, but you don't come to the area for the aesthetics: you come to minimize distractions and record with the extraordinarily talented musicians who run the place. Their first hit is "Take a Letter Maria" by R.B. Greaves. Cher records an album there and names it after the address: 3614 Jackson Highway. Many big names show up to get in on the action, including The Rolling Stones, who record "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses," providing footage for their film Gimme Shelter. In 1978, they outgrow the studio and relocate to a bigger facility nearby, where they record Bob Dylan, James Brown and Joe Cocker. In 1985, they sell to Malaco Records. The original building at 3614 Jackson Highway is bought by Noel Webster in 1999, who along with the purchase gets the name "Muscle Shoals Sound Studios." The place is abandoned when he buys it, but he eventually restores some functionality - enough for The Black Keys to record their Brothers album there in 2009.

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