14 FEBRUARY
In Music History
1974 Rolling Stone reports that David Bowie has been asked by a gay liberation group to compose a gay national anthem, an offer he declines.
1973 David Bowie collapses at the end of a Ziggy Stardust performance at Madison Square Garden, claiming "total exhaustion."
1972 The '50s tribute musical Grease opens off-Broadway at New York City's Eden Theatre, featuring Barry Bostwick and Adrienne Barbeau. The play is an instant hit, moving to Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre for a record 3,388 performances, and, not incidentally, spawning one of the most popular movies of all time.
1972 Blaming burnout, Steppenwolf break up for the first time, saying, "We were locked into an image and style of music and there was nothing for us to look forward to." The group, which released six albums from 1968-1971, get back together in 1974.
1972 John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin their week-long stint as guest hosts on the syndicated Mike Douglas Show.
1970 On what some consider the first day of disco, DJ David Paul Mancuso hosts the "Love Saves The Day" party at his apartment in New York City. Later branded "The Loft," his parties are a place for dancing and uninhibited self-expression, a precursor to Studio 54 and similar nightclubs.
1970 Billboard Magazine reports that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is "Mounting Total War Against Tape Pirating of Prerecorded Music."
1970 Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" hits #1 in America.
1967 In New York City, Aretha Franklin r-e-c-o-r-d-s her famous cover of the Otis Redding song "Respect."
1966 Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds Of Silence" is certified gold.
1964 The Dave Clark Five release "Bits And Pieces."
1961 The Platters sue Mercury Records for breach of contract in Chicago, citing the record label's refusal to pay royalties for songs on which leader Tony Williams does not, in fact, sing lead.
1958 CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite tells viewers that the government of Iran has banned rock and roll for being unhealthy and anti-Islamic. The "unhealthy" claim is backed by Iranian doctors who warn of hip damage due to "extreme gyrations."
1957 Jazz great Lionel Hampton debuts "King David," his only symphony, at New York's Town Hall.
1953 Teresa Brewer's "Till I Waltz Again with You" hits #1 in America.
Wayne's World Brings Back "Bohemian Rhapsody"
1992Thanks to Alice Cooper's appearance in Wayne's World, we learn that "Milwaukee" is Algonquin for "the good land." We also get a fresh blast of "Bohemian Rhapsody."
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Featured Events
2003 The movie Daredevil is released, featuring two songs by a new band called Evanescence: "Bring Me To Life" and "My Immortal." Both songs later appear on the group's debut album, Fallen, and become hits.
2001 Prince launches the NPG Music Club, one of the first music subscription services. The club acts as a virtual hub for the Prince faithful, with a thriving community, online access to his music, VIP passes to concerts and other exclusives. It runs until 2006, when Prince shuts it down, saying it "has gone as far as it can go."
1996 Prince, 37, marries the 22-year-old model/belly dancer Mayte Garcia at a ceremony in Minneapolis. White doves are released when they exchange vows - no word on if they were crying. The marriage is annulled three years later, and Garcia takes up with Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe.
1992 Lead singer Vince Neil, who had been pursuing IndyCar racing, is booted from Mötley Crüe. "Race car driving has become a priority in Neil's life," the band's management says in a statement. "His band mates felt he didn't share their determination and passion for music." Neil returns to the fold in 1997.
1991 Boyz II Men release their debut album, CooleyHighharmony, with Michael Bivins of Bell Biv DeVoe as executive producer. Bivins' former group, New Edition, inspired the Boyz' name with their 1988 track "Boys To Men."
1987 Bon Jovi's working-class anthem "Livin' On A Prayer" hits #1 in the US, where it stays for four weeks. The funky distorted sound in the intro is a talkbox hooked up to Richie Sambora's guitar. Peter Frampton popularized the device on his 1976 album Frampton Comes Alive.
1981 The Funky 4 + 1 become the first hip-hop group to perform on national TV when they do "That's The Joint" on Saturday Night Live. Debbie Harry of Blondie, an early proponent of rap music, is the host.
1976 After singing about "The valentines I never knew" in her song "At Seventeen," Janis Ian gets hundreds of Valentine's Day cards from fans.More
1974 Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille (Captain & Tennille) are married in Virginia City, Nevada. Love keeps them together until 2014, when they divorce after nearly 40 years of marriage.
1972 Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty is born to American parents in West Germany.More
1970 After failing to get a suitable recording during their US tour, The Who play a standout show to 2,000 boisterous fans at Leeds University in England that becomes their classic album Live at Leeds.
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