Pick a Day

18 FEBRUARY

In Music History

2017 Clyde Stubblefield, the funky drummer who played on many tracks for James Brown, dies at age 73.

2006 Bill Cowsill of The Cowsills dies at age 58.

2003 The Rolling Stones bring some local flavor to the Australian leg of their Licks world tour, bringing Jet as the opening act. The first show in the country takes place at the Enmore Theater in Sydney. Jet had to fly back from Los Angeles, where they were recording their debut album, Get Born, to take advantage of the opportunity.

2001 James Taylor marries his longtime girlfriend Kim Smedvig at a small ceremony in Boston. It's Taylor's third wedding, and later in 2001 the couple have twin boys through a surrogate mother.

1999 Pop-star-turned-disc-jockey Bob Geldof, organizer of Live Aid, wins substantial but undisclosed damages from The Sun newspaper in London in a libel case over a story that falsely alleged he had "groped, fondled and kissed" a nightclub stripper.

1998 Robert Smith of The Cure battles Barbra Streisand on the show South Park.

1995 Denny Cordell, who produced Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers, The Moody Blues, and Procol Harum, dies in Dublin of lymphoma, aged 51.

1995 Bob Stinson (lead guitarist for The Replacements) dies at age 35 after years of drug and alcohol abuse takes its toll on his health.

1994 Ricky Martin makes his first appearance on the soap opera General Hospital, playing a singer named Miguel Morez. His story arc lasts six episodes.

1990 At the BRIT Awards in London, Queen collect the BPI award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. It is Freddie Mercury's last public appearance with the band, as he dies the following year.

1980 Filming begins on Ringo Starr's new comedy Caveman.

1977 Kiss play Madison Square Garden (in their hometown, New York City) for the first time.

1977 Fela Kuti's residence is sacked by nearly a thousand soldiers, inspiring his song "Zombie."

1973 At Elvis Presley's concert in Las Vegas, four men climb on stage and try to shake his hand. They are quickly thwarted by security and Elvis' bass player Jerry Scheff. Elvis tells the crowd, "Immobilize the men using karate moves." No charges are filed. Elvis tells the audience: "I'm sorry I didn't break his goddamned neck, is what I'm sorry about."

1973 The nationally syndicated radio concert series The King Biscuit Flower Hour premieres, featuring Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.