Pick a Day

19 FEBRUARY

In Music History

1996 Brian Eno wins for Best Producer at the BRIT Awards. He won the same award in 1994.

1996 Annie Lennox extends her record for most Brit Awards in the category Best Female Artist when she wins for the sixth time, this one for her work on her second solo album, Medussa.

1996 For Presidents' Day, the rock band Presidents Of The United States Of America play a show at Mount Rushmore that's broadcast by MTV. It's hosted by the presidential MTV VJ, Kennedy.

1995 Roxette become just the second Western pop act to play a public concert in China when they perform in a Beijing celebration of the Chinese New Year. To appease censors, the duo changes the lyrics of their song "Making Love to You" to "Making Up to You." Wham! was the first act to break this barrier, with a show in 1984.

1994 Their acoustic cover of "Because The Night" from MTV Unplugged becomes by far the biggest hit for 10,000 Maniacs when it peaks at #11 in the US. Natalie Merchant left six months earlier - the MTV performance was one of her last with the group.

1985 Mick Jagger releases his first solo album, She's The Boss.

1981 ABKCO Music, owner of the publishing rights to the Chiffons hit "He's So Fine," is awarded $587,000 from George Harrison, who was found guilty of subconsciously plagiarizing the song in his composition "My Sweet Lord."

1981 The Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto is born Mary Beth Patterson in Judsonia, Arkansas.

1981 Phil Collins releases his debut solo album, Face Value.

1977 Natalie Cole wins the Best R&B Female Vocal Performance Grammy for "Sophisticated Lady." Barry Manilow wins Song of the Year for "I Write The Songs."

1976 Tower of Power lead singer Rick Stevens is arrested after killing three men in a botched drug deal. He is found guilty and initially sentenced to death, but given a life sentence when the death penalty is ruled unconstitutional in California. He is released 36 years later, and in 2016 joins Tower of Power to play a prison concert.

1976 Donna Summer's lascivious "Love To Love You Baby" is certified Gold.

1972 Sammy Davis Jr. appears on the TV show All In The Family in an episode where he famously plants a kiss on the bigoted character Archie Bunker.

1972 The BBC bans Paul McCartney's "Give Ireland Back To The Irish."

1972 Nilsson's "Without You" hits #1 in America, where it will stay four weeks.