19 FEBRUARY
In Music History
1971 In London's Royal Courts of Justice, Paul McCartney's lawsuit against his fellow ex-Beatles begins. McCartney's suit seeks to remove Allen Klein as manager of the group's financial affairs.
1970 Monkees songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart appear on the Bewitched episode "Serena Stops The Show."
1968 Gerry Marsden (of Gerry and the Pacemakers fame) begins a 3 1/2 year run in the stage production of Charlie Girl in London's West End
1966 Lou Christie electrifies the charts when "Lightnin' Strikes" hits #1.
1965 Rod Stewart plays his first major gig in a Harrow, England club, singing with his band, The Soul Agents.
1964 Simon and Garfunkel record "The Sound Of Silence," which is later overdubbed with electric instruments by producer Tom Wilson. This version is released as a single and shoots to #1 in America, launching the career of the duo.
1963 Seal (real name: Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel) is born in Paddington, England.
1958 The Miracles release "Got a Job."
1958 Carl Perkins leaves Sun Records to sign with the Columbia label as their first rockabilly artist. The second is Johnny Cash.
1956 The Platters record "Magic Touch."
1956 Dave Wakeling of General Public and The English Beat is born in Birmingham, England.
1955 Jeff Daniels is born in Athens, Georgia. Best known as an actor, he also releases several albums as a musician.
1954 Francis Buchholz (bass guitarist for Scorpions) is born in Hannover, Germany.
1952 Seventeen-year-old Gene Vincent, still known by his real name Vincent Craddock, enters the US Navy.
1951 Alan Merrill is born in New York City. Moving to England, he forms The Arrows, who do the original version of "I Love Rock And Roll."
Bon Scott Dies After A Night Of Excessive Drinking
1980AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott dies after a night of heavy drinking. The coroner's report lists "acute alcohol poisoning" as the cause of death, classified under "death by misadventure."
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Featured Events
1996 During Michael Jackson's performance of "Earth Song" at the 1996 BRIT Awards, Jarvis Cocker of the band Pulp jumps on stage and makes demeaning gestures toward Jackson. Cocker says he did it because Jackson was "pretending to be Jesus."More
1995 Baywatch's Pamela Anderson marries Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee on a Cancun beach. The bride wears a white bikini.
1987 At the Palomino Club in Hollywood, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan and George Harrison are in the audience for a Taj Mahal concert. When Taj calls them onstage, Dylan goads Fogerty into playing "Proud Mary" by saying that if he doesn't, everyone will think it's a Tina Turner song.More
1983 The Patti Austin and James Ingram duet "Baby, Come To Me" hits #1 in America. The song is written by Michael Jackson hitmaker Rod Temperton, composer of "Thriller" and "Off The Wall."
1982 Ozzy Osbourne urinates on a statue near the Alamo, desecrating a Texas landmark.More
1977 Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light" hits #1 in the US. It is the only Springsteen song ever to top the chart.
1974 The First Annual American Music Awards, Dick Clark's answer to the Grammys, is broadcast on ABC. Hosts include Smokey Robinson, Helen Reddy and Roger Miller.
1956 The Five Satins record "In The Still Of The Nite" in the basement of Saint Bernadette Church in New Haven, Connecticut.More
1940 Smokey Robinson is born William Robinson Jr. in Detroit. Nicknamed "Smokey Joe" by his uncle, he fronts the Motown group The Miracles and is a top songwriter and producer for the label.
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