1 MAY
In Music History
1967 Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys is arrested by the FBI for draft-dodging and refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the United States. Wilson, a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, is eventually exonerated by his draft board and rejoins the band, touring in Ireland.
1966 The Beatles play their last concert (not counting their Apple Records rooftop appearance in 1969) in their native England when they perform at a show put on by the New Musical Express. The last song is "I'm Down."
1966 Rock bassist Johnny Colt (of The Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd) is born Charles Brandt in Cherry Point, North Carolina.
1965 Spike Jones, known for satirical takes on classics and popular songs, dies at age 53 of emphysema.
1963 The Rolling Stones sign a management deal with Andrew Loog Oldham, who removes their apostrophe (they were The Rollin' Stones) and drops piano player Ian Stewart from the official lineup; he continues to play with the band and acts as road manager, but isn't recognized as a member. Stewart, who doesn't look the part, remains an integral part of the Stones operation until his death in 1985.
1957 The first issue of 16 Magazine, featuring Elvis Presley on the cover, is published.
1957 The Kingston Trio form in Palo Alto, California.
1956 Little Willie John records "Fever."
1956 Johnny Cash releases "I Walk The Line," a pledge of fidelity to his first wife. When the song becomes a hit, Cash finds it much harder to be true and strikes up an affair with June Carter, whom he later marries.
1955 A St. Louis guitarist named Chuck Berry is signed to Chess Records in Chicago after bluesman Muddy Waters recommends him to the label.
1954 Guitarist and songwriter Ray Parker, Jr., writer and performer of the Ghostbusters theme, is born in Detroit, Michigan.
1946 Nick Fortuna (bass guitarist for The Buckinghams) is born in Chicago, Illinois.
1946 Jerry Weiss (trumpeter and flugelhorn player for Blood, Sweat & Tears) is born in New York City.
1945 Singer-songwriter Rita Coolidge is born in Lafayette, Tennessee.
1942 The US government halts production of jukeboxes so their factories can assist with the war effort. The Seeburg company produces electrical components for the armed forces; Wurlitzer makes communications systems for aircraft.
LL Cool J Delivers a Knockout On MTV Unplugged
1991For the first time, MTV Unplugged features rap acts, with De La Soul, MC Lyte, A Tribe Called Quest and LL Cool J performing. LL steals the show with a shirtless rendition of "Mama Said Knock You Out."
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Featured Events
2006 Guinness certifies a new world record for most guitarists playing at the same time when 1,581 axepeople simultaneously perform the Jimi Hendrix version of "Hey Joe" in Wrocław, Poland.
2000 Destiny's Child release their third album, Survivor, which is all about sisterhood and empowerment. It's their first release with the lineup of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
1995 Nancy Sinatra, 54, appears on the cover of Playboy magazine. In her centerfold, she wears only her famous boots.More
1993 Charley Pride becomes just the second African American inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and the only active member (DeFord Bailey, the first, passed away in 1982). Pride first performed there in 1967.
1967 Tim McGraw is born Samuel Timothy McGraw in Delhi, Louisiana. His dad is pro baseball player Tug McGraw of the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.
1966 James Brown performs on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time. Unlike most solo acts, he brings his own band, which allows him to provide the full James Brown experience, including the cape bit where he drops to his knees but is soon revived.
1965 British Invasion band Herman's Hermits hit #1 in America with "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter," a very English song first heard on a BBC show called The Lads in 1963.
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