Pick a Day

18 OCTOBER

In Music History

2021 Kanye West legally changes his name to the mononym Ye, his longtime nickname.

2013 Rockabilly guitarist Roland Janes dies at age 80 after suffering a heart attack. As a Sun Records session guitarist, he played on tracks from Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, and Sonny Burgess, among others.

2011 The Stone Roses announce they are to reunite after a 15-year split. The band confirms three gigs at Heaton Park in Manchester on June 29th, 30th and July 1st 2012, and also claim a world tour and new album is in the works.

2011 A Birmingham County Court declares four of the original members of UB40 bankrupt. Even after selling 70+ million records over their 33-year career, saxophone player Brian Travers, drummer Jimmy Brown, trumpeter Terence "Astro" Wilson and percussionist Norman Hassan fail to fight off bankruptcy proceedings over debts related to the band's now defunct record label DEP International.

2008 T.I. claims the top two spots on the Hot 100 with "Live Your Life" (featuring Rihanna) at #1, trailed by "Whatever You Like."

2008 R&B/soul singer Dee Dee Warwick dies after a long struggle with ill health in Essex County, New Jersey, at age 63. Known for the '60s hits "I Want to Be with You" and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me."

2007 Miley Cyrus, who stars on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, kicks off the Best Of Both Worlds Tour in St. Louis with opening act the Jonas Brothers. She does the first half of the show in character as Hannah, then transforms into Miley for the second half.

2001 Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, whose languishing career made a spectacular comeback with her 2000 release, Paulina, is the big winner at the third annual El Premio de la Gente Ritmo Latino Music Awards. Rubio wins for Album of the Year and Best Female Artist of the Year, while her hit "Y Yo Sigo Aqui" wins in the music video category.

2000 Jazz/pop singer Julie London dies in Encino, California, at age 74, five years after a stroke left her in poor health. Known for her signature song, "Cry Me a River" (1955).

1994 Tenor saxophonist Lee Allen dies of cancer in Los Angeles, California, at age 68. A prominent rock-and-roll session musician, his sax playing can be heard anywhere from Little Richard's "Tutti-Frutti" to Fats Domino's "I'm Walking" to Etta James' "Tough Lover."

1991 Los Angeles declares it "Rocky Horror Picture Show Day" in honor of the 1975 cult classic musical.

1989 During a gig opening for The Rolling Stones in Los Angeles, Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses announces on stage: "Unless certain people in this band get their s--t together, these will be the last Guns N' Roses shows you'll f--king ever see. Cause I'm tired of too many people in this organization dancing with Mr. Brownstone." It's an early indicator of the fissures that will arise between the capricious Rose and his drug-addicted bandmates.

1988 Country singer Riley Green is born Johnathan Riley Green in Jackson, Alabama. He gets his country-music education from his paternal grandfather, who runs a local music venue out of a converted sawmill. When his music career takes off, Green pays tribute to both of his grandfathers on his 2019 debut album with the emotional single "I Wish Grandpas Never Died."

1988 Stephen M. Love, brother of Beach Boys singer Mike Love, pleads guilty in LA Municipal Court to one count of grand theft. He had embezzled $900,000 from the band he formerly managed. God only knows why.

1988 The Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup for the ages, release their debut album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. The band is comprised of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Electric Light Orchestra frontman Jeff Lynne. For the project, the five music legends humorously take on Wilbury family pseudonyms: Lucky (Dylan), Nelson (Harrison), Lefty (Orbison), Charlie T. Jr. (Petty) and Otis (Lynne). The album includes two popular songs, "Handle With Care" and "End Of The Line," and goes on to win a Grammy for the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1990.