Calendar Search Results: u i a song
July 5, 1980 At a concert in Munich, Simon Kirke of Bad Company joins Led Zeppelin to provide a two-drum assault on the song "Whole Lotta Love." Kirke is the last guest musician to perform with the band, as the tour ends two days later and John Bonham dies in September.
July 2, 1980 Sheena Easton is featured on the BBC show The Big Time, which follows regular people trying to achieve their dreams. With visions of stardom as a singer, she is seen auditioning for EMI, who are suitably impressed and sign her to a deal. Her single "9 To 5" becomes a UK hit two months later and conquers America a year later.
June 27, 1980 Three songs into Led Zeppelin's concert in Nuremberg, drummer John Bonham collapses while beating out the rhythm to "Black Dog" and is rushed to the hospital, abruptly ending the show. Robert Plant jokes that he ate too many bananas before the show, but alcohol is the likely culprit. In September, Bonham dies after a night of drinking.
June 16, 1980 The movie The Blues Brothers, adapted from John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's classic SNL skit, premieres in Chicago. A love letter of sorts to '60s R&B and soul, it will help re-establish the careers of its musical co-stars, including James Brown, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin.
June 13, 1980 The film Roadie, starring Meat Loaf as, yep, a roadie, opens in theaters.More
June 6, 1980 Urban Cowboy, a Western romance film starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, opens in theaters. The mellow country soundtrack spawns hits from Kenny Rogers, Johnny Lee, and Anne Murray, and spurs a trend of pop-leaning fare in country music dubbed the "Urban Cowboy Movement."More
May 31, 1980 The disco group Lipps, Inc. goes to #1 in America with "Funkytown," a tribute to New York City.
May 18, 1980 Battling epilepsy and depression, Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis hangs himself at his home in England.More
May 18, 1980 Drummer Peter Criss leaves Kiss. He is replaced by Eric Carr, but returns to the band (along with Ace Frehley) in 1996.
May 16, 1980 The Carpenters' last TV special, Music, Music, Music, airs on ABC. Guest stars include Ella Fitzgerald, John Davidson, and Nelson Riddle.
May 2, 1980 At the University of Birmingham, England, Joy Division play what transpires to be their final show, two weeks before singer Ian Curtis commits suicide at the age of 23. The show features the band's only live performance of the song "Ceremony," which is later released as the debut single by New Order - a new act formed from the surviving members.
April 29, 1980 Black Sabbath launch their first tour with Ronnie James Dio as lead vocalist, replacing Ozzy Osbourne.
April 22, 1980 The Cure release their second studio album, Seventeen Seconds, which features their first Top 40 hit on the UK Singles chart: "A Forest."
April 19, 1980 The Specials become the first ska band to guest on Saturday Night Live, where they play "Gangsters" and "Too Much Too Young." Their energetic performance wows the crowd but fails to break ska music in America.
April 14, 1980 Judas Priest release British Steel, a metal landmark containing the tracks "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law."
April 14, 1980 Iron Maiden release their self-titled debut album, with a twin-guitar attack and lyrics that pull from the worlds of mythology and horror. The song "Iron Maiden," which refers to the medieval torture device that band is named after, becomes a live stalwart, played before the encore at most of their concerts throughout their career.
April 14, 1980 A New Jersey State assemblyman introduces a resolution to make Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run" the official state song of New Jersey.
April 14, 1980 Win Butler (lead vocalist, songwriter for Arcade Fire) is born Edwin Farnham Butler III in Truckee, California.
April 10, 1980 Bass guitarist Bryce Soderberg (of Lifehouse) is born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
April 6, 1980 Andrew Wood forms the group Malfunkshun in Seattle, Washington, marking what some consider the beginning of grunge. The music of Malfunkshun makes an impact on Wood's roommate Chris Cornell, who forms Soundgarden. Wood moves on to Mother Love Bone, and after he dies of a heart attack in 1990, that group adds Eddie Vedder and becomes Pearl Jam.
April 3, 1980 In Memphis on their first US tour, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders gets in an altercation at a bar and is arrested. She kicks out the window of the police cruiser sent to take her away and spends the night in jail. Her group performs the next night at Poet's Music Hall.
March 29, 1980 Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of The Moon spends its 303rd week on the US album chart beating the record by Carole King's 1971 long player Tapestry.
March 23, 1980 Reggae musician Jacob Miller (of Inner Circle) dies in a car accident in Jamaica at age 27.
March 22, 1980 Pink Floyd tops the Hot 100 with "Another Brick In The Wall (part II)," which stays a total of four weeks. It's a rare hit single for the band, whose only other Top 40 appearance is "Money," which hit #13 in 1973.More
March 20, 1980 At Asylum Records in New York, 28-year-old Joseph Riviera holds employees at gunpoint, demanding to talk to either Jackson Browne or one of the Eagles. When informed that they lived in California, Riviera pockets his pistol and leaves the building, later surrendering to police.
March 19, 1980 In proceedings against the doctor who supplied the prescription drugs that killed Elvis Presley, Elvis' autopsy is entered as evidence. Dr. George Nichopoulos, who was known as "Dr. Nick" is eventually found guilty of overprescribing the drugs.
March 7, 1980 The Loretta Lynn biopic Coal Miner's Daughter, directed by Michael Apted, debuts in theaters. Sissy Spacek, who does her own singing, wins an Oscar for her portrayal of the country singer. Beverly D'Angelo costars as Lynn's mentor Patsy Cline.More
March 3, 1980 The esteemed auction house Sotheby's holds their first auction of rock memorabilia. Four dollar bills signed by The Beatles are sold for $528.
February 27, 1980 Michael Jackson wins his first Grammy: Best R&B Performance for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." Other winners include Donna Summer (Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Hot Stuff"), Earth, Wind & Fire (Best R&B Group Vocal Performance for "After the Love Has Gone"), and The Doobie Brothers (Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "What A Fool Believes").
February 22, 1980 In Fort Worth, Texas, Rick James launches his first headlining tour, with Prince as opening act. Both released their debut albums in 1978, but James is the more popular artist at this point.
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