21 SEPTEMBER
In Music History
1963 Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet" hits #1 for the first of three weeks.
1962 A year and a half before The Beatles break in America, The Springfields' "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" becomes the first British song to reach the Top 20 in the US. Later, member Dusty Springfield would have several more solo hits of her own.
1959 Santo and Johnny's "Sleep Walk" hits #1 for the first of two weeks.
1959 Corinne Drewery (lead singer of Swing Out Sister) is born in Nottingham, England.
1957 Elvis Presley's longtime guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black leave the King's band, dissatisfied over being denied pay raises by manager Colonel Tom Parker. Drummer D.J. Fontana stays on.
1947 Don Felder (Eagles lead guitarist) is born in Gainesville, Florida.
1947 Producer Rupert Hine is born in London. His clients include Rush, Tina Turner and Stevie Nicks.
1944 Native American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis is born in Norman, Oklahoma.
1936 Dickey Lee is born Royden Dickey Lipscomb in Memphis, Tennessee.
1934 Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen is born in Westmount, Quebec, Canada.
1932 Don Preston (of Mothers of Invention) is born in Flint, Michigan.
1921 Jimmy Young is born in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England. Before becoming a successful BBC Radio 1 broadcaster, he records a string of pop hits, including "Too Young" in 1951.
1874 Gustav Holst, the English composer known for the orchestral suite The Planets, is born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.
R.E.M. Disbands
2011R.E.M. announce that they're calling it quits after more than 30 years. In a post on their website, the band members write, "To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening."
Read more21 SEPTEMBER
Featured Events
2012 When Green Day's set is cut short at the iHeartRadio festival in Las Vegas, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong flies off the handle, stopping the show and going into a rant where he says, "I'm not f--king Justin Bieber, you motherf--kers. You've got to be f--king joking."More
2004 Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), is denied entry into the United States when he shows up on a terrorist watch list, accused of funding terror groups.More
2004 Green Day release American Idiot, their first album in four years. Overtly political in places, it takes on President George W. Bush, especially on the title track. With a more refined sound, the album outsells even their punk rock touchstone Dookie, released 10 years earlier.
2001 The benefit concert America: A Tribute To Heroes, airs on most major TV networks, raising over $128 million for victims of the September 11 attacks. Performers include Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, and Willie Nelson.
1996 Jack Gillis marries Meg White. He takes her last name, and the couple forms The White Stripes. They tell reporters they are brother and sister, which goes over until a reporter for the Detroit Free Press uncovers their marriage license in 2001.
1993 "All Apologies," backed with "Rape Me," is released. It's the last Nirvana single released while Kurt Cobain is still alive.
1979 Bruce Springsteen debuts his song "The River" at a show in Madison Square Garden. He is performing as part of Musicians United For Safe Energy (MUSE) in a protest against nuclear power. Other artists that go on before him have to contend with the constant droning of "Broooooooooooooce," as he's the main attraction. Bonnie Raitt doesn't figure out until after her set that the crowd was not booing her, just anticipating Springsteen's performance.
1978 Do you remember the 21st night of September? The first line of Earth, Wind & Fire's song isn't written for any particular reason - it just sounds good.
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