November 17 – On This Day In Music

1937 Peter Cook, comedian (Derek & Clive), compare of UK TV music show ‘Revolver’. (1965 UK No.18 single with Dudley Moore, ‘Goodbye-ee’ Cook died on 9th January 1995. 
1937 Geoff Goddard, songwriter, wrote ‘Johnny Remember Me’, played keyboards on The Tornados 1962 No.1 hit ‘Telstar’. He died on 15th May 2000 aged 62. 
1938 Gordon Lightfoot born in Orillia, Ontario. Canadian singer, (1971 UK No.30 single ‘If You Could Read My Mind’, 1974 US No.1 single ‘Sundown’). 
1942 Bob Gaudio born in the Bronx, New York US Songwriter/Keyboard Player. The Royal Teens, (1958 US No.3 single ‘Short Shorts) Also with The Four Seasons, (1976 UK & US No.1 single ‘December 1963, Oh What A Night’). 
1944 Gene Clark born in Tipton, Missouriu. Singer/Songwriter, The New Christy Minstrels, The Byrds, (1965 UK & US No.1 single ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’) He left the Byrds in March 1966. Solo, (1974 album, ‘No Other’). Died of a heart attack on 24th May 1991 aged 49.
1946 Martin Barre born in Kings Heath, Birmingham, England. Keyboardist/Songwriter with Jethro Tull, (1969 UK No.3 single ‘Living In The Past’). 
1947 Rod Clements born in North Shields, England. Bass/Violin with Lindisfarne, (1972 UK No.3 single ‘Lady Eleanor’). 
1947 Robert Antoni, vocals, Nazz, Utopia with Todd Rundgren. 
1948 Iain Sutherland – UK Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter with Sutherland Brothers And Quiver, (1976 UK No.5 single ‘Arms Of Mary’). 
1954 Mark Williams born in Dargaville, New Zealand. NZ Singer. In 1991 he had his biggest hit with the Vanda-Young composition ‘Show No Mercy’. 
1956 Peter Cox born in London, England. One half of the UK duo Go West, (1985 UK No.5 single ‘We Close Our Eyes’). 
1957 Harry Belafonte was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Mary’s Boy Child,’ the first single to sell over 1 million copies in the UK. It stayed at No.1 for seven weeks making it this years Christmas No.1. The first Christmas song to hit No.1 in two different versions – the other was Boney M’s version in 1978. 
1960 RuPaul, US male drag queen, (1994 UK No.7 single with Elton John, ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, 1998 UK No.21 single, ‘It’s Raining Men’). 
1961 The Beatles played a lunchtime show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. That night they played at the Village Hall, Knotty Ash, Liverpoo 
1962 The Four Seasons started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’, the group’s second No.1 of the year. It made No.13 in the UK. 
1963 John Weightman the Headmaster of a Surrey Grammar School, banned all pupils from having Beatle haircuts saying, “this ridiculous style brings out the worst in boys physically. It makes them look like morons.” 
1965 This week’s UK singles chart: No.5, The Who, ‘My Generation’, No.4, Ken Dodd, ‘Tears’, No.3, Chris Andrews, ‘Yesterday Man’, No.2, The Seekers, ‘Carnival Is Over’, No.1, The Rolling Stones, ‘Get Off Of My Cloud.’ 
1966 Jeff Buckley, US singer songwriter, (1995 album ‘Grace’). His singer songwriter father Tim Buckley, died on 29th June 1975 of a heroin and morphine overdose. 1972 album ‘Greetings From LA’. Drowned while swimming on 29th May 1997. 
1966 The Beach Boys were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Good Vibrations.’ As a child, his mother told him that dogs could pick up “vibrations” from people, so that the dog would bark at “bad vibrations” Wilson turned this into the general idea for the song. 
1966 Kate Cebrano born in Melbourne, Victoria. Austalian Singer. She was lead vocist with the band I’m Talking. Then went on to a successful solo career. 
1967 Ronald Devoe, – US Singer with New Edition, (1983 UK No.1 single ‘Candy Girl’), Bell Biv De Voe, (1990 US No.3 single ‘Do Me!’). 
1967 Pink Floyd released their third single ‘Apples And Oranges’, which failed to chart. 
1967 A 16 date UK package tour with Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move, The Nice and Amen Corner played at the City Hall, Sheffield. A review in the Sheffield Star noted: ‘Like an electrified golliwog, Jimi Hendrix threw himself into a live-wire act that featured his intricate guitar interpretation. Quite an Experience’. Pink Floyd also released their third single Apples And Oranges today in the UK. 
1971 Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Coz I Luv You’, the groups first of six No.1’s. 
1974 John Lennon scored his second US No.1 album with ‘Walls And Bridges.’ Including ‘Whatever Gets You Through The Night’ & ‘Number Nine Dreams’. 
1976 The opening night of a UK tour by The Carpenters at The Playhouse, Edinburgh, two shows 6.45, and 9.30, both shows were completely sold out. (The tour was cancelled the year before due to Karen’s illness). 
1979 Jethro Tull bass player John Glascock died, aged 26. 
1979 Abba scored their fifth UK No.1 album when their ‘Greatest Hits Vol. 2’ started a five-week run at the top. 
1979 The Commodores went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Still’, the groups second US No.1 single, it made No.4 in the UK. 
1980 Clarke Isaac Hanson born in Tulsa, Oklahoma A member of the US family trio Hanson, (1997 UK & US No.1 single ‘MMMbop’). 
1981 Sarah Harding, Girls Aloud, (2002 UK No.1 single ‘Sound Of The Underground’). 
1984 Wham! Started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’. 
1985 Wham! Were at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Make It Big’ and No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’. Michael’s inspiration for the song was a scribbled note left by his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley for Andrew’s parents, originally intended to read “wake me up before you go” but with “up” accidentally written twice, so Ridgeley wrote “go” twice on purpose. 
1990 David Crosby from Crosby Stills Nash & Young was admitted to hospital after breaking a leg, shoulder and ankle after crashing his Harley Davidson motorbike. 
1991 Stone Roses drummer Reni appeared in court on a charge of obstruction and was fined £50. He alleged that police beat him up after his arrest. 
1992 At the end of a long battle to claim royalties Jimmy Merchant and Herman Santiago ex of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, received an estimated $4 million in back payments from the song ‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love’. 
1996 The Spice Girls were at No.1 on the UK album chart with their debut release ‘Spice Girls.’ Five singles were released from the album: ‘Wannabe’, ‘Say You’ll Be There’, ‘2 Become 1’, ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ and ‘Mama’. The first single, ‘Wannabe’, went to No.1 in 31 countries, and the next two singles, ‘Say You’ll Be There’ and ‘2 Become 1’, the top of the charts in 53 countries. 
1997 The Lighthouse Family kicked off a 20-date UK tour at Sheffield City Hall. 
1999 Mariah Carey was forced to abandon a performance on Rome’s historic Spanish Steps after crowds of tourists swamped her. She took shelter in a local shop before been given a police escort to safety. 
2000 It was reported that Andy White who played drums on The Beatles track ‘Love Me Do’ which was featured on the new Beatles Greatest Hits album would not earn enough from it to buy his own copy. White would get no more than his original session fee of £7. 
2002 On the 50th birthday of the British singles chart the Top 3 had DJ Sammy, ‘Heaven’ at No.3, Nelly & Kelly Rowland ‘Dilemma’ at No.2 and Christina Aguilera at No.1 with ‘Dirty.’ 
2002 Irish boyband Westlife went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Unbreakable-The Greatest Hits.’ 
2003 Soul singer Arthur Conley died intestinal cancer in Ruurlo, Netherlands aged 57 in November 2003. He was buried in Vorden. (1967 US No.2 & UK No.7 single ‘Sweet Soul Music’). 
2003 21 year-old Britney Spears became the youngest singer to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The only other performer to get a Hollywood star at her age was Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert. 
2003 George Michael signed a new contract with the record company he took to court in 1993. The singer re-signed to Sony in a deal that included his extensive back catalogue. Michael had failed in his court wrangle with Sony after accusing it of “professional slavery”; his contract was bought out by Virgin Records. 
2003 American country music legend Don Gibson died of natural causes aged 75. Scored the 1958 US No.7 single ‘Oh Lonesome Me’, (covered by Neil Young on his After The Gold Rush album), 1961 UK No.14 single ‘Sea Of Heartbreak’. His song ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’, has been recorded by over 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles in 1962.
2003 Britney Spears said that her first lover Justin Timberlake was a huge disappointment in the pants department. Talking during a MTV show Spears said ‘forget trousersnake, its more like trouser worm’, when referring to her ex boyfriend. 
2007 The Eagles were at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Long Road Out Of Eden’ the bands seventh studio album and first since 1979. 
2010 Patti Smith won the National Book Award for her memoir ‘Just Kids’. 
2011 Sheriff’s deputies in South Los Angeles charged 61-year-old Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters for possessing rock cocaine after the car she was driving in was pulled over for a mechanical malfunction.
2014 American soul singer Jimmy Ruffin died aged 78. Ruffin who was the elder brother of David Ruffin of the Temptations had the 1974 UK No.4 single ‘What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted’. In 1980, Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees produced his album Sunrise and the hit single ‘Hold On To My Love’, reached No.10 in the US and No.7 in the UK.