On This Day, April 7 in Music History
EVENTS ON APRIL 7 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day April 7 in 1962 – With her debut pop single ‘Johnny Angel’, Shelley Fabares started a two-week stint at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single also became a chart-topper in Canada and New Zealand that year.
1968 – Nina Simone and her band performed ‘Why (The King of live is Dead)’ at the Westbury Music Fair in New York. The song was dedicated to the late Martin Luther King Jr who was assassinated three days earlier.
1973 – Actress and singer Vicki Lawrence started a two-week stint at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia’.
1973 – Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan hit number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Get Down’ for the first of two weeks straight.
1973 – With the soundtrack album ‘Lady Sings the Blues’ to the biopic of the same name, Diana Ross topped the US Billboard 200 chart.
1975 – Co-founder Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple on this day April 7 in music history. He went on to form the rock supergroup Rainbow later that year with Ronnie James Dio. In 1984 he reunited with his old bandmates at Deep Purple.
1978 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Prince released his debut studio album ‘For You’ through Warner Brothers Records.
1978 – The Police released Sting‘s song ‘Roxanne’ through A&M Records. The single was a moderate hit peaking at No.12 in the UK but over the years it became one of the group’s most recognizable songs and in 2008 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
1979 – With their eighth studio album ‘Minute by Minute’, The Doobie Brothers started a two-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart on this day April 7.
1981 – British record producer, record label owner and talent manager Christopher “Kit” Lambert died at the age of 45 of a cerebral hemorrhage. Best known as the manager of the rock band The Who.
1985 – English pop duo Wham! became the first mainstream western music act to perform in China. They played a show at the Worker’s Gymnasium in Beijing in front of 12,000 people.
1987 – American jazz and swing singer Maxine Sullivan died at the age of 75. Best remembered for her hit rendition of the Scottish folk song ‘Loch Lomond’.
1988 – Alice Cooper nearly lost his life during rehearsal before a show when a safety rope snapped, broke his arm and left him hanging in the air. Luckily he was saved by a roadie who was present at the scene.
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1990 – The number one single in the United States on this day was ‘Love Will Lead You Back’ by pop singer Taylor Dayne.
1990 – Brother-and-sister pop music duo The Carpenters reached No.1 in the UK with their greatest hits compilation album ‘Only Yesterday’.
1990 – With her tenth studio album ‘Nick of Time’, singer and guitarist Bonnie Raitt topped the US Billboard 200.
1994 – English singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Lee Brilleaux died of lymphoma, aged 41. Best remembered as the co-founder and frontman of the pub rock band Dr. Feelgood.
1998 – Cuban-American drummer and session musician Carlos Vega died committed suicide at the age of 41.
2000 – German-British bass guitarist Heinz Burt died at the age of 57. Best known as a member of the instrumental rock group The Tornados.
2001 – With their debut studio album ‘Popstars’, British pop group Hear’Say reached the top spot on the UK Albums chart.
2007 – R&B singer Akon scored his first number one single as a solo artist in the United States with ‘Don’t Matter’.
2008 – Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan received a honorary Pulitzer Prize for his ‘profound impact on popular music and American culture’.
2012 – With her twelfth studio release ‘Mdna’, Madonna topped the UK Albums chart for the ninth time.
2016 – Singer and songwriter Zayn went to number one in the UK on this day with his debut solo studio album ‘Mind of Mine’.
2017 – Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Pearl Jam, Tupac Amaru Shakur, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Joan Baez, Journey, and Yes.
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2017 – With his third solo studio album ‘Boarding House Reach’, singer and guitarist Jack White reached No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
2022 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day April 7 was ‘Higher’ by the Canadian singer Michael Bublé.
BORN ON APRIL 7 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1915 – American jazz and swing music singer Eleanora Fagan better known by her stage name Billie Holiday was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1920 – Indian sitarist and composer Ravi Shankar was born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury in Benaers, India. He is also the father of world-renowned singer and pianist Norah Jones.
1935 – Country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Robert “Bobby” Bare was born in Ironton, Ohio. Best known for songs such as ‘Detroit City’ and ‘500 Miles Away from Home’. He’s also the father of musician Bobby Bare Jr.
1937 – American singer Charlie Thomas was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. Best known as a member of The Drifters with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
1938 – American drummer Spencer Dryden was born in New York City. Best known for his work with the bands Jefferson Airplane, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and The Dinosaurs.
1943 – Guitarist and founding member of the rock band Jethro Tull, Mick Abrahams was born in Luton, England. He is also known for fronting the blues rock band Blodwyn Pig.
1947 – Multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the electronic music group Kraftwerk, Florian Schneider was born in Ohningen, Germany.
1948 – Singer and disco music pioneer Carol Douglas was born in Brooklyn, New York City. Best known for her hit single ‘Doctor’s Orders’.
1948 – Guitarist, singer, songwriter, and one half of the pop rock duo Hall & Oates, John William Oates was born in New York City.
1951 – American drummer and record producer Bruce Gary was born in Burbank, California He came to prominence as a member of the rock band The Knack.
1951 – American jazz saxophonist Robert “Bob” Berg was born in Amagansett, New York.
1951 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist Janis Ian was born Janis Eddy Fink in New York City. Best known for her hit songs ‘At Seventeen’ and ‘Society’s Child (Baby I’ve Been Thinking)’.
1960 – English singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer Simon Climie was born in London. Best known as one half of the pop duo Climie Fisher.
1975 – Lead vocalist, bassist, and co-founder of the Christian rock band Skillet, John Cooper was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
1979 – English singer and actor Duncan James was born in Salisbury. He gained popularity as a member of the boy band Blue.