On This Day, May 1 in Music History
EVENTS ON MAY 1 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day May 1 in 1956 – Johnny Cash released ‘I Walk the Line’ on Sun Records. The single became his first chart-topper on the US Billboard charts.
1965 – American musician and bandleader Lindley Armstrong “Spike” Jones died at the age of 53. Best known for his spoof arrangements of classical and popular songs.
1965 – British pop group Herman’s Hermits topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter’ on this day May 1 in music history.
1967 – Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys refused to take part in the invasion of Vietnam and was arrested by the F.B.I. for draft dodging. He was released shortly afterwards and continued to tour with the band.
1971 – Jamaican reggae duo Dave and Ansell Collins started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Double Barrel’ on this day May 1.
1976 – Led Zeppelin reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with their seventh studio album ‘Presence’. The album was also a chart-topper in the UK that year.
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1976 – The soundtrack album of the musical drama television series ‘Rock Follies‘ was at number one in the UK on this day May 1.
1976 – Country music duo the Bellamy Brothers topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with their debut single ‘Let Your Love Flow’. The song was an international hit and it reached No.1 in several other countries as well.
1977 – New wave band The Police released their debut single ‘Fall Out’ on this day May 1 in music history through the Illegal Records label. The song achieved moderate commercial success and it peaked at No.47 in Britain.
1982 – Singer and songwriter Barry Manilow reached number one in the UK with his second live album ‘Barry Live in Britain’.
1986 – American songwriter, record producer and trumpeter Hugo E. Peretti died on this day May 1 at the age of 69. Best remembered for co-writing and producing hit songs such as ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, ‘Honeycomb’, and ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’.
1990 – Italian-American tenor and actor Sergio Franchi (born Sergio Franci Galli) died at the age of 64.
1992 – R&B group Silk scored their first and only US Billboard Hot 100 chart number one single with ‘Freak Me’ on this day May 1.
1993 – George Michael and Queen featuring Lisa Stansfield topped the UK Singles chart with ‘Five Live’ which is actually an EP that features five tracks recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
1993 – With his thirty-first studio album titled ‘The Album’, singer Cliff Richard hit No.1 in the UK on this day May 1 in music history.
1999 – Irish boy band Westlife scored their first number one single in the United Kingdom on this day with ‘Swear It Again’.
2006 – American rapper John Edward Hawkins also known professionally as Big Hawk was shot dead on this day May 1 at the age of 36. Best remembered as a founding member of the hip hop collective the Screwed Up Click.
2006 – Progressive rock band Rush released their eighteenth studio album ‘Snakes & Arrows’ on Anthem Records. It peaked at No.3 on both the US and Canadian album charts.
2010 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day May 1 was ‘Once’ by the English singer-songwriter Diana Vickers.
2010 – With ‘Nothin’ on You’, rapper B.o.B. featuring singer Bruno Mars reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2010 – Hard rock group AC/DC started a two-week stint at number one in the UK with the soundtrack album to the superhero film ‘Iron Man 2’ on this day May 1 in music history.
2013 – American rapper Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly died on this day at the age of 34 from a drug overdose. Best remembered as one half of the hip-hop duo Kris Kross.
2021 – The compilation album ‘Slime Language 2’ released by the record label Young Stone Life went to No.1 in the US on this day May 1.
BORN ON MAY 1 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1890 – American blues singer Ada Brown was born in Kansas City, Kansas. Best known for songs such as ‘Evil Mama Blues’ and ‘Ill Natural Blues’.
1907 – American contralto Kathryn ‘Kate’ Smith nicknamed The First Lady of Radio was born in Greenville, Virginia. Best known for her versions of ‘God Bless America’ and ‘When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain’.
1924 – RYB singer Mabel Louise Smith also known professionally as Big Maybelle was born in Jackson, Tennessee. Best known for her 1956 hit song ‘Candy’.
1928 – Country music singer and songwriter Jimmie Hugh Loden also known professionally as Sonny James was born in Hackleburg, Alabama. Best known for his 1957 hit single ‘Young Love’.
1930 – Blues singer, songwriter, and harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs also known as Little Walter was born in Marksville, Louisiana.
1933 – American R&B singer and songwriter Titus Lee Turner was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Best known for writing songs such as ‘Leave My Kitten Alone’, ‘Tell me Why’ and ‘Sticks and Stones’.
1934 – American jazz singer and piano player Shirley Valerie Horn was born in Washington, D.C.
1939 – Singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist Judith “Judy” Collins was born in Seattle, Washington. Best known for hit songs such as ‘Both Sides, Now’, ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Send in the Clowns’.
1945 – American singer, songwriter and pianist Rita Coolidge was born in Lafayette, Tennessee. Best known for her hit renditions of ‘(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher’, ‘We’re All Alone’, ‘You’, and ‘The Way You Do the Things You Do’.
1946 – Trumpet and flugelhorn player Jerry Weiss was born in New York City. He came to prominence as a founding member of the jazz fusion band Blood, Sweat & Tears.
1954 – Singer, songwriter and record producer Ray Parker Jr was born in Detroit, Michigan. Best known for the Top 10 hit ‘The Other Woman’ and for writing and performing the theme song to the cult-classic film ‘Ghostbusters’.
1962 – Scottish singer Owen Paul was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Best known for his Top 3 rendition of ‘My Favorite Waste of Time’.
1966 – American bass guitarist Charles Brandt better known by his stage name Johnny Colt was born in Florence, Alabama. He rose to fame as a member of the rock groups Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Black Crowes.
1967 – Country music singer, songwriter, producer and actor Timothy “Tim” McGraw was born in Start, Louisiana. He is one of the best-selling artists of all time with over 80 million records sold worldwide.
1968 – American bassist D’arcy Elizabeth Wretzky was born in South Haven, Michigan. She rose to fame as a founding member of the alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins.