On This Day, May 2 in Music History
EVENTS ON MAY 2 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day May 2 in 1960 – Ben E King left The Drifters due to settlement disputes and signed a solo contract with Atlantic Records on their Atco imprint.
1963 – With ‘From Me To You’, The Beatles hit number one in the UK for the first of seven consecutive weeks. This was the band’s first chart-topper on the official Singles chart and second overall in Britain.
1964 – With their self-titled debut studio album, The Rolling Stones started a twelve-week stint at No.1 in the UK on this day May 2 in music history.
1964 – After topping the US Billboard 200 chart for eleven consecutive weeks with ‘Meet The Beatles’, The Beatles extended their run at No.1 for five more weeks with ‘The Beatles’ Second Album’.
1970 – With the gospel – rock song ‘Spirit in the Sky’, Norman Greenbaum topped the UK Singles chart on this day May 2. Also a chart-topper in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and West Germany that year. In the US it peaked at No.3.
1973 – American big band vocalist June Hutton died at the age of 52. She was also the younger sister of singer Ina Ray Hutton.
1977 – Eric Clapton recorded one of his most famous songs, the ballad ‘Wonderful Tonight’ on this day May 2. The song was released on March 10 1978, and it became a hit in several countries worldwide, including number one in Japan. He wrote the song while waiting for his wife – Pattie Boyd to get ready for a party hosted by Paul and Linda McCartney.
1979 – At the rainbow Theatre in London, The Who played their first concert without drummer Keith Moon who died of an overdose on September 7, 1978. It was Kenney Jones of the Faces who replaced him on drums.
1980 – English rock band Joy Division played their last live show at the University of Birmingham on this day May 2 in music history as frontman Ian Curtis committed suicide two weeks later at the age of 23.
1981 – Scottish singer Sheena Easton started a two-week stint at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Morning Train (Nine to Five)’. Also a chart-topper in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
1987 – With their debut single ‘(I Just) Died in Your Arms’, pop rock band Cutting Crew started a two-week stint at No.1 in the United States.
1992 – Alternative rock band The Cure scored their first chart-topper on the UK Albums chart with their ninth studio release ‘Wish’.
1998 – Irish boy band Boyzone scored their third number one single in the UK with ‘All That I Need’ on this day May 2. The song also reached No.1 in Ireland and Taiwan that year.
1998 – Japanese guitarist, singer-songwriter, and producer Hideto “Hide” Matsumoto committed suicide at the age of 33. Best remembered for his work with the heavy metal band X Japan.
1998 – With their third studio album ‘Mezzanine’, electronic music band Massive Attack started a two-week stint at No.1 in the UK.
2003 – American orchestra leader, songwriter, and composer George Wyle (born Bernard Weissman) died on this day May 2 at the age of 87.
2005 – Rock supergroup Cream reunited for a series of four concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London where they played their final live shows in 1968 before disbanding.
2009 – The soundtrack album ‘Hannah Montana’ to the film of the same name starring Miley Cyrus was at number one in the US on this day May 2.
2009 – With ‘Number 1’, rapper Tinchy Stryder featuring singer N-Dubz hit No.1 on the UK Singles chart for the first of three consecutive weeks..
2014 – American singer-songwriter Jessica Cleaves died on this day May 2 in music history at the age of 65. Best remembered for her work with the bands Earth, Wind & Fire; Parliament Funkadelic, and Raw Silk.
2015 – American singer Josh Groban scored his first number one album in the United Kingdom with his seventh LP ‘Stages’.
2015 – With his debut studio album ‘Handwritten’, Canadian singer Shawn Mendes topped the US Billboard 200 chart.
2020 – The number one album in the United States on this day was the third studio release ‘Blame It on Baby’ by the rapper DaBaby.
BORN ON MAY 2 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1895 – American lyricist Lorenz Hart was born in New York City. Best known for writing the lyrics to popular songs such as ‘Blue Moon’, ‘My Funny Valentine’, ‘This Lady Is a Tramp, ‘Manhattan’ etc.
1897 – American songwriter, composer and pianist John Frederick Coots was born in Brooklyn, New York. He has composed over 700 popular songs but is best known for ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’.
1915 – Singer and songwriter Doris Fisher was born in New York City. Best known for songs such as ‘Whispering Grass’, ‘Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall’, ‘You Always Hurt the One You Love’, and so on.
1915 – American bandleader, composer, and arranger Van Alexander was born in New York City.
1929 – American multi-genre guitarist, songwriter and singer Fred ‘Link’ Wray was born in Dunn, North Carolina.
1933 – Multi-instrumentalist John ‘Bunk’ Gardner was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He came to prominence as a founding member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention band.
1935 – English pop singer Arnold George Dorsey better known as Engelbert Humperdinck was born in Madras, British India. Best known for his chart-topping singles ‘Release Me’ and ‘The Last Valtz’.
1944 – Drummer Robert “Bob” Henrit was born in Broxbourne, England. Best known for his work with bands such as The Kinks, Argent, Unit 4 +2, and The Roulettes among others.
1945 – Keyboardist and founding member of the rock band Steppenwolf, Goldy McJohn was born in Toronto, Canada.
1946 – Singer-songwriter and actress Lesley ‘Gore’ Goldstein was born in Brooklyn, New York. Best known for her hit singles ‘It’s My Party’, ‘California Nights’ and ‘Maybe I Know’, and ‘Judy’s Turn to Cry’.
1950 – Singer-songwriter Louis Grammatico better known professionally as Lou Gramm was born in Rochester, New York. He rose to fame as the co-founder and frontman of the rock band Foreigner.
1951 – English multi-instrumentalist and songwriter John “Jo” Callis was born in Rotherham, Yorkshire. Best known as a member of The Human League and for playing with the punk bands The Rezillos and Boots for Dancing.
1954 – American bass guitarist Prescott Niles was born in New York City. He rose to fame known as a founding member of pop rock band The Knack.
1962 – Chilean-American multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes was born in Santiago, Chile. Best known for his work with the music acts Eleven, Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey, Chris Cornell and others.
1985 – English pop singer, songwriter and actress Lily Cooper also known as Lily Allen was born in Hammersmith, London.
1987 – English singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Justin Young was born in Southampton. He rose to fame as the co-founder and frontman of the indie rock band The Vaccines.