On This Day, May 4 in Music History
EVENTS ON MAY 4 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day May 4 in 1956 – With his rendition of ‘No Other Love’, Ronnie Hilton hit No.1 on the UK Singles chart for the first of six consecutive weeks.
1959 – The first ever Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The first artists to receive a Grammy were Domenico Modugno, Henry Mancini, The Kingston Trio, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Perry Como, The Champs, and Frank Sinatra among others.
1961 – Doo-wop band The Marcels scored their first and only number one single in the UK with their rendition of the 1934 song ‘Blue Moon’ on this day May 4 in music history. Also a chart-topper in the US, New Zealand and Canada that year.
1963 – With his eleventh studio album ‘Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests’, pop singer Andy Williams started an impressive sixteen-week stint at No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
1967 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded rock group The Turtles a Gold Disc on this day May 4 for their chart-topping single ‘Happy Together’ which sold one million copies.
1973 – Led Zeppelin kicked off their ninth North American concert tour with a show at the Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. The tour grossed over 4 million dollars, equal to $28,138,018.02 in 2024 dollars. It concluded on July 29 with a show at the Madison Square Garden.
10 Interesting Facts About Led Zeppelin
1973 – Progressive rock band Yes released their first live album ‘Yessongs‘ on this day May 4 on Atlantic Records. It was a commercial success and it peaked within the Top 10 in the UK, Canada, Australia, and Italy, while in the US it reached No.12.
1974 – With ‘Waterloo’, ABBA topped the UK Singles chart. The group also won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden in April that year with the same song.
1974 – With their rendition of ‘The Loco-Motion’, Grand Funk topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on this day May 4 in music history. The song was originally a chart-topping hit for Little Eva in 1962.
1974 – Composer Marvin Hamlisch topped the US Billboard 200 with the soundtrack album to the film of the same name ‘The Sting’.
1977 – The Beatles released the live album ‘The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl’ through Capitol Records. It features songs from the group’s three performances recorded at the Hollywood Bowl in August 1964 and 1965. The LP hit No.1 in the UK and Japan and reached No.2 in the US.
1985 – Singer-songwriter Phyllis Nelson scored her first and only number single in the UK with ‘Move Closer’ on this day May 4.
1987 – American blues harmonica player, band leader, and singer Paul Butterfield died from a heroin overdose at the age of 44.
1991 – Cher topped the UK Singles chart for the first time as a solo artist with her cover of ‘The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)’ on this day May 4. The song featured in the movie ‘Mermaids’ in which she starred.
1996 – With her third studio album ‘Jagged Little Pill’, Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette started a two- week run at number one in the UK.
1996 – The number one album in the United States on this day May 4 in music history was ‘Evil Empire’ by the rap rock group Rage Against the Machine.
1996 – Singer-songwriter Mariah Carey scored her eleventh number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Always Be My Baby’.
1996 – With ‘Fastlove’, George Michael reached number one on the UK Singles chart for the first of three weeks on this day May 4. It was his seventh and last chart-topper as a solo artist in the country during his lifetime.
1999 – Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez released her debut single ‘If You Had My Love’ which peaked at number one in the US and several other countries worldwide.
2002 – English boy band Blue reached the top spot on the UK Albums chart with their debut studio release ‘All Rise’ on this day May 4.
2002 – Girl group Sugababes scored their first chart-topper on the UK Singles chart with their rendition of the Adina Howard song ‘Freak Like Me’.
2004 – Influential Jamaican record producer Clement Seymour “Coxsone” Dodd died on this day May 4 in music history at the age of 72.
2008 – Madonna went to number one in the UK with her eleventh studio album ‘Hard Candy’. It was her tenth LP to achieve such a feat.
2012 – Founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch also known by his stage name MCA died on this day May 4, aged 47 after a long battle with cancer.
2013 – French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers started a three-week run at No.1 in the UK with ‘Get Lucky’.
2013 – With their fifth studio album ‘Save Rock and Roll’, pop rock band Fall Out Boy topped the US Billboard 200 chart on this day May 4.
2017 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘Symphony’ by Clean Bandit featuring Zara Larsson.
BORN ON MAY 4 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1655 – Italian maker of musical instruments Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco was born in Padua, Venice. Best known for inventing the piano.
1923 – American drummer and founding member of the rock band Spirit, Edward ‘Ed’ Cassidy was born in Harvey, Illinois.
1928 – Canadian jazz multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Walter Maynard Ferguson was born in Verdun, Quebec.
1937 – American guitarist and pioneer of surf music, Richard Monsour also known professionally as Dick Dale was born in Buffalo, New York.
1937 – Jazz double bassist Ronald Carter was born in Ferndale, Michigan. He is credited on over 2000 records, making him one of the most-recorded artists of all time.
1940 – Drummer and founding member of the rock band The Troggs, Ronnie Bond was born in Andover, England
1942 – One half of the husband-and-wife musical duo Ashford & Simpson, Nickolas Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina.
1949 – Country music singer and songwriter Stella Parton was born in Sevierville, Tennesee. Best known for her hit single ‘I Want to Hold You In My Dreams Tonight’. She’s also the younger sister of Dolly Parton.
1951 – Co-founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, Robert Deal also known as Mick Mars was born in Terre Haute, Indiana.
1951 – American singer and founding member of The Jackson 5, Sigmund Esco ‘Jackie’ Jackson was born in in Gary, Indiana.
1959 – Country and gospel music singer-songwriter and guitarist Randy ‘Travis’ Traywick was born in Marshville, North Carolina.
1964 – Guitarist and songwriter Gary Holt was born in San Pablo, California. Best known as a member of the thrash metal bands Exodus and Slayer.
1970 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gregg Alexander was born in Saline, Texas. He came to prominence as the frontman of the alternative rock band New Radicals.
1972 – Bassist, vocalist, and founding member of the punk rock band Green Day, Michael Pritchard also known by hi stage name Mike Dirnt was born in Berkeley, California.
1979 – American singer, actor, and dancer Lance Bass was born in Laurel Mississippi. He rose to fame as a member of the boy band NSYNC.