On This Day, May 5 in Music History
EVENTS ON MAY 5 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day May 5 in 1960 – Sibling musical duo The Everly Brothers started a seven-week stint at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Cathy’s Clown’.
1962 – With ‘Soldier Boy’, girl group The Shirelles hit No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the first of three weeks straight. Also a chart-topper in New Zealand that year while in the UK it peaked at No.23.
1966 – Rock band Manfred Mann topped the UK Singles chart for the second time with ‘Pretty Flamingo’ on this day May 5 in music history. The song also reached No.1 in Ireland and Rhodesia while in the US it peaked at No.29.
1968 – Rock group Buffalo Springfield disbanded after playing a show at the Long Beach Auditorium in California. The band didn’t reunite until 2010 when they got together for a six concert tour.
1972 – American blues and gospel singer and multi-instrumentalist Reverend Gary Davis also known as Blind Gary Davis died on this day May 5, aged 76.
1973 – With his live album ‘Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite’, Elvis Presley topped the US Billboard 200. The album was recorded during his concert of the same name that was broadcasted live via a satellite to the whole world.
1973 – Singer and songwriter David Bowie topped the UK Albums chart for the first time with his sixth studio release ‘Aladdin Sane’ on this day May 5. The album features Bowie‘s iconic cover artwork with a lightning bolt across his face.
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1979 – R&B vocal duo Peaches & Herb hit No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Reunited’ for the first of four weeks straight. The song was also an international hit and it peaked within the Top 5 in several countries, including No.1 in Spain and Canada.
1984 – New wave band Duran Duran scored their second number one single in the UK with ‘The Reflex’ on this day May 5 in music history. The song also hit No.1 in the US, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland that year.
1990 – A John Lennon tribute concert was held in his hometown of Liverpool. Artists such as Al Green, Joe Cocker, Roberta Flack, Ray Charles, Kylie Minogue, Tom Petty, Cyndi Lauper, and Lou Reed among others performed at the event.
1992 – Alternative rock band Radiohead released their debut extended play (EP) titled ‘Drill’ through Parlophone on this day May 5. The record got them their first national radio exposure and it peaked at No.101 in the UK.
2001 – With their third studio album ‘Free All Angels’, Northern Irish rock band Ash reached number one on the UK Albums chart.
2001 – British pop group S Club 7 scored their third domestic number one single with ‘Don’t Stop Movin’.
2007 – Singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne scored her first number one single in the US with ‘Girlfriend’. The song was an international hit and it peaked within the Top 10 in a dozen countries, including several No.1. She also topped the Billboard 200 on this day with her third studio album ‘The Best Damn Thing’.
2007 – Rock band Arctic Monkeys started a three-week run at No.1 in the UK with their second studio album studio ‘Favorite Worst Nightmare’.
2008 – American Country and pop music singer Jerry Wallace died at the age of 79. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘How the time Flies’, ‘Primrose Lane’ and ‘If You Leave Me Tonight I’ll Cry’.
2012 – With his debut solo studio album ‘Blunderbuss’, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jack White went to No.1 in the UK on this day May 5 in music history.
2016 – American singer Beyonce scored her third chart-topper on the UK Albums chart as a solo artist with her sixth studio release ‘Lemonade’.
2018 – American rapper J. Cole scored his fifth consecutive domestic number one album with his fifth studio release ‘KOD’.
2020 – Jamaican singer Millicent “Millie” Small died at the age of 72. Best remembered for her 1964 hit song ‘My Boy Lollipop’.
2022 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day May 5 was the third studio release ‘Skinty Fia’ by the Irish rock band Fontaines D.C.
BORN ON MAY 5 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1928 – American jazz saxophonist Numa Smith Moore nicknamed “Pee Wee” was born in Raleigh, North Carolina.
1934 – Singer, songwriter and producer Johnnie Taylor was born in Crawfordsville, Arkansas. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2022.
1937 – English electronic music composer Delia Ann Derbyshire was born in Coventry. Her work influenced the likes of Apex Twin and the Chemical Brothers.
1942 – Country music singer and songwriter Virginia Wynette better known professionally as Tammy Wynette was born in Tremont, Mississippi. She scored 20 number one hits during the 1960s & 70s which earned her the title ‘First Lady of Country Music’.
1942 – Multi-instrumentalist and singer Alec Woodburn also known professionally as Jim King was born in Kettering, England. He rose to fame as a founding member of the rock band Family.
1948 – English drummer and founding member of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, William “Bill” Ward was born in Birmingham.
1959 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ian McCulloch was born in Liverpool, England. Best known as the frontman of the rock band Echo & the Bunnymen.
1959 – American guitarist and songwriter Steven Stevens was born Steven Bruce Schneider in New York City. He came to prominence for his work with Billy Idol.
1962 – Bassist and guitarist Kevin Mooney was born in London. Best known for his work with the likes of Sinead O’Connor, Adam and the Ants, The European Cowards, etc.
1964 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist Tony Scalzo was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Best known as the frontman of the rock band Fastball.
1966 – Canadian drummer Shawn Drover was born Montreal, Quebec. Best known as a member of the heavy metal band Megadeth.
1981 – Singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer Craig David was born in Southampton, England. Best known for the chart-topping singles ‘Fill Me In’ and ‘7 Days’.
1988 – English singer-songwriter Adele Laurie Blue Adkins or simply Adele was born in London. She’s one of the best-selling artists of all time with over 120 million records sold worldwide.
1989 – American singer, songwriter and dancer Christopher “Chris” Brown was born in Tappahannock, Virginia.