On This Day, October 23 in Music History
EVENTS ON OCTOBER 23 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day October 23 in 1953 – With his pop rendition of ‘Hey Joe!’, Frankie Laine scored his second No.1 single of the year in the UK. He previously topped the chart on two occasions with ‘I Believe’.
1961 – Singer Dion scored his first and only number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Runaround Sue’. It also became a chart-topper in Canada and New Zealand.
1963 – After four months of recording, The Beatles had their last studio session for their second studio album ‘With the Beatles’. The album was released on 22 November the same year and it became a chart-topper in Germany and the UK.
1966 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded their version of ‘Hey Joe’ which was released on 16 December the same year as the group’s debut single.
1969 – American singer and songwriter Thomas “Tommy” Edwards died at the age of 47. Best remembered for his chart-topping single ‘It’s All in the Game’.
1976 – One half of the musical duo Shirley and Lee, Leonard Lee died at the age of 41.
1976 – With ‘If You Leave Me Now’, rock band Chicago started a two-week run at number one in the US. The song was an international hit and it also topped the singles charts in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, South Africa, and the UK.
1982 – New wave group Culture Club hit No.1 on the UK singles chart for the first of three consecutive weeks with ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’.
1986 – American R&B singer-songwriter and pianist Eskeew Reeder also known by his stage names S.Q. Reeder and Esquerita died at the age of 50.
1989 – Billy Joel released his eleventh studio album ‘Storm Front’ through Columbia Records. The album peaked at No.1 in the US and Australia, and it features the hit single ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’.
1993 – With their second studio album ‘Everything Changes’, boy band Take That reached No.1 in the UK.
1993 – Meat Loaf started a seven-week run at number one in the UK with ‘I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)’. The single was a massive hit worldwide and it topped the charts in 28 countries.
1999 – Rock band Santana featuring Rob Thomas started an incredible twelve-week run at No.1 in the United States with ‘Smooth’.
2004 – With his first compilation album ’10 Years of Hits’, Irish singer Ronan Keating went to number one in the UK.
2004 – Country music singer George Strait topped the US Billboard 200 with his compilation album ’50 Number Ones’ which features 50 No.1 country music singles of his.
2004 – Swedish DJ and producer Eric Prydz topped the UK Singles chart with ‘Call on Me’.
2006 – Amy Winehouse released ‘Rehab’ through Island Records. The song became an international hit and it earned her three Grammy Awards.
2007 – Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and singer Alison Krauss released their collaborative studio album ‘Raising Sand’. The album peaked at No.2 in the UK, Sweden and the US, and reached No.1 in Norway.
2010 – The number one album in the US on this day was ‘Bullets in the Gun’ by the country music singer Toby Keith.
2010 – With his second compilation album ‘In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990-2010’, Robbie Williams hit No.1 in the United Kingdom.
2014 – English rock singer and actor Bernard William Jewry better known by his stage names Shane Fenton and Alvin Stardust died aged 72.
2014 – American country music singer Jeanne Black died at the age of 76. Best remembered for her 1960 hit single ‘He’ll Have to Stay’.
2016 – English singer and co-founder of the band Dead or Alive, Peter “Pete” Burns died at age 57.
2017 – Rock band LCD Soundsystem scored their first number one album in the US with their fourth studio LP ‘American Dream’. Also a chart-topper in Canada and Portugal that year.
2020 – American country and folk music singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker died at the age of 78.
2021 – American rappers Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Industry Baby’.
BORN ON OCTOBER 23 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1927 – Influential jazz musician William “Sonny” Criss was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
1937 – One half of the brother-and-sister vocal duo Inez and Charlie Foxx, Charlie Foxx was born in Greensboro, North Carolina.
1940 – American pop music singer-songwriter and producer Eleanor “Ellie” Greenwich was born in Brooklyn, New York. Best known for writing dozens of hit songs, including ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’, ‘River Deep – Mountain High’, ‘Maybe I Know’, and ‘Be My Baby’ among other.
1941 – Founding member and bassist of the rock band Humble Pie, Gregory “Greg” Ridley was born in Carlisle, England.
1945 – American jazz and R&B multi-instrumentalist Ernest “Ernie” Watts was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
1949 – Guitarist Michael Richard Burston nicknamed Würzel was born in Cheltenham, England. He rose to fame as a member of the heavy metal band Motorhead.
1953 – English singer and actress Belinda Magnus better known by her stage name Pauline Black was born in Romford, Essex. Best known as the lead singer of the ska band The Selecter.
1956 – Country music singer and songwriter Diwght Yoakam was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. Best known for chart-topping songs such as ‘I Sang Dixie’ and ‘Streets of Bakersfield’.
1957 – British singer Kelly Marie was born Jacqueline McKinnon in Paisley, Scotland. Best known for her rendition of ‘Feels Like I’m in Love’ which topped the UK Singles chart.
1959 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alfred Matthew “Weird Al” Yankovic was born in Downey, California. Best known for his comedy and parody songs such as ‘Eat It’, ‘White & Nerdy’, and ‘Amish Paradise’.
1964 – Heavy metal bassist Robert Trujillo was born in Santa Monica, California. Best known for his work with the likes of Metallica, Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Zakk Wylde, and Ozzy Osbourne.
1972 – Co-founder, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Embrace, Richard McNamara was born in Bailiff Bridge, England.
1985 – American singer, songwriter, and actor Miguel Jontel Pimentel was born in Los Angeles, California.