On This Day, October 3 in Music History
EVENTS ON OCTOBER 3 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day October 3 in 1945 – 10 year old Elvis Presley performed for the first time in front of a crowd. He sang ‘Old Shep’ at a talent show in Alabama. Elvis finished second in the contest and won $5.
1963 – The Beatles had their third (out of 5 in total) recording session for ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’. The Lennon-McCartney penned song was intended to solely be a Rolling Stones single at first but they had a change of heart. Both bands released the single in November the same year.
1967 – Influential folk singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Woodrow “Woody” Guthrie died from complications of Huntington’s disease, aged 55. Best known for ‘This Land Is Your Land’, a song that was added to the National Recording Registry in 2002.
1968 – In London, England, The Beatles recorded ‘Savoy Truffle’, a song written by George Harrison and inspired by Eric Clapton‘s love for chocolate. It featured on the band’s self-titled ninth studio album, also known as the “White Album’.
1978 – The police arrested more than 30 fans at an Aerosmith concert in Fort Wayne, Indiana for possession of illegal substances. However, the band stood behind their fans and bailed them out of jail the next day.
1980 – With a show at the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band kicked off a tour to support his fifth and only double studio album ‘The River’.
1980 – The Police released their third studio album titled ‘Zenyatta Mondatta’. The album sold over 5 million copies, peaked at No.1 in Australia and the UK, won the group two Grammy awards and it features the hit singles ‘Don’t Stand So Close to Me’ and ‘De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da’.
The Police – De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
1987 – With the double A-side ‘Pump Up the Volume’/’Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance’, the hip hop collective M|A|R|R|S topped the UK Singles chart.
1992 – Pop group ABBA went to number one in the UK with their compilation album ‘ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits’. The album sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was a chart-topper in 10 other countries.
1998 – R&B singer Monica scored her second consecutive number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘The First Night’.
1998 – Pop girl group B*Witched started a two-week stint at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Rollercoaster’. It also reached No.1 in Australia and New Zealand later that year.
1998 – Rock band Marilyn Manson topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their third studio album ‘Mechanical Animals’.
2006 – Christian rock band Skillet released their sixth studio album ‘Comatose’ which went on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide.
2009 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day was Madonna‘s third greatest hit compilation ‘Celebration’. The LP was a worldwide hit topping the charts in a dozen countries and it sold over 4 million copies.
2015 – The Weeknd replaced his chart-topping single ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ in the US when ‘The Hills’ started a six-week run at No.1 on the Hot 100 chart.
2019 – Liam Gallagher scored his second solo studio number one album in the United Kingdom with ‘Why Me? Why Not.’.
BORN ON OCTOBER 3 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1938 – American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Eddie Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Best known for songs such as ‘Twenty Flight Rock’, ‘C’mon Everybody’, and ‘Summertime Blues’.
1940 – Singer-songwriter Alan O’Day was born in Hollywood, California. Best known for his chart-topping single ‘Undercover Angel’, and for writing the songs ‘Angie Baby’ and ‘Rock and Roll Heaven’ which became hits for Helen Reddy and the Righteous Brothers.
1941 – Singer and dancer Chubby Checker was born Ernest Evans in Spring Gully, South Carolina. Best known for his hit renditions of ‘The Twist’, ‘Limbo Rock’, and ‘Pony Time’.
1946 – American soul music singer Patricia Ann Cole better known by her stage name PP Arnold was born in Los Angeles, California. She rose to fame as a backing vocalist for Ike & Tina Turner before establishing herself as a solo artist.
1947 – Soul music trumpeter, vocalist, and songwriter Ben Cauley was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Best known as a founding member of the group Bar-Keys.
1949 – American guitarist, singer, and songwriter Lindsey Buckingham was born in Palo Alto, California. He came to prominence as a member of Fleetwood Mac.
1950 – American jazz music saxophonist and flute player Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Laws was born in Houston, Teaxs.
1954 – American guitarist, singer, and songwriter Stevie Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas.
1962 – Founding member and drummer of the glam metal band Motley Crue, Tommy Lee was born in Athens, Greece.
1967 – American guitarist, keyboards player, vocalist and songwriter Dan Miller was born in Rochester, New York.
1967 – American musician Chris Cllingwood was born in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. Best known a founding member and the lead singer of Fountains of Wayne.
1969 – Singer-songwriter and actress Gwen Stefani was born in Anaheim, California. Best known for fronting the band No Doubt and for her renowned solo career.
1971 – Singer and founding member of the boy band Backstreet Boys, Kevin Richardson was born in Lexington, Kentucky,
1972 – American musician Garret Dutton also known professionally as G. Love was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Best known as the frontman of the band G. Love & Special Sauce.
1975 – R&B singer and songwriter Idia Arie Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado.
1978 – Co-founder and lead singer of the pop-rock band Scissor Sisters, Jake Shears was born in Mesa, Arizona.
1980 – Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founder of the band The Script, Daniel “Danny” O’Donoghue was born in Dublin.
1984 – American singer and actress Ashlee Simpson was born in Waco, Texas.