On This Day, October 5 in Music History
EVENTS ON OCTOBER 5 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day October 5 in 1958 – At a concert hall in Hanley, England, Cliff Richard and The Shadows made their debut live performance. The partnership lasted for a decade until 1968.
1959– Singer and multi-instrumentalist Bobby Darin hit No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with his version of ‘Mack the Knife’ for the first of six consecutive weeks. It also became a No.1 hit in the UK few weeks later.
1961 – Instrumental rock group The Shadows topped the UK Singles chart with ‘Kon-Tiki’.
1962 – The Beatles released their debut single ‘Love Me Do’ in Britain. The record also featured ‘P.S. I Love You’ on the backside and it peaked at No.17 in the UK. In the US, however, it wasn’t released until the 27th of April 1964 where it became a chart-topper.
1965 – Johnny Cash was caught smuggling hundreds of pills in his guitar case on the US-Mexican border for which he received a fine and a suspended jail sentence.
1968 – After a one week break from the top spot, The Doors returned to No.1 on the US Billboard 200 with their third studio album ‘Waiting for the Sun’.
1970 – Led Zeppelin released their third studio album ‘Led Zeppelin III’. The album went on to sell over 13 million copies worldwide and it reached No.1 in the US, UK, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Australia and Canada.
1973 – Elton John released ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’, his seventh and most successful studio album which sold over 30 million copies worldwide.
1974 – After topping the UK Albums chart for three weeks straight with ‘Hergest Ridge’, Mike Oldfield extended his run at No.1 with ‘Tubular Bells’.
1974 – With ‘I Honestly Love You’, Olivia Newton-John reached the number one spot on the US Singles chart. Also a chart topper in multiple countries worldwide, including the UK and Canada.
1974 – The Beach Boys scored their second No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart with their compilation album ‘Endless Summer’.
1979 – The Police released their second studio album ‘Reggatta de Blanc’ through A&M Records. The album peaked at No.1 in the UK and Australia, and it features the chart-topping singles ‘Walking on the Moon’ and ‘Message in a Bottle’.
1981 – American singer-songwriter Justin ‘Jud’ Strunk Jr. was killed in a plane crash in Maine after suffering a heart attack while piloting the aircraft.
1985 – With his first solo single ‘If I Was’, Scottish singer-songwriter Midge Ure went to number one on the UK Singles chart.
1985 – American musician Brian Keenan died of a heart attack, aged 42. Best known for his work as a drummer for the Chambers Brothers.
1991 – Guns N’ Roses held the Top 2 positions on the US Billboard 200 chart with ‘Use Your Illusion I’ at No.2 and ‘Use Your Illusion II’ at No.1.
1991 – Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams hit No.1 in the UK with his sixth studio album ‘Waking Up the Neighbors’. The album features the hit single ‘ (Everything I Do) I Do It for You’ which topped the UK Singles chart for record-breaking sixteen consecutive weeks.
1991 – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Good Vibrations’.
1995 – With ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, alternative rock band Deep Blue Something went to number one on the UK Singles chart. In the US the song peaked at No.5.
Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany’s
1996 – Canadian singer Celine Dion went to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with her fourteenth studio album ‘Falling into You’. The album was a worldwide hit reaching No.1 in thirteen countries and it sold over 30 million copies.
2002 – With her debut single ‘A Moment Like This’, Kelly Clarkson went to number one on both the Canadian and US singles charts.
2002 – Heavy metal band Disturbed went to number in the United States with their second studio album ‘Believe’. Also a chart-topper in New Zealand.
2002 – Will Young & Gareth Gates topped the UK Singles chart with their renditions of ‘The Long and Winding Road’/Suspicious Minds’.
2013 – Singer-songwriter Jack Johnson went to number one on the US Billboard 200 with his sixth studio album ‘From Here to Now to You’.
2013 – With their sixth studio album ‘Mechanical Bull’, alternative rock band Kings of Leon went to number one in the UK.
2017 – Rock band The Killers scored their fifth consecutive number one on the UK Albums with ‘Wonderful Wonderful’. Also reached No.1 in the US and Australia.
2019 – Bassist and founding member of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lawrence “Larry” Junstrom died at age 70.
BORN ON OCTOBER 5 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1937 – American singer Carlo Mastrangelo was born in The Bronx, New York City. Best known as a founding member of the doo-wop group The Belmonts.
1938 – American country music singer and guitar player Johnny Duncan was born in Dublin, Texas.
1942 – R&B and soul music singer, dancer, and songwriter Richard Street was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1943 – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and leader of the Steve Miller Band, Steve Miller was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1945 – Scottish singer-songwriter Brian Connolly was bon in Govanhill, Glasgow. He came to prominence as the frontman of the glam rock band The Sweet.
1947 – English singer and songwriter Brian Johnson was born in Dunston. Best known as the frontman of the rock band AC/DC.
1948 – One half and lead singer of the brotherly pop rock duo Sparks, Russell Mael was born in Los Angeles, California.
1949 – American country pop music singer and guitar player Louis Charles “B.W.” Stevenson was born in Dallas, Texas.
1950 – British guitarist Eddie “Fast” Clarke was born in Twickenham, England. Best known for his work with the heavy metal bands Fastway and Motorhead.
1951 – Irish singer and songwriter Robert “Bob” Geldof was born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. He rose to fame as the frontman of the rock band Boomtown Rats, but is also known for co-writing ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ and for organizing the charity concerts Live Aid and Live 8.
1952 – German composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Harold Faltermeyer was born in Munich. Best known for composing the theme songs for the feature films ‘Beverly Hill Cop’ and ‘Top Gun’.
1957 – Saxophonist, vocalist, and co-founder of the ska band Madness, Lee Thompson also known as Kix or El Thommo was born in London, England.
1964 – American guitarist and singer David Dederer was born in Seattle, Washington. Best known as the co-founder of the alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America.
1978 – Guitarist and vocalist James Valentine was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. Best known as a member of the pop rock group Maroon 5.
1988 – American singer-songwriter, cellist, and beatboxer Kevin Olusola also known as K.O. was born in Owensboro, Kentucky.