EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY APRIL 13 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day April 13 in 1956 – With his piano version of ‘The Poor People of Paris’, Winifred Atwell topped the UK Singles chart.
1957 – Elvis Presley had the best-selling single in the US with ‘All Shook Up’. He topped the Billboard Pop chart for eight consecutive weeks.
1959 – Vocal group The Fleetwoods started a four-week stint No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Come Softly To Me’. Also a hit in the UK where it peaked at No.5.
1961 – The 3rd Annual Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles and New York. Ray Charles was the big winner that night with four awards while Henry Mancini and Bob Newhart won three awards each.
1965 – The7th Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Among the winners that night – The Beatles, Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto, Jerry Herman, Louis Armstrong, Henry Mancini, Barbra Streisand, Petula Clark, and others.
1967 – With ‘Something Stupid’, Frank and Nancy Sinatra became the first father and daughter duo to top the UK Singles chart.
1967 – The Rolling Stones played their first show behind the “Iron Curtain” at the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland while on their concert tour which turned out to be the last one with founder Brian Jones.
1968 – Singer-songwriter Bobby Russell started a five-week stint at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Honey’.
1972 – Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers released their fifth studio album ‘Catch a Fire’ through Island Records.
1974 – Paul McCartney & Wings topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their third studio album ‘Band on the Run’.
1974 – Elton John reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Bennie and the Jets’. Also a chart-topper in Canada that year.
1979 – Hard rock band Thin Lizzy released their ninth studio album ‘Black Rose: A Rock Legend’. The album was a commercial success and it became the groups highest-charting release in the UK (No.2).
1980 – After 3,388 performances, the musical Grease finally closed making it the longest run in Broadway’s history.
1985 – The number one single in the United States was ‘We Are the World’ by USA for Africa. The charity song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four consecutive weeks.
1991 – Dance pop group Londonbeat reached the top spot on the US Singles chart with ‘I’ve Been Thinking About You’.
1999 – Rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their tenth studio album ‘Echo’ through Warner Bros. The album sold over 500,000 copies and peaked at No.10 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
2002 – Canadian singer Celine Dion hit to No.1 in the US with her eighteenth studio album ‘A New Day Has Come’. The album was a hit worldwide that year and it became a chart-topper in eighteen other countries as well.
Celine Dion – A New Day Has Come
2004 – American songwriter, singer and producer Ritchie Cordell died from pancreatic cancer, aged 61. Best known for writing and producing songs such as ‘Mony Mony’, ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’, ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ etc.
2005 – American multi-genre pianist and songwriter Johnnie Johnson died at the age of 80. Best known for his work with Chuck Berry.
2009 – British drummer, songwriter and record producer Clifford ‘Cliff’ Davies committed suicide at the age of 60.
2013 – Record producer and DJ Duke Dumont featuring singer A*M*E went to number one on the UK Singles chart.
2019 – Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus started a record-breaking nineteen-week stint at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Old Town Road’.
2019 – With her debut studio album ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish hit No.1 in the US.
BORN ON THIS DAY APRIL 13 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1906 – American jazz instrumentalist, bandleader, and composer Lawrence “Bud” Freeman was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1913 – Western Swing fiddler and singer Wade Ray was born in Griffin, Indiana. Best known for songs such as ‘Wild Heart’, ‘Idaho Red’, and ‘Let Me Go, Devil’.
1928 – American jazz multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and arranger Theodore ‘Teddy’ Charles was born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts.
1940 – Lead singer and co-founder of the soul rock group The Chambers Brothers, Lester Chambers was born in Mississippi.
1942 – American composer and conductor William “Bill” Conti was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Best known for composing the music for films such as ‘The Karate Kid’, ‘Rocky’, ‘The Big Chill’, ‘The Right Stuff’, etc.
1944 – Bass guitarist John William “Jack” Casady was born in Washington, D.C. He rose to fame as a member of the bands Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.
1945 – Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Lowell George was born in Hollywood, California. Best known as the co-founder and frontman of the rock band Little Feat.
1946 – American singer-songwriter, record producer, and pastor Albert “Al” Green was born in Forrest City, Arkansas. Best known for hit songs such as ‘Let’s Stay Together’, ‘Tired of Being Alone’, ‘You Out to be with Me’ and ‘I’m Still in Love With You’ among others.
1951 – Singer, songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist Robert Peapo “Peabo” Bryson was born in Greenville, South Carolina.
1951 – Drummer and TV personality Max Weinberg was born in Newark, New Jersey. Best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and Conan O’Brien’s Late Night Show group He is also the dad of drummer Jay Weinberg who plays with Slipknot.
1954 – American multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Destri was born James Mollica in Brooklyn, New York. He came to prominence as a member of the new wave band Blondie.
1955 – Bass guitarist and producer Louis Johnson was born in Los Angeles, California. Best known as a member of the group The Brothers Johnson and also for his collaboration with Michael Jackson.
1961 – Bass guitarist and founding member of the rock band Soundgarden, Hiro Yamamoto was born in Park Forest, Illinois.
1962 – Israeli-American guitarist and songwriter Hillel Slovak was born in Haifa, Israel. He come to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.
1966 – Blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and bandleader Marc Ford was born in Los Angeles, California. Best known for his work with the rock bands The Black Crowes and The Magpie Salute
1972 – Founding member and frontman of the alternative metal band Staind, Aaron Lewis was born in Rutland City, Vermont.
1975 – German singer David Lubega Balemezi also known professionally as Lou Bega was born in Munich, West Germany. Best known for his hit rendition of ‘Mambo No.5’.