EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY APRIL 30 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day April 30 in 1954 – With his cover version of ‘Such a Night’, American singer Johnnie Ray topped the UK Singles chart.
1957 – Elvis Presley recorded ‘Jailhouse Rock’ at Radio Recorders studio in Hollywood, LA. It was released as a single on September 24 and it became a chart-topper in the US and Britain. The song also featured in the musical drama film of the same name.
1966 – American folk singer, songwriter, composer, poet and novelist Richard Farina died in a motorbike accident at the age of 29.
1966 – With their rendition of ‘Good Lovin”, The Young Rascals reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1966 – With their studio album ‘Aftermath’, The Rolling Stones hit number one in the UK for the first of eight consecutive weeks.
1973 – Rock band Paul McCartney and Wings released their second studio album ‘Red Rose Speedway’ in America on Apple Records. It became a chart-topper in the US, Spain, and Australia that year.
1977 – Country music singer Glen Campbell topped the Billboard Hot 100 with his rendition of ‘Southern Nights’.
1977 – Led Zeppelin set a new record for the largest attendance at a concert at the Pontiac Silverdome stadium in Michigan. According to the Guinness Book of Records – 76,229 people attended the show.
10 Led Zeppelin Facts You May Have Not Known
1983 – New wave band Spandau Ballet started a four-week stint at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘True’.
1983 – American blues singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and bandleader McKinley Morganfield better known by his stage name Muddy Waters died at the age of 70. He is considered “father of modern Chicago blues”.
1983 – With ‘Beat It’, Michael Jackson scored his second number one single of the year in the US. He previously topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks with ‘Billie Jean’ starting on March 5.
1988 – 20-years old Celine Dion won the annual Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland with ‘Ne partez pas sans moi’.
1988 – Synth-pop duo Erasure scored their first number one album in the United Kingdom with ‘The Innocents’.
1988 – Electronic dance music band S’Express reached the top spot on the UK Singles chart with ‘Theme from S-Express’.
1999 – English drummer Darrell Sweet died of a heart attack, aged 51. Best remembered as the co-founder of the hard rock band Nazareth.
2005 – Mariah Carey scored her fifth US Billboard 200 number one album with her tenth studio release ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’.
2005 – American guitarist Norma-Jean Wofford died at the age of 63. Best known for her work with Bo Diddley from 1962 until 1966.
2005 – With his debut studio album ‘Trouble’, American R&B singer Akon went to number one in the United Kingdom.
2007 – American singer Zoletta “Zola” Taylor died at the age of 69. Best remembered as the original female member of the vocal group The Platters.
2011 – Rock band Foo Fighters scored their first number one album on the US Billboard 200 with their seventh LP ‘Wasting Light’.
2011 – The number one single in the US on this day April 30 was ‘S&M’ by Rihanna featuring Britney Spears. The song became a chart-topper in eight other countries that year as well, including Canada and Australia.
2014 – American guitarist, banjo player and singer Hilario “Larry” Ramos died at the age of 72. Best remembered for his work with the pop band The Association.
2015 – American singer, pianist and record producer Ben E. King died at the age of 76. Best remembered for his work with The Drifters and for his solo hit single ‘Stand by Me’.
Ben E. King – Stand by Me
2016 – With their second studio album ‘Cleopatra’, indie folk band The Lumineers went to number one in the United States. Also a chart-topper in Canada and the UK that year.
2020 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘The Bonny’ by the Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Cinnamon.
2020 – Michael Ball and Captain Tom Moore topped the UK Singles chart with their fundraising rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
2022 – Rapper and record producer Tyler, the Creator topped the US Billboard 200 with his sixth studio album ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’.
BORN ON THIS DAY APRIL 30 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1917 – Big band singer and radio personality Beatrice Wain was born in The Bronx, New York. She can be heard on songs such as ‘Deep Purple’, ‘Heart And Soul’, and ‘My Reverie’.
1923 – American jazz bassist Percy Heath was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. Best known as one third of the sibling jazz group Heath Brothers.
1924 – American lyricist and songwriter Sheldon Mayer Harnick was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1925 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist Johnny Horton was born in Los Angeles, California. Best known for the chart topping songs ‘When It’s Springtime in Alaska (It’s Forty Below)’, ‘The Battle of New Orleans’, and ‘North To Alaska’.
1936 – Drummer and record producer Robert “Bobby” Gregg was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1943 – American singer Robert Velline better known professionally as Bobby Vee was born in Fargo, North Dakota. Best known for hit songs such as ‘The Night Has a Thousand Eyes’, ‘Take a Good Care of My Baby’, ‘Devil or Angel’, ‘Run to Him’, etc.
1944 – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist Margarita ‘Mimi’ Farina was born in Palo Alto, California. She’s also the younger sister of singer Joan Baez.
1948 – Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and composer Wayne Kramer was born in Detroit, Michigan. He came to prominence as the co-founder of the rock band The MC5.
1953 – Lead singer and bassist of the pop-rock group The Osmonds, Merrill Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah.
1957 – American rapper Michael Wright also known by his stage name Wonder Mike was born in Englewood, New Jersey. He rose to fame as the co-founder of the hip hop group The Sugarhill Gang who scored the first Top 40 rap single with ‘Rapper’s Delight’.
1967 – Rapper, singer, and drummer Durron Butler also known professionally as Turbo B was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Best known as the frontman of the electronic music group Snap!.
1967 – Founding member and frontman of the alternative rock band Dishwalla, John Robert “J.R.” Richards was born in Santa Barbara, California.
1969 – Bass guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Best known as a member of the heavy metal band Sepultura.
1973 – Singer, songwriter, and producer Jeffrey “Jeff” Timmons was born in Canton, Ohio. He came to prominence as a founding member of the vocal group 98 Degrees.
1981 – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer Justin Vernon was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Best known for his work with the indie rock bands Bon Iver, Volcano Choir, Gayngs, Big Red Machine, and others.
1981 – English DJ and record producer David Batt also known professionally as David Zowie was born in Chatham, Kent.
1986 – American actress and singer Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia. She rose to fame with her role in the musical comedy-drama series “Glee”.
1991 – Rapper, songwriter, and producer Travis Scott was born Jacques Bermon Webster in Houston, Texas.