EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY FEBRUARY 26 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day February 26 in 1917 – The first ever jazz single ‘Livery Stable Blues’ was recorded in New York by the Original Dixieland Jass Band. It was released as a single on March 7 and it sold over 1 million copies and brought mainstream fame to jazz music.
1965 – Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page released his debut solo single ‘She Just Satisfies’ through Fontana Records. The song failed to chart on both sides of the Atlantic.
1966 – With ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking’, Nancy Sinatra topped the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day February 26 in music history. Interestingly, the author of the song (Lee Hazlewood) intended to sing the tune himself. But Nancy talked him out of it because the song was “perfect for a girl to sing”. And as we can see, she was right.
1969 – Singer-songwriter Peter Sarstedt hit number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?’ for the first of four consecutive weeks.
1977 – With ‘New Kid in Town’, The Eagles reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day February 26. It was the group’s third single to top the chart.
1977 – American singer Sherman Garnes died at the age of 36 from a heart attack. Best remembered as a member of the doo-wop group The Teenagers.
1977 – Delta blues guitarist and singer Bukka White died on this day February 26 in music history, aged 70 from cancer. He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1990.
1983 – Michael Jackson hit number one on the US Billboard 200 with his sixth studio album ‘Thriller’ for the first of seventeen consecutive weeks. As of February 2024, ‘Thriller’ is the best-selling album of all time with over 70 million copies sold worldwide.
1985 – The 27th Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on this day February 26. Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Weird Al, and Cyndi Lauper among the winners that night.
1990 – American R&B singer Cornell Gunter died after being shot in his car, aged 53. Best remembered as a member of The Coasters with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
1994 – With her eponymous debut studio album, singer Toni Braxton reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart on this day February 26.
1994 – Mariah Carey started a four-week stint at No.1 on the UK Albums chart with her third studio release ‘Music Box’.
1995 – Robert Plant and Jimmy Page played a show at the Pensacola Civic Center in Florida while on their concert world tour on this day February 26 in music history.
10 Interesting Led Zeppelin Facts
1997 – The 39th Annual Grammy Awards were held on this day at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Big winners that night – Babyface, Toni Braxton, Celine Dion, The Fugees, and Sheryl Crow.
2000 – Girl group All Saints started a two-week run at the top of the UK Singles chart with ‘Pure Shores’ on this day February 26.
All Saints – Pure Shores
2005 – Alternative rock band 3 Doors Down scored their first number one album in the United States with ‘Seventeen Days’.
2005 – American singer Jenifer Lopez scored her second number one single in the United Kingdom on this day February 26 with ‘Get Right’.
2008 – American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, arranger and producer George “Buddy” Miles died from a congestive heart disease at the age of 60.
2011 – With ‘Born This Way’, Lady Gaga hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day February 26 in music history for the first of six consecutive weeks.
2011 – Singer-songwriter Adele scored her first number one single in the UK with ‘Someone like You’. It topped the Singles chart for four weeks straight and five in total.
2011 – American bassist Mark Tulin died on this day February 26, aged 62. Best remembered as a member of the psychedelic rock band The Electric Prunes.
2015 – Paul McCartney’s childhood home in Liverpool was sold for $231,000 at an auction held in the new Cavern Club.
BORN ON THIS DAY FEBRUAR 26 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1928 – Singer-songwriter, pianist and rock and roll pioneer Fats Domino was born Antoine Dominique Domino Jr in New Orleans, Louisiana on this day February 26 in music history.
1932 – Influential country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Johnny Cash nicknamed the Man in Black was born on this day in Kingsland, Arkansas.
1943 – Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Paul Cotton was born on this day February 26 in Fort Rucker, Alabama. He rose to fame as a member of the band Poco.
1943 – Co-founder and co-lead singer of Canned Heat, Robert Ernest “Bob” Hite was born on this day in Torrance, California.
1945 – American singer and guitarist Mitch Ryder was born William Sherille Levise Jr on this day February 26 in Hamtramck, Michigan.
1947 – English singer Sandra Ann Goodrich also known professionally as Sandie Shaw was born in Dagenham, Essex. She was the first artist to win the Eurovision Song Contest for Britain in 1967 with the song ‘Puppet on a String’.
1950 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Cain was born in Chicago, Illinois on this day February 26 in music history. He came to prominence as a member of the rock band Journey.
1953 – American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist Michael Bolton was born on this day in New Haven, Connecticut.
1960 – Singer, keyboardist, songwriter, composer, and producer Jeremy “Jaz” Coleman was born on this day February 26 in Cheltenham, England. He rose to fame as the co-founder and frontman of the post-punk band Killing Joke.
1968 – American bass guitarist Tim Commerford was born in Irvine, California. Best known as a member of the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage.
1971 – Soul and R&B singer-songwriter and record producer Erykah Badu was born Erica Abi Wright on this day February 26 in Dallas, Texas.
1971 – Swedish record producer and songwriter Karl Martin Sandberg better known professionally as Max Martin was born on this day in Stockholm. Best know for co-writing over 25 Billboard Hot 100 No.1 singles.
1979 – British singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae was born in Leeds, England on this day February 26 in music history. Best known for her chart-topping single ‘Put Your Records On’.
1982 – American singer and songwriter Nate Ruess was born on this day in Iowa City, Iowa. He came to prominence as the co-founder and frontman of the indie pop bands Fun and The Format.