EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY MARCH 16 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day March 16 in 1955 – Pop group The Dream Weavers started a two-week run at number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘It’s Almost Tomorrow’.
1968 – Soul singer and songwriter Otis Redding started a four-week stint at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’.
1970 – American singer and songwriter Tammi Terrell died from brain tumor on this day March 16 in music history at the age of 24. Best remembered for her series of hit duets with Marvin Gaye (‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing’, ‘You’re All I Need to Get By’, etc.
1971 – The 13th Annual Grammy Awards were held on this day at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Among the winners that night: Simon & Garfunkel, The Carpenters, Johnny and June Cash, Miles Davis, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, etc.
1974 – With her fifteenth studio album ‘The Way We Were’, Barbra Streisand topped the US Billboard 200 chart on this day March 16.
1974 – Pop rock band Paper Lace started a three-week stint at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘Billy, Don’t be a Hero’.
1975 – American blues music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone” Walker died on this day March 16 in music history, aged 64.
1991 – Alternative music band The Farm went to number one in the United Kingdom with their debut studio album ‘Spartacus’.
1993 – American singer, songwriter, and producer Johnny Cymbal died on this day March 16, aged 48 from a heart attack. Best remembered for the songs ‘Mr. Bass Man’ and ‘Cinnamon’.
1996 – American singer Joseph Pope died on this day at the age of 62. Best remembered as a member of the vocal group The Tams.
1999 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) held the first Diamond Awards ceremony on this day March 16 in New York. 46 music acts received a Diamond Award that day, including Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Def Leppard, Metallica, Elton John, Billy Joel, the Eagles, Alanis Morissette, AC/DC, and others.
2002 – With her fifth greatest hits compilation ‘The Essential Barbra Streisand’, Barbra Streisand topped the UK Albums chart.
2002 – Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette scored her third number one album in the US with ‘Under Rug Swept’ on this day March 16 in music history. The album also became a chart-topper in eight other countries that year.
2005 – American drummer Jakson Spires died on this day at the age of 54. Best remembered for his work with the southern rock band Blackfoot.
2007 – American keyboardist, songwriter, and composer Frederick Tupper Saussy died on this day March 16 at the age of 70. Best remembered for his work with the band The Neon Philharmonic.
2008 – Canadian singer Daniel MacMaster died at the age of 39 from sepsis. Best remembered as the frontman of the hard rock band Bonham.
2008 – Swedish drummer and session musician Ola Brunkert died on this day March 16, aged 61. Best known for his work with the pop group ABBA.
2009 – American songwriter and composer Jack Lawrence died at the age of 96. Best remembered for songs such as ‘Yes, My Darling Daughter’, ‘All or Nothing at All’, ‘Never Smile at a Crocodile’, etc.
2013 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day March 16 in music history was ‘Bad Blood’ by the indie pop band Bastille.
2013 – American singer Robert “Bobby” Smith died at the age of 76. Best remembered as the lead vocalist of the R&B group The Spinners.
2013 – With his second studio album ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’, singer-songwriter Bruno Mars topped the US Billboard 200 on this day March 16. The album also became a chart-topper in the UK, Canada, and Australia.
2015 – British bass guitarist, pianist and songwriter Andrew “Andy” Fraser died at the age of 62. Best remembered as the co-founder of the rock bands Free and Sharks.
2016 – American singer, songwriter and conductor Francis ‘Frank’ Sinatra Jr. died on this day March 16, aged 72. He was the son of singer Frank Sinatra.
2017 – Singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran hit number one in the UK with his third studio album ‘÷ ‘ (pronounced ‘Divide’) for the first of nine consecutive weeks.
Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
2017 – American blues singer, songwriter, and harmonica player James Cotton died on this day March 16 in music history, aged 81.
2019 – American guitarist and surf music pioneer Richard Monsour better known by his stage name Dick Dale died at the age of 81.
2019 – Pop rock band Jonas Brothers scored their first US Billboard Hot 100 number one single with ‘Sucker’ on this day March 16.
2019 – Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Hozier went to No.1 in the US with his second studio album ‘Wasteland, Baby!’.
2019 – American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and record producer David White died on this day March 16 at the age of 79. Best remembered as a founding member of the groups Danny & the Juniors and the Spokesmen.
BORN ON THIS DAY MARCH 16 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1929 – Traditional pop music and cabaret singer Betty Johnson was born in Guilford County, North Carolina on this day March 16 in music history.
1936 – Folk and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist Fred Neil was born on this day in Cleveland, Ohio. Best known for writing ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ which became a hit single for Harry Nilsson.
1942 – American country and folk music singer-songwriter and guitarist Ronald Crosby better known professionally as Jerry Jeff Walker was born on this day March 16 in Austin, Texas. He came to prominence in 1968 with the hit song ‘Mr. Bojangles’.
1948 – American multi-instrumentalist Michael Bruce was born in Arizona. Best known as a founding member of the rock band Alice Cooper.
10 Alice Cooper Facts You May Have Not Known
1950 – Scottish multi-instrumentalist Matt Irving was born on this day March 16 in Glasgow. Best known for playing bass guitar with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band from 1981 until 1986.
1944 – Country and bluegrass singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Brien was born in Wheeling, West Virginia.
1954 – American guitarist, singer and songwriter Nancy Wilson was born in Seattle, Washington on this day March 16 in music history. Best known as a longtime member of the rock band Heart with whom she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
1954 – English singer-songwriter and actor James Bradford also known professionally as Jimmy Nail was born in Newcastle. Best known for his 1992 chart-topping single ‘Ain’t No Doubt’.
1959 – American rapper and hype man William Drayton better known by his stage name Flavor Flav was born on this day March 16 in Roosevelt, New York. He rose to fame as a founding member of the rap group Public Enemy.
1964 – German singer, rapper, and guitarist Hans Peter Geerdes also known professionally as H.P. Baxxter was born on this day in Leer, West Germany. Best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the techno music band Scooter.
1964 – American singer, songwriter, and piano player Patricia “Patty” Griffin was born on this day March 16 in Old Town, Maine.
1967 – American alt rock vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Tracy Bonham was born in Eugene, Oregon. Best known for her chart-topping single ‘Mother Mother’.
1967 – Multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the band Travis, Andrew “Andy” Dunlop was born in Lenzie, Scotland on this day March 16 in music history.