EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY MARCH 2 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day March 2 in 1955 – Rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley recorded his influential self-titled song that introduced the ‘Bo Diddley beat’ rhythm which is widely used in rock and pop music.
1957 – Frank Sinatra became the first artist to score two number one albums on the newly formed UK Albums chart when his greatest hits compilation ‘This Is Sinatra!’ reached the top spot.
1961 – With ‘Walk Right Back’ / ‘Ebony Eyes’, The Everly Brothers topped the UK Singles chart on this day March 2 in music history.
1963 – Pop rock band The Four Seasons topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Walk Like a Man’. It held the top spot for three weeks and it also reached No.1 in New Zealand.
1967 – The 9th Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Los Angeles Music Center on this day March 2. Jimmy Bowen, Sonny Burke, Lennon-McCartney, Duke Ellington, Herb Alpert, and Frank Sinatra among the winners that night.
1967 – With his rendition of Eddie Miller‘s song ‘Release Me’, Engelbert Humperdinck started a six-week stint at No.1 in the UK.
1968 – Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra started a five-week stint at No.1 in the US on this day March 2 with their instrumental album ‘Blooming Hits’.
1974 – Terry Jacks took the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Seasons In The Sun’. The song was a big hit worldwide that year and it reached No.1 in fifteen other countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia.
1974 – The 16th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on this day March 2. The big winners that night – Stevie Wonder, Bette Midler, Joel Dorn & Roberta Flack, Olivia Newton-John, Aretha Franklin, etc.
1974 – Rock band Slade scored their second number one album of the year in the UK with ‘Old New Borrowed and Blue’. They previously topped the Albums chart on January 19 with ‘Sladest’.
1985 – With their second studio album ‘Make It Big’, pop duo Wham! started a three-week run at No.1 in the US on this day March 2 in music history. The album was an international hit and it also reached No.1 in ten other countries.
1985 – Drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins started a five-week stint at No.1 in the UK with his third studio album ‘No Jacket Required’.
1988 – The 30th Annual Grammy Awards were held on this day March 2 at the Radio City Music Hall in New Yok City. Among the winners that night – U2, Paul Simon, Los Lobos, Steve Winwood, Robin Williams, Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Whitney Houston, Sting, etc.
1991 – American singer and pianist Oleta Adams went to number one in the UK with her third studio album ‘Circle of One’.
1991 – Mariah Carey started an eleven-week stint at number one in the US with her eponymous debut studio album on this day March 2.
1996 – English rock band Oasis reached number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, their second domestic chart-topper.
1996 – With his fourth studio album ‘All Eyez on Me’, rapper 2Pac topped the US Billboard 200 on this day March 2 in music history.
1999 – English pop music singer Dusty Springfield died from breast cancer at the age of 59. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘I Only Want to Be With You’, ‘Son of a Preacher Man’, ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This’, ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’, etc.
2002 – Sting and The Police reached number one in the UK on this day March 2 with their compilation album ‘The Very Best of… Sting & The Police’.
2002 – Irish boy band Westlife topped the UK Singles chart with the title-track of their third studio album ‘World of Our Own’.
Westlife – World of Our Own
2003 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist Hank Ballard died on this day March 2 at the age of 75. Best known as the lead vocalist of The Midnighters.
2008 – Canadian multi-genre singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey “Jeff” Healey died from cancer at the age of 41.
2008 – Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails released their sixth studio album ‘Ghosts I-IV’ for free on the internet on this day March 2 in music history.
2013 – British folk group Mumford & Sons topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their second studio album ‘Babel’.
2013 – With their rendition of Blondie‘s hit song ‘One Way or Another’, boy band One Direction topped the UK Singles chart on this day March 2.
2013 – DJ and producer Baauer started a five-week stint at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with the viral dance craze song ‘Harlem Shake’.
2021 – British jazz trombonist, bandleader, and songwriter Christopher “Chris” Barber died on this day March 2 at the age of 90.
BORN ON THIS DAY MARCH 2 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1922 – American jazz saxophonist Edward “Lockjaw” Davis was born in New York City on this day March 2 in music history.
1938 – American tenor, songwriter, arranger, and record producer Lawrence Payton was born on this day in Detroit, Michigan.
1942 – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, poet, and composer Lewis “Lou” Reed was born on this day March 2 in Brooklyn, New York. Best known as the co-founder and frontman of the rock band Velvet Underground.
1943 – Drummer and founding member of the instrumental rock group The Shadows, Anthony “Tony” Meehan was born in London, England.
1948 – Irish blues rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Rory Gallagher was born on this day March 2 in Ballyshannon, Ireland.
1948 – American guitarist, composer, and studio musician Larry Cartlon was born in Torrance, California. Best known for his work music acts such as Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan.
1950 – Singer and drummer Karen Carpenter was born in New Haven, Connecticut on this day March 2 in music history. Best known as one half of the brother-and-sister duo The Carpenters.
1955 – Drummer and founding member of the family music group The Osmonds, Jay Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah.
1955 – Co-founder and lead singer of the new wave band Missing Persons, Dale Frances Bozzio was born on this day March 2 in Medford, Massachusetts.
1956 – Australian bass guitarist Mark Evans was born in Melbourne. Best known as a member of the bands AC/DC and Rose Tattoo.
1956 – American singer and drummer John Cowsill was born on this day March 2 in Newport, Rhode Island. He rose to fame as a member of the family music group The Cowsills.
1962 – Founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, Jon Bon Jovi was born John Francis Bongiovi Jr. in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
1971 – American rapper Clifford Smith better known by his stage name Method Man was born in Hempstead, New York on this day March 2 in music history.
1977 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Christopher “Chris” Martin was born in Exeter, England. He came to prominence as the co-founder and frontman of the pop rock band Coldplay.
1988 – British singer and songwriter James Arthur was born on this day March 2 in Middlesbrough, England.