EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY MARCH 30 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day March 30 in 1956 – Katherine Starks also known professionally as Kay Star topped the UK Singles chart with ‘(The) Rock and Roll Waltz’.
1957 – The best selling single in the Untied States for the previous week was ‘Party Doll’ by the singer & songwriter Buddy Knox.
1963 – With their debut single ‘He’s So Fine’, The Chiffons started a three-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1971, former Beatle – George Harrison was accused that his hit single ‘My Sweet Lord’ was a plagiarism of ‘He’s So Fine’ and had to pay $500,000 for copyright infringement.
1971 – Jimi Hendrix‘ posthumous compilation album ‘The Cry of Love’ was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
1974 – Folk music singer-songwriter John Denver dominated the US music charts on this day March 30 in music history when he hit No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Sunshine On My Shoulders’, and reached the top spot on the Billboard 200 with ‘John Denver’s Greatest Hits’.
1978 – Paul Simonon and Nicky Headon of The Clash were arrested in London for shooting pigeons with air guns from the roof of their studio.
1985 – Phil Collins topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for the second time as a solo artist with ‘One More Night’. He also reached No.1 on the Billboard 200 with his third studio album ‘No Jacket Required’.
1987 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Prince released his ninth studio album ‘Sign o’ the Times’. The album was a commercial success and it peaked within the Top 10 in a dozen countries worldwide.
1991 – With their compilation album ‘Greatest Hits’, pop music duo Eurythmics started a nine-week run at No.1 in the UK.
1991 – Singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan started a two-week stint at No.1 on the US Singles chart with ‘Coming Out of the Dark’.
1991 – British singer and actor Chesney Hawkes went to number one in the UK with this debut single ‘The One and Only’ for the first of five consecutive weeks.
1994 – In front of 54,000 fans, Pink Floyd kicked off their last concert world tour (The Division Bell tour) with a show at the Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. The group played 110 shows in total and the tour concluded with a concert at the Earls Court Center in London on 29 October.
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1996 – The No.1 album in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘Anthology 2’, a greatest hits compilation by The Beatles.
1996 – With ‘Firestarter’, electronic music band The Prodigy hit number one on the UK Singles chart for the first of three consecutive weeks. It also became a chart-topper in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Norway that year.
2002 – Seventeen-year-old Gareth Gates started a four-week stint at No.1 in the UK with his rendition of ‘Unchained Melody’.
2004 – American singer and songwriter Rosemary Victoria Yuro also known professionally as Timi Yuro died at the age of 63 from throat cancer. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘Hurt’ and ‘Make the World Go Away’.
Timi Yuro – Hurt
2008 – American singer-songwriter and actor Sean Edward Levert died on this day March 30 at the age of 39 from complications of sarcoidosis. Best remembered as co-founder of the vocal group LeVert.
2013 – Singer and songwriter Justin Timberlake went to number one in the UK with his third studio album ‘The 20 / 20 Experience’.
2013 – With ‘What About Us’, girl group The Saturdays featuring rapper Sean Paul topped the UK Singles chart.
2013 – Recording engineer, producer, violinist and composer Philip Rabinowitz also known as Philip Ramone died at the age of 79.
2013 – Rock band Bon Jovi topped the US Billboard 200 chart with their twelfth studio album ‘What About Now’.
2017 – American singer, songwriter and pianist Rosalie “Rosie” Hamlin died at the age of 71. Best remembered for fronting the pop group Rosie and the Originals.
BORN ON THIS DAY MARCH 30 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1913 – American singer and songwriter Frankie Laine was born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio in Chicago, Illinois.
1914 – Blues singer-songwriter and harmonica player John Lee Curtis “Sonny Boy” Williamson I was born on this day in Jackson, Tennessee. One of the pioneers of the blues harmonica as a solo instrument.
1930 – Australian singer-songwriter, composer, comedian, actor and TV personality Rolf Harris was born in Perth.
1941 – English drummer, songwriter and poet Graeme Edge was born in Rocester, Staffordshire. Best known as a founding member of the band The Moody Blues.
1943 – American singer John Traynor was born in Brooklyn, New York City. Best known as the third lead vocalist of the rock and roll group The Mystics.
1944 – Bass guitarist and founding member of the rock band Love, Kenneth Forssi was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
1945 – Guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer Eric Clapton was born in Ripley, England on this day March 30 in music history. He is the only artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times.
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1948 – Founding member and frontman of the rock band Black Oak Arkansas, Jim “Dandy” Mangrum was born on this day in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
1949 – English-American singer, songwriter, and saxophonist Lene Lovich was born Lili-Marlene Premilovich in Detroit, Michigan. Best known for her hit song ‘Lucky Number’.
1955 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist Randy VanWarmer was born in Indian Hills, Colorado. Best known for the hit song ‘Just When I Needed You Most’.
1962 – Rapper, dancer, and record producer Stanley Kirk Burrell better known professionally as MC Hammer was born in Oakland, California. He rose to fame with the international hit song ‘U Can’t Touch This’
1964 – American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Best known for her hit songs ‘Give Me One Reason’ and ‘Fast Car’.
1968 – Canadian singer Celine Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time with over 200 million records sold worldwide.
1979 – Singer-songwriter and pianist Norah Jones was born in New York City. She came to prominence with her debut studio album ‘Come Away with Me’ which has sold over 27 million copies as of March 2024.
1979 – British singer and founding member of the boy band Blue, Simon Webbe was born in Manchester, England.