EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY SEPTEMBER 19 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day September 19 in 1960 – 18-year-old Chubby Checker topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with his rendition of the dance craze song ‘The Twist’.
1970 – With their second live album ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!’, The Rolling Stones went to number one on the UK Albums chart.
1970 – American singer Freda Payne went to number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Band of Gold’ on this day September 19 in music history.
1970 – Diana Ross scored her first solo No.1 single in the US with her rendition of the popular song ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ which was originally a hit for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
1973 – American singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist Ingram Cecil Connor also known professionally as Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose, aged 26. Best remembered for his work with the bands The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
1981 – The Rolling Stones started a nine-week run at number one on the US Billboard 200 with their 18th studio album ‘Tattoo You’ on this day September 19. Also a chart-topper in Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand that year. In the UK it peaked at No.2.
1981 – With ‘Prince Charming’, rock band Adam & The Ants went to number one on the UK and Irish singles charts.
1981 – Folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel reunited for the third time to play a free show at Central Park in New York. Nearly half a million fans attended the concert.
1987 – The due ballad ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’ by Michael Jackson and Siedah Garet was at number one in the US on this day September 19.
1992 – Electronic music group The Shamen topped the UK Singles chart with the controversial drug-endorsing song ‘Ebeneezer Goode’.
1994 – Flautist and co-founder of the Irish folk band Altan, Frankie Kennedy died on this day September 19 at the age of 38.
1997 – American Christian music singer and songwriter Richard “Rich” Mullins died in a car accident at the age of 41.
1998 – Robbie Williams scored his first number one single in the UK as a solo artist with ‘Millennium’ on this day September 19 in music history.
1998 – Irish family pop rock band The Corrs topped the UK Albums chart with ‘Talk on Corners’. The album also reached No.1 in Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
1999 – American musician, record producer, and songwriter Edward “Ed” Cobb died at the age of 61. Best remembered for penning the hit song ‘Tainted Love’.
2003 – American avant-garde jazz composer and saxophonist Frank Lowe died of lung cancer on this day September 19, aged 60.
2004 – Country and pop music singer Mary Frances Penick better known by her stage name Skeeter Davis died at the age of 72. Best remembered for her hit song ‘The End of the World’.
Skeeter Davis – The End of the World
2006 – American musician and songwriter Danny Flores also known professionally as Chuck Rio died on this day September 19, aged 77. Best known for penning the worldwide hit song ‘Tequila’.
2008 – American drummer and rock and roll pioneer Earl Palmer died on this day at the age of 83. Best known for playing on over thousand recordings.
2009 – Eighteen year old Pixie Lott scored her second consecutive number one single in the UK with ‘Boys and Girls’.
2009 – With her seventh and final studio album ‘I Look to You’, Whitney Houston went to No.1 in the US on this day September 19 in music history. Also a chart-topper in Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
2009 – Aged 92, Vera Lynn became the oldest artist to have No.1 album in the UK when her greatest hits compilation ‘We’ll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn’ rose to the top spot of the chart.
2009 – American DJ and record producer Anthony Williams known professionally as Roc Raida died on this day September 19 from cardiac arrest, aged 37.
2015 – The Weeknd started a three-week run at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with his second studio album ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’. The album also earned him a Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album.
2015 – Justin Bieber topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘What Do You Mean?’ on this day September 19. The song was an international hit and it went to No.1 in eighteen more countries.
2019 – With his third studio album ‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’, rapper and singer Post Malone went to number one in the United Kingdom.
2020 – Rapper Big Sean scored his third number one album in the US with ‘Detroit 2’ on this day September 19.
2020 – English multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Lee Kerslake on this day September 19 in music history, aged 73. Best remembered for his work with Uriah Heep and Ozzy Osbourne.
BORN ON THIS DAY SEPTEMBER 19 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1921 – American singer Robert L. Williams better known by his stage name Billy Ward was born on this day September 19 in Savannah, Georgia.
1927 – Singer, songwriter, and bassist Nick Massi was born on this day in Newark, New Jersey. Best known as a member of The Four Seasons.
1931 – Singer and songwriter Benjamin Franklin Peay also known professionally as Brook Benton was born in Lugoff, South Carolina. Best known for his hit singles ‘Endlessly’, ‘Rainy Night in Georgia’, and ‘It’s Just a Matter of Time’.
1934 – Music entrepreneur Brian Epstein was born in Liverpool, England on this day September 19 in music history. Best known as the manager of The Beatles.
1940 – Singer-songwriter and one half of the musical duo The Righteous Brothers, William “Bill” Medley, was born in Los Angeles, California.
1940 – American songwriter, composter, and singer Paul Williams was born on this day September 19 in Los Angeles, California. Best known for writing dozens of hit songs for various artists, including ‘Out in the Country, ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’, ‘Rainy Days and Mondays’, ‘Rainbow Connection’, and ‘Evergreen’ among others.
1941 – Singer and actress Ellen Naomi Cohen better known professionally as Cass Elliot or Mama Cass was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She rose to fame as a member of the group The Mamas & the Papas.
1942 – American singer and actress Freda Payne was born on this day September 19 in Detroit, Michigan. Best known for her hit single ‘Band of Gold’.
1942 – English musician and producer Mike Hurst was born in London. Best known as a member of the folk-pop vocal trio The Springfields and for discovering Cat Stevens.
1945 – Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter David Bromberg was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on this day September 19 in music history.
1946 – Founding member and drummer of the rock band Status Quo, John Coghlan was born on this day in London, England.
1947 – Singer, multi-instrumentalist, and music video director Laurence Neil “Lol” Creme was born in Prestwich, England. He came to prominence as a member of the band 10cc.
1951 – Canadian record producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Daniel Lanois was born on this day September 19 in Hull, Quebec.
1952 – American musician, songwriter, and co-founder of the band Chic, Nile Rodgers was born on this day in New York City.
1957 – English musician Rusty Egan was born in London. He rose to fame as the drummer of the new wave band Rich Kids.
1958 – Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Lita Ford was born on this day September 19 in London, England. Best known as a member of the rock band The Runaways.
1963 – Founder and frontman of the Britpop band Pulp, Jarvis Cocker was born on this day in Sheffield, England.
1964 – American singer and actress Trisha Yearwood was born in Monticello, Georgia. Best known for her hit singles ‘She’s in Love with the Boy’, ‘Walkaway Joe’, and ‘How Do I Live’.
1969 – Dutch jazz and pop saxophonist Candy Dufler was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on this day September 19 in music history.
1971 – English drummer Paul Winterhart was born on this day in London. Best known as a member of the band Kula Shaker.