Entertainment

On this day in music, March 25, 2022, fans around the globe were stunned to learn of the sudden death of Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters’s charismatic drummer. The 50-year-old musician, who had complained of chest pains, was in Bogotá, Colombia for the Estéreo Picnic festival, where he and his bandmates were due to perform that evening. Originally from Texas, Hawkins drummed for Canadian singers Sass Jordan and Alanis Morrissette before joining Foo Fighters in 1997. The high-energy artist appeared on eight of the band’s albums between 1999 and 2021 and in the years immediately preceding his death, played on records by Miley Cyrus, Elton John, and Ozzy Osbourne. Hawkins also cut three albums leading his own group, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders.

In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began the first of their two “Beds-in For Peace” protests, beginning with a week-long stint in The Amsterdam Hilton’s Presidential Suite, where they answered questions from the press and promoted world peace. The second bed-in took place at Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel.

In 2019, influential singer-songwriter Scott Walker died at the age of 76. Born Noel Scott Engel, he adopted his stage name when he moved to Los Angeles and co-founded the Walker Brothers in 1964. The trio based themselves in London, where they scored two No.1 hits: “Make It Easy On Yourself” and “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More.” When the trio split in 1968, Walker established himself as a solo artist and producer.

In 1983, Motown Records celebrated its 25th anniversary with Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, a televised concert from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California. The event, which featured performances by some of the label’s most iconic groups, included a one-off reunion by Diana Ross & The Supremes. Michael Jackson stole the show, however, with a performance of “Billie Jean” which featured him doing his famous “moonwalk” dance routine.

In 1972, folk-rock trio America topped the US Hot 100 with their debut single, “Horse With No Name.” The song, which spent three weeks at No.1, was the first of two US chart-toppers by the London-based band; the other was 1975’s “Sister Golden Hair.”

In 2000, *NSYNC set a new world record by selling a million tickets in one day for a tour promoting their third album, No Strings Attached. The tour raked in $42.5 million.

In 1967, Los Angeles band The Turtles scored their sole No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Happy Together,” which held steady at the top spot for three weeks.

BORN ON MARCH 25

1931: Tom Wilson (Producer)
1942: Aretha Franklin
1947: Elton John
1969: Cathy Dennis
1975: Melanie Blatt (All Saints)
1975: Juvenile
1988: Ryan Lewis (Producer/DJ)
1988: Big Sean
1999: Iann Dior

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On this day in music, March 24, 1986, Van Halen scored their first No.1 album on the Billboard 200 with 5150. The hard rockers’ seventh studio album marked their first to feature ex-Montrose singer Sammy Hagar, who replaced David Lee Roth as the band’s frontman. Despite Roth’s popularity with fans, Hagar proved his worth – and then some – as the album soared to the top of the charts. Featuring such hits as “Why Can’t This Be Love,” “Love Walks In,” and “Dreams,” 5150 also found success across the globe, landing in the Top 5 in Japan, Canada, and Australia, and peaking in the Top 20 in the UK and across Europe.

In 1977, Fleetwood Mac released “Dreams,” their only chart-topping hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Stevie Nicks, it was plucked from their multi-platinum eleventh album Rumours.

In 1990, Irish singer Sinead O’Connor scored her only No.1 UK album with I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, which featured her chart-topping cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

In 1966, Simon And Garfunkel debuted on the UK singles chart with “Homeward Bound,” which peaked at No. 9 during a 12-week chart run. The song was taken from the folk-rock duo’s third album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.

In 1997, 57-year-old Harold Melvin, leader of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, died following a stroke. The soul group became a household name in the 1970s under Philadelphia International Records, where their hits included “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “The Love I Lost,” and “Wake Up Everybody.”

In 2002, Gareth Gates, the runner-up to Will Young in the first series of the UK TV show, Pop Idol, broke the record for the youngest male solo artist to hit the top of the UK charts with his debut single, “Unchained Melody.” Gates was just seventeen years and 255 days old.

In 1958, Elvis Presley reported to the Memphis draft board to begin his two-year service with the US Army.

BORN ON MARCH 24

1935: Carol Kaye (Wrecking Crew)
1938: Holger Czukay (Can)
1938: Don Covay
1949: Nick Lowe (Brinsley Schwarz and Rockpile)
1960: Nena
1964: Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers)
1970: Pasemaster Mace (De La Soul)
1970: Shannon Corr (The Corrs)
1974: Chad Butler (Switchfoot)

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On this day in music, March 21, 1987, Irish rockers U2 climbed to the top of the UK charts with their fifth album, The Joshua Tree. Containing such enduring hits as “With Or Without You,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and “Where The Streets Have No Name,” The Joshua Tree became the UK’s fastest-selling album ever at the time and was the first CD to move more than one million units. The album, which remained on the British chart for an astonishing 156 weeks, eventually became one of the world’s best-selling records, with over 25 million copies sold. Elsewhere, The Joshua Tree hit No.1 in the US, Canada, and several European countries.

In 1991, Leo Fender, the inventor of the iconic Telecaster (the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar) and Stratocaster guitars died at 81. In addition to setting the standard for electric guitars, he also crafted the widely-used Fender Precision Bass and Fender Bassman amplifier.

In 1999, Blur proved Britpop’s dominance when their sixth LP, 13, topped the UK chart. Produced by William Orbit, it was the London band’s fourth consecutive No.1 album and made them, along with Simply Red and R.E.M., only the third act to score four chart-topping LPs in the 90s.

In 1998, Jason Nevins’ radical house remix of Run-D.M.C’s 1983 debut single, “It’s Like That,” began a six-week run at the top of the UK pop chart.

In 1961, The Beatles (featuring Pete Best on drums) played their first evening show at Liverpool’s The Cavern Club as a support act to The Swinging Bluegenes, later to become The Swinging Blue Jeans. The Fab Four went on to appear there 275 times.

In 1994, Bruce Springsteen won an Academy Award for the song “Streets of Philadelphia,” written for the film Philadelphia, a legal drama starring Tom Hanks, which centered around the AIDS virus. The song became a Top 10 US and UK hit and also earned “The Boss” four Grammy Awards.

In 1973, the UK’s Top of the Pops banned all teenybopper acts after young fans went wild during David Cassidy’s appearance.

BORN ON MARCH 21

1940: Solomon Burke
1945: Rosemary “Rose” Stone (Sly and The Family Stone)
1949: Eddie Money
1950: Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)
1951: Russell Thompkins Jr (The Stylistics)
1956: Guy Chadwick (House Of Love)
1967: Jonas Berggren (Ace Of Base)
1980: Deryck “Bizzy D” Whibley (Sum 41)

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On this day in music, March 20, 2020, 81-year-old country music icon, Kenny Rogers, passed away. Born in Houston, TX, Rogers first tasted fame as part of the country-rock quintet, First Edition, which scored several US chart hits between 1967 and 1973. Launching his solo career in 1975, Rogers went on to score over 120 hit singles and sell more than 100 million records. His most famous songs were the US chart-toppers “Lady” and “Islands In The Stream,” the latter a duet with Dolly Parton. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

In 1991, Michael Jackson signed the biggest deal in recording history when Sony Corp
awarded him with a $1 billion contract. The unprecedented agreement guaranteed the “Thriller” singer an advance payment of $5 million per album and also gave him a 25% royalty rate based on retail sales.

In 1993, Jamaican artist Shaggy (real name Orville Richard Burrell) saw his debut single “Oh Carolina” top the UK pop chart. The song was a cover of a 1960 Prince Buster-produced Ska hit by the Folkes Brothers. It was the first of four UK No.1s for the Kingston-born performer.

In 2017, Ed Sheeran reached the summit of the UK singles chart with “Shape of You.” In December 2018, it became the first song to hit two billion streams on Spotify and to date is the most streamed song on the music platform.

In 1977, glam rock pioneers T.Rex played their final concert at The Locarno in Portsmouth, UK. The show closed out their Dandy In The Underworld tour, which featured support act The Damned. In September of that year, the band’s leader, Marc Bolan, was killed in a car crash.

In 1960, Elvis Presley began his first recording session 18 days after his discharge from the US Army. The session took place in RCA Studios Nashville, where the Memphis singer cut the soon-to-be No.1 comeback single, “Stuck On You.”

In 1982, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a cover of a 1975 single by the UK band The Arrows. It spent seven weeks at No. 1 and reached No. 4 in the UK.

BORN ON MARCH 20

1917: Vera Lynn
1936: Lee “Scratch” Perry
1951: Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
1959: Richard Drummie (Go West)
1968: Fredrik Schnfeldt (The Wannadies)
1972: Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand)
1976: Chester Bennington (Linkin Park)

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On this day in music, March 19, 2005, rapper 50 Cent wrote himself into the history books by becoming the first solo artist to have three singles in the US Top 5 at the same time. His song “Candy Shop” – from his second album, the multi-platinum The Massacre – bagged the No.1 slot while at No. 4 was “How We Do” by fellow rapper, The Game, which he had a guest spot on. At No. 5 was another track from The Massacre: “Disco Inferno,” not to be confused with The Trammps’ 70s dancefloor anthem.

In 2018, Drake smashed first-day streaming records on both Apple Music and Spotify with the single “God’s Plan,” his fourth US No.1 and the first single from his fifth studio album, Scorpion. The hit, which topped the charts in 14 countries around the globe, was the most-streamed song of 2018.

In 2015, Ed Sheeran’s second album x (aka multiply) equaled a feat held by Adele, Emeli Sandé, Take That, and Michael Bublé during the same decade by racking up two million UK sales. The album stayed at No.1 in the UK for 12 weeks and went on to spend 74 consecutive weeks in the Top 10, surpassing the 71-week record held by Adele’s 21.

In 1982, Randy Rhoads – a founding member of Quiet Riot and guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne, died in a plane crash. While he was only 25 at the time of his death, Rhoads was considered to be one of metal’s most innovative musicians, who popularized a variety of techniques, including two-handed tapping and dive bombs.

In 2006, Colombian pop singer Shakira became the first artist to release a single in the form of an exclusive cell phone download. The track was “Hips Don’t Lie,” which later went on general release and shot to No.1. It became the most-played pop song during a single week in US radio history, racking up 9,637 plays in seven days.

1962, Bob Dylan‘s self-titled debut album was released in the US by Columbia Records. Produced by the legendary John Hammond – who discovered Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Bruce Springsteen – it was largely ignored on its release. Its disappointing sales saw Columbia executives describe it as “Hammond’s Folly.”

BORN ON MARCH 19:

1928: Clarence Paul (Producer)
1944: Tom Constanten (Grateful Dead)
1946: Ruth Pointer (The Pointer Sisters)
1953: Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big)
1953: Ricky Wilson (The B-52’s)
1959: Terry Hall (The Specials)

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On this day in music, March 14, 1995, Tupac (2Pac) Shakur became the first male solo artist to have a No.1 album in the US while incarcerated. His third LP, Me Against the World came out while the controversial West Coast rapper was serving eight months in prison. The album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, selling 240,000 copies during its first week, which at that time broke the record for the highest first-week sales of a solo male rapper. Me Against the World also featured 2Pac’s first Top Ten hit, “Dear Mama.” The seminal track, which has since ranked on multiple “Best Of” lists, marked the first song by a solo hip-hop artist to be inducted into the National Recording Registry.

In 1983, Bon Jovi, a band that bridged the divide between heavy rock and pop, formed in Sayreville, NJ. Taking their name from lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, the group went on to sell 34.5 million albums in the US, while their fourth album, 1988’s New Jersey, broke a record for a hard rock album by producing five Top 10 US singles.

In 1991, R.E.M. played the first of two secret gigs under the name “Bingo Hand Job” at a small London venue called Borderline. The concerts took place as part of a short promotional tour for their seventh album, Out Of Time. In 2019, highlights from both concerts were officially released as Live at the Borderline 1991, a Record Store Day exclusive.

In 1973, ABBA released “Ring Ring,” their first Swedish No.1 hit and debut release in the UK. The track was originally credited to Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid and was selected as Sweden’s 1973 Eurovision Song Contest entry, finishing third. A year later, under the name ABBA, the group won the same competition with their international breakthrough song “Waterloo.”

In 1991, noted American songwriter and lyricist Doc Pomus died at the age of 65, following a battle with lung cancer. An inductee into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he was best known for his collaborations with Mort Shuman. Together they wrote Dion & The Belmonts’ “A Teenager In Love,” The Drifters’ “Save The Last Dance For Me,” and Andy Williams’ “Can’t Get Used To Losing You.”

In 1982, Metallica made their live debut at Radio City in Anaheim, California. Pioneers of the thrash metal genre, the band began when guitarist James Hetfield responded to drummer Lars Ulrich’s newspaper ad “for other metal musicians to jam with Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head, and Iron Maiden.” The pair would officially launch the group five months after they met.

BORN ON MARCH 14

1932: Mark Murphy (Jazz singer)
1933: Quincy Jones
1946: Jim Pons (The Turtles)
1969: Michael Bland (The New Power Generation)
1970: Kristian Bush (Sugarland)
1983: Taylor Hanson (Hanson)
1986: Este Arielle (Haim)

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