This Day in Music
On this day in music, April 1, 1984, soul star Marvin Gaye died after being fatally shot by his father during a heated altercation over mislaid insurance documents. The shooting, which occurred one day before Gaye’s 45th birthday, came at a time when the Washington D.C.-born singer and songwriter was enjoying a career resurgence, sparked by the success of his 1982 single, “Sexual Healing,” and its parent album, Midnight Love. Gaye rose to fame at Detroit’s Motown Records where he racked up 13 No.1 singles on the Billboard R&B chart between 1962 and 1981, though it was as an album artist that he made his biggest impact, releasing the acclaimed concept LP, What’s Going On in 1971.
In 1966, David Bowie (born David Jones) released his maiden solo single, “Do Anything You Say,” on the Pye label. Produced by Tony Hatch, it was the London artist’s first recording under his new stage name.
In 2020, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Adam Schlesinger died at the age of 52 from COVID-19. Schlesinger was best known as the co-founder of the power-pop band Fountains Of Wayne, with whom he released five albums. The Emmy and Grammy-winning artist, who penned the hit theme from 1996’s That Thing You Do!, was also an accomplished songwriter for film, theater, and TV.
In 1989, The Bangles scored their only British chart-topping single with “Eternal Flame,” taken from the all-girl group’s third album, Everything. The record was the Los Angeles quartet’s second US No. 1, following 1986’s “Walk Like An Egyptian.”
In 1976, pioneering British punk band the Buzzcocks played their first show at Bolton’s Institute of Technology, though the concert didn’t last long. After three numbers, the gig was brought to a premature close by a power outage.
In 2000, Santana scored their first No.1 album in the UK with Supernatural. The long-running Latin music group’s 18th studio album, which featured a variety of guest stars, eventually sold over 30 million copies worldwide and earned eight Grammy awards.
In 1985, Van Halen’s charismatic frontman David Lee Roth quit the band after six albums. Ex-Montrose singer Sammy Hagar replaced him.
BORN ON APRIL 1
1939: Rudolph Isley (The Isley Brothers)
1946: Ronnie Lane (Small Faces)
1952: Billy Currie (Ultravox)
1954: Jeff Porcaro (Toto)
1961: Susan Boyle
1965: Peter O’Toole (Hothouse Flowers)
1986: Hillary Scott (Lady A)
