More About Music History On This Day
5 Dec 1981
Julio Iglesias was at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'Begin The Beguine.' A Cole Porter song from 1935 with Spanish lyrics it was the singers only UK chart topper.
5 Dec 1987
Belinda Carlisle went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Heaven Is a Place on Earth', the ex Go-Go's member first solo No.1, also a No.1 hit in the UK. The promotional video was directed by Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton and features an appearance of Carlisle's husband Morgan Mason.
5 Dec 1987
Fat Larry James, drummer, singer and leader of Fat Larry’s Band died of a heart attack aged 38. Scored the 1982 UK No.2 single 'Zoom'. The opening drum break from Down On The Avenue, from the band's first album, Feel It has been sampled by N.W.A. Ice-T, Jungle Brothers and Run-D.M.C.
5 Dec 1992
Whitney Houston started a ten-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Will Always Love You'. The longest ever run at No.1 for a female artist the Dolly Parton penned song was taken from the Bodyguard soundtrack.
5 Dec 1993
Doug Hopkins co-founder of American rock band Gin Blossoms died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds age 32. The guitarist and songwriter was in a detox unit of Phoenix's St. Luke's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona when he snuck out and bought a .38 caliber pistol. The next day Hopkins committed suicide.
5 Dec 2004
Band Aid 20 started a four week at No.1 on the UK singles chart with a new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? The third time the song had reached No.1. The new version featured, Joss Stone, Busted, Chris Martin, Bono, Justin Hawkins, Dizzee Rascal, Tom Chaplin, Ms Dynamite, Beverly Knight, Will Young, Jamelia, Fran Healy, Sugababes, Dido and Robbie Williams.
5 Dec 2004
U2 started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb', the bands ninth UK No.1 album. The band also went to No.1 on the US album chart giving them their sixth US No.1 album.
5 Dec 2006
Beatles lyrics handwritten by Sir Paul McCartney to an early version of Maxwell's Silver Hammer sold for $192,000 at an auction in New York. A guitar owned by Jimi Hendrix fetched $168,000, a notebook containing lyrics written by Bob Marley sold for $72,000 and a poem penned by Doors front man Jim Morrison made $49,000 at the Christie's sale.
5 Dec 2007
Robbie Williams apologized to Nigel Martin-Smith the ex-manager of Take That and agreed to pay undisclosed damages over an allegation he made about him in a song. In the lyrics of ‘The 90s’ Williams had suggested that Nigel Martin-Smith had stolen funds from the band.
5 Dec 2009
Phish played the final show of their 2009 Fall Tour at the John Paul Jones Arena at the University of Virginia. At the beginning of a first set an erratic fan proceeded to run on stage fully naked. He ran up and hugged guitarist Trey Anastasio and kissed him on the cheek. He made three laps around the stage before finally being chased down by security.
5 Dec 2011
After spending 45 weeks at the top end of the UK charts, singer Adele's second album ‘21’ become the biggest selling LP in Britain this century, surpassing the late Amy Winehouse's 2006 LP ‘Back to Black’.
5 Dec 2013
Spotify responded to critics by revealing how much acts can expect to earn from the music streaming site. The company said it paid an average of $0.007 per play, according to figures on its new website Spotify Artists, aimed specifically at musicians. Explaining its business model, Spotify said it had paid more than $1bn in royalties since its 2008 launch. Earlier this year Radiohead singer Thom Yorke pulled material from the site in protest at how much it pays artists.
5 Dec 2016
A statue of David Bowie was set to go up in the town where he first performed as Ziggy Stardust following the success of a crowdfunding campaign. More than 650 people pledged sums totaling more than the $112,000 goal, 19 hours before the deadline. The statue would be put up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where Bowie unveiled his Ziggy character.
5 Dec 2021
British rock music vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist John Miles died after a short illness age 72. Best known for his 1976 top 3 UK hit single ‘Music’. He won the ‘Outstanding Musical Achievement’ award at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards.
Julio Iglesias was at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'Begin The Beguine.' A Cole Porter song from 1935 with Spanish lyrics it was the singers only UK chart topper.
5 Dec 1987
Belinda Carlisle went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Heaven Is a Place on Earth', the ex Go-Go's member first solo No.1, also a No.1 hit in the UK. The promotional video was directed by Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton and features an appearance of Carlisle's husband Morgan Mason.
5 Dec 1987
Fat Larry James, drummer, singer and leader of Fat Larry’s Band died of a heart attack aged 38. Scored the 1982 UK No.2 single 'Zoom'. The opening drum break from Down On The Avenue, from the band's first album, Feel It has been sampled by N.W.A. Ice-T, Jungle Brothers and Run-D.M.C.
5 Dec 1992
Whitney Houston started a ten-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Will Always Love You'. The longest ever run at No.1 for a female artist the Dolly Parton penned song was taken from the Bodyguard soundtrack.
5 Dec 1993
Doug Hopkins co-founder of American rock band Gin Blossoms died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds age 32. The guitarist and songwriter was in a detox unit of Phoenix's St. Luke's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona when he snuck out and bought a .38 caliber pistol. The next day Hopkins committed suicide.
5 Dec 2004
Band Aid 20 started a four week at No.1 on the UK singles chart with a new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? The third time the song had reached No.1. The new version featured, Joss Stone, Busted, Chris Martin, Bono, Justin Hawkins, Dizzee Rascal, Tom Chaplin, Ms Dynamite, Beverly Knight, Will Young, Jamelia, Fran Healy, Sugababes, Dido and Robbie Williams.
5 Dec 2004
U2 started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb', the bands ninth UK No.1 album. The band also went to No.1 on the US album chart giving them their sixth US No.1 album.
5 Dec 2006
Beatles lyrics handwritten by Sir Paul McCartney to an early version of Maxwell's Silver Hammer sold for $192,000 at an auction in New York. A guitar owned by Jimi Hendrix fetched $168,000, a notebook containing lyrics written by Bob Marley sold for $72,000 and a poem penned by Doors front man Jim Morrison made $49,000 at the Christie's sale.
5 Dec 2007
Robbie Williams apologized to Nigel Martin-Smith the ex-manager of Take That and agreed to pay undisclosed damages over an allegation he made about him in a song. In the lyrics of ‘The 90s’ Williams had suggested that Nigel Martin-Smith had stolen funds from the band.
5 Dec 2009
Phish played the final show of their 2009 Fall Tour at the John Paul Jones Arena at the University of Virginia. At the beginning of a first set an erratic fan proceeded to run on stage fully naked. He ran up and hugged guitarist Trey Anastasio and kissed him on the cheek. He made three laps around the stage before finally being chased down by security.
5 Dec 2011
After spending 45 weeks at the top end of the UK charts, singer Adele's second album ‘21’ become the biggest selling LP in Britain this century, surpassing the late Amy Winehouse's 2006 LP ‘Back to Black’.
5 Dec 2013
Spotify responded to critics by revealing how much acts can expect to earn from the music streaming site. The company said it paid an average of $0.007 per play, according to figures on its new website Spotify Artists, aimed specifically at musicians. Explaining its business model, Spotify said it had paid more than $1bn in royalties since its 2008 launch. Earlier this year Radiohead singer Thom Yorke pulled material from the site in protest at how much it pays artists.
5 Dec 2016
A statue of David Bowie was set to go up in the town where he first performed as Ziggy Stardust following the success of a crowdfunding campaign. More than 650 people pledged sums totaling more than the $112,000 goal, 19 hours before the deadline. The statue would be put up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where Bowie unveiled his Ziggy character.
5 Dec 2021
British rock music vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist John Miles died after a short illness age 72. Best known for his 1976 top 3 UK hit single ‘Music’. He won the ‘Outstanding Musical Achievement’ award at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards.
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