More About Music History On This Day
30 Apr 1983
Michael Jackson started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Beat It', his fifth solo US No.1. The third single from the singer's Thriller album featured Eddie Van Halen on the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but Halen was prevented by his record label from appearing in the music video.
30 Apr 1983
American Blues legend Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) died in his sleep at his home in Westmont, Illinois, aged 68. Major influence of many acts, Cream, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones named themselves after Waters' 1950 song 'Rollin' Stone.' Best known songs include 'I Just Want To Make Love To You', 'I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man', 'Got My Mojo Working.'
30 Apr 1988
S'Express were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Theme From S'Express'. One of the landmarks of early acid house and late 1980s sampling culture, the British track sampled Rose Royce, TZ's 'I Got the Hots for You' and the count-in 'Uno, dos, uno, dos, tres, quatro' is from Debbie Harry's 1985 single 'Feel the Spin'.
30 Apr 1990
Prince played a concert at Rupert's Night-club, Minneapolis. The $100 a head ticket proceeds all went to the family of his former bodyguard Charles 'Big Chick' Huntsberry, who had died from a heart attack.
30 Apr 1991
Nirvana signed a recording contract with Geffen's DGC label for $290,000.
30 Apr 1999
Nazareth drummer Darrell Sweet died aged 52, after suffering a fatal heart attack before a show in New Albany, Indiana. Nazareth had the 1973 UK No.9 single 'Broken Down Angel' 1976 US No. 8 single 'Love Hurts'.
30 Apr 2004
New child abuse charges were made against Michael Jackson including a count of conspiracy, covering allegations of child abduction, extortion and false imprisonment. A new court date of May 28th, 2004 was set.
30 Apr 2005
American guitarist Norma-Jean Wofford died. Known as 'The Duchess', she worked with Bo Diddley as a Bo-ette from 1962 to 1966. (Diddley was one of the first artists to have female musicians in his group).
30 Apr 2005
The Dave Matthews Band agreed to pay $200,000 after their tour bus dumped human waste on a boatload of tourists in Chicago in August 2004. Bus driver Stefan Wohl who was alone on board the bus at the time the sewage was dumped was fined $10,000, the band had already donated $100,000 to two group's that protect the Chicago River and its surrounding area. The Dave Matthews Band offered their "deepest apologies" to more than 100 boat passengers who were on an architectural tour.
30 Apr 2008
Gail Renard, who was given the handwritten lyrics to 'Give Peace A Chance' by John Lennon in 1969, announced plans to sell the lyric sheet at a Christie's auction. At the time, Lennon told Renard to hang on to the piece of paper, saying "It will be worth something someday." The piece of music history was expected to fetch around $400,000, but when it was actually sold in July of this year, it went for $790,000.
30 Apr 2008
Mariah Carey married actor Nick Cannon in the Bahamas following a whirlwind two-month romance. The pop diva met Cannon, 27, while shooting the music video for her single 'Bye Bye.' It was the second marriage for Carey, who married Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola in 1993, which ended in 1998.
30 Apr 2014
Guitarist Wilko Johnson had a major operation in an attempt to treat his pancreatic cancer. Johnson was diagnosed at the end of 2012 and was given 10 months to live after rejecting chemotherapy. Johnson told Q magazine that a cancer doctor had become curious as to why he wasn't dead. And why I wasn't even sick which resulted in more tests.
30 Apr 2015
Ben E King, (Benjmin Earl Nelson), soul and R&B singer with The Drifters, died at the Hackensack University Medical Center at the age of 76. The Drifters had the 1960 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Save The Last Dance For Me', and King scored the the 1987 UK No.1 solo single 'Stand By Me', (first released in 1961).
30 Apr 2019
English musician Boon Gould died age 64. He was one of the four founding members of Level 42 who scored the 1986 hit 'Lessons in Love', which reached No.3 on the UK Singles Chart, and No.12 on the US chart.
30 Apr 2019
American concert promoter and media personality Russ Gibb died. He was best known for his role in the "Paul McCartney is dead" phenomenon, a story he broke as a disc jockey on radio station WKNR-FM in Detroit. As a promotor around the Detroit music scene he was instrumental in giving the MC5, Ted Nugent and Iggy Pop their start.
Michael Jackson started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Beat It', his fifth solo US No.1. The third single from the singer's Thriller album featured Eddie Van Halen on the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but Halen was prevented by his record label from appearing in the music video.
30 Apr 1983
American Blues legend Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) died in his sleep at his home in Westmont, Illinois, aged 68. Major influence of many acts, Cream, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones named themselves after Waters' 1950 song 'Rollin' Stone.' Best known songs include 'I Just Want To Make Love To You', 'I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man', 'Got My Mojo Working.'
30 Apr 1988
S'Express were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Theme From S'Express'. One of the landmarks of early acid house and late 1980s sampling culture, the British track sampled Rose Royce, TZ's 'I Got the Hots for You' and the count-in 'Uno, dos, uno, dos, tres, quatro' is from Debbie Harry's 1985 single 'Feel the Spin'.
30 Apr 1990
Prince played a concert at Rupert's Night-club, Minneapolis. The $100 a head ticket proceeds all went to the family of his former bodyguard Charles 'Big Chick' Huntsberry, who had died from a heart attack.
30 Apr 1991
Nirvana signed a recording contract with Geffen's DGC label for $290,000.
30 Apr 1999
Nazareth drummer Darrell Sweet died aged 52, after suffering a fatal heart attack before a show in New Albany, Indiana. Nazareth had the 1973 UK No.9 single 'Broken Down Angel' 1976 US No. 8 single 'Love Hurts'.
30 Apr 2004
New child abuse charges were made against Michael Jackson including a count of conspiracy, covering allegations of child abduction, extortion and false imprisonment. A new court date of May 28th, 2004 was set.
30 Apr 2005
American guitarist Norma-Jean Wofford died. Known as 'The Duchess', she worked with Bo Diddley as a Bo-ette from 1962 to 1966. (Diddley was one of the first artists to have female musicians in his group).
30 Apr 2005
The Dave Matthews Band agreed to pay $200,000 after their tour bus dumped human waste on a boatload of tourists in Chicago in August 2004. Bus driver Stefan Wohl who was alone on board the bus at the time the sewage was dumped was fined $10,000, the band had already donated $100,000 to two group's that protect the Chicago River and its surrounding area. The Dave Matthews Band offered their "deepest apologies" to more than 100 boat passengers who were on an architectural tour.
30 Apr 2008
Gail Renard, who was given the handwritten lyrics to 'Give Peace A Chance' by John Lennon in 1969, announced plans to sell the lyric sheet at a Christie's auction. At the time, Lennon told Renard to hang on to the piece of paper, saying "It will be worth something someday." The piece of music history was expected to fetch around $400,000, but when it was actually sold in July of this year, it went for $790,000.
30 Apr 2008
Mariah Carey married actor Nick Cannon in the Bahamas following a whirlwind two-month romance. The pop diva met Cannon, 27, while shooting the music video for her single 'Bye Bye.' It was the second marriage for Carey, who married Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola in 1993, which ended in 1998.
30 Apr 2014
Guitarist Wilko Johnson had a major operation in an attempt to treat his pancreatic cancer. Johnson was diagnosed at the end of 2012 and was given 10 months to live after rejecting chemotherapy. Johnson told Q magazine that a cancer doctor had become curious as to why he wasn't dead. And why I wasn't even sick which resulted in more tests.
30 Apr 2015
Ben E King, (Benjmin Earl Nelson), soul and R&B singer with The Drifters, died at the Hackensack University Medical Center at the age of 76. The Drifters had the 1960 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Save The Last Dance For Me', and King scored the the 1987 UK No.1 solo single 'Stand By Me', (first released in 1961).
30 Apr 2019
English musician Boon Gould died age 64. He was one of the four founding members of Level 42 who scored the 1986 hit 'Lessons in Love', which reached No.3 on the UK Singles Chart, and No.12 on the US chart.
30 Apr 2019
American concert promoter and media personality Russ Gibb died. He was best known for his role in the "Paul McCartney is dead" phenomenon, a story he broke as a disc jockey on radio station WKNR-FM in Detroit. As a promotor around the Detroit music scene he was instrumental in giving the MC5, Ted Nugent and Iggy Pop their start.
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