More About Music History On This Day
20 Mar 1968
Eric Clapton Neil Young, Richie Furay and Jim Mesina, were arrested in Los Angeles for 'being at a place where it was suspected marijuana was being used.' Clapton was later found innocent, the others paid small fines.
20 Mar 1969
John Lennon married Yoko Ono in Gibraltar. They spent their honeymoon in Amsterdam campaigning for an international 'Bed-In' for peace. They planned another 'Bed-in' in the United States,but were denied entry. The couple then went to Montreal, and during a 'Bed-in' at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel recorded ‘Give Peace a Chance’. Lennon also detailed this period in The Beatles ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’, recorded by Lennon and McCartney on April 14, 1969.
20 Mar 1970
David Bowie and Angela Bowie were married at Beckenham Registry Office, London. The couple had one child, film director Duncan Jones. They divorced in 1980.
20 Mar 1971
At their own expense The Rolling Stones placed full page advertisements in all the UK's music papers disclaiming any connection with the release of the Decca album Stone Age, saying 'in our opinion the content is below the standard we try to keep.'
20 Mar 1971
Janis Joplin started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with her version of the Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster song 'Me And Bobby McGee.' Joplin, who was a lover and a friend of Kristofferson's from the beginning of her career to her death, changed the sex and a few of the lyrics in her cover. Kristofferson states he did not write this song for her, but the song is associated with her - especially, he has said, in the line 'Somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away.' Joplin died of a drug overdose the year before on 4th October, aged 27.
20 Mar 1973
Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Com On Feel The Noize', the group's fourth UK No.1.
20 Mar 1976
Status Quo started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their third No.1 album Blue For You. The bands record label set up a deal with Levi Jeans, advertising in over 6,000 clothes shops to help promote the album.
20 Mar 1977
Lou Reed was banned from appearing The London Palladium in England because of his punk image.
20 Mar 1977
T Rex played their final ever gig when they appeared at The Locarno in Portsmouth, England.
20 Mar 1980
28-year-old Joseph Riviera held up the Asylum Records office in New York and demanded to see either Jackson Browne or the Eagles. Riviera wanted to talk to them to see if they would finance his trucking operation. He gave him-self up when told that neither act was in the office at the time.
20 Mar 1982
Joan Jett And The Blackhearts started a seven-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll', a No.4 hit in the UK. The song had been a B-side from 60s bands The Arrows.
20 Mar 1990
Gloria Estefan's tour bus was rammed by a tractor-trailer on the way to a concert. Emilio Estefan and their son Nayib were injured; Gloria suffered a serious back injury, which required an operation two days later.
20 Mar 1991
Eric Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, fell to his death from the 53rd story of a New York City apartment after a housekeeper who was cleaning the room left a window open. The boy was in the custody of his mother, Italian actress, Lori Del Santo and the pair were visiting a friend's apartment. Clapton was staying in a nearby hotel after taking his son to the circus the previous evening. The tragedy inspired his song ‘Tears in Heaven’.
20 Mar 1991
Michael Jackson signed a $1 billion (£0.6 billion) contract with Sony, the richest deal in recording history.
20 Mar 1993
Shaggy was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Oh Carolina', the Jamaican singer's first of four UK No.1's.
20 Mar 1997
UK police were investigating singer Mark Morrison after they discovered he had sent a friend to carry out his community service, a sentence he was given after being involved in a fight.
20 Mar 2001
Jon, Paul and Bradley from pop group S Club 7 were apprehended by police as they walked through Covent Garden, London, openly smoking a marijuana joint. They were taken to Charring Cross police station where they were held for four hours.
20 Mar 2002
The Daily Mail newspaper reported that Robbie Williams had become a priest. He was ordained via the Internet by the non-denominational Universal Ministries and officiated the wedding of Billy Morrison from rock band The Cult and Jennifer Holliday.
20 Mar 2015
American drummer A. J. Pero died from an apparent heart attack. He was a member of Twisted Sister and Adrenaline Mob. Adrenaline Mob's band members attempted but failed to wake Pero on their tour bus traveling from Baltimore to Poughkeepsie.
20 Mar 2017
Ed Sheeran was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Shape of You'. The song peaked at No.1 on the singles charts of 34 countries, including the US Billboard Hot 100. In December 2018, the song became the first song to hit 2 billion streams and the most streamed song on Spotify. 'Shape of You' also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
20 Mar 2020
Kenny Rogers, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur died age 81. He charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the US alone. He was voted the "Favorite Singer of All-Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.
Eric Clapton Neil Young, Richie Furay and Jim Mesina, were arrested in Los Angeles for 'being at a place where it was suspected marijuana was being used.' Clapton was later found innocent, the others paid small fines.
20 Mar 1969
John Lennon married Yoko Ono in Gibraltar. They spent their honeymoon in Amsterdam campaigning for an international 'Bed-In' for peace. They planned another 'Bed-in' in the United States,but were denied entry. The couple then went to Montreal, and during a 'Bed-in' at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel recorded ‘Give Peace a Chance’. Lennon also detailed this period in The Beatles ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’, recorded by Lennon and McCartney on April 14, 1969.
20 Mar 1970
David Bowie and Angela Bowie were married at Beckenham Registry Office, London. The couple had one child, film director Duncan Jones. They divorced in 1980.
20 Mar 1971
At their own expense The Rolling Stones placed full page advertisements in all the UK's music papers disclaiming any connection with the release of the Decca album Stone Age, saying 'in our opinion the content is below the standard we try to keep.'
20 Mar 1971
Janis Joplin started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with her version of the Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster song 'Me And Bobby McGee.' Joplin, who was a lover and a friend of Kristofferson's from the beginning of her career to her death, changed the sex and a few of the lyrics in her cover. Kristofferson states he did not write this song for her, but the song is associated with her - especially, he has said, in the line 'Somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away.' Joplin died of a drug overdose the year before on 4th October, aged 27.
20 Mar 1973
Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Com On Feel The Noize', the group's fourth UK No.1.
20 Mar 1976
Status Quo started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their third No.1 album Blue For You. The bands record label set up a deal with Levi Jeans, advertising in over 6,000 clothes shops to help promote the album.
20 Mar 1977
Lou Reed was banned from appearing The London Palladium in England because of his punk image.
20 Mar 1977
T Rex played their final ever gig when they appeared at The Locarno in Portsmouth, England.
20 Mar 1980
28-year-old Joseph Riviera held up the Asylum Records office in New York and demanded to see either Jackson Browne or the Eagles. Riviera wanted to talk to them to see if they would finance his trucking operation. He gave him-self up when told that neither act was in the office at the time.
20 Mar 1982
Joan Jett And The Blackhearts started a seven-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll', a No.4 hit in the UK. The song had been a B-side from 60s bands The Arrows.
20 Mar 1990
Gloria Estefan's tour bus was rammed by a tractor-trailer on the way to a concert. Emilio Estefan and their son Nayib were injured; Gloria suffered a serious back injury, which required an operation two days later.
20 Mar 1991
Eric Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, fell to his death from the 53rd story of a New York City apartment after a housekeeper who was cleaning the room left a window open. The boy was in the custody of his mother, Italian actress, Lori Del Santo and the pair were visiting a friend's apartment. Clapton was staying in a nearby hotel after taking his son to the circus the previous evening. The tragedy inspired his song ‘Tears in Heaven’.
20 Mar 1991
Michael Jackson signed a $1 billion (£0.6 billion) contract with Sony, the richest deal in recording history.
20 Mar 1993
Shaggy was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Oh Carolina', the Jamaican singer's first of four UK No.1's.
20 Mar 1997
UK police were investigating singer Mark Morrison after they discovered he had sent a friend to carry out his community service, a sentence he was given after being involved in a fight.
20 Mar 2001
Jon, Paul and Bradley from pop group S Club 7 were apprehended by police as they walked through Covent Garden, London, openly smoking a marijuana joint. They were taken to Charring Cross police station where they were held for four hours.
20 Mar 2002
The Daily Mail newspaper reported that Robbie Williams had become a priest. He was ordained via the Internet by the non-denominational Universal Ministries and officiated the wedding of Billy Morrison from rock band The Cult and Jennifer Holliday.
20 Mar 2015
American drummer A. J. Pero died from an apparent heart attack. He was a member of Twisted Sister and Adrenaline Mob. Adrenaline Mob's band members attempted but failed to wake Pero on their tour bus traveling from Baltimore to Poughkeepsie.
20 Mar 2017
Ed Sheeran was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Shape of You'. The song peaked at No.1 on the singles charts of 34 countries, including the US Billboard Hot 100. In December 2018, the song became the first song to hit 2 billion streams and the most streamed song on Spotify. 'Shape of You' also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
20 Mar 2020
Kenny Rogers, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur died age 81. He charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the US alone. He was voted the "Favorite Singer of All-Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.
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