More About Music History On This Day
17 Oct 1987
The Bee Gees became the only group to have a UK No.1 single in each of the three decades, (60s, 70s & 80s), when 'You Win Again' went to No.1 on the UK singles chart. The brothers fifth and last No.1.
17 Oct 1991
American singer and television presenter Tennessee Ernie Ford died of liver failure. Had the 1955 US & UK No.1 hit with his version of the Merle Travis song ‘Sixteen Tons'. In the 60’s hosted a daytime talk show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show on the ABC television network.
17 Oct 1995
Sting's former accountant Keith Moore was sentenced to six years in jail after being found guilty of embezzling £6 million from the singer's 108 bank accounts.
17 Oct 1998
UK newspaper the Daily Star ran a story claiming that R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe had admitted that he was gay during an MTV interview shown in the US. Stipe was voicing his disgust at the killing of a young gay student in the US.
17 Oct 1999
It was reported that Michael Jackson had played a secret gig at a martial arts exhibition in Barnstaple, England. The man who had arrived in the white stretch limo was Navi, a Londoner who claims to be the world's number one Jako impersonator.
17 Oct 1999
Thomas Durden died aged 79. Wrote the lyrics to Heartbreak Hotel, one of Elvis Presley's early hits. Durden had read a newspaper account of a man who had committed suicide, the man had left a note saying, ''I walk a lonely street,'' Durden used the phrase as the basis for 'Heartbreak Hotel.’
17 Oct 2001
Songwriter and composer Jay Livingston died of pneumonia. Best known for writing hits with Ray Evans for Doris Day, (‘Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)’ and Nat King Cole, (Mona Lisa).
17 Oct 2004
Michael Jackson's long-time lawyer, Steve Cochran, left the star's defense team. Jackson who was fighting child abuse charges, said in a statement that the lawyer had taken a "temporary leave of absence" but would still "collaborate".
17 Oct 2005
Freddie Mercury's 1974 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow failed to sell in an eBay auction, having not met its reserve price. It had been listed by his sister, Kashmira Cooke, who had inherited the car from him. The auction had attracted nearly 200 bids and exceeded $93,000. The luxury vehicle had not appeared in public since 2002, when it had been used to transport the Bulsara family to the premiere of the Queen stage musical, We Will Rock You. It came with a box of Kleenex Mansize tissues left in the car by Freddie.
17 Oct 2007
US singer Teresa Brewer died aged 76. She was one of the most popular US pop singers of the 1950s scoring hits such as ‘Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now’ and ‘Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.’ She also sang with Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Wynton Marsalis.
17 Oct 2008
Four Tops singer Levi Stubbs died at his Detroit home, aged 72. Stubbs had been in ill health since being diagnosed with cancer in 1995 and a stroke and other health problems led him to stop touring in 2000. The group signed with Motown Records in 1963 and produced 20 Top 40 hits over the following 10 years, making music history with other acts in Berry Gordy's Motown stable.
17 Oct 2008
Madonna and Guy Ritchie announced that their seven-year marriage was over because they had drifted apart. The press reported that without a pre-nuptial agreement, Ritchie could be looking at up to 50million of Madonna’s 300million fortune.
17 Oct 2009
Johnny Depp presented Keith Richards with the 'Rock Immortal' Award at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California, as part of this year's Scream Awards.
17 Oct 2014
The British Phonograph Institute (BPI) announced that its latest figures showed that almost 800,000 vinyl albums had been sold in the UK for the first nine months of 2014, significantly ahead of last year's nine-month total.
17 Oct 2017
Canadian rock musician Gord Downie died of glioblastoma aged 53. He was the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip as well as releasing six solo albums. The bands final concert was held at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario, on August 20 2016 and was broadcast and streamed live by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on television, radio and internet. It was viewed by an estimated 11.7 million people.
The Bee Gees became the only group to have a UK No.1 single in each of the three decades, (60s, 70s & 80s), when 'You Win Again' went to No.1 on the UK singles chart. The brothers fifth and last No.1.
17 Oct 1991
American singer and television presenter Tennessee Ernie Ford died of liver failure. Had the 1955 US & UK No.1 hit with his version of the Merle Travis song ‘Sixteen Tons'. In the 60’s hosted a daytime talk show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show on the ABC television network.
17 Oct 1995
Sting's former accountant Keith Moore was sentenced to six years in jail after being found guilty of embezzling £6 million from the singer's 108 bank accounts.
17 Oct 1998
UK newspaper the Daily Star ran a story claiming that R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe had admitted that he was gay during an MTV interview shown in the US. Stipe was voicing his disgust at the killing of a young gay student in the US.
17 Oct 1999
It was reported that Michael Jackson had played a secret gig at a martial arts exhibition in Barnstaple, England. The man who had arrived in the white stretch limo was Navi, a Londoner who claims to be the world's number one Jako impersonator.
17 Oct 1999
Thomas Durden died aged 79. Wrote the lyrics to Heartbreak Hotel, one of Elvis Presley's early hits. Durden had read a newspaper account of a man who had committed suicide, the man had left a note saying, ''I walk a lonely street,'' Durden used the phrase as the basis for 'Heartbreak Hotel.’
17 Oct 2001
Songwriter and composer Jay Livingston died of pneumonia. Best known for writing hits with Ray Evans for Doris Day, (‘Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)’ and Nat King Cole, (Mona Lisa).
17 Oct 2004
Michael Jackson's long-time lawyer, Steve Cochran, left the star's defense team. Jackson who was fighting child abuse charges, said in a statement that the lawyer had taken a "temporary leave of absence" but would still "collaborate".
17 Oct 2005
Freddie Mercury's 1974 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow failed to sell in an eBay auction, having not met its reserve price. It had been listed by his sister, Kashmira Cooke, who had inherited the car from him. The auction had attracted nearly 200 bids and exceeded $93,000. The luxury vehicle had not appeared in public since 2002, when it had been used to transport the Bulsara family to the premiere of the Queen stage musical, We Will Rock You. It came with a box of Kleenex Mansize tissues left in the car by Freddie.
17 Oct 2007
US singer Teresa Brewer died aged 76. She was one of the most popular US pop singers of the 1950s scoring hits such as ‘Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now’ and ‘Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.’ She also sang with Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Wynton Marsalis.
17 Oct 2008
Four Tops singer Levi Stubbs died at his Detroit home, aged 72. Stubbs had been in ill health since being diagnosed with cancer in 1995 and a stroke and other health problems led him to stop touring in 2000. The group signed with Motown Records in 1963 and produced 20 Top 40 hits over the following 10 years, making music history with other acts in Berry Gordy's Motown stable.
17 Oct 2008
Madonna and Guy Ritchie announced that their seven-year marriage was over because they had drifted apart. The press reported that without a pre-nuptial agreement, Ritchie could be looking at up to 50million of Madonna’s 300million fortune.
17 Oct 2009
Johnny Depp presented Keith Richards with the 'Rock Immortal' Award at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California, as part of this year's Scream Awards.
17 Oct 2014
The British Phonograph Institute (BPI) announced that its latest figures showed that almost 800,000 vinyl albums had been sold in the UK for the first nine months of 2014, significantly ahead of last year's nine-month total.
17 Oct 2017
Canadian rock musician Gord Downie died of glioblastoma aged 53. He was the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip as well as releasing six solo albums. The bands final concert was held at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario, on August 20 2016 and was broadcast and streamed live by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on television, radio and internet. It was viewed by an estimated 11.7 million people.
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