More About Music History On This Day
5 Nov 1983
Billy Joel was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Uptown Girl', which stayed at the top of the chars for five weeks. The song was initially written about his relationship with his then-girlfriend Elle Macpherson, but it ended up also becoming about his soon-to-be wife Christie Brinkley (both women being two of the most famous supermodels of the 1980s).
5 Nov 1986
Bobby Nunn of The Coasters died of heart failure in Los Angeles. The Coasters scored the 1958 US No.1 single 'Yakety Yak', 1959 US No.2 and UK No.6 single 'Charlie Brown' as well as 'Young Blood' and 'Poison Ivy'.
5 Nov 1988
The Beach Boys went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Kokomo', it peaked at No.25 in the UK. The track had been featured in the film Cocktail.
5 Nov 1988
'The Locomotion', became the first song to reach the US Top 5 in three different versions, when Kylie Minogue's reached No.3 on the US chart. Written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the song is notable for appearing in the American Top 5 three times – each time in a different decade: for Little Eva in 1962 and for Grand Funk Railroad in 1974.
5 Nov 1989
Former US Army Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler died at a Veterans Administration hospital in Nashville from complications brought on by an un-explained gunshot wound to the head, suffered 14 months earlier in Guatemala City. Sadler is best remembered for his hit 'The Ballad of the Green Berets', which stayed on top of the chart for five weeks in 1966. He was 49 years old at time of his death.
5 Nov 1994
Sheryl Crow scored her first UK Top 10 single when 'All I Wanna Do' entered the charts at No.4. The US singer songwriter went on to become the first US female to score six UK hits off her debut album Tuesday Night Music Club.
5 Nov 1998
Former Smiths singer Morrissey lost an appeal ruling that all band profits should have been split equally and faced a backdated payout to former Smiths member Mike Joyce estimated at £1million.
5 Nov 2000
U2 went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'All That You Can't Leave Behind', the Irish group's 8th UK No.1 album. Creed was at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'With Arms Wide Open'.
5 Nov 2002
The funeral took place of Jam Master Jay, (Jason Mizell) from Run-DMC who was murdered by an assassin's single bullet on 30th October 2002. A $30,000 reward was offered in connection with the murder, to this day nobody has ever been convicted of the killing.
5 Nov 2003
Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers was found dead in hotel room in Michigan 30 minutes before he was due on stage, aged 63. The autopsy report from the Kalamazoo County Medical Examiner gave the opinion that Hatfield suffered a sudden, unexpected death due to acute cocaine toxicity. The Righteous Brothers had the 1965 UK & US No.1 single 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', and the 1990 UK No.1 single 'Unchained Melody' first released in 1965.
5 Nov 2005
Guitarist Link Wray died aged 76. Wray was credited with inventing 'fuzz' guitar after punching a hole in a speaker giving him a distorted guitar sound. Famous for his 1958 US No.16 single 'Rumble' which was banned on several radio stations, on the grounds that it glorified juvenile delinquency. A rare feat for a song with no lyrics.
5 Nov 2010
Keith Richards' autobiography Life was at No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list. The book by The Rolling Stones guitarist went on to be a million seller.
5 Nov 2012
To mark the 60th anniversary of the UK singles chart the Official Charts Company published a chart which lists all the 123 songs that have sold more than a million copies since it began in 1952. Elton John was at No.1 with Candle In The Wind, No.2 was Band Aid with Do They Know It's Christmas? followed by Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody on 2.36million copies.
5 Nov 2013
Lady Gaga split from Troy Carter, who had managed her since 2007. Carter was credited with masterminding some of Gaga’s success, including her massive social media audience. She had 60 million Facebook fans and was amongst the top figures on Twitter with 40 million followers.
5 Nov 2014
The funeral for Jack Bruce was held in London, attended by Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and noted musicians Phil Manzanera, Gary Brooker, Vernon Reid and Nitin Sawhney among others. Dozens assembled at the Golders Green Crematorium paying a last tribute singing "Morning Has Broken", "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Theme for an Imaginary Western". The Scottish-born bass player and singer had died last month as a result of liver disease.
5 Nov 2017
American singer Robert Knight died age 72. He is best known for the 1967 US Top 20 hit 'Everlasting Love'. In the UK the song was an even bigger hit the following year when a version by Love Affair reached No.1, preventing Knight's version from progressing further than No. 40.
Born on this day
Billy Joel was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Uptown Girl', which stayed at the top of the chars for five weeks. The song was initially written about his relationship with his then-girlfriend Elle Macpherson, but it ended up also becoming about his soon-to-be wife Christie Brinkley (both women being two of the most famous supermodels of the 1980s).
5 Nov 1986
Bobby Nunn of The Coasters died of heart failure in Los Angeles. The Coasters scored the 1958 US No.1 single 'Yakety Yak', 1959 US No.2 and UK No.6 single 'Charlie Brown' as well as 'Young Blood' and 'Poison Ivy'.
5 Nov 1988
The Beach Boys went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Kokomo', it peaked at No.25 in the UK. The track had been featured in the film Cocktail.
5 Nov 1988
'The Locomotion', became the first song to reach the US Top 5 in three different versions, when Kylie Minogue's reached No.3 on the US chart. Written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the song is notable for appearing in the American Top 5 three times – each time in a different decade: for Little Eva in 1962 and for Grand Funk Railroad in 1974.
5 Nov 1989
Former US Army Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler died at a Veterans Administration hospital in Nashville from complications brought on by an un-explained gunshot wound to the head, suffered 14 months earlier in Guatemala City. Sadler is best remembered for his hit 'The Ballad of the Green Berets', which stayed on top of the chart for five weeks in 1966. He was 49 years old at time of his death.
5 Nov 1994
Sheryl Crow scored her first UK Top 10 single when 'All I Wanna Do' entered the charts at No.4. The US singer songwriter went on to become the first US female to score six UK hits off her debut album Tuesday Night Music Club.
5 Nov 1998
Former Smiths singer Morrissey lost an appeal ruling that all band profits should have been split equally and faced a backdated payout to former Smiths member Mike Joyce estimated at £1million.
5 Nov 2000
U2 went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'All That You Can't Leave Behind', the Irish group's 8th UK No.1 album. Creed was at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'With Arms Wide Open'.
5 Nov 2002
The funeral took place of Jam Master Jay, (Jason Mizell) from Run-DMC who was murdered by an assassin's single bullet on 30th October 2002. A $30,000 reward was offered in connection with the murder, to this day nobody has ever been convicted of the killing.
5 Nov 2003
Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers was found dead in hotel room in Michigan 30 minutes before he was due on stage, aged 63. The autopsy report from the Kalamazoo County Medical Examiner gave the opinion that Hatfield suffered a sudden, unexpected death due to acute cocaine toxicity. The Righteous Brothers had the 1965 UK & US No.1 single 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', and the 1990 UK No.1 single 'Unchained Melody' first released in 1965.
5 Nov 2005
Guitarist Link Wray died aged 76. Wray was credited with inventing 'fuzz' guitar after punching a hole in a speaker giving him a distorted guitar sound. Famous for his 1958 US No.16 single 'Rumble' which was banned on several radio stations, on the grounds that it glorified juvenile delinquency. A rare feat for a song with no lyrics.
5 Nov 2010
Keith Richards' autobiography Life was at No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list. The book by The Rolling Stones guitarist went on to be a million seller.
5 Nov 2012
To mark the 60th anniversary of the UK singles chart the Official Charts Company published a chart which lists all the 123 songs that have sold more than a million copies since it began in 1952. Elton John was at No.1 with Candle In The Wind, No.2 was Band Aid with Do They Know It's Christmas? followed by Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody on 2.36million copies.
5 Nov 2013
Lady Gaga split from Troy Carter, who had managed her since 2007. Carter was credited with masterminding some of Gaga’s success, including her massive social media audience. She had 60 million Facebook fans and was amongst the top figures on Twitter with 40 million followers.
5 Nov 2014
The funeral for Jack Bruce was held in London, attended by Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and noted musicians Phil Manzanera, Gary Brooker, Vernon Reid and Nitin Sawhney among others. Dozens assembled at the Golders Green Crematorium paying a last tribute singing "Morning Has Broken", "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Theme for an Imaginary Western". The Scottish-born bass player and singer had died last month as a result of liver disease.
5 Nov 2017
American singer Robert Knight died age 72. He is best known for the 1967 US Top 20 hit 'Everlasting Love'. In the UK the song was an even bigger hit the following year when a version by Love Affair reached No.1, preventing Knight's version from progressing further than No. 40.
Born on this day
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