More About Music History On This Day
15 Dec 1984
Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid entered the UK chart at No.1 and stayed at the top for five weeks. It became the biggest selling UK single of all time with sales over 3 and a half million. Band Aid was masterminded by former Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, who had been moved by a TV news story of famine in Ethiopia. Geldof had the idea of raising funds with a one-off charity single featuring the cream of the current pop world. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Paul Young, Culture Club, George Michael, Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, Paul Weller, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo and Bananarama all appeared on the recording.
15 Dec 1988
Soul singer James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for various offences including possession of weapons and resisting arrest.
15 Dec 1990
Rod Stewart married New Zealand model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills. Stewart was quoted as saying 'I Found the Girl that I Want, I won't be putting my banana in anybody's fruit bowl from now on'. They split in 1999.
15 Dec 1997
'Spice World The Movie', featuring The Spice Girls premiered at The Empire, Leicester Sq, London. The following year it was nominated for the 'worst film' at the Golden Raspberry Awards.
15 Dec 1998
Backstreet Boys roadie Michael Barrett filed a $3 million lawsuit against the group claiming damages after a 50-pound cannon fell on his head during a show.
15 Dec 1999
Boy George was knocked unconscious when a mirror ball fell on his head during a show in Dorset, England.
15 Dec 1999
Former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren announced that he was running for the Mayor of London. He said he would be campaigning for brothels, pot shops and boozing in libraries. "I changed London with the Sex Pistols, I can change London as Mayor."
15 Dec 2001
Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh was given an honorary Doctorate of Music from Kent State University in Ohio.
15 Dec 2001
American funk and soul singer Rufus Thomas died of heart failure aged 84. He began his career as a tap dancer, vaudeville performer, and master of ceremonies in the 1930s. He later worked as a disc jockey on radio station WDIA in Memphis. He recorded on Sun Records in the 1950s and on Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. Thomas scored the 1963 US No.10 single 'Walking the Dog' and the 1970 UK No.18 & US No.28 single 'Do the Funky Chicken' and the 1970 hit ‘(Do the) Push and Pull (1970). A street is named in his honor, just off Beale Street in Memphis.
15 Dec 2002
Blue featuring Elton John went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.' Previously a No.11 hit for Elton in 1976. It gave Elton only his 5th No 1 after over 30 years of hits.
15 Dec 2003
Courtney Love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation after she admitted being under the influence of cocaine and opiates. She was banned from taking non-prescription drugs, drinking alcohol or being in places that serve alcohol.
15 Dec 2008
Madonna paid former husband Guy Ritchie around £50m as part of their divorce settlement. The singers US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press the figure included the value of the couple's Ashcombe home in England, and the financial part of the settlement had been worked out but custody of the couple's children had yet to be finalized.
15 Dec 2010
Various Pink Floyd items were sold at an Entertainment Memorabilia auction by Bonhams in Knightsbridge London. A demo pressing of the single 'Point Me To The Sky/Careful with That Axe Eugene' sold for $720. Pink Floyd signatures, in various blue marker pens on four separate pieces of paper mounted and framed together with a copy of The Dark Side Of The Moon sold for $624.00 and a demo pressing of the single by Syd Barrett 'Octopus' / 'Golden Hair' from 1969, misspelt 'Barratt' corrected in ink on A-side, sold for $4300.
15 Dec 2014
Taylor Swift was at No.1 on the US album chart with her fifth studio album 1989. The album eventually became the best-selling album of 2014 in the US market and had sold over 5.7 million copies by the end of 2015, while selling 9.5 million worldwide. Seven singles have been released from the set.
15 Dec 2021
American singer Wanda Young died at the age of 78. She was a member and after 1965, the lead singer of the Motown all-female singing group the Marvelettes. They gave Motown their first No.1 Pop single in late 1961 with ‘Please Mr. Postman’. The Beatles later recorded ‘Please Mr. Postman’ on their second studio album With the Beatles and in 1975, the Carpenters' remake of ‘Please Mr. Postman’ was a No.1 hit around the world.
Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid entered the UK chart at No.1 and stayed at the top for five weeks. It became the biggest selling UK single of all time with sales over 3 and a half million. Band Aid was masterminded by former Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, who had been moved by a TV news story of famine in Ethiopia. Geldof had the idea of raising funds with a one-off charity single featuring the cream of the current pop world. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Paul Young, Culture Club, George Michael, Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, Paul Weller, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo and Bananarama all appeared on the recording.
15 Dec 1988
Soul singer James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for various offences including possession of weapons and resisting arrest.
15 Dec 1990
Rod Stewart married New Zealand model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills. Stewart was quoted as saying 'I Found the Girl that I Want, I won't be putting my banana in anybody's fruit bowl from now on'. They split in 1999.
15 Dec 1997
'Spice World The Movie', featuring The Spice Girls premiered at The Empire, Leicester Sq, London. The following year it was nominated for the 'worst film' at the Golden Raspberry Awards.
15 Dec 1998
Backstreet Boys roadie Michael Barrett filed a $3 million lawsuit against the group claiming damages after a 50-pound cannon fell on his head during a show.
15 Dec 1999
Boy George was knocked unconscious when a mirror ball fell on his head during a show in Dorset, England.
15 Dec 1999
Former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren announced that he was running for the Mayor of London. He said he would be campaigning for brothels, pot shops and boozing in libraries. "I changed London with the Sex Pistols, I can change London as Mayor."
15 Dec 2001
Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh was given an honorary Doctorate of Music from Kent State University in Ohio.
15 Dec 2001
American funk and soul singer Rufus Thomas died of heart failure aged 84. He began his career as a tap dancer, vaudeville performer, and master of ceremonies in the 1930s. He later worked as a disc jockey on radio station WDIA in Memphis. He recorded on Sun Records in the 1950s and on Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. Thomas scored the 1963 US No.10 single 'Walking the Dog' and the 1970 UK No.18 & US No.28 single 'Do the Funky Chicken' and the 1970 hit ‘(Do the) Push and Pull (1970). A street is named in his honor, just off Beale Street in Memphis.
15 Dec 2002
Blue featuring Elton John went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.' Previously a No.11 hit for Elton in 1976. It gave Elton only his 5th No 1 after over 30 years of hits.
15 Dec 2003
Courtney Love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation after she admitted being under the influence of cocaine and opiates. She was banned from taking non-prescription drugs, drinking alcohol or being in places that serve alcohol.
15 Dec 2008
Madonna paid former husband Guy Ritchie around £50m as part of their divorce settlement. The singers US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press the figure included the value of the couple's Ashcombe home in England, and the financial part of the settlement had been worked out but custody of the couple's children had yet to be finalized.
15 Dec 2010
Various Pink Floyd items were sold at an Entertainment Memorabilia auction by Bonhams in Knightsbridge London. A demo pressing of the single 'Point Me To The Sky/Careful with That Axe Eugene' sold for $720. Pink Floyd signatures, in various blue marker pens on four separate pieces of paper mounted and framed together with a copy of The Dark Side Of The Moon sold for $624.00 and a demo pressing of the single by Syd Barrett 'Octopus' / 'Golden Hair' from 1969, misspelt 'Barratt' corrected in ink on A-side, sold for $4300.
15 Dec 2014
Taylor Swift was at No.1 on the US album chart with her fifth studio album 1989. The album eventually became the best-selling album of 2014 in the US market and had sold over 5.7 million copies by the end of 2015, while selling 9.5 million worldwide. Seven singles have been released from the set.
15 Dec 2021
American singer Wanda Young died at the age of 78. She was a member and after 1965, the lead singer of the Motown all-female singing group the Marvelettes. They gave Motown their first No.1 Pop single in late 1961 with ‘Please Mr. Postman’. The Beatles later recorded ‘Please Mr. Postman’ on their second studio album With the Beatles and in 1975, the Carpenters' remake of ‘Please Mr. Postman’ was a No.1 hit around the world.
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