More About Music History On This Day
6 May 1995
Oasis scored their first UK No.1 single when 'Some Might Say' went to the top of the UK charts. It was the first single to be released from the Manchester bands second album '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' And the last Oasis track to feature original drummer Tony McCarroll.
6 May 2002
American songwriter and producer Otis Blackwell died from a heart attack. He wrote the classic songs ‘All Shook Up’, ‘Return To Sender’, ‘Don't Be Cruel’, ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ and ‘Fever.’ Over the years, Blackwell's songs have sold more than 185 million copies.
6 May 2002
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen was voted the UK's favorite single of all time in a poll by the Guinness Hit Singles book. 'Imagine' by John Lennon was voted in at No.2 and ‘Hey Jude’, The Beatles No.3, 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA was fourth and Madonna 'Like A Prayer' was in fifth place.
6 May 2003
After the controversy regarding Dixie Chicks member Natalie Maines’ comments about President George W. Bush and the Iraq war, a Colorado radio station suspended two of its disc jockeys for playing music by Dixie Chicks.
6 May 2004
A sale at Christie's in London, England became the most successful pop auction in the company's history after Beatles memorabilia sold for a record $788,643. The auction included a leather collar worn by John Lennon which sold for $117,250. A signed copy of a management deal with The Beatles and manager Brian Epstein sold for $122,850. A Vox Kensington guitar used by Lennon and Harrison went for $100,000. Also sold - a colored felt-pen drawing by Lennon $10,000, a letter with his signature $5,500, and a pen-and-ink drawing called Happy Fish $9,500.
6 May 2004
American jazz guitarist Barney Kessel died of a brain tumor aged of 80. He was a member of the the Wrecking Crew and was also a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio and worked with Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke and many others. He appeared on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album.
6 May 2005
US coffee shop chain Starbucks banned the sale of Bruce Springsteen's latest album Devils and Dust over concerns about its adult content. The retailer - which stocked CDs at its branches in the US - said it would be promoting other albums instead.
6 May 2006
The Go-Betweens singer, songwriter Grant McLennan died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane, Australia, aged 48. The Australasian Performing Right Association named his 1983 song 'Cattle and Cane' as one of the 30 greatest Australian songs of all time.
6 May 2006
During a UK tour, Morrissey played at The Apollo Manchester on the first of three nights at three different venues in his home city of Manchester. The singer then appeared at Manchester Opera House the following night and then at Manchester Bridgewater Hall on the 8th May.
6 May 2008
Babyshambles front man Pete Doherty was released from Wormwood Scrubs prison in west London after serving 29 days of a 14-week sentence for breaching the terms of his probation. The singer told reporters that he was glad to be out and was looking forward to having a drink and spending some time with his pet cats.
6 May 2009
A former publicist for Michael Jackson was suing the singer for $44m (£29m) for his alleged failure to pay her for her services. Raymone Bain said Mr Jackson had agreed to give her 10% of any business deals arranged with her assistance. Ms Bain acted as Mr Jackson's publicist during his 2005 trial for child abuse.
6 May 2013
Lauryn Hill was sentenced in the US state of New Jersey to three months in jail for tax evasion. The 37-year-old Grammy-winning singer had failed to pay taxes on about $1.8m of earnings between 2005-07. In a statement to the judge, Hill said she had intended to pay the taxes but could not after withdrawing from public life and ending her music career to raise her children. Hill has six children, five of whom she had with Rohan Marley, the son of Bob Marley.
6 May 2015
British-Jamaican singer and songwriter Errol Brown, best known as the of the soul and funk band Hot Chocolate died of liver cancer at his home in the Bahamas. Their hits included 'You Sexy Thing', 'So You Win Again' and 'Brother Louie'. His break in music came in 1969 when he recorded a version of 'Give Peace a Chance' with some friends. Unable to change the lyrics without John Lennon's permission, he sent a copy to his record label, Apple, and the song was released with Lennon's approval.
6 May 2015
The results of the evolution of western pop music, spanning from 1960 to 2010, was published in The Royal Society Open Science Journal. The scientists who looked at more than 17,000 songs found three music revolutions - in 1964, 1983 and 1991. In 1964 the invasion of British bands introduced a radical new rocky sound. Synthesizers, samplers and drum machines, drove a second major style shift in 1983. The third, in 1991, came about when rap and hip-hop went mainstream. The team also refuted claims that pop music was starting to sound the same.
6 May 2020
Florian Schneider, co-founder of the highly influential electronic pop group Kraftwerk, died at the age of 73. The German quartet set the template for synthesizer music in the 1970s and 80s with songs like 'Autobahn' and 'The Model'.
6 May 2020
English rock singer Brian Howe died of cardiac arrest age 66. He is best known for replacing Paul Rodgers as the lead vocalist of Bad Company. Howe's career was jump-started in 1983 when Ted Nugent recruited him to handle lead vocals for his Penetrator album and front its subsequent world tour.
6 May 2021
American gospel, soul, and R&B singer Pervis Staples died suddenly in his home in Dolton, Illinois, at the age of 85. The Staple Singers are best known for their 1970s hits ‘Respect Yourself’, ‘I'll Take You There’, ‘If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)’, and ‘Let's Do It Again’.
Oasis scored their first UK No.1 single when 'Some Might Say' went to the top of the UK charts. It was the first single to be released from the Manchester bands second album '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' And the last Oasis track to feature original drummer Tony McCarroll.
6 May 2002
American songwriter and producer Otis Blackwell died from a heart attack. He wrote the classic songs ‘All Shook Up’, ‘Return To Sender’, ‘Don't Be Cruel’, ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ and ‘Fever.’ Over the years, Blackwell's songs have sold more than 185 million copies.
6 May 2002
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen was voted the UK's favorite single of all time in a poll by the Guinness Hit Singles book. 'Imagine' by John Lennon was voted in at No.2 and ‘Hey Jude’, The Beatles No.3, 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA was fourth and Madonna 'Like A Prayer' was in fifth place.
6 May 2003
After the controversy regarding Dixie Chicks member Natalie Maines’ comments about President George W. Bush and the Iraq war, a Colorado radio station suspended two of its disc jockeys for playing music by Dixie Chicks.
6 May 2004
A sale at Christie's in London, England became the most successful pop auction in the company's history after Beatles memorabilia sold for a record $788,643. The auction included a leather collar worn by John Lennon which sold for $117,250. A signed copy of a management deal with The Beatles and manager Brian Epstein sold for $122,850. A Vox Kensington guitar used by Lennon and Harrison went for $100,000. Also sold - a colored felt-pen drawing by Lennon $10,000, a letter with his signature $5,500, and a pen-and-ink drawing called Happy Fish $9,500.
6 May 2004
American jazz guitarist Barney Kessel died of a brain tumor aged of 80. He was a member of the the Wrecking Crew and was also a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio and worked with Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke and many others. He appeared on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album.
6 May 2005
US coffee shop chain Starbucks banned the sale of Bruce Springsteen's latest album Devils and Dust over concerns about its adult content. The retailer - which stocked CDs at its branches in the US - said it would be promoting other albums instead.
6 May 2006
The Go-Betweens singer, songwriter Grant McLennan died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane, Australia, aged 48. The Australasian Performing Right Association named his 1983 song 'Cattle and Cane' as one of the 30 greatest Australian songs of all time.
6 May 2006
During a UK tour, Morrissey played at The Apollo Manchester on the first of three nights at three different venues in his home city of Manchester. The singer then appeared at Manchester Opera House the following night and then at Manchester Bridgewater Hall on the 8th May.
6 May 2008
Babyshambles front man Pete Doherty was released from Wormwood Scrubs prison in west London after serving 29 days of a 14-week sentence for breaching the terms of his probation. The singer told reporters that he was glad to be out and was looking forward to having a drink and spending some time with his pet cats.
6 May 2009
A former publicist for Michael Jackson was suing the singer for $44m (£29m) for his alleged failure to pay her for her services. Raymone Bain said Mr Jackson had agreed to give her 10% of any business deals arranged with her assistance. Ms Bain acted as Mr Jackson's publicist during his 2005 trial for child abuse.
6 May 2013
Lauryn Hill was sentenced in the US state of New Jersey to three months in jail for tax evasion. The 37-year-old Grammy-winning singer had failed to pay taxes on about $1.8m of earnings between 2005-07. In a statement to the judge, Hill said she had intended to pay the taxes but could not after withdrawing from public life and ending her music career to raise her children. Hill has six children, five of whom she had with Rohan Marley, the son of Bob Marley.
6 May 2015
British-Jamaican singer and songwriter Errol Brown, best known as the of the soul and funk band Hot Chocolate died of liver cancer at his home in the Bahamas. Their hits included 'You Sexy Thing', 'So You Win Again' and 'Brother Louie'. His break in music came in 1969 when he recorded a version of 'Give Peace a Chance' with some friends. Unable to change the lyrics without John Lennon's permission, he sent a copy to his record label, Apple, and the song was released with Lennon's approval.
6 May 2015
The results of the evolution of western pop music, spanning from 1960 to 2010, was published in The Royal Society Open Science Journal. The scientists who looked at more than 17,000 songs found three music revolutions - in 1964, 1983 and 1991. In 1964 the invasion of British bands introduced a radical new rocky sound. Synthesizers, samplers and drum machines, drove a second major style shift in 1983. The third, in 1991, came about when rap and hip-hop went mainstream. The team also refuted claims that pop music was starting to sound the same.
6 May 2020
Florian Schneider, co-founder of the highly influential electronic pop group Kraftwerk, died at the age of 73. The German quartet set the template for synthesizer music in the 1970s and 80s with songs like 'Autobahn' and 'The Model'.
6 May 2020
English rock singer Brian Howe died of cardiac arrest age 66. He is best known for replacing Paul Rodgers as the lead vocalist of Bad Company. Howe's career was jump-started in 1983 when Ted Nugent recruited him to handle lead vocals for his Penetrator album and front its subsequent world tour.
6 May 2021
American gospel, soul, and R&B singer Pervis Staples died suddenly in his home in Dolton, Illinois, at the age of 85. The Staple Singers are best known for their 1970s hits ‘Respect Yourself’, ‘I'll Take You There’, ‘If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)’, and ‘Let's Do It Again’.
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