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Today in Music

February, 24

  • 2000 The Spice Girls lose a lawsuit filed against them by Italian motorcycle manufacturing company Aprilla SpA. The battle, in London’s Hig Court, is over a sponsorship deal Aprilia claim is left in tatters after Geri Halliwell departed the group.
  • 1999 Johnny Rotten emcees VH1’s live Grammy coverage – a two-hour pre-show and 30-minute post-show wrap at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
  • 1998 Despite a slight mix up in introduction, Elton John is honored to receive knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. Even though he is announced as “Sir John Elton,” the singer maintains “They don’t come any bigger than this.”
  • 1998 John Fogerty, whose well-crafted guitar lines are a trademark of his solo work and classic output as ex-leader of Credence Clearwater Revival, receives the 1998 Orville E. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • 1998 Virgin Records America Inc. files suit against one of its biggest acts, the Smashing Pumpkins, for alleged breach of contract and non-delivery of albums.
  • 1992 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Courtney Love of Hole are married in Hawaii.
  • 1992 U.S. Postmaster General Anthony Frank unveils two designs for an Elvis Presley stamp. The public ultimately chooses the stamp design of a young Elvis over a mature Elvis issued in 1993.
  • 1990 Bob Dylan unexpectedly joins Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and David Crosby to sing “Mr. Tambourine Man” at a Los Angeles tribute to the late Roy Orbison. It is the first time in 25 years that the four former Byrds perform together onstage.
  • 1982 Pat Benatar wins a Grammy for “Fire and Ice,” Best Female Rock Performance.
  • 1982 Kim Carnes, a former member of the New Christy Minstrels, wins a Grammy for “Bette Davis Eyes,” Record of the Year.
  • 1982 Al Jarreau wins a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocalist.
  • 1980 NBC premieres the TV movie “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” based on Jeannie C. Riley’s hit single.
  • 1943 George Harrison of the Beatles is born in Liverpool, England. (He tells Billboard magazine in a 1992 interview that he had only recently learned that his birthday was not Feb. 25.) After the breakup of the Beatles, Harrison scores No. 1 hits with “My Sweet Lord” in 1970-71 and “Got My Mind Set on You” in 1988. He teams up with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison in 1988 to form the Traveling Wilburys.
  • 1942 Vocalist Paul Jones of Manfred Mann is born in Portsmouth, England. The group has two No. 1 hits: “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” in 1964 and the million-selling “Blinded by the Light,” in 1977.