Category: Today in Music History

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Today in Music History

October, 2

  • 1999 David Bowie offers a virtual guided tour of the controversial art show “Sensation: Young British Artists From The Saatchi Collection,” at www.davidbowie.com.
  • 1998 Cowboy singing icon Gene Autry dies after a long illness. He is 91. Inspired by the music of country star Will Rogers, the Texas-born musician became a radio star during the ‘30s on WLS Chicago’s “Barn Dance” and the first great “Sagebrush Troubadour” via a series of Republic Pictures Westerns.
  • 1998 Paul McCartney conducts an “incognito” live Internet Q&A session and “music remix” in the guise of the Fireman at www.fire-man.com.
  • 1997 Juanita L. Evans files suit against Wu-Tang members RZA and Method Man, rapper Redman, and a Pennsylvania university and its student government. Evans claims that she was distracted by Redman and therefore did not see Method Man when he leaped off stage and landed on her. Evans was knocked unconscious.
  • 1995 Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill” reaches the top of the Billboard 200 in its 15th week giving the Maverick label, founded by Madonna, its first No. 1. She’s the third female artist to have a debut album reach No. 1 in the ‘90s.
  • 1985 Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” tour ends with the last of four shows at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
  • 1976 Joe Cocker appears on NBC-TV’s “Saturday Night Live.” He performs a duet of “Feelin’ Alright” with John Belushi in which Belushi does a memorable Cocker imitation.
  • 1971 Tiffany (Tiffany Renee Darwish) is born in Norwalk, Conn.
  • 1951 Sting (Gordon Sumner) is born in Wallsend, England. He becomes the lead singer and bass guitarist of the Police. He gets his nickname because of a yellow and black jersey he likes to wear.
  • 1945 Don McLean is born in New Rochelle, N.Y. His biggest hit is “American Pie,” which hits No. 1 for four weeks in 1972. The song is inspired by the death of Buddy Holly, “the day the music died.” Madonna eventually covers the song for the soundtrack of her film “The Next Best Thing.”