Rock 'n' Roll History for
May 4
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1886
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Chichester Bell and Charles Tainter received a US patent for the graphophone. Their invention was meant to replace Thomas Edison's phonograph and featured wax-coated cylinders which were considered an improvement over the phonograph's tinfoil cylinders which had been delicate and difficult to remove.
1956
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Gene Vincent records "Be Bop A Lula" for Capitol Records at Owen Bradley's studio in Nashville, Tennessee. It would climb to #7 in the US and #16 in the UK the following Summer, eventually selling over 2 million copies.
1957
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
The Alan Freed Show premiers on ABC-TV. The half-hour program included Guy Mitchell, The Del-Vikings, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, The Clovers, June Valli, Martha Carson and the Alan Freed Rock And Roll Orchestra.
1959
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
The Grand Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles was the site of the very first Grammy Awards, where statuettes were given out for Record of the Year and Song of the Year to Domenico Modugno for his rendition of "Volare" (Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu). He beat out Peggy Lee's "Fever", "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como, "Witchcraft" from Frank Sinatra and "The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville.
1961
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
After topping the Billboard chart a month earlier, The Marcels version of "Blue Moon" hits #1 in the UK. Since 1934, the song has been recorded by over fifty major artists and has been featured in at least eight motion pictures.
1963
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
The Beach Boys "Surfin U.S.A." LP debuts on Billboard's album chart, where it will enjoy a 78 week stay and top out at #2. In the UK, it was released in late 1965 and reached #17.
May 4
Andy Williams' album, "Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests" hit the #1 spot on Billboard's Top LPs chart, where it would remain for sixteen consecutive weeks. Enjoying a chart run of one hundred, seven weeks, it gained Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America the following September. The single from the album, "Can't Get Used to Losing You" would rise to #2 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
May 4
The Beatles score their first UK #1 when "From Me To You" reaches the top for the first of a seven week run. The song's title was inspired from a letters column called From You To Us that ran in the British music newspaper, The New Musical Express.
1964
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
The Moody Blues are formed in Birmingham, England. The group was the brainchild of vocalist
Denny Laine, who recruited Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas, Graham Edge and Clint Warwick. The band would enjoy ten Top 40 hits in the UK and thirteen in the US.
1967
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
The Turtles receive their first of two Gold singles for their recent #1 Pop hit, "Happy Together". Their second Gold single will come later in the year for "She'd Rather Be With Me".
1968
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Top British model Twiggy saw a performance by an 18-year-old Welsh singer named Mary Hopkin and immediately recommended her to Paul McCartney as a possible addition to the Apple Records roster. Six months later, Hopkin's first record, "Those Were the Days" would be sitting behind "Hey Jude" in the number 2 position.
1970
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
During an anti-war demonstration at Kent State University in Ohio, National Guard soldiers fired about 67 rounds over 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others. Neil Young reacted to the senseless slayings by writing and recording the song, "Ohio", with Crosby, Stills & Nash, the very next day. Eight of the shooters were eventually charged, but all were acquitted at trial.
1973
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Led Zeppelin opened their 1973 US tour, which is billed as the 'biggest and most profitable Rock and Roll tour in the history of the United States.' The group grossed over $3 million.
1974
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Grand Funk Railroad started a two week run at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their version of the 1962, Little Eva hit, "The Loco-Motion". It was only the second time that a cover version had been a #1, as well as the original. The first was "Go Away Little Girl", a hit for Steve Lawrence in 1963 and Donny Osmond in 1971.
May 4
The soundtrack to the movie The Sting, which features Marvin Hamlisch's adaptations of Scott Joplin's ragtime piano tunes, hits #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, where it stays for five weeks. "Chicago VII" came in second and "John Denver's Greatest Hits" sat at number three.
1976
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
KISS perform their first concert in their hometown of New York City.
1978
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
On the strength of the US #8 single, "Count On Me", Jefferson Starship receive a Platinum record for the album "Earth", their last LP with Grace Slick and Marty Balin. Just a few weeks later, both quit and the band had to be revamped.
1980
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
An acoustic performance by the East Los Angeles band Los Lobos brought a hostel response from an Olympic Auditorium audience who came to hear Punk music. Opening for Public Image Ltd, the group was bombarded with bottles and other debris. It would take seven more years for the band to crack the Hot 100 with a couple of Richie Valens songs, "La Bamba" (#1) and "Come On, Let's Go" (#21).
1987
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Paul Butterfield, who fronted The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, died of drug-related heart failure at the age of 45. He had gained international recognition as one of the acts performing at The Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and the Woodstock Festival in 1969.
1990
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
David Bowie's ex-wife, Angela appears on The Joan Rivers Show where she tells Joan and guest Howard Stern that she once walked in on Bowie and Mick Jagger naked in bed. A ten year gag order, in which she agreed not to talk about the matter, had just expired.
1991
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Twenty-five years after she first appeared on the UK record charts with "I Got You, Babe",
Cher scored her first solo #1 single with "The Shoop Shoop Song".
May 4
Governor Ann Richards declares "ZZ Top Day" in Texas, honoring the group for "bringing the powerful beat of Texas boogie to enthusiastic audiences across the globe."
2008
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Thieves broke into the childhood home of Motown star
Martha Reeves and stole about $1 million worth of uninsured recording equipment, including speakers, microphones and karaoke machines. A suspect was arrested at his home later in the day after he tried to sell the goods to a pawn shop for $400.
2011
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
51-year-old Marie Osmond married her first husband, Stephen Craig, a second time, more than twenty-five years after they divorced. They originally wed in 1982 and split in 1985. Marie had one son with Craig and seven children with her second husband, Brian Blosil. That marriage ended in 2007 after almost twenty years.
2016
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Little Richard's attorney told Rolling Stone that on-line reports of his client's declining health were untrue and that the 83-year-old Rock 'n' Roll pioneer was still healthy and active.
May 4
After Donald Trump's campaign plays "Start Me Up" following his victory speech celebrating his path to the Republican presidential nomination, the band issues a statement that says: "The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately."
2019
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
After suffering a number of health problems over the last few years, Meat Loaf's career suffered another setback. While taking part in a question and answer period in Dallas, Texas, the 71-year-old singer appeared to trip on some wires and fall off the back of a platform, causing him to break his collarbone.
2021
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Mickey Dolenz and Mike Nesmith announced a Monkees Farewell Tour would kick off on September 11th in Seattle and end back where it all began in Los Angeles at The Greek Theater on November 14th.
May 4
Smooth Radio revealed the results of a listeners poll that named George Michael as the Most Loved Artist and "Careless Whisper" as the Best Loved Song of all time.
2023
- ClassicBands.com
May 4
Less than a week after a Ted Nugent concert was announced in Birmingham, Alabama, its promoter, Red Mountain Entertainment canceled it following a fierce outcry. Thousands of Facebook and Instagram users posted negative comments denouncing the guitarist's past political comments and beliefs. In response, the Motor City Madman posted on his Facebook page, "Liars & haters drunk on stupid incapable to debate me."
May 4
Tom Petty received a posthumous, honorary Doctor Of Music degree from the University of Florida. Earlier, his estate had partnered with the school to form the Tom Petty Endowment for Guitars & Innovation, donating $100,000 to their guitar and music business programs.
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