1961 – Patsy Cline was seriously injured in a car accident. During her two month hospital stay, her song “I Fall to Pieces” gave the singer her first Country No.1.
1966 – The Beatles made a surprise live appearance on Top Of The Pops performing ‘Paperback Writer’ and ‘Rain’. It became The Beatles’ last live musical television appearance, with the sole exception of the June 1967 worldwide transmission of ‘All You Need Is Love’.
1974 – Ray Stevens was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Streak’ a song about the latest British craze of streaking, (running naked in a public place) and in the same year ABBA’s second album ‘Waterloo’ entered the UK chart for the first time peaking at No.28. The album’s title track won ABBA the Eurovision Song Contest that year.
1978 – ‘You’re The One That I Want’ by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John started a nine week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart. The song was from the film Grease.
1984 – A model of Boy George from Culture Club was unveiled at Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks in London, England on his 23rd birthday.
1986 – Bob Geldof was named in HRH The Queen’s Birthday Honours List, receiving an honorary Knighthood in recognition of his humanitarian activities.
1988 – The biggest charity Rock concert since Live Aid took place at London’s Wembley Stadium, to denounce South African apartheid. Among the performers were Sting, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, George Michael, Whitney Houston and Dire Straits. Half of the money raised went towards anti-apartheid activities in Britain, the rest was donated to children’s charities in Southern Africa.
1989 – The first day of the UK three day Glastonbury Festival took place featuring Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Throwing Muses, Pixies, All About Eve, Hot House Flowers, The Waterboys, Suzanne Vega and Fairground Attraction. Tickets cost £28.
1990 – Prince played the first of 12 sold-out nights at Wembley Arena on his ‘Nude’ European tour.
2008 – Liverpool was voted England’s most musical city in a national campaign set up by the Arts Council. The home of The Beatles, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, OMD and The Zutons took 49% of the vote in an online poll set up by the funding body. Sheffield – which brought the world the Arctic Monkeys and Pulp – came second, while Manchester with Oasis, Stone Roses and The Smiths came third.
2010 – John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to The Beatles song ‘A Day In The Life’ sold for $1.2m (£810,000) at an auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The double-sided sheet of paper with notes written in felt marker and blue ink also contained some corrections and other notes penned in red ink.
2016 – Meat Loaf was rushed to hospital after collapsing on stage during a concert in in Edmonton, Canada. The singer was performing his hit, ‘I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)’, when he dropped his microphone and fell to the floor.
2020 – English singer, songwriter and entertainer Dame Vera Lynn died at her home in East Sussex aged 103. She was popular during the Second World War and was widely referred to as the “Forces’ Sweetheart” giving outdoor concerts for the British troops overseas. Her songs included ‘We’ll Meet Again’, and ‘(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover’.
