Music Almanac: September 26

Birthdays

• 1898 - George Gershwin (d. 1937)
• 1907 - Shug Fisher (Sons of the Pioneers) (d. 1984)
• 1920 - Tommy Doss (Sons of the Pioneers) (92)
• 1925 - Marty Robbins (d. 1982)
• 1926 - Julie London (d. 2000)
• 1931 - George Chambers (Chambers Brothers) (81)
• 1940 - Creadel “Red” Jones (Chi-Lites) (d. 1994)
• 1941 - David Frizzell (71)
• 1941 - Joe Bauer (d. 1982)
• 1945 - Bryan Ferry (67)
• 1947 - Lynn Anderson (65)
• 1948 - Olivia Newton-John (64)
• 1951 - Stuart Tosh (Pilot) (61)
• 1954 - Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) (58)
• 1954 - Craig Chaquico (Jefferson Starship) (58)
• 1955 - Carlene Carter (57)
• 1960 - Doug Supernaw (52)
• 1961 - Cindy Herron (En Vogue) (51)
• 1962 - Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl) (50)
• 1962 - Al Pitrelli (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Megadeth) (50)
• 1964 - Nicki French (48)
• 1967 - Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) (d. 1995)
• 1970 - Paul Draper (Mansun) (42)
• 1972 - Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men) (40)
• 1976 - Santigold (born Santi White) (36)
• 1981 - Christina Milian (31)

Deaths

• 1937 - Bessie Smith - Auto accident (43)
• 1998 - Betty Carter - Pancreatic cancer (69)
• 2000 - Carl Sigman (songwriter (Ebb Tide, It's All in the Game, You're My World) - Heart failure (91)
• 2003 - Robert Palmer - Heart attack (54)
• 2003 - Shawn Lane - Black Oak Arkansas (40)

On This Day

• 1953 - Skeeter Davis debuted at the Grand Ole Opry.
• 1965 - The Beatles received the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth.
• 1968 - Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones was fined $150 for marijuana possession.
• 1969 - The Fillmore West is opened in San Francisco by Bill Graham.
• 1970 - Pink Floyd started their third U.S. tour in Philadelphia.
• 1970 - Motown announced that the Jackson 5 has sold 10 million records in their first nine months.
• 1975 - The film version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show opened.
• 1981 - Bruce Dickinson joined Iron Maiden.
• 1989 - Paul McCartney opened his Get Back tour in Dramen, Norway. It is the first tour where he plays many of his and John Lennon's Beatles songs.
• 1998 - MTV Russia premiered with the program Prodigy Live in Moscow.
• 1998 - Prince canceled the balance of his current tour when he pulls a ligament tripping over a cable.

Marriages

• 1953 - Johnny Horton and Billy Jean Jones (widow of Hank Williams)
• 1955 - Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
• 2005 - Billy Joe Shaver and Wanda Lynn Canady

Recorded

• 1970 - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (first session for album)

Released

• 1964 - You Really Got Me - Kinks (single)
• 1969 - Abbey Road - Beatles (U.K.)
• 1974 - Walls & Bridges - John Lennon
• 1979 - I Fought the Law - Clash (debut single in the U.S.)
• 1984 - Purple Rain - Prince (single)
• 1988 - Talk is Cheap - Keith Richards (debut solo album)

Number Ones – U.S. Singles

• 1960 - My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own - Connie Francis (2 weeks)
• 1964 - Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison (3 weeks)
• 1987 - Didn't We Almost Have it All - Whitney Houston (2 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Albums

• 1987 - Bad - Michael Jackson (6 weeks)
• 2009 - The Blueprint 3 - Jay-Z (2 weeks)