Music Almanac: April 23

Taio Cruz

Birthdays:

• 1936 - Roy Orbison (d. 1988)
• 1939 - Ray Peterson (d. 2005)
• 1947 - Glenn Cornick (Jethro Tull) (65)
• 1949 - John Miles (63)
• 1952 - Narada Michael Walden (60)
• 1955 - Captain Sensible (born  Ray Burns) (Damned) (57)
• 1960 - Steve Clark (Def Leppard) (d. 1991)
• 1964 - Gen (born Simon Matthews) (Jesus Jones) (48)
• 1967 - Brent Muscat (Faster Pussycat, L.A. Guns) (45)
• 1968 - Stan Frazier (Suger Ray) (44)
• 1968 - Paul Clifford (Wonder Stuff) (44)
• 1974 - Carlos Dengler (Interpol) (38)
• 1975 - Jón Þór Birgisson (Sigur Rós) (37)
• 1979 - Barry Fratelli (Fratellis) (33)
• 1983 - Taio Cruz (29)

Deaths:

• 1986 - Harold Arlen (81)
• 1991 - Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls) - Drug overdose (38)
• 1995 - Lonesome Sundown (born Cornelius Green) (66)
• 2006 - Phil Walden (founder of Capricorn Records) - Lung cancer (66)
• 2011 - Tom King (Outsiders) - Congestive heart failure (68)
• 2011 - Norio Ohga (president of Sony who initiated development of the CD) (81)

On This Day:

• 1956 - Elvis Presley made his Las Vegas debut at the Frontier Hotel.
• 1963 - The Beatles and the Rolling Stones met for the first time. 
• 1965 - The Rolling Stones started their third North American Tour in Montreal.
• 1969 - The Ash Grove in Los Angeles burned to the ground.
• 1976 - Bob Marley & the Wailers opened their Rastaman Vibration North American and European Tour in Upper Darby, PA.
• 1977 - Adam and the Ants made their first live appearance at the Roxy Club in London.
• 1978 - Sid Vicious filmed his version of My Way for the Sex Pistols' film The Great Rock n Roll Swindle.
• 1981 - Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins performed together in West Germany, eventually becoming the album The Survivors.
• 1983 - U2 started their War North American tour in Chapel Hill, NC.
• 1987 - Carole King sued Lou Adler, claiming he owed her $400,000 in royalties. She also wanted ownership of her recordings.
• 1988 - Whitney Houston passed both the Beatles and the Bee Gees with her seventh straight chart topper, Where Do Broken Hearts Go?
• 1992 - George Michael announced he would donate $500,000 to charity from the single Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me.
• 1995 - A Liverpool native, John Hodgson, found a tape in the attic with twelve Beatles recordings from 1959.
• 1997 - The Four Tops received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• 1999 - At the Volunteer Jam '99 concert, Charlie Daniels is joined by Garth Brooks, Billy Ray Cyrus, Rhett Akins, Lee Roy Parnell and Johnny Neel.
• 2000 - Johnny Cash was given the Living Legend Award by the Library of Congress.
• 2003 - Bruce Springsteen defended the Dixie Chicks after the backlash from singer Natalie Maines statement about President George Bush.
• 2004 - Green Day is forced to release an official statement to counter rumors that Billie Joe Armstrong had died. 
• 2006 - Take That, who had recently reformed, opened their U.K. tour in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
• 2008 - Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi was sentenced to three years probation for driving under the influence.
• 2008 - Amy Winehouse went out on one of her infamous drug and drinking binges in London with the evening including headbutting two men.
• 2010 - Bret Michaels was admitted to the hospital in critical condition with a brain hemorrhage.

Recorded:

• 1963 - Surf City - Jan & Dean

Marriages:

• 2006 - Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts) and Tiffany Fallon

Released:

• 1954 - Work With Me Annie - Royals (renamed Hank Ballard & the Midnighters)
• 1971 - Sticky Fingers - Rolling Stones
• 1976 - The Ramones - The Ramones (debut album)
• 1985 - We Are the World - Various Artists (album)
• 1988 - Alphabet Street - Prince (single)

Broadcast:

• 1979 - Kenny Everett Video Show (BBC) - David Bowie
• 1989 - The Henderson Kids (U.K.) - Kylie Minogue (first time on British TV)
• 2003 - The Twilight Zone (UPN) - Jessica Simpson

Number Ones - U.S. Singles:

• 1977 - Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston (1 week)
• 1983 - Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners (1 week)
• 1988 - Where Do Broken Hearts Go - Whitney Houston (2 weeks) (Her 7th straight number 1, setting a chart record)

Number Ones - U.S. Albums:

• 1994 - The Division Bell - Pink Floyd (4 weeks)

Number Ones - U.K. Singles:

• 1954 - I See the Moon - Stargazers (1 week)
• 1964 - A World Without Love - Peter & Gordon (2 weeks)

Number Ones - U.K. Albums:

• 1983 - Let's Dance - David Bowie (3 weeks)
• 1988 - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden (1 week)