Music Almanac: May 17*

Births:

• 1925 - Red Smiley (Reno & Smiley) (d. 1972)
• 1939 - Pervis Jackson (Spinners) (d. 2008)
• 1941 - Malcolm Hale (Spanky & Our Gang) (d. 1968)
• 1942 - Taj Mahal (70)
• 1944 - Jesse Winchester (68)
• 1949 - Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson) (66)
• 1953 - George Johnson (Brothers Johnson) (59)
• 1958 - Paul Di'Anno (Iron Maiden) (54)
• 1958 - Alan Rankine (Association) (54)
• 1961 - Enya (51)
• 1965 - Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) (47)
• 1968 - Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam) (44)
• 1970 - Jordan Knight (New Kids on the Block) (42)
• 1974 - Andrea Corr (Corrs) (38)

Deaths:

• 1992 - Lawrence Welk - Pneumonia (89)
• 1996 - Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Heart attack (61)
• 1996 - Kevin Gilbert - Asphyxiation (29)
• 2002 - Sharon Sheeley (songwriter of Poor Little Fool, Dum Dum) - Cerebral hemorrhage (62)

On This Day:

• 1952 - Johnny Horton debuted on the Louisiana Hayride.
• 1958 - It was Jerry Lee Lewis Day in Farriday, LA.
• 1963 - The first Monterey Folk Festival was held with artists including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul & Mary.
• 1964 - Bob Dylan made his first major appearance in the U.K. at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
• 1966 - Bob Dylan appeared at The Free Trade Hall in Manchester for a show that eventually was put out as part of his Bootleg Series.
• 1967 - The Bob Dylan documentary Don't Look Back premiered in San Francisco.
• 1971 - The musical Godspell opened on Broadway.
• 1974 - The Elton John special Goodbye Norma Jean and Other Things airs.
• 1975 - Elton John received a platinum record for Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
• 1975 - Mick Jagger punched a window in a restaurant, requiring twenty stitches in his hand.
• 1978 - The movie Thank God It's Friday (with Donna Summer) premiered in Los Angeles.
• 1980 - Paul and Linda McCartney were musical guests on Saturday Night Live.
• 1987 - Tom Petty's house was destroyed by fire.
• 1980 - Peter Criss left Kiss to pursue a solo career. Eric Carr was his replacement.
• 1989 - Bill Wyman opened his first Sticky Fingers restaurant in London.
• 2000 - The Eagles filed a lawsuit against the Hotel California restaurant in Dallas, TX.
• 2001 - The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Nashville.
• 2009 - Barbara Mandrell, Roy Clark and Charlie McCoy received their medallions as the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Divorces:

• 2006 - Paul McCartney & Heather Mills (separation)

Released:

• 1969 - Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago

Number Ones - U.S. Singles:

• 1952 - Blue Tango - Leroy Anderson (5 weeks)
• 1986 - Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston (3 weeks)

Number Ones - U.S. Albums:

• 1975 - That's The Way of the World - Earth, Wind & Fire (3 weeks)
• 1986 - Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston (7 weeks (7 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1997 - Carrying Your Love With Me - George Strait (1 week)
• 2003 - Get Rich or Die Tryin' - 50 Cent (1 week)
• 2008 - Hard Candy - Madonna (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Singles:

• 1957 - Rock-a-Billy - Guy Mitchell (1 week)
• 1962 - Nut Rocker - B. Bumble & the Stingers (1 week)
• 1975 - Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette (3 weeks)
• 1980 - What's Another Year - Johnny Logan (2 weeks)
• 1986 - The Chicken Songs - Splitting Image (3 weeks)
• 1998 - Under the Bridge/Lady Marmalade - All Saints (1 week (1 previous week at number 1))
• 2009 - Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Albums:

• 1980 - The Magic of Boney M: 20 Greatest Hits - Boney M (2 weeks)
• 1997 - Spice - Spice Girls (1 week)
• 1998 - International Velvet - Catatonia (1 week)
• 2009 - 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day (1 week)