This Day In Music - May 21

This Day In Music - May 21

1904 - Fats Waller is born Thomas Waller in New York City.

1940 - Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity (21 May 1940 – 16 February 2013), known professionally as Tony Sheridan, was an English rock and roll singer-songwriter and guitarist who spent much of his adult life in Germany. Born in Norwich, England, he held the distinction of having sung on The Beatles’ first commercially released music https://youtu.be/8KNedjsgnwY .

1941 - Ronald Isley (Isley Brothers) in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1943 - Hilton Stewart Paterson Valentine (21 May 1943 – 29 January 2021) born in North shields UK and was an English skiffle and rock and roll musician who was the original guitarist in The Animals https://youtu.be/CxAXspWpQVQ .

1944 - Marcie Blane, known for the '60s pop hit "Bobby's Girl," is born Marcia Blank in Brooklyn, New York.

1947 - Bill Champlin (keyboardist, guitarist for Chicago) is born in Oakland, California.

1948 - Leo Sayer is born Gerard Hugh Sayer in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England https://youtu.be/GnIlo91CrBw .

1948 - Joe Camilleri (Joseph Vincent Camilleri) (solo, Jo Jo Zep, The Black Sorrows, etc) was born in Malta - https://youtu.be/kR_Tf4rGVS8 .

1955 - Chuck Berry records his first single, "Maybellene." - https://youtu.be/v124f0i0Xh4 .

1957 - Paul Anka records "Diana." - https://youtu.be/ar-zZ21iW9w .

1959 - Mike Weiley (Spy vs Spy) was born in London on the 21st of May 1959 and died on the 28th of September 2018 - https://youtu.be/u0P_gYxYXUo .

1961 - Tim Lever (Dead or Alive) born in the UK.

1962 - Dee Dee Sharp records "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)."

1963 - “Little” Stevie Wonder recorded his first million selling single, “Fingertips”. He had just turned 13.

1964 - Juliet by The Four Pennies took the #1 spot on charts for 1 week.

1968 - Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) was arrested for a second time for possession of cannabis in his London apartment.

1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono began a ten-day "bed-in" in Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel.

1971 - Paul McCartney released "Ram."

1977 -Stevie Wonder hits #1 in America with "Sir Duke," a tribute to Duke Ellington, who died in 1974 https://youtu.be/EnNgASBdCeo .

1977 - Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album takes over the #1 spot in the US from the Eagles' Hotel California.

1979 - Elton John becomes the first western act to tour the U.S.S.R. when he plays the first of eight concerts at a show in Leningrad.

1981 - Reggae star Bob Marley is buried with state honours in St. Ann's, Jamaica.

1983 - David Bowie's "Let's Dance" hits #1 on the US chart - https://youtu.be/HdjkbP_wOJc .

1985 - Marvin Gaye's "Dream of a Lifetime" was released. It was the last album he recorded.

1988 - Wet Wet Wet’s charity single, “With A Little help From My Friends” topped singles chart for 4 weeks. It was a double with Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey’s She’s Leaving Home.

1994 - Come On You Reds, by Manchester United Football Club took #1 spot for 2 weeks.

1996 - The Metallica single "Until It Sleeps" was released.

1996 - Soundgarden's fifth album, Down On The Upside, is released. It debuts at #2 in America, behind Fugees' The Score.