On this day

1964 | Three classic British singles were released, The Rolling Stones ‘Not Fade Away’, (a UK No.3), The Hollies ‘Just One Look’, (a UK No.2), and Billy J Kramer’s ‘Little Children’, (a UK No.1).

1976 | Florence Ballard of The Supremes died of cardiac arrest, aged 32.

1982 | American DJ Murry The K died. Murray is thought to be the first person to play a Beatles record on radio in America.

1986 | Metallica released their third album, the highly influential album, Master of Puppets, considered by many in the metal community to be the best metal album of all time.

1998 | Celine Dion went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘My Heart Will Go On’.

2009 | Rihanna issued a statement thanking fans for their support after an alleged assault by her R&B singer boyfriend Chris Brown, but the singer declined to comment on a leaked photograph which appeared to show her with facial injuries.

2012 | Five members of the Russian feminist punk rock group Pussy Riot staged a performance on the soleas of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior where their actions were stopped by church security officials. By that evening, they had turned the performance into a music video entitled “Punk Prayer – Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!”

2014 | A statue of a weeping Kurt Cobain was unveiled in Aberdeen, Washington – the hometown of the late Nirvana frontman.

2019 | American musician Peter Tork died age 77.

Born on this day

1933 | Nina Simone, US jazz, blues singer who had the 1959 US No.18 single ‘I Love You, Porgy’, and the 1968 UK No.2 single ‘Ain’t Got No I Got Life’. Simone died of cancer on 21st April 2003.

1969 | James Dean Bradfield, guitarist, singer with Manic Street Preachers.