1972 - Dr John
The first day of the three day Bickershaw Festival, Wigan, England, with Grateful Dead, Dr John, Donovan, The Kinks, Captain Beefheart, Hawkwind, America, Family, Country Joe MacDonald, Wishbone Ash, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, Brinsley Schwarz and the Flamin Groovies.
1968 - Stephen Stills
Buffalo Springfield split up. Richie Furay formed Poco and Stephen Stills teamed up with David Crosby and Graham Nash in Crosby Stills & Nash.
May 6th
1965 - The Rolling Stones
In their Clearwater, Florida hotel room, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards worked out the opening guitar riff of ’(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ following Richard's purchase of a Gibson fuzz-box earlier that day. The song is considered to be one of the all-time greatest rock songs ever recorded. In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine placed 'Satisfaction' in the second spot on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
1973 - Paul Simon Paul Simon set out on his first tour without partner Art Garfunkel, using The Jesse Dixon Singers as a back- up group on stage. Simon's tour of America and Europe was recorded and released as 'Live Rhymin'.
2005 - Bruce Springsteen
US coffee shop chain Starbucks banned the sale of Bruce Springsteen's latest album Devils and Dust over concerns about its adult content. The retailer - which stocked CDs at its branches in the US - said it would be promoting other albums instead.
1967 - Pearls Before Swine
Pearls Before Swine begin recording an album called 'One Nation Underground'. The LP included a song called 'Miss Morse', which would be banned in New York when it was discovered that lead singer Tom Rapp was singing F-U-C-K in Morse code. After disc jockey Murray The K played the record on the air, local Boy Scouts correctly interpreted the chorus and phoned in a complaint.
1968 - Elton John
Flying back to the UK after a US tour after his last gig with the band Bluesology, keyboard player Reginald Dwight gave some thought for a stage name he could use for his burgeoning solo career. In the cabin, he came across the band's horn player Elton Dean and lead singer Long John Baldry, and asked them if he can appropriate their names to concoct a new one for himself. They agree, and Elton John is born.
1991 - Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was arrested after running into an 86 year old man and yelling death threats whilst driving his car over the mayor's front lawn in Englewood, New Jersey. Pickett was charged with driving with open bottles of alcohol in his car.
2015 - B.B. King
Three of B.B. King's 11 surviving children lost a bid in a Las Vegas court to take control over their father's affairs after they said they suspect the 89-year-old Blues legend's manager of stealing his money and neglecting his medical care while blocking them from seeing him in home hospice care. King died in his sleep on May 14, 2015, at the age of 89.
1966 - Bruce Springsteen
The Castiles (with Bruce Springsteen on vocals), made their first recordings at Mr Music Inc in Brick Town, New Jersey. They cut two Springsteen songs, ‘Baby I’ and ‘That’s What You Get’. The songs were cut directly to disc, of which seven or eight test pressings of the studio takes were made.
1966 - Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson
During his 1966 world tour, Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson from The Band were filmed singing several songs in a hotel room in Glasgow, Scotland, the footage turning up in the film Eat The Document. The film was originally commissioned for the ABC television series Stage '66, but after Dylan edited the film himself ABC rejected it as 'incomprehensible for a mainstream audience'.
1975 - Tammy Wynette
Five times married US country singer, Tammy Wynette was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Stand By Your Man.' Originally released as a single in 1968 in the USA. It proved to be the most successful record of Wynette's career and is one of the most covered songs in the history of country music.
1980 - Ian Curtis Joy Division singer and guitarist Ian Curtis hanged himself in the kitchen of his house in Macclesfield, England at the age of 23. Curtis had the Iggy Pop album 'The Idiot', playing on his stereo and left a note that said, 'At this very moment, I wish I were dead. I just can't cope anymore.' Joy Division released the critically acclaimed debut album Unknown Pleasures in 1979, and recorded their follow-up 'Closer' in 1980.
2017 - Chris Cornell
American musician, singer and songwriter Chris Cornell died suddenly in Detroit after performing at a show with Soundgarden. Cornell was known for his role as one of the architects of the 1990s grunge movement, and for his near four octave vocal range as well as his powerful vocal belting technique. He released four solo studio albums as well as working with Audioslave and Temple of the Dog.
May 22nd
1958 - Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis arrived at London's Heathrow Airport to begin his first British tour, along with his new bride, 14 year old third cousin, Myra. Although advised not to mention it, Lewis answered all questions about his private life. The public's shock over Lewis' marriage marks the start of a controversy leading to his British tour being cancelled after just 3 of the scheduled 37 performances.
1961 - Ernie K Doe
Ernie K Doe went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Mother In Law'. The song was written and produced by Allen Toussaint who also played the piano solo. Huey Lewis and the News recorded the song for the 1994 covers album, Four Chords & Several Years Ago.
1976 - The Who The Who gave themselves a place in the Guinness book of Records as the loudest performance of a rock band at 120 decibels, when they played at Charlton Athletic Football ground.
1989 - David Bowie David Bowie's Tin Machine made their live debut at the International Music Awards, New York. Bowie stated that he and his band members joined up "to make the kind of music that we enjoyed listening to" and to rejuvenate himself artistically.
2019 - Roky Erickson
American singer, songwriter Roky Erickson died age 71. Erickson co-founded the 13th Floor Elevators in late 1965 who released their debut album The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators the following year. In 1968, while performing at HemisFair, Erickson began speaking gibberish. He was soon diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and sent to a Houston psychiatric hospital. Erickson released his eponymous debut as Roky Erickson and the Aliens in 1980. He recorded a steady stream of releases up until 2004.
1967 - David Bowie David Bowie released his self titled debut studio album. Two singles were released from the album, 'Rubber Band' and 'The Laughing Gnome'. The album's failure cost Bowie his record contract with Deram Records who dropped him in April 1968.
