Legendary music moments of March

Our musical expert has listed some incredible music trivia for the days of March. Impress your friends with this wonderful trivia knowledge.

1^ST     1968, Elton John’s first single ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”, is released on the Phillips label but doesn’t chart.

2^nd     1999, Dusty Springfield dies after a long battle with cancer aged 59.   She had 20 top 40 hits including the worldwide number one “You Don’t have To Say You Love me”.

3^rd     1966, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, Stephen Stills and Ritchie Furay form Buffalo Springfield in Los Angeles.

4^th     1966, In an interview with London’s Evening Standard, John Lennon stated “We’re more popular than Jesus now”   When it is published in the USA it is taken out of context resulting in southern states burning Beatles records.

5^th     1963, USA country singer Patsy Cline is killed in a plane crash in Dyersburg, Virginia along with The Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins.    They were travelling to Nashville to do a benefit concert for DJ Cactus Jack Call who died in a car crash.     Two days later country singer Jack Anglin was killed in a car crash on his way to Patsy Cline’s funeral.

6^th     Born on this day 1944, Dave Gilmour, guitar/vocals (Pink Floyd); 1944, Mary Wilson singer with The Supremes

7^th     1962, the Beatles make their first ever radio broadcast at The Playhouse Theatre, Manchester for the BBC  programme Teenager’s Turn in front of a live audience.

8^th     2003, singer/actor and businessman Adam Faith dies aged 62 of a heart attack at North Staffordshire Hospital.

9^th     1969, The Small Faces split up after four years when Steve Marriott leaves the band.     Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones link up with Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart to form The Faces.

10^th   1988, Andy Gibb, younger brother of The Bee Gees dies five days after his 30^th birthday.    His death from myocarditis (Inflammation of the heart) resulted from a long battle with cocaine addiction.     He was the first male solo artist to chart three consecutive USA number ones with “I Just Want To Be your Everything”; “Love Is Thicker Than Water’; and “Shadow Dancing”.

11^th   1968, The Otis Redding single “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” goes gold three months after he was killed in a plane crash.

12^th   1969, Paul McCartney marries Linda Eastman at Marylebone Register Office, London.

13^th   1964, Billboard report that sales of Beatle records currently account for 60% of the USA market and their album “Meet The Beatles” has reached a record 3.5 million copies sold.

14^th   1955, CBS talent scout Arthur Godfrey turns down the chance to sign Elvis Presley; instead, he signs Pat Boone.

15^th   Born on this day 1944, Sly Stone, vocals/guitar (Sly And The Family Stone), 1975 Will.I.Am, (Black Eyed Peas and solo)

16^th   1970, Motown singer Tammi Terrell dies of a brain tumour at the age of 24.   Since 1967 she had recorded a series of duets with Marvin Gaye.   She had collapsed on stage in his arms on October 1967.

17^th   1978, U2 win 500 pounds and a chance to audition for CBS Ireland in a Dublin talent contest sponsored by Guinness.

18^th   Born on this day 1938, country singer Charlie Pride, 1941, soul singer Wilson Pickett, 1963, singer Vanessa Williams.

19^th   1958, “Our Song” by a teenage duo from Queens New York, Tom and Jerry is released.   This duo will become famous in the 60’s under their real names, Simon and Garfunkel.

20^th   1991, Eric Clapton’s four-year-old son falls to his death from the 53^rd level of a New York apartment block after a housekeeper who was cleaning left a window open.   The tragedy inspired the song “Tears In Heaven”.

21^st   2006, three South African women win a six-year court battle giving them 25% of all past and future royalties from the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, composed in 1937 by their father, Solomon Linda.   He was a cleaner for a Johannesburg Record Company and received nothing for his song and died in 1962 with just $25 in his bank account.  The song was a huge hit for The Tokens and Karl Denver (as “Wimoweh”) and then earned $15 million from its use in the Disney Movie THE LION KING.

22^nd   1956, While on his way to New York for appearances on The Perry Como Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, Carl Perkins is involved in a car crash putting him in the hospital for four months, his brother Jay is killed in the accident.   Perkins was to perform his fast-rising hit “Blue Suede Shoes”, but Elvis Presley was quickly brought in as a replacement, resulting in the Elvis version overtaking the original up the charts.

23^rd   Born on this day 1953, USA singer Chaka Khan (Yvette Marie Stevens)

24^th   1958, At 6.35am, Elvis Presley reports to The Memphis Draft Board where is assigned army serial number 53310761.

25^th   Born on this day 1942, USA soul singer Aretha Franklin, and in 1947, singer/songwriter Elton John.

26^th   1985, South African Radio Stations ban all Stevie Wonder records after he dedicates his Oscar to Nelson Mandela.

27^th   Born on this day, 1959, Andrew Farriss of INXS, 1970, singer Mariah Carey, 1975 Fergie of Black Eyed Peas and solo.

28^th   1980, Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” spends its 303^rd week on the USA album charts beating the previous record set by Carole King’s “Tapestry”.

29^th   2007, U2 singer Bono accepts an honorary knighthood at a ceremony in Dublin.

30^th   Born on this day 1945, Eric Clapton, guitarist/singer/songwriter) Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith and solo.

31^st   1949, RCA Victor introduces the new 45 rpm record which had been in development since 1940.   The 7-inch disc offers better fidelity and longer playing time than the 78 rpm record that is currently in use.   

What was your favourite musical moment in March?