Every day on Radio Nova, just before 11am, we play a couple of songs key to “today in music history” Have a listen! But for now – here’s some light reading and watching. April 30th in Music History looks like this.
1976, The Who’s drummer Keith Moon paid nine cab drivers to block-off both ends of a New York street so he could throw the contents of his hotel room out of the window.
1977, Led Zeppelin broke a new world attendance record at a concert when they played to 76,229 people at a gig at the Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan. The Who held the previous record at the same venue with 75,962 people.
1983, Michael Jackson started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Beat It’, his fifth solo US No.1. The third single from the singer’s Thriller album featured Eddie Van Halen on the song’s distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but Halen was prevented by his record label from appearing in the music video.
1991, Nirvana signed a recording contract with Geffen’s DGC label for $290,000.
2005, The Dave Matthews Band agreed to pay $200,000 after their tour bus dumped human waste on a boatload of tourists in Chicago in August 2004. Bus driver Stefan Wohl who was alone on board the bus at the time the sewage was dumped was fined $10,000 (£5,200), the band had already donated $100,000 (£54,252) to two group’s that protect the Chicago River and its surrounding area. The Dave Matthews Band offered their “deepest apologies” to more than 100 boat passengers who were on an architectural tour.
2008, Gail Renard, who was given the hand written lyrics to ‘Give Peace A Chance’ by John Lennon in 1969, announced plans to sell the lyric sheet at a Christie’s auction. At the time, Lennon told Renard to hang on to the piece of paper, saying “It will be worth something someday.” The piece of music history was expected to fetch around $400,000, but when it was actually sold it went for $790,000.
2015, Ben E King, (Benjmin Earl Nelson), soul and R&B singer with The Drifters, died at the age of 76.
2019, English musician Boon Gould died age 64. He was one of the four founding members of Level 42 who scored the 1986 hit ‘Lessons in Love’, which reached No.3 on the UK Singles Chart, and No.12 on the US chart.
2019, American concert promoter and media personality Russ Gibb died. He was best known for his role in the “Paul McCartney is dead” phenomenon.
2024, Guitar hero and inspiration Duane Eddy died, 4 days after his 86th birthday.
Check out the weekly Podcast. Marty Miller’s This Week in Music History.
