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Born on this day:
1945, Bob Seger, singer, songwriter
1950, Robbie McIntosh, guitar, Average White Band, Pretenders
1960, John Flansburgh, vocals, guitar, They Might Be Giants
1964, Tony Scalzo, vocals, guitar, Fastball
1968, Laetitia Sadier, vocals, keyboards, Stereolab
1971, Chris Shiflett, guitar, Foo Fighters
1965, In their Clearwater, Florida hotel room, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards worked out the opening guitar riff of “Satisfaction,” following Richard's purchase of a Gibson fuzz-box earlier that day.
1984, Fictional group Spinal Tap played a gig at New York’s CBGB.
1995, Oasis scored their first U.K. #1 single when “Some Might Say” went to the top of the U.K. charts. It was the first single to be released from the Manchester band’s second album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and the last Oasis track to feature original drummer Tony McCarroll.
2002, American songwriter and producer Otis Blackwell died from a heart attack. He wrote the classic songs “All Shook Up,” “Return to Sender,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “Fever.” Over the years, Blackwell’s songs have sold more than 185 million copies. For more on Blackwell, see This Day in Music Spotlight.
2002, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen was voted the U.K.’s favorite single of all time in a poll by the Guinness Hit Singles book. “Imagine” by John Lennon was voted in at #2, with and “Hey Jude” by The Beatles at #3, “Dancing Queen” by ABBA at #4 and Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” was #5.
2006, The Go-Betweens singer, songwriter Grant McLennan, died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane, Australia, at age 48. The Australasian Performing Rights Association named his 1983 song “Cattle and Cane” one of the 30 greatest Australian songs of all time.