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The Emperor Napoleon of France marries Josephine de
Beauharnais, in a civil ceremony in Paris, France, Europe. It
is said that on their wedding night, there was no sexual encounter
because Josephine's pug dog, Fortune, bit Napoleon on the shin, somewhat dampening his ardour. The 1957 Johnnie Ray hit, Yes Tonight, Josephine, is clearly inspired by this famous
incident. (1796)
Cleopha by Scott Joplin is published by S. Simon of St. Louis, Missouri, USA. On the same day, the piece is recorded as a piano roll.
Organist and pioneering recording engineer Furry Lewis records I Will Turn Your Money Green, Judge Harsh Blues and other tracks in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, for Victor Records. The first of those two songs includes the line "I been down so long, it seem like up to me" which, in 1966, will be adapted by Richard Farina as the title of his book Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me. Then, in 1971, Jim Morrison of The Doors will record the song Been Down So Long on the album L.A. Woman, which borrows the 1966 Farina version of Furry Lewis's 1928 lyric as its opening line.
Pianist/guitarist Peetie Wheatstraw, nicknamed the High Sheriff of Hell and The Devil's Son-in-law, records Police Station Blues for Vocalion Records in New York City, USA.
Memphis Slim files a six-week contract with Local 208, the Musicians Union, to play at The Flame Bar in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Ole Rasmussen And His Nebraska Cornhuskers record You Were My Dream Last Night, Country Weddin' Day, Ramblin' Blues and Half A Love Affair in Capitol Records Studio, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Johnnie Ray is reportedly being sued for $100,000 by his former publicist, Herman Prujansky, who claims to have been fired from his $200-a-week job without cause.
Frederick J. Troppe of Joliet, Illinois, USA, applies for a US Patent in respect of his invention of a tone modifier for musical instruments of the accordion type.MGM movies announce that Frank Sinatra and his wife Ava Gardner have decided to go separate ways from now on. It will be almost another four years before the couple actually divorce.
American vocalist Al Martino, on tour in the UK, is threatened on the phone by John Cobb, who claims to have written Martino's hits Wanted and Here In My Heart. Unless he is financially compensated, says Cobb, he will knife Martino. Police are on the alert at Martino's Finsbury Park Astoria concert that night, but nothing transpires.
Sixty-nine demionstrators are shot dead by police in what has come to be known as The Sharpeville Massacre, in Sharpeville, Transvaal, South Africa. Ewan MacColl's song The Ballad Of Sharpeville will tell the story. This horrific event will also be memorialised in jazz bassist Mario Pavone's 1988 album Sharpeville.
The Tokens relinquish their copyright in their hit song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, to Folkways Records, owners of the song Wimoweh, on which The Lion Sleeps Tonight is based.
Elvis Presley signs a new five year recording contract with RCA Records, negotiated on his behalf by his manager Col Tom Parker.
When violence erupts among female fans of The Beatles who have been waiting all night to buy tickets for the band's upcoming concert in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, police have to be called in to quell the public disturbance.
The UK's first land-based commercial radio station, Manx Radio, begins broadcasting.
French singing idol Johnny Hallyday marries singer Sylvie Vartan in Loconville, France, Europe. They will become France's 'Golden Couple' of the era.
Donovan becomes the first high-profile pop musician to be busted for drugs when police officers led by the infamous Sgt. Norman Pilcher raid his flat in Alexander Court, Maida Vale, London, UK, and find him in possession of hash. Pilcher will pursue a high-profile campaign against drug-taking pop stars and will arrest members of both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. He will inspire the Primus song Pilcher's Squad, and is also said to have been the inspiration for the line "Semolina Pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower" in The Beatles' song I Am The Walrus.
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San Francisco band Moby Grape sign their first recording contract with CBS Records.
San Francisco band Moby Grape files an action with the Labor Commissioner requesting that their contracts with manager Matthew Katz be set aside because of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and violations of the Labor Code.
Soul/gospel vocalist Darrell Banks, famed for the million-seller Open The Door To Your Heart, is shot by an off-duty police officer who has been seeing Banks’ wife. He is declared dead on arrival at New Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
EMI Records drops 
Two Grateful Dead members, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, plus manager Danny Rifkin, are arrested when they intervene in a drug-related arrest at The Sports Arena, San Diego, California, USA.Violence breaks out at a Uriah Heep concert in Athens, Greece, Europe. Shots are fired by ticketless fans, resulting in three police officers being injured and sixteen people arrested.
Sounds music newspaper in the UK reports that Ian McCulloch of Echo And The Bunnymen has lost his assault case against Eric Newby, a bouncer at the 1984 York Festival. The court case stemmed from the band's headline gig at York Rock Festival at York Racecourse, Yorkshire, England, UK, Europe, where there was an altercation between singer McCulloch and Newby. McCulloch claimed to have been beaten up backstage, but Newby denied the charge and magistrates decided there was no case to answer.
Detroit police stop the performance at an N.W.A show because of the controversy surrounding their latest hit, 'Fuck Tha Police'. Before they can perform the song, the group is removed from the stage and escorted back to their hotel. No charges are filed, and officers tell the rappers that they just "wanted to show the kids that you can't say 'Fuck the police' in Detroit."UK band The Stone Roses win their legal battle with Silvertone Records who are trying to prevent the band from recording with any other label. The judge orders Silvertone to pay £700,000 in costs.The band promptly signs to Geffen Records for £2m.
The Court of Appeals of Milan, Italy, Europe, rejects an appeal by songwriter Albano Carrisi, who had claimed that Michael Jackson's hit Will You Be There copied his song I Cigni Di Balaka.
Seventy year old singer Lou Rawls marries his 33 year old flight attendant girlfriend Nina Malek in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The wedding ceremony is conducted by Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton.
Michael Jackson pleads not guilty in court in California, USA, after his grand jury indictment on charges of child molestation.
It is announced that country star Loretta Lynn has begun a legal fight to have the copyrights to many of her biggest songs returned to her. She had signed the rights away in 1966 to Sure Fire Music.
A date, September 16, 2005, is set for the start of the trial of reclusive record producer Phil Spector in connection with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, at Spector’s California, USA, home.
Michael Jackson's absence from his father's birthday celebrations today at the Estrel Hotel, Berlin, Germany, Europe, are explained by his brother Jermaine Jackson as being because Michael has been emotionally 'torn apart' by his recent trial on child molestation charges and "needs his rest right now".
Dave Mustaine, lead singer of Megadeth, sues former bass guitarist David Ellefson, claiming that Ellefson has used the group's name without Mustaine's permission.Guitarist Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones is arrested by police in Surry, England, UK, Europe, on "suspicion of assault in connection with a domestic incident."
Former Skid Row drummer Phil Varone files a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles, California, USA, against the band's guitar player David Sabo and bass player James Southworth, accusing his ex-colleagues of attempting to destroy his reputation by "spreading lies".
Front Line Management, headed by Irving Azoff, files suit in Los Angeles, California, USA, against Axl Rose seeking $1.9m in unpaid managerial fees.Shania Twain marries Frederic Thiebaud in a small wedding at Rincon, Puerto Rico, USA.
It is reported that Motley Crue and Live Nation are being sued by a man who claims he owns the copyright on the widely-seen 'belt buckle photo' used on the cover of the Crue's 1981 debut album Too Fast For Love. According to a lawsuit, filed in Illinois Northern District Court by Ron Toma, the photograph was taken by photographer Michael Pinter in 1981, but the group and Live Nation used the image without permission on signature hoodies.Former American Idol star Adam Lambert is arrested and questioned by police after a fight with his boyfriend, Finnish reality TV star Sauli Koskinen, in a gay bar, Don't Tell Momma, in Helsinki, Finland, Europe.
Claudette Robinson, the former wife of hitmaking songwriter/performer Smokey Robinson, begins a court action to pursue her claim to half of the royalties earned by her husband during the period of their marriage.
Having spent two years on the run, Pirate Bay founder Peter Sunde is arrested during a raid on a farm in the south of Sweden, Europe.
Nick Cannon files for divorce from 
It is announced that Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory have applied for a marriage licence in Williamson County, Tennessee, USA.
Rapper T.I. is arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, following an incident in which a security guard refused him entry to his gated Eagle's Landing community because he had lost his keys. In an intoxicated state, T.I. confronted the guard using "vulgar, profane and unbecoming language" which led to the rapped being held on three counts of disorderly conduct.
British record labels association the BPI wins two significant new piracy cases, confirming for the first time that cyberlockers, stream rippers and those who use them – are breaking the law. The rulings followed an online hearing by Mr Justice Miles at The High Court, London, England, UK, Europe, who ruled that the operators and users of the websites use the services of internet companies (ISPs) to infringe copyright and that therefore the ISPs should block access to them.1796 |
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