History of Rock for Feb 2 and Feb 3

**AxlVanHagar** · 02-03-2009 05:13 AM

Feb 2

1963 - The Beatles begin their first nationwide tour at Bradford's Gaumont Cinema. Their payment is 80 pounds/week to be split among all 4 members.

1976 - David Bowie begins a World Tour in Vancouver Canada.

1977 - Boston's Long Time climbs to #22 in the US while the album Boston makes #11 in the UK

1979 - Sid Vicious dies of a heroin over dose in New York.

1980 - Cheap Trick's Voices makes #32 in the US as the UK only released Way Of The World peaks at #73. Meanwhile Robin Zander, Rick Neilson and Bun E. Carlos contribute to John Lennon's Double Fantasy sessions in New York.

1981 - Duran Duran releases their first single Planet Earth and it will go on to peak at #12 in the UK

1985 - The Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey team up Easy Lover hits #2 in the US and is another million seller for Collins.

1985 - Deep Purple is #68 in the UK with Perfect Strangers

1989 - The fifth single from Def Leppard's massive Hysteria, Rocket, is #15 in the UK

1991 - Phil Collins' Serious.....Hits Live! reaches #11 in the US

Feb 3

1959 - The Day The Music Died. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper are all tragically killed when the single engine light air-craft they were in crashed in a snowstorm about 10 minutes after take off. The three were travelling together as part of a tour and had just played a sell out show in Clear Lake Iowa. News of the tragedy spread world wide within hours.

1961 - Bob Dylan makes his first recodings in New York on some friends recording equipment.

1964 - The RIAA cerifies The Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand and Meet The Beatles Gold

1967 - Visionary producer Joe Meek, who was responsible for worldwide hits by The Tornadoes, The Honeycombs and John Leyton, shot his landlady and then himself killing both instantly. Meek had claimed to have been in touch with Buddy Holly through seances over the years.

1969 - The Beatles hire Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein as their new 'Mr. Fix-It'. Paul McCartney however refuses to sign with him instead preferring his Father-In-Law Lee Eastman.

1973 - Keith Emerson's hands are injured on stage in San Francisco during ELP's concert stop there. His piano, rigged to explode as a stunt, goes off pre-maturely.

1979 - From Live! Bootleg Aerosmith's Chip Away At The Stone , recorded at the Civic Center Auditorium in Santa Monica CA in April '78 , reaches #77 in the US.

1979 - Heart Of Glass the disco flavored single from Blondie from Parallel Lines begins a 4 week stay at #1 in the UK and sells a million copies making it the bands biggest UK success while the album begins a 4 week stay at #1 on the album chart.

1979 - The Rolling Stones' Shattered makes #31 in the US while Keith Richards releases a solo single of Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run

1990 - For the first time ever the Top 3 spots on the UK singles chart featured non-British and non-American acts: Ireland's Sinead O'Connor (Nothing Compares 2 U), Australia's Kylie Minogue (Tears On My Pillow ) and Belgium's Technotronic (Get Up)