Jack Sherman died age 64 of a heart attack at his home in Savannah, Georgia. He is best known as the second guitarist to have joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers, in between Hillel Slovak’s departure and return. He played on their debut album, and co-wrote much of their second album, Freaky Styley. He went on to collaborate with musicians such as Bob Dylan, George Clinton and Feargal Sharkey.
Ed Sheeran’s album X notched up eight weeks at No.1 on the UK chart, becoming the joint longest chart-topper by a male solo artist. The last man to achieve the feat was James Blunt for his 2005 collection Back to Bedlam.
American singer and songwrite Scott McKenzie died aged 73. He was best known for his 1967 hit single and generational anthem, ‘San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)’. He also joined a new version of The Mamas & the Papas and co-wrote “Kokomo” (1988), a No.1 single for The Beach Boys.
French beauty brand Etat Libre D’Orange announced that they have teamed up with the Sex Pistols to bottle the scent of the Punk era by launching the band’s first fragrance. Company executives said “to wear this scent, you must resist tradition, fight conformity, and disregard aromatic conventions.”
Soul singer Pervis Jackson died of cancer. Was a member of The Spinners (Also known as The Motown Spinners and The Detroit Spinners). Had the 1980 UK No.1 & US No.2 single ‘Working My Way Back To You’.
Justin Hawkins the lead singer of The Darkness checked himself into the Priory rehabilitation clinic suffering from exhaustion after three years of non-stop work.
US film-maker Adam Muskiewicz set up elviswanted.com as part of a documentary exploring the myth that the singer was still alive and offered a $3m reward for anybody who found Elvis Presley alive. The film was due for release in August 2007, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Presley’s death.
Babyshambles front man Pete Doherty appeared at Thames Magistrates court in London to face seven charges of drug possession.
Kanye West called for an end to homophobia in the hip-hop community during an MTV interview saying ‘hip-hop was always about speaking your mind and about breaking down barriers, but everyone in hip-hop discriminates against gay people. Not just hip-hop, but America just discriminates, I wanna just, to come on TV and just tell my rappers, just tell my friends, ‘Yo, stop it’.”
Tony Jackson bass player with The Searchers died of cirrhosis of the liver. The Searchers had the 1964 UK No.1 & US No.13 single ‘Needles And Pins’.
Kurt Cobain became a father when his wife Courtney Love gave birth to a daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.
Rick Griffin, died after being forced off the road by a van he was attempting to pass on his Harley Heritage Softail motorbike. One of his best known album covers was for the Grateful Dead’s ‘Aoxomoa’ LP, and the legendary “Flying Eyeball” poster he designed for a series of concerts in San Francisco featuring the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Albert King and John Mayall.
Sweet Jesus appeared at the Boardwalk, Manchester. Support act was The Rain (later to become Oasis) minus Noel Gallagher who had yet to join his brothers band.
Bon Jovi released their third studio album, Slippery When Wet, which peaked at No.1 on the US charts, going on to sell over 28 million copies worldwide. The set featured two US chart toppers, ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’ and ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’.
George Michael was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his first solo single ‘Careless Whisper.’ It made George the first person to reach No.1 as a solo artist and a member of a band in the same year. It gave Epic records UK their first UK million seller and the song was No.1 in nearly 25 countries, selling over six million copies worldwide.
Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s last living henchman, dies Rudolf Hess, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s former deputy, is found strangled to death in Spandau Prison in Berlin at the age of 93, apparently the victim of suicide. Hess was the last surviving member of Hitler’s inner circle and the sole prisoner at Spandau since 1966. Hess, an early and devoted follower of Nazism, participated in Hitler’s failed “Beer Hall Putsch” in 1923. […]
