Papparazzi

An interview with pioneering ragtime blues musician Antonio Maggio appears in the Times-Picayune Newspaper of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. In the interview Maggio asserts that he is an anarchist but denies that he supports the idea of assassination being used to achieve anarchist goals. (Maggio's song I Got The Blues is sometimes credited as being the first blues song ever composed)

The Rockland County Times newspaper of New York State, reports on the rapid growth of the 'talking machine' industry, noting that the American Graphophone Company factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA, turns out one thousand "graphophones" every day.

Sheet music for the waltz Maizie, written by Edward S. A. Beles and composed by W. T. Francis, is given away as a free supplement to the New York Herald newspaper.

New York newspaper The Evening World carries an advertisement from Bloomingdales, offering the "New style, Metal Tubing Player Piano for $350".

The first issue of the UK music newspaper Melody Maker goes on sale priced at 3d. The first issue includes dance band news, a feature about ukuleles and how to sight-read music.

The Peekskill Evening Star newspaper in New York State, USA, runs two unrelated stories on the front page. One is about a man being put to death in the electric chair, while the other is about a wealthy man who had died. By a curious coincidence, both men are named Hamilton Fish. In 2010, the two items will inspire Rachel Mason to create a song cycle, an art installation and a film series entitled The Deaths of Hamilton Fish.

Academic Professor Carl Sauer, founder of the New South Wales Junior Orchestra And Choir, is reported in Australia's Barrier Miner newspaper as stating that jazz and swing music are on the way out. "These kinds of music certainly are not taking Sydeney's youth away from serous musical work." Professor Sauer's opinion is said to be based on sales figures given to him by music warehouses.

As she launches her solo career, Sylvia Robinson of Mickey And Sylvia features on the cover of Jet magazine in the USA.

It is reported in the UK music press that Vera Lynn is being sued for copyright infringement. The family of Scottish composer Sir Hugh Robertson are claiming that Lynn's hit Travellin' Home bears more than a passing resemblance to Robertson's song, Westering Home, written in 1938.

Chess Records of Chicago, Illinois, USA, releases a statement to the press declaring that Chuck Berry has been acquitted of all charges, relating to the transportation of a 14-year-old Indian girl from El Paso, Texas, to St. Louis, Missouri, for immoral purposes.

A press party for Tommy Sands and his wife Nancy Sinatra is held at The Italian Village, Chicago, Illinois, USA. (Sands is due to open shortly in Remains To Be Seen at The Tenthouse Theater.)

Bob Dylan is interviewed again by his friend, Izzy Young of The Folklore Center, in Greenwich Village, New York City, USA.

Awake, the magazine of the Jehovah's Witness religion, publishes an article criticising The Twist dance craze for its immoral influence on young people. Later, articles in Awake will claim that The Twist has its origins in "pagan fertility dances".

Liverpool, UK's Merseybeat newspaper publishes a humourous feature by John Lennon of The Beatles, entitled On Safairy With Whide Hunter.

It is reported in the Providence Evening Bulletin that Frank SInatra and Dean Martin are friends of notorious Mafioso boss Salvatore Rizzo.

Bob Dylan is photographed by Richard Avedon at 132nd and FDR Drive, Harlem, New York City, USA.

The first pictures of baby Julian Lennon, son of John Lennon of The Beatles, appear in the UK press.

A feature headlined 'Presley As Top Money Star' in Variety magazine in the USA estimates Elvis Presley's income from motion pictures this year at $2.7m, easily surpassing the earnings of such established Hollywood heavyweights as Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn.

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed at his home in Upper Berkeley Street, London, England, UK, Europe, for Hullaballoo magazine by Richard Robinson.

In the St Regis Hotel, New York City, USA, John Lennon and Paul McCartney of The Beatles give interviews to American media.

UK rock weekly the NME [New Musical Express] reports that songwriter-singer Pete Dello has left The Honeybus, and is being replaced by Jim Kelly.

Alice Cooper appears, dressed as a pregnant Alice In Wonderland, on the cover of Sounds music paper in the UK.

The Beat (aka The English Beat) are featured on the cover of today's edition of UK music weekly the NME (New Musical Express)

Bruce Springsteen is featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine No442 in the USA.

Speaking on BBC Radio One, Police drummer Stewart Copeland denies a report which had appeared a few days earlier in UK tabloid The Daily Mirror that the group has agreed to split up. Copeland asserts that the group is merely taking a "sabbatical" and "will certainly do another album".

Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran is featured on the cover of today's edition of Smash Hits magazine in the UK.

A news item in today's edition of The New Musical Express (NME) music paper in the UK, notes that a number of concert promoters, including Harvey Goldsmith, Barry Dickins, Rod MacSween and John Giddings have begun announcing major gigs on tv or in mainstream newspapers, rather than using the traditional method of announcing such shows first in the music press. The latest Bruce Springsteen gigs, for example, were announced on BBC-2 tv show The Old Grey Whistle Test. This, according the NME, amounts to "treating us as their servants".

A new Pepsi-Cola sponsorship deal with Michael Jackson is announced at a press conference.

Glossy rock monthly Q magazine is published for the first time in the UK. The front cover features Paul McCartney.

In a press conference at Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Canada, it is announced that r'n'b vocalist Ashanti has been appointed as the new spokesperson for Herbal Essences hair products.

The Age newspaper in Australia, Oceania, reports on the disposition of the estate and assets of Michael Hutchence of INXS, which had been estimated at between $10 and $20m but turned out to contain virtually nothing. The remainder of his estate had been sold off and used to pay legal fees.

Swedish newspaper Expressen reports that Roxette, having been on hiatus from several years, are now recording new songs.

Obeying his GPS navigation device without question, a Bavarian driver does a U-turn on a motorway and drives against the flow of traffic. As a result, he crashes into another car and injures an 11-year-old boy. Reading of this incident in a newspaper, Duran Duran will write the song Blame The Machines.

As part of the 32 Londoners event, Ray Davies holds a mini-press conference aboard The London Eye, London, UK, for which a gin company has specially created 32 different cocktails intended to represent each of London's boroughs.

Sir Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones attends the launch party for recently deceased actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's last film, A Most Wanted Man, at The Skylark in New York City, USA.

As he leaves the Madeo restaurant in Los Angeles, California, USA, Lionel Richie denies (to a TMZ reporter) rumours that he is secretly the father of Khloe Kardashian.

Avril Lavigne announces on Instagram that she and her husband Chad Kroeger of Nickelback are splitting up after two years together.

Avril Lavigne is seen out partying with girlfriends at Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, California, USA, without wearing her wedding ring.