Medical

Daddy by Sammy Kaye, reaches No1 in the Billboard magazine Best Sellers chart in the USA. It will remain at No1 for seven weeks.

Severely alcoholic jazz trumpet star Bunny Berigan is hospitalized with pneumonia in Allegheny General Hospital Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Steven 'Jesse' Bernstein is born in Los Angeles, California, USA. He will find a measure of fame as an underground writer and performance artist, best-known for his recordings with Sub Pop Records and his close relationship with William S. Burroughs. Bernstein's substance abuse issues and mental illness will ultimately result in his suicide.

Jerome Harris is born in the Memorial Hospital of Queens, Flushing, New York State, USA. He will find success as a jazz bassist, guitarist and recording artist.

The Robins, later to find international fame as The Coasters, play the ninth night of two weeks at The Trocadero, Hollywood, California, USA. On the same day, The Robins appear on The Rhythm And Blues Show on KTTV hosted by Jerry Lawrence with Harry Belafonte, and The Oscar McLollie Orchestra.

B.B. King and his band play to a 2,400 capacity crowd, at The Savoy Ballroom, Hollywood, California, USA, supported by The Johnny Otis Show and The Platters.

Ray Stevens releases a new single, Jeremiah Peabody's Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green And Purple Pills, on Mercury Records in the USA.

Robert Harry Kuykendall is born in Seidel Hospital, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. He will find success as Bobby Dall, bass guitarist of 80s heavy metal glamsters Poison.

Neil Turbin, best-known as the original full-time vocalist of thrash metal band Anthrax is born in Brooklyn, New York City, USA.

The Yardbirds, featuring guitarist Eric Clapton, play at The St John's Ambulance Hall, Reading, England, UK, Europe.

Country star Roy Acuff suffers a broken pelvis, fractured collarbone and cracked ribs in a car crash near Sparta, Tennessee, USA. Also injured are singer June Stearns and guitarist Harold Jackson. All three are first treated in Sparta, then transferred to Miller's Clinic, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

UK rock paper Disc and Music Echo reports that drummer Nigel Olsson of Plastic Penny was, "rushed to hospital last week to have stitches inserted in his face following an incident at the Eastcote Clay Pigeon Club. A member of the audience smashed Nigel in the face with a broken bottle during the group's second number, and later in the evening the dance promoter was beaten up."

Bobby Darin, aged 37, dies of heart failure during open-heart surgery in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Chill Wills dies of cancer, aged 76, in Encino, California, USA. Wills is best-remembered as an actor, but he also enjoyed a singing career as a member of the cowboy-country music group The Avalon Boys Quartet.

With Bryan Ferry now recovered from his recent illness, Roxy Music resume their Flesh And Blood tour with a show at The Conference Centre, Brighton, England, UK, Europe.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy is rushed to hospital in London, England, UK, Europe, with appendicitis, causing the cancellation of several British dates.

Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith, is injured in a motorcycle crash which leaves him hospitalized for two months.

Joe Tex dies of a heart attack, at his home in Navosta, Texas, USA, aged 49.

Liverpudlian singer Billy Fury dies aged 42 in Paddington, London, England, UK, Europe. Fury, having had a history of heart problems, is found unconscious in his flat in Cavendish Avenue, St John's Wood at 2.10pm. He is pronounced dead on arrival at St Mary's Hospital, London.

Austrian-born Hans Spialek, a revered orchestrator of musicals, dies aged 89 of cancer, in New York City, USA. Spialek orchestrated 147 musicals from 1926 to 1967, including Broadway musicals by Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart and others.

Blood And Roses play at Old Kent Road Ambulance Station, London, England, UK, Europe.

Doctor And The Medics play at The Leadmill, Sheffield, England, UK, Europe, supported by Junk.

In an attempt to imitate a stunt in Motley Crue's Live Wire video, a 12-year-old fan sets his legs on fire.

Gloria Estefan’s back is broken when a tractor rams her tour bus during a freak snowstorm outside Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA.

Wesley Rose, a powerful music publisher, music industry executive and record producer, dies aged 72, in Edgefield Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, following a long illness.

Underground writer and performance artist Steven 'Jesse' Bernstein commits suicide at his home in Neah Bay, Washington, USA, by stabbing himself in the throat three times with a knife. Despite serious substance abuse issues and mental illness, Bernstein had found a measure of fame because of his recordings with Sub Pop Records and his close relationship with William S. Burroughs.

Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band dies at his home in Savannah, Georgia, USA, due to complications from liver cancer.

Thunder begin their The Thrill Of It All tour with a gig at The UEA, Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK. Unfortunately due to vocalist Danny suffering pneumonia and laryngitis, the following six shows are postponed. Danny is unable to speak for a week.

Louis "Moondog" Hardin, the enigmatic New York City, USA. street performer who dressed in elaborate garb and garnered great acclaim as a composer and conducter, dies of heart failure, aged 83.

While in Calgary, Canada, to play at the annual Folk Festival, singer-songwriter Warren Zevon realizes he is increasingly short of breath. On consulting his doctor soon after, he learns that he is terminally ill from cancer.

Geno Washington, Elkie Brooks and Humphrey Lyttelton play at the International Jazz Festival in Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK.

Hardcore punk pioneer Randy Turner is found dead from complications of hepatitis C in his home in South Austin, Texas, USA. Nicknamed Biscuit, he was best-known as vocalist and leader of the seminal hardcore punk band Big Boys.

Barbra Streisand donates $5m to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, USA, to fund a women's heart education and research program.

A young but devoted Queen fan, Connor Walker, is granted the opportunity to jam with Queen guitarist Brian May in his home, courtesy of Make-A-Wish Foundation (r) UK charity. Connor, aged 13, from Kingsbridge in Devon, England, UK, Europe, suffers from Neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes nerve tissue to grow tumours, resulting in Connor having to undergo more than 18 operations.

Successful musician, bandleader and impresario Tito Burns, active in both jazz and rock and roll, dies aged 89 of complications from prostate cancer, at his home in London, England, UK, Europe.

Singer and songwriter Andrew Gold dies aged 59 in his sleep at home in Encino, California, USA. He had been suffering with cancer.

It is announced via the NRBQ website that long-serving drummer Tom Ardolino has been hospitalised with 'a number of health issues' and is expected to be in hospital for some time.

They Might Be Giants play at The Rialto Theatre, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Versatile vocalist Al Jarreau, who sold millions of records and won a string of Grammys for his work in jazz, pop and R'n'B, dies aged 76 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He had been hospitalised two weeks earlier for exhaustion.

Reggie Lucas, a Grammy-winning musician who played guitar for Miles Davis and later penned and produced some of Madonna's earliest hits, dies aged 65, of complications from heart disease.

Spencer Davis, who as co-founder of the Spencer Davis Group topped the UK charts twice in the mid-60s, dies aged 81 while being treated for pneumonia in hospital in California, USA.

Christine McVie, who played with Fleetwood Mac and wrote some of their most famous songs, dies in hospital in London, England, UK, Europe, aged 79, after a brief illness. Among her best-known songs are Little Lies, Everywhere, Don't Stop, Say You Love Me and Songbird.