May 22: This day, that year in music

Robbie Williams shows his charitable side

2000

Former Take That singer Robbie Williams set up the ‘Give It Sum’, children’s charity with the money he earned from a deal with soft drink giant Pepsi.

The trust aimed to provide assistance for organisations in North Staffordshire, the place where Williams was born, It had a fund of £2 million seed money with beneficiaries including UNICEF and Jeans For Genes.

Scottish act Travis sweep the Ivors

2000

Scottish band Travis stole the show at the annual Ivor Novello awards, which are held to reward songwriting and composing. Singer Fran Healy won two awards for Best Contemporary Song for the single ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me’ and Songwriter Of The Year for the Travis album ‘The Man Who.’

Lead singer Fran Healey wrote ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me’ while on holiday in Israel.

‘The Man Who’ also propelled the Glasgow action into the international limelight and secured for them several best-of-the-year awards.

The Ivors have been presented annually by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA), the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, since 1956,

In 2014 Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie was honoured with a lifetime achievement at the Ivors. She wrote some of the bands most famous songs, including ‘Don’t Stop’ and ‘Little Lies’.

Vintage Presley guitar sells for a staggering $334,000

2016

More than 30 years after his death, a guitar that Elvis Presley was given by his father sold for a staggering $334,000 at an auction in New York. The model sells at a shade of $4,000.

It is believed that Vernon Presley altered the finish on traditionally Vintage Cherry red acoustic Gibson Dove to black after his son won his black belt in karate.

In 1975, Elvis gave the guitar to a fan in the front row of his concert in Asheville, North Carolina.

At the same auction Julian Lennon, son of John Lennon also sold his father’s handwritten lyrics for The Beatles’ song ‘ ‘Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite!’ for $354,400.

Also, a red neoprene vinyl jacket which Michael Jackson wore for his 1996-97 HIStory world tour sold for $256,000.

Drake rakes in record 13 Billboard Awards

2017

Canadian rapper Drake made history as the most successful Billboard Music Award-winning artist when he won a record 13 prizes at the Las Vegas extravaganza.

Born Aubrey Drake Graham in Toronto, Canada he narrowly eclipsed British singer Adele’s previous record of 12 awards.

The same year Drake broke his own record on the Hot 100 Singles Chart with 27 songs, 25 from his album ‘Scorpion’ and two from collaborations with Blocboy 18 and Lil Baby.

Overall, Drake has won 100 awards, including four Grammy Awards from forty-four nominations.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Drake is currently the USA’s best-selling artist of all time with over 220 million certified records sold in the country.