Bohemian Rhapsody voted greatest song of all time
2002
Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the British band’s first Top 10 hit in the US, was voted the UK’s favourite single of all time in a poll by the Guinness Hit Singles book.
The song, which features in the epic ‘A Night At The Opera’ album, was voted ahead of ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon, ‘Hey Jude’ by The Beatles, ‘Dancing Queen’ by ABBA and ‘Like A Virgin’ by Madonna.
Thanks in the main to the complex styles and music of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, A Night At The Opera became the most expensive album ever record at the time as the band hired six different studios for the recording.
Proceeds from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ went to the Magic Johnson AIDS Foundation, as the former basketball star and Mercury were the first two celebrities to die of the disease that also took the life of American actor Rock Hudson.
Beatles memorabilia sets record at British auction house Christie’s
2004
The Beatles helped renewed British auction house Christie’s in London, England to hold the most successful pop auction in the company’s history after the band’s memorabilia sold for a record £788,643.
Among the interesting items that came under the hammer were am ornate piece of costume jewelry, a leather collar worn by John Lennon throughout 1967 and 1968,which sold for £117,250.
The sale also included a signed copy of a management deal with The Beatles and manager Brian Epstein which sold for £122,850 and a Vox Kensington guitar used by Lennon and Harrison that went for £100,000.
Other memorabilia included a coloured felt-pen drawing by Lennon (£10,000), a letter with his signature (£5,500), and a pen-and-ink drawing called Happy Fish (£9,500).
Behind the scenes songwriter Otis Blackwell dies
2002
American songwriter and producer Otis Blackwell whose songs helped shape the career of many artists including Elvis Presley, died from a heart attack.
Blackwell, one of the leading African-American figures of early rock and roll, wrote three classic songs for Presley including ‘All Shook Up’, ‘Return To Sender’ and ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, Jerry Lee Lewis’ signature hit, ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ and ‘Fever,’ a tale of passionate live that singer Peggy Lee would always be associated with.
Many famous artists like Presley, Tom Jones and Madonna also covered this song.
Over the years, Blackwell’s songs sold more than 185 million copies.
Blackwell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986 and in 1991 into the National Academy of Popular Music’s Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Bob Seger was born on this day
1945
American singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist Bob Seger, has sold nearly 50 million albums, including 10 consecutive million-selling albums between 1975 and 1995.
Seger who was born in Detroit scored his biggest hit in 1977 with the autobiographical, ‘Night Moves’.
His other US No 1 single was ‘Shakedown’, taken from the film Beverly Hills Cop II, and the 1995 hit single ‘We’ve Got Tonight’. Seger, who was highly respected for being a perfectionist and spending months in the studio sorting out mistakes no one else could hear. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
