1741 – Composer Andre-Ernest-Modeste Gretry was born.

1956 – Buddy Holly signed a recording contract with Decca Records. He left the “e” out of his last name (Holley) and dropped it from his stage name as well.

1960 – The House of Representatives Special Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight opened hearings on disc jockey “payola.”

1964 – The publisher of the song “Louie Louie” offered $1,000 to anyone would could find suggestive lyrics in the song.

1965 – The Supremes’ “Stop in the Name Of Love” was released.

1967 – Peter & Gordon split up.

1969 – George Harrison’s tonsils were removed at London’s University College Hospital. The tonsils were destroyed so they could not be sold.

1969 – The announcement of the formation of the band “Blind Faith” was made.

1972 – The official Beatles Fan Club disbanded.

1975 – Queen’s single “Killer Queen” was released. It was their first hit single.

1980 – In London, David Bowie and his wife Angie were divorced after nearly ten years of marriage. David gets custody of their nine-year old son, Zowie.

1982 – Cher opened on Broadway in “Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.”

1988 – The Who (without Keith Moon) reunited for their 25th anniversary at a London awards ceremony.

1990 – Del Shannon died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

1993 – Tom Jones guest starred on NBC-TV’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”

1999 – Universal Music, Warner Music, BMG, Sony Music and EMI officially unveiled Project Madison. The system was developed by International Business Machines Corp. to permit fast, secure distribution of full-length, CD-quality albums on the Internet.

2000 – It was announced that Stan “the Man” Lee would create a comic book of the Backstreet Boys.

2006 – Kelly Clarkson won two Grammys. The awards were for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Since U Been Gone” and Best Pop Vocal Album for “Breakaway”. She was the first “American Idol” participant to win a grammy. She also performed “Because of You” at the show.

http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/feb08.htm

1871 – Composer Wilhelm Stenhammar was born.

1897 – Composer Quincy Porter was born.

1959 – Buddy Holly’s funeral was held in Lubbock, TX.

1961 – The Jive Five recorded “My True Story”.

1964 – The Beatles arrived in New York to begin their first U.S. tour.

1969 – “This Is Tom Jones” premiered on ABC-TV.

1979 – The Clash kick off their first American tour at the Berkeley Community Theatre outside San Francisco.

1979 – Stephen Stills became the first rock performer to record on digital equipment in Los Angeles’ Record Plant Studio.

1981 – The TV mini-series “Elvis and Me” (based on Priscilla Presley’s book) began on ABC.

1986 – The Rolling Stones shot the video for “Harlem Shuffle” in New York City.

1994 – Shannon Hoon of the Blind Melon’s was ejected from the American Music Awards for loud and disruptive behavior. He was eventually charged with battery, assault, resisting arrest and destroying a police station phone.

1995 – Tupac Shakur was sentenced to 1 to 4 1/2 years in jail for sexual abuse.

http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/feb07.htm

1818 – Composer Henry Charles Litolff was born.

1939 – Elvis Presley’s father, Vernon, was released from prison after serving 8 months for altering a check.

1943 – Frank Sinatra made his debut as vocalist on radio’s “Your Hit Parade.”

1960 – Jesse Belvin and his wife died in an automobile accident in Los Angeles.

1970 – John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” with Yoko Ono’s “Who Has Seen the Wind?” was released in the U.K.

1971 – Richard Thompson leaves Fairport Convention.

1981 – Former Beatles, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison teamed up to record a musical tribute to John Lennon. The song “All Those Years Ago” was the result.

1987 – Joan Jett made her acting debut in “Light Of Day.”

1987 – Sonny Bono declared his candidacy for mayor of Palm Springs.

1990 – Billy Idol broke several bones in a serious motorcycle accident. As a result he could not appear in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors” in a major role.

1998 – Falco died in a traffic accident in the Dominican Republic.

2002 – Celine Dion’s “A New Day Has Come” was released for radio play. It was her first new song in two years.

Shhhhhhhhh…we don’t want DCD to start singing.

2003 – 50 Cent’s debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” was released.

http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/feb06.htm

1887 – Verdi’s opera “Otello” premiered at La Scala.

1940 – Glenn Miller and his band recorded “Tuxedo Junction.”

1957 – Bill Haley arrived for his first British tour.

1958 – The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) formed a New York chapter. NARAS is better known as the Grammy Awards organization.

1967 – Due to a Musicians’ Union ban, the Rolling Stones were not allowed to play their hit “Let’s Spend the Night Together” when they appeared on an ITV show.

1986 – Prince released the song “Kiss.”

1989 – Metallica’s concert at Reunion Arena in Dallas, TX, was broadcast nationally via the Z-Rock radio network.

1998 – Tim Kelly (Slaughter) died after a being injured in an auto accident in Arizona at the age of 34.

1998 – Elton John and Stevie Wonder played at the White House.

http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/feb05.htm

1892 – Composer Yrjo Kilpinen was born.

1901 – The Giacomo Puccini opera “Tosca” made its U.S. debut.

1937 – Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Orchestra recorded “A Study in Brown.”

1954 – The Drifters recorded “White Christmas.”

1955 – James Brown recorded “Please Please Please.”

1959 – Frankie Avalon and Jimmy Clanton took over headlining the Winter Dance Party after the death of Buddy Holly.

1961 – Johnny Burnette was rushed to a hospital in Hollywood for an emergency appendectomy.

1969 – “Carl Perkins Day” was celebrated in Jackson, TN.

1971 – Diana Ross guest starred on Danny Thomas’ “Make Room For Granddaddy” TV show.

1974 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono temporarily seperated.

1977 – “American Bandstand” celebrated its 25th anniversary with an ABC-TV special hosted by Dick Clark.

1977 – Fleetwood Mac’s second album, “Rumours”, was released.

1983 – Karen Carpenter died from heartbeat irregularities brought on by chemical imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa.

1991 – “Cher at the Mirage” aired on CBS-TV.

1996 – Rob Pilatus, formerly of Milli-Vanilli, was hospitalized when he was hit over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood. Pilatus was attempting to steal a car. The owner was the person who hit him.

1999 – Freddy Fender received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was the 2,129th star to be dedicated.

2001 – Jimmy Buffet was ordered by NBA referee Joe Forte to give up his courtside seat due to the use of profanity. After a several-minute delay, the game between the Miami Heat and the visiting New York Knicks continued.

2002 – Stevie Wonder sang “Happy Birthday” to Rosa Parks on her 89th birthday at the premiere of the made-for-TV movie “Ride to Freedom: The Rosa Parks Story.”

http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/feb04.htm