Legend: BTD – Born Today OTD – On This Day

DateArtist/GroupDescriptionImage
BTD May17,1911 Maureen O'Sullivan#BTD May17,1911 #MaureenOSullivan RIP. Actress Jane Porter 1932-1942 #Tarzan movies with #JohnnyWeissmuller Tarzan, plus films such as 1952 Bonzo Goes to College, 1965 Never Too Late. O'Sullivan & husband John Villiers Farrow were the parents of 7 children. One being #MiaFarrow
BTD May17,1941 Malcolm Hale#BTD May17,1941 #MalcolmHale RIP lead guitarist Spanky And Our Gang 1967 US #9 single "Sunday Will Never Be The Same Again" On Oct31,1968, Malcolm Hale was found dead in his Chicago home, at the age 27 from carbon monoxide poisoning due to a bad heating system
BTD May17,1942 Taj Mahal#BTD May17,1942 #TajMahal (Henry Fredericks) singer, songwriter, composer film soundtracks & formed The #RisingSons #HBay @tajmahalblues
BTD May17,1944 Jesse Winchester#BTD May17,1944 #JesseWinchester (James Ridout Winchester Jr) RIP singer, songwriter 1970 CAN #20 single "Yankee Lady" His songs have been covered by many artists such as #PattiPage, #ElvisCostello, #EverlyBrothers
BTD May17,1948 Bill Bruford#BTD May17,1948 #BillBruford drummer, composer, producer, & record label owner Original drummer for #Yes 1971 US #40 "Your Move" Spent 1970s in #KingCrimson, touring with #Genesis & #UK, forming Bruford and #Earthworks. 2017 inducted in @rockhall of Fame with Yes @yesofficial
BTD May17,1949 Keith#BTD May17,1949 #Keith (James Keefer) singer 1966 US #7 & UK #24 "98.6", 1966 US #39 "Ain't Gonna Lie", 1967 US #37 & UK #51 "Tell Me to My Face" He legally changed his name to Bazza Keefer in 1988, in memory of his mother. 1986 set up A.I.R. Records in Redondo Beach, California
BTD May17,1956 Bob Saget#BTD May17,1956 #BobSaget actor film/TV; 1987–1995 Full House as Danny Tanner; 1989–1997 America's Funniest Home Videos host; 2001–2002 Raising Dad as Matt Stewart; 2005–2014 How I Met Your Mother as Ted Mosby in 2030; 2009 Surviving Suburbia as Steve Patterson #HBday @bobsaget
BTD May17,1958 Alan Rankine#BTD May17,1958 #AlanRankine keyboardist, guitarist, co-founder of the rock band The #Associates 1982 UK #9 "Party Fears Two", +3 UK Top40 singles and a solo artist
BTD May17,1959 Paul DiAnno#BTD May17,1959 #PaulDiAnno (Paul Andrews) singer, 1st vocalist to record with heavy metal band #IronMaiden from 1978-1981 & solo artist
BTD May17,1960 Simon Fuller#BTD May17,1960 #SimonFuller record, TV producer, manager of the #SpiceGirls & others, creator of the #Idol series with over 50 versions
BTD May17,1961 Enya#BTD May17,1961 #Enya (Enya Patricia Brennan) singer, songwriter #Clannad 1982 UK #5 "Harry's Game" & solo 1988 UK #1 "Orinoco Flow", +8 UK Top40 singles #HBday @official_enya
OTD May17,1875Kentucky Derby#OTD May17,1875 1st #KentuckyDerby is held at Churchill Downs. The winning horse is #Aristides, jockey is Oliver Lewis, trainer Ansel Williamson and the owner H. P. McGrath (Henry Price McGrath) @KentuckyDerby
OTD May17,1933 Jimmie Rodgers#OTD May17,1933 #JimmieRodgers (James Charles Rodgers) records a series of 24 songs. He would die 9 days later. One of the 1st to be inducted into the @countrymusichof fame
OTD May17,1952 Leroy Anderson#OTD May17,1952 #LeroyAnderson "Pops" Concert Orchestra starts a 5wk run at #1 on the US Top40 Singles chart with "Blue Tango" written by Leroy Anderson. The single will be the #1 song of the year on the US charts
OTD May17,1957 Guy Mitchell#OTD May17,1957 #GuyMitchell is at #1 on the UK singles chart with "Rock-A-Billy" written by by Woody Harris and Eddie V. Deane. Mitchell's fourth and final UK #1
OTD May17,1958Everly Brothers#OTD May17,1958 The #EverlyBrothers are still at #1 on the US Hot 40 Singles Chart with "All I Have to Do Is Dream" for the 2nd week of a 3wk run at #1
OTD May17,1961Groucho Marx#OTD May17,1961 Tapping of the final episode of the TV quiz show "You Bet Your Life" The show aired on radio & TV. Hosted by #GrouchoMarx
OTD May17,1963 Jan and Dean#OTD May17,1963 #JanandDean's single "Surf City" is released co-written by #JanBerry & #BrianWilson. The single would became the 1st surf song to become a national #1 hit on Jul20 for 2wks @BrianWilsonLive
OTD May17,1963Beatles#OTD May17,1963 The #Beatles on a photo shoot with #DezoHoffman in London
OTD May17,1963Beatles#OTD May17,1963 The #Beatles perform at the Grosvenor Rooms, Norwich, Norfolk. Also there #RickyLee and The Hucklebucks
OTD May17,1963Monterey Folk Festival#OTD May17,1963 The 1st #Monterey Folk Festival began. 3 days in Monterey, CA Featuring #JoanBaez with #BobDylan #PeterPaulandMary and The #WildWoodBoys
OTD May17,1964 Bob Dylan#OTD May17,1964 #BobDylan's 1st major concert in the UK at the #RoyalFestivalHall with a show listed as a "Folksong Concert" @bobdylan
OTD May17,1967Brian Epstein#OTD May17,1967 Physician advice's #BrianEpstein to check into the Priory Hospital in Roehampton for a much needed rest. He would eventually be trying to cure his acute insomnia and addiction to amphetamines. On Aug27,1967 #BrianEpstein would die; ruled an accidental suicide
OTD May17,1967Beatles#OTD May17,1967 The #Beatles began recording the song "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)", it will not be finished until Nov1969. Originally released as the B-side of the single "Let It Be" The song features a saxophone part played by Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones
OTD May17,1969 Joni Mitchell#OTD May17,1969 #JoniMitchell is featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine @RollingStone @JoniMitchellcom
OTD May17,1969Album, 45s#OTD May17,1969 For the 1st time LP sales overtake single sales in the UK. 49,184,000 albums produced during 1968 compared with 49,161,000 singles or better known as 45s
OTD May17,19695th Dimension#OTD May17,1969 The #5thDimension (#FifthDimension) are still at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles chart with "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" for the last week of a 6wk run at #1
OTD May17,1970Beatles#OTD May17,1970 The #Beatles jump straight to #1 starting a 3wk run at #1 on the UK album chart with their 12th & final studio album "Let It Be"
OTD May17,1971Godspell#OTD May17,1971 The musical #Godspell opens off Broadway in New York City and ran for 2,124 performances
OTD May17,1971Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney#OTD May17,1971 The US release of "Ram" an album by #PaulMcCartney & #LindaMcCartney on the #Apple Records Label. The only LP credited to both Linda and Paul McCartney @PaulMcCartney
OTD May17,1973Led Zeppelin#OTD May17,1973 An article in the #DailyEspress about #LedZeppelin headline "Impossible - but they ARE bigger than the Beatles" @Daily_Express @ledzeppelin
OTD May17,1973BTO, Bachman-Turner Overdrive #OTD May17,1973 Bachman-Turner Overdrive #BTO releases their 1st LP with former Guess Who guitarist #RandyBachman guitar, lead vocals; #FredTurner bass guitar, vocals; #TimBachman guitar, vocals and #RobbieBachman drums. 1974 #BlairThornton replaces Tim Bachman @randybachmancbc
OTD May17,1975 Elton John#OTD May17,1975 #EltonJohn is awarded a Platinum LP for 1M sales of the album "Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy" John has the 1st Platinum LP on the day of an albums release @eltonofficial
OTD May17,1975 John Lennon#OTD May17,1975 #JohnLennon sits in as a guest DJ for the Philadelphia radio station #WFIL for the Helping Hand Marathon fundraiser
OTD May17,1975 Tony Orlando#OTD May17,1975 #TonyOrlando & #Dawn are still at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)" for the last week of a 3k run at #1 @TonyOrlando
OTD May17,1978Thank God It's Friday#OTD May17,1978 The movie "Thank God It's Friday" premiers in LA. Features The #Commodores & #DonnaSummer A musical disco comedy film directed by #RobertKlane and produced by Motown Productions and #Casablanca Film Works @motown
OTD May17,1980 Blondie#OTD May17,1980 #Blondie is still at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "Call Me" for the 5th week of a 6wk run at #1 @BlondieOfficial
OTD May17,1986 Whitney Houston#OTD May17,1986 #WhitneyHouston starts a 3wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles chart with "Greatest Love Of All" written by #MichaelMasser with lyrics by #LindaCreed. 1977 originally recorded by #GeorgeBenson who peaked at #24 on Oct8,1977
OTD May17,2012 Donna Summer#OTD May17,2012 #DonnaSummer (LaDonna Gaines) dies at the age of 63. 1970s pop singer known as the Queen of Disco. 5 #GRAMMY awards and 1977 UK #1 "I Feel Love", 1979 US #1 & UK #11 "Hot Stuff", +25 Top40 hits singles
OTD May17,2021Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith#OTD May17,2021 Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith a reunion of the two remaining #Monkees @TheMickyDolenz1