Legend: BTD – Born Today OTD – On This Day

DateArtist/GroupDescriptionImage
BTD May16,1919 Liberace#BTD May16,1919 #Liberace (Władziu Valentino Liberace) RIP pianist, singer, actor. Many concerts, TV/film. 1950s to the 1970s, Liberace was the highest-paid entertainer in the world, with an established concert residencies in #LasVegas and an international touring schedule
BTD May16,1939 Pervis Jackson#BTD May16,1939 #PervisJackson RIP vocals, original member The #Spinners 1980 UK #1 & US #2 "Working My Way Back To You", +18 US, 11 UK and 22 US R&B Top40 singles with 6 R&B #1s. In the UK they are know as the Detroit Spinners
BTD May16,1944 Billy Cobham#BTD May16,1944 #BillyCobham (William Emanuel Cobham Jr.) jazz drummer, worked with such artists as Miles Davis, #Mahavishnu Orchestra, #JamesBrown. Cobham's debut album in 1973 "Spectrum" reached #1 on the Billboard magazine Jazz Albums chart
BTD May16,1945 Jim Holvay#BTD May16,1945 #JimHolvay (James Steven Holvay) also known as “Jimmy Soul” songwriter, singer, guitarist, founding member of The #MOB 1971 US #71 "Give It To Me". Holvay has written hit singles such as "Kind of a Drag" a 1966 US #1 single on Feb18,1967 for The #Buckinghams
BTD May16,1947 Barbara Lee#BTD May16,1947 #BarbaraLee RIP singer. Member of the girl group The #Chiffons 1963 US #1 & UK #16 "He's So Fine", 1963 US #5 & UK #29 "One Fine Day", 1966 US #10 & UK #31 "Sweet Talking Guy" reissued in 1972 UK #4, +2 US Top40 singles
BTD May16,1947 Darrell Sweet#BTD May16,1947 #DarrellSweet RIP drummer, co-founder of #Nazareth 1975 US #17 LP "Hair of the Dog", 1973 UK #9 "Broken Down Angel", 1976 UK #15, US #8 and CAN #1 "Love Hurts", +5 UK Top40 singles
BTD May16,1951 Jonathan Richman#BTD May16,1951 #JonathanRichman singer, songwriter, guitarist 1970 founded #ModernLovers 1977 UK #5 "Egyptian Reggae", influential punk band
BTD May16,1953 Richard Page#BTD May16,1953 #RichardPage lead singer & bass gutarist #MrMister 1985 US #1 & UK #4 "Broken Wings", US #1 & UK #11 "Kyrie", +2 US Top40 singles. Now a songwriter and solo artist; wrote songs for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Dionne Warwick and Josh Groban
BTD May16,1955 Hazel O'Conner#BTD May16,1955 #HazelOConner singer, songwriter, actress 1980 UK #5 "Eighth Day", +5 UK Top40 singles & O'Conner in the film such as 1980 "Breaking Glass" as Kate and 1986 "Fighting Back" as Viv Sharpe #HBday @Hazel_OConnor
BTD May16,1958 Glenn Gregory#BTD May16,1958 #GlennGregory co-founder, lead singer of the new wave, synthpop band #Heaven17 1983 UK #2 "Temptation", +6 UKTop40 singles @heaven17bef
BTD May16,1965 Krist Novoselic#BTD May16,1965 #KristNovoselic (Krist Novoselić) bass guitarist, founding member of #Nirvana 1991 US #6 & UK #7 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and then formed #Sweet75 & #EyesAdrift. 2014 inducted in @rockhall of fame with Nirvana #HBday @KristNovoselic
BTD May16,1966 Janet Jackson#BTD May16,1966 #JanetJackson singer, actress. 3 R&B #1s in 1986 What Have You Done for Me Lately, Nasty & Control & US #1 When I Think of You, +27 US Top40s with 8 more #1s and 32 UK Top40s. Youngest of the Jackson family. 2019 inducted in @rockhall of Fame #HBday @JanetJackson
BTD May16,1968 Ralph Tresvant#BTD May16,1968 #RalphTresvant Sr. lead singer of R&B, pop group #NewEdition 1983 UK #1 & R&B #1 "Candy Girl", 1984 US #4 & R&B #1 "Cool It Now" and solo artist 1990 US #4 & R&B #1 "Sensitivity" #HBday @RalphTresvant
OTD May16,1860 Republican, GOP, Grand Old Party#OTD May16,1860 Chicago, Illinois; the #Republican National Convention (now known as the GOP - nicknamed the Grand Old Party) on the 3rd ballot nominate #AbrahamLincoln as their presidential candidate. Senator #HannibalHamlin of Maine is the Vice Presidential nominee @GOP
OTD May16,1953 Percy Faith#OTD May16,1953 #PercyFaith and His Orchestra featuring #FeliciaSanders start a 10wk run at #1 on the US Top40 Singles chart with "The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)" written by Georges Auric with lyrics from William Engvick
OTD May16,1956 Elvis Presley#OTD May16,1956 #ElvisPresley is still at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "Heartbreak Hotel" for the 4th week of a 7wk run at #1 @ElvisPresley
OTD May16,1958 Connie Francis#OTD May16,1958 #ConnieFrancis starts a 6wk run at #1 on the UK singles chart with "Who's Sorry Now" written by Ted Snyder with lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby; published in 1923. Francis is the 1st female rock 'n' roll star at #1 in the UK
OTD May16,1962 B Bumble and the Stingers#OTD May16,1962 #BBumble and the Stingers are at #1 on the UK singles chart with "Nut Rocker" The song is a version of the march from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker. Producer Kim Fowley secured the copyright in 1962
OTD May16,1963Beatles#OTD May16,1963 The #Beatles on the #BBC "Pops and Lenny" in front of a live audience at the Television Theatre. The children's program that features pop music & a hand-puppet "Lenny the Lion" The Beatles play "From Me to You" & a shorter version of "Please Please Me"
OTD May16,1964 Mary Wells#OTD May16,1964 #MaryWells starts a 2wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles chart with "My Guy" Written and produced by #SmokeyRobinson
OTD May16,1964Hollies#OTD May16,1964 The #Hollies enter at #98 on the @billboard Hot100 singles chart with "Just One Look" written by Gregory Carroll & Doris Payne. The Hollies 1st US appearance stalls. Hollies re-issue the song in 1967 but still only reach #44. Mar26,1964 Hollies peak at #2 in UK
OTD May16,1965Rolling Stones#OTD May16,1965 After the #RollingStones concert and as their limo is leaving the Civic Hall, Long Beach, he Rolling Stones are attacked by fans who cave in roof, the chauffeur drives on while bodies are fly off @RollingStones
OTD May16,1966Beach Boys#OTD May16,1966 The #BeachBoys release the LP "Pet Sounds" The Beach Boys will peak at #10 on Billboard 200 & peak at #2 in the UK & remaining in the Top10 position for 6months. The album produced, arranged & almost entirely composed by #BrianWilson @BrianWilsonLive @TheBeachBoys
OTD May16,1966Beatles#OTD May16,1966 The #Beatles at #EMI studios working on #PaulMcCartney's vocals on "For No One" written by Paul McCartney; credited to Lennon–McCartney. Personnel: Paul McCartney vocals, bass, piano, clavichord; Ringo Starr drums, tambourine, maracas; Alan Civil French horn
OTD May16,1967Garfield Air Mattress#OTD May16,1967 Mesa College paper, The #Criterion profiles #GarfieldAirMattress. #Mercury Records just signed them, #RayRuff is the manager. The Garfield Air Mattress members Daryll Cooper, Bruce Lambert, Pete Frease, Terry Tezak, Tony Decker. The group would later become Fargo
OTD May16,1969 Pete Townshend#OTD May16,1969 #PeteTownshend spent the night in jail for hitting a man on stage during The Who gig at the Fillmore East. Turned out that Townshend hit a policeman who was warning people about a fire @TheWho
OTD May16,1969 Ringo Starr#OTD May16,1969 #RingoStarr boards the ship the Queen Elizabeth II sailing to the US to film the movie “The Magic Christian" with wife at the time Maureen & their children
OTD May16,1970 Crosby Stills Nash & Young#OTD May16,1970 Crosby Stills Nash & Young are at #1 on the US album chart with "Deja Vu" There are 3 Top40 singles on the LP Teach Your Children, Our House and Woodstock
OTD May16,1970Guess Who#OTD May16,1970 The #GuessWho are still at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "American Woman" for the 2nd week of a 3wk run at #1
OTD May16,1980Beatles#OTD May16,1980 The US release of The #Beatles album "The Historic First Live Recordings" the Pickwick Music Star-Club tapes @PickwickMusic
OTD May16,1981 Kim Carnes#OTD May16,1981 #KimCarnes starts a 5wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "Bette Davis Eyes" written by by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon. Carnes falls to #2 for one week and starts another 4wk run starting on Jun27
OTD May16,1987 U2#OTD May16,1987 #U2 starts a 3wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "With or Without You" written by Bono @U2
OTD May16,1995Beatles#OTD May16,1995 Paul McCartney, George Harrison & Ringo Starr return to The Mill studio in Sussex to finish production of "Real Love" written by the John Lennon. The #Beatles release "Real Love" in the UK & US on Mar4,1996 then peak at #4 in UK Mar10,1996 & #11 in US Mar23,1996