1942 – Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool, England. The Beatles have 20 No. 1 songs, more than any other recording act, and McCartney by himself or in duets has another nine. His biggest post-Beatles hits are “Ebony and Ivory,” a duet with Stevie Wonder that stays at No. 1 for seven weeks, and “Say […]
2005 – Not-very-shocking-anymore shock rocker Marilyn Manson causes a mild ripple of outrage when he marries longtime squeeze Dita Von Teese at Castle Gurteen in Ireland.
2005 – Snow Patrol win Best Irish band and Best Album for Final Straw at Ireland’s Meteor Awards in Dublin. Scottish fopsters Franz Ferdinand win Best International Band and Best International Album for their self-titled debut.
2003 – U2 and The Corrs perform at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics, held in Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.
2003 – Rock musician Noel Redding, best known for his stint as the bassist of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, is found dead at his home in Ireland of unknown causes. He is 57.
2001 – The Brit awards committee announces that U2 will receive an Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the February 26 ceremony in London, despite actually coming from Ireland – not Britain.
1994 – Singer Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries marries Don Burton in Ireland. She scandalizes the press by wearing a see-through wedding dress. O’Riordan asks, “Why would I want to get married looking like a lampshade or a meringue?” Don’t answer.
1986 – Caitlin O’Riordan of the Pogues marries Elvis Costello in Dublin, Ireland.
1980 – At London’s National Film Theater, the documentary Van Morrison in Ireland premieres.
1972 – Paul McCartney releases his bizarre interpretation of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” as Wings. It barely makes No. 28. McCartney apparently was making a point about censorship after the BBC banned his political single “Give Ireland Back to the Irish.”
1972 – Paul McCartney releases the controversial single “Give Ireland Back to the Irish” in the U.K. Predictably, the BBC bans it.
1965 – The Rolling Stones play a concert in Belfast, Northern Ireland, before flying early the next day to Los Angeles so they can record “Get Off of My Cloud.”
