The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now

Today in Music History: Michael Jackson pulled some jewelry store hijinks

May 02, 2016

Michael Jackson
The deluxe version of Xscape features Michael Jackson's original demos, before the songs were "contemporized" for the album.
Courtesy of the artist, via NPR

History Highlight:

Today in 1989, Michael Jackson, wearing a wig and fake mustache, entered a Zales jewelry store in Simi Valley, California. Security found him suspicious and called the police, who showed up to explain that no one should wear a disguise to a jewelry store.

Also, Today In:

1957 - Elvis taped "Jailhouse Rock," the Leiber & Stoller classic. It was the inspiration for the choreography that Elvis worked out for the convicts' dance sequence in the film Jailhouse Rock.

1967 - The Beach Boys' production of the Smile album project was halted. Brian Wilson had toiled for over a year composing and producing the album, an effort to best The Beatles in his perceived battle for pop supremacy. However, after The Beatles released their groundbreaking Sgt. Pepper, Wilson became discouraged and intimidated, convinced his Smile would come off as "second best." In 2011, Smile was finally released as The Smile Sessions.

1979 - The Who played their first concert since the death of drummer Keith Moon.

1992 - Little known U.K. duo Nirvana filed a suit against the American band of the same name claiming that they had been using the name since 1968. The dispute was settled out of court in the British bands favor.

2006 - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was released from hospital in New Zealand after the 62 year-old suffered "mild concussion" when he fell out of a coconut tree while on holiday in Fiji.

2009 - Bob Dylan mingled unnoticed with other Beatles tourists during a minibus tour to John Lennon's childhood home.

Birthdays:

Lesley Gore, pop singer from the 60's, was born today in 1946.

Lily Allen, who is now going by Lily Rose Cooper, is 31 today.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts and Wikipedia.