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April 27 in Music History: Happy Birthday, Lizzo

Lizzo at The Current's 9th Birthday Party on January 24, 2014
Lizzo at The Current's 9th Birthday Party on January 24, 2014MPR Photo | Nate Ryan

April 27, 2024

History highlight:

Melissa Viviane Jefferson — better known to the world as Lizzo — was born today in 1988, making her 36 today. She was born in Detroit and moved to Houston, but we like to claim her as our own in Minnesota, as this is where her career took off while she performed in groups such as Lizzo & the Larva Ink, the Chalice and GRRRL PRTY. Her debut album Lizzobangers was released on Totally Gross National Product in 2013, followed by Big Grrrl Small World in 2015. Her first major-label EP, Coconut Oil, was released in 2016. Her world exploded into mainstream success with 2019's Cuz I Love You, especially as the deluxe version of the album included her 2017 single “Truth Hurts," which became a viral sleeper hit thanks to a placement in the Netflix movie Someone Great. Lizzo — we love you, we support you. Happy birthday.

Also, today in:

1963 - Little Peggy March started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "I Will Follow Him." At 15 years, one month and 13 days old, Little Peggy March became the youngest female singer to have a U.S. No. 1 record.

1968 - Dance to the Music, the second studio album from Sly & the Family Stone, is released.

1969 - Joe Cocker made his U.S. television debut, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS. Together with the Grease Band, Cocker performed a cover of Dave Mason's "Feelin' Alright."

1976 - After a trip to Moscow, David Bowie was detained on a train at the Poland-Russian border by customs officers who didn't appreciate his collection of Nazi books and mementos. Bowie claimed he was researching a film on Joseph Goebbels, and he was released after a few hours.

1981 - Ringo Starr married actress and one-time "Bond girl" Barbara Bach. The pair met while filming the movie Caveman with Dennis Quaid and Shelley Long. Married to this day, Starr and Bach have homes in England, California and Monte Carlo.

1985 - USA For Africa started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. chart with "We Are The World." The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and it’s one of fewer than 30 all-time physical singles to have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide. It won three Grammys, one American Music Award, and a People's Choice Award and included artists such as Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, and oddly enough, Dan Aykroyd.

1994 - The Smashing Pumpkins and American Music Club performed at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium for the reopening of the legendary rock venue.

1996 - Oasis played the first of two nights at Manchester City's former stadium, Maine Road, as a thank-you to fans. The 80,000 tickets sold out in hours.

2002 - For the first time since 1963, there are no British acts in the US Hot 100.

2003 - Iggy Pop reunited with the Stooges for the first time in 30 years to close out the Coachella festival. Originally formed in 1967 in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Stooges sold few records in their original incarnation, and they often performed for indifferent or hostile audiences, but they’re nevertheless widely regarded as instrumental in the rise of punk rock, as well as influential to alternative rock, heavy metal and rock music at large. The Stooges' breakup in 1974 was followed by Iggy Pop's successful solo career, launched in 1976 and begun with the albums The Idiot and Lust for Life. Following their Coachella reunion, Iggy and the Stooges spent the years spanning 2003 and 2008 touring extensively, playing concerts on five different continents. In 2010, the Stooges were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

2006 - Keith Richards fell out of a palm tree while vacationing in Fiji and went to the hospital with a concussion, creating a rare news event on the island.

2008 - Prince made the crowd go crazy by covering Radiohead during an epic headlining set as a last-minute addition to the Coachella Festival. He also covered Sarah McLachlan's "Angel."

2012 - Bob Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama, which is the highest honor awarded to a United States civilian citizen. Dylan was only the 29th musician to receive the award. Previous recipients had included Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Irving Berlin.

2016 - Beyonce kicked off her Formation Tour with a show in Miami. Her first solo stadium tour, it featured new tracks from her album Lemonade and new takes on many of her old hits.

2018 - Janelle Monáe released Dirty Computer, a visionary concept album that went on to be nominated for Album of the Year in the 61st Grammy Awards.

2020 - R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and jazz singer and songwriter Young Jessie died at age 83. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with the Flairs and a brief stint in the Coasters. He later performed and recorded jazz as Obie Jessie.

Birthdays:

Casey Kasem was born on this day in 1932.

Session drummer Jim Keltner — credits include John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Harry Nilsson, Bob Dylan, Traveling Wilburys, and many more — is 82.

Cuba Gooding Sr., lead singer of the Main Ingredient, was born today in 1944.

Herb Pedersen — guitarist who has worked with John Prine, Jackson Browne, the Doobie Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and many others — is 80.

Pete Ham of Badfinger was born today in 1947.

Ann Peebles (1973 hit single "I Can't Stand The Rain") is 77.

Kate Pierson of The B-52's is 76.

Paul "Ace" Frehley of Kiss is 73.

Sheena Easton is 65.

Marco Pirroni — guitarist and producer who has worked with Adam Ant, Sinead O’Connor, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and more — is 65.

Supergrass keyboard player Rob Coombes is 52.

Isobel Campbell, formerly of Belle & Sebastian, is 48.

Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy is 40.

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