This Day in Music History: Elton John & Bernie Taupin sign their first contract, Alice in Chains release their self-titled album

1963 – The Beatles make their only two appearances ever in Ireland, playing at the Adelphi Cinema in Dublin. The group hooks up with screenwriter Alun Owen, who has been appointed to write the screenplay for their as-yet-untitled first motion picture. Owen spends three days with them, observing their hectic lifestyle.

1959 – Smokey Robinson marries Claudette Rogers, a member of The Miracles and the eventual inspiration for his song “My Girl,” made famous by the Temptations. The two divorce in 1985.

1967 – Reg Dwight (Elton John) and his songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, sign their first recording contract. As minors, their signatures must be witnessed by their parents. The pair met when Taupin answered an advertisement for a lyric writer placed in the New Musical Express.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTa8U0Wa0q8

1970 – MGM Records purges their roster of several acts that “exploit and promote hard drugs through music.” Eric Burdon, who is on the label, asks out of his contract and launches a “Curb the Clap” campaign.

1983 – The Rolling Stones release Undercover.

1986 – The biopic film Sid And Nancy opens in the US.

1991 – Citing difficulty being around the band members due to his new-found sobriety, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin quits Guns N’ Roses. He is replaced by Gilby Clarke.

1995 – The Captain & Tennille (Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille) renew their wedding vows in Virginia City, Nevada on their 20th anniversary.

1995 – Alice In Chains’ self-titled album is released on CD and cassette. The album had received a vinyl-only release a week earlier on Halloween.

2006 – Orleans lead singer John Hall is elected to the US House of Representatives from his home state of New York.

2011 – Adele, just 23, has laser surgery to fix a vocal chord hemorrhage at a hospital in Boston.

2011 – Dr. Conrad Murray is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. Murray was accused of giving the singer a lethal dose of the sedative propofol on the day he died.

2014 – Two wealthy fans pay $300,000 to eat lasagne with Bruce Springsteen at his house. Springsteen had started off the annual Stand Up For Heroes event by playing an acoustic set, then offering the instrument to the highest bidder. When bidding reached $60,000, he threw in a guitar lesson, for which someone offered $250,000. At this point, he offered up a lasagne dinner at his house, a ride around the block in the sidecar of his motorbike, and the shirt off of his back. All the money went to the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which helps injured servicemen and their families when they return home.

Information for this post was gathered from This Day in Music, The Music History Calendar, On This Day, and Wikipedia.