September 12th: The Biggest Music Headlines

Scroll down the page to see all the music headlines, stories and events for September 12 throughout music history

Photo: David Redfern/Redferns

Johnny Cash Dies At The Age Of 71

On September 12, 2003, Johnny Cash died at the age of 71, leaving behind a legacy of foundational music, with a catalog that spanned country, folk, blues, rockabilly, and rock hits. Rising to fame in the mid-50s, the “Man in Black” would go on to release nearly 100 albums and more than 150 singles, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” and “Walk The Line.” As popular as his originals were, though, Cash experienced a late career renaissance, thanks to his minimal and moving covers of songs like Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” and Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage.” One of the best-selling artists in the history of popular music, Cash was an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Hall of Fame, and Gospel Hall of Fame.

In 1989, Aerosmith released their tenth studio album, Pump, via Geffen Records. The album, which featured the Grammy-winning hit “Janie’s Got a Gun” and the chart-topping “Love in an Elevator,” peaked at No. 5 on the US charts and was certified septuple platinum by the RIAA in 1995.

In 1954, Frank Sinatra reached No.1 on the UK singles chart with “Three Coins In The Fountain.” The song was the first of three eventual UK chart-toppers for the icon.

In 1975, Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here. Hailed among the greatest rock albums of all time, the record reached number one in both the US and UK and has since sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

In 1963, The Beatles scored their second No.1 on the UK singles chart with “She Loves You.” The song was not only the UK’s highest-selling single of the decade, but remains the Fab Four’s best-selling single in their home country.

In 1966, N.B.C. aired the first episode of The Monkees TV show in the US. The series ran for a total of 58 episodes.

In 1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival scored their first UK No.1 album with Cosmo’s Factory. In the US, it occupied the top slot for nine weeks, selling over three million copies.

In 1970, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles scored their first UK No.1 with “The Tears Of A Clown.”

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BORN ON SEPTEMBER 12:

1931: George Jones
1944: Barry White
1952: Neil Peart (Rush)
1952: Gerry Beckley (America)
1966: Ben Folds
1978: Michael Paget (My Bloody Valentine)
1981: Jennifer Hudson
1994: RM (BTS)

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September 12th

On this day in music

12 Sep 2020 Taylor Swift was at No.1 on the US chart with her eighth studio album Folklore. The album had over 80.6 million global streams on Spotify and earned the Guinness World Record for the most opening-day streams for an album by a female artist. The album broke the Apple Music record for the most-streamed pop album in a day and the Amazon Music indie/alternative record. Folklore and its songs received five Grammy Award nominations at the 63rd ceremony, winning the Album of the Year.
12 Sep 2017 Mark Ronson was being sued for alleged copyright infringement over his hit 2014 song Uptown Funk. Lastrada Entertainment, which owned the rights to the Roger and Zapp 1980 funk classic 'More Bounce To The Ounce', filed the lawsuit against the English producer claiming 'Uptown Funk' copied the first 48 seconds of 'More Bounce To The Ounce'.
12 Sep 2013 Ray Dolby, the US engineer who founded Dolby Laboratories and pioneered noise reduction in audio recordings, died of leukemia at the age of 80. The analog Dolby noise-reduction system works by increasing the volume of low-level high-frequency sounds during recording and correspondingly reducing them during playback.
12 Sep 2007 The surviving members of Led Zeppelin announced they would reform for a star-studded tribute concert in London. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones would play at a show to remember the late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The place of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980, would be taken by his son Jason. The one-off concert, the trio's first performance for 19 years, would take place at the O2 arena in London on 26th November.
12 Sep 2006 Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay was arrested and cautioned for common assault following an altercation with a photographer after an incident outside a London nightclub.
12 Sep 2004 American drummer and arranger Kenny Buttrey died in Nashville, Tennessee, Worked with Neil Young, (Harvest, and After the Gold Rush), Bob Dylan (Blonde on Blonde, Nashville Skyline & John Wesley Harding), and Bob Seger, Elvis Presley, Donovan, George Harrison, Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Kris Kristofferson, Jimmy Buffett, Chuck Berry and Area Code 615.
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12 Sep 2003 US singer songwriter Johnny Cash died of respiratory failure aged 71. One of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, he was known as "The Man in Black." He traditionally started his concerts by saying, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." He had the 1969 US No.2 & UK No.4 single 'A Boy Named Sue', plus 11 other US Top 40 singles. Cash also had his own US TV show in late 60s early 70s.
12 Sep 2002 The son of Rod Stewart was sentenced to 90 days in jail and ordered to undergo drug rehabilitation after pleading no contest to attacking a man outside a Malibu, California restaurant. 22 year-old Sean Stewart had been arrested on Dec. 5th, 2001, after he was seen kicking the man in the face and stomach. Stewart was also sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $5,600 to the victim.
12 Sep 1999 The Vengaboys went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'We're Going To Ibiza!' The song was originally known as 'Barbados' a No.1 for Typically Tropical in 1975. The Vengaboys gave it a new title with revised lyrics.
12 Sep 1997 Founder of the Polar Music record label, songwriter, producer and ABBA's manager Stig Anderson died of a heart attack. Anderson co-wrote some of ABBA's biggest hits, such as ‘Waterloo’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘S.O.S’, ‘Fernando’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘The Name of the Game.’ His funeral was broadcast live on Swedish television an honour otherwise only reserved for distinguished statesmen or royalty.
12 Sep 1995 INXS singer Michael Hutchence pleaded guilty to punching photographer Jim Bennett outside a London hotel. He was fined £400 and ordered to pay £1,875 costs.
12 Sep 1990 Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac announced they were leaving the band at the end of their current tour. At the time, some believed that Nicks’ and McVie’s departures were hastened by bad blood in the wake of Fleetwood’s memoir, Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac.
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12 Sep 1989 Aerosmith released 'Pump' their tenth studio album which featured the hit singles: 'Love In An Elevator', 'The Other Side' and 'Janie's Got a Gun'. Aerosmith found themselves in law school textbooks after a small rock band named Pump sued Aerosmith's management company for service mark infringement. Aerosmith won the case.
12 Sep 1987 Michael Jackson kicked of his Bad World Tour by playing the first of three sold-out nights at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. By the end of the 123-date tour, Jackson had played to over 4million fans across fifteen countries.
12 Sep 1986 Public Image Ltd guitarist John McGeoch needed 40 stitches in his face after a two-litre wine bottle was thrown at the stage during a gig in Vienna.
12 Sep 1975 Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album Wish You Were Here in the UK. The album which explores themes of absence, the music business, and former band-mate Syd Barrett's mental decline peaked at No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic and went on to spend a total of 84 weeks on the chart.
12 Sep 1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival scored their first UK No.1 album with Cosmo's Factory. It enjoyed a nine-week run at No.1 in the US where it sold over three million copies.
12 Sep 1970 Bob Dylan joined Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.
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12 Sep 1970 Smokey Robinson and The Miracles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Tears Of A Clown', their first UK No.1. Stevie Wonder (who was discovered by Miracles member Ronnie White), and his producer Hank Cosby wrote the music for the song.
12 Sep 1967 Filming continued for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. The bus headed for Widecombe on the Moor, where a local fair was being held but the bus driver (Alf Manders) took a shortcut to bypass heavy traffic and ended up stuck on a bridge, the coach ended up having to drive in reverse for a half-mile before it could turn around. They then head for Plymouth, followed by a 20-car convoy of journalists and photographers.
12 Sep 1966 N.B.C. aired the first episode of The Monkees TV show in the US. The series ran for a total of 58 episodes.
12 Sep 1964 The Supremes, The Shangri-La's, Marvin Gaye, Dusty Springfield, The Ronettes, Millie Small, The Temptations, The Miracles and Little Anthony and the Imperials all appeared at The Fox Theatre, Brooklyn, New York.
12 Sep 1963 The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'She Loves You', the group's second No.1. It became the biggest seller of the year and the biggest selling Beatles single in the UK.
12 Sep 1954 The first 'teen idol', Frank Sinatra was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Three Coins In The Fountain,' the singer's first UK No.1. The song was The Academy Award winning Best Original Song of 1954.
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Born on this day in music

12 Sep 1994 RM (Kim Nam-joon), South Korean singer, songwriter, with the boy band BTS. They became the first Korean act to top the US Billboard chart with their studio album Love Yourself: Tear (2018). BTS also became the fastest group since The Beatles to earn four US No.1 albums, doing so in less than two years. They became the first Asian act to chart a No.1 song in the US since Kyu Sakamoto with ‘Sukiyaki’ (1963).
12 Sep 1981 Jennifer Hudson, Academy Award-winning American actress and singer. One of the finalists on the third season of American Idol, she went on to star as Effie White in the 2006 motion picture musical Dreamgirls.
12 Sep 1978 Michael Paget, musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist in the Welsh metalcore band Bullet for My Valentine. Their second album Scream Aim Fire peaked at No.2 on the UK chart and US Rock chart in 2008.
12 Sep 1974 Jennifer Nettles, American Grammy-winning country music artist, lead vocalist with the duo Sugarland. 2009 US No.1 album ‘Live on the Inside’.
12 Sep 1968 Kenny Thomas, singer, (1991 UK No.4 single 'Thinking About Your Love').
12 Sep 1967 Jon Stewart, guitarist from English Britpop band Sleeper, who scored the 1996 UK No.10 single 'Sale Of The Century'.
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12 Sep 1966 Ben Folds, songwriter, keyboard player from American alternative rock trio Ben Folds Five. Their single 'Brick' from the 1997 album Whatever and Ever Amen gained airplay on many mainstream radio stations. Folds went on to pursue a successful solo career.
12 Sep 1956 Barry Andrews, keyboards, XTC, (1982 UK No.10 single 'Senses Working Overtime').
12 Sep 1952 Gerry Beckley, America (1972 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Horse With No Name').
12 Sep 1952 Neil Peart, drummer, Rush, (1980 UK No.13 single 'Spirit Of Radio' 1982 US No. 21 single 'New World Man'). Peart was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio was the first rock band to be so honored, as a group. Peart died on 7 January 2020 age 67 after battling brain cancer for three years.
12 Sep 1944 Barry White, soul singer & producer. (1974 UK No.1 single 'You're The First The Last My Everything', 1974 US No.1 single 'Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe'). White died from Kidney failure on 4th July 2003 aged 58.
12 Sep 1944 Colin Young, from British soul band The Foundations who scored the 1967 UK No.1 single 'Baby Now That I've Found You' and the 1969 US No.3 single 'Build Me Up A Buttercup'. The group was the first multi-racial group to have a No.1 hit in the UK in the 1960s.
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12 Sep 1943 Maria Muldaur, American singer, songwriter, who had the 1974 US No.6 & UK No.21 single 'Midnight At The Oasis'.
12 Sep 1940 Tony Bellamy, Redbone, who had the 1971 UK No.2 & US No.21 single 'The Witch Queen Of New Orleans' and the 1974 US No. 4 hit single, 'Come and Get Your Love.' Redbone are accredited in the NY Smithsonian as the first Native American rock/Cajun group to have a No.1 single in the United States and internationally. He died on December 25, 2009 of liver failure.
12 Sep 1931 US country singer George Jones who had a string of number one songs between the 1950s and 1990s. Nicknamed Possum, his signature song was He Stopped Loving Her Today, a track about love and death. He was married to Tammy Wynette between 1969 and 1975 and the pair recorded several songs together in the 1970s. Jones died on 26th April 2013 aged 81.