101 more facts you never knew about music: part 3

Back at the start of 2009 MusicRadar brought you a random collection of weird facts and trivia. We called it 101 facts you never knew about music.

But hey, now we have more. Another 101 more.

Read part 1 and part 2.

Or revel in trivial nonsense about John Lennon, U2 and Kurt Cobain right here.

Read on for…

101 more facts you never knew about music: part 3


51.
Crosby Stills And Nash asked George Harrison and Eric Clapton to join them before turning to Neil Young.


52.
Of the five shortest-named songs to ever be Number 1 in America, Michael Jackson appeared on three. Two were solo efforts, Ben and Bad, and one was ABC with the Jackson 5. The other two songs were Why by Frankie Avalon and War by Edwin Starr.


53. Tammy Wynette
, most famous for the song Stand By Your Man, married five times.


54. John Lennon
stole the harmonica he used on Love Me Do from a Dutch shop.


55.
The most expensive single guitar ever sold remains Eric Clapton's 'Blackie' Fender Stratocaster. It sold for just under $1m dollars five years ago with proceeds going to the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, an addiction treatment centre Clapton established in 1998.

Eric clapton's blackie

Eric clapton's blackie

Eric Clapton's 'Blackie' Stratocaster


56.
The Pendletones only became The Beach Boys when a young production worker named Russ Regan suggested a name-change to suit the title of the record, Surfin'.

57. The Rolling Stones earned a lifetime of beer from Steinlager Beer Co. when they gave them the rights to 1966 hit Paint It Black. Keith Richards is pleased.


58. Bob Marley
had 12 children, two of which he adopted through a previous marriage. Many of his children have also gone on to become musicians.


59.
Warner Communications own the rights to the song Happy Birthday. It earns them $2m a year.

Happy birthday

Happy birthday

The song Happy Birthday is worth $2m a year


60.
Indian non-violent-protest guru, Mahatma Gandhi, was edited out of the Sgt Pepper's album cover at the insistence of The Beatles' EMI record label.


61. Elvis Presley
took 34 takes to get his number one hit I Beg of You Rght.


62.
A 22-year-old Marvin Gaye drummed on The Marvelettes' Please Mr Postman in 1961.


63.
The first musical guest star in The Simpsons was Tony Bennett who appeared briefly singing the Capital City song. Since then, among many others, Smashing Pumpkins, Elton John, U2 and Johnny Cash have all been 'cartooned' on the show.


64. Billie Holiday
was arrested as she lay dying of cirrhosis of the liver. She had only 70c in her bank account and $750 strapped to her leg, a sign of her lifelong fear of poverty.

65. Michael Jackson was a Jehovah's Witness. Other musical JWs include Hank Marvin, Ja Rule, Patti Smith, Prince and Geri Halliwell.


66.
The piano on which John Lennon composed Imagine was bought by George Michael for over $2m in 2000.


67.
Dido, Shane MacGowan and Annie Lennox were all born on Christmas Day, 25 December. Johnny Ace and James Brown both died on Christmas Day.

Shane macgowan

Shane macgowan

Shane MacGowan: Jesus!


68. Elvis Presley
had a black belt in karate.


69.
And Elvis Presley's home Graceland is the second most visited house in America, after the White House.


70. Quincy Jones has more Grammy nominations than anyone else in history with 79. He has won 27 of the awards.

Quincy jones

Quincy jones

Quincy Jones: fella's done well


72. John Lennon
recorded and produced music under 15 different pseudonyms, including The Honorary John St John Johnson, The Rev Fred Gherkin, Dr. Winston O'Ghurkin and Dwarf McDougal.

73. Kurt Cobain weighed 7lb 7 ½oz at birth.


74.
U2 were originally known as Feedback.


75. AC/DC were on the very first cover of rock weekly Kerrang! in 1981.

Liked this? Then try:
101 facts you never knew about music
The 10 guitars that changed music
33 insane facts about Chinese Democracy

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