Birth of a Nation: 1944

1960s British Rock and Pop Chronology

The Birth of a Nation 7: 1944

5 Jan	Steatham, Southwest London: Jo Anne Kelly.
7 Jan	Walton General Hospital, 107 Rice Lane, Walton, Liverpool 9: Mike McGear [b. Peter Michael McCartney]. Guitar, vocals: Scaffold
9 Jan	Heston: James (Jimmy) Patrick Page. Guitar, session musician, producer, music director. Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin.
15 Jan	Buenos Aires, Argentina: Eva Duarte meets Colonel Juan Perón
18 Jan	Oxford: "Legs" Smith [b. Lawrence Smith]. Drums: The Bonzo Dog Dada Band, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
27 Jan	Egbaston, Birmingham. Nicholas Berkeley Mason. Drums; Pink Floyd.
1 Feb	Southport: Doug Edmonton. Teenbeats
	New York City: Piet Mondrian, painter, dies
2 Feb	Matlock Derbyshire: Michael ("Mick") Robert Green. Guitar: John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac
7 Feb	Transjordan: Discovery of the main group of the Dead Sea Scrolls
15 Feb	East Moseley, Surrey: Michael ("Mick") Charles Avory. Drums; The Kinks.
	Monte Cassino Monastery, Italy: Allied bombing begins
22 Feb	London: Marc Charig. Guitar: Bluesology, The Keith Tippett Group
24 Feb	Ealing, West London: Nicholas (Nicky) Hopkins [d. Nashville, Tennessee, 6 September 1995]. Piano: Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages, The Cyril Davis Rhythm and Blues All Stars, session musician.
25 Feb	Wigan, Lancashire: Brian Belshaw. Bass: The Grave Diggers, The Ingoes, Blossom Toes
26 Feb	Poole, Dorset: Nigel Ian Snook. Unit Four Plus Two
1 Mar	Hammersmith: Roger Harry Daltry
3 Mar	Leicester, Leicestershire: Rodney Bainbridge. Bassist, singer: Robby Hood and his Merrymen, The Cliftones, The Fortunes Rhythm Group, The Fortunes
2 Mar	Southport: John "Boo" Bullock. Teenbeats
6 Mar	Granchester Meadows, Cambridge: David Jon Gilmour. Guitar: Pink Floyd.
11 Mar	Manchester: Ric Rothwell. Mindbenders Birmingham: Geoffrey Turton. Rockin Berries
17 Mar	Liverpool: Paul Pilnick. Big Three Coleraine, Co Derry, Eire: John Partrick ("Pat") McAuley. Drummer: Them, Slygo
25 Mar	Sheffield: Megan Kelso Davies. Applejacks
29 Mar	Weymouth, Dorset: Michael Shepstone. Drums, vocals: The Rokes
3 Apr	Sleaford, Lincolnshire: Lois Ann Wilkinson. Caravelles Liverpool: Patrick ("Paddy") John Chambers [d. 28 Sept 2000]. Creoles; Faron's Flamingos; Big Three; Paddy, Klaus, and Gibson Walthamstow, East London: John ("Johnny") Charlton. Guitar: The Londines, The Shel Carson Combo, The Rokes Birmingham: Barry Pritchard [Erdington? d. 11 January 1999]. Guitar, singer: Robby Hood and his Merrymen, The Cliftones, The Fortunes Rhythm Group, The Fortunes
6 Apr	Crayford, Kent: John Stax [b. John Lee Fulligan]. Bass: The Pretty Things.
8 Apr	Preston, Lancashire: Keef Hartley. Drums; The Thunderbirds, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Freddie Starr and the Midnighters, The Ice Blues, The Artwoods, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Keef Hartley Band
9 Apr	Barnehurst, Kent: Wally Allen [b. Allen Edward Waller]. Bass: The Pretty Things.
15 Apr	Cardiff: Dave Edmonds. Love Sculpture.
21 Apr	London?: Bobby Tench. Guitar, vocals; Gass, The Jeff Beck Group
8 May	Gosport: Peter O'Flaherty. Simon Dupree and the Big Sound Barking, Essex: Bill Legend [b. William Fifield]. Drummer: The Teenbeats, The Zodiacs, The Epics, Legend, T Rex
10 May	Wallasey, Lancashire: John ("Jackie") Richard Lomax. Keyboards; Undertakers.
20 May	Crooks, Sheffield: John ("Joe") Robert Cocker. Singer.
6 Jun	France, Normandy: "D-Day" invasion of Europe
11 Jun	Birkenhead, Cheshire: Vincent ("Vince") Earl. Kodiaks; Vince Earl and the Zeros
13 Jun	Netherlands: Germany launches flying-bomb attacks against Britain
17 Jun	Winton, Bournemouth, Dorset: Peter A Giles. Bass, vocals: Johnny King and the Raiders, The Dowlands Brothers, The Trendsetters Ltd, Brains, Giles Giles and Fripp, King Crimson
21 Jun	Fortis Green, London: Raymond Douglas Davies. The Kinks. Watford, Hertfordshire: Charles Christopher Britton. Drums; Troggs.
22 Jun	Willesden, London: Peter Asher. Vocals, guitar, producer. Peter and Gordon.
24 Jun	Marbourne, Birmingham: Christopher ("Chris") Gordon Blanford Wood (d. Birmingham, 22 July 1983). Flute, saxophone; Traffic. Wallington, Surrey: Geoffrey ("jeff") Arnold Beck. Guitar; Yardbirds, Jeff Beck Group. Skipton: Charlie Whitney [b Richard John Whitney]. Guitar: Family
18 Jul	Wooton Wawen, Warkwishire: Jim Onslow. Bass, singer: Robbie Earl and the Counts, Gerry Levene and the Avengers, Denny Laine and the Diplomats
20 Jul	Southport: Kevin Fogarty. Teenbeats
	Rastenberg, East Prussia: An assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler fails
24 Jul	Belfast, Northern Ireland: James Armstrong. Guitarist: The Mellotones, Them
25 Jul	Los Angeles: Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters record "Dont Fence Me In"
26 Jul	Kirdford, Sussex: Neil Landon [b. Neil Cahill]. Singer: Neil Landon & The Burnettes (1962), Flowerpot Men
1 Aug	Wolverhampton, Warwickshire: Anthony ("Tony") Stewart Dangerfield. Vocals, bass: Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages, Tony Dangerfield and the Thrills.
3 Aug	London: Royal Ascent given to the Education Act its sponsor, R. A. Butler, becomes the first Minister of Education. The act divides British secondary schools into Grammar Schools, Secondary Technical Schools, and Secondary Modern Schools and makes this education free to students.
8 Aug	Marylebone, London: John Renbourn. Guitarist: Pentangle
9 Aug	Loughborough, Lincolnshire: Viv Prince. Drummer (The Dauphin Street Six, Carter Lewis and the Southerners, The Pretty Things, The Bunch of Fives)
14 Aug	Liverpool: John Conrad. Mojos
15 Aug	Southern France: Allied forces land
21 Aug	Washington, D.C.: Britain, the US, the USSR, and China begin talks leading to the establishment of the United Nations
24 Aug	Evesham: Nicola James ("Jim") Capaldi [d. 28 January 2005]. Drummer: Traffic
25 Aug	Paris: liberated by Allied forces
6 Spt	London: The British government relaxes blackout restrictions and suspends compulsory training for the Home Guard
	Great Bookham, Cambridge: George Roger Waters. Bass: Pink Floyd
8 Spt	Bournemouth, Dorset: Peter Franklyn Bellamy [d. September 1991]. Guitarist, singer: The Young Tradition
11 Spt	Quebec: Winston Churchill meets with President Roosevelt
20 Spt	Huntley, Aberdeenshire: Bruce Finlay. Drums: The Sorrows
26 Spt	Bridge of Allan: Robert OBrien. Casuals
Oct	Clonakilty, County Corn, Eire: John O'Leary. Harmonica: The Savoy Brown Blues Band, The John Dummer Blues Band, The John O'Leary Band
3 Oct	Liverpool: Keith Alcock. Mojos
7 Oct	Johannesburg, S.A.: Denver Gerrard. Warm Sounds
9 Oct	Chiswick: John Alec Entwhistle [d. Las Vegas, Nevada, 27 June 2003]. Bass. The Who.
14 Oct	Germany: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel commits suicide rather than face execution for allegedly conspiring against Adolf Hitler (NYT)
20 Oct	Walton, Liverpool: Clive Hornby. Drums: The Dennisons
27 Oct	Bournemouth, Dorset: Donald Partridge. Singer
29 Oct	Tyseley, Birmingham: Denny Laine [b. Brian Arthur Hines]. Guitar: Moody Blues
1 Nov	Birmingham, Warwickshire: Mike Burley. The Starliners, The Johnny Neil Sound
2 Nov	Todmorden, Lancashire: Keith Emerson. Organ, keyboards: Nice; Emerson, Lake and Palmer
9 Nov	Dartford, Kent: Phil May [b. Phillip Arthur Dennis May]. Singer: Jerome and the Pretty Things, The Pretty Things
24 Nov	Sparkhill, Birmingham: Beverley ("Bev") Bevan. Drums: Move.
25 Nov	London: The "New Cross Disaster" in which a missle hits a crowded Woolworth's killing 160.
26 Nov	Belfast, Northern Ireland: Alan Hendrson. Bassist: The Gamblers, Them
29 Nov	Colchester, Essex: John "Twink" Alder [b. John Charles Alder]. Drummer, the Pretty Things.
6 Dec	Godalming, Surrey: Kenneth George ("Jonathan") King. Singer. Oldham: David Roderick Carnie ("Fritz") Fryer. Four Pennies
9 Dec	Danbury, Essex: Neil Innes. Guitar: Bonzo Dog Band
13 Dec	Bristol: Ronald (Ron) Caine. Sax: The Ron Caines Quartet, East of Eden
15 Dec	English Channel: Glenn Miller disappears
16 Dec	Belgium: The Battle of the Bulge begins as German forces launched a surprise counter-attack against Allied forces
17 Dec	Hertford, Hertfordshire: Dino Dines [b. Peter Dines; d. 28 January 2004]. Organist: Tyranosaurus Rex
19 Dec	Nottingham: Alvin Lee [b. Graham Lee? Dean]. Guitarist, vocalist: The Jay Birds, Ten Years After, Alvin Lee and Co, Ten Years Later, The Alvin Lee Band
22 Dec	Leicester: Barry Jenkins. Drums: Nashville Teens
24 Dec	Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Tab Martin [b. Alan Raymond Brearley]. Bassist: The Tornados, Saints and Andy Cavell, Heinz and the Saints
25 Dec	Crosby, Liverpool: Kenny Everett [b. Maurice Cole]. DJ: BBC, Radio London.
27 Dec	London: Mick Jones [b. Michael Leslie Jones]. Guitar, vocals: Nero and the Gladiators, Johnny Halliday, Spooky Tooth
30 Dec	Battersea, London: John Alan Barber. Guitar: the Scorpions.

	Other 1944 Artifacts
	London: By Act, the city gains the right of compulsory purchase of bomb sites
	London: Bernard ("Bernie") Watson. Guitar; Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages Hounslow, Middlesex: Anthony ("Tony") Cooper. Vocals, guitar. Aston? Birmingham, Warkwickshire: Gerry Levene [b. Michael Gibbs]. Singer: Cliff Angel and the Virtues, Gerry Levene and the Avengers Little Ashton Park, Staffordshire: Timothy John Patrick "Magic" Hughes; d. 23 January 1998, Bangkok, Thailand]: Guitarist, singer: Bernie Elliott and the Klan, Bernie Elliott and the Fenmen, The Cortinas, The Zephyrs Cambridge: Robert Klose. Guitarist: The Abdabs, The Pink Floyd Sound, The Pink Floyd Dawlish Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham: Mark Raymond [b. Kenneth Hoban]. Singer: The Wildcats, The Rayvons, Mark Raymond and the Cyclones / the Crowd

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This site is a living document. I welcome corrections and suggestions. Gordon Thompson, Department of Music, Skidmore College