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2003 in music
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Events
- January - following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested. The tapes have been used for bootleg releases for years.
- January 13 - The Who guitarist, Pete Townshend, is arrested by Scotland Yard on suspicion of possessing and making indecent images of children and of incitement to distribute such images, after pornographic images are found on his home computer.
- January 15 - 2003 CDNOW Readers' Poll for all albums and new talent of 2002.
- February 3 - Legendary record producer Phil Spector is arrested for investigation of homicide after the body of actress Lana Clarkson is found at his home in Alhambra, California. Police responded to the 911 phone call from one of Spector's neighbors and discovered Clarkson's body who was suffering from a gun shot wound. Clarkson pronounced dead at the scene.
- February 20 - The Station nightclub fire: Fire engulfs a Rhode Island nightclub during a fireworks display which was part of the performance by rock band Great White. The fire quickly spreads across the ceiling, filling the building with thick, black smoke, killing 100 people and injuring 160 others as audience members rush for the exits. Many people were missing for some time, including Great White guitarist Ty Longley, who was later confirmed to be dead.
- February 23 - New York City is the site of The 45th Annual Grammy Awards, featuring Nickelback, No Doubt, Foo Fighters, Britney Spears, and other performers.
- February 27 - Othar Turner, one of the last remaining and most well-known African-American fife-and-drum musicians, dies at the age of 93 in Gravel Springs, Mississippi. Fife-and-drum bands were a significant influence of early blues.
- March 10 - Johnny Cash is admitted to Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee to undergo treatment for pneumonia.
- March 24 - Meteora of Linkin Park was released and debuts at number #01 in billboard.
- March 24 - Ex-Neighbours star, Delta Goodrem releases debut album Innocent Eyes which became a monster smash hit of 2003 and included the releases of hits Born To Try & Lost Without You.
- April 1 - Dozens of fans walk out during a Pearl Jam concert when lead singer Eddie Vedder made anti-war comments and insulting remarks about U.S. President George W. Bush. Other audience members booed and shouted at Vedder telling him to "shut up." Vedder attempted to calm the crowd by adding "just to clarify... we support the troops."
- April 8 - Godsmack releases their third studio album Faceless
- April 21 - S Club announce live on stage at London's Docklands Arena that they've decided to split up after five years together. Their final single, Say Goodbye, enters the chart at #2 a month after the announcement. Rachel Stevens from the group launched her successful solo career shortly afterwards with the song Sweet Dreams My LA Ex.
- May 12 - Keane releases their third single, Everybody's Changing by the label Fierce Panda
- June - David Del Tredici's Wondrous the Merge for string quartet and narrator, based on a homoerotic poem by James Broughton, makes its controversial debut at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.
- June 14 - The Los Angeles, California radio station KROQ airs the 11th Annual of the Weenie Roast show with AFI, The Ataris, Blur, Chevelle, Deftones, Finch, Foo Fighters, Godsmack, Good Charlotte, Hot Hot Heat, Interpol, Jane's Addiction, Less Than Jake, Liam Lynch, Staind, Sum 41, Thrice, The Transplants, The Used, The White Stripes, and Pete Yorn.
- Alice Cooper begins production of his 26th album. It is a departure from the heavy metal sound of previous albums and is more influenced by his albums of the '70s.
- June 22nd - Nick Oshiro replaces Ken Jay after 30 Auditions in Static-X.
- June 27 - June 29 - Glastonbury Festival, UK, headline acts included David Gray, R.E.M., Primal Scream, Morcheeba, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Super Furry Animals, Lamb, Macy Gray, Feeder, Manic Street Preachers, Moby, and Doves. The weather is mostly dry and the festival deemed a success from both a security and entertainment viewpoint by Michael Eavis.
- July - A-Teens and many others perform at the Stockholm Pride
- July 2 - Delta Goodrem is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease.
- July 30 - The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Guess Who, and others headline a benefit concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to prove that the city is safe from SARS. With 450 000 spectators, it is the largest concert in Canadian history.
- August 28 - Madonna sparks media controversy by kissing popstars Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. The situation even ignited a quick war of words between Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera over the kiss.
- September 22nd - Max Cavalera & Gloria Cavalera fire Marcello D. Rapp causing Roy Mayorga & Mike Doling to protest against this and leave the band Soulfly. This causes a whole new Lineup Change.
- September 23 - Limp Bizkit release Results May Vary their first album in 3 years and their 4th album overall.
- October 4 - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's The Rising Tour concludes after 120 shows over 14 months, with record-setting sales in U.S. stadiums during the summer and early autumn.
- October 16 - Simon and Garfunkel begin their "Old Friends" U.S. reunion tour, twenty years after their 1983 world tour.
- October 21 - Delta Goodrem wins 7 ARIA Awards and defeats Amiel's Lovesong for and a Gold ARIA for Single Of The Year, Born to Try. ARIAs host Rove McManus announced that John Farnham will raise the very loud speakers to 1985/86's You're The Voice after being inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame.
- October 30 - Steve O'Rourke, the manager for Pink Floyd passes away from a Stroke at age 63. In tribute, the legal incarnation of the band reunited to perform at his funeral.
- November 7 - Steve Kmak aka "Fuzz" is fired from Disturbed because Disturbed wasn't totally clicking — personally or musically with him as well as his reported Dave's bad personality, wanting Steve out causing Fricition.
- November 11 - Dream Theater releases their seventh studio album titled Train of Thought, widely regarded as their heaviest album to date especially with the extra cheese
- November 14th - Although Byron Stroud had been with Fear Factory for a month before hand, it wasn't until this date that he became an official member.
- November 18 - Britney Spears releases In The Zone, she breaks her own record from being the first female artist to have 3 albums in #1 to being the first female artist to have 4 albums in #1 consecutively.
- November 19 - On Australian Idol, hosts Andrew G and James Mathison announced the winner and went to Guy Sebastian. He won the prize to BMG Australia and won a studio album, Just As I Am. Sebastian is beaten by Shannon Noll to make it the Monster Winner. He also won the prize single titled Angels Brought Me Here released in December 2003 as an end of decade Christmas present.
- November 22 - The band, Five Iron Frenzy, plays its last show at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver.
- November 30 - Michael Jackson is arrested on charges of child molestation
- December 6 - P-Funk founder George Clinton is arrested and charged with drug possession in Tallahassee, Florida.
- December 13/14 - The Los Angeles, California radio station KROQ airs the 14th Annual of the Acoustic Christmas show with AFI, Blink-182, Brand New, Chevelle, The Distillers, Jane's Addiction, Jet, KoЯn, Linkin Park, The Offspring, P.O.D., Pennywise, Puddle of Mudd, Rancid, Staind, 311, Thrice and Trapt.
- December 30/31 - The New Year's Eve Falls Festival in Australia, traditionally held in Lorne, Victoria, holds events in both Lorne and Marion Bay, Tasmania at the same time. The same artists perform at both events, alternating between the two venues each night.
- Skinny Puppy reunites
- Joel Madden of Good Charlotte records their song, "S.O.S." naked.
- Lemon Demon releases "Clown Circus", his first album, and "Live from the Haunted Candle Shop", his second album, on MP3.com.
- Ken Jay leaves Static-X because of Musical/Political Differeneces.
Bands formed
Bands disbanded
Albums released
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Unknown Release Date
Top 5 Albums Of Billboard Year
- Beyoncé - Dangerously in Love
- 50 cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin'
- Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
- Shania Twain - Up!
- Dixie Chicks - Home
Top 10 selling albums of the year
- 50 cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin' - 6,300,000
- Beyoncé - Dangerously In Love - 4,747,000
- Norah Jones - Come Away With Me - 4,656,300
- Britney Spears - In The Zone - 4,200,000
- Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - 3,591,000
- Evanescence - Fallen - 3,400,000
- Linkin Park - Meteora - 3,210,000
- Toby Keith - Shock'n Y'all - 3,100,000
- Jennifer Lopez - This Is Me... Then - 2,600,000
- Christina Aguilera - Stripped - 2,500,000
Top hits on record
See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 2003 (USA)
Acclaimed Music
AcclaimedMusic.net's Top Albums from 2003
- Elephunk — Black Eyed Peas
- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below — OutKast
- Boy in da Corner — Dizzee Rascal
- Hail to the Thief — Radiohead
- Chutes Too Narrow — The Shins
- Think Tank — Blur
- Permission to Land — The Darkness
- De-Loused in the Comatorium — The Mars Volta
- Echoes — The Rapture
- You Are Free — Cat Power
AcclaimedMusic.net's Top Songs from 2003
- "Hey Ya!" — OutKast
- "Crazy in Love" — Beyoncé
- "Seven Nation Army" — The White Stripes
- "In Da Club" — 50 Cent
- "Toxic" — Britney Spears
- "99 Problems" — Jay-Z
- "Milkshake" — Kelis
- "Maps" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- "Ignition (Remix)" — R. Kelly
- "Move Your Feet" — Junior Senior
Classical music
- Leonardo Balada - Ebony Fantasies (Cantata for Choir and Orchestra)
- George Crumb
- A Journey Beyond Time for soprano, percussion quartet and piano.
- Otherworldly Resonances for two pianos
- River of Life for soprano, percussion quartet and piano
- Mario Davidovsky - Duo Capriccioso for piano and violin
- Andrew Glover- The Death of Angels: A Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
- Haflidi Hallgrímsson - Cello Concerto
- György Ligeti - Hamburg Concerto for solo Horn and Chamber Orchestra with 4 obligato Natural Horns (1998-99, 2003)
- Peter Maxwell Davies
- Naxos Quartet No. 2
- Naxos Quartet No. 3
- Alexander Raskatov - The Last Freedom
Opera
Musical theater
Musical film
Births
Deaths
- January 1 - Giorgio Gaber (63), actor, singer-songwriter
- January 8 - Ron Goodwin (77), composer and conductor
- January 11 - Mickey Finn (55), bongo player and T. Rex sideman
- January 12 - Maurice Gibb (53), Bee Gees singer and bassist; cardiac arrest
- January 15 - Doris Fisher (87), singer-songwriter
- January 23 - Nell Carter (54), singer and actress; heart disease
- February 1 - Mongo Santamaría (80), Latin jazz percussionist
- February 2 - Lou Harrison (85), composer
- February 19 - Johnny Paycheck (65), country singer
- February 20 - Ty Longley (31), guitarist for Great White; fire accident
- February 23 - Howie Epstein (47), bassist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- March 3
- March 8 - Adam Faith (62), singer, actor; heart attack
- April 1 - Leslie Cheung (46), actor, musician; suicide
- April 2 - Edwin Starr (61), soul singer; heart attack
- April 6 - Babatunde Olatunji (75), drummer; diabetes
- April 15 - Little Eva (59), singer; cervical cancer
- April 17 - Earl King (69), blues musician
- April 19 - Conrad Leonard (104), composer and pianist
- April 21 - Nina Simone (70), singer and pianist
- April 22 - Felice Bryant (77), Hall of Fame songwriter
- May 11 - Noel Redding (57), bassist of The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- May 15 - June Carter Cash (73), musician and singer
- May 27 - Luciano Berio (77), composer
- May 30 - Mickie Most (64), record producer; mesothelioma
- July 1 - Herbie Mann (73), jazz flautist; prostate cancer
- July 4
- July 5 - Bebu Silvetti (59), pianist, composer, arranger and record producer; respiratory failure
- July 6 - Buddy Ebsen (95), actor and singer
- July 7 - Izhak Graziani (79), conductor
- July 12 - Benny Carter (95), jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and bandleader; bronchitis
- July 16 - Celia Cruz (77), salsa singer; brain tumor
- July 17 - Rosalyn Tureck (88), pianist
- July 26 - Richard Wayne Dirksen (81), organist and choirmaster
- July 27 - Bob Hope (100), actor, comedian and singer
- August 2 - Don Estelle (70), actor and singer
- August 5 - Tite Curet Alonso (77), songwriter; heart attack
- August 8 - Julius Baker (87), flautist
- August 9 - Gregory Hines (58), actor, singer and dancer
- August 10 - Carmita Jiménez, singer
- August 13 - Ed Townsend (74), singer-songwriter
- August 21 - Wesley Willis (40), novelty musician
- August 23 - Imperio Argentina (96), singer and actress
- September 4
- September 5 - Gisele MacKenzie (76), singer
- September 7 - Warren Zevon (56), rock 'n roll singer; mesothelioma
- September 12 - Johnny Cash (71), country and rock 'n roll singer
- September 14 - John Serry, Sr. (88) Concert Accordionist, Organist, Composer, Arranger
- September 19 - Slim Dusty (76), country singer
- September 26 - Robert Palmer (54), singer; heart attack
- September 27 - Donald O'Connor (78), actor, singer and dancer; congestive heart failure
- October 5 - Denis Quilley (75), actor and singer; liver cancer
- October 10 - Eugene Istomin (77), pianist; liver cancer
- October 21 - Elliott Smith (34), singer-songwriter
- October 23 - Tony Capstick (59), comedian, actor and musician
- October 24 - Rosie Nix Adams, singer-songwriter
- October 29 - Franco Corelli (82), operatic tenor
- November 12 - Tony Thompson (48), drummer for Chic; kidney cancer
- November 14 - Gene Anthony Ray (41), actor and dancer
- November 15 - Dorothy Loudon (70), actress and singer
- November 17
- November 18 - Michael Kamen (55), composer, conductor and musician; heart attack
- November 26 - Soulja Slim (26), rapper; homicide
- November 28 - Zekra (?), Iconic Tunisian Singer, homicide
- December 7 - Raúl Vale (59), entertainer
- December 8 - Rubén González (84), pianist
- December 16 - Gary Stewart (58), country singer; suicide
- December 22 - Dave Dudley (75), country singer; heart attack
- December 27 - Vestal Goodman (74), gospel singer; influenza complications
- December 30 - Anita Mui (40), Hong Kong pop queen
Awards
Miscellaneous
ARIA Music Awards
Country Music Association Awards
Eurovision Song Contest
Grammy Awards
Mercury Music Prize
Charts
Triple J Hottest 100
External links
For a more detailed list of hits or albums by month, see http://www.pauseandplay.com/cdfront.htm