On March 16, 1991, Eddie Van Halen welcomed his only son, Wolfgang Van Halen, with actress Valerie Bertinelli. Wolfgang started making music early and joined his dad’s band, Van Halen, as the bass player at just 16. He gained more fans when his debut single, a tribute to his father, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
March 16 has seen some major moments in music history. In 1964, The Beatles released a hit in the U.S. that Paul McCartney wrote. It quickly soared to No. 1 on the Hot 100 and sold over two million copies in its first week. This was their first hit recorded outside of Britain, made at EMI’s Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris. It was paired with John Lennon’s song upon release.
In 1976, Marvin Gaye released his 13th studio album, *I Want You*, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album featured a Top 20 single that peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100 but hit No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
March 16 has also been a day for memorable performances. In 2017, Ed Sheeran kicked off his ÷ Tour in Turin, Italy, performing hits from his No. 1 album. In 2020, Chris Martin held a 30-minute virtual concert on Instagram Live, playing Coldplay favorites as part of the Together, At Home initiative during the pandemic.
Sadly, March 16 has also seen its share of challenges. In 1995, Eazy-E revealed he had contracted AIDS, attributing it to his lifestyle. He passed away just ten days later. In 2011, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth collapsed backstage in Russia due to kidney stones but continued to push through.
