On this day: May 18, 1980

It seems in the music industry, there is nothing quite like death to rocket a musician or group to posthumous fame. This become the case once again on May 18, 1980 when vocalist and inspiration of Joy Division Ian Curtis hung himself in his home in Manchester.

Although the group had a small but loyal following, their most recent single, Love Will Tear Us Apart was absent from the charts at the time of Curtis' death. But, a month later it began a several month stay in the charts, eventually even being covered by more contemporary artists such as Paul Young.

Other notable events for May 18:
-Black British pianist Winifred Atwell was presented with two gold singles on May 18, 1956 for sales of her hit medley's Let's Have a Party and Let's Have Another Party
-The bill for the Northern California Rock Festival on May 18, 1968 included The Doors, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, and the Steve Miller Band