bmusic - Newsletter No. 209

In 1955, Elvis Presley signed Colonel Tom Parker as his manager. Parker's former clients included country artists Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold and Gene Autry. Parker managed Presley all his professional life and continued to manage affairs after Elvis' death.

In 1957, Elvis Presley purchased a 23-room manor at 3764 South Bellevue Boulevard in Memphis for US$100,000. The home's original owner, Ruth Moore, christened the home Graceland after her great-aunt Grace.

In 1958, the duo of Tom and Jerry released their first single, "Our Song." They later became known as Simon and Garfunkel.

In 1965, the Rolling Stones ended a British tour by urinating on a petrol station wall in Essex, England. They were fined five pounds each for insulting behavior.

In 1967, the Grateful Dead's self-titled first album was released by Warner Brothers. It was not a commercial success.

In 1968, Otis Redding was awarded a gold single for "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," three months after his death in a plane crash.

In 1970, a bomb exploded at the Electric Circus nightclub in New York. Seventeen people were hurt.

In 1971, The Allman Brothers recorded their groundbreaking album "Live At The Filmore East".

In 1976, David Bowie and Iggy Pop were arrested for possession of six ounces of marijuana at a Rochester, New York hotel. They were released on bail and later fined.

In 1981, Eric Clapton was admitted to hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota after a serious attack of bleeding ulcers, forcing him to cancel a 60 date tour in the United States.

In 1982, David Crosby was arrested in Los Angeles for possessing Quaalude and drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence of cocaine and carrying a concealed weapon. The case dragged on for more than three years.

In 1985, Bruce Springsteen showed up at Neil Young's last Australian show in Sydney, and played Stephen Stills' guitar part on "Down By the River."

In 1987, "Heat of the Night" by Canada's Bryan Adams became the first commercially-released cassette single in the US.

In 1996, a man claiming to have a bomb held a radio station manager hostage in the New Zealand city of Wanganui. He was demanding to hear "Rainbow Connection," a recording by muppet Kermit the Frog. The bomb was found to be fake and the man was charged with kidnapping.

In 1997, thousands of people lined the streets in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn to watch the funeral procession for rapper The Notorious BIG. He was killed nine days earlier in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. The crowd cheered as the funeral cortege passed and skirmishes later broke out with police. Officers used pepper spray and arrested nine people on disorderly conduct charges.

In 1997, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that the Eagles "Greatest Hits" album had tied Michael Jackson's "Thriller" as the all-time best-selling album in the US. Each had sold more than 24 million copies. "Thriller" was still the top-seller worldwide, with estimated sales of 46 million copies.

In 1997, Paul McCartney's custom-made bass guitar went for $200,000 US and a grey suit that John Lennon wore on stage sold for $35,000 at an auction of Beatles memorabilia in Tokyo. Lennon's son Julian bought his father's black cape and an afghan coat he wore on the cover of "Magical Mystery Tour." His manager announced the items would go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

In 1999, a Marilyn Manson concert in California was cut short after Marilyn fell and injured himself part way through the show.

In 2003, bmusic.com.au announced it would be launching a new, improved web site. To date this has not yet happened :)

In 2003, this newsletter ran an issue announcing the elimination of the "Week Ahead In Music History" section. The decision lasted fully one week after popular demand was for it's re-introduction!

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Births In 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest and most influential composers in the Western world, was born in Eisenach, Germany.

In 1902, blues vocalist and guitarist Eddie (Son) House was born in Riverton, Mississippi. House has been cited as a major influence by such artists as Muddy Waters and Bob Dylan.

In 1917, Nat (King) Cole was born in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1930, jazz alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman, who revolutionized jazz in the 1960's by ignoring regular harmonies and rhythms, was born in Fort Worth, Texas.

In 1930, composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.

In 1938, Charley Pride, the most successful black entertainer in country music, was born in Sledge, Mississippi.

In 1939, singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka was born in Brooklyn, New York.

In 1940, Phil Lesh, bassist for The Grateful Dead.

In 1941, Beach Boy Mike Love.

In 1941, Wilson Pickett, one of the great soul singers of the 1960's, was born in Prattville, Alabama.

In 1943, singer and guitarist George Benson was born in Pittsburgh.

In 1944, guitarist and founder of Sly And The Family Stone, Sly Stone.

In 1947, B.J. Wilson, drummer with the '70s classical rock band Procul Harum.

In 1947, Harry Vanda, lead guitarist and singer with the 1960's Australian band the Easybeats, and with Flash and the Pan.

In 1948, rock singer Eddie Money.

In 1948, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was born in London.

In 1950, John Hartman, drummer with the Doobie Brothers.

In 1953, Billy Sheehan of the David Lee Roth band.

In 1954, guitarist Nancy Wilson of the rock group Heart was born in San Francisco.

In 1959, singer-actress Irene Cara.

In 1960, Adam Clayton of U2.

In 1962, Terence Trent D'Arby.

In 1963, singer and former Miss America Vanessa Williams.

In 1964, singer Tracy Chapman.

In 1966, Jerry Cantrell, guitarist with the alternative metal band Alice in Chains.

In 1972, Melissa Auf Der Maur, bassist with Courtney Love's band, Hole, in Montreal. Later went on to become bassist for a short time with the now defunct Smashing Pumpkins.

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Deaths In 1970, Motown singing star Tammi Terrell died at the age of 24.
Three years earlier, while performing with Marvin Gaye at a college concert in Virginia, she had collapsed on stage. It was discovered she had a brain tumor, and her death came after a series of operations.

In 1975, Aaron (T-Bone) Walker, the first bluesman to exploit the electric guitar, died in Los Angeles of bronchial pneumonia. He was 64.

In 1976, British blues rock guitarist Paul Kossoff died of a heart attack aboard a plane en route to New York. He was only 25. Kossoff was known to have a drug problem. He was a member of the group Free and later formed Back Street Crawler.

In 1976 Gary Thain, bass guitarist with the hard rock band Uriah Heep died after a drug overdose. Thain was nearly killed two years earlier when he suffered an electric shock on stage in Dallas, Texas. He later complained that the rest of the band didn't care what happened to him. The conflicts intensified to the point where Thain was asked to leave Uriah Heep in 1975.

In 1980, Hugh Farr, an original member of the Sons of the Pioneers, died at age 76. The Pioneers, whose members also included Roy Rogers and Bob Nolan, did much radio and recording work in the 1930s and '40s. Their biggest hits were "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Cool Water." Roy Rogers soon left the group to concentrate on his movie career, and the Sons of the Pioneers appeared in many of his films.

In 1982, several members of rocker Ozzy Osbourne's entourage, including the brilliant, young guitarist Randy Rhoads, were killed in a freak accident near Orlando, Florida.
Rhoads and two others were in a light plane which buzzed Osbourne's tour bus, clipped a wing and crashed into a house.
Osbourne and most of his band were on the bus and were not injured. Rhoads was replaced within a few weeks, and the show went on.
Osbourne released a Randy Rhoads tribute album in 1987.

In 1982, Samuel George, lead singer of the Capitols, was stabbed to death in a family argument in Detroit. The Capitols had a top-ten hit in 1966 with a dance tune called the "Cool Jerk."

In 1991, seven members of country singer Reba McEntire's band and her road manager were among 10 people who died when their private jet crashed in California just north of the Mexican border. McEntire, who had given a private concert in San Diego for IBM employees the night before, was not on the plane.

In 1991, songwriter Jerome "Doc" Pomus died in New York of cancer. Pomus wrote many hits, including "A Teenager In Love" for Dion and "Save The Last Dance For Me" for the Belmonts and the Drifters.

In 1993, pop singer and songwriter Johnny Cymbal died in Nashville of an apparent heart attack at age 46. His novelty song "Mr. Bass Man" reached the U.S. Top 20 in 1963.

In 1994, soul and R & B singer Ephraim Lewis died after jumping or falling from a balcony in Birmingham, England. Lewis was being chased by police at the time.

In 2001, founder and leader of The Journeymen, which later was renamed to The Mamas And The Papas, "Papa" John Phillips died at the age of 65. Phillips was also a producer who worked with Scott McKenzie, Janis Joplin, The Electric Flag, Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix. His daughters, Mackenzie and Chynna, also forged careers in the music industry.

In 2002, artist Mad Marc Rude, responsible for album covers from The Offspring, The Misfits, Social Spit, and many more.

In 2002, guitarist for The Teddy Bears with Phil Spector, Marshall Philip Leibovitz (Marshall Leib). The Teddy Bears biggest hit was "To Know Him Is To Love Him".

In 2005, founding member of The Blind Boys Of Alabama, George Scott, died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 75. Scott started the group in 1939 with two other members of his school, Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind. Scott retired from touring with the group in 2005.

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