bmusic - Newsletter No. 229

In 1961, the Beatles began their two-year, more than 300 show, residency at Liverpool's Cavern Club.

In 1963, Eric Clapton quit The Roosters and formed Casey Jones And The Engineers.

In 1977, "Elvis - What Happened," an expose by two of Presley's former bodyguards, was published. It sat in bookstores almost unnoticed until Presley's death two weeks later. Then it sold more than three-million copies.

In 1955, Bill Haley filed a lawsuit against David Miller of Essex Records claiming the recordings were of "inferior quality to the plaintiff's current releases".

In 1957, the Everly Brothers premiered "Wake Up Little Susie" during an appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1963, the Beatles played their last gig at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool.

In 1966, John Lennon's comment that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ, actually made to a reporter several months earlier, was widely reported around the globe. The statement caused a public outcry and bonfires of Beatle records. Lennon later apologised for the comment.

In 1966, the Beatles' album "Revolver" was released in Britain.

In 1967, Pink Floyd's first album, "Piper at the Gates of Dawn," was released in Britain.

In 1969, Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys was indicted for failure to report for civilian duty in lieu of serving two years in the army. Wilson did report to the L.A. County Hospital at his appointed date. However, he conducted music classes for handicapped patients rather than to act as an institutional helper.

In 1970, Christine McVie became the first female member of the British rock band Fleetwood Mac. McVie was the wife of the group's bassist, John McVie, and had previously performed with the blues rock band Chicken Shack.

In 1973, Stevie Wonder was seriously injured when the car he was riding in collided with a truck in Salisbury, North Carolina. Wonder spent four days in a coma, but recovered with only his sense of smell seriously damaged.

In 1974, actress Faye Dunaway married Peter Wolf, lead singer for the J. Geils Band, in Beverly Hills, California. The couple divorced in 1978.

In 1974, guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and drummer Jim Hodder left their rock group Steely Dan. Members of the Steely Dan touring group, drummer Jeff Porcaro and keyboardist Michael McDonald, replaced them.

In 1975, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and his family were taken to hospital in the back of an open fruit truck after being seriously injured when his wife Maureen drove their rental car over a cliff and into a tree. The Plants were vacationing on the Greek island of Rhodes.

In 1983, rock singer David Crosby, reported to have slept through most of the trial, was sentenced to eight years in prison for drug and firearms possession. He was paroled in 1986.

In 1986, a judge in Los Angeles dismissed a lawsuit against Ozzy Osbourne by the parents of a teenage suicide victim. The 19 year-old had killed himself while listening to Osbourne's "Suicide Solution."

In 1990, three bandits, armed with handguns and a replica hand grenade, robbed a New Kids On The Block concert at Montreal's Olympic Stadium in Canada. US$300,000 worth of merchandising receipts were stolen during the hold-up.

In 1996, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen pleaded guilty to spousal battery for choking his wife and slamming her head into a wall at Los Angeles International Airport.

In 1996, a federal appeals court in New York ruled that two former members of the Teenagers waited too long to claim their rights as co-writers of the group's 1955 hit "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" A previous court ruling had found that Jimmy Merchant and Herman Santiago were entitled to royalties for co-writing the song with lead singer Frankie Lymon. Lymon died of a heroin overdose in 1968.

In 2002, police in Beverly Hills issued a warrant for the arrest of Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil, who allegedly attacked a record producer in a nightclub parking lot. Neil's management issued a statement saying, "Vince Neil has fully cooperated with the L.A. County investigators. We believe that the charges against him are ridiculous and that he will be fully exonerated."

In 2003, former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic announced his retirement from commercial music, disillusioned by the industry. He made the following official statement on the web site of his band at the time, Eyes Adrift:

What next? As far as the music industry goes, I quit. I can’t deal. I can’t read the magazines, listen to the radio or watch music television without feeling like I’ve just come in from outer space. I just don’t get it and I probably never did. My lot in life is that every band I’ve ever been in just falls apart. That hurts but I’ve got a thick hide from years of conditioning. Now please take note that I haven’t quit music, I’ve just quit the business. (I can’t complain about the business side of Nirvana. I’m not crying a river by any means.) I want to play more with Curt and Bud, they’re too good for me not to plug in my bass thus plugging into the cosmo-stream of transcendental rocking good times that those two charge me with.

I’m relatively young (38) and I want to follow my compulsions. I have big plans for 2004. Next year will be a pivotal year politically for every one of us in the USA and for myself, even more so. I’ve come off of nine years of political success and see some real opportunities to make change. You’ll all hear about my plans soon enough. If you’ve been following my politics, you know that I will continue to work for inclusion, fairness and freedom."

I have no idea whether he made good on his political plans this year. He did write political paper/slash memoir that will be published next month, it's title a nod to the era that made him famous, Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix this Broken Democracy! There is more information on the 125 page paper HERE

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Births In 1936, Elsberry Hobbs, bass singer with The Drifters, beginning in 1959.

In 1938, Isaac Hayes, one of the most important forces in the development of Memphis soul music, was born in Covington, Tennessee.
He played piano in the house band at Stax Records in the 1960's, and also began composing hit songs, such as "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming" for Sam and Dave and "BABY" for Carla Thomas.
Hayes's 1969 album "Hot Buttered Soul" established his reputation as a performer. The lushly orchestrated and often lengthy songs that became his trademark laid the foundation for the disco music of such artists as Barry White. Hayes himself, with tights, cape and gold chains around his bare chest was the '70s forerunner to Mr. T.
Hayes's commercial peak came in 1971 with his double soundtrack album for "Shaft." "The Theme From Shaft" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and made Hayes an international superstar. But by 1976, mismanagement and personal excesses had forced Isaac Hayes into bankruptcy.
He made several comeback attempts, one of them in 1979 producing the gold album, "Don't Let Go." He is currently the voice of 'Chef' on the hit adult cartoon "South Park".

In 1942, Jerry Garcia, lead guitarist and driving force behind the Grateful Dead, was born in San Francisco. Garcia died of a heart attack on August 9th, 1995, at a residential treatment centre in Forest Knolls, California. He had reportedly gone there to battle his heroin addiction.

In 1942, John (Jay) David, former drummer with Dr. Hook.

In 1953, blues guitarist and singer Robert Cray.

In 1958, Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson.

In 1958, Chris (Chrissy Boy) Thompson of the group Madness.

In 1959, Joe Elliot, lead singer of Def Leppard.

In 1959, Pete Burns of British dance group Dead or Alive.

In 1960, Steven Kaufmann of metal band Accept.

In 1965, Adam Yauch, aka MCA, of the Beastie Boys.

In 2002, Christine Anu and her partner, Rodger Corser, celebrated the birth of Anu's second child Zipporah Mary Corser. Named after Christine's mother, Zipporah is a sister for Kuiam.

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Deaths In 1968, Luther Perkins, the guitar player who backed Johnny Cash on his original Sun recordings in the 1950's, died.

In 1972, Brian Cole, bass guitarist and vocalist with The Association, died in Los Angeles of a heroin overdose. He was 28.

In 1973, dixieland jazz guitarist Eddie Condon died in New York of a bone disease at the age of 67.

In 1975, jazz alto saxophonist Julian (Cannonball) Adderley died of a stroke at the age of 47.

In 1986, 27 year-old US musician, Michael Rudetski, died of a drug overdose at the London home owned by Boy George. Boy George was not in the house at the time. One week earlier, Boy George had been fined for heroin possession.

In 1987, country singer Kenny Price, known as the "Round Mound of Sound" because of his girth, died of a heart attack in Florence, Kentucky. He was 56. Price was known to TV viewers as Elrod the sheriff on the "Hee-Haw" series.

In 1992, drummer Jeff Porcaro of Toto dropped dead while spraying pesticides in the garden of his suburban Los Angeles home. It was first thought that Porcaro, who was 38, had suffered an allergic reaction to the pesticide. But an autopsy revealed that his death was related to hardening of the arteries stemming from cocaine use.

In 1994, Italian singer Domenico Modugno, whose "Volare" topped the US charts in 1958, died of a heart attack near his home on the island of Lampedusa. He was 66.

In 1999, Bob Herbert, Spice Girls 'inventor' and manager and manager of boy band Five, was killed in a car accident.

In 2000, Mark Hickey, singer for hard core punk rock outfit, Aggression, died of liver and kidney failure. He was 42.

In 2001, singer/guitarist Chris Williams died when the car he was driving veered off the road and plunged 600 feet. His bandmates were bass player Berry Oakley Jr., the son of The Allman Brothers' Berry Oakley, drummer Alex Orbison, the son of Roy Orbison and guitarist Duane Betts, the son of The Allman Brothers' Dickey Betts. Chris Williams was born to his father, songwriter Jerry Lynn Williams, in 1970.

In 2001, mouth organist Larry Adler. Born in 1914, Adler's career involved work with George Gershwin, Paul Whiteman, Jack Benny, Django Reinhardt and Sting.

In 2001, blues Saxophonist, Ray "Daddy" Arvizu. He died of respiratory infection, thought to have been linked to a freak accident five years earlier when a piece of nightclub ceiling fell on him, broke his back and led to pulmonary hypertension. He was 48.

In 2002, Daniel Kelly, patriarch of Irish-American folk-pop group the Kelly Family, died in Berlin after a long illness. He was 71.

In 2005, Australian R & B producer and musician Darren Dowlut. Darren and his brother Dennis were the men behind Disco Montego, not only the group by the same name that secured Top 5 hits in Australia with "Beautiful" and "Magic" (featuring former Bardot member Katie Underwood) and a Number 1 in many European markets with "Autumn Breeze", but as remixers and producers having remixed Mariah Carey's "Boy". With the success of the Mariah Carey remix Disco Montego were about to base themselves in the US with work on the plate for Elton John and Blue, amongst others. It was in preparation for the relocation that Dowlut was diagnosed with chest cancer, a little over a month before his death. Before forming Disco Montegoo and their company Bomb Music, the brothers played a more public role as R & B act Kaylan. Not happy with the way their Kaylan work was received and packaged they opted to change tack with Disco Montego..

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1982	Single You Could Have Been With Me makes US #15. She is nominated and wins the Grammy® Award for the 1981 Best New Artist. LP You Could Have Been With Me makes US #47. When He Shines makes US #30. Machinery makes UK #38. LP Madness, Money and Music peaks at UK #44. Machinery peaks at US #57. LP Madness, Money and Music peaks at US #85. I Wouldn't Beg For Water peaks at US #64. She finally does a worldwide tour and performs to standing room only audiences all around the world, including ones in Europe, the Far East and the U.S. Her concert, filmed at the Palace in Hollywood, California, during her first national tour, is released on video and is entitled "Live At The Palace".
1983	We've Got Tonight, a duet with Kenny Rogers, hits US #6 and goes to #1 on the US country charts. We've Got Tonight makes UK #28. Sheena stars in her own NBC-TV special Sheena Easton...Act One. During one of Kenny's concerts, filmed for video release, Sheena appeared at the venue and they performed the duet live. Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair) makes US #9. LP Best Kept Secret makes US #33 and UK #99. This album is a change of direction for Sheena. The music is a bit younger and the songs are more dance oriented. She changes producers and is now working with Greg Mathieson.
1984	Almost Over You peaks at US #25. Devil In A Fast Car peaks at US #79 She marries agent Rob Light, an agent. The marriage lasts 1 1/2 years. She records Todo Me Recuerda A Ti an album, sung in Spanish, of her greatest hits and a few originals. She doesn't understand Spanish but learns the words phonetically. The album does very well going gold, selling more than 500,000 copies, in many Latin American countries. Harriett Wasserman becomes her manager and has remained so ever since. Strut hits US #7
1985	LP A Private Heaven peaks at US #15. The album goes platinum, selling over 1 millions copies, and becomes the best selling album of her career. This album continues Sheena on the course of more dance oriented music. She wins the Grammy ® Award for Best Mexican-American Performance for Me Gustas Tal Como Eres, a duet with Luis Miguel on the Todo Me Recuerda A Ti album. Sugar Walls, written by Prince, under the pen name Alexander Nevermind, peaks at US #9 and #3 on the US R&B charts. Due to the controversy over the lyrics, the single is the most talked about single of her career. There is severe criticism from the Family Resource Center, a group lead by Tipper Gore, due to what they deemed sexually explicit in content. She and other artists defend their right of artistic expression and disagrees with the group's assessments of the lyrics. The heated discussions die down. She is honored as the only artist in history to have Top 5 hits on Billboard's five major charts: Pop, R&B, Country, Adult Contemporary, and Dance. She records the theme song for the Dudley Moore film Santa Claus - The Movie, It's Christmas All Over The World. Do It For Love reaches US #29. LP Do You is produced by Nile Rodgers and reaches US #40.
1986	Jimmy Mack peaks at US #65. She records two songs for the Demi Moore & Rob Lowe film About Last Night, working with Narada Michael Walden. The songs are So Far So Good and Natural Love. So Far So Good makes US #43
1987	Eternity single is released. EMI America is bought out by Manhattan records. Sheena is unhappy with the new record label and is able to break her existing contract. As a result, the album Sheena had recorded, No Sound But A Heart, is not released in the US. It is, however, released in the Far East, where it does well despite the lack of promotion. She duets with Prince on U Got The Look, which makes US #2 and UK #11. Sheena performs the song with Prince during a show on his Sign O' The Times tour, which is captured on film and included on his video. She guest stars on Miami Vice, portraying Caitlin Davies, Sonny Crockett's wife. The ratings are so good that the producers ask her to return and the result is a five episode series.
1989	The Lover In Me makes US #2, #1 on US R&B charts, and UK #15. LP The Lover In Me makes US #44 and UK #25. Days Like This makes US R&B #36 and UK #43. 101, written by Prince, makes US R&B #2 and UK #54. The Arms Of Orion, a duet with Prince, appears on the Batman soundtrack and makes US #36 and UK #12. Lyrics written by Sheena.
1991	What Comes Naturally makes US #19. LP What Comes Naturally makes US #90. She begins a national tour of the musical revival of Man Of La Mancha.
1992	Man Of La Mancha makes its way to Broadway. She records A Dream Worth eeping, a song from the soundtrack for "FernGully", an animated feature, which is played during a key scene. She becomes a citizen of the United States of America.
1993	She is seen (during a cameo performance) in a feature film, Indecent Proposal. The film stars Robert Redford, Demi Moore, and Woody Harrelson. The Nearness of You, the song she performs during the cameo, is featured on the Indecent Proposal Soundtrack. LP No Strings is released. It is a compilation of jazz/blues songs, a departure from her usual pop and contemporary material.
1994	She adopts a baby boy, Jake. She joins James Ingram, Peabo Bryson, and Roberta Flack for The Colors Of Christmas, an annual tour for the holiday season.
1995	LP My Cherie is released. The album does very well in Japan, with the My Cherie single reaching the Top 10.
1996	She adopts a baby girl, Skylar. She makes her feature film acting debut as the voice of the Irish setter in the animated feature, All Dogs Go To Heaven 2. She begins a national tour, ending on Broadway, of the musical revival of Grease.
1997	LP Freedom is released in Japan. The Official Sheena Easton Website is launched on the internet in June. She, once again, tours in The Colors Of Christmas. This time she appears with James Ingram, Peabo Bryson, and Patti Austin.
1998	The Colors of Christmas CD is released. Her songs include The Lord's Prayer and The Gift, a duet with Jeffrey Osborne. She tours in The Colors Of Christmas with Philip Bailey, Jeffrey Osborne, Deniece Williams.
1999	home CD is released in Japan.
2000	fabulous CD released in U.K. Creates angel figurines which are available online at iQVC.com Co-stars with David Cassidy in a Broadway-type show at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. The show opened on Jan 18, 2000 and will run for one year. Signs a record contract with Universal International. Album is scheduled for release in 2000.
2001	She tours in The Colors Of Christmas with Oleta Adams, Michael McDonald and Peabo Bryson.
2002	Starts a year long gig headlining at the Las Vegas Hilton from January 2002-January 2003
2003	Starts a new task as co-host of a Las Vegas morning TV show. For now, it is only viewable in Vegas. The show began airing on Monday, November 3rd. She is co-hosting with Clint Holmes. She and Clint are the permanent hosts. She tours in The Colors Of Christmas with Peabo Bryson, Christopher Cross and Jon Secada.
2004	On October 31, 2004, she is inducted into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame at the Tropicana Resort & Casino.
2005	She joins the cast of “Young Blades," PAX TV’s new primetime series, as Queen Anne. The action-adventure series follows a new generation of swashbucklers inspired by the legendary Three Musketeers.