bmusic - Newsletter No. 231

In 1962, Ringo Starr replaced Pete Best as the Beatles' drummer. Poor Pete.

In 1962, Ringo Starr made his debut with the Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Starr, formerly with Rory Storme and the Hurricanes, replaced Pete Best, who was asked to leave the Beatles by manager Brian Epstein.

In 1964, the Beatles opened their first US tour at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

In 1967, the New York Times reported on a new noise-reduction system for album and tape recording developed by R. and D.W. Dolby. First used by a subsidiary of Elektra Records, the Dolby noise reduction system became the industry standard.

In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened for three days on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York. Over 400,000 people attended, most without tickets. This prompted officials to say the festival was open and free.
Performers at the festival included Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, the Who, the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Canned Heat, Crosby, Still Nash & Young and the Jefferson Airplane, among others.
Some of the things that helped make Woodstock a unique event included, but were not limited to, rampant drug use, not enough food, or sanitation, three deaths, two births and four miscarriages.

In 1969, trumpeter Miles Davis began recording sessions in New York for what would eventually become the ground-breaking jazz-rock fusion album "Bitches Brew." Among the musicians taking part were Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul. There were no rehearsals and Davis gave the musicians only minimal directions.

In 1969, Frank Zappa disbanded the Mothers of Invention following an eight-day Canadian tour during which he said people clapped "for all the wrong reasons." Zappa reformed the Mothers a year later.

In 1972, Grace Slick was sprayed with mace and Paul Kantner had his head slammed to the floor by police following a chaotic Jefferson Airplane concert in Akron, Ohio.

In 1973, singers Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge were married in Los Angeles. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1979.

In 1974, The Ramones played their first show at the famous New York music club CBGBs.

In 1975, Peter Gabriel made the announcement many had suspected that he was leaving Genesis.

In 1975, the Carpenters fired Neil Sedaka as their opening act in Las Vegas. There was speculation that the Carpenters were upset because Sedaka had upstaged them.

In 1977, Elvis Presley was buried in a mausoleum at a Memphis cemetery, two days after his death. Following attempts to break into the mausoleum, the singer's body and that of his mother were reinterred in a plot on the grounds of Graceland, Presley's mansion.

In 1983, Paul Simon and actress Carrie Fisher married, later divorcing in 1985.

In 1985, Madonna and actor Sean Penn married in Malibu, and they divorced in 1989.

In 1986, the family of a man killed at a Rolling Stones concert in Houston in 1981 was awarded $4.7 million US. 22 year-old Wesley Allen Shelton was stabbed near a concession stand at the Astrodome. Shelton's family claimed in their suit that security at the concert was inadequate.

In 1986, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen played his first UK concert with the band since losing his left arm in a car accident. Prior to the show, Allen and the band had played a few low key dates in Ireland with Status Quo.

In 1986, 42 people were beaten or stabbed at a Run D.M.C. concert in Long Beach, Florida.

In 1987, security men used water hoses to break up fistfights during Madonna's first London concert. Fans who fainted from the excitement were dragged over barriers to prevent them from being crushed by the crowd of 77,000.

In 1987, Billy Burnette and Rick Vito joined Fleetwood Mac, replacing Lindsey Buckingham.

In 1989, about 20,000 people ended a week-long 20th anniversary celebration of the Woodstock Festival at the festival's original site near Bethel, New York. They left behind a mountain of mud and empty beer cans. The unsanctioned gathering had only one serious incident - a stabbing. Folksinger Melanie was the only Woodstock veteran to show up. She performed from a makeshift stage.

In 1990, British r'n'b group Soul II Soul cancelled its North American tour after band members were involved in a seven-car pile-up in Illinois. Lead singer Jazzie B. suffered back injuries.

In 1991, soul singer and keyboardist Billy Preston was arrested in Malibu, California after a 16-year-old boy reported being sexually attacked and shown obscene pictures. Preston was charged with exhibiting pornography, annoying a child and possessing cocaine. He entered no-contest pleas a year later to cocaine and assault charges and was sentenced to nine months at a drug rehabilitation centre and three months of house arrest.

In 1991, Freedom Williams of the dance music act C&C Music Factory fell face down in front of 2,500 fans at a show in Tucson, Arizona. His tape-recorded voice continued rapping and the crowd cheered, thinking the fall was part of the act. Williams spent a couple of days in hospital recovering from dehydration and exhaustion.

In 1994, the mother and brother of Beach Boys' founder Brian Wilson sued publisher Harper-Collins and Wilson's former therapist for $15 million. Wilson's mother, Audree, and brother Carl, another member of the Beach Boys, claimed they were libelled in Brian Wilson's 1991 autobiography.

In 1995, a security guard carried a sobbing Courtney Love offstage in Mountain View, California, during the closing night of the Lollapalooza tour. The Hole lead singer had twice jumped into the audience to attack fans, apparently because their response hadn't been enthusiastic enough.

In 1996, a woman's shelter on Long Island, New York refused to accept money from a benefit concert featuring James Brown citing hypocrisy due to the fact that Brown's wife had accused him of assaulting her in the past.

In 1996, David Byrne sued to prevent former members of the Talking Heads from billing themselves as the Heads. Byrne claimed the move would cheapen the band's reputation. The suit was settled out of court.

In 1996, a handwritten draft of a song by Jimi Hendrix was sold for almost $17 thousand US at an auction in London. The Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, Florida bought the draft of "Ain't No Telling," which Hendrix penned on a piece of London hotel stationery in 1966. And to think some guy had a 'supposedly' authentic 1957 fender Stratocaster lefty (in MINT condition I might add) that was given 'allegedly' to Richard Stills, for sale on ebay a couple of weeks ago and he only wanted AUD$50,000. He got no bids, wonder why. He also had no feedback for his username, but hey - I'm sure he was genuine!

In 1996, Depeche Mode leader Dave Gahan attempted suicide by slashing his wrists at a hotel on L.A.'s Sunset Strip. Gahan was hospitalized and recovered.

In 2002, Nickelback's audience turned nasty on them at a concert in Portugal. The band were performing at the Ilha de Ermal Festival but had to cut short their set after the audience turned on them and started to pelt them with bottles and rocks. No reason has been given for the audience's reaction but it may have something to do with a phone call the band received from the early nineties asking them to stop giving the era a bad name.

In 2002, Irish band 'Ash' were on tour as part of Moby's Area:2 and were on their way to Detroit when the their tour bus crashed. Rick McMurray suffered a cracked rib, Mark Hamilton whiplash and both Chaz Hatherley and Tim Wheeler were left with only a few bruises.

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Births In 1904, William (Count) Basie, who led one of the top big bands in the world for more than 45 years, was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. Basie led his band almost continuously until a few months before his death of cancer on April 26th, 1984.

In 1917, blues legend John Lee Hooker was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

In 1924, country singer Jim Reeves was born in Galloway, Texas.

In 1930, pop singer Johnny Preston was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Preston's "Running Bear," with Indian sound effects provided by the Big Bopper, was a number-one record in 1959. After several follow-ups, the biggest of which was "Cradle of Love," Preston drifted into obscurity. He was later reported to be working as a garage mechanic.

In 1938, Kenny Rogers, one of the highest-paid entertainers in the world, was born in Houston. A 1980's tour with Dolly Parton netted him more than $200,000 a night and two of his palatial homes were once valued at nearly $15 million.

In 1939, prolific drummer Ginger Baker.

In 1945, Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan.

In 1948, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, was born in Bromwich, England. Plant and drummer John Bonham had played together in a band called Bundle of Joy, and were invited in 1968 by guitarist Jimmy Page to join the New Yardbirds, which became Led Zeppelin the following year. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 1950, Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliot.

In 1951, John Deacon, bass guitarist with Queen.

In 1952, Joe Strummer, vocalist and guitarist with political rock group the Clash.

In 1957, Budgie, drummer with punk rock group Siouxsie and the Banshees.

In 1958, solo artist and fromer Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle.

In 1958, Ian Mitchell, guitarist with the '70s teenybopper group the Bay City Rollers.

In 1961, INXS drummer Jon Farriss.

In 1961, Dave (The Edge) Evans, guitarist with U2.

In 1967, Layne Staley, now deceased Alice In Chains frontman.

In 1967, a son, Jason, was born to Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr and his first wife, Maureen. Starr's second wife was actress Barbara Bach, whom he married in 1981.

In 1969, Everlast, real name Erik Schrody, vocalist with the Irish-American rap group House of Pain before launching a successful solo career.

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Deaths In 1975, pioneer country musician Sam McGee was killed in a tractor accident on his farm in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 81. McGee is credited with making the guitar a solo rather than a strictly rhythm instrument in early country music.

In 1977, 'The King' Elvis Presley died from an overdose that resulted in coronary arrhythmia on the 16th of August 1977, 15 days after his 42nd birthday. For the 25 years since his death thousands of fans have flocked to his former home, Graceland, in Tennessee to mark the anniversary of his passing.

In 1986, jazz trumpeter Thad Jones, who led a big band with drummer Mel Lewis during the 1960's and early '70s, died in Copenhagen of cancer. He was 63. Jones was with the Count Basie orchestra from 1954 to 1963, but it was his solo albums on the Blue Note label beginning in the late '50s which established his reputation. Thad Jones was the brother of pianist Hank Jones and drummer Elvin Jones.

In 1988, two people were crushed to death and two others seriously injured during the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington in central England. About 80,000 fans had turned up for the event, headlined by Iron Maiden.

In 1995, Dwayne Goettel, keyboardist for industrial punk band Skinny Puppy, died of a heroin overdose.

In 1999, Blues Traveler bassist, Bobby Sheehan, died of an accidental drug overdose of cocaine, valium, and heroin.

In 1999, Norman Wexler, screenwriter for the movie responsible for the disco explosion, Saturday Night Fever, died of a heart attack.

In 2001, Jack Elliot died from a brain tumour. He worked as musical director for The Henry Mancini Institute, Judy Garland and Andy Williams. Elliot, who's real name was Irwin Elliott Zucker, also founded The New American Orchestra, later renamed The American Jazz Philharmonic. He wrote or co-wrote (with Allyn Ferguson) music for many TV shows, including Police Story, Barney Miller, Starsky And Hutch, Charlie's Angels and The Love Boat.

In 2001, pop and soul singer, Betty Everett. She did, "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" and the original "You're No Good".

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