bmusic - Newsletter No. 237

In 1961, Bob Dylan commenced a two week stint as the opening act for the Greenbriar Boys at Gerde's Folk City in New York's Greenwich Village.

In 1961, Bob Dylan's first press review was published. New York Times music critic Robert Shelton reviewed Dylan from his opening act show at Gerde's Folk City. "A cross between a choir boy and a beatnik" and "bursting at the seams with talent" were two notable quotes from the critic.

In 1961, Bob Dylan played harmonica on three cuts recorded for his friend Caroline Hester's first Columbia album. Dylan's work on the session so impressed producer John Hammond that he promptly signed Dylan to a deal. Dylan was signed as a Columbia recording artist and Hammond arranged for Dylan's first solo recording session that October.

In 1963, Eric Clapton was asked to replace Anthony "Top" Topham in the Yardbirds.

In 1963, the Rolling Stones commenced their first English tour with The Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley at the New Victoria in London.

In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II decorated The Beatles with the Order of the British Empire.

In 1967, Mickey Hart joined the Grateful Dead.

In 1967, the BBC radio station in the UK aired Radio One for the first time. The show new was modeled on U.S. rock and roll shows and was conceived after the recent British government bans on pirate radio stations.

In 1967, Pink Floyd arrived in New York to commence their first ever US tour.

In 1967, all six members of the Grateful Dead were arrested by California narcotics agents for possession of marijuana. The arrests occurred at the groups' 710 Ashbury Street House in San Francisco. After six hours in custody, all were released on bail.

In 1970, Jimi Hendrix was buried in his hometown of Seattle, Washington.

In 1971, Yes started their first tour with new keyboardist Rick Wakeman in England.

In 1971, Rod Stewart's single 'Maggie May' and the album it was taken off, 'Every Picture Tells A Story, both hit Number 1 on the US charts, firmly establishing Stewart as a solo artist. Rod was still lead vocalist for The Faces at the time and would remain so for another five years.

In 1975, Jackie Wilson slipped into the coma from which he never recovered.

In 1976, Jerry Lee Lewis, attempting to shoot a soda bottle somewhere in the distance with a .357 magnum, hit his bass player, Norman Owens twice in the chest with the bullets. Lewis is charged with shooting a firearm within the city limits.

In 1977, the bodies of Elvis Presley and his grandmother were moved from Forest Hill Cemetery to Graceland after reported attempts to steal Presley's body.

In 1977, a clash occurred between Lynyrd Skynyrd roadies and a sound technician during a Skynyrd/Blue Oyster Cult concert at the Louisville Convention Center. The Skynyrd crew accused Jay Sloatman of Tycobrahe Sound of deliberately turning off the sound during the band's set and then attacking them when he was asked to leave.

In 1989, while taking a motorcycle trip from L.A. to the Grand Canyon, Bruce Springsteen stopped in a small saloon in Prescott, Arizona and jammed with the house band, The Mile High Band. Bruce and the band played "Don't Be Cruel", "I'm On Fire", "Route 66" and others. One of the barmaids Brenda Techanec was talking about her problems paying her hospital bills -- Springsteen overheard her and a week later she received a cheque for US$100,000.

In 1993, B-52's singer Kate Pierson was arrested while staging a sit-in in the New York offices of Vogue Magazine. Pierson was protesting the magazine's use of animal fur clothing and ads that featured animal furs.

In 2002, singer Robbie Williams signed a new four record deal with EMI rumoured to be worth AUD$231 million, thought to be the highest income record deal in history.

In 2003, pommy crooner Robbie Williams signed what was thought to be the highest income record deal in history. The four album deal was worth an estimated AUD$231 million.

In 2004, Green Day sold more than a million copies globally of it's new album "American Idiot" in just it's first week of release. Their previous album, "Warning", was yet to reach the million sales mark in the band's domestic U.S. territory.

In 2004, Australian radio network Triple M hammered the holy hell out of U2's new single "Vertigo" and claimed it was an exclusive. The reality was that any station or network subscribed to the MusicPoint release system could have accessed and played the single. It was released earlier than originally scheduled onto MusicPoint after it was leaked without authority and played on some US stations during the night before, our time.

In 2004, Damien Patrick Holland, the 25 year old son of R&B singer Chaka Khan was arrested by Los Angeles police for murder after shooting another man while the pair fought over a gun.

In 2004, legendary "wall of sound" producer Phil Spector was formally charged for the murder of Lana Clarkson. The murder of the 40 year old B movie actress occurred in Spector's LA mansion in 2003.

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Births In 1935, pianist Jerry Lee Lewis was born.

In 1938, famous for his hit "Stand By Me", Ben E. King.

In 1943, Randy Bachman, guitarist and vocalist for the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

In 1945, Roxy Music vocalist and solo artist, Brian Ferry.

In 1945, Don McLean, the man who penned such classic songs as 'American Pie' and 'Vincent', was born.

In 1947, singer and actor Meatloaf.

In 1948, Mark Farner, guitarist and vocalist for Grank Funk Railroad.

In 1948, Mark Bolan, vocalist for T-Rex, was born. He died in 1977.

In 1950, Mike Rutherford, guitarist for Mike & the Mechanics and Genesis.

In 1951, bassist and vocalist Sting.

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Deaths In 1969, David Crosby's girlfriend Christine Gail Hinton was killed in a head-on auto accident north of San Francisco. That same day the "Crosby, Stills & Nash" album was certified gold in the US.

In 1972, Rory Storme, the leader of one of Liverpool's earlier beat groups, took his own life in an apparent suicide pact with his mother. Rory Storme and the Hurricanes are best remembered as the group Ringo Starr departed in 1962 to join the Beatles.

In 1975, 39-year old Al Jackson was shot to death in his Memphis home by an intruder. Jackson was the drummer for the MGs, the legendary Stax Records house band which backed Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Wilson Pickett. Al Jackson's wife, who had been arrested only months earlier for shooting her husband in the chest, was questioned about the killing.

In 1991, J. Frank Wilson (John Frank Wilson) died at the age of 49 of complications from diabetes. He was the leader of J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, the group responsible for the 2000 Pearl Jam hit 'Last Kiss'.

In 1992, former Temptations singer Eddie Kendricks died of lung cancer. He was 52.

In 1998, the 'Singing Cowboy' Gene Autry died at the age of 91 from cancer. Famous Autry hits included 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' and 'Back in the Saddle Again'.

In 2000, Ben Orr (Benjamin Orzechowski) died of pancreatic cancer. Orr was a bassist and guitarist and a member of many bands, the most popular of these being The Cars.

In 2001, Consuelo Araujo (Consuelo Araujo Noguera) was kidnapped and shot by left wing guerrilla group FARC in Colombia. As well a being a folklorist and politician, she was a promoter of the folk music vallenato and co-founder of an annual event, the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata which attracts folk music enthusiasts to Colombia from around the world.

In 2003, former Power Station singer and successful solo artist Robert Palmer died in Paris, France of a heart attack. Power Station had a hit with their remake of "Bang A Gong" and Palmer's solo hits "Addicted To Love" and "Simply Irresitible" were worldwide smash hits.

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