bmusic - Newsletter No. 252

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 1956, Carl Perkins was injured in a car accident whilst traveling to New York City for an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. Perkins spent several months in hospital and by the time he recovered, Elvis Presley had covered his hit, "Blue Suede Shoes" and Perkins' career never recovered.

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, Elvis Presley entered the US Army.
After receiving the standard GI haircut, he was quoted as saying "Hair today, gone tomorrow." Presley had actually received his draft notice the previous December, but was granted a 60-day deferment to complete the movie "King Creole."

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

In 1961, The Beatles played their first show at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.

In 1963, "He's So Fine" by the Chiffons reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. George Harrison was later found to have subconciously plagiarized the melody from the Chiffons song for his 1970 hit "My Sweet Lord."

In 1964, the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 28. The next week it topped the chart. That's the fastest rise to number-one in the history of the Hot 100.

In 1965, Bill Wyman was knocked unconscious by an electrical shock delivered from a microphone stand in Odense, Denmark. The Rolling Stones were kicking off their Scandanavian tour with the show.

In 1965, guitarist Jeff Beck replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds, the influential British group that laid the groundwork for the heavy metal groups of the 1970's. Clapton quit the group because he objected to the band's turn toward more commercial material.

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 1966, the New York state assembly became the first legislative body in the world to ban bootleg recordings. Bootlegs are recordings that are unlicensed and unauthorized.

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

In 1967, the Who made their US debut in New York as part of a week-long rock n' roll extravaganza promoted by disc jockey Murray (the K) Kaufman. The Who were virtually unknown in America at the time and were not among the top-billed acts.

In 1968, Eric Clapton and Neil Young, Richie Furay and Jim Mesina of Buffalo Springfield were arrested in L.A. for "being at a place where it is suspected marijuana is being used." Clapton was later found innocent of the misdemeanour charge whilst the others all paid small fines for the offence.

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 1969, John Lennon of the Beatles married Yoko Ono at a civil ceremony in Gibraltar.
For their honeymoon, Lennon and Ono held a "Bed-In For Peace" in the presidential suite of the Amsterdam Hilton.

In 1969, a film by John Lennon called "Rape (Film Number Six)" received its world premiere on Australian television. Whether anyone watched it is another question.

In 1970, The Jackson Five released "ABC", their second release to go straight to Number 1 on the US charts.

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 1973, police found marijuana, LSD, cocaine and prescription drugs in a suitcase after stopping a car driven by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead on a freeway near Philadelphia.

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 1980, a 28-year-old trucker from Texas took a hostage at the New York offices of Elektra-Asylum records. He demanded to see either Jackson Browne or the Eagles so he could ask for money to fund his trucking operation. He surrendered without seeing either one.

In 1980, the Police became the first Western rock band to play in Bombay, India, performing two shows.

In 1981, Austin, Texas declared Christopher Cross Day in honor of the singer who had just won five Grammy Awards, including song of the year for "Sailing." Cross performed at a homecoming concert in Austin.

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 1985, hundreds of radio stations in the US and Canada simultaneously played "We Are the World," the fundraising song for African famine relief recorded by 45 superstar performers. The broadcast took place at 10:50 a.m. US Eastern Time on Good Friday. Sales of the single, album, video and related merchandise initially raised more than US$38 million.

In 1985, Billy Joel married model Christy Brinkley. The couple divorced after nine years of marriage.

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

In 1990, singer Gloria Estefan suffered a broken vertebra when the Miami Sound Machine's bus was rammed from behind by a truck on an interstate highway in eastern Pennsylvania. She underwent surgery in New York and took months to recover.

In 1990, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers headlined at 16-hour concert in Windhoek to celebrate Namibian independence from South Africa. Ten years earlier, Ziggy's father, Bob Marley, had played a concert to celebrate Zimbabwe's independence.

In 1990, drummer Steven Adler, a founding member of Guns N' Roses, was booted out of the group. Adler later sued his former bandmates and others, claiming he was fraudulently removed and stripped of his partnership interest in the band. Adler also complained the other members of Guns N' Roses introduced him to heroin and encouraged his continual use of the drug.

In 1991, Michael Jackson inked a record deal with Sony reportedly worth $1 billion, a record that hasn't been anywhere near broken since. Bet they're pissed about that investment right about now!

In 1992, a judge in Chicago approved partial refunds for people who bought Milli Vanilli recordings or attended concerts believing the lip-synching duo were actually singing. Arista Records and its parent, BMG, paid out more than US$400,000. About 80,000 claims were filed, most of them by people who bought compact discs.

In 1992, Tammy Wynette collapsed for the second time during an Australian tour, forcing the cancellation of the remainder of the shows. Doctors said the country star was suffering from exhaustion.

In 1994, more than 2,000 people without tickets tried to force their way into an outdoor concert by Pearl Jam in Miami. The mob pushed down chain-link fences and hurled rocks and bottles. Riot police were called in, and four people were arrested. Five people were hurt.

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 1997, fans invaded record stores to snap up copies of The Notorious BIG's posthumous album "Life After Death." Its release came just two weeks after the rapper was slain in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard chart.

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 1924, singer Sarah Vaughan was born in Newark, New Jersey.

In 1930, our very own Rolf Harris.

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 1942, Aretha Franklin, dubbed "Lady Soul" in the 1960's, was born in Memphis.

In 1943, the Yardbirds harmonica player Keith Relf.

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 1944, singer Diana Ross was born in Detroit.

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 1947, singer Elton John, whose real name is Reginald Dwight, was born in Pinner, England.

In 1948, Lee Oskar, harmonica player with War.

In 1948, Steve Tyler, lead vocalist with Aerosmith.

In 1948, Richard Tandy, guitarist and keyboardist for the Electric Light Orchestra.

In 1948, John Evans, former keyboardist for Jethro Tull, was born in England. Evans joined the group in 1970 in time to appear on the band's gold LP "Benefit." He stayed with Jethro Tull until 1979.

In 1948, rock singer Eddie Money.

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

In 1949, rock singer Nick Lowe.

In 1949, The Cars Ric Ocasek.

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

In 1951, rock drummer Carl Palmer and guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, formerly of the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

In 1951, Supertramp guitarist Roger Hodgson.

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 1954, country singer Reba McEntire.

In 1959, singer-actress Irene Cara.

In 1959, Angus Young, lead guitarist with the heavy metal band AC/DC.

In 1960, Adam Clayton of U2.

In 1961, drummer for the Stray Cats, Slim Jim Phantom.

In 1962, Terence Trent D'Arby.

In 1963, singer and former Miss America Vanessa Williams.

In 1963, rapper Hammer (ex MC Hammer), whose real name is Stanley Kirk Burrell.

In 1964, singer Tracy Chapman.

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

In 1966, blues-rock guitarist Jeff Healey, in Toronto, Canada.

In 1970, singer Mariah Carey.

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 1827, composer Ludvig van Beethoven died in Vienna at the age of 57.
His death, after a long illness with cirrhosis of the liver, came during a thunderstorm, and Beethoven is said to have shook his fist in defiance at the heavens.

In 1918, French composer Claude Debussy, one of the foremost exponents of musical impressionism, died at the age of 56. Debussy made use of the whole tone scale, instead of the traditional scale of Western music, giving his work a new range of mood and expression. Among Debussy's more famous works are "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun," "La Mer" and "Clair de Lune," which is part of a larger suite.

In 1943, Russian pianist, composer and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff died at the age of 70. He was known as one of the greatest pianists of his generation.

In 1958, In 1958, W.C. Handy, the composer known as "The Father of the Blues," died in New York at the age of 84.
Handy, who was white, wrote his blues from the melodies he heard performed by black musicians and singers in the US South. His first composition, "Memphis Blues," was published in 1912 and became popular through large sheet music sales. Handy's most famous song is "St. Louis Blues," published in 1914.

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 1976, Phyllis Major, the wife of singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, committed suicide. Much of the music on Browne's album, "The Pretender," displays the sense of despair at her death. "The Pretender" became the first of Browne's LP's to sell a million copies.

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 1986, singer Mark Dinning died of a heart attack at the age of 52. Dinning was best known for his 1959 hit, "Teen Angel."

In 1987, Maria von Trapp, whose escape from the Nazis with her husband and children inspired "The Sound of Music," died in Stowe, Vermont at the age of 82. Mrs. Von Trapp was 33 when she fled her native Austria in 1938 with her children and husband. Their story was told in a book, a play and an Academy-Award-winning movie starring Julie Andrews. The Trapp Family Singers toured North America and Europe for several years before settling in Vermont.

In 1991, the four-year-old son of rock guitarist Eric Clapton died after he fell out the window of a 53rd-floor apartment in New York. A housekeeper had left the window open.

In 1991, Clarence Leo Fender, whose Stratocaster guitar was favoured by such rock stars as Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix , Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Eddie Van Halen, died in Fullerton, California at age 82.
Fender introduced the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar, the Broadcaster, in 1948. The Broadcaster became the Telecaster in 1950, and four years later, Fender introduced the Stratocaster.

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 1994, singer, songwriter and producer Dan Hartman died of a brain tumour aged 43. Hartman was a member of The Legends, worked with Stevie Wonder and produced US rock legends Foghat.

In 1995, producer Paul Rothchild, renowned for his work with the Doors, Janis Joplin and other icons of the 1960's, died in Hollywood, California of lung cancer. He was 59. Rothchild produced the Doors' six studio albums, Joplin's "Pearl," as well as albums by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Love. In later years, he worked with Bonnie Raitt and produced the soundtracks to Bette Midler's "The Rose" and Oliver Stone's "The Doors."

In 1995, rapper Eazy-E, who helped popularize the hardcore "gangsta" rap style, died in Los Angeles of complications from AIDS. He was 31. Eazy-E, whose real name was Eric Wright, had disclosed he had AIDS only 10 days earlier. Wright co-founded the rap group NWA with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, and they released a string of hit albums in the mid-1980's. Their tough, often profane style came to be known as "gangsta" rap.

In 1996, former Turtles drummer Don Murray died of complications from an undisclosed surgery at the age of 50.

In 1997, Harold Melvin, leader of the Philadelphia soul group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, died in his hometown at age 57. He had suffered two strokes. Although Melvin formed the Blue Notes in 1954, they didn't become widely popular until the early 1970s, with Teddy Pendergrass as lead singer. "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "The Love I Lost" were rhythm and blues chart-toppers.

In 1999, Indian Classical Fusion musician and nephew of Ravi Shankar, Ananda Shankar died of cardiac arrest.

In 2000, singer Ian Dury of Ian Dury And The Blockheads fame passed away after battling colon cancer. Dury's group released classics such as "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll" and "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick".

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 2002, songwriter, producer, singer, drummer, guitarist, fiddler and member of The Texas Hillbillies, Tommy Hill.

In 2002, drummer Randy Castillo lost his battle with cancer at the age of 49. Castillo spent his career playing for metal legends Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, and Lita Ford, among many others.

In 2002, Three Dog Night bassist Joe Schermie died of a heart attack.

In 2002, legendary actor and talented musician and composer Dudley Moore died from pneumonia, a complication of progressive supranuclear palsy. Moore actually composed the scores to movies such as Cynthia and Bedazzled and released several jazz albums as a pianist.

In 2004, Mudvayne and Slipknot manager and founder of management group No Name Worldwide, Steve Richards died of brain cancer at the age of 36.

In 2005, Foghat guitarist Rod price died at the age of 57 from injuries suffered after falling down a flight of stairs at his home.

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