bmusic - Newsletter No. 261

In 1954, Elvis Presley made his professional debut at Overton Park in Memphis, as the opening act for Slim Whitman.

In 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis made his TV debut with the first of three appearances on the "Steve Allen Show." His now famous antics, which included kicking the piano stool across the stage and playing notes on the piano with the heel of his shoe cause massive sales of his single 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'.

In 1958, US fuel giant Esso published a report claiming that listening to rock 'n' roll while driving could cost a motorist money. The oil company's research centre said the rhythm could cause the driver to unconsciously jiggle the gas pedal, thus wasting fuel.

In 1965, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones were fined five pounds each for insulting behavior after urinating on the wall of a London gas station. The owner had refused to give them the key to the men's room.

In 1965, Bob Dylan's first live performance with an electric guitar at the Newport Jazz Festival met with a less than enthusiastic reception from his fans.

In 1966, Bob Dylan crashed his motorcycle near Woodstock, New York. He broke several vertebrae in his neck and was in critical condition for a week. As a result of the accident, Dylan suffered from amnesia and mild paralysis. He took nine months to recover.

In 1967, Jimi Hendrix either quit or was fired as opening act for the Monkees' U-S tour after only five days. His replacement was Vanilla Fudge.

In 1967, the openineg act for the Monkees Forest Hills Tennis Stadium show in New York was the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

In 1968, Iron Butterfly's "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida", featuring the 17-minute title track with one of the longest drum solos in rock history debuted on the U.S. charts.

In 1968, the animated Beatles' film "Yellow Submarine" premiered at the London Pavilion, with John, Paul, George and Ringo in attendance.

In 1969, the Spencer davis Group disbanded.

In 1969, John Sinclair, manager of hard-rock band MC-5, was sentenced to a maximum ten years in jail on marijuana possession charges. Sinclair was also head of the radical White Panther Party.

In 1968, the Byrds left for a tour of South Africa without group member Gram Parsons. Parsons thus became one of the first rock musicians to boycott South Africa because of apartheid. He then formed the Flying Burrito Brothers. Gram Parsons died in 1973 at the age of 26.

In 1969, Neil Young joined Crosby, Stills and Nash for the first time at a concert at the Filmore East in New York. Young and Stephen Stills had worked together previously in Buffalo Springfield. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's second appearance was at the Woodstock Festival a month later. The quartet broke up in 1971.

In 1970, the three-day Manseau, Quebec Pop Festival, held on a farm 80 kilometres southwest of Quebec City, Canada, wrapped up in a sea of mud and ill feeling. Torrential rain swamped the site, only 10,000 fans turned out, and only one of the dozen name acts announced, New Orleans rocker Dr. John, showed up. Organizers filled the gaps by playing tapes of the previous year's Woodstock Festival in New York. By the closing night, the promoters were forced by rebellious patrons to cease charging admission.
Among the no-shows were Jimi Hendrix, the Allman Brothers and Little Richard. Hendrix didn't show because organizers refused to send a $25,000 advance fee. The Montreal Musicians Union had cautioned all performers to make sure they were paid in advance.
Michael Lang, the producer of Woodstock, acted as technical adviser to the Manseau promoters. But after watching the opening night's proceedings, he called it "the most screwed-up mess I have ever seen."

In 1972, a deliberate dynamite explosion destroyed around 30 speakers stored in a Rolling Stones tour truck at Canada's Montreaux Forum. Many people caled local radio stations claiming responsibity for the bombing but no arrests were ever made and the crime went unsolved.

In 1973, Led Zeppelin lost $180,000 in concert receipts after someone robbed the group's safe deposit box at a New York hotel.

In 1974, promoter Bill Graham's "Greetings From San Francisco" concert, featuring the Grateful Dead and Santana at London's Wembley Stadium, was cancelled due to poor ticket sales.

In 1974, Joey Ramone stepped out from behind the drum kit to take on the job as lead vocalist for The Ramones.

In 1974, the Moody Blues opened a 32 track recording studio in London. The studio was the first in Britain to be equipped for quadraphonic recording.

In 1974, John Lennon was ordered out of the U.S., the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service denying him an extension of his non-immigrant visa as a result of Lennon's guilty plea to U.K. possession of marijuana charges in 1968.

In 1976, pioneering rockers Deep Purple broke up (for the first time).

In 1977, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Zeppelin manager Peter Grant and two bodyguards were arrested for beating up three employees of promoter Bill Graham following a show in Oakland, California. The four pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and settled out of court for about US two-million dollars in damages.

In 1977, Elvis Costello was arrested performing outside the Hilton Hotel in London where a CBS record company executiives meeting was being held. It was Costello's attempt to audition without invitation in an effort to secure a record deal. CBS later invited Costello back for an authorised audition and the rest, as they say, is history.

In 1978, Sex Pistol singer John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, formed Public Image Limited.

In 1978, Gerry Rafferty, former Stealers Wheel member, earnt a U.S. gold record solo hit with his song "Baker Street".

In 1979, guitarist Gary Moore left Thin Lizzy and was replaced in the band by Midge Ure.

In 1979, one man was shot to death in the parking lot, two women were raped and 30 people were robbed during Cleveland's World Series of Rock. About 65,000 people turned out to hear Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Journey and Thin Lizzy.

In 1980, drummer Eric Carr made his live debut with KISS at New York City's Paladium. Carr, made up as a fox, was the replacement for former KISS cat Peter Criss.

In 1980, AC/DC's first album with new singer Brian Johnson, replacement for the deceased Bon Scott, was released. The album, "Back In Black", is now regarded as one of the absolute classic AC/DC releases.

In 1980, John Phillips, formerly of the Mamas and Papas, was arrested for conspiracy to distribute narcotics at his summer home on Long Island, New York. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined $15,000. The sentence was later reduced to 30 days in jail.

In 1984, dozens of people from an 18,000 strong crowd collapsed from heat exhaustion during a concert by Huey Lewis and the News and Juice Newton in North Dakota.

In 1986, Jon Moreland stabbed himself repeatedly with an 18 cm hunting knife during a Los Angeles concert by The Cure. Moreland told police he did it because he couldn't have the woman he loved. The 18,000 fans thought the stabbing was part of the show and cheered Moreland on.

In 1986, the show business newspaper Variety reported that RCA dropped singer John Denver from its roster after the release of his single, "What Are We Making Weapons For." Variety said the record upset the record company's new owner, General Electric, one of the largest defence contractors in the US. GE sold RCA two months later.

In 1987, a jury in New York ruled that Morris Albert's 1975 composition "Feelings" was plagiarised from "Pour Toi," a song written in 1956 by French composer Lou Lou Geste. It was ruled Geste was owed at least US$500,000 from the success of "Feelings".

In 1987, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards signed a solo deal with Virgin Records.

In 1987, Def Leppard's "Hysteria" was released. The album spawned six hit singles, and sold more than eleven-million copies worldwide.

In 1987, Apple Corps Limited charged shoe maker Nike in a $15-million lawsuit with improperly using the Beatles' song "Revolution" in an advertising campaign.

In 1987, Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama married Dave Stewart of Eurythmics at a chateau in Dangu, France.

In 1988, CBS Records and Ozzy Osbourne successfully defended an appeal brought against them in the California appeals court that disputed an earlier decision by a lower court. Both courts dismissed the case brought against them that involved claims Ozzy Osbourne's song "Suicude Solution" contributed to the 1984 suicude of a teenage boy.

In 1990, about 200-thousand people gathered at a site in East Berlin where the Berlin Wall once stood for a benefit concert that included an all-star cast performing Pink Floyd's "The Wall."

In 1991, the revamped Lynyrd Skynyrd opened its world tour in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fourteen years earlier, the band was on its way to a concert in Baton Rouge when their private plane crashed, killing three members of the group, including lead singer Ronnie Van Zant. Van Zant's brother, Johnny, fronted the new Lynyrd Skynyrd which also included several original members including guitarist Gary Rossington.

In 1991, former Guns n' Roses drummer Steven Adler filed suit against the band claiming they had forced him to use heroin, then made him quit the band while he tried to kick his drug habit.

In 1991, Black Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson was given six months probation for spitting on a customer in a Seven-Eleven store in Denver. When the woman said she didn't know who the Black Crowes were, Robinson told her she would know if she didn't eat so many Twinkies. The woman claimed Robinson then spat on her.

In 1992, rapper Ice T announced that Warner Brothers Records would pull the controversial song "Cop Killer" from all future copies of his "Body Count" album. Ice T said he would give away recordings of "Cop Killer" at his concerts.

In 1992, KISS singer/guitarist Paul Stanley wed Pamela Bowen in L.A.

In 1994, the IAU (International Astronomical Union) named an asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter after Frank Zappa, who had died in December, 1993

In 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley confirmed that a judge had married them in the Dominican Republic on May 26th.

In 1995, a judge in Los Angeles threw out a lawsuit against Michael Jackson by five of his former security guards. The guards had claimed they were fired for knowing too much about nighttime visits by young boys to Jackson's estate.

In 1995, Al Hendrix, father of the late Jimi Hendrix, regained the rights to his Jimi's music. Al Hendrix paid an undisclosed amount to companies that had controlled the rights for 20 years.

In 1995, Elvis Presley's former doctor lost his licence when the state of Tennessee decided he over-prescribed addictive drugs to patients, including Jerry Lee Lewis.

In 1995, Courtney Love and her band Hole quit about halfway through a Lollapalooza show in Pittsburgh after someone threw a shotgun shell casing on to the stage. Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, had used a shotgun to kill himself the previous year.

In 1996, days after their touring keyboardist, Jonathan Melvoin, was found dead of a heroin overdose, the Smashing Pumpkins fired drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. Chamberlain was arrested on drug charges following Melvoin's death and was beieved to have been partying with the keyboardist on the night he ost his life. Chamerblain was rehired for the final incarnation of the Smashing Pumpkins a few years later after cleaning up his act.

In 1996, Scottish folk singer Donovan was forced to postpone a comeback tour of the US because of a 30-year-old marijuana conviction in Britain.

In 2002, Oasis' Noel Gallagher had a shot at the Rolling Stones on the eve of their upcoming Stones world tour. Gallagher said the Stones only ever made one good album, 'Let It Bleed', and reckons, "The rest of them, I just can't sit through all that nonsense". Knowledgeable Noel said it was time the Mick Jagger and co. should give it away, "They should just call it a day. I would like to say to them, 'Have you got anything better to do?' I mean, surely to God!"

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Births In 1901, Rudy Vallee, one of the great entertainers of the late 1920's and through the 1930's, was born in Island Pond, Vermont.

In 1924, pop pianist Joe Harnell, whose "Fly Me to the Moon" was a top-20 hit in 1963.

In 1931, jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell.

In 1936, bluesman Buddy Guy. This author once fixed Buddy Guy's Marshall Super Bass over the phone whilst he was in my hometown playing. One hour before curtain draw.

In 1938, steel guitarist George Cummings, formerly with Dr. Hook.

In 1941, singer/songwriter Paul Anka was born in Ottawa, Canada.

In 1942, Spencer Davis, leader of the Spencer Davis Group, was born in Swansea, Wales.

In 1943, Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty.

In 1943, Rolling Stones singer, Michael Phillip Jagger, was born in Dartford, England.

In 1945, Rick Wright, Pink Floyd keyboard player and vocalist, was born in London.

In 1946, REO Speedwagon keyboard player Neal Doughty.

In 1946, Jeffrey Hammond, former bass guitarist for Jethro Tull.

In 1946, rock singer and guitarist Bob Welch, formerly with Fleetwood Mac, was born in California. Welch joined Fleetwood Mac in 1971 after original member Jeremy Spencer disappeared in Los Angeles. Spencer later turned up in a religious commune. Welch stayed with Fleetwood Mac until 1974. He later had a couple of hit singles on his own.

In 1947, legendary Queen guitarist Brian May was born in Hampton Hill, England.

In 1948, Grateful Dead keyboardist Keith Goodchaw.

In 1940, vocalist George Clinton from funk groups Parliament and Funkadelic, was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

In 1944, vocalist and keyboards player with Supertramp, Rick Davies, was born in England.

In 1947, singer and songwriter Cat Stevens, whose real name is Steven Georgiou, was born in London. After the 70's Stevens dropped out of music and became a Muslim, adopting the name Yussuf Islam. In 1989, he attracted some controversy by supporting Ayatollah Khomeini's call for the execution of Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses."

In 1947, Don Henley, vocalist and drummer with the Eagles, was born in Gilmer, Texas.

In 1947, British singer and actor David Essex.

In 1947, Carlos Santana was born.

In 1949, Roger Taylor, drummer and founding member of Queen, was born in Norfolk, England.

In 1949, Simon Kirke, drummer with Free and Bad Company.

In 1949, Andy Scott of '70s band Sweet.

In 1950, Blair Thornton, guitarist with Bachman-Turner Overdrive, was born.

In 1951, Rob Halford, former Judas Priest frontman.

In 1953, Geddy Lee, vocalist, bass guitarist and keyboards player with the Canadian rock band Rush, was born in Toronto. Lee formed the group in 1968 with guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer John Rutsey. Rutsey left after Rush's first album in 1974, and was replaced by Neil Peart. By 1982, five of Rush's albums "2112," "Moving Pictures," "All the World's a Stage" and "Signals" had sold more than a million copies each.

In 1954, Dixie Dregs leader Steve Morse, now playing with Deep Purple.

In 1954, jazz fusion guitarist Al Di Meola.

In 1955, singer and record buff Elvis Costello.

In 1955, Van Halen and Sammy Hagar bassist, Michael Anthony, was born.

In 1956, Patti Sciafa, wife of Bruce Springsteen and backing vocalist with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

In 1958, singer and songwriter Kate Bush.

In 1961, guitarist Jim Martin, formerly of Faith No More.

In 1961, Martin Gore of British group Depeche Mode.

In 1961, Paul Geary, drummer with Extreme.

In 1961, Gary Cherone, former Van Halen and Extreme vocalist.

In 1963, ex-Soundgarden and current Audioslave vocalist, Chris Cornell.

In 1963, Norman Cook, bassist with the British pop band the Housemartins, more famous for his role in Beats International and as Fatboy Slim.

In 1964, Adam Duritz, singer of the Counting Crows.

In 1965, guitarist Slash, real name Saul Hudson, of Guns n' Roses.

In 1967, Pat Badger, bassist for Extreme.

In 1974, Wayne (Squirt) Morris of Boys II Men.

In 1990, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Sciaffa (one-time Springsteen backing singer) welcomed their son Evan into the world.

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Deaths In 1964, country star Jim Reeves, piloting his own plane, died when the aircraft crashed near Nashville. Reeves was 39. Also killed in the crash was Reeves's pianist, Dean Manuel.

In 1964, singer Johnny Burnette died in a boating accident while fishing at Clear Lake, California. He was 30 years old.

In 1971, a 22 year-old security guard was stabbed to death by an ex-convict at Forest Hills Stadium in New York just before a show by the Who. The ex-con, Kerry Flaherty, had allegedly been denied admission to the concert.

In 1974, Louisiana bluesman Lightnin' Slim, whose real name was Otis Hicks, died in Detroit of a stomach tumor. He was 61.

In 1974, Mama Cass Elliott, of the Mamas and Papas, died in London at the age of 32. The initial report on her death said she choked on a ham sandwich, but an autopsy revealed she also suffered a heart attack.

In 1977, Robert Plant's six year-old son, Karac, died suddenly of a respiratory ailment.

In 1977, Gary Kellgren, operator and part owner of two of the most popular recording studios on the West Coast of the USA, the Los Angeles Record Plant and the Sausalito Record Plant, drowned in a Hollywood swimming pool. He had engineered and produced albums by Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Rod Stewart, Barbara Streisand and Sly & the Family Stone. He was 38.

In 1977, Led Zeppelin's U.S. tour ended abruptly with seven dates to go when vocalist Robert Plant's six year old son Karac dies unexpectedly of a respiratory ailment in England.

In 1979, one man was shot to death in the parking lot, two women were raped and 30 people were robbed during Cleveland's World Series of Rock. About 65,000 people turned out to hear Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Journey and Thin Lizzy.

In 1980, Keith Godchaux, former keyboards player with the Grateful Dead, was killed in a car accident in California. Godchaux and his wife, Donna, a background vocalist, had been with the Dead from 1971 until 1979, when they were asked to leave.

In 1984, blues singer Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton died in Los Angeles of a heart attack at age 57. She is best known for recording the original version of the Elvis Presley hit "Hound Dog."

In 1984, Michael Osborne, guitarist with metal band Axe, was killed in a car crash.

In 1986, jazz pianist Teddy Wilson, best known for his work with Benny Goodman, died in New Britain, Connecticut after a long illness. He was 73. In joining Goodman in the 1930's, Wilson became one of the first blacks to become accepted playing alongside white musicians.

In 1988, Pete Drake, the man who introduced the "talking" steel guitar style, died in Nashville from complications of lung disease. He was 55.

In 1989, Steve Rubell, one of the men behind Studio 54 in its late 1970's heyday, died at age 45 of complications from hepatitis and septic shock.
Rubell and Ian Schrager built Studio 54 into the most famous disco in North America. Both men were sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison in 1979 after being convicted on tax evasion charges.

In 1990, Brent Mydland, who replaced Keith Godchaux as keyboardist for the Grateful Dead, was found dead of a drug overdose in his home in Lafayette, California. He was 37. The original keyboard player for the Dead, Ron (Pig Pen) McKernan, died in 1973 at age 27.

In 1990, singer Bobby Day, who had the 1958 hit "Rockin' Robin," died of cancer in Los Angeles. He was 60.

In 1992, singer of Motown's first number-one record, "My Guy," Mary Wells, died in Los Angeles of cancer. She was 49. Wells released "My Guy," in 1964.

In 1995, two teenagers drowned in a river during an REM concert at an Irish castle northwest of Dublin. The show which attracted 70,000 people was not interrupted.

In 1995, country singer Charlie Rich died in Hammond, Louisiana of a blood clot in the lungs. He was 62. Rich began as a rockabilly artist for Sun Records in 1958.

In 1995, Laurindo Almeida, one of Brazil's greatest guitarists, died in Los Angeles at age 77. He had lived in the US for nearly 40 years.

In 1995, Hungarian born, Academy Award-winning composer Miklos Rozsa died in Los Angeles at age 88. One of the three scores Rozsa won Oscars for was the epic "Ben Hur".

In 1996, Chas Chandler, bassist for The Alan Price Trio and The Animals, as well as being Jimi Hendrix's manager died from an aortic aneurysm.

In 1996, Rob Collins, keyboard player with UK band, The Charlatans, died in a car accident in Wales. The band was working on its fifth album at the time.

In 1996, Marge Ganser, a member of the 1960s girl group the Shangri-Las, died in New York of breast cancer. She was 48.

In 1996, Pennywise bassist, Jason Thirsk, fatally shot himself.

In 1997, Svyatoslav Richter, one of the foremost classical pianists of the century, died of a heart attack in Moscow. He was 82.

In 1998, be-bop jazz guitarist Tal Farlow died of esophageal cancer at age 77.

In 1999, Porfirio Delgado, Guitar Maker and player. Delgado made guitars used by several generations of classical, Latin and pop performers including Los Lobos, Theodore Bikel, Burl Ives, Arlo Guthrie, The Kingston Trio, José Feliciano and Charo. He was also a guitarist for Los Hermanos Candelas and Son Torreón.

In 2000, Jerome Smith, rhythm guitarist for KC & the Sunshine Band, was crushed by a bulldozer he was operating after falling off the vehicle.

In 2001, Jeanne Loriod, the woman who created the music for films such as Mad Max and Lawrence of Arabia, drowned after suffering a stroke while swimming. She had been scheduled to play with Radiohead before she died.

In 2001, Ron Townson died of renal failure after a four-year battle with kidney disease. He was 60 years old. Townson was one of the original members of The Versatiles who changed their name to The 5th Dimension. They had hits with "Aquarius/ Let The Sunshine In" and "Up, Up and Away". He was also the leader of Ron Townson And Wild Honey.

In 2002, 59 year-old Gus Dudgeon. and his wife Sheila died tragically when their Jaguar XK8 ran off the M4 near Reading, England. The car fell 20ft, crashing into a concrete embankment. Dudgeon was the producer of some of Elton John's classic hits.

In 2002, Australian Country Music Hall Of Fame Inductee and Country Music Roll Of Renown Inductee, Barry Thornton died in Launceston, Tasmania aged 68. Thronton was a country music guitarist and singer who rose to fame playing the character Mulga Dan in the Slim Dusty Show.

In 2003, three members of punk band The Exploding Hearts were killed when their tour band left the road and rolled in Oregon. Those killed were Matthew Fitzgerald (aka Matt Lock), Jeremy Gage (aka Kid Killer), and Adam Cox (aka Baby). Each of the members were aged in their very early twenties.

In 2003, singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and former Iron Butterfly member Erik Braunn died aged 52.

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