Week In Review
February 3, 2011
George gets gig … Wings take wing … Abba spurn $1 billion …
1958, 14-year-old George Harrison demonstrates his guitar prowess by playing the Bill Justus instrumental "Raunchy" for an impressed John Lennon and Paul McCartney while the three are riding a Liverpool bus … he's invited to join their group, The Quarry Men, thus forming the front line of what will become The Beatles … 30 years later to the day, Harrison's last American chart single "When We Was Fab," a remembrance of the Beatles era, enters the Top 100 …
1960, "Money (That's What I Want)" recorded by Barrett Strong for the Tamla label, enters the Billboard charts and ultimately rises to #23 … the song was written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, becoming the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise … the song will be covered by a plethora of artists including The Beatles, John Lennon during his solo career, Buddy Guy, The Trashmen, Dave Matthews Band, The Kingsmen, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Ike & Tina Turner, Bern Elliott and the Fenmen, Pearl Jam, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Flying Lizards, Shonen Knife, The Pretenders, Scissor Sisters, Secret Machines, The Sonics, The Smashing Pumpkins, Hanson, The B-52's, Cheap Trick, Josie and the Pussycats, Great White, RC Succession, The Blues Brothers, The Avengers; plus Motown label mates The Supremes, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, The Miracles, Etta James, Jimmy Barnes, Waylon Jennings and Boyz II Men … the song will also be featured in the movie Animal House, performed by John Belushi …
1961, Bob Dylan cuts his first record, "San Francisco Bay Blues" …
1964, Beatlemania reaches a feverish pitch when The Fab Four deplane in New York and are greeted by thousands of screaming teenyboppers … that same day Baskin-Robbins unveils its newest flavor: Beatle-Nut … The Beatles make their live American TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, reaching the eyes and ears of over 70-million viewers, the largest television audience ever recorded at the time … the show receives over 50,000 requests for tickets …
1967, British pop producer Joe Meek, who developed many innovative recording techniques, fatally shotguns his landlady following an argument, then turns the gun on himself with equally deadly results …
1969, George Harrison's tonsils are removed at University College Hospital in London … it is reported that they have been destroyed to prevent the glands from turning up in the memorabilia market …
1969, former Cream members Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, together with ex-Traffic singer-keyboardist Stevie Winwood, announce auditions for a bass player to join them in a new quartet … with Rick Grech recruited, the band becomes the short-lived supergroup, Blind Faith …
1972, former Beatle Paul McCartney's new band Wings, featuring his wife Linda and former Moody Blues singer Denny Laine, plays its first concert at Nottingham University in the UK …
1977, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is released … the LP races to the #1 slot on the album chart where it remains for 31 weeks … it ultimately moves over 17 million platters … ABC-TV's American Bandstand celebrates its 25th birthday with a TV special hosted by perennial teenager Dick Clark … an eclectic all-star band that includes Chuck Berry, Gregg Allman, Johnny Rivers, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione, Seals & Crofts, Junior Walker, The Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severenson, Les McCann, and three-quarters of Booker T and the MGs, plays "Roll Over Beethoven" …
1979, Stephen Stills is the first rock act to record on digital gear at L.A.'s Record Plant but the tracks are never released … guitarist Ry Cooder's rockabilly-inflected album Bop 'Til You Drop becomes the first ones-and-zeroes pop record …
1990, Billy Idol fractures an arm and leg in a Hollywood motorcycle wreck … the mishap dashes his plans to play a major role in Oliver Stone's film, The Doors …
1991, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor is nominated in four Grammy categories and announces that she won't accept any awards saying the show reflects "false and destructive, materialistic values" …
1995, Bob Marley's backup singing group, The I-Threes, which includes his widow Rita, stages a 50th birthday concert for the late reggae star at the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica … son Ziggy Marley also performs …
1999, Foo Fighter Dave Grohl and his music publisher sue movie distribution outfit Miramax for unauthorized use of the Fighters' hit "Big Me" in the trailer for the film Rounders …
2000, ABBA rejects an offer of nearly $1 billion to reunite for a world tour after being apart for 17 years … it's the largest rejection in history … apparently Frank Zappa was only in it for the money; ABBA is all about the art …
2006, Israel Ramirez, a Busta Rhymes bodyguard, is shot dead outside a Brooklyn studio where his boss is recording a video … word on the street is that the shooting resulted from rapper Tony Yayo being ejected from the session for being disruptive … this brings new meaning to the judgment "does not work and play well with others" …
2007, Van Halen announces they'll be touring with David Lee Roth's tonsils aboard for the first time since 1984 … Prince keeps his costume intact while delivering a well-received halftime show at the Super Bowl … a Los Angeles court grants producer Phil Spector a $900,000 judgment against a former assistant whom he claimed had embezzled the money from his pension fund … Spector will need all that money and more to defend against murder charges involving the death of starlet Lana Clarkson … in a convoluted deal between Apple (formerly Apple Computer Inc.) and The Beatles' Apple Corps, the Mac-maker acquires rights to all Apple logos used by both companies and will license the green apple logo back to Apple Corps … Apple chief Steve Jobs calls on record companies to quit building anti-piracy features into digital music … SoundScan reports that January 2007 was the worst month for record sales since it began tracking sales in 1991 … with only 34.1 million records sold, the industry is down 40% compared to a decade earlier …
2008, Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong plays a five-date mini-tour with his side project, Pinhead Gunpowder … at the Troubador club in West L.A., Armstrong is faced with an arsenal of fans pointing their cell-phone cameras at him … he tells the crowd to put the cameras away saying, "YouTube can't own everything. There's also something called memories." … hours after a Velvet Revolver show in L.A., vocalist Scott Weiland checks himself into rehab … it's reported that AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" has become one of the most requested funeral songs in Australia …
2009, Death Cab For Cutie organizes a mock-political campaign against Auto Tune abuse in music …
2010, Michael Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, eight months after Jackson's sudden death. The powerful anesthetic propofol, normally used for people in surgery, was being administered to Jackson as a sleeping aid, and is ruled as being a major factor in his death. The coroner determines that Jackson died of "acute propofol intoxication," combined with other sedatives. Murray pleads not guilty, maintaining that he didn't give Jackson anything that should have caused him to die. If Murray is found guilty, he could serve up to four years in prison.
Arrivals:
February 3: romantic-era composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809), jazz saxophonist John Handy (1933), Apollo Theater regular Varetta Dillard (1933), Johnny "Guitar" Watson (1935), David Lerchey of the Dell-Vikings (1937), Angelo D'Aleo of Dion & The Belmonts (1940), Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart (1941), Eric Haydock of the Hollies (1943), Dennis Edwards of The Temptations (1943), Johnny Cymbal (1945), Dave Davies of The Kinks (1947), pop singer Melanie Safka (1947), Lee Renaldo of Sonic Youth (1956), Tony Butler of Big Country (1957), Lol Tolhurst of The Cure (1959)
Feb 4: Bernie West of The Five Keys (1930), The Animals' John Steel (1941), Florence LaRue of the Fifth Dimension (1944), saxophonist John Stubblefield (1945), Alice Cooper aka Vincent Furnier (1948), Phil Ehart of Kansas (1951), Humble Pie's Jerry Shirley (1952), country singer Clint Black (1962), singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia (1975), Rick Burch of Jimmy Eat World (1975), rapper-actor Cam'ron, AKA Killa Cam (1976)
Feb 5: rural blues harmonica player Will Shade (1898), Samie "Sticks" Evans, session drummer with Ray Charles and James Brown (1923), Louisiana rockabilly star Jackie Lee Cochran (1934), Alex Harvey, Scottish jazz and blues bandleader (1935), soul singer-songwriter Barrett Strong (1941), country singer Henson Cargill (1942), Cory Wells of Three Dog Night (1942), Chuck Winfield of Blood, Sweat & Tears (1943), Al Kooper, founder of Blood, Sweat & Tears (1944), J.R. Cobb of Atlanta Rhythm Section (1944), Steve Miller Band's Dave Denny (1948), Elton John drummer Nigel Olsson (1949), Steppenwolf bassist Andy Chapin (1952), Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver (1964), Chris Barron of Spin Doctors (1968), Bobby Brown of New Edition (1969)
Feb 6: songwriter-musician Leon Rene (1902), teen idol Fabiano Forte AKA Fabian (1943), funk and soul keyboardist-singer-songwriter Wilson "Willie Tee" Turbinton (1944), reggae pioneer Bob Marley (1945), Richie Hayward, drummer with Little Feat (1946), Canadian folksinger Kate McGarrigle (1946), singer-songwriter-performer Natalie Cole (1950), Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses, born William Bruce Rose (1962), pop singer Rick Astley, famous for unwittingly Rickrolling unsuspecting YouTube viewers (1966)
Feb 7: pianist Eubie Blake (1883), bluegrass singer Wilma Lee Cooper (1921), Warren Smith, rockabilly artist discovered by Roy Orbison (1932), king of soul sax, King Curtis, born Curtis Ousley (1934), the first lady of bluegrass mandolin, Donna Stoneman (1934), Earl King, major New Orleans singer, guitarist, and songwriter (1934), Walter Scott, lead vocalist for Bob Kuban and the In Men (1943), country singer-songwriter Sammy Johns (1946), Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night (1948), Alan Lancaster of Status Quo (1949), Brian Travers of UB40 (1959), Steve Bronski of Bronski Beat (1960), keyboardist David Bryan of Bon Jovi (1962), country music artist Garth Brooks (1962)
Feb 8: composer John Williams (1932), rockabilly artist Donnie Owens (1932), folk singer Tom Rush (1941), Creed Bratton II of the Grass Roots (1943), Jim Capaldi of Traffic (1944), Adolfo "Fito" De La Parra of Canned Heat (1946), Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe (1961), Sam Llanas of The BoDeans (1961), Collective Soul's Will Turpin (1971), Darren "Phoenix" Farrell of Linkin Park (1977)
Feb 9: country music pioneer Ernest Tubb (1914), Chicago soul singer Johnny Sayles (1932), prolific Canadian folk singer "Stompin" Tom Connors (1936), singer-songwriter Carole King, born Carole Klein (1942), Dennis Thomas of Kool & the Gang (1951), country artist Travis Tritt (1963)
Departures:
February 3: pedal steel guitarist Tom Brumley (2009), saxman Cornelius Bumpus (2004), jazz trombonist James Louis "J.J." Johnson (2001), R&B legend and dancer Gwen Guthrie (1999), session guitarist "Wild" Jimmy Spruill (1996), Max Yasgur, the dairy farmer who hosted the Woodstock festival (1973), Scottish rock singer Alex Harvey (1982), British pop producer Joe Meek (1967), Buddy Holly (1959), Ritchie Valens (1959), J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson (1959)
February 4: Cramps founder and punk pioneer Lux Interior (2009), pioneering black singer-actress Barbara McNair (2007), composer Iannis Xenakis, pioneer of stochastic music (2001), mandolinist Jethro Burns of Homer and Jethro (1989), Vincent Crane, leader of Atomic Rooster (1989), Australian singer-songwriter Trevor Lucas (1989), flamboyant pianist Liberace (1987), Paul Gardiner, bassist with Gary Numan's The Tubeway Army (1984), singer-drummer Karen Carpenter of The Carpenters (1983), alto sax-playing singer and band leader Louis Jordan (1975), saxophone inventor Adolphe Sax (1894), singer-pianist Cecil Gant (1951)
February 5: Tim Kelly, guitarist for metal rockers Slaughter (1998), Rudy Pompilli, sax player and bandleader of Bill Haley's Comets (1976)
February 6: Mutsumi Fukuhara of Super Junky Monkey (1999), Carl Wilson, founding member of the Beach Boys (1998), Australian techno-pop star Falco (1998), composer-conductor Hugo Montenegro (1981), R&B balladeer Jesse Belvin (1960), surf music drummer Richard Delvy (2010)
February 7: jazz singer and pianist Blossom Dearie, born Marguerite Blossom Dearie (2009), big-voiced crooner and balladeer Frankie Laine (2007), Real Kids bassist Allen "Alpo" Paulino (2006), Elton Dean, British sax man with Soft Machine and Elton John (2006), "Ring of Fire" co-writer Merle Kilgore (2005), singer-songwriter Dale Evans, born Lucille Wood Smith (2001), Dave Peverett of Foghat (2000), songwriter Bobby Troup (1999), smooth British crooner Matt Monro (1985), Al Smith, Chicago blues producer and bassist (1974), New Orleans blues guitarist Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones (1959)
February 8: Buffalo Springfield drummer Dewey Martin (2009), Keith Knudsen of The Doobie Brothers (2005), pioneering jazz organist Jimmy Smith (2005), pop singer Del Shannon, born Charles Weedon Westover (1990)
February 9: Kathryn Grayson, operatic soprano and star of Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows in the 1940s and 1950s (2010), guitarist-songwriter-producer Scott Turner (2009), Cuban bassist Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez (2009), soul singer Tyrone Davis (2005), Billy Jones, guitarist with The Outlaws (1995), The Reverend Dr. James Cleveland, gospel singer, arranger, and composer (1991), Bill Haley of Bill Haley & His Comets (1981), jump blues bandleader Buddy Johnson who wrote "Since I Fell For You" (1977)
Re:Chas's Music Column - Bumber December Issue W/E 15th, 22nd & 29thr
Week In Review
February 10, 2011
Fab Four's First Abbey … Led Zep's Locks Lockout … Boy George Meets Mr. T …
1946, Freddie Slack and Ella Mae Morse record "House of Blue Lights" … the song will later be recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, the Flamin' Groovies, and George Thorogood & The Destroyers …
1954, bluesman Joe Turner cuts "Shake, Rattle & Roll" six months before Bill Haley's version is released … the cover blows up into a giant hit …
1963, The Beatles cut their first album at Abbey Road Studios in a single 10-hour session that cost $600 … the lads are all suffering from colds and John is losing his voice by the time they track "Twist and Shout" … all the tunes are from their set list at the Cavern Club as producer George Martin is intent on capturing the Fab Four with a live vibe … the resulting tracks will be released in the U.S. as Introducing … The Beatles …
1965, The Who audition for the BBC's Light Programme … though they ultimately make the show by a vote of four to three, one of the judges intones that they are "Overall not very original and below standard" … another judge deems them "ponderous and unentertaining" … and you thought American Idol was brutal! …
1967, working on a tip, British police raid a party at Redlands, the English estate of Keith Richards, searching for illegal drugs … police find amphetamine pills in singer Mick Jagger's coat and charge him with possession … Richards is charged with allowing his home to be used for drug-taking and a third guest is charged with heroin possession … Richards spends one night in jail, Jagger gets two … at trial four months later, both Stones are found guilty and given stiff sentences … The London Times gets behind the two rockers, questioning the severity of the sentences in a series of editorials … due to the media pressure, Richard's conviction is quashed on appeal and Jagger's prison sentence is reduced to a conditional discharge … Aretha Franklin records her hit single "Respect" at New York's Atlantic Studios … written by Otis Redding, the record will sell over a million copies and top the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks on its way to becoming both an American classic and Aretha's biggest hit …
1972, upon arriving in Singapore to kick off their first Pacific tour, the members of Led Zeppelin are denied entry because of their long hair … the hairstyles are viewed as a threat to the conservative government's campaign to reduce the influence of Western culture on its citizens … the band is not permitted to exit the plane and is forced to return to London immediately … the tour begins later in the week in Perth, Australia …
1975, Cher's eponymous TV show debuts a year after her divorce from Sonny Bono … the premiere episode's guests include Elton John, Bette Midler, and comedian Flip Wilson … Cher's exposed navel generates much press … the show will last only one season …
1976, Fleetwood Mac begin recording Rumours in Sausalito, California … beset by relationship problems between John and Christine McVie as well as between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, the group manages to funnel their personal angst into song and onto tape … one year later, between the alleged instances of drug abuse, navel-gazing, and general mucking about—for example, taking a whole month to record a bass drum track—the group finally releases the album in February 1977 …
1981, Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd's eighth LP, becomes the longest-charting album ever at 402 consecutive weeks in the Top 200 Albums chart … the album will stay on the charts for another 189 weeks, for a total of nearly 11 consecutive years in the Top 200 … rumor has it that at one point one Capitol Records plant presses nothing but DSOTM discs …
1982, the 300-pound marble slab that marks the grave of former Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant is stolen in Orange Park, Florida … it is recovered by police two weeks later in a dry riverbed nearby …
1984, Jerry Lee Lewis surrenders to the feds to answer charges of tax evasion … he will later be acquitted …
1986, in an odd pop-culture pairing, Culture Club singer Boy George guest stars on an episode of the popular TV show The A-Team … in the episode, Boy is mistakenly booked as country singer Cowboy George at one of the toughest dance halls in the West … Culture Club performs …
1990, Ike Turner is given a four-year prison sentence for a number of cocaine-possession offenses …
1992, Vince Neil is fired as Mötley Crüe's lead singer after recording sessions for a new album turn ugly … he is replaced by John Corabi, formerly of The Scream … the resulting album, Mötley Crüe, goes on to be a commercial disappointment for the band … Neil will reunite with the Crüe in 1997 …
1997, U2 announces its upcoming Popmart Tour from where else? K-Mart, of course … the band's press conference, held in the lingerie department of a Manhattan K-Mart, is a raucous affair, including a performance of the B-side "Holy Joe" as well as the lowdown on the high-tech tour, which will include a giant lemon mirrorball, a 12-foot stuffed olive on a 100-foot toothpick, a towering 100-foot golden arch, and the world's largest-ever LED screen … guitarist The Edge tells reporters "We believe in kitsch. That's what we are up to at the moment." … on the subject of pop, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and his wife Debbie Rowe welcome their first child at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles … the child is fittingly named Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II …
1998, a bucket-wielding Danbert Nobacon of Chumbawamba leaps onto Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's table at the Brit Awards in London … in an effort to defend the honor of his wife and others at the table, Prescott shoves Nobacon to the ground, getting himself drenched in the process … Nobacon later claims he was making a political statement, but nobody is quite able to decipher what the statement is …
2000, during a performance by the Isley Brothers dubbed the Valentine's Super Love Jam at the L.A. Sports Arena, an LAPD officer shoots and kills a 24-year-old man who has allegedly wounded three people near a concession stand … though the performers and audience have no idea what has transpired, the show concludes an hour early …
2004, though the band has always had an ever-changing lineup, singer-guitarist Josh Homme and bassman Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age have been the constant Queens with a longstanding partnership going back to their days in Kyuss in the early 1990s … that relationship comes to a sudden end when the band's website announces Oliveri has split, tersely noting "A number of incidents occurring over the last 18 months have led to the decision that the two can no longer maintain a working partnership in the band" … Norah Jones' sophomore album Feels Like Home moves over a million units in its first week, keeping the sultry singer's mojo going on the charts …
2005, Led Zeppelin, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Janis Joplin receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards … Kid Rock is arrested for punching a DJ at a Nashville strip club and released on $3,000 bail … "Everything is wonderful. It was a beautiful night," is his comment as he leaves the lockup …
2006, Les Paul is released from a New Jersey hospital after a nine-day stay resulting from a bout of pneumonia … the illness caused the 90-year-old electric-guitar guru to miss the Grammies where his album Les Paul and Friends won two awards … former Creed frontman Scott Stapp is arrested for public drunkenness at Los Angeles International Airport where he's about to embark on a honeymoon flight to Hawaii with his new bride, the former Miss New York, Jaclyn Nesheiwat … police describe Stapp's demeanor as "antagonistic, boisterous and pissed off" … he's booked by the cops after failing a beathalyzer test … Alice in Chains reforms with vocalist William DuVall replacing Layne Stayley who died of an OD in 2002 …
2007, despite being boycotted by country music fans and radio stations after making critical remarks about President George W. Bush's policies in the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003, the Dixie Chicks nail five Grammys for their unrepentant album Not Ready to Make Nice … other winners include Mary J. Blige who takes home three phonographs for her The Breakthrough album and The Red Hot Chili Peppers whose double-disc Stadium Arcadium scores four awards …
2008, Emmylou Harris is named to the Country Music Hall of Fame … she first became known for her duet work with Gram Parsons in the 1970s … after Parsons' death in 1973, she embarked on a solo career that included pop, country-rock, and Americana … she's been honored with 12 Grammy Awards … Lenny Kravitz postpones his European tour after being hospitalized for bronchitis … a spokesperson says he is suffering from exhaustion and dehydration …
2009, with the U.S. economy still headed south, longtime purveyor of elevator music Muzak files for bankruptcy … they're not alone, the newly amalgamated Sirius XM Radio combine is said to be preparing its own Chapter 11 filing while Clear Channel, the nation's biggest radio station operator, is in the red to the tune of $19 billion with its credit line close to being tapped out …
2010, struggling with ever diminishing CD sales, EMI puts its legendary Abbey Road Studios up for sale at £30 million … in an interview, Paul McCartney, referring to a consortium of people trying to buy the studio says, "I sympathize with them. I hope they can do something. It'd be great." … apparently Sir Paul isn't up for cutting a check himself, something he could readily do …
…
Arrivals:
February 10: singer Jimmy Durante (1893), zydeco accordionist Rockin' Dopsie, born Alton Jay Rubin (1932), Don Wilson of The Ventures (1933), singer-songwriter Roberta Flack (1939), James Merchant of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers (1940), noted Elvis impersonator Ral Donner (1943), folksinger-songwriter Tom Jans (1949), pop singer Robbie Nevil (1960), Cliff Burton of Metallica (1962)
February 11: Glenn Miller Orchestra sax man Tex Beneke (1914), singer-songwriter, actor, activist Josh White (1915), rock 'n' roll pioneer Gene Vincent born Eugene Vincent Craddock (1935), songwriter Gerry Goffin (1939), novelty songster Bobby "Boris" Pickett (1940), Sergio Mendes (1941), keyboard man Stan Szelest (1943), blues singer Little Johnny Taylor (1943), Sheryl Crow (1962), D'Angelo (1974), Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park (1977), "Brandy" Norwood (1979), Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child (1981)
February 12: jazz and rock record producer Bob Shad (1920), singer-songwriter Gene McDaniels (1935), Ray Manzarek of The Doors (1935), Rick Frank of Elephant's Memory (1942), Stan Knight of Black Oak Arkansas (1949), Steve Hackett of Genesis (1950), Michael McDonald (1952), Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips (1968), Barenaked Lady Jim Creeggan (1970)
February 13: country-pop singer Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919), songwriter Boudleaux Bryant (1920), Gene Ames of The Ames Brothers (1925), Peter Tork of The Monkees (1942), Peter Gabriel (1950), New Order's Peter Hook (1956), agit-rocker Henry Rollins (1961), The Cult's Les Warner (1961)
February 14: Beatles-supporting DJ Murray The K, born Murray Kaufman (1922), keyboardist Merl Saunders (1934), bluesman Magic Sam born Sam Maghett (1937), folk singer Eric Anderson (1937), Vic Briggs of The Animals (1945), folk-rock/blues/jazz/R&B singer Tim Buckley (1947), Roger Fisher of Heart (1950), Ice-T, born Tracy Lauren Marrow (1958), Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas (1972)
February 15: blues guitarist Kokomo Arnold (1901), Brian Holland of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team (1941), Mick Avory of The Kinks (1944), Denny Zager of Zager & Evans (1944), John Helliwell of Supertramp (1945), David Brown of Santana (1947), pop singer Melissa Manchester (1951), UB40 singer Ali Campbell (1959), Mikey Craig of Culture Club (1960), Brandon Boyd of Incubus (1976)
February 16: R&B keyboard player Bill Doggett (1916), gospel and doo-wop singer Ted Taylor (1934), singer-songwriter-producer Sonny Bono (1935), Mississippi bluesman James "Super Chikan" Johnson (1951), soul singer James Ingram (1956), Pete Willis of Def Leppard (1960), Andy Taylor of Duran Duran (1961)
Departures:
February 10: rock 'n' roll singer Freddie Bell (2008), '60s NY folkie and Dylan mentor Dave Van Ronk (2002), saxophonist Buddy Tate (2001), Brian Connolly of Sweet (1997), Stooges bassist Dave Alexander (1975)
February 11: Estelle Bennett of The Ronettes (2009), Jockey Shabala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (2006), stride pianist Jaki Byard (1999), New Orleans guitarist and composer Rene Hall (1988)
February 12: jazz great Jake Hanna (2010), Chuck Mangione Band guitarist Coleman Mellett (2009), Chuck Mangione Band saxophonist Gerry Niewood (2009), trumpeter John Brunious, leader of New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band (2008), the original shock rocker Screamin' Jay Hawkins, born Jalacy Hawkins (2000), Gerald "Bounce" Gregory of the Spaniels (1999), Philip Taylor Kramer, bassist with Iron Butterfly in the '70s (1995), British music promoter Tony Secunda (1995), pianist Eubie Blake (1983), Mississippi Delta bluesman Ishmon Bracey (1970)
February 13: Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist-songwriter Lee Freeman (2010), rockabilly pioneer Dale Hawkins (2010), country outlaw Waylon Jennings (2002)
February 14: The Knack founder-guitarist-vocalist Doug Feiger (2010), big band drummer Louie Bellson (2009), Sweet drummer Mick Tucker (2002), Buddy Knox of "Party Doll" fame (1999), Doug Weston, operator of the Troubadour club in L.A. (1999), Roy Lanham of Sons of the Pioneers (1991)
February 15: guitarist/Fender consultant Bill Carson (2007), songwriter Ray Evans (2007), rapper Big L, born Lamont Coleman (1999), George Suranovich, drummer for L.A. rock band Love (1990), Jimmy Holiday, singer and songwriter for Ray Charles (1987), Broadway belter Ethel Merman (1984), bluesman Mike Bloomfield (1981), blues harp player Little Walter (1968), vocalist-pianist Nat "King" Cole (1965)
February 16: producer-arranger Sid Feller (2006), soul singer Doris Troy (2004), folk-blues guitarist Walter "Brownie" McGhee (1996), Hombres drummer John Hunter (1976)
February 10, 2011
Fab Four's First Abbey … Led Zep's Locks Lockout … Boy George Meets Mr. T …
1946, Freddie Slack and Ella Mae Morse record "House of Blue Lights" … the song will later be recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, the Flamin' Groovies, and George Thorogood & The Destroyers …
1954, bluesman Joe Turner cuts "Shake, Rattle & Roll" six months before Bill Haley's version is released … the cover blows up into a giant hit …
1963, The Beatles cut their first album at Abbey Road Studios in a single 10-hour session that cost $600 … the lads are all suffering from colds and John is losing his voice by the time they track "Twist and Shout" … all the tunes are from their set list at the Cavern Club as producer George Martin is intent on capturing the Fab Four with a live vibe … the resulting tracks will be released in the U.S. as Introducing … The Beatles …
1965, The Who audition for the BBC's Light Programme … though they ultimately make the show by a vote of four to three, one of the judges intones that they are "Overall not very original and below standard" … another judge deems them "ponderous and unentertaining" … and you thought American Idol was brutal! …
1967, working on a tip, British police raid a party at Redlands, the English estate of Keith Richards, searching for illegal drugs … police find amphetamine pills in singer Mick Jagger's coat and charge him with possession … Richards is charged with allowing his home to be used for drug-taking and a third guest is charged with heroin possession … Richards spends one night in jail, Jagger gets two … at trial four months later, both Stones are found guilty and given stiff sentences … The London Times gets behind the two rockers, questioning the severity of the sentences in a series of editorials … due to the media pressure, Richard's conviction is quashed on appeal and Jagger's prison sentence is reduced to a conditional discharge … Aretha Franklin records her hit single "Respect" at New York's Atlantic Studios … written by Otis Redding, the record will sell over a million copies and top the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks on its way to becoming both an American classic and Aretha's biggest hit …
1972, upon arriving in Singapore to kick off their first Pacific tour, the members of Led Zeppelin are denied entry because of their long hair … the hairstyles are viewed as a threat to the conservative government's campaign to reduce the influence of Western culture on its citizens … the band is not permitted to exit the plane and is forced to return to London immediately … the tour begins later in the week in Perth, Australia …
1975, Cher's eponymous TV show debuts a year after her divorce from Sonny Bono … the premiere episode's guests include Elton John, Bette Midler, and comedian Flip Wilson … Cher's exposed navel generates much press … the show will last only one season …
1976, Fleetwood Mac begin recording Rumours in Sausalito, California … beset by relationship problems between John and Christine McVie as well as between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, the group manages to funnel their personal angst into song and onto tape … one year later, between the alleged instances of drug abuse, navel-gazing, and general mucking about—for example, taking a whole month to record a bass drum track—the group finally releases the album in February 1977 …
1981, Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd's eighth LP, becomes the longest-charting album ever at 402 consecutive weeks in the Top 200 Albums chart … the album will stay on the charts for another 189 weeks, for a total of nearly 11 consecutive years in the Top 200 … rumor has it that at one point one Capitol Records plant presses nothing but DSOTM discs …
1982, the 300-pound marble slab that marks the grave of former Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant is stolen in Orange Park, Florida … it is recovered by police two weeks later in a dry riverbed nearby …
1984, Jerry Lee Lewis surrenders to the feds to answer charges of tax evasion … he will later be acquitted …
1986, in an odd pop-culture pairing, Culture Club singer Boy George guest stars on an episode of the popular TV show The A-Team … in the episode, Boy is mistakenly booked as country singer Cowboy George at one of the toughest dance halls in the West … Culture Club performs …
1990, Ike Turner is given a four-year prison sentence for a number of cocaine-possession offenses …
1992, Vince Neil is fired as Mötley Crüe's lead singer after recording sessions for a new album turn ugly … he is replaced by John Corabi, formerly of The Scream … the resulting album, Mötley Crüe, goes on to be a commercial disappointment for the band … Neil will reunite with the Crüe in 1997 …
1997, U2 announces its upcoming Popmart Tour from where else? K-Mart, of course … the band's press conference, held in the lingerie department of a Manhattan K-Mart, is a raucous affair, including a performance of the B-side "Holy Joe" as well as the lowdown on the high-tech tour, which will include a giant lemon mirrorball, a 12-foot stuffed olive on a 100-foot toothpick, a towering 100-foot golden arch, and the world's largest-ever LED screen … guitarist The Edge tells reporters "We believe in kitsch. That's what we are up to at the moment." … on the subject of pop, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and his wife Debbie Rowe welcome their first child at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles … the child is fittingly named Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II …
1998, a bucket-wielding Danbert Nobacon of Chumbawamba leaps onto Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's table at the Brit Awards in London … in an effort to defend the honor of his wife and others at the table, Prescott shoves Nobacon to the ground, getting himself drenched in the process … Nobacon later claims he was making a political statement, but nobody is quite able to decipher what the statement is …
2000, during a performance by the Isley Brothers dubbed the Valentine's Super Love Jam at the L.A. Sports Arena, an LAPD officer shoots and kills a 24-year-old man who has allegedly wounded three people near a concession stand … though the performers and audience have no idea what has transpired, the show concludes an hour early …
2004, though the band has always had an ever-changing lineup, singer-guitarist Josh Homme and bassman Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age have been the constant Queens with a longstanding partnership going back to their days in Kyuss in the early 1990s … that relationship comes to a sudden end when the band's website announces Oliveri has split, tersely noting "A number of incidents occurring over the last 18 months have led to the decision that the two can no longer maintain a working partnership in the band" … Norah Jones' sophomore album Feels Like Home moves over a million units in its first week, keeping the sultry singer's mojo going on the charts …
2005, Led Zeppelin, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Janis Joplin receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards … Kid Rock is arrested for punching a DJ at a Nashville strip club and released on $3,000 bail … "Everything is wonderful. It was a beautiful night," is his comment as he leaves the lockup …
2006, Les Paul is released from a New Jersey hospital after a nine-day stay resulting from a bout of pneumonia … the illness caused the 90-year-old electric-guitar guru to miss the Grammies where his album Les Paul and Friends won two awards … former Creed frontman Scott Stapp is arrested for public drunkenness at Los Angeles International Airport where he's about to embark on a honeymoon flight to Hawaii with his new bride, the former Miss New York, Jaclyn Nesheiwat … police describe Stapp's demeanor as "antagonistic, boisterous and pissed off" … he's booked by the cops after failing a beathalyzer test … Alice in Chains reforms with vocalist William DuVall replacing Layne Stayley who died of an OD in 2002 …
2007, despite being boycotted by country music fans and radio stations after making critical remarks about President George W. Bush's policies in the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003, the Dixie Chicks nail five Grammys for their unrepentant album Not Ready to Make Nice … other winners include Mary J. Blige who takes home three phonographs for her The Breakthrough album and The Red Hot Chili Peppers whose double-disc Stadium Arcadium scores four awards …
2008, Emmylou Harris is named to the Country Music Hall of Fame … she first became known for her duet work with Gram Parsons in the 1970s … after Parsons' death in 1973, she embarked on a solo career that included pop, country-rock, and Americana … she's been honored with 12 Grammy Awards … Lenny Kravitz postpones his European tour after being hospitalized for bronchitis … a spokesperson says he is suffering from exhaustion and dehydration …
2009, with the U.S. economy still headed south, longtime purveyor of elevator music Muzak files for bankruptcy … they're not alone, the newly amalgamated Sirius XM Radio combine is said to be preparing its own Chapter 11 filing while Clear Channel, the nation's biggest radio station operator, is in the red to the tune of $19 billion with its credit line close to being tapped out …
2010, struggling with ever diminishing CD sales, EMI puts its legendary Abbey Road Studios up for sale at £30 million … in an interview, Paul McCartney, referring to a consortium of people trying to buy the studio says, "I sympathize with them. I hope they can do something. It'd be great." … apparently Sir Paul isn't up for cutting a check himself, something he could readily do …
…
Arrivals:
February 10: singer Jimmy Durante (1893), zydeco accordionist Rockin' Dopsie, born Alton Jay Rubin (1932), Don Wilson of The Ventures (1933), singer-songwriter Roberta Flack (1939), James Merchant of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers (1940), noted Elvis impersonator Ral Donner (1943), folksinger-songwriter Tom Jans (1949), pop singer Robbie Nevil (1960), Cliff Burton of Metallica (1962)
February 11: Glenn Miller Orchestra sax man Tex Beneke (1914), singer-songwriter, actor, activist Josh White (1915), rock 'n' roll pioneer Gene Vincent born Eugene Vincent Craddock (1935), songwriter Gerry Goffin (1939), novelty songster Bobby "Boris" Pickett (1940), Sergio Mendes (1941), keyboard man Stan Szelest (1943), blues singer Little Johnny Taylor (1943), Sheryl Crow (1962), D'Angelo (1974), Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park (1977), "Brandy" Norwood (1979), Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child (1981)
February 12: jazz and rock record producer Bob Shad (1920), singer-songwriter Gene McDaniels (1935), Ray Manzarek of The Doors (1935), Rick Frank of Elephant's Memory (1942), Stan Knight of Black Oak Arkansas (1949), Steve Hackett of Genesis (1950), Michael McDonald (1952), Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips (1968), Barenaked Lady Jim Creeggan (1970)
February 13: country-pop singer Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919), songwriter Boudleaux Bryant (1920), Gene Ames of The Ames Brothers (1925), Peter Tork of The Monkees (1942), Peter Gabriel (1950), New Order's Peter Hook (1956), agit-rocker Henry Rollins (1961), The Cult's Les Warner (1961)
February 14: Beatles-supporting DJ Murray The K, born Murray Kaufman (1922), keyboardist Merl Saunders (1934), bluesman Magic Sam born Sam Maghett (1937), folk singer Eric Anderson (1937), Vic Briggs of The Animals (1945), folk-rock/blues/jazz/R&B singer Tim Buckley (1947), Roger Fisher of Heart (1950), Ice-T, born Tracy Lauren Marrow (1958), Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas (1972)
February 15: blues guitarist Kokomo Arnold (1901), Brian Holland of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team (1941), Mick Avory of The Kinks (1944), Denny Zager of Zager & Evans (1944), John Helliwell of Supertramp (1945), David Brown of Santana (1947), pop singer Melissa Manchester (1951), UB40 singer Ali Campbell (1959), Mikey Craig of Culture Club (1960), Brandon Boyd of Incubus (1976)
February 16: R&B keyboard player Bill Doggett (1916), gospel and doo-wop singer Ted Taylor (1934), singer-songwriter-producer Sonny Bono (1935), Mississippi bluesman James "Super Chikan" Johnson (1951), soul singer James Ingram (1956), Pete Willis of Def Leppard (1960), Andy Taylor of Duran Duran (1961)
Departures:
February 10: rock 'n' roll singer Freddie Bell (2008), '60s NY folkie and Dylan mentor Dave Van Ronk (2002), saxophonist Buddy Tate (2001), Brian Connolly of Sweet (1997), Stooges bassist Dave Alexander (1975)
February 11: Estelle Bennett of The Ronettes (2009), Jockey Shabala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (2006), stride pianist Jaki Byard (1999), New Orleans guitarist and composer Rene Hall (1988)
February 12: jazz great Jake Hanna (2010), Chuck Mangione Band guitarist Coleman Mellett (2009), Chuck Mangione Band saxophonist Gerry Niewood (2009), trumpeter John Brunious, leader of New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band (2008), the original shock rocker Screamin' Jay Hawkins, born Jalacy Hawkins (2000), Gerald "Bounce" Gregory of the Spaniels (1999), Philip Taylor Kramer, bassist with Iron Butterfly in the '70s (1995), British music promoter Tony Secunda (1995), pianist Eubie Blake (1983), Mississippi Delta bluesman Ishmon Bracey (1970)
February 13: Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist-songwriter Lee Freeman (2010), rockabilly pioneer Dale Hawkins (2010), country outlaw Waylon Jennings (2002)
February 14: The Knack founder-guitarist-vocalist Doug Feiger (2010), big band drummer Louie Bellson (2009), Sweet drummer Mick Tucker (2002), Buddy Knox of "Party Doll" fame (1999), Doug Weston, operator of the Troubadour club in L.A. (1999), Roy Lanham of Sons of the Pioneers (1991)
February 15: guitarist/Fender consultant Bill Carson (2007), songwriter Ray Evans (2007), rapper Big L, born Lamont Coleman (1999), George Suranovich, drummer for L.A. rock band Love (1990), Jimmy Holiday, singer and songwriter for Ray Charles (1987), Broadway belter Ethel Merman (1984), bluesman Mike Bloomfield (1981), blues harp player Little Walter (1968), vocalist-pianist Nat "King" Cole (1965)
February 16: producer-arranger Sid Feller (2006), soul singer Doris Troy (2004), folk-blues guitarist Walter "Brownie" McGhee (1996), Hombres drummer John Hunter (1976)
Week In Review
February 24, 2011
Mounties Corral Keef's Wild Horse … Queen Quizzes Brit String-Slingers … Stevie Rocks The (White) House …
1949, RCA introduces the first 45-rpm record …
1952, Sun Records, future home of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, releases its first record: an instrumental recording by saxman Johnny London … it flops …
1955, Bo Diddley cuts his first records for Chess including "I'm a Man," a tune that will influence generations of rockers to follow …
1956, Bill Haley & His Comets receive an unprecedented $250,000 guarantee for 21 shows …
1957, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers receive the princely sum of $7,500 to play a carnival in Panama … the fee is considered huge for a one-nighter … Chess records releases singles of Muddy Waters' "I Got My Mojo Working" and Chuck Berry's "School Days" …
1959, recording begins in New York City for the Miles Davis classic Kind of Blue—a record so popular that people who normally don't buy jazz albums buy this one …
1963, it is an unlikely gathering for "The Limbo Party" at San Francisco's Cow Palace … Chubby Checker is host … performers include Marvin Gaye, The Crystals, Lou Christie, The Four Seasons, Dick & Dee Dee, Paul & Paula, and Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass …
1967, Paul McCartney reads a newspaper account of a missing teenage girl, triggering his song "She's Leaving Home" …
1968, Johnny Cash and June Carter marry at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin, Kentucky … a motorcade of Cadillacs carry Johnny, June, and the families to the small, private ceremony … Johnny's best man is Merle Kilgore, who shares co-writing credits with June on "Ring of Fire," the tune generally credited as a musical documentation of Johnny and June's love affair …
1977, Keith Richards is arrested in Toronto after his hotel room is raided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who discover both heroin and cocaine … he is charged with possession of heroin with intent to sell plus possession of cocaine and is released on $25,000 bail … Stones fans everywhere wonder if the cops were on horseback when they broke into Keef's room … Bob Dylan's wife, Sara, files for divorce in Santa Monica, California …the couple has been married for 11 years and has five children … in the settlement she is given possession of their home and custody of the kids … Sara is said to be the inspiration behind classic tunes such as "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," "Lay Lady Lay," and "Sara" …
1983, Michael Jackson's Thriller album reaches #1 and stays there 37 weeks, selling over 40 million copies … it is the number one album in all Western nations … Gold Star Recording Studios in Los Angeles, where Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Buffalo Springfield, Herb Alpert, The Monkees, The Ramones, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon laid down landmark tracks, is demolished to make way for a mini-mall that features a Del Taco stand …
1992, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love wed in Waikiki, Hawaii …
1995, Lyle Lovett breaks his collarbone while motorcycling in Mexico … as a result, he is unable to attend the Grammys to accept the two awards he wins … Bill Berry of R.E.M. begins suffering from a massive migraine about 90 minutes into the band's set in Lausanne, Switzerland … he collapses and is rushed off stage, but does not see a doctor until the next day when it is discovered he has an aneurysm on the right side of his brain … the aneurysm is clipped and Berry makes a full recovery …
1998, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe is arrested and charged with domestic abuse for hitting his wife Pamela Anderson Lee … Virgin Records files suit against the Smashing Pumpkins for alleged breach of contract and non-delivery of albums … the suit claims the band notified Virgin that instead of delivering seven albums, per its contract, the band was delivering just three and walking … the band cites a California labor law which limits personal service contracts to seven years as its justification, a law originally used by movie stars to break free from the once-dominant studio system … the band eventually wins and gets more money with its royalty rate bumped up to 20 percent … some feel the band's subsequent albums decrease in quality an equal percentage …
1999, Dusty Springfield dies … born Mary Elizabeth Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, the highly regarded British singer enjoyed a series of soul-inflected pop hits including the blockbuster "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" … she dies of breast cancer on the day she is scheduled to receive her OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth … she is 59 …
2000, it is announced that pop princess Britney Spears will be releasing her own brand of bubble gum creatively named, "Britney Spears CD Bubble Gum" … the product is a promotion for her upcoming tour … the manufacturer, Famous Fixins, will give part of the proceeds to The Giving Back Fund, a nonprofit that encourages celebrities to raise money for charities …
2005, legendary Muscle Shoals studio closes in Muscle Shoals, Alabama … artists such as The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Bob Seger recorded some of their biggest hits at the facility … the studio, owned since 1985 by indie blues label Malaco Records, is a victim of the computer recording boom … Queen's Brian May, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck are all guests at a Buckingham Palace party to honor the British music industry … Queen Elizabeth II asks them: "And what do you do?" … "It's great to meet her and it doesn't matter at all that she did not know who we are or what we do," Clapton said … "I wouldn't expect her to" … Ozzy Osbourne astonishingly grabs his daughter Kelly's left breast while being snapped in Australia … the wild rocker is in Sydney with his daughter and wife Sharon to promote the Australian MTV Awards when he bizarrely reaches out and cups Kelly's left boob for the cameras, leaving onlookers stunned … musician Martin Denny, the father of the influential genre of pop called "exotica," dies at his home in Hawai'i Kai … he is 93 … Denny created a hypnotic international sound that blended exotic elements—bird calls, croaking frogs, jazz rhythms, chimes, and gongs … he once described it as a fusion of Asian, South Pacific, American jazz, Latin American, and classical styles … his albums will become collectible for the covers that featured model Sandy Warner in a variety of tasteful, yet alluring settings …
2006, after being found asleep at the steering wheel of his car in London, George Michael is taken in by the bobbies on charges of possessing pot and painkillers …
2007, in its ongoing campaign against piracy, the Recording Industry Association of America sends 400 letters to universities across the U.S. warning them that their students may be sued for copyright infringement if they don't settle up … the RIAA directs students to a website where they can settle their cases online by coughing up some bucks … Big Champagne, a web tracking service, estimates that one billion songs are swapped online every month on sites such as LimeWire … Bono is given the NAACP's Chairmen's Award as acknowledgment of his involvement in the AIDS prevention effort …
2008, Larry Norman dies in Salem, Oregon, from heart failure at age 60 … he was a member of one hit wonders, People, from San Jose, who went to #7 with a remake of The Zombies "I Love You" … Norman's first solo record—the 1969 release "Upon This Rock"—is considered the first Christian rock album … he later started his own independent label, recording additional solo albums while discovering other Christian artists … leading to him being dubbed the "father of Christian rock" … John Mellencamp was apparently a fan of Norman's at one time … in 1974, while studying broadcasting at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana, Mellencamp closed his radio show by pre-empting the national anthem with a Larry Norman song …
2009, The East Room of the White House is temporarily converted into a nightclub as Stevie Wonder is presented the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize by President Obama … Wonder serenades the first couple, kicking things off with a version of "Sir Duke" and later Wonder classics like "Isn't She Lovely" and "Superstition" … Tony Bennett, Paul Simon, Will.i.am and Martina McBride all present their own rendition of Wonder's hits …
Arrivals:
February 24: Italian tenor and pioneer of recorded music, Enrico Caruso (1873), singer-songwriter Wandra Merrell (1925), singer Paul Jones of Manfred Mann (1942), The Beatles' George Harrison (1944), keyboard session man Nicky Hopkins (1944), Butch McDade, drummer with The Amazing Rhythm Aces (1946), bassist Lonnie Turner of the Steve Miller Band (1947), Rupert Holmes, composer, singer-songwriter, musician, and musical playwright (1947), singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked (1962)
February 25: blueswoman Ida Cox (1896), record store founder Sam Goody, born Samuel Gutowitz (1904), country singer Faron Young (1932), Barry Kramer, founder of Creem magazine (1943), guitarist Frank "Poncho" Sampedro of Crazy Horse (1949), bassist and songwriter Stuart "Woody" Wood of the Bay City Rollers (1957), drummer Dennis Diken of The Smithereens (1957), singer Mike Peters of The Alarm (1959)
February 26: Fats Domino (1928), Norman P. Rich of Billy Stewart's band (1930), Johnny Cash (1932), Paul Cotton of Poco (1943), Bob "The Bear" Hite of Canned Heat (1943), Mitch Ryder (1945), Jonathan Cain of Journey (1950), Michael Bolton (1953), Bronski Beat's John Jon (1961), Erykah Badu (1971)
February 27: Eddie Gray of Tommy James & The Shondells (1948), Neil Schon of Journey (1954), Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden (1957), Chili of TLC (1971), Jeremy Dean of Nine Days (1972), singer-songwriter Josh Groban (1981)
February 28: guitarist John Fahey (1939), singer-songwriter Joe South (1940), Marty Sanders of Jay and the Americans (1941), R&B singer Barbara Acklin (1943), Brian Jones (1952), Ronald Rosman of Tommy James & The Shondells (1945), Cindy Wilson of The B-52's (1957), Ian Stanley of Tears For Fears (1957), Phillip Gould of Level 42 (1957), Pat Monahan of Train (1969)
March 1: bandleader Glenn Miller (1904), barrelhouse pianist Walter Davis (1912), Harry Belafonte (1927), Roger Daltrey (1942), Jerry Fisher of Blood, Sweat & Tears (1943), Mike D'Abo of Manfred Mann (1944), synth pop singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw (1958)
March 2: Desi Arnaz (1917), Doc Watson (1923), Lawrence Payton of The Four Tops (1938), Lou Reed born Louis Firbank (1942), George Benson (1943), Eddie Money (1949), blues/rock guitarist Rory Gallagher (1949), Karen Carpenter (1950), Jay Osmond of The Osmonds (1955), Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons (1955), Mark Evans of AC/DC (1956), Jon Bon Jovi born John Bongiovi (1962), rapper and DJ Scott LaRock (1962), Coldplay's Chris Martin (1977)
Departures:
February 24: Larry Norman, "father of Christian rock" (2008), '50s pop crooner Johnnie Ray (1990), blues pianist Memphis Slim aka John Len "Peter" Chatman (1988), Detroit soul singer Ty Hunter (1981)
February 25: Pylon guitarist Randy Bewley (2009), '60s folk singer Mark Spoelstra (2007), Thomas Koppel, co-founder of Danish prog-rock band Savage Rose (2006), blues saxophonist A.C. Reed (2004), co-founder of Stax Records, Estelle Axton (2004), William "Hoss" Allen, white DJ who promoted R&B in Nashville (1997), Toy Caldwell, guitarist and songwriter for the Marshall Tucker Band (1993)
February 26: ELO bassist Kelly Groucutt (2009), drummer-vocalist Buddy Miles (2008), fife player Othar Turner (2003), lyricist Ben Raleigh (1997), Frank O'Keefe of The Outlaws (1995), Cornell Gunter of The Coasters (1990), bluesman Bukka White (1977), Sherman Garnes of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers (1977)
February 27: drummer Bobby Rosengarden (2007), Marlena Easley of The Orlons (1993)
February 28: Mike Smith, lead singer-organist for The Dave Clark Five (2008), saxophonist Walter Kimble (1988), DJ Eddie Madison (1987), David Byron of Uriah Heep (1985), Duprees lead vocalist Joey Vann (1984), Bobby Bloom (1974), Frankie Lymon (1968), Fats Domino's guitarist Walter "Papoose" Nelson (1962)
March 1: Jackson 5 drummer Johnny Jackson (2006), Dennis Danell of Social Distortion (2000), Air Supply's Frank Esler-Smith (1991)
March 2: country singer-songwriter Ernie Ashworth (2009), blues guitarist Jeff Healey (2008), pop composer Martin Denny (2005), Hank Ballard (2003), Dusty Springfield (1999), singer-songwriter David Ackles (1999), French pop singer Serge Gainsbourg (1991), rockabilly pianist Roy Hall (1984), Charlie Christian (1942)
February 24, 2011
Mounties Corral Keef's Wild Horse … Queen Quizzes Brit String-Slingers … Stevie Rocks The (White) House …
1949, RCA introduces the first 45-rpm record …
1952, Sun Records, future home of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, releases its first record: an instrumental recording by saxman Johnny London … it flops …
1955, Bo Diddley cuts his first records for Chess including "I'm a Man," a tune that will influence generations of rockers to follow …
1956, Bill Haley & His Comets receive an unprecedented $250,000 guarantee for 21 shows …
1957, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers receive the princely sum of $7,500 to play a carnival in Panama … the fee is considered huge for a one-nighter … Chess records releases singles of Muddy Waters' "I Got My Mojo Working" and Chuck Berry's "School Days" …
1959, recording begins in New York City for the Miles Davis classic Kind of Blue—a record so popular that people who normally don't buy jazz albums buy this one …
1963, it is an unlikely gathering for "The Limbo Party" at San Francisco's Cow Palace … Chubby Checker is host … performers include Marvin Gaye, The Crystals, Lou Christie, The Four Seasons, Dick & Dee Dee, Paul & Paula, and Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass …
1967, Paul McCartney reads a newspaper account of a missing teenage girl, triggering his song "She's Leaving Home" …
1968, Johnny Cash and June Carter marry at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin, Kentucky … a motorcade of Cadillacs carry Johnny, June, and the families to the small, private ceremony … Johnny's best man is Merle Kilgore, who shares co-writing credits with June on "Ring of Fire," the tune generally credited as a musical documentation of Johnny and June's love affair …
1977, Keith Richards is arrested in Toronto after his hotel room is raided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who discover both heroin and cocaine … he is charged with possession of heroin with intent to sell plus possession of cocaine and is released on $25,000 bail … Stones fans everywhere wonder if the cops were on horseback when they broke into Keef's room … Bob Dylan's wife, Sara, files for divorce in Santa Monica, California …the couple has been married for 11 years and has five children … in the settlement she is given possession of their home and custody of the kids … Sara is said to be the inspiration behind classic tunes such as "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," "Lay Lady Lay," and "Sara" …
1983, Michael Jackson's Thriller album reaches #1 and stays there 37 weeks, selling over 40 million copies … it is the number one album in all Western nations … Gold Star Recording Studios in Los Angeles, where Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Buffalo Springfield, Herb Alpert, The Monkees, The Ramones, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon laid down landmark tracks, is demolished to make way for a mini-mall that features a Del Taco stand …
1992, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love wed in Waikiki, Hawaii …
1995, Lyle Lovett breaks his collarbone while motorcycling in Mexico … as a result, he is unable to attend the Grammys to accept the two awards he wins … Bill Berry of R.E.M. begins suffering from a massive migraine about 90 minutes into the band's set in Lausanne, Switzerland … he collapses and is rushed off stage, but does not see a doctor until the next day when it is discovered he has an aneurysm on the right side of his brain … the aneurysm is clipped and Berry makes a full recovery …
1998, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe is arrested and charged with domestic abuse for hitting his wife Pamela Anderson Lee … Virgin Records files suit against the Smashing Pumpkins for alleged breach of contract and non-delivery of albums … the suit claims the band notified Virgin that instead of delivering seven albums, per its contract, the band was delivering just three and walking … the band cites a California labor law which limits personal service contracts to seven years as its justification, a law originally used by movie stars to break free from the once-dominant studio system … the band eventually wins and gets more money with its royalty rate bumped up to 20 percent … some feel the band's subsequent albums decrease in quality an equal percentage …
1999, Dusty Springfield dies … born Mary Elizabeth Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, the highly regarded British singer enjoyed a series of soul-inflected pop hits including the blockbuster "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" … she dies of breast cancer on the day she is scheduled to receive her OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth … she is 59 …
2000, it is announced that pop princess Britney Spears will be releasing her own brand of bubble gum creatively named, "Britney Spears CD Bubble Gum" … the product is a promotion for her upcoming tour … the manufacturer, Famous Fixins, will give part of the proceeds to The Giving Back Fund, a nonprofit that encourages celebrities to raise money for charities …
2005, legendary Muscle Shoals studio closes in Muscle Shoals, Alabama … artists such as The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Bob Seger recorded some of their biggest hits at the facility … the studio, owned since 1985 by indie blues label Malaco Records, is a victim of the computer recording boom … Queen's Brian May, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck are all guests at a Buckingham Palace party to honor the British music industry … Queen Elizabeth II asks them: "And what do you do?" … "It's great to meet her and it doesn't matter at all that she did not know who we are or what we do," Clapton said … "I wouldn't expect her to" … Ozzy Osbourne astonishingly grabs his daughter Kelly's left breast while being snapped in Australia … the wild rocker is in Sydney with his daughter and wife Sharon to promote the Australian MTV Awards when he bizarrely reaches out and cups Kelly's left boob for the cameras, leaving onlookers stunned … musician Martin Denny, the father of the influential genre of pop called "exotica," dies at his home in Hawai'i Kai … he is 93 … Denny created a hypnotic international sound that blended exotic elements—bird calls, croaking frogs, jazz rhythms, chimes, and gongs … he once described it as a fusion of Asian, South Pacific, American jazz, Latin American, and classical styles … his albums will become collectible for the covers that featured model Sandy Warner in a variety of tasteful, yet alluring settings …
2006, after being found asleep at the steering wheel of his car in London, George Michael is taken in by the bobbies on charges of possessing pot and painkillers …
2007, in its ongoing campaign against piracy, the Recording Industry Association of America sends 400 letters to universities across the U.S. warning them that their students may be sued for copyright infringement if they don't settle up … the RIAA directs students to a website where they can settle their cases online by coughing up some bucks … Big Champagne, a web tracking service, estimates that one billion songs are swapped online every month on sites such as LimeWire … Bono is given the NAACP's Chairmen's Award as acknowledgment of his involvement in the AIDS prevention effort …
2008, Larry Norman dies in Salem, Oregon, from heart failure at age 60 … he was a member of one hit wonders, People, from San Jose, who went to #7 with a remake of The Zombies "I Love You" … Norman's first solo record—the 1969 release "Upon This Rock"—is considered the first Christian rock album … he later started his own independent label, recording additional solo albums while discovering other Christian artists … leading to him being dubbed the "father of Christian rock" … John Mellencamp was apparently a fan of Norman's at one time … in 1974, while studying broadcasting at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana, Mellencamp closed his radio show by pre-empting the national anthem with a Larry Norman song …
2009, The East Room of the White House is temporarily converted into a nightclub as Stevie Wonder is presented the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize by President Obama … Wonder serenades the first couple, kicking things off with a version of "Sir Duke" and later Wonder classics like "Isn't She Lovely" and "Superstition" … Tony Bennett, Paul Simon, Will.i.am and Martina McBride all present their own rendition of Wonder's hits …
Arrivals:
February 24: Italian tenor and pioneer of recorded music, Enrico Caruso (1873), singer-songwriter Wandra Merrell (1925), singer Paul Jones of Manfred Mann (1942), The Beatles' George Harrison (1944), keyboard session man Nicky Hopkins (1944), Butch McDade, drummer with The Amazing Rhythm Aces (1946), bassist Lonnie Turner of the Steve Miller Band (1947), Rupert Holmes, composer, singer-songwriter, musician, and musical playwright (1947), singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked (1962)
February 25: blueswoman Ida Cox (1896), record store founder Sam Goody, born Samuel Gutowitz (1904), country singer Faron Young (1932), Barry Kramer, founder of Creem magazine (1943), guitarist Frank "Poncho" Sampedro of Crazy Horse (1949), bassist and songwriter Stuart "Woody" Wood of the Bay City Rollers (1957), drummer Dennis Diken of The Smithereens (1957), singer Mike Peters of The Alarm (1959)
February 26: Fats Domino (1928), Norman P. Rich of Billy Stewart's band (1930), Johnny Cash (1932), Paul Cotton of Poco (1943), Bob "The Bear" Hite of Canned Heat (1943), Mitch Ryder (1945), Jonathan Cain of Journey (1950), Michael Bolton (1953), Bronski Beat's John Jon (1961), Erykah Badu (1971)
February 27: Eddie Gray of Tommy James & The Shondells (1948), Neil Schon of Journey (1954), Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden (1957), Chili of TLC (1971), Jeremy Dean of Nine Days (1972), singer-songwriter Josh Groban (1981)
February 28: guitarist John Fahey (1939), singer-songwriter Joe South (1940), Marty Sanders of Jay and the Americans (1941), R&B singer Barbara Acklin (1943), Brian Jones (1952), Ronald Rosman of Tommy James & The Shondells (1945), Cindy Wilson of The B-52's (1957), Ian Stanley of Tears For Fears (1957), Phillip Gould of Level 42 (1957), Pat Monahan of Train (1969)
March 1: bandleader Glenn Miller (1904), barrelhouse pianist Walter Davis (1912), Harry Belafonte (1927), Roger Daltrey (1942), Jerry Fisher of Blood, Sweat & Tears (1943), Mike D'Abo of Manfred Mann (1944), synth pop singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw (1958)
March 2: Desi Arnaz (1917), Doc Watson (1923), Lawrence Payton of The Four Tops (1938), Lou Reed born Louis Firbank (1942), George Benson (1943), Eddie Money (1949), blues/rock guitarist Rory Gallagher (1949), Karen Carpenter (1950), Jay Osmond of The Osmonds (1955), Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons (1955), Mark Evans of AC/DC (1956), Jon Bon Jovi born John Bongiovi (1962), rapper and DJ Scott LaRock (1962), Coldplay's Chris Martin (1977)
Departures:
February 24: Larry Norman, "father of Christian rock" (2008), '50s pop crooner Johnnie Ray (1990), blues pianist Memphis Slim aka John Len "Peter" Chatman (1988), Detroit soul singer Ty Hunter (1981)
February 25: Pylon guitarist Randy Bewley (2009), '60s folk singer Mark Spoelstra (2007), Thomas Koppel, co-founder of Danish prog-rock band Savage Rose (2006), blues saxophonist A.C. Reed (2004), co-founder of Stax Records, Estelle Axton (2004), William "Hoss" Allen, white DJ who promoted R&B in Nashville (1997), Toy Caldwell, guitarist and songwriter for the Marshall Tucker Band (1993)
February 26: ELO bassist Kelly Groucutt (2009), drummer-vocalist Buddy Miles (2008), fife player Othar Turner (2003), lyricist Ben Raleigh (1997), Frank O'Keefe of The Outlaws (1995), Cornell Gunter of The Coasters (1990), bluesman Bukka White (1977), Sherman Garnes of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers (1977)
February 27: drummer Bobby Rosengarden (2007), Marlena Easley of The Orlons (1993)
February 28: Mike Smith, lead singer-organist for The Dave Clark Five (2008), saxophonist Walter Kimble (1988), DJ Eddie Madison (1987), David Byron of Uriah Heep (1985), Duprees lead vocalist Joey Vann (1984), Bobby Bloom (1974), Frankie Lymon (1968), Fats Domino's guitarist Walter "Papoose" Nelson (1962)
March 1: Jackson 5 drummer Johnny Jackson (2006), Dennis Danell of Social Distortion (2000), Air Supply's Frank Esler-Smith (1991)
March 2: country singer-songwriter Ernie Ashworth (2009), blues guitarist Jeff Healey (2008), pop composer Martin Denny (2005), Hank Ballard (2003), Dusty Springfield (1999), singer-songwriter David Ackles (1999), French pop singer Serge Gainsbourg (1991), rockabilly pianist Roy Hall (1984), Charlie Christian (1942)
Week In Review
March 3, 2011
The Brothers Smothered … Cher And Share Alike … Gnarly Video …
1951, produced by the legendary Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm record "Rocket 88" is released … considered groundbreaking for its use of the distorted electric guitar of Willie Kizart, it's credited by many rock historians for being the first rock 'n' roll record … unfortunately for Turner, the bandleader and piano player, he is not the star on the record label—it is credited to saxophonist Jackie Brenston who handles lead vocals …
1954, Elvis Presley auditions for The Songfellows, a country vocal group … they pass on the future king saying he can't sing harmony …
1955, Elvis Presley appears for the first time on television on a regional show called Louisiana Hayride …
1963, influential country singer Pasty Cline dies in a private plane crash at the height of her career … with her on the ill-fated flight are Grand Ole Opry members Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins … Clines becomes the first female solo artist inducted to The Country Music Hall of Fame …
1966, a pre-Cream, pre-Blind Faith, all-star, one-time-only group called Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse is created to record a few tunes for an Elektra Records compilation … in addition to featuring Clapton on guitar, Steve Winwood sings and Jack Bruce plays bass … the ad hoc group records three tunes, of which "Crossroads," will become a legendary live recording by Cream … John Lennon puts the "fun" back into fundamentalism when he remarks that the Beatles "are probably bigger than Jesus right now" … Beatles paraphernalia meets pyrotechnics as albums, books, and posters are burned in protest throughout the heartland … Phil Spector produces the monumental Ike & Tina Turner track "River Deep, Mountain High" … it's rumored that he spent more than $22,000 creating the orchestral backing track—an unprecedented sum in its day … word has it that Spector also paid Ike Turner, Tina's spouse and Svengali, 20 grand to stay the hell out of the studio … the single goes to #3 in England but apparently, sales found rivers too deep and mountains too high in the USA, thus preventing the record from making it to the cash register …
1967, Steve and Muff Winwood announce plans to quit the Spencer Davis Group … the brothers have been with the band four years … Steve goes on to form Traffic … Muff's career is … well, muffled …
1969, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour TV show is canceled by CBS … during its run the show had featured many rock acts including The Beatles, The Doors, and The Who … the cancellation is seen as the result of the brothers refusing to censor comments made by guest Joan Baez about her husband David Harris who was facing prison as a war resister …
1970, Janis Joplin is fined $200 for onstage swearing in Tampa, Florida …
1971, Radio Hanoi opens its first broadcast of American rock music with Jimi Hendrix's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" … the program is heard by U.S. soldiers throughout Vietnam … the tape was sent to the North Vietnamese station by anti-war activist Abbie Hoffman …
1973, Paul McCartney pleads guilty to charges of growing marijuana at his Scottish farm … he claims that a fan had given him the seeds and that he did not know what they would grow … to discourage any further attempts to solve the botanical mysteries of the universe, he's fined $240 …
1976, flamboyant pop star Elton John becomes flammable after being rendered in wax … his image is put on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum … years later, in an odd twist of art imitating life imitating art, Elton will release the song "Candle In The Wind" … okay, for you literal-minded folk, his wax image is not outside in the wind … alright, it doesn't actually have a wick, but it could have … fine, so Elton's really not writing about being made into a candle … just drop it, okay? …
1980, the number-one song on the pop chart this week is "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen …
1993, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana washes down a handful of Valiums with champagne and winds up in a coma in a Rome hospital … he revives after about 20 hours … though officially labeled accidental, the overdose was secretly thought to be a suicide attempt by those close to Cobain, while conspiracy theorists suggest that Courtney Love may have slipped him the dose without his knowledge … right, 'cause it's real easy to drop a handful of pills in someone's mouth while they're otherwise occupied … we would have liked to hear that one go down (so to speak), "Courtney, I think I somehow have gotten something stuck in my throat … actually, it feels like 40 somethings." … "How odd, Kurt honey … here, wash down those 40-somethings that accidentally got stuck in your throat with this champagne, which I always keep handy for these kinds of emergencies." … conspiracy or innocent mishap … you decide …
1995, R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry undergoes successful brain surgery for an aneurysm after collapsing during a concert in Switzerland … whose brain did they use? … Abby someone … Abby who? … Abby Normal …
1998, Alan Reed, an American dancer, sues Japanese pop star Seiko Matsuda for 48 million yen (approximately $12.97) charging that she pressured Reed, a member of her stage show, into having sex with her … like Reed, his case is a loser … okay, it's really $320,000 …
1999, Cher's long-time manager Bill Sammeth files suit against his former client alleging that he had a deal to receive 15% of profits from her comeback hit album Believe, its singles, and a planned world tour … along with masterminding her comeback, Sammeth claims he was a close friend of the star for 22 years before being "unceremoniously dumped" … Cher has no comments regarding the alleged dumping …
2004, Jack White of the White Stripes pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery on singer Jason Stollsteimer of The Von Bondies … the charges stem from a bar fight between the two Detroit musicians that occurred the previous December at the CD release party for Blanche, another Detroit area band … White is fined $750 …
2005, CBGB, the birthplace of punk, faces closure in a dispute over unpaid rent due the charity for the homeless that owns the building … club owner Hilly Kristal says the dispute dated from 2001, when the landlord presented a $300,000 bill for unpaid rent … that's 24,885,000 yen in case you were wondering … no, the number is right, the yen is stronger against the dollar now … XL Recordings' Dizzee Rascal is arrested in East London after he is found carrying pepper spray (considered a firearm) … his companion is charged with possession of drugs (marijuana) and offensive weapons (a baton and more pepper spray) …
2006, new age meets chauvinism when musician Yanni ("Yawn-i" to his detractors) is arrested in Florida on charges of domestic battery against his girlfriend … by way of advice (and we in the music retail biz face this regularly), it's important to state clearly up front in any transaction: "battery's not included" … a British court rules that Apple Computer did not violate Apple Corps' trademark when it launched iTunes … the case hinged on a 1991 agreement that forbade Apple Computer from distributing music on physical media … at that time the computer maker paid Apple Corps $27 million and agreed to not enter into music distribution under the Apple Computer name … the English judge finds that because iTunes is not the original source of the content it offers, the no-distribution provision doesn't apply … The Beatles' company threatens to appeal the verdict … in a convoluted deal reached the following year, Apple Computer (which has by then removed "Computer" from its name) acquires rights to all Apple logos used by both companies and will license the green apple logo of Apple Corps back to the company founded by The Beatles … no financial details are revealed in press accounts … it's like the old saying goes: "If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em." … for honoring the unsung heroes of the personal pleasure industry, shedding light on the plight of the noble, downtrodden pimp, Three 6 Mafia becomes the first African-American hip-hop act to win a Best Song Oscar … the tune is "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" featured on the Hustle & Flow soundtrack …
2008, MTV pulls Gnarls Barkley's video Run for having the potential to induce seizures … before the song reaches its conclusion the retro dancers are surrounded by strobing, crisscrossing, and interweaving black-and-white patterns … enough to cause the video to fail the Harding Test—software designed to protect sufferers of photosensitive epilepsy from having seizures … the rock music blogosphere is buzzing with the news that Robert Plant has reportedly turned down the notion of a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, preferring to focus his attention on a newfound musical partnership with Alison Krauss … speculation that the pair would tour as Led Mandolin has proven false …
2009, Liverpool Hope University rolls out a new master's program, "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society," to give students the opportunity to analyze music and culture through the band's work … Mike Brocken, who is directing the program at the university in the band's hometown in northwestern England, says, "If popular music is about anything, it's about people. If we look at popular culture, it simply provides us with a very complex mirror of ourselves." … and no, you can't major in Paul with a minor in Ringo … for those who think British education may be significantly lowering the bar, a California university that shall remain nameless offers a course in Keanu Reeves … excellent! (play air guitar here) … The Allman Brothers kick off their 40th anniversary year with a three-week residency at New York's Beacon Theater—an annual tradition for the Southern rockers … the shows feature a star-studded lineup of friends sitting in with the band that inludes Eric Clapton, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Sheryl Crow, Billy Gibbons, Taj Mahal, Levon Helm, Buddy Guy, Boz Scaggs, and Stanley Clarke …
Arrivals:
March 3: jazz bassist Pierre Michelot (1928), Mike Pender of The Searchers (1942), Jance Garfat of Dr. Hook (1944), singer-songwriter Jennifer Warnes (1947), guitarist-singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock (1953), rapper Tone L̄c (1966), John Bigham of Fishbone (1969), Ronan Keating of Boyzone (1977)
March 4: Miriam Makeba (1932), Bobby Womack (1944), singer-songwriter Shakin' Stevens (1948), Billy Gibbons (1948), Chris Squire of Yes (1948), Emilio Estefan of Miami Sound Machine (1953), Jason Newsted of Metallica (1963), Patrick Hannan of The Sundays (1966), Fergal Lawler of The Cranberries (1971)
March 5: blues great J.B. Lenoir (1929), R&B star Tommy "High Heel Sneakers" Tucker (1933), Electric Prune James Lowe (1945), "Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant (1948), Alan Clark of Dire Straits (1952), singer-songwriter-producer Teena Marie (1956), Bobby DeBarge (1956), Mark Smith of The Fall (1957), Andy Gibb (1958), Craig Reid and Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers (1962), John Frusciante of The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1971)
March 6: bluesman Furry Lewis (1893), western swing pioneer Bob Wills (1905), Bernie Wayne, pop composer who wrote "Blue Velvet" (1919), jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery (1923), Sylvia Robinson of Mickey and Sylvia (1936), bluegrass banjo legend Doug Dillard of The Dillards (1937), Mary Wilson of the Supremes (1944), Hugh Grundy of The Zombies (1945), Pink Floyd's David Gilmour (1947), singer Kiki Dee (1947), Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick (1970)
March 7: Maurice Ravel, composer of "Bolero" (1875), producer and ex-Zombie Chris White (1943), singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt (1944), J. Geils Band vocalist Peter Wolf (1946), Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher (1946), Taylor Dayne, born Leslie Wonderman (1962)
March 8: Micky Dolenz of The Monkees (1945), Eagles bassist Randy Meisner (1946), Three Dog Night's Michael Allsup (1947), Mel Galley of Whitesnake (1948), Little Peggy March of "I Will Follow Him" fame (1948), singer and synth pop pioneer Gary Numan (1958), Peter "Pedro" Gill of Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1960), Julian Lennon (1963), Cheryl James of Salt-N-Pepa (1964), singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins (1968), Kameelah Williams of 702 (1978)
March 9: composer Samuel Barber (1910), Motown songwriter Clarence Paul (1928), R&B stalwart Lloyd Price (1933), John Thomas "Scooter" Steele, bass singer with The (Five) Willows (1934), country singer Mickey Gilley (1936), Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders (1942), John Cale of The Velvet Underground (1942), guitarist Robin Trower (1945), Ron Wilson of The Surfaris (1945), Jimmie Fadden of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1948), R&B singer Jeffrey Osborne (1948), The Move's Trevor Burton (1949), Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five (1968), rapper Lil' Bow Wow (1987)
Departures:
March 3: surrealist poet-songwriter and Beatles influence, Ivor Cutler (2006)
March 4: Piedmont blues guitarist John Cephas (2009), Beatles' engineer and Pink Floyd producer Norman Smith (2008), songwriter-pianist Marvin Jenkins (2005), guitarist John McGeoch (2004), country artist Eddie Dean of "I Dreamed Of a Hillbilly Heaven" fame (1999), Grand Olde Opry cast member Minnie Pearl (1996), songwriter Eden Ahbez (1995), jazz guitarist Mary Osborne (1992), founder of the doo-wop Herald and Ember labels Al Silver (1992), bebop guitarist Tiny Grimes (1989), Richard Manuel of The Band (1986), R&B bandleader Red Saunders (1981), Brit rocker Mike Patto (1979), Raymond Edwards of The Silhouettes (1977)
March 5: Bob Timmins, an addiction specialist who worked with Kurt Cobain and Slash (2008), Vivian Stanshall of The Bonzo Dog Band (1995), blues brother John Belushi (1982), country singer Patsy Cline (1963), country singer and Grand Ole Opry member Cowboy Copas (1963), country singer and Grand Ole Opry member Hawkshaw Hawkins, born Harold Franklin Hawkins (1963)
March 6: David Williams, rhythm guitarist on Michael Jackson's "Beat It" (2009), Sir Joseph Lockwood, head of Britain's EMI records (1991)
March 7: Jimmy "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" Boyd (2009), Portland-based blues harp player and singer Paul deLay (2007), Malian blues singer and guitarist Ali Farka Toure (2006), Jesse Taylor, former guitarist with the Joe Ely Band (2006), country bandleader-songwriter Pee Wee King (2000), producer Dave Jordan (1995), Texas blues singer-guitarist George "Little Hat" Jones (1981)
March 8: Grand Ole Opry star Hank Locklin (2009), Adam Faith, British pop singer and actor (2003), session drummer Bobby Chouinard (1997), novelty songwriter-performer and DJ, Vic Venus (1994), jazz singer and bandleader Billy Eckstine (1993), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan of the Grateful Dead (1973), country singer Jack Anglin (1963)
March 9: country singer Chris LeDoux (2005), George Scott, founding member of the gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama (2005), Rust Epique, guitarist for pre)Thing (2004), rapper Notorious B.I.G. (1997), Mercury Wilson, lead rapper-singer for The Force M.D.'s (1995), R&B songwriter and producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell (1985), Harry Womack, bassist, member of the Valentinos, and brother of Bobby Womack (1974)
March 3, 2011
The Brothers Smothered … Cher And Share Alike … Gnarly Video …
1951, produced by the legendary Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm record "Rocket 88" is released … considered groundbreaking for its use of the distorted electric guitar of Willie Kizart, it's credited by many rock historians for being the first rock 'n' roll record … unfortunately for Turner, the bandleader and piano player, he is not the star on the record label—it is credited to saxophonist Jackie Brenston who handles lead vocals …
1954, Elvis Presley auditions for The Songfellows, a country vocal group … they pass on the future king saying he can't sing harmony …
1955, Elvis Presley appears for the first time on television on a regional show called Louisiana Hayride …
1963, influential country singer Pasty Cline dies in a private plane crash at the height of her career … with her on the ill-fated flight are Grand Ole Opry members Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins … Clines becomes the first female solo artist inducted to The Country Music Hall of Fame …
1966, a pre-Cream, pre-Blind Faith, all-star, one-time-only group called Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse is created to record a few tunes for an Elektra Records compilation … in addition to featuring Clapton on guitar, Steve Winwood sings and Jack Bruce plays bass … the ad hoc group records three tunes, of which "Crossroads," will become a legendary live recording by Cream … John Lennon puts the "fun" back into fundamentalism when he remarks that the Beatles "are probably bigger than Jesus right now" … Beatles paraphernalia meets pyrotechnics as albums, books, and posters are burned in protest throughout the heartland … Phil Spector produces the monumental Ike & Tina Turner track "River Deep, Mountain High" … it's rumored that he spent more than $22,000 creating the orchestral backing track—an unprecedented sum in its day … word has it that Spector also paid Ike Turner, Tina's spouse and Svengali, 20 grand to stay the hell out of the studio … the single goes to #3 in England but apparently, sales found rivers too deep and mountains too high in the USA, thus preventing the record from making it to the cash register …
1967, Steve and Muff Winwood announce plans to quit the Spencer Davis Group … the brothers have been with the band four years … Steve goes on to form Traffic … Muff's career is … well, muffled …
1969, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour TV show is canceled by CBS … during its run the show had featured many rock acts including The Beatles, The Doors, and The Who … the cancellation is seen as the result of the brothers refusing to censor comments made by guest Joan Baez about her husband David Harris who was facing prison as a war resister …
1970, Janis Joplin is fined $200 for onstage swearing in Tampa, Florida …
1971, Radio Hanoi opens its first broadcast of American rock music with Jimi Hendrix's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" … the program is heard by U.S. soldiers throughout Vietnam … the tape was sent to the North Vietnamese station by anti-war activist Abbie Hoffman …
1973, Paul McCartney pleads guilty to charges of growing marijuana at his Scottish farm … he claims that a fan had given him the seeds and that he did not know what they would grow … to discourage any further attempts to solve the botanical mysteries of the universe, he's fined $240 …
1976, flamboyant pop star Elton John becomes flammable after being rendered in wax … his image is put on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum … years later, in an odd twist of art imitating life imitating art, Elton will release the song "Candle In The Wind" … okay, for you literal-minded folk, his wax image is not outside in the wind … alright, it doesn't actually have a wick, but it could have … fine, so Elton's really not writing about being made into a candle … just drop it, okay? …
1980, the number-one song on the pop chart this week is "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen …
1993, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana washes down a handful of Valiums with champagne and winds up in a coma in a Rome hospital … he revives after about 20 hours … though officially labeled accidental, the overdose was secretly thought to be a suicide attempt by those close to Cobain, while conspiracy theorists suggest that Courtney Love may have slipped him the dose without his knowledge … right, 'cause it's real easy to drop a handful of pills in someone's mouth while they're otherwise occupied … we would have liked to hear that one go down (so to speak), "Courtney, I think I somehow have gotten something stuck in my throat … actually, it feels like 40 somethings." … "How odd, Kurt honey … here, wash down those 40-somethings that accidentally got stuck in your throat with this champagne, which I always keep handy for these kinds of emergencies." … conspiracy or innocent mishap … you decide …
1995, R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry undergoes successful brain surgery for an aneurysm after collapsing during a concert in Switzerland … whose brain did they use? … Abby someone … Abby who? … Abby Normal …
1998, Alan Reed, an American dancer, sues Japanese pop star Seiko Matsuda for 48 million yen (approximately $12.97) charging that she pressured Reed, a member of her stage show, into having sex with her … like Reed, his case is a loser … okay, it's really $320,000 …
1999, Cher's long-time manager Bill Sammeth files suit against his former client alleging that he had a deal to receive 15% of profits from her comeback hit album Believe, its singles, and a planned world tour … along with masterminding her comeback, Sammeth claims he was a close friend of the star for 22 years before being "unceremoniously dumped" … Cher has no comments regarding the alleged dumping …
2004, Jack White of the White Stripes pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery on singer Jason Stollsteimer of The Von Bondies … the charges stem from a bar fight between the two Detroit musicians that occurred the previous December at the CD release party for Blanche, another Detroit area band … White is fined $750 …
2005, CBGB, the birthplace of punk, faces closure in a dispute over unpaid rent due the charity for the homeless that owns the building … club owner Hilly Kristal says the dispute dated from 2001, when the landlord presented a $300,000 bill for unpaid rent … that's 24,885,000 yen in case you were wondering … no, the number is right, the yen is stronger against the dollar now … XL Recordings' Dizzee Rascal is arrested in East London after he is found carrying pepper spray (considered a firearm) … his companion is charged with possession of drugs (marijuana) and offensive weapons (a baton and more pepper spray) …
2006, new age meets chauvinism when musician Yanni ("Yawn-i" to his detractors) is arrested in Florida on charges of domestic battery against his girlfriend … by way of advice (and we in the music retail biz face this regularly), it's important to state clearly up front in any transaction: "battery's not included" … a British court rules that Apple Computer did not violate Apple Corps' trademark when it launched iTunes … the case hinged on a 1991 agreement that forbade Apple Computer from distributing music on physical media … at that time the computer maker paid Apple Corps $27 million and agreed to not enter into music distribution under the Apple Computer name … the English judge finds that because iTunes is not the original source of the content it offers, the no-distribution provision doesn't apply … The Beatles' company threatens to appeal the verdict … in a convoluted deal reached the following year, Apple Computer (which has by then removed "Computer" from its name) acquires rights to all Apple logos used by both companies and will license the green apple logo of Apple Corps back to the company founded by The Beatles … no financial details are revealed in press accounts … it's like the old saying goes: "If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em." … for honoring the unsung heroes of the personal pleasure industry, shedding light on the plight of the noble, downtrodden pimp, Three 6 Mafia becomes the first African-American hip-hop act to win a Best Song Oscar … the tune is "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" featured on the Hustle & Flow soundtrack …
2008, MTV pulls Gnarls Barkley's video Run for having the potential to induce seizures … before the song reaches its conclusion the retro dancers are surrounded by strobing, crisscrossing, and interweaving black-and-white patterns … enough to cause the video to fail the Harding Test—software designed to protect sufferers of photosensitive epilepsy from having seizures … the rock music blogosphere is buzzing with the news that Robert Plant has reportedly turned down the notion of a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, preferring to focus his attention on a newfound musical partnership with Alison Krauss … speculation that the pair would tour as Led Mandolin has proven false …
2009, Liverpool Hope University rolls out a new master's program, "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society," to give students the opportunity to analyze music and culture through the band's work … Mike Brocken, who is directing the program at the university in the band's hometown in northwestern England, says, "If popular music is about anything, it's about people. If we look at popular culture, it simply provides us with a very complex mirror of ourselves." … and no, you can't major in Paul with a minor in Ringo … for those who think British education may be significantly lowering the bar, a California university that shall remain nameless offers a course in Keanu Reeves … excellent! (play air guitar here) … The Allman Brothers kick off their 40th anniversary year with a three-week residency at New York's Beacon Theater—an annual tradition for the Southern rockers … the shows feature a star-studded lineup of friends sitting in with the band that inludes Eric Clapton, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Sheryl Crow, Billy Gibbons, Taj Mahal, Levon Helm, Buddy Guy, Boz Scaggs, and Stanley Clarke …
Arrivals:
March 3: jazz bassist Pierre Michelot (1928), Mike Pender of The Searchers (1942), Jance Garfat of Dr. Hook (1944), singer-songwriter Jennifer Warnes (1947), guitarist-singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock (1953), rapper Tone L̄c (1966), John Bigham of Fishbone (1969), Ronan Keating of Boyzone (1977)
March 4: Miriam Makeba (1932), Bobby Womack (1944), singer-songwriter Shakin' Stevens (1948), Billy Gibbons (1948), Chris Squire of Yes (1948), Emilio Estefan of Miami Sound Machine (1953), Jason Newsted of Metallica (1963), Patrick Hannan of The Sundays (1966), Fergal Lawler of The Cranberries (1971)
March 5: blues great J.B. Lenoir (1929), R&B star Tommy "High Heel Sneakers" Tucker (1933), Electric Prune James Lowe (1945), "Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant (1948), Alan Clark of Dire Straits (1952), singer-songwriter-producer Teena Marie (1956), Bobby DeBarge (1956), Mark Smith of The Fall (1957), Andy Gibb (1958), Craig Reid and Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers (1962), John Frusciante of The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1971)
March 6: bluesman Furry Lewis (1893), western swing pioneer Bob Wills (1905), Bernie Wayne, pop composer who wrote "Blue Velvet" (1919), jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery (1923), Sylvia Robinson of Mickey and Sylvia (1936), bluegrass banjo legend Doug Dillard of The Dillards (1937), Mary Wilson of the Supremes (1944), Hugh Grundy of The Zombies (1945), Pink Floyd's David Gilmour (1947), singer Kiki Dee (1947), Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick (1970)
March 7: Maurice Ravel, composer of "Bolero" (1875), producer and ex-Zombie Chris White (1943), singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt (1944), J. Geils Band vocalist Peter Wolf (1946), Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher (1946), Taylor Dayne, born Leslie Wonderman (1962)
March 8: Micky Dolenz of The Monkees (1945), Eagles bassist Randy Meisner (1946), Three Dog Night's Michael Allsup (1947), Mel Galley of Whitesnake (1948), Little Peggy March of "I Will Follow Him" fame (1948), singer and synth pop pioneer Gary Numan (1958), Peter "Pedro" Gill of Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1960), Julian Lennon (1963), Cheryl James of Salt-N-Pepa (1964), singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins (1968), Kameelah Williams of 702 (1978)
March 9: composer Samuel Barber (1910), Motown songwriter Clarence Paul (1928), R&B stalwart Lloyd Price (1933), John Thomas "Scooter" Steele, bass singer with The (Five) Willows (1934), country singer Mickey Gilley (1936), Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders (1942), John Cale of The Velvet Underground (1942), guitarist Robin Trower (1945), Ron Wilson of The Surfaris (1945), Jimmie Fadden of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1948), R&B singer Jeffrey Osborne (1948), The Move's Trevor Burton (1949), Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five (1968), rapper Lil' Bow Wow (1987)
Departures:
March 3: surrealist poet-songwriter and Beatles influence, Ivor Cutler (2006)
March 4: Piedmont blues guitarist John Cephas (2009), Beatles' engineer and Pink Floyd producer Norman Smith (2008), songwriter-pianist Marvin Jenkins (2005), guitarist John McGeoch (2004), country artist Eddie Dean of "I Dreamed Of a Hillbilly Heaven" fame (1999), Grand Olde Opry cast member Minnie Pearl (1996), songwriter Eden Ahbez (1995), jazz guitarist Mary Osborne (1992), founder of the doo-wop Herald and Ember labels Al Silver (1992), bebop guitarist Tiny Grimes (1989), Richard Manuel of The Band (1986), R&B bandleader Red Saunders (1981), Brit rocker Mike Patto (1979), Raymond Edwards of The Silhouettes (1977)
March 5: Bob Timmins, an addiction specialist who worked with Kurt Cobain and Slash (2008), Vivian Stanshall of The Bonzo Dog Band (1995), blues brother John Belushi (1982), country singer Patsy Cline (1963), country singer and Grand Ole Opry member Cowboy Copas (1963), country singer and Grand Ole Opry member Hawkshaw Hawkins, born Harold Franklin Hawkins (1963)
March 6: David Williams, rhythm guitarist on Michael Jackson's "Beat It" (2009), Sir Joseph Lockwood, head of Britain's EMI records (1991)
March 7: Jimmy "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" Boyd (2009), Portland-based blues harp player and singer Paul deLay (2007), Malian blues singer and guitarist Ali Farka Toure (2006), Jesse Taylor, former guitarist with the Joe Ely Band (2006), country bandleader-songwriter Pee Wee King (2000), producer Dave Jordan (1995), Texas blues singer-guitarist George "Little Hat" Jones (1981)
March 8: Grand Ole Opry star Hank Locklin (2009), Adam Faith, British pop singer and actor (2003), session drummer Bobby Chouinard (1997), novelty songwriter-performer and DJ, Vic Venus (1994), jazz singer and bandleader Billy Eckstine (1993), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan of the Grateful Dead (1973), country singer Jack Anglin (1963)
March 9: country singer Chris LeDoux (2005), George Scott, founding member of the gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama (2005), Rust Epique, guitarist for pre)Thing (2004), rapper Notorious B.I.G. (1997), Mercury Wilson, lead rapper-singer for The Force M.D.'s (1995), R&B songwriter and producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell (1985), Harry Womack, bassist, member of the Valentinos, and brother of Bobby Womack (1974)
Week In Review
March 10, 2011
Beatles control charts … Lennon gets raucous … iTunes takes over …
1958, Billie Holiday is sentenced to a year's probation after pleading guilty to narcotics possession … Perry Como's "Catch a Falling Star" becomes the first certified gold record …
1963, Gerry Marsden of the Merseybeat group Gerry & The Pacemakers is fined £50 for trying to slip a German guitar past British customs … imported instruments are subject to high duties … Currently touring NZ
1965, The Beatles have a lock on the Top Ten with their ownership of the top four positions on the chart … in order they are, "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Please Please Me," and "Twist and Shout" … meanwhile, their LP Meet The Beatles has moved over three-and-a-half million platters making it at the time the biggest-selling album ever … Billboard reports that the lads from Liverpool account for 60 percent of the singles market in the U.S. … Eric Clapton splits from The Yardbirds to join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers …Best move he ever made
1967, The Velvet Underground's debut album is released sporting Andy Warhol's banana-peel cover … Dick James, the Beatles' music publisher, announces that 446 versions of "Yesterday" have been waxed to date making it the all-time champ among covered songs …
1972, country music star and reformed burglar Merle Haggard is given a pardon by California governor Ronald Reagan … it's been 12 years since Merle did his singing behind bars at San Quentin …
1974, John Lennon and his drinking buddy Harry Nilsson are booted out of West L.A.'s Troubadour Club after razzing comic Tom Smothers … apparently, like Smother's mother, John and Harry like Dickie best …
1976, former porn star Andrea True scores with her #4 disco single "More, More, More" …
1979, Soul Brother (and Good Old Boy) Number One, James Brown, gets funky at the Grand Ole Opry … singer Bonnie Bramlett slugs a highly inebriated Elvis Costello when he utters a racial slur about Ray Charles … Costello has publicly apologized on many occasions for this gaffe …
1991, Janet Jackson reveals … we know what you're thinking … that she is moving from A&M Records to Virgin in a deal worth about $40 million … seven members of Reba McEntire's touring band and her road manager are killed when their plane crashes into a mountainous area near the California/Mexico border … McEntire was traveling in a separate plane … guitar legend Eddie Van Halen and his wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, celebrate the birth of their son … they name the boy Wolfgang …Gotta say 'What were they thinking!
1992, 40,000 people show up for Farm Aid in Irving, Texas … the star-studded show is organized by Willie Nelson to help failing family farms …
1997, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II proves she's a pretty nice girl by knighting Paul McCartney …
1998, Cathay Pacific Airways announces that Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has been banned from flying with the airline following a flight during which he is reported to have screamed obscenities and smoked in the cabin … lawyers representing Korn serve Assistant Principal Gretchen Plewes of Zeeland High School in Michigan … the papers demand that she stop making "defamatory comments about Korn and its products" … the action stems from the suspension of a student who wore a Korn T-shirt to school …
2000, in the middle of a Fargo, North Dakota, show, Korn drummer David Silveria suddenly loses use of one of his wrists … Mike Bordin of Faith No More subs for the rest of the tour while Silveria heals … Chrissie Hynde is busted in New York for slashing leather goods at a Gap store … she's part of a PETA action … blink-182 is forced to cut short its European tour when singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker are both felled by strep throats …
2002, R.E.M. is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 22nd annual dinner …
2003, the Chinese government orders The Rolling Stones to axe four songs from the set lists of their Shanghai and Beijing shows … the banned tunes are "Brown Sugar," "Honky Tonk Women," "Beast of Burden," and "Let's Spend the Night Together" …
2004, Starbucks announces it's partnering with Hewlett-Packard to offer customers digital music downloads via HP tablet computers … Axl Rose is denied a restraining order that would prevent Universal Music Group from releasing a Guns N' Roses greatest hits album … the label argues that it has every right to release the record since Rose has failed to deliver on his contract to produce the long-threatened Chinese Democracy album …
2005, a London audience is treated to an unannounced appearance by Mick Jagger during a Ron Wood concert; Jagger handles vocals on the Stones song "Dance (Pt. 1)" … Coldplay gives L.A. fans a thrill by playing a one-off gig at The Troubador … Legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti lends his voice to a new version of Deep Purple classic "Smoke on the Water" for a new retrospective album covering the 40-year career of rocker Ian Gillan …
2006, Isaac Hayes quits South Park, the animated show where he voiced the character of Chef for nine years … Hayes cites the show's take on religion as his reason for leaving: "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs of others begins." … Matt Stone, the show's co-creator, cites a recent episode that targeted Hayes' religion, Scientology … "He has no problem—and he's cashed plenty of checks—with our show making fun of Christians." … Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu fires his management team at JDub with three years left to go on their contract … the sacking comes as Matisyahu enjoys having two albums in the top 40 album chart … the JDub crew, who were the artist's buddies in college, are reported to be considering suit …
2008, Van Halen postpones 17 more concert dates so that guitarist Eddie Van Halen "can continue medical tests to define a course of treatment," … that band's website notes that Eddie remains "under doctors' care" … it's announced that Snoop Dogg will guest star on the long-running soap One Life to Live … he'll perform a couple of tracks from his newest CD, Ego Trippin', and mashup the show's theme music … the Allman Brothers are forced to postpone their annual May engagement at New York's Beacon Theater while Gregg Allman recuperates from hepatitis C … Apple's iTunes displaces Best Buy as the second biggest music retailer … Wal-Mart retains the top spot, though the giant chain has continued to shrink its CD rackspace in stores making more room for DVDs and video games …
2009, in another indication of foundering CD sales, BMG Music Service, the last of the record clubs to offer those 10-CDs-for-a-penny promotions, announces that it is shutting down … former competitor Columbia House had closed a couple of years earlier … Capitol Records executive Alan Livingston dies … after the U.S.-based label rejected the first four Beatles singles, he gave the go-ahead to release "I Want to Hold Your Hand" … Neil Young releases his video for "Johnny Magic" on the Internet … it's Neil in his car lip-synching to the song with his dog in the back seat, one camera, no edits … Neil explains the "economy look" goes with the times …
Arrivals:
March 10: legendary trumpeter Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke (1903), Tex-Mex legend, producer Huey "The Crazy Cajun" Meaux (1929), Dexter Tisby of The Penguins (1935), swamp rocker Johnny Allen (1938), Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean (1940), Eddie Guzman, percussionist for Rare Earth (1944), Tom Scholz of Boston (1947), Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam (1963), Neneh Cherry (1964), Edie Brickell (1966), Sims Ellison, bassist with Pariah (1967)
March 11: bandleader Lawrence Welk (1903), Mike Hugg of Manfred Mann (1940), Golden Earring's George Kooymans (1948), singer Bobby McFerrin (1950), singer Nina Hagen (1955), Bruce Watson of Big Country (1961), drummer and Pantera co-founder Vinnie Paul, born Vincent Paul Abbott (1964), singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb (1968), Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte (1979)
March 12: one-man-band Jesse "Lone Cat" Fuller (1896), R&B bandleader Red Saunders (1912), Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess Records (1917), L.C. Williams, Houston bluesman who worked with Lightnin' Hopkins (1930), singer Al Jarreau (1940), Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane (1942), singer-actress Liza Minelli (1946), singer-songwriter James Taylor (1948), Bill Payne of Little Feat (1949), Mike Gibbons of Badfinger (1949), Marlon Jackson of The Jackson 5 (1957), Steve Harris of Iron Maiden (1957), Graham Coxon of Blur (1969)
March 13: bluesman Lightnin' Slim (1913), Willie Williams, drummer with Howlin' Wolf (1922), songwriter Mike Stoller (1933), singer-songwriter-pianist Neil Sedaka (1939), Mississippi-born electric guitarist Melvin Taylor (1959), U2's Adam Clayton (1960)
March 14: baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann (1681), Austrian romantic composer Johann Strauss Sr. (1804), bandleader Les Brown (1912), singer-songwriter Phil Phillips, who penned "Sea of Love" (1931), trumpeter-arranger-composer-producer Quincy Jones (1933), "Queen of Country Music" Loretta Lynn (1940), Jim Pons of The Turtles (1943), Chicago's Walt Parazaider (1945), Boon Gould of Level 42 (1955)
March 15: bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins (1912), Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh (1940), Mike Love, co-lead singer of The Beach Boys (1944), Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart (1944), War's Howard Scott (1946), slide guitarist-singer-composer Ry Cooder (1947), Twisted Sister's Dee Snider (1955), singer-songwriter Terence Trent D'Arby (1962), Brett Michaels of Poison (1963), Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray (1970), Mark Hoppus of blink-182 (1972), Joseph Hahn of Linkin Park (1977)
March 16: country singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, born Ronald Clyde Crosby (1942), Heart's Nancy Wilson (1954), Flavor Flav of Public Enemy (1959), rock and metal guitarist Marcus Henderson, lead guitar for Guitar Hero video game (1973), bassist and son of Eddie, Wolfgang Van Halen (1991)
Departures:
March 10: Welsh guitarist Mickey Jones of Man (2010) Sad day he was brilliant check out this , Danny Joe Brown, lead singer of Molly Hatchet (2005), Dave Blood, bassist for the Dead Milkmen (2004), jazz and R&B singer LaVern Baker (1997), Doc Green, baritone singer with The Drifters (1989), Andy Gibb (1988), bluesman Blind Joe Reynolds (1968)
March 11: Stacy Guess of The Squirrel Nut Zippers (1998), South African saxophonist Basil "Manenberg" Coetzee (1998), blues harmonica player Sonny Terry (1986)
March 12: singer and songwriter Lesley Duncan (2010), Marc Moreland, guitarist for Wall of Voodoo (2002), violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin (1999), singer-songwriter Alex Taylor, older brother of James Taylor (1993), alto sax innovator Charlie "Yardbird" Parker (1955)
March 13: Capitol records executive Alan Livingston (2009), soul singer Lyn Collins (2005), reggae singer Judge Dread, born Alex Hughes (1998), rock and jazz producer Bob Shad (1985), Jerry Blaine, jazz bandleader and founder of Jubilee Records (1973)
March 14: country singer-songwriter Tommy Collins, born Leonard Raymond Sipes (2000), songwriter Jerome "Doc" Pomus (1991), R&B bandleader Larry "Big Twist" Nolan (1990), Keith Relf of The Yardbirds (1976), '60s soul singer Linda Jones (1972)
March 15: rapper Harold "Whiz Kid" McGuire (1996), violinist Olga Rudge (1996), Electric Flag bassist Roger "Jelly Roll" Troy (1991), tenor sax giant Lester "Prez" Young (1959), boogie-woogie pianist Clarence "Pine Top" Smith (1929)
March 16: Ola Brunkert, drummer for ABBA (2008), singer Carol Richards, who teamed with Bing Crosby on "Silver Bells" (2007), ska pioneer Justin Hinds (2005), Jakson Spires, drummer, co-founder, and songwriter for Blackfoot (2005), Joseph Pope, lead singer of The Tams (1996), singer-songwriter Johnny Cymbal (1993), John Simmons of The Reflections (1990), bluesman and electric guitar pioneer Aaron "T-Bone" Walker (1975), soul singer Tammi Terrell (1970)
March 10, 2011
Beatles control charts … Lennon gets raucous … iTunes takes over …
1958, Billie Holiday is sentenced to a year's probation after pleading guilty to narcotics possession … Perry Como's "Catch a Falling Star" becomes the first certified gold record …
1963, Gerry Marsden of the Merseybeat group Gerry & The Pacemakers is fined £50 for trying to slip a German guitar past British customs … imported instruments are subject to high duties … Currently touring NZ
1965, The Beatles have a lock on the Top Ten with their ownership of the top four positions on the chart … in order they are, "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Please Please Me," and "Twist and Shout" … meanwhile, their LP Meet The Beatles has moved over three-and-a-half million platters making it at the time the biggest-selling album ever … Billboard reports that the lads from Liverpool account for 60 percent of the singles market in the U.S. … Eric Clapton splits from The Yardbirds to join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers …Best move he ever made
1967, The Velvet Underground's debut album is released sporting Andy Warhol's banana-peel cover … Dick James, the Beatles' music publisher, announces that 446 versions of "Yesterday" have been waxed to date making it the all-time champ among covered songs …
1972, country music star and reformed burglar Merle Haggard is given a pardon by California governor Ronald Reagan … it's been 12 years since Merle did his singing behind bars at San Quentin …
1974, John Lennon and his drinking buddy Harry Nilsson are booted out of West L.A.'s Troubadour Club after razzing comic Tom Smothers … apparently, like Smother's mother, John and Harry like Dickie best …
1976, former porn star Andrea True scores with her #4 disco single "More, More, More" …
1979, Soul Brother (and Good Old Boy) Number One, James Brown, gets funky at the Grand Ole Opry … singer Bonnie Bramlett slugs a highly inebriated Elvis Costello when he utters a racial slur about Ray Charles … Costello has publicly apologized on many occasions for this gaffe …
1991, Janet Jackson reveals … we know what you're thinking … that she is moving from A&M Records to Virgin in a deal worth about $40 million … seven members of Reba McEntire's touring band and her road manager are killed when their plane crashes into a mountainous area near the California/Mexico border … McEntire was traveling in a separate plane … guitar legend Eddie Van Halen and his wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, celebrate the birth of their son … they name the boy Wolfgang …Gotta say 'What were they thinking!
1992, 40,000 people show up for Farm Aid in Irving, Texas … the star-studded show is organized by Willie Nelson to help failing family farms …
1997, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II proves she's a pretty nice girl by knighting Paul McCartney …
1998, Cathay Pacific Airways announces that Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has been banned from flying with the airline following a flight during which he is reported to have screamed obscenities and smoked in the cabin … lawyers representing Korn serve Assistant Principal Gretchen Plewes of Zeeland High School in Michigan … the papers demand that she stop making "defamatory comments about Korn and its products" … the action stems from the suspension of a student who wore a Korn T-shirt to school …
2000, in the middle of a Fargo, North Dakota, show, Korn drummer David Silveria suddenly loses use of one of his wrists … Mike Bordin of Faith No More subs for the rest of the tour while Silveria heals … Chrissie Hynde is busted in New York for slashing leather goods at a Gap store … she's part of a PETA action … blink-182 is forced to cut short its European tour when singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker are both felled by strep throats …
2002, R.E.M. is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 22nd annual dinner …
2003, the Chinese government orders The Rolling Stones to axe four songs from the set lists of their Shanghai and Beijing shows … the banned tunes are "Brown Sugar," "Honky Tonk Women," "Beast of Burden," and "Let's Spend the Night Together" …
2004, Starbucks announces it's partnering with Hewlett-Packard to offer customers digital music downloads via HP tablet computers … Axl Rose is denied a restraining order that would prevent Universal Music Group from releasing a Guns N' Roses greatest hits album … the label argues that it has every right to release the record since Rose has failed to deliver on his contract to produce the long-threatened Chinese Democracy album …
2005, a London audience is treated to an unannounced appearance by Mick Jagger during a Ron Wood concert; Jagger handles vocals on the Stones song "Dance (Pt. 1)" … Coldplay gives L.A. fans a thrill by playing a one-off gig at The Troubador … Legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti lends his voice to a new version of Deep Purple classic "Smoke on the Water" for a new retrospective album covering the 40-year career of rocker Ian Gillan …
2006, Isaac Hayes quits South Park, the animated show where he voiced the character of Chef for nine years … Hayes cites the show's take on religion as his reason for leaving: "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs of others begins." … Matt Stone, the show's co-creator, cites a recent episode that targeted Hayes' religion, Scientology … "He has no problem—and he's cashed plenty of checks—with our show making fun of Christians." … Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu fires his management team at JDub with three years left to go on their contract … the sacking comes as Matisyahu enjoys having two albums in the top 40 album chart … the JDub crew, who were the artist's buddies in college, are reported to be considering suit …
2008, Van Halen postpones 17 more concert dates so that guitarist Eddie Van Halen "can continue medical tests to define a course of treatment," … that band's website notes that Eddie remains "under doctors' care" … it's announced that Snoop Dogg will guest star on the long-running soap One Life to Live … he'll perform a couple of tracks from his newest CD, Ego Trippin', and mashup the show's theme music … the Allman Brothers are forced to postpone their annual May engagement at New York's Beacon Theater while Gregg Allman recuperates from hepatitis C … Apple's iTunes displaces Best Buy as the second biggest music retailer … Wal-Mart retains the top spot, though the giant chain has continued to shrink its CD rackspace in stores making more room for DVDs and video games …
2009, in another indication of foundering CD sales, BMG Music Service, the last of the record clubs to offer those 10-CDs-for-a-penny promotions, announces that it is shutting down … former competitor Columbia House had closed a couple of years earlier … Capitol Records executive Alan Livingston dies … after the U.S.-based label rejected the first four Beatles singles, he gave the go-ahead to release "I Want to Hold Your Hand" … Neil Young releases his video for "Johnny Magic" on the Internet … it's Neil in his car lip-synching to the song with his dog in the back seat, one camera, no edits … Neil explains the "economy look" goes with the times …
Arrivals:
March 10: legendary trumpeter Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke (1903), Tex-Mex legend, producer Huey "The Crazy Cajun" Meaux (1929), Dexter Tisby of The Penguins (1935), swamp rocker Johnny Allen (1938), Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean (1940), Eddie Guzman, percussionist for Rare Earth (1944), Tom Scholz of Boston (1947), Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam (1963), Neneh Cherry (1964), Edie Brickell (1966), Sims Ellison, bassist with Pariah (1967)
March 11: bandleader Lawrence Welk (1903), Mike Hugg of Manfred Mann (1940), Golden Earring's George Kooymans (1948), singer Bobby McFerrin (1950), singer Nina Hagen (1955), Bruce Watson of Big Country (1961), drummer and Pantera co-founder Vinnie Paul, born Vincent Paul Abbott (1964), singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb (1968), Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte (1979)
March 12: one-man-band Jesse "Lone Cat" Fuller (1896), R&B bandleader Red Saunders (1912), Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess Records (1917), L.C. Williams, Houston bluesman who worked with Lightnin' Hopkins (1930), singer Al Jarreau (1940), Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane (1942), singer-actress Liza Minelli (1946), singer-songwriter James Taylor (1948), Bill Payne of Little Feat (1949), Mike Gibbons of Badfinger (1949), Marlon Jackson of The Jackson 5 (1957), Steve Harris of Iron Maiden (1957), Graham Coxon of Blur (1969)
March 13: bluesman Lightnin' Slim (1913), Willie Williams, drummer with Howlin' Wolf (1922), songwriter Mike Stoller (1933), singer-songwriter-pianist Neil Sedaka (1939), Mississippi-born electric guitarist Melvin Taylor (1959), U2's Adam Clayton (1960)
March 14: baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann (1681), Austrian romantic composer Johann Strauss Sr. (1804), bandleader Les Brown (1912), singer-songwriter Phil Phillips, who penned "Sea of Love" (1931), trumpeter-arranger-composer-producer Quincy Jones (1933), "Queen of Country Music" Loretta Lynn (1940), Jim Pons of The Turtles (1943), Chicago's Walt Parazaider (1945), Boon Gould of Level 42 (1955)
March 15: bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins (1912), Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh (1940), Mike Love, co-lead singer of The Beach Boys (1944), Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart (1944), War's Howard Scott (1946), slide guitarist-singer-composer Ry Cooder (1947), Twisted Sister's Dee Snider (1955), singer-songwriter Terence Trent D'Arby (1962), Brett Michaels of Poison (1963), Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray (1970), Mark Hoppus of blink-182 (1972), Joseph Hahn of Linkin Park (1977)
March 16: country singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, born Ronald Clyde Crosby (1942), Heart's Nancy Wilson (1954), Flavor Flav of Public Enemy (1959), rock and metal guitarist Marcus Henderson, lead guitar for Guitar Hero video game (1973), bassist and son of Eddie, Wolfgang Van Halen (1991)
Departures:
March 10: Welsh guitarist Mickey Jones of Man (2010) Sad day he was brilliant check out this , Danny Joe Brown, lead singer of Molly Hatchet (2005), Dave Blood, bassist for the Dead Milkmen (2004), jazz and R&B singer LaVern Baker (1997), Doc Green, baritone singer with The Drifters (1989), Andy Gibb (1988), bluesman Blind Joe Reynolds (1968)
March 11: Stacy Guess of The Squirrel Nut Zippers (1998), South African saxophonist Basil "Manenberg" Coetzee (1998), blues harmonica player Sonny Terry (1986)
March 12: singer and songwriter Lesley Duncan (2010), Marc Moreland, guitarist for Wall of Voodoo (2002), violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin (1999), singer-songwriter Alex Taylor, older brother of James Taylor (1993), alto sax innovator Charlie "Yardbird" Parker (1955)
March 13: Capitol records executive Alan Livingston (2009), soul singer Lyn Collins (2005), reggae singer Judge Dread, born Alex Hughes (1998), rock and jazz producer Bob Shad (1985), Jerry Blaine, jazz bandleader and founder of Jubilee Records (1973)
March 14: country singer-songwriter Tommy Collins, born Leonard Raymond Sipes (2000), songwriter Jerome "Doc" Pomus (1991), R&B bandleader Larry "Big Twist" Nolan (1990), Keith Relf of The Yardbirds (1976), '60s soul singer Linda Jones (1972)
March 15: rapper Harold "Whiz Kid" McGuire (1996), violinist Olga Rudge (1996), Electric Flag bassist Roger "Jelly Roll" Troy (1991), tenor sax giant Lester "Prez" Young (1959), boogie-woogie pianist Clarence "Pine Top" Smith (1929)
March 16: Ola Brunkert, drummer for ABBA (2008), singer Carol Richards, who teamed with Bing Crosby on "Silver Bells" (2007), ska pioneer Justin Hinds (2005), Jakson Spires, drummer, co-founder, and songwriter for Blackfoot (2005), Joseph Pope, lead singer of The Tams (1996), singer-songwriter Johnny Cymbal (1993), John Simmons of The Reflections (1990), bluesman and electric guitar pioneer Aaron "T-Bone" Walker (1975), soul singer Tammi Terrell (1970)
Week In Review
March 24, 2011
Etta Bull … Pepper Shows Us Wax On … Purple Reign …
1952, Sun Records, the revered label that will be the first to give Elvis a shot and go on to cut dozens of great rockabilly and blues sides, issues its first single, "Selling My Whisky" by Jackie Boy and Little Walter …
1955, Georgia Gibbs' "Dance With Me Henry" is released … it's a cleaned-up version of the more licentiously titled "Roll With Me Henry" by Etta James that in turn was re-titled "The Wallflower" to keep censors at bay … Coral Records hires original rock DJ Alan Freed as their A&R man …
1958, Elvis Presley is inducted into the U.S. Army as Private Presley, serial number U-S-53310761 …
1962, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first perform together as Little Boy Blue & the Blue Boys …
1963, teen idol Dion finally takes his "Runaround Sue" out of the marketplace when he marries Sue Butterfield …
1964, everyone's favorite high-strung diva, Barbra "Babs" Streisand, opens on Broadway in Funny Girl … she wins a Best Actress Oscar for her role in the movie version …
1967, Peter Bergman of Firesign Theatre coins the term Love-In and throws the first such event in Los Angeles' Elysian Park, attracting 65,000 people and blocking freeways for miles … Columbia Records producer Gary Usher is so impressed, he offers Firesign Theatre their first record contract … the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album is staged and photographed at Chelsea Manor Studios in London using collage and wax figures from Madame Tussaud's famous wax museum … among the likenesses featured on the cover are Mae West, Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Bob Dylan, Tony Curtis, Marlon Brando, Oscar Wilde, Marlene Dietrich, and W.C. Fields … album artists Peter Blake and Jann Haworth will be awarded a Grammy for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts in 1968 …
1973, just 12 days after their single "Cover of the Rolling Stone" peaks at #6 on the pop chart, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show appear on the cover of the magazine … wonder what Sylvia's mother has to say about The Hook now … Lou Reed is bitten at a concert in Buffalo, New York … the "rabid" fan, unable to contain his affection, leaps onstage and bites Reed on the bum as he is about to perform "Waitin' for the Man" … screaming "leather," the fan gets past security as he assaults Reed … the fan is ejected and Reed later comments that the U.S. "seems to breed real animals" …
1974, The Ramones play their first live show at the Performance Studio in New York … they will go on to play many more shows there and eat lots of pizza …
1975, Barry Manilow makes his first appearance on American Bandstand … No. 1 on the Billboard charts is Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti … No. 3 is Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks … No. 2 is Olivia Newton-John's Have You Never Been Mellow … go figure …
1978, the Police sign with A&M records …
1985, Prince wins an Oscar for Best Original Score for the film Purple Rain … rumor has it that the movie's title song actually was written by Prince's backup musicians, Wendy and Lisa … the movie seems to acknowledge this, however the credits don't … they are credited as co-writers of "Computer Blue," a song Wendy and Lisa claim in an interview that they had nothing to do with …
1991, New Kid Donnie Wahlberg narrowly escapes becoming a new kid on the cell block when he is arrested and charged with first degree arson … he apparently was trying to set the historic Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, KY, on fire with a Molotov cocktail … the charges are later reduced and then dropped in exchange for public service commercials …
1995, while in jail, Tupac's Me Against the World hits number one … he becomes the first rapper to top the charts and get married while incarcerated for sexual assault against a female fan … an opera based on the life of tennis ace Martina Navratilova premieres at New York's Carnegie Hall … apparently, it took a lot of balls to pull this one off … Duran Duran release Thank You, a collection of cover versions generally considered to be one of the worst albums ever recorded …
1998, Chuck Negron files suit against his former Three Dog Night bandmates … Negron alleges that a breach of a 1990 settlement put a crimp in the crooner's career … years later in an odd twist, Negron's management licenses the rights to use the name of the '60s horn band Blood, Sweat & Tears from BS&T drummer Bobby Colomby … Negron now appears as Blood, Sweat & Tears Featuring Chuck Negron … nothing to say about stopping David Clayton Thomas' career … nothing? … anything? … nothing …
1999, rap mogul Master P donates $500,000 to keep his old grammar school from closing …
2004, Bob Dylan starts hawking lady's underwear in a television ad for Victoria's Secret which also features the song "Love Sick" from Dylan's 1997 album Time Out of Mind … the commercial features Dylan and model Adriana Lima, who is barely clothed while Dylan, thankfully, is fully dressed … music critics, columnists, and Dylan fans immediately erupt on the internet after the first spot airs, all asking "Why?" … well, the answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind … but we suspect that same wind has been blowing up ladies' skirts in Bob's imagination since 1965, when he was asked what might tempt him to sell out … his reply: "Ladies' undergarments." … as far as we're concerned, Dylan didn't sell out, he bought in … and now when people ask about Dylan's career whereabouts, our response is, "He's in ladies' underwear …"
2005, The Decemberists opt to release their new music video, Sixteen Military Wives, via BitTorrent, an easy way to give the video exposure without fronting a lot of money for bandwidth … Dawn Barger, manager for The Decemberists, says: "For the most part, MTV and VH1 won't touch video unless bands have sold a huge number of records. It's impossible to get rotation" … the experimental release is a success, seeing almost 2,000 downloads its first weekend … The White Stripes finish recording their fifth album, Get Behind Me Satan, in just under two weeks, averaging about a song a day … apparently, like Robert Johnson, they had hellhounds on their tail … perhaps it's a better idea to get Satan in front of you, where you can keep an eye on him … American Idol is forced to have a re-vote after they display incorrect phone numbers for each of the 11 contestants during the voting stage of the Fox TV talent show …
2006, in the midst of a European tour Snoop Dogg and Sean "Diddy" Combs are obliged to cancel plans for the British leg of the tour when Snoop is denied a visa by English authorities … the refusal stems from an April 2006 scuffle between the rapper and five members of his entourage with British cops at Heathrow airport after the posse is refused entrance to a British Airways first-class lounge … seven bobbies were injured in the fracas … if we're not mistaken, one Diddy equals ten bobbies … Apple releases a free software patch for download that permits iPod owners to set a maximum volume level … the action is seemingly in response to articles critical of the device's potential for hearing damage and a pending class-action lawsuit … so much for self-determination … as Rene Descartes might have said, "iPod therefore I am" …
2007, Sony BMG announces that henceforth it will no longer accept CDs or tapes from bands hoping to land a contract with the company's labels … instead, would-be recording acts are directed to post their demos on sites set up for the purpose by Sony's subsidiaries as well as on blogs … it's not really as cutting-edge an approach as it sounds … in the old days it was known as, "Don't call us, we'll call you." …
Arrivals:
March 24: Ollie McLaughlin, producer with Del Shannon (1925), George Lee, singer with Ruby and the Romantics (1936), soul singer Billy "Fat Boy" Stewart (1937), songwriter Peggy Sue, sister of Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle (1947)
March 25: Vivian Carter, the "Vee" in Vee-Jay Records (1921), Tom Wilson, producer for Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, and John Coltrane (1931), Johnny Burnette (1934), Jose L. Rodriguez, engineer for Culture Club, Mary J. Blige, and Gloria Gaynor (1944), Nick Lowe (1949)
March 26: Rufus Thomas, best known for "Walkin' The Dog" (1917), Diana Ross (1944), Steven Tyler of Aerosmith (1948), Teddy Pendergrass (1950), Bill Lyall, keyboardist for Pilot and Bay City Rollers (1953), Eddie Van Halen (1955)
March 27: Leroy Carr, influential blues pianist (1905), blues guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr., who learned from the legendary Robert Johnson (1915), jazz singer Sarah Vaughan (1924), Reprise Records' mogul Mo Ostin, who signed Jimi Hendrix (1927), Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Houston blues guitarist (1937), Brenda Knight of Gladys Knight and the Pips (1948), Tony Banks of Genesis (1951), Mariah Carey (1970)
March 28: Aaron "T-Bone" Walker, legendary electric blues guitarist (1910), Milan Williams of The Commodores (1948), Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (1974)
March 29: Donny Conn of The Playmates (1930), Terry Jacks, singer-songwriter of "Seasons in the Sun" fame (1944)
March 30: Delta-style harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson, born John Lee Williamson (1914), Willie Nelson (1933), Graeme Edge of the Moody Blues (1942), Eric Clapton of Eric Clapton fame (1945), Jim Dandy Mangrum of Black Oak Arkansas (1948), Procol Harum's Dave Ball (1950), rapper Stanley "M.C. Hammer" Burell (1963), songstress Celine Dion (1968), singer-pianist Norah Jones, born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar (1979)
Departures:
March 24: Foghat's founding guitarist Rod Price (2005), Harold Melvin, leader of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (1997)
March 25: country legend Buck Owens (2006), Kenny Moore, keyboardist for Tina Turner (1997), folksinger-songwriter Tom Jans (1984)
March 26: Nikki Sudden of Swell Map (2006), Paul Hester, drummer for Crowded House (2005), Jan Berry of Jan and Dean (2004), rapper Eazy-E aka Eric Wright (1996), Duster Bennett, member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1976), songwriter-playwright Noel Coward (1973), Harold McNair, flutist and saxophonist with Donovan and Ginger Baker (1971)
March 27: Clifford Jordan, jazz saxophonist (1993), Paul Gayten, R&B singer and Chess Records talent scout (1991)
March 28: Don Alias, jazz percussionist (2006), actor-jazz pianist Dudley Moore (2002), Freaky Tah, born Raymond Rodgers, of The Lost Boyz (1999), Buddy Red Bow, Lakota country and western singer (1993), father of the blues, songwriter W.C. Handy (1958)
March 29: blues, jazz, big band singer Joe Williams, born Joseph Goreed (1999), Howard Wyeth, drummer Dylan, Roger McGuinn, and Don McLean (1996), music biographer Albert Goldman (1994)
March 30: Elektra Records producer Paul Rothchild (1995)
March 24, 2011
Etta Bull … Pepper Shows Us Wax On … Purple Reign …
1952, Sun Records, the revered label that will be the first to give Elvis a shot and go on to cut dozens of great rockabilly and blues sides, issues its first single, "Selling My Whisky" by Jackie Boy and Little Walter …
1955, Georgia Gibbs' "Dance With Me Henry" is released … it's a cleaned-up version of the more licentiously titled "Roll With Me Henry" by Etta James that in turn was re-titled "The Wallflower" to keep censors at bay … Coral Records hires original rock DJ Alan Freed as their A&R man …
1958, Elvis Presley is inducted into the U.S. Army as Private Presley, serial number U-S-53310761 …
1962, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first perform together as Little Boy Blue & the Blue Boys …
1963, teen idol Dion finally takes his "Runaround Sue" out of the marketplace when he marries Sue Butterfield …
1964, everyone's favorite high-strung diva, Barbra "Babs" Streisand, opens on Broadway in Funny Girl … she wins a Best Actress Oscar for her role in the movie version …
1967, Peter Bergman of Firesign Theatre coins the term Love-In and throws the first such event in Los Angeles' Elysian Park, attracting 65,000 people and blocking freeways for miles … Columbia Records producer Gary Usher is so impressed, he offers Firesign Theatre their first record contract … the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album is staged and photographed at Chelsea Manor Studios in London using collage and wax figures from Madame Tussaud's famous wax museum … among the likenesses featured on the cover are Mae West, Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Bob Dylan, Tony Curtis, Marlon Brando, Oscar Wilde, Marlene Dietrich, and W.C. Fields … album artists Peter Blake and Jann Haworth will be awarded a Grammy for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts in 1968 …
1973, just 12 days after their single "Cover of the Rolling Stone" peaks at #6 on the pop chart, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show appear on the cover of the magazine … wonder what Sylvia's mother has to say about The Hook now … Lou Reed is bitten at a concert in Buffalo, New York … the "rabid" fan, unable to contain his affection, leaps onstage and bites Reed on the bum as he is about to perform "Waitin' for the Man" … screaming "leather," the fan gets past security as he assaults Reed … the fan is ejected and Reed later comments that the U.S. "seems to breed real animals" …
1974, The Ramones play their first live show at the Performance Studio in New York … they will go on to play many more shows there and eat lots of pizza …
1975, Barry Manilow makes his first appearance on American Bandstand … No. 1 on the Billboard charts is Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti … No. 3 is Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks … No. 2 is Olivia Newton-John's Have You Never Been Mellow … go figure …
1978, the Police sign with A&M records …
1985, Prince wins an Oscar for Best Original Score for the film Purple Rain … rumor has it that the movie's title song actually was written by Prince's backup musicians, Wendy and Lisa … the movie seems to acknowledge this, however the credits don't … they are credited as co-writers of "Computer Blue," a song Wendy and Lisa claim in an interview that they had nothing to do with …
1991, New Kid Donnie Wahlberg narrowly escapes becoming a new kid on the cell block when he is arrested and charged with first degree arson … he apparently was trying to set the historic Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, KY, on fire with a Molotov cocktail … the charges are later reduced and then dropped in exchange for public service commercials …
1995, while in jail, Tupac's Me Against the World hits number one … he becomes the first rapper to top the charts and get married while incarcerated for sexual assault against a female fan … an opera based on the life of tennis ace Martina Navratilova premieres at New York's Carnegie Hall … apparently, it took a lot of balls to pull this one off … Duran Duran release Thank You, a collection of cover versions generally considered to be one of the worst albums ever recorded …
1998, Chuck Negron files suit against his former Three Dog Night bandmates … Negron alleges that a breach of a 1990 settlement put a crimp in the crooner's career … years later in an odd twist, Negron's management licenses the rights to use the name of the '60s horn band Blood, Sweat & Tears from BS&T drummer Bobby Colomby … Negron now appears as Blood, Sweat & Tears Featuring Chuck Negron … nothing to say about stopping David Clayton Thomas' career … nothing? … anything? … nothing …
1999, rap mogul Master P donates $500,000 to keep his old grammar school from closing …
2004, Bob Dylan starts hawking lady's underwear in a television ad for Victoria's Secret which also features the song "Love Sick" from Dylan's 1997 album Time Out of Mind … the commercial features Dylan and model Adriana Lima, who is barely clothed while Dylan, thankfully, is fully dressed … music critics, columnists, and Dylan fans immediately erupt on the internet after the first spot airs, all asking "Why?" … well, the answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind … but we suspect that same wind has been blowing up ladies' skirts in Bob's imagination since 1965, when he was asked what might tempt him to sell out … his reply: "Ladies' undergarments." … as far as we're concerned, Dylan didn't sell out, he bought in … and now when people ask about Dylan's career whereabouts, our response is, "He's in ladies' underwear …"
2005, The Decemberists opt to release their new music video, Sixteen Military Wives, via BitTorrent, an easy way to give the video exposure without fronting a lot of money for bandwidth … Dawn Barger, manager for The Decemberists, says: "For the most part, MTV and VH1 won't touch video unless bands have sold a huge number of records. It's impossible to get rotation" … the experimental release is a success, seeing almost 2,000 downloads its first weekend … The White Stripes finish recording their fifth album, Get Behind Me Satan, in just under two weeks, averaging about a song a day … apparently, like Robert Johnson, they had hellhounds on their tail … perhaps it's a better idea to get Satan in front of you, where you can keep an eye on him … American Idol is forced to have a re-vote after they display incorrect phone numbers for each of the 11 contestants during the voting stage of the Fox TV talent show …
2006, in the midst of a European tour Snoop Dogg and Sean "Diddy" Combs are obliged to cancel plans for the British leg of the tour when Snoop is denied a visa by English authorities … the refusal stems from an April 2006 scuffle between the rapper and five members of his entourage with British cops at Heathrow airport after the posse is refused entrance to a British Airways first-class lounge … seven bobbies were injured in the fracas … if we're not mistaken, one Diddy equals ten bobbies … Apple releases a free software patch for download that permits iPod owners to set a maximum volume level … the action is seemingly in response to articles critical of the device's potential for hearing damage and a pending class-action lawsuit … so much for self-determination … as Rene Descartes might have said, "iPod therefore I am" …
2007, Sony BMG announces that henceforth it will no longer accept CDs or tapes from bands hoping to land a contract with the company's labels … instead, would-be recording acts are directed to post their demos on sites set up for the purpose by Sony's subsidiaries as well as on blogs … it's not really as cutting-edge an approach as it sounds … in the old days it was known as, "Don't call us, we'll call you." …
Arrivals:
March 24: Ollie McLaughlin, producer with Del Shannon (1925), George Lee, singer with Ruby and the Romantics (1936), soul singer Billy "Fat Boy" Stewart (1937), songwriter Peggy Sue, sister of Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle (1947)
March 25: Vivian Carter, the "Vee" in Vee-Jay Records (1921), Tom Wilson, producer for Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, and John Coltrane (1931), Johnny Burnette (1934), Jose L. Rodriguez, engineer for Culture Club, Mary J. Blige, and Gloria Gaynor (1944), Nick Lowe (1949)
March 26: Rufus Thomas, best known for "Walkin' The Dog" (1917), Diana Ross (1944), Steven Tyler of Aerosmith (1948), Teddy Pendergrass (1950), Bill Lyall, keyboardist for Pilot and Bay City Rollers (1953), Eddie Van Halen (1955)
March 27: Leroy Carr, influential blues pianist (1905), blues guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr., who learned from the legendary Robert Johnson (1915), jazz singer Sarah Vaughan (1924), Reprise Records' mogul Mo Ostin, who signed Jimi Hendrix (1927), Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Houston blues guitarist (1937), Brenda Knight of Gladys Knight and the Pips (1948), Tony Banks of Genesis (1951), Mariah Carey (1970)
March 28: Aaron "T-Bone" Walker, legendary electric blues guitarist (1910), Milan Williams of The Commodores (1948), Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (1974)
March 29: Donny Conn of The Playmates (1930), Terry Jacks, singer-songwriter of "Seasons in the Sun" fame (1944)
March 30: Delta-style harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson, born John Lee Williamson (1914), Willie Nelson (1933), Graeme Edge of the Moody Blues (1942), Eric Clapton of Eric Clapton fame (1945), Jim Dandy Mangrum of Black Oak Arkansas (1948), Procol Harum's Dave Ball (1950), rapper Stanley "M.C. Hammer" Burell (1963), songstress Celine Dion (1968), singer-pianist Norah Jones, born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar (1979)
Departures:
March 24: Foghat's founding guitarist Rod Price (2005), Harold Melvin, leader of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (1997)
March 25: country legend Buck Owens (2006), Kenny Moore, keyboardist for Tina Turner (1997), folksinger-songwriter Tom Jans (1984)
March 26: Nikki Sudden of Swell Map (2006), Paul Hester, drummer for Crowded House (2005), Jan Berry of Jan and Dean (2004), rapper Eazy-E aka Eric Wright (1996), Duster Bennett, member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1976), songwriter-playwright Noel Coward (1973), Harold McNair, flutist and saxophonist with Donovan and Ginger Baker (1971)
March 27: Clifford Jordan, jazz saxophonist (1993), Paul Gayten, R&B singer and Chess Records talent scout (1991)
March 28: Don Alias, jazz percussionist (2006), actor-jazz pianist Dudley Moore (2002), Freaky Tah, born Raymond Rodgers, of The Lost Boyz (1999), Buddy Red Bow, Lakota country and western singer (1993), father of the blues, songwriter W.C. Handy (1958)
March 29: blues, jazz, big band singer Joe Williams, born Joseph Goreed (1999), Howard Wyeth, drummer Dylan, Roger McGuinn, and Don McLean (1996), music biographer Albert Goldman (1994)
March 30: Elektra Records producer Paul Rothchild (1995)
Week In Review
April 07, 2011
Stan Getz Grammies … Velvets Explode … Fabs Forgiven …
1933, at New York City's Academy of Music, Bell engineers demonstrate the realism of stereo before an audience of 300 guests who had come to listen to the Philadelphia Orchestra … facing a darkened stage, the audience listens to Wagner's Gotterdammerung … when the lights come up, the stage is empty and an engineer explains the orchestra was performing in the soundproof basement with the performance piped to loudspeakers onstage …
1940, the number one hit this week is "In The Mood" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra …
1954, Bill Haley & His Comets hold their first recording session for Decca at the Pythian Temple studio in New York City, which results in the track "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" … the track, melding hillbilly and R&B ingredients, will own the top spot on the Billboard chart for eight weeks and be considered by many to mark the beginning of rock 'n' roll …
1955, the first regularly scheduled rock-and-roll radio show Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party premieres …
1956, C.L. Fender is granted patent #2,741,146 by the U.S. Patent Office for a "Tremolo Device For Stringed Instruments" more popularly known as the Fender Stratocaster vibrato tailpiece or whammy bar … later to become known as Soul Brother Number One, Mr. Dynamite himself, and the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, James Brown charts for the first time with "Please, Please, Please" …
1960, freshly discharged from honorably serving Uncle Sam, Elvis Presley records "Elvis Is Back" … a typical genre-spanning affair that includes rock, blues, and ballads … the best song is El's take on Lowell Fulsom's "Reconsider Baby" with a smoking sax solo from Boots Randolph … RCA begins issuing pop records in both stereo and mono formats beginning with Elvis Presley's "Stuck On You" … promotional 45s are issued to radio stations with one side in mono and the flip side in stereo …
1963, The Drifters cut a topical Lieber-Stoller song titled "Only in America" with lyrics obliquely referring to race issues that make it a hot potato … the black group's vocals are edited off the track and replaced with those of Jay & the Americans, a white group … thought to be lost, The Drifters' version turns up as a bonus track on a Jay & The Americans CD in 1983 …
1964, The Beatles occupy a record-breaking 14 spots on the U.S. charts ranging from #1 down to #81 … "Can't Buy Me Love" (1), "Twist and Shout" (2), "She Loves You" (4), "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (7), "Please Please Me" (9), "Do You Want to Know a Secret" (14), "I Saw Her Standing There" (38), "You Can't Do That" (48), "All My Loving" (50), "From Me to You" (52), "Thank You Girl" (61), "There's a Place" (74), "Roll Over Beethoven" (78), and "Love Me Do" (81) … a struggling young act called The Detours auditions for England's Fontana Records … they go on to release some tracks with the label under the moniker The High Numbers, but it isn't until they become known as The Who that they will make a serious impression on the rock world …
1965, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto's "Girl from Ipanema" wins the Grammy for Record of the Year while the Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto album named—what else?—Getz/Gilberto wins the Grammy for Album of the Year …
1966, TV's music show Hullabaloo airs its final show with guests Lesley Gore and Paul Anka … Jan Berry, half of the duo Jan & Dean who are notable for their many car-related hit songs, wipes out his Corvette and suffers major head injuries that lead to paralysis and a long hard road to recovery … the Mamas & the Papas garner their only #1 U.S. hit with "Monday, Monday" … The Velvet Underground perform for the first time with Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable in a New York City multimedia event … the Velvets sing about hookers, drug dealers, heroin addiction, sadomasochism, accompanied by dancers with whips and screenings of Warhol's films …
1967, Frank and Nancy Sinatra climb to the top of the pop charts with "Something Stupid" … the only father-daughter duo to do so …
1969, a crowd estimated at 650,000 attend a free Rolling Stones concert in London's Hyde Park … it's the Stones first concert after the death of recently departed founding member Brian Jones … it is also the first appearance of new Stone guitarist Mick Taylor and the live debut of progressive rockers King Crimson … meanwhile back in the States, Texas psychedelic hard-rockers with the improbable bubblegum-sounding name of Bubble Puppy go all Top-40 on your ears with their #14 hit "Hot Smoke and Sassafras" … and thus become honored members of the One-Hit-Wonders club … at least one MF staffer suggests you check this one out on YouTube … BTW, the snicker-inducing name Bubble Puppy came from a group brainstorming session after reading a passage in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World referring to a children's ride/game called a "Centrifugal Bumble-Buppy" … well, at least they're well-read, if not well-heard …
1970, Paul McCartney uses the release of his first solo album McCartney as the occasion to announce that he's leaving The Beatles … also leaving a band he started, Peter Green announces he's leaving Fleetwood Mac, although he agrees to finish the current tour of Germany …
1973, Queen makes its debut at the Marquee Theater in London …
1975, Ritchie Blackmore quits Deep Purple to form Rainbow … Tommy Bolin (who replaced Joe Walsh in James Gang) steps in to attempt to fill the guitar void …
1976, Patti Smith whips out her poetic license for a first single, a version of garage rock classic "Gloria"… she transforms the song into more of a loft/art gallery interpretation that starts off slowly like a poetry reading set to music and eventually builds to a satisfying, rocking climax … Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive album goes to #1, becoming the biggest-selling live album in rock history …
1977, Abba hits their first #1 on the U.S. charts with "Dancing Queen" … this comes after six Top 40 hits … The Clash release their first album in the U.K… . Columbia, their U.S. label, doesn't release the record, saying it is crudely produced and won't sell … after 100,000 import copies are sold, Columbia relents …
1978, The Police release their single "Roxanne" … their first record with new guitarist Andy Summers, formerly of Eric Burdon and The Animals and The Soft Machine … the single would be rereleased in 1979 to greater success …
1988, a rehearsal for Alice Cooper's fake hanging goes awry when a safety rope breaks … Coop is left dangling for a few scary seconds before a roadie comes to the rescue … IRS Records is left hanging by R.E.M. who jump ship for the greener pastures of Warner Brothers Records …
1993, actress Lisa Bonet files for divorce from rocker Lenny Kravitz … Massachusetts celebrates "Aerosmith Day" in honor of their native sons being such long-lasting rockers, or something like that … Nirvana, L7, The Breeders, and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy play a concert at San Francisco's Cow Palace to raise awareness and assistance for rape survivors in Bosnia-Herzegovina …
1994, In Utero, Nirvana's third full-length studio album, is certified double-platinum … in Seattle, more than 5,000 fans attend the public memorial for Kurt Cobain …
1998, Stones guitarist Ron Wood and 10 other passengers are rescued off the coast of Rio de Janeiro when the engine on their boat explodes … pop star George Michael is arrested on the charge of engaging in misdemeanor lewd conduct at Will Rogers ("I Never Met A Man I Didn't Like") Park in Beverly Hills, CA … an undercover officer alleges he observed Michael performing a lewd act in a public restroom … history's greatest thumbpicking guitarists have their day when Grandpa Jones, Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Ike Everly, Kennedy Jones, Arnold Schultz, Lightnin' Chance, Mose Rager, and Laverda Rager are named charter inductees in the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame … we hope some of the unfamiliar names will get your thumbs to Googlin' …
2000, Star magazine reports that Screamin' Jay Hawkins' dying wish was that his 57 children, the result of many liaisons, meet one another … the bluesman had claimed before his death that at the height of his career he had engaged in sex an average of 14 times a day …
2006, The Rolling Stones play China for the first time, performing for 8,000 ecstatic fans in Shanghai … with ticket prices topping out around $400, many attendees are foreign nationals—the tariff is too steep for most Chinese for whom that would represent several month's income … conspicuously absent from the Stones' set list are "Rough Justice," "Let's Spend the Night Together," "Brown Sugar," "Honky Tonk Woman," and "Beast of Burden"—all deemed too indecent for Chinese ears by government authorities … about those forbidden songs, Mick Jagger says, "I am pleased that the Ministry of Culture is protecting the morals of expatriate bankers and their girlfriends" …
2008, Bob Dylan is awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture" … it took nearly a half century of recording and 33 album releases before Van Morrison can savor landing in the Billboard album top ten chart with his newest disc, Keep it Simple, a brew of blues, R&B, and Celtic soul …
2010, The Vatican officially forgives The Beatles for their sins, four decades after John Lennon said, "We're more popular than Jesus now" … Hank Williams is awarded the lifetime achievement Pulitzer Prize in music … considered one of the greatest country music singers of all time, he had several number one hits during his time, and many of his songs have been re-recorded since … Tonight Show bandleader Kevin Eubanks announces he's leaving after being late-night host Jay Leno's sideman for 18 years … Eubanks is replaced by American Idol music director Rickey Minor …
Arrivals:
April 7: Billie Holiday (1915), bandleader/composer Percy Faith (1918), Ravi Shankar (1920), Bobby Bare (1935), Charlie Thomas of The Drifters (1937), Don Julian of The Meadowlarks (1937), Spencer Dryden of The Jefferson Airplane (1938), trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (1938), Mick Abrahams of Jethro Tull (1943), Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead (1946), Pat Bennett of The Chiffons (1947), Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk (1947), John Oates (1949), Janis Ian (1951), tenor saxophonist Bob Berg (1951), Bruce Gary of The Knack (1952)
April 8: Carmen McRae (1922), Jimmy Witherspoon (1923), Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel (1929), Steve Howe (1947), Izzy Stradlin of Guns N' Roses (1962), Julian Lennon (1963), Biz Markie born Marcel Hall (1964), bassist Paul Gray with Slipknot aka "#2" and "The Pig" Children of Bodom (1972), guitarist Alex "Wildchild" Laiho (1979)
April 9: guitarist-songster Mance Lipscomb (1895), "Twist and Shout" songwriter Phil Medley (1916), Carl Perkins (1932), Rockin' Sidney (1938), Grand Funk progenitor Terry Knight (1943), drummer Gene Parsons (1944), Chico Ryan of Sha-Na-Na (1948), producer Alex Sadkin (1949), Kevin Martin of Candlebox (1969)
April 10: novelty singer Sheb Wooley (1921), Nate Nelson of The Platters (1932), Glen Campbell (1936), Righteous Brother Bobby Hatfield (1940), Bunny "Wailer" Livingston of Bob Marley and the Wailers (1947), Ernest "Snuffy" Stewart, keyboardist with KC and The Sunshine Band (1950), Dave Peveret of Foghat (1950), funk guitarist Eddie Hazel (1950), Steve Gustafson of 10,000 Maniacs (1957), Brian Setzer (1959), Babyface (1959), Afrika Bambaataa (1960), R&B soul artist Kenny Lattimore (1970), Mike Mushok of Staind (1970), Mandy Moore (1984)
April 11: "Louie Louie" composer Richard Berry (1935), Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge (1947), Chris Difford of Squeeze (1954), ska singer Neville Staples of The Specials (1956), Stuart Adamson of Big Country (1958), Douglas Hopkins of the Gin Blossoms (1961), Nigel Pulsford of Bush (1963), R&B singer Lisa Stansfield (1966), Dylan Keefe of Marcy Playground (1970), R&B singer-songwriter Joss Stone (1987)
April 12: slide guitarist Hound Dog Taylor (1915), singer, multi-instrumentalist, and orchestra leader Billy Vaughn (1919), Tiny Tim, born Herbert Khaury (1930), Herbie Hancock (1940), John Kay of Steppenwolf (1944), David Cassidy (1950), Alexander Briley of The Village People (1951), guitarist Pat Travers (1954), country singer Vince Gill (1957), Will Sergeant of Echo & the Bunnymen (1958), Art Alexakis of Everclear (1962), Amy Ray of Indigo Girls (1964), Marc Ford of The Black Crowes (1966), Nick Hexum of 311 (1970)
April 13: Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane (1944), Lowell George of Little Feat (1945), R&B artist Al Green (1946), Roy Loney of the Flamin' Groovies (1946), Jim Pons of the Turtles and The Mothers of Invention (1946), R&B singer Peabo Bryson (1951), Max Weinberg of the E Street Band (1951), Jimmy Destri of Blondie (1954), Louis Johnson of The Brothers Johnson (1955), Wayne Lewis of Atlantic Starr (1957), Tony James of Generation X (1958), Hillel Slovak, The Red Hot Chili Peppers' original guitarist (1962), Aaron Lewis of Staind (1972), Latin pop musician Lou Bega (1975)
Departures:
April 7: L.A. session drummer Carlos Vega (1998), Harold "Sonny" Wright of The Diamonds (1996), Lee Brilleaux aka Dr. Feelgood (1994), King Records producer Henry Glover (1991), Who manager Kit Lambert (1981), rockabilly legend Charlie Shivers (1961)
April 8: Laura Nyro (1997), drummer Billy Gayles (1993)
April 9: cellist Tom Cora (1998), DJ and "Heartbreak Hotel" writer Mae Axton (1997), Buzzcocks and Joy Division producer Martin Hannett (1991), Dave Prater of Sam & Dave (1988), singer-songwriter Brook Benton (1988), folksinger Phil Ochs (1976)
April 10: rapper Proof (born Deshaun Holton) of D12 (2006), singer Little Eva, born Eva Narcissus Boyd of the mega hit "The Loco-motion" (2003), Leon Peels, lead singer of The Blue Jays (1999), black radio pioneer Eddie O'Jay (1998), "Philadelphia sound" songwriter Linda Creed (1986), Stuart Sutcliffe, original bassist with The Beatles (1962), R&B performer-songwriter Chuck Willis (1958)
April 11: June Pointer of The Pointer Sisters (2006), steel guitarist Jerry Byrd (2005), guitarist-oudist Sandy Bull (2001), pop singer Lillian Briggs (1998), Samie "Sticks" Evans, session drummer with Ray Charles and James Brown (1994)
April 12: Texas R&B singer-guitarist Peppermint Harris (1999), country music artist Boxcar Willie a.k.a. Lecil Travis Martin (1999), Herbert Mills of the Mills Brothers (1989), singer-entertainer Josephine Baker (1975)
April 13: Johnnie Johnson, rock 'n' roll and blues pianist with Chuck Berry (2005), writer-producer Ritchie Cordell (2004), Todd Storz, inventor of the Top 40 radio format (1964)
April 07, 2011
Stan Getz Grammies … Velvets Explode … Fabs Forgiven …
1933, at New York City's Academy of Music, Bell engineers demonstrate the realism of stereo before an audience of 300 guests who had come to listen to the Philadelphia Orchestra … facing a darkened stage, the audience listens to Wagner's Gotterdammerung … when the lights come up, the stage is empty and an engineer explains the orchestra was performing in the soundproof basement with the performance piped to loudspeakers onstage …
1940, the number one hit this week is "In The Mood" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra …
1954, Bill Haley & His Comets hold their first recording session for Decca at the Pythian Temple studio in New York City, which results in the track "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" … the track, melding hillbilly and R&B ingredients, will own the top spot on the Billboard chart for eight weeks and be considered by many to mark the beginning of rock 'n' roll …
1955, the first regularly scheduled rock-and-roll radio show Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party premieres …
1956, C.L. Fender is granted patent #2,741,146 by the U.S. Patent Office for a "Tremolo Device For Stringed Instruments" more popularly known as the Fender Stratocaster vibrato tailpiece or whammy bar … later to become known as Soul Brother Number One, Mr. Dynamite himself, and the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, James Brown charts for the first time with "Please, Please, Please" …
1960, freshly discharged from honorably serving Uncle Sam, Elvis Presley records "Elvis Is Back" … a typical genre-spanning affair that includes rock, blues, and ballads … the best song is El's take on Lowell Fulsom's "Reconsider Baby" with a smoking sax solo from Boots Randolph … RCA begins issuing pop records in both stereo and mono formats beginning with Elvis Presley's "Stuck On You" … promotional 45s are issued to radio stations with one side in mono and the flip side in stereo …
1963, The Drifters cut a topical Lieber-Stoller song titled "Only in America" with lyrics obliquely referring to race issues that make it a hot potato … the black group's vocals are edited off the track and replaced with those of Jay & the Americans, a white group … thought to be lost, The Drifters' version turns up as a bonus track on a Jay & The Americans CD in 1983 …
1964, The Beatles occupy a record-breaking 14 spots on the U.S. charts ranging from #1 down to #81 … "Can't Buy Me Love" (1), "Twist and Shout" (2), "She Loves You" (4), "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (7), "Please Please Me" (9), "Do You Want to Know a Secret" (14), "I Saw Her Standing There" (38), "You Can't Do That" (48), "All My Loving" (50), "From Me to You" (52), "Thank You Girl" (61), "There's a Place" (74), "Roll Over Beethoven" (78), and "Love Me Do" (81) … a struggling young act called The Detours auditions for England's Fontana Records … they go on to release some tracks with the label under the moniker The High Numbers, but it isn't until they become known as The Who that they will make a serious impression on the rock world …
1965, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto's "Girl from Ipanema" wins the Grammy for Record of the Year while the Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto album named—what else?—Getz/Gilberto wins the Grammy for Album of the Year …
1966, TV's music show Hullabaloo airs its final show with guests Lesley Gore and Paul Anka … Jan Berry, half of the duo Jan & Dean who are notable for their many car-related hit songs, wipes out his Corvette and suffers major head injuries that lead to paralysis and a long hard road to recovery … the Mamas & the Papas garner their only #1 U.S. hit with "Monday, Monday" … The Velvet Underground perform for the first time with Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable in a New York City multimedia event … the Velvets sing about hookers, drug dealers, heroin addiction, sadomasochism, accompanied by dancers with whips and screenings of Warhol's films …
1967, Frank and Nancy Sinatra climb to the top of the pop charts with "Something Stupid" … the only father-daughter duo to do so …
1969, a crowd estimated at 650,000 attend a free Rolling Stones concert in London's Hyde Park … it's the Stones first concert after the death of recently departed founding member Brian Jones … it is also the first appearance of new Stone guitarist Mick Taylor and the live debut of progressive rockers King Crimson … meanwhile back in the States, Texas psychedelic hard-rockers with the improbable bubblegum-sounding name of Bubble Puppy go all Top-40 on your ears with their #14 hit "Hot Smoke and Sassafras" … and thus become honored members of the One-Hit-Wonders club … at least one MF staffer suggests you check this one out on YouTube … BTW, the snicker-inducing name Bubble Puppy came from a group brainstorming session after reading a passage in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World referring to a children's ride/game called a "Centrifugal Bumble-Buppy" … well, at least they're well-read, if not well-heard …
1970, Paul McCartney uses the release of his first solo album McCartney as the occasion to announce that he's leaving The Beatles … also leaving a band he started, Peter Green announces he's leaving Fleetwood Mac, although he agrees to finish the current tour of Germany …
1973, Queen makes its debut at the Marquee Theater in London …
1975, Ritchie Blackmore quits Deep Purple to form Rainbow … Tommy Bolin (who replaced Joe Walsh in James Gang) steps in to attempt to fill the guitar void …
1976, Patti Smith whips out her poetic license for a first single, a version of garage rock classic "Gloria"… she transforms the song into more of a loft/art gallery interpretation that starts off slowly like a poetry reading set to music and eventually builds to a satisfying, rocking climax … Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive album goes to #1, becoming the biggest-selling live album in rock history …
1977, Abba hits their first #1 on the U.S. charts with "Dancing Queen" … this comes after six Top 40 hits … The Clash release their first album in the U.K… . Columbia, their U.S. label, doesn't release the record, saying it is crudely produced and won't sell … after 100,000 import copies are sold, Columbia relents …
1978, The Police release their single "Roxanne" … their first record with new guitarist Andy Summers, formerly of Eric Burdon and The Animals and The Soft Machine … the single would be rereleased in 1979 to greater success …
1988, a rehearsal for Alice Cooper's fake hanging goes awry when a safety rope breaks … Coop is left dangling for a few scary seconds before a roadie comes to the rescue … IRS Records is left hanging by R.E.M. who jump ship for the greener pastures of Warner Brothers Records …
1993, actress Lisa Bonet files for divorce from rocker Lenny Kravitz … Massachusetts celebrates "Aerosmith Day" in honor of their native sons being such long-lasting rockers, or something like that … Nirvana, L7, The Breeders, and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy play a concert at San Francisco's Cow Palace to raise awareness and assistance for rape survivors in Bosnia-Herzegovina …
1994, In Utero, Nirvana's third full-length studio album, is certified double-platinum … in Seattle, more than 5,000 fans attend the public memorial for Kurt Cobain …
1998, Stones guitarist Ron Wood and 10 other passengers are rescued off the coast of Rio de Janeiro when the engine on their boat explodes … pop star George Michael is arrested on the charge of engaging in misdemeanor lewd conduct at Will Rogers ("I Never Met A Man I Didn't Like") Park in Beverly Hills, CA … an undercover officer alleges he observed Michael performing a lewd act in a public restroom … history's greatest thumbpicking guitarists have their day when Grandpa Jones, Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Ike Everly, Kennedy Jones, Arnold Schultz, Lightnin' Chance, Mose Rager, and Laverda Rager are named charter inductees in the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame … we hope some of the unfamiliar names will get your thumbs to Googlin' …
2000, Star magazine reports that Screamin' Jay Hawkins' dying wish was that his 57 children, the result of many liaisons, meet one another … the bluesman had claimed before his death that at the height of his career he had engaged in sex an average of 14 times a day …
2006, The Rolling Stones play China for the first time, performing for 8,000 ecstatic fans in Shanghai … with ticket prices topping out around $400, many attendees are foreign nationals—the tariff is too steep for most Chinese for whom that would represent several month's income … conspicuously absent from the Stones' set list are "Rough Justice," "Let's Spend the Night Together," "Brown Sugar," "Honky Tonk Woman," and "Beast of Burden"—all deemed too indecent for Chinese ears by government authorities … about those forbidden songs, Mick Jagger says, "I am pleased that the Ministry of Culture is protecting the morals of expatriate bankers and their girlfriends" …
2008, Bob Dylan is awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture" … it took nearly a half century of recording and 33 album releases before Van Morrison can savor landing in the Billboard album top ten chart with his newest disc, Keep it Simple, a brew of blues, R&B, and Celtic soul …
2010, The Vatican officially forgives The Beatles for their sins, four decades after John Lennon said, "We're more popular than Jesus now" … Hank Williams is awarded the lifetime achievement Pulitzer Prize in music … considered one of the greatest country music singers of all time, he had several number one hits during his time, and many of his songs have been re-recorded since … Tonight Show bandleader Kevin Eubanks announces he's leaving after being late-night host Jay Leno's sideman for 18 years … Eubanks is replaced by American Idol music director Rickey Minor …
Arrivals:
April 7: Billie Holiday (1915), bandleader/composer Percy Faith (1918), Ravi Shankar (1920), Bobby Bare (1935), Charlie Thomas of The Drifters (1937), Don Julian of The Meadowlarks (1937), Spencer Dryden of The Jefferson Airplane (1938), trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (1938), Mick Abrahams of Jethro Tull (1943), Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead (1946), Pat Bennett of The Chiffons (1947), Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk (1947), John Oates (1949), Janis Ian (1951), tenor saxophonist Bob Berg (1951), Bruce Gary of The Knack (1952)
April 8: Carmen McRae (1922), Jimmy Witherspoon (1923), Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel (1929), Steve Howe (1947), Izzy Stradlin of Guns N' Roses (1962), Julian Lennon (1963), Biz Markie born Marcel Hall (1964), bassist Paul Gray with Slipknot aka "#2" and "The Pig" Children of Bodom (1972), guitarist Alex "Wildchild" Laiho (1979)
April 9: guitarist-songster Mance Lipscomb (1895), "Twist and Shout" songwriter Phil Medley (1916), Carl Perkins (1932), Rockin' Sidney (1938), Grand Funk progenitor Terry Knight (1943), drummer Gene Parsons (1944), Chico Ryan of Sha-Na-Na (1948), producer Alex Sadkin (1949), Kevin Martin of Candlebox (1969)
April 10: novelty singer Sheb Wooley (1921), Nate Nelson of The Platters (1932), Glen Campbell (1936), Righteous Brother Bobby Hatfield (1940), Bunny "Wailer" Livingston of Bob Marley and the Wailers (1947), Ernest "Snuffy" Stewart, keyboardist with KC and The Sunshine Band (1950), Dave Peveret of Foghat (1950), funk guitarist Eddie Hazel (1950), Steve Gustafson of 10,000 Maniacs (1957), Brian Setzer (1959), Babyface (1959), Afrika Bambaataa (1960), R&B soul artist Kenny Lattimore (1970), Mike Mushok of Staind (1970), Mandy Moore (1984)
April 11: "Louie Louie" composer Richard Berry (1935), Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge (1947), Chris Difford of Squeeze (1954), ska singer Neville Staples of The Specials (1956), Stuart Adamson of Big Country (1958), Douglas Hopkins of the Gin Blossoms (1961), Nigel Pulsford of Bush (1963), R&B singer Lisa Stansfield (1966), Dylan Keefe of Marcy Playground (1970), R&B singer-songwriter Joss Stone (1987)
April 12: slide guitarist Hound Dog Taylor (1915), singer, multi-instrumentalist, and orchestra leader Billy Vaughn (1919), Tiny Tim, born Herbert Khaury (1930), Herbie Hancock (1940), John Kay of Steppenwolf (1944), David Cassidy (1950), Alexander Briley of The Village People (1951), guitarist Pat Travers (1954), country singer Vince Gill (1957), Will Sergeant of Echo & the Bunnymen (1958), Art Alexakis of Everclear (1962), Amy Ray of Indigo Girls (1964), Marc Ford of The Black Crowes (1966), Nick Hexum of 311 (1970)
April 13: Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane (1944), Lowell George of Little Feat (1945), R&B artist Al Green (1946), Roy Loney of the Flamin' Groovies (1946), Jim Pons of the Turtles and The Mothers of Invention (1946), R&B singer Peabo Bryson (1951), Max Weinberg of the E Street Band (1951), Jimmy Destri of Blondie (1954), Louis Johnson of The Brothers Johnson (1955), Wayne Lewis of Atlantic Starr (1957), Tony James of Generation X (1958), Hillel Slovak, The Red Hot Chili Peppers' original guitarist (1962), Aaron Lewis of Staind (1972), Latin pop musician Lou Bega (1975)
Departures:
April 7: L.A. session drummer Carlos Vega (1998), Harold "Sonny" Wright of The Diamonds (1996), Lee Brilleaux aka Dr. Feelgood (1994), King Records producer Henry Glover (1991), Who manager Kit Lambert (1981), rockabilly legend Charlie Shivers (1961)
April 8: Laura Nyro (1997), drummer Billy Gayles (1993)
April 9: cellist Tom Cora (1998), DJ and "Heartbreak Hotel" writer Mae Axton (1997), Buzzcocks and Joy Division producer Martin Hannett (1991), Dave Prater of Sam & Dave (1988), singer-songwriter Brook Benton (1988), folksinger Phil Ochs (1976)
April 10: rapper Proof (born Deshaun Holton) of D12 (2006), singer Little Eva, born Eva Narcissus Boyd of the mega hit "The Loco-motion" (2003), Leon Peels, lead singer of The Blue Jays (1999), black radio pioneer Eddie O'Jay (1998), "Philadelphia sound" songwriter Linda Creed (1986), Stuart Sutcliffe, original bassist with The Beatles (1962), R&B performer-songwriter Chuck Willis (1958)
April 11: June Pointer of The Pointer Sisters (2006), steel guitarist Jerry Byrd (2005), guitarist-oudist Sandy Bull (2001), pop singer Lillian Briggs (1998), Samie "Sticks" Evans, session drummer with Ray Charles and James Brown (1994)
April 12: Texas R&B singer-guitarist Peppermint Harris (1999), country music artist Boxcar Willie a.k.a. Lecil Travis Martin (1999), Herbert Mills of the Mills Brothers (1989), singer-entertainer Josephine Baker (1975)
April 13: Johnnie Johnson, rock 'n' roll and blues pianist with Chuck Berry (2005), writer-producer Ritchie Cordell (2004), Todd Storz, inventor of the Top 40 radio format (1964)
Week In Review
April 21, 2011
The King Craps Out In Vegas … Sid Vicious Does It His Way … Metallica Vs. The Volcano …
1927, bluesman Crying Sam Collins records "Jail House Blues" for Paramount Records in Richmond, Indiana …
1934, Laurens Hammond patents the pipeless organ … he uses a piano keyboard to activate the electronic circuits of devices called tone wheels … by the 1950s, a descendent of Hammond's invention, the famous B-3 organ, weighing about 400 pounds, ensures that Hammond's name is cursed by musicians forced to lug the heavy piece of furniture up staircases to gigs … by then, Hammond, who is tone deaf, has grown to hate the sound of Leslie speakers so much he refuses service to any B-3 owner's organ …
1956, Elvis Presley's first gig in Las Vegas is a bust … the young rock 'n' roller is sent packing after the first week of what was to have been a two-week engagement …
1957, RCA Records signs Harry Belafonte for the unprecedented sum of $1 million … although dubbed the "King of Calypso," the singer is from The Bronx …
1959, the second of two recording sessions for Miles Davis' Kind of Blue takes place at Columbia Records 30th Street Studio in New York City … the group, which includes Cannonball Adderly on alto sax, John Coltrane on tenor, and pianist Bill Evans, records "Flamenco Sketches" and "All Blues" … the album goes on to become a classic, the one jazz album bought by people who normally aren't jazz fans …
1961, Bob Dylan earns $50 playing harmonica for a Harry Belafonte recording session …
1966, British proto-punks The Troggs release "Wild Thing" … the song is later covered to spectacular effect by Jimi Hendrix … and to less-than-spectacular effect by comedian Sam Kinison …
1967, Janis Ian's single "Society's Child" languishes because of its controversial lyrics about an interracial relationship … that changes when conductor Leonard Bernstein features the song on his CBS-TV special about pop music … the record then climbs to #14 on the pop chart …
1969, John Winston Lennon changes his middle name to Ono … a fire claims the ironically named Ash Grove, a Los Angeles folk-blues club … such performers as Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, the Chambers Brothers, and Taj Mahal played their first gigs there … a who's who of blues performers also were regulars … the Melrose Avenue club re-opens after a series of benefits …
1970, Fleetwood Mac's founder and leader Peter Green makes his last concert appearance as a member of the group in London … the singer-guitarist will embark on a low-key solo endeavor before being sidelined for a number of years with mental health problems …
1972, Elvis Presley's LP He Touched Me is released … it reaches #79 on the Top 100 album chart … no small feat for a gospel record …
1974, Jim Morrison's widow Pam succumbs to a heroin overdose …
1975, leader and chief songwriter of Badfinger, Pete Ham, who had just quit the band a week earlier and is despondent over his career, hangs himself in the garage/recording studio of his London home three days before his 28th birthday …
1976, it's been more than ten years since Roy Orbison has had a hit when he plays before a crowd of less than 100 at the Van-a-Rama auto show in Cincinnati, Ohio … adding to his misery, it's his birthday … his glory days with the Traveling Wilburys lie far ahead … The Ramones release their first album … while Paul McCartney and John Lennon watch in John's Manhattan apartment, SNL creator Lorne Michaels offers The Beatles $3,000 to perform a couple of songs on the show … the two almost hop in a cab to take up the offer but call it off because it's late and they're too tired … customs officers at the Polish-Russian border confiscate a collection of Nazi memorabilia from David Bowie …
1978, Sid Vicious records his rendition of the crooners' staple "My Way" for the Sex Pistols' movie The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle … there is no word from composer Paul Anka on the brutal treatment given his song …
1981, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis play a show in West Germany that's later released on the LP The Survivors …
1982, The Clash cancel a tour when guitarist Joe Strummer goes missing … he is eventually tracked down in Paris by a private detective, saying he "wanted a break" … Rod Stewart is robbed on Hollywood Boulevard standing next to his Porsche … Sony and Phillips unveil their compact disc to recording industry executives in Athens, Greece … they are surprised at the overwhelming negative, even vehement, reaction to the CD which is seen as providing a better master tape for pirates …
1984, Jerry Lee Lewis gets hitched for the sixth time to 22-year-old Kerrie McCarver … the marriage will end in 2003 …
1990, Roger Waters' road crew discovers an unexploded WWII-era bomb while erecting the set for his Berlin "The Wall" concert …
1993, Prince announces that he will no longer make records … six weeks later he will change his name to an unpronounceable glyph that turns out to be a modified version of the ancient symbol for soapstone used in alchemy …
1994, former Jefferson Airplane/Starship singer Grace Slick enters a guilty plea to the charge of menacing police officers with a shotgun … the singer explains that she was under stress due to the recent loss of her Mill Valley, California, home in a fire, along with memorabilia that she alleges was stolen by Corte Madera firefighters …
1995, The Beatles score their 70th chart hit on the U.S. Top 100 with "Baby It's You" … the song was recorded 26 years earlier for a live BBC program called Pop Goes The Beatles …
1998, Faith No More announces that it is no more …
1999, Irish singer and hell-raiser Sinead O'Connor becomes the first female priest in the Latin Tridentine Church, a breakaway segment of the Roman Catholic church … her priestly name will be Mother Bernadette Mary … in a murder-suicide, Larry Troutman shoots his brother Roger to death in the alley behind their family-owned Dayton, Ohio, studio and then turns the gun on himself … the two musicians along with brothers Lester and Terry had founded a funk band in the mid-1970s that evolved into Zapp … the band scored a series of 1980s dance hits … with their salad days far behind them, the brothers had argued about the direction of the family's struggling business affairs leading up to the shootings …
2000, Eric Clapton reunites with keyboard player Bobby Whitlock of Derek and the Dominos for a BBC appearance … it's the first time the two have worked together in 29 years …
2001, Peter Buck runs amuck on a Seattle-to-London flight … after quaffing 14 glasses of wine, the R.E.M guitarist overturns a food cart, mistakes a stranger for his wife, smashes crockery, and tussles with crew members … in the ensuing British trial, Buck testifies that he has no memory of the events saying, "All I know is, I woke up and I am covered in cream." …
2004, "finding a crash pad" takes on new meaning when Billy Joel plows into a Long Island house while on a pizza run … this is the third wreck in three years for the embarrassed piano man who sends the homeowner a note of apology and flowers … diva Deborah Voigt, who was previously canned by the Royal Opera House for being too fat for a role, makes her recital debut at Carnegie Hall to a rapturous response …
2005, Elton John announces he will marry partner David Furnish … the U.K. legalized civil partnerships the previous December …
2006, CNN.com publishes the results of a reader's poll naming the worst songs of all time … counting down from five to one, they are: 5. "Seasons in the Sun" (Terry Jacks), 4. "I've Never Been to Me" (Charlene), 3. "You Light Up My Life" (Debby Boone), 2. "Muskrat Love" (The Captain and Tennille), and the No. 1 worst song of all time as voted on by CNN.com users is "(You're) Having My Baby" by Paul Anka … The Dave Matthews Band pledges a $1.5 million challenge grant to help build the New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village, a part of the Gulf Coast's recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina … record labels pressure Apple's iTunes to adopt a variable-pricing scheme for single downloads … the labels are frustrated by their original deal with Apple calling for a flat 99-cents charge per song … they want to charge more for current hits and less for back-catalog tunes … Apple resists the pressure … Jersey Boys, a Broadway musical that's based on Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, is doing great business … other recent rock and pop-based shows about John Lennon, The Beach Boys, and Elvis have not been nearly as well received, closing shop after short runs in the face of a lot of empty seats … in a feverish two-week creative process, Neil Young creates the album Living with War then initially posts it as a free stream online … the album includes the bluntly titled anti-Bush song, "Let's Impeach the President" … rapper Snoop Dogg and his entourage land in the doghouse after a scuffle with British cops at London's Heathrow Airport … the melee occurs when Snoop and his pals are told to vacate a business-class lounge and put up a fight … seven cops are injured in the tussle and Snoop is locked up in a West London jail …
2007, pop singer Avril Lavigne scores her first No. 1 single on the U.S. charts a day after her latest album debuts in the top spot … "Girlfriend" moves up two places to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, fueled by 156,000 digital downloads … her prior best showing was with "Complicated," which peaked at No. 2 in 2002 … her album, The Best Damn Thing, opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 286,000 units in the week ending April 22 … also this week, John Mellencamp plays a one-hour show at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. … the performer, who has been a critic of the Iraq war in the past, keeps his appearance non-political saying, "I kept my opinions to myself tonight. This was for the people who were there" … Joan Baez, also scheduled to perform, is reportedly banned—no surprise given her long-standing pacifist convictions and repeated refusal to pay that portion of her taxes that goes to the military … as a sign of New Orleans' recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is held over two successive weekends in late April and May and draws 375,000, nearly 50,000 more than in 2006 …
2008, Roger Waters' closing set at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival climaxes when the two-story inflatable pig sent aloft during the song "Pigs on the Wing" breaks free of its tethers and floats away … the floating pig broke free once before in 1977 at London's Battersea Power Station during a cover shoot for the Pink Floyd album Animals … Coachella organizers offer a $10,000 reward for the missing pig … two days later, pieces of the white spray-painted vinyl pig are found draped over two homes in a gated community in nearby La Quinta … two families split the reward and receive lifetime tickets to Coachella …
2009, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament is mugged in the parking lot of an Atlanta studio where the band is cutting a record … Ament attempts to flee and is chased by three masked assailants wielding knives who knock him to the ground causing head lacerations … the crooks trash Ament's rented Jeep and make off with over $7,000 in cash and goods …
2010, in spite of an Icelandic volcano that's been spewing ash and wreaking havoc for travelers across Europe, Metallica continues its European tour by bus and boat and doesn't miss a single show … guitarist Kirk Hammett notes that the band had not toured by bus since bassist Cliff Burton was killed when the band's bus crashed during their 1986 European tour … "When we boarded the bus again this week and had to travel overnight, I realized that those bad memories are still here. I still haven't overcome the fear of buses," Hammett said. "But the show must go on." …
… and that was the week that was …
Arrivals:
April 21: Eric Maresca, writer of Dion's hit "The Wanderer" (1939), punk rocker Iggy Pop, born James Jewel Osterburg (1947), guitarist Alan Warner of The Foundations (1947), guitarist John Weider of Family (1947), Robert Smith of The Cure (1959), Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies (1959), guitarist-songwriter Johnny McElhone of the band Texas (1963)
April 22: violinist Yehudi Menuhin (1916), R&B saxman Bull Moose Jackson (1919), jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus (1922), Glen Campbell (1936), producer-songwriter Jack Nitzche (1937), session drummer Howard Wyeth (1944), Frankie Garcia of Cannibal and the Headhunters (1946), Peter Frampton (1950), Paul Carrack of Squeeze (1951), bassist Craig Logan of Bros (1969), Silverchair's Daniel Johns (1979)
April 23: composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873), singer-songwriter Roy Orbison (1936), pop singer Ray Peterson (1939), King Crimson violinist David Cross (1949), fusion drummer Narada Michael Walden (1952), Ray Burns, better known as singer-guitarist Captain Sensible of The Damned (1955), Steve Clark of Def Leppard (1960), Stan Frazier of Sugar Ray (1969), rapper Lil Eazy-E (1984)
April 24: Ed Roberts of Ruby and the Romantics (1936), tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (1937), Barbra Streisand (1942), Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys (1943), Doug Clifford (1945), Jethro Tull bassist Glen Cornick (1947), Preston Ritter of The Electric Prunes (1949), David J. Haskins of Love and Rockets (1957), Boris Williams of The Cure (1958), Billy Gould of Faith No More (1963), Hole's Patty Schemel (1967), Aaron Comess of Spin Doctors (1968), first American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson (1982), Tyson Ritter, lead singer-bassist with All-American Rejects (1984)
April 25: radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi (1874), R&B sax honker Earl Bostic (1913), Ella Fitzgerald (1918), Chess records session drummer Earl Phillips (1920), electric blues guitar great Albert King (1923), fiddler Vassar Clements (1928), jazz saxophonist Willis "Gator" Jackson (1932), songwriter Jerry Leiber (1933), CCR's Stu Cook (1945), Björn Ulveas of ABBA (1945), Gary "Dream Weaver" Wright (1945), drummer Steve Ferrone of Average White Band (1950), Roger Taylor of Duran Duran (1960), Chris Mars of The Replacements (1961), Erasure's Andy Bell (1964), Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction (1965), T-Boz of TLC (1970), Jose Pasillas of Incubus (1976), Jacob Underwood of O-Town (1980)
April 26: Ma Rainey, "The Mother of the Blues," born Gertrude Melissa Nix Pridgett (1886), blues guitarist Johnny Shines who worked with Robert Johnson (1915), guitarist Duane Eddy (1938), Maurice Williams of the Zodiacs (1938), record producer Giorgio Moroder (1940), pop singer Bobby Rydell, born Robert Ridarelli (1942), Troggs bassist Tony Murray (1945), Eddie Jobson of Curved Air, Roxy Music, King Crimson, and Jethro Tull (1955), Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison (1975)
April 27: countdown DJ Casey Kasem (1932), Main Ingredient's Cuba Gooding Sr. (1944), Badfinger's Pete Ham (1947), soul songstress Ann Peebles (1947), Kate Pierson of The B-52's (1947), Gordon Haskell of King Crimson (1947), Herb Murrell of The Stylistics (1949), KISS guitarist Ace Frehley (1951), pop songstress Sheena Easton (1959), Marco Pirroni of Siouxsie and the Banshees (1959)
Departures:
April 21: soul singer-songwriter Al Wilson (2008), singer-songwriter-pianist-arranger Nina Simone (2003), George Lanuis, lead singer of The Crescendos (1996), singer-songwriter Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention (1978), ska trombonist Don Drummond (1971), Chicago slide guitarist Earl Hooker (1970)
April 22: soft rock singer Paul Davis (2008), songwriter Felice Bryant (2003), pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines (1983), bluesman Walter Vinson (1975)
April 23: gospel singer Rev. Timothy Wright (2009), Capricorn Records co-founder Phil Walden (2006), jazz bassist Jimmy Woode (2005), New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders, born John Genzale, Jr. (1991), flamboyant R&B pianist Esquerita (1986), pianist Red Garland (1984), Pete Ham of Badfinger (1975), Motown drummer William "Benny" Benjamin (1969)
April 24: Swedish rock and jazz organist-guitarist Bo Hansson (2010), singer Al Hibbler (2001)
April 25: Bobby "Boris" Pickett of "Monster Mash" fame (2007), rockabilly pioneer Hasil Adkins (2005), Roger Troutman and Larry Troutman (1999), R&B singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (2002), Brian McLeod of Chilliwack (1992), saxophonist Dexter Gordon (1990), gospel singer Carolyn Franklin, sister of Aretha (1988), masterful blues pianist Otis Spann (1970)
April 26: avante-garde composer Henry Brant (2008), Daniel McKenna, former guitarist in Toby Beau (2006), Ernest "Snuffy" Stewart of KC and the Sunshine Band (1997)
April 27: master cellist Mstislav Rostropovich (2007), hit-making trumpeter Al Hirt (1999), soul singer Z.Z. Hill, born Arzel Hill (1984), Phil King of Blue öyster Cult (1972)
April 21, 2011
The King Craps Out In Vegas … Sid Vicious Does It His Way … Metallica Vs. The Volcano …
1927, bluesman Crying Sam Collins records "Jail House Blues" for Paramount Records in Richmond, Indiana …
1934, Laurens Hammond patents the pipeless organ … he uses a piano keyboard to activate the electronic circuits of devices called tone wheels … by the 1950s, a descendent of Hammond's invention, the famous B-3 organ, weighing about 400 pounds, ensures that Hammond's name is cursed by musicians forced to lug the heavy piece of furniture up staircases to gigs … by then, Hammond, who is tone deaf, has grown to hate the sound of Leslie speakers so much he refuses service to any B-3 owner's organ …
1956, Elvis Presley's first gig in Las Vegas is a bust … the young rock 'n' roller is sent packing after the first week of what was to have been a two-week engagement …
1957, RCA Records signs Harry Belafonte for the unprecedented sum of $1 million … although dubbed the "King of Calypso," the singer is from The Bronx …
1959, the second of two recording sessions for Miles Davis' Kind of Blue takes place at Columbia Records 30th Street Studio in New York City … the group, which includes Cannonball Adderly on alto sax, John Coltrane on tenor, and pianist Bill Evans, records "Flamenco Sketches" and "All Blues" … the album goes on to become a classic, the one jazz album bought by people who normally aren't jazz fans …
1961, Bob Dylan earns $50 playing harmonica for a Harry Belafonte recording session …
1966, British proto-punks The Troggs release "Wild Thing" … the song is later covered to spectacular effect by Jimi Hendrix … and to less-than-spectacular effect by comedian Sam Kinison …
1967, Janis Ian's single "Society's Child" languishes because of its controversial lyrics about an interracial relationship … that changes when conductor Leonard Bernstein features the song on his CBS-TV special about pop music … the record then climbs to #14 on the pop chart …
1969, John Winston Lennon changes his middle name to Ono … a fire claims the ironically named Ash Grove, a Los Angeles folk-blues club … such performers as Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, the Chambers Brothers, and Taj Mahal played their first gigs there … a who's who of blues performers also were regulars … the Melrose Avenue club re-opens after a series of benefits …
1970, Fleetwood Mac's founder and leader Peter Green makes his last concert appearance as a member of the group in London … the singer-guitarist will embark on a low-key solo endeavor before being sidelined for a number of years with mental health problems …
1972, Elvis Presley's LP He Touched Me is released … it reaches #79 on the Top 100 album chart … no small feat for a gospel record …
1974, Jim Morrison's widow Pam succumbs to a heroin overdose …
1975, leader and chief songwriter of Badfinger, Pete Ham, who had just quit the band a week earlier and is despondent over his career, hangs himself in the garage/recording studio of his London home three days before his 28th birthday …
1976, it's been more than ten years since Roy Orbison has had a hit when he plays before a crowd of less than 100 at the Van-a-Rama auto show in Cincinnati, Ohio … adding to his misery, it's his birthday … his glory days with the Traveling Wilburys lie far ahead … The Ramones release their first album … while Paul McCartney and John Lennon watch in John's Manhattan apartment, SNL creator Lorne Michaels offers The Beatles $3,000 to perform a couple of songs on the show … the two almost hop in a cab to take up the offer but call it off because it's late and they're too tired … customs officers at the Polish-Russian border confiscate a collection of Nazi memorabilia from David Bowie …
1978, Sid Vicious records his rendition of the crooners' staple "My Way" for the Sex Pistols' movie The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle … there is no word from composer Paul Anka on the brutal treatment given his song …
1981, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis play a show in West Germany that's later released on the LP The Survivors …
1982, The Clash cancel a tour when guitarist Joe Strummer goes missing … he is eventually tracked down in Paris by a private detective, saying he "wanted a break" … Rod Stewart is robbed on Hollywood Boulevard standing next to his Porsche … Sony and Phillips unveil their compact disc to recording industry executives in Athens, Greece … they are surprised at the overwhelming negative, even vehement, reaction to the CD which is seen as providing a better master tape for pirates …
1984, Jerry Lee Lewis gets hitched for the sixth time to 22-year-old Kerrie McCarver … the marriage will end in 2003 …
1990, Roger Waters' road crew discovers an unexploded WWII-era bomb while erecting the set for his Berlin "The Wall" concert …
1993, Prince announces that he will no longer make records … six weeks later he will change his name to an unpronounceable glyph that turns out to be a modified version of the ancient symbol for soapstone used in alchemy …
1994, former Jefferson Airplane/Starship singer Grace Slick enters a guilty plea to the charge of menacing police officers with a shotgun … the singer explains that she was under stress due to the recent loss of her Mill Valley, California, home in a fire, along with memorabilia that she alleges was stolen by Corte Madera firefighters …
1995, The Beatles score their 70th chart hit on the U.S. Top 100 with "Baby It's You" … the song was recorded 26 years earlier for a live BBC program called Pop Goes The Beatles …
1998, Faith No More announces that it is no more …
1999, Irish singer and hell-raiser Sinead O'Connor becomes the first female priest in the Latin Tridentine Church, a breakaway segment of the Roman Catholic church … her priestly name will be Mother Bernadette Mary … in a murder-suicide, Larry Troutman shoots his brother Roger to death in the alley behind their family-owned Dayton, Ohio, studio and then turns the gun on himself … the two musicians along with brothers Lester and Terry had founded a funk band in the mid-1970s that evolved into Zapp … the band scored a series of 1980s dance hits … with their salad days far behind them, the brothers had argued about the direction of the family's struggling business affairs leading up to the shootings …
2000, Eric Clapton reunites with keyboard player Bobby Whitlock of Derek and the Dominos for a BBC appearance … it's the first time the two have worked together in 29 years …
2001, Peter Buck runs amuck on a Seattle-to-London flight … after quaffing 14 glasses of wine, the R.E.M guitarist overturns a food cart, mistakes a stranger for his wife, smashes crockery, and tussles with crew members … in the ensuing British trial, Buck testifies that he has no memory of the events saying, "All I know is, I woke up and I am covered in cream." …
2004, "finding a crash pad" takes on new meaning when Billy Joel plows into a Long Island house while on a pizza run … this is the third wreck in three years for the embarrassed piano man who sends the homeowner a note of apology and flowers … diva Deborah Voigt, who was previously canned by the Royal Opera House for being too fat for a role, makes her recital debut at Carnegie Hall to a rapturous response …
2005, Elton John announces he will marry partner David Furnish … the U.K. legalized civil partnerships the previous December …
2006, CNN.com publishes the results of a reader's poll naming the worst songs of all time … counting down from five to one, they are: 5. "Seasons in the Sun" (Terry Jacks), 4. "I've Never Been to Me" (Charlene), 3. "You Light Up My Life" (Debby Boone), 2. "Muskrat Love" (The Captain and Tennille), and the No. 1 worst song of all time as voted on by CNN.com users is "(You're) Having My Baby" by Paul Anka … The Dave Matthews Band pledges a $1.5 million challenge grant to help build the New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village, a part of the Gulf Coast's recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina … record labels pressure Apple's iTunes to adopt a variable-pricing scheme for single downloads … the labels are frustrated by their original deal with Apple calling for a flat 99-cents charge per song … they want to charge more for current hits and less for back-catalog tunes … Apple resists the pressure … Jersey Boys, a Broadway musical that's based on Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, is doing great business … other recent rock and pop-based shows about John Lennon, The Beach Boys, and Elvis have not been nearly as well received, closing shop after short runs in the face of a lot of empty seats … in a feverish two-week creative process, Neil Young creates the album Living with War then initially posts it as a free stream online … the album includes the bluntly titled anti-Bush song, "Let's Impeach the President" … rapper Snoop Dogg and his entourage land in the doghouse after a scuffle with British cops at London's Heathrow Airport … the melee occurs when Snoop and his pals are told to vacate a business-class lounge and put up a fight … seven cops are injured in the tussle and Snoop is locked up in a West London jail …
2007, pop singer Avril Lavigne scores her first No. 1 single on the U.S. charts a day after her latest album debuts in the top spot … "Girlfriend" moves up two places to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, fueled by 156,000 digital downloads … her prior best showing was with "Complicated," which peaked at No. 2 in 2002 … her album, The Best Damn Thing, opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 286,000 units in the week ending April 22 … also this week, John Mellencamp plays a one-hour show at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. … the performer, who has been a critic of the Iraq war in the past, keeps his appearance non-political saying, "I kept my opinions to myself tonight. This was for the people who were there" … Joan Baez, also scheduled to perform, is reportedly banned—no surprise given her long-standing pacifist convictions and repeated refusal to pay that portion of her taxes that goes to the military … as a sign of New Orleans' recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is held over two successive weekends in late April and May and draws 375,000, nearly 50,000 more than in 2006 …
2008, Roger Waters' closing set at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival climaxes when the two-story inflatable pig sent aloft during the song "Pigs on the Wing" breaks free of its tethers and floats away … the floating pig broke free once before in 1977 at London's Battersea Power Station during a cover shoot for the Pink Floyd album Animals … Coachella organizers offer a $10,000 reward for the missing pig … two days later, pieces of the white spray-painted vinyl pig are found draped over two homes in a gated community in nearby La Quinta … two families split the reward and receive lifetime tickets to Coachella …
2009, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament is mugged in the parking lot of an Atlanta studio where the band is cutting a record … Ament attempts to flee and is chased by three masked assailants wielding knives who knock him to the ground causing head lacerations … the crooks trash Ament's rented Jeep and make off with over $7,000 in cash and goods …
2010, in spite of an Icelandic volcano that's been spewing ash and wreaking havoc for travelers across Europe, Metallica continues its European tour by bus and boat and doesn't miss a single show … guitarist Kirk Hammett notes that the band had not toured by bus since bassist Cliff Burton was killed when the band's bus crashed during their 1986 European tour … "When we boarded the bus again this week and had to travel overnight, I realized that those bad memories are still here. I still haven't overcome the fear of buses," Hammett said. "But the show must go on." …
… and that was the week that was …
Arrivals:
April 21: Eric Maresca, writer of Dion's hit "The Wanderer" (1939), punk rocker Iggy Pop, born James Jewel Osterburg (1947), guitarist Alan Warner of The Foundations (1947), guitarist John Weider of Family (1947), Robert Smith of The Cure (1959), Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies (1959), guitarist-songwriter Johnny McElhone of the band Texas (1963)
April 22: violinist Yehudi Menuhin (1916), R&B saxman Bull Moose Jackson (1919), jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus (1922), Glen Campbell (1936), producer-songwriter Jack Nitzche (1937), session drummer Howard Wyeth (1944), Frankie Garcia of Cannibal and the Headhunters (1946), Peter Frampton (1950), Paul Carrack of Squeeze (1951), bassist Craig Logan of Bros (1969), Silverchair's Daniel Johns (1979)
April 23: composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873), singer-songwriter Roy Orbison (1936), pop singer Ray Peterson (1939), King Crimson violinist David Cross (1949), fusion drummer Narada Michael Walden (1952), Ray Burns, better known as singer-guitarist Captain Sensible of The Damned (1955), Steve Clark of Def Leppard (1960), Stan Frazier of Sugar Ray (1969), rapper Lil Eazy-E (1984)
April 24: Ed Roberts of Ruby and the Romantics (1936), tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (1937), Barbra Streisand (1942), Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys (1943), Doug Clifford (1945), Jethro Tull bassist Glen Cornick (1947), Preston Ritter of The Electric Prunes (1949), David J. Haskins of Love and Rockets (1957), Boris Williams of The Cure (1958), Billy Gould of Faith No More (1963), Hole's Patty Schemel (1967), Aaron Comess of Spin Doctors (1968), first American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson (1982), Tyson Ritter, lead singer-bassist with All-American Rejects (1984)
April 25: radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi (1874), R&B sax honker Earl Bostic (1913), Ella Fitzgerald (1918), Chess records session drummer Earl Phillips (1920), electric blues guitar great Albert King (1923), fiddler Vassar Clements (1928), jazz saxophonist Willis "Gator" Jackson (1932), songwriter Jerry Leiber (1933), CCR's Stu Cook (1945), Björn Ulveas of ABBA (1945), Gary "Dream Weaver" Wright (1945), drummer Steve Ferrone of Average White Band (1950), Roger Taylor of Duran Duran (1960), Chris Mars of The Replacements (1961), Erasure's Andy Bell (1964), Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction (1965), T-Boz of TLC (1970), Jose Pasillas of Incubus (1976), Jacob Underwood of O-Town (1980)
April 26: Ma Rainey, "The Mother of the Blues," born Gertrude Melissa Nix Pridgett (1886), blues guitarist Johnny Shines who worked with Robert Johnson (1915), guitarist Duane Eddy (1938), Maurice Williams of the Zodiacs (1938), record producer Giorgio Moroder (1940), pop singer Bobby Rydell, born Robert Ridarelli (1942), Troggs bassist Tony Murray (1945), Eddie Jobson of Curved Air, Roxy Music, King Crimson, and Jethro Tull (1955), Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison (1975)
April 27: countdown DJ Casey Kasem (1932), Main Ingredient's Cuba Gooding Sr. (1944), Badfinger's Pete Ham (1947), soul songstress Ann Peebles (1947), Kate Pierson of The B-52's (1947), Gordon Haskell of King Crimson (1947), Herb Murrell of The Stylistics (1949), KISS guitarist Ace Frehley (1951), pop songstress Sheena Easton (1959), Marco Pirroni of Siouxsie and the Banshees (1959)
Departures:
April 21: soul singer-songwriter Al Wilson (2008), singer-songwriter-pianist-arranger Nina Simone (2003), George Lanuis, lead singer of The Crescendos (1996), singer-songwriter Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention (1978), ska trombonist Don Drummond (1971), Chicago slide guitarist Earl Hooker (1970)
April 22: soft rock singer Paul Davis (2008), songwriter Felice Bryant (2003), pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines (1983), bluesman Walter Vinson (1975)
April 23: gospel singer Rev. Timothy Wright (2009), Capricorn Records co-founder Phil Walden (2006), jazz bassist Jimmy Woode (2005), New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders, born John Genzale, Jr. (1991), flamboyant R&B pianist Esquerita (1986), pianist Red Garland (1984), Pete Ham of Badfinger (1975), Motown drummer William "Benny" Benjamin (1969)
April 24: Swedish rock and jazz organist-guitarist Bo Hansson (2010), singer Al Hibbler (2001)
April 25: Bobby "Boris" Pickett of "Monster Mash" fame (2007), rockabilly pioneer Hasil Adkins (2005), Roger Troutman and Larry Troutman (1999), R&B singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (2002), Brian McLeod of Chilliwack (1992), saxophonist Dexter Gordon (1990), gospel singer Carolyn Franklin, sister of Aretha (1988), masterful blues pianist Otis Spann (1970)
April 26: avante-garde composer Henry Brant (2008), Daniel McKenna, former guitarist in Toby Beau (2006), Ernest "Snuffy" Stewart of KC and the Sunshine Band (1997)
April 27: master cellist Mstislav Rostropovich (2007), hit-making trumpeter Al Hirt (1999), soul singer Z.Z. Hill, born Arzel Hill (1984), Phil King of Blue öyster Cult (1972)
Week In Review
April 28, 2011
Armstrong dethrones the Beatles … Springsteen trespasses on Graceland … Cream resurfaces
1956, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps record "Be Bop A Lula" …
1958, the world's first Grammy awards are handed out to Domenico Modugno for "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu," popularly known as "Volare" (Record of the Year and Song of the Year), the Champs for "Tequila" (Best Rhythm & Blues Performance), and The Kingston Trio for "Tom Dooley" (Best Country & Western Performance) …
1960, Cathy Jean & the Roommates cut the single "Please Love Me Forever" that will rise to #12 on the pop chart … but the lead singer and her backup group never share a room, vocal booth, or even meet … the Roommates arrive to do their vocal backing track after Cathy's left the studio … perhaps "Cathy and the Boarders" or "Cathy and the Unwanted Guests" might have been more appropriate names for the pop ensemble …
1961, Tony Orlando makes his TV debut on American Bandstand singing his hit "Halfway to Paradise" with his fly open …
1964, Keith Moon takes the bandstand for the first time with The Detours, who will later rename themselves The Who … 15 years later to the day, Kenney Jones takes over The Who's drum throne after Keith had gone on to trash that big hotel room in the sky … The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" enjoys its fifth and final week at the top of the pop chart … Louis Armstrong's "Hello Dolly" will knock it out of that spot a week later …
1968, The Beach Boys announce that they'll be accompanied on their upcoming U.S. tour by Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi … a reporter queries the spiritual leader to the stars about his previously announced plan to withdraw into silence for a year … the Maharishi elliptically replies, "Have you seen Life this week? They did a four-page color spread on me." …
1969, the savvy agent for Tommy James and the Shondells blows off a chance for the band to play Woodstock, dismissing it as "a stupid gig on a pig farm" …
1976, Bruce Springsteen, after playing a gig in Memphis, goes to Graceland where he is arrested by guards when he tries to climb over the fence …
1988, Madonna begins her starring role on Broadway in Speed the Plow … though the title suggests a possible cry for help from the Material Girl in her post-Virgin days, the title actually refers to work; having to plow under and start over again …
1992, The American Nirvana is sued by a British Nirvana over the name, which they claim to have been using since 1968 … the suit is settled amicably for undisclosed terms in the British band's favor and the British Nirvana even go on to record a cover of Kobain's "Lithium" …
2000, Lars Ulrich of Metallica goes to Napster headquarters in San Mateo, California, and presents a list of 300,000 Napsters he claims are using the software to illegally share the group's music … ironic, coming from the band that encouraged its fans to record its music for free in order to climb out of obscurity into the limelight …
2005, Cream comes together after 37 years to perform the first of four sold-out concerts … the two-hour set encompasses all of Cream's biggest hits including "Sunshine of Your Love," "Spoonful," and "White Room" … Bruce Springsteen's new album Devils & Dust debuts at #1 on the Billboard Pop Chart … Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas' first solo album becomes the first release available exclusively as a dual-sided audio-video disc to debut at No. 1 … Coldplay becomes the first British band since The Beatles to score a single debut in the U.S. top 10 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 chart …
2006, Jersey Boys, a Broadway musical that's based on vocal group Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is doing great business … however, other recent rock- and pop-based shows about John Lennon, The Beach Boys, and Elvis closed shop after short runs in the face of a lot of empty seats … in a feverish two-week creative process, Neil Young creates the album Living with War then initially posts it as a free stream online … the album includes the bluntly titled anti-Bush song, "Let's Impeach the President" … breaking a Guinness world record, 1,572 guitarists gather in the town square of Wroclaw, Poland, to simultaneously play the Jimi Hendrix version of "Hey Joe" … if this doesn't get Joe's attention, nothing will …
2007, a New Jersey company claims Guns N' Roses owes it $107,000 plus interest for handling gear and other services during the band's 2006 tour … a lawsuit is filed against the band, three affiliated companies that handled tour arrangements, and members of the band including singer Axl Rose … rap star Busta Rhymes, or Trevor Smith as he is known to his parents, is arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in New York … police stopped Mr. Rhymes because his car windows are a little too tinted … apparently, so is Busta … officers smell alcohol on the rapper's breath and take him into custody … keeping the rap/DUI connection alive, rapper Eve is charged with a drunk driving accident in Hollywood … the Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Eve Jihan Jeffers, is arrested on the scene after she crashes her gold Maserati into a center divider … she is freed after posting $30,000 bail … which is probably what it's going to cost her just to get the Maserati's front end straightened out … getting Eve straightened out is another story … friends and relatives gather on what would have been James Brown's 74th birthday to remember the soul singer and question the direction of the music industry … "How did we get from 'Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud' to where we are today?" asks his daughter Deanna Brown Thomas, referring to her father's famous lyrics …
2008, Roger Waters' closing set at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival climaxes when the two-story inflatable pig sent aloft during the song "Pigs on the Wing" breaks free of its tethers and floats away … the floating pig broke free once before in 1977 at London's Battersea Power Station during a cover shoot for the Pink Floyd album Animals … Coachella organizers offer a $10,000 reward for the missing pig … two days later, pieces of the white spray-painted vinyl pig are found draped over two homes in a gated community in nearby La Quinta … two families split the reward and receive lifetime tickets to Coachella …
2009, Madison Square Garden hosts a 90th-birthday tribute to folksinger Pete Seeger … an all-star roster turns out to help celebrate the event … guest artists include Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, John Mellencamp, Warren Haynes, Steve Earle, and Kris Kristofferson … multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett who split from Wilco in 2001 files a suit against Jeff Tweedy for $50,000 charging breach of contract … the case stems from Bennett's appearance in the 2002 documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart … Bennet will die in his sleep less than a month later … Cat Stevens accuses Coldplay of plagiarism—again …
… and that was the week that was …
Arrivals:
April 28: John Wolters of Dr. Hook (1945), Steve Gilpin, lead singer of techno band Mi-Sex (1949), Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth (1953), rapper Too Short, born Todd Shaw (1966), Daisy Berkowitz of Marilyn Manson (1968)
April 29: Duke Ellington (1899), Carl Gardner of The Coasters (1928), Lonnie Donegan (1931), Chicago blues guitarist Otis Rush (1935), Klaus Voorman (1938), Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys (1943), Tammi Terrell (1945), Soft Machine's Hugh Hopper (1945), Tommy James (1947), John Cascella, keyboardist and accordion player with John Mellencamp (1947), Mark Kendall of Great White (1957), Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips (1968), Master P (1967), Mike Hogan of The Cranberries (1973)
April 30: jazz bassist Percy Heath (1923), country icon Willie Nelson (1933), British solo act and songwriter Jerry Lordan of "Apache" fame (1934), pop singer Bobby Vee (1943), singer-songwriter Mimi Fariña (1945), Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple of Soul For Real (1973), J.R. Richards of Dishwalla (1972), Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees (1973)
May 1: pioneering Delta blues singer Charley Patton (1891), big-voiced blues shouter Big Maybelle, born Mabel Louis Smith (1924), innovative blues harp player Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs (1930), songwriter Titus Turner (1933), jazz vocalist and pianist Shirley Horn (1934), singer-songwriter Judy Collins (1939), singer Rita Coolidge (1945), guitarist-songwriter-producer Ray Parker Jr. (1954), Johnny Colt of the Black Crowes (1966), country singer and actor Tim McGraw (1967), D'Arcy Wretsky-Brown of Smashing Pumpkins (1968), Nick Traina, member of punk bands Link 80 and Knowledge (1978)
May 2: Link Wray, born Frederick Lincoln Wray, Jr., progenitor of the power chord (1929), jazz-blues organist Richard "Groove" Holmes (1931), John Lee "Bunk" Gardner of The Mothers of Invention (1933), Mr. Romance, crooner Zingelbert Bembledack … Tringelbert Wangledack … Yingibert Dambleban … Klingybun Fistelvase … Steviebuns Bottrittrundle … Kringelbert Fishtybuns … Dindlebert Zindledack … Slut Bunwalla … Gerry Dorsey … Wingelbert Humptyback … Zengelbert Bingledack … Engelbert Humperdinck … Vingelbert Wingledanck … no, no, go back one, go back one … "Engelbert Humperdinck," that's it! (1936), Goldy McJohn of Steppenwolf (1945), singer-songwriter Lesley Gore (1946), country singer Larry Gatlin (1948), Lou Gramm of Foreigner (1950), Bruce Hall of REO Speedwagon (1953), Prescott Niles of The Knack (1951), Joe Callis of Human League (1951)
May 3: singer and actor Bing Crosby (1903), folk singer Pete Seeger (1919), country singer and truck-drivin' son-of-gun, Dave Dudley, born David Darwin Pedriska (1928), the godfather of soul and the hardest working man in show business, James Brown (1933), lead singer of The Four Seasons, Frankie Valli, born Frank Castelluccio (1934), Dick Dale, king of the surf guitar (1937), Welsh folk singer Mary Hopkin of "Those Were the Days" fame (1950), singer-songwriter Christopher Cross (1951)
May 4: drummer Ed "Cass" Cassidy of Spirit (1923), jazz trumpeter and bandleader Maynard Ferguson (1928), jazz bassist Ron Carter (1937), soul singer Tyrone Davis (1938), Ronnie Bond, member of The Troggs (1943), singer-songwriter Nick Ashford of Ashford and Simpson (1942), Peggy Santiglia of The Angels (1944), guitarist George Wadenius of Blood Sweat & Tears (1945), Jackie Jackson of The Jackson Five (1951), country artist Randy Travis (1959), Mike Dirnt of Green Day (1972), Lance Bass of 'N Sync (1979)
Departures:
April 28: Percy Heath, jazz bassist (2005), John Steele, bass singer with The (Five) Willows (1997), progressive country singer B.W. Stevenson, born Louis Charles Stevenson, (1988), T. Rex bass player Steve Currie (1981), Tommy Caldwell, bassist for the Marshall Tucker Band (1980), Charlie Patton, pioneering Delta blues singer (1934)
April 29: country singer Vern Gosdin (2009), Albert Hofmann, the man who synthesized LSD (2008), Fabulous Thunderbirds bassist Keith Ferguson (1997), David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson (1993), Floyd Butler, co-leader of the pop outfit Friends of Distinction (1990), blues great J.B. Lenoir (1967), blues pianist Leroy Carr (1935)
April 30: Zola Taylor, the only female member of The Platters (2007), "The Duchess," Norma-Jean Richardson nee Wofford, touring guitarist with Bo Diddley (2005), Nazareth drummer Darrell Sweet (1999), Body Count drummer Beatmaster V born Victor Ray Wilson (1996), influential bluesman Muddy Waters, born McKinley Morganfield (1983), rock writer Lester Bangs (1982), singer-songwriter Richard Fariña (1966)
May 1: singer Jim Hager of Hager Twins (2008), sax player John Pocisk of Johnny and the Hurricanes (2006), Italian tenor Sergio Franchi (1990), musician-bandleader-satirical arranger Spike Jones (1965)
May 3: jazz drummer Billy Higgins (2001), Peter Falcaglia, member of Dion's touring band (1995), Helmut Kollen, bassist and guitarist for Triumvirat (1977), Les Harvey, guitarist for rock group Stone The Crows (1972)
May 4: Dudu Zulu, born Dudu Mntowaziwayo Ndlovu, percussionist for Johnny Clegg & Savuka (1992), Chicago blues harp player Paul Butterfield (1987)
April 28, 2011
Armstrong dethrones the Beatles … Springsteen trespasses on Graceland … Cream resurfaces
1956, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps record "Be Bop A Lula" …
1958, the world's first Grammy awards are handed out to Domenico Modugno for "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu," popularly known as "Volare" (Record of the Year and Song of the Year), the Champs for "Tequila" (Best Rhythm & Blues Performance), and The Kingston Trio for "Tom Dooley" (Best Country & Western Performance) …
1960, Cathy Jean & the Roommates cut the single "Please Love Me Forever" that will rise to #12 on the pop chart … but the lead singer and her backup group never share a room, vocal booth, or even meet … the Roommates arrive to do their vocal backing track after Cathy's left the studio … perhaps "Cathy and the Boarders" or "Cathy and the Unwanted Guests" might have been more appropriate names for the pop ensemble …
1961, Tony Orlando makes his TV debut on American Bandstand singing his hit "Halfway to Paradise" with his fly open …
1964, Keith Moon takes the bandstand for the first time with The Detours, who will later rename themselves The Who … 15 years later to the day, Kenney Jones takes over The Who's drum throne after Keith had gone on to trash that big hotel room in the sky … The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" enjoys its fifth and final week at the top of the pop chart … Louis Armstrong's "Hello Dolly" will knock it out of that spot a week later …
1968, The Beach Boys announce that they'll be accompanied on their upcoming U.S. tour by Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi … a reporter queries the spiritual leader to the stars about his previously announced plan to withdraw into silence for a year … the Maharishi elliptically replies, "Have you seen Life this week? They did a four-page color spread on me." …
1969, the savvy agent for Tommy James and the Shondells blows off a chance for the band to play Woodstock, dismissing it as "a stupid gig on a pig farm" …
1976, Bruce Springsteen, after playing a gig in Memphis, goes to Graceland where he is arrested by guards when he tries to climb over the fence …
1988, Madonna begins her starring role on Broadway in Speed the Plow … though the title suggests a possible cry for help from the Material Girl in her post-Virgin days, the title actually refers to work; having to plow under and start over again …
1992, The American Nirvana is sued by a British Nirvana over the name, which they claim to have been using since 1968 … the suit is settled amicably for undisclosed terms in the British band's favor and the British Nirvana even go on to record a cover of Kobain's "Lithium" …
2000, Lars Ulrich of Metallica goes to Napster headquarters in San Mateo, California, and presents a list of 300,000 Napsters he claims are using the software to illegally share the group's music … ironic, coming from the band that encouraged its fans to record its music for free in order to climb out of obscurity into the limelight …
2005, Cream comes together after 37 years to perform the first of four sold-out concerts … the two-hour set encompasses all of Cream's biggest hits including "Sunshine of Your Love," "Spoonful," and "White Room" … Bruce Springsteen's new album Devils & Dust debuts at #1 on the Billboard Pop Chart … Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas' first solo album becomes the first release available exclusively as a dual-sided audio-video disc to debut at No. 1 … Coldplay becomes the first British band since The Beatles to score a single debut in the U.S. top 10 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 chart …
2006, Jersey Boys, a Broadway musical that's based on vocal group Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is doing great business … however, other recent rock- and pop-based shows about John Lennon, The Beach Boys, and Elvis closed shop after short runs in the face of a lot of empty seats … in a feverish two-week creative process, Neil Young creates the album Living with War then initially posts it as a free stream online … the album includes the bluntly titled anti-Bush song, "Let's Impeach the President" … breaking a Guinness world record, 1,572 guitarists gather in the town square of Wroclaw, Poland, to simultaneously play the Jimi Hendrix version of "Hey Joe" … if this doesn't get Joe's attention, nothing will …
2007, a New Jersey company claims Guns N' Roses owes it $107,000 plus interest for handling gear and other services during the band's 2006 tour … a lawsuit is filed against the band, three affiliated companies that handled tour arrangements, and members of the band including singer Axl Rose … rap star Busta Rhymes, or Trevor Smith as he is known to his parents, is arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in New York … police stopped Mr. Rhymes because his car windows are a little too tinted … apparently, so is Busta … officers smell alcohol on the rapper's breath and take him into custody … keeping the rap/DUI connection alive, rapper Eve is charged with a drunk driving accident in Hollywood … the Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Eve Jihan Jeffers, is arrested on the scene after she crashes her gold Maserati into a center divider … she is freed after posting $30,000 bail … which is probably what it's going to cost her just to get the Maserati's front end straightened out … getting Eve straightened out is another story … friends and relatives gather on what would have been James Brown's 74th birthday to remember the soul singer and question the direction of the music industry … "How did we get from 'Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud' to where we are today?" asks his daughter Deanna Brown Thomas, referring to her father's famous lyrics …
2008, Roger Waters' closing set at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival climaxes when the two-story inflatable pig sent aloft during the song "Pigs on the Wing" breaks free of its tethers and floats away … the floating pig broke free once before in 1977 at London's Battersea Power Station during a cover shoot for the Pink Floyd album Animals … Coachella organizers offer a $10,000 reward for the missing pig … two days later, pieces of the white spray-painted vinyl pig are found draped over two homes in a gated community in nearby La Quinta … two families split the reward and receive lifetime tickets to Coachella …
2009, Madison Square Garden hosts a 90th-birthday tribute to folksinger Pete Seeger … an all-star roster turns out to help celebrate the event … guest artists include Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, John Mellencamp, Warren Haynes, Steve Earle, and Kris Kristofferson … multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett who split from Wilco in 2001 files a suit against Jeff Tweedy for $50,000 charging breach of contract … the case stems from Bennett's appearance in the 2002 documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart … Bennet will die in his sleep less than a month later … Cat Stevens accuses Coldplay of plagiarism—again …
… and that was the week that was …
Arrivals:
April 28: John Wolters of Dr. Hook (1945), Steve Gilpin, lead singer of techno band Mi-Sex (1949), Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth (1953), rapper Too Short, born Todd Shaw (1966), Daisy Berkowitz of Marilyn Manson (1968)
April 29: Duke Ellington (1899), Carl Gardner of The Coasters (1928), Lonnie Donegan (1931), Chicago blues guitarist Otis Rush (1935), Klaus Voorman (1938), Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys (1943), Tammi Terrell (1945), Soft Machine's Hugh Hopper (1945), Tommy James (1947), John Cascella, keyboardist and accordion player with John Mellencamp (1947), Mark Kendall of Great White (1957), Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips (1968), Master P (1967), Mike Hogan of The Cranberries (1973)
April 30: jazz bassist Percy Heath (1923), country icon Willie Nelson (1933), British solo act and songwriter Jerry Lordan of "Apache" fame (1934), pop singer Bobby Vee (1943), singer-songwriter Mimi Fariña (1945), Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple of Soul For Real (1973), J.R. Richards of Dishwalla (1972), Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees (1973)
May 1: pioneering Delta blues singer Charley Patton (1891), big-voiced blues shouter Big Maybelle, born Mabel Louis Smith (1924), innovative blues harp player Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs (1930), songwriter Titus Turner (1933), jazz vocalist and pianist Shirley Horn (1934), singer-songwriter Judy Collins (1939), singer Rita Coolidge (1945), guitarist-songwriter-producer Ray Parker Jr. (1954), Johnny Colt of the Black Crowes (1966), country singer and actor Tim McGraw (1967), D'Arcy Wretsky-Brown of Smashing Pumpkins (1968), Nick Traina, member of punk bands Link 80 and Knowledge (1978)
May 2: Link Wray, born Frederick Lincoln Wray, Jr., progenitor of the power chord (1929), jazz-blues organist Richard "Groove" Holmes (1931), John Lee "Bunk" Gardner of The Mothers of Invention (1933), Mr. Romance, crooner Zingelbert Bembledack … Tringelbert Wangledack … Yingibert Dambleban … Klingybun Fistelvase … Steviebuns Bottrittrundle … Kringelbert Fishtybuns … Dindlebert Zindledack … Slut Bunwalla … Gerry Dorsey … Wingelbert Humptyback … Zengelbert Bingledack … Engelbert Humperdinck … Vingelbert Wingledanck … no, no, go back one, go back one … "Engelbert Humperdinck," that's it! (1936), Goldy McJohn of Steppenwolf (1945), singer-songwriter Lesley Gore (1946), country singer Larry Gatlin (1948), Lou Gramm of Foreigner (1950), Bruce Hall of REO Speedwagon (1953), Prescott Niles of The Knack (1951), Joe Callis of Human League (1951)
May 3: singer and actor Bing Crosby (1903), folk singer Pete Seeger (1919), country singer and truck-drivin' son-of-gun, Dave Dudley, born David Darwin Pedriska (1928), the godfather of soul and the hardest working man in show business, James Brown (1933), lead singer of The Four Seasons, Frankie Valli, born Frank Castelluccio (1934), Dick Dale, king of the surf guitar (1937), Welsh folk singer Mary Hopkin of "Those Were the Days" fame (1950), singer-songwriter Christopher Cross (1951)
May 4: drummer Ed "Cass" Cassidy of Spirit (1923), jazz trumpeter and bandleader Maynard Ferguson (1928), jazz bassist Ron Carter (1937), soul singer Tyrone Davis (1938), Ronnie Bond, member of The Troggs (1943), singer-songwriter Nick Ashford of Ashford and Simpson (1942), Peggy Santiglia of The Angels (1944), guitarist George Wadenius of Blood Sweat & Tears (1945), Jackie Jackson of The Jackson Five (1951), country artist Randy Travis (1959), Mike Dirnt of Green Day (1972), Lance Bass of 'N Sync (1979)
Departures:
April 28: Percy Heath, jazz bassist (2005), John Steele, bass singer with The (Five) Willows (1997), progressive country singer B.W. Stevenson, born Louis Charles Stevenson, (1988), T. Rex bass player Steve Currie (1981), Tommy Caldwell, bassist for the Marshall Tucker Band (1980), Charlie Patton, pioneering Delta blues singer (1934)
April 29: country singer Vern Gosdin (2009), Albert Hofmann, the man who synthesized LSD (2008), Fabulous Thunderbirds bassist Keith Ferguson (1997), David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson (1993), Floyd Butler, co-leader of the pop outfit Friends of Distinction (1990), blues great J.B. Lenoir (1967), blues pianist Leroy Carr (1935)
April 30: Zola Taylor, the only female member of The Platters (2007), "The Duchess," Norma-Jean Richardson nee Wofford, touring guitarist with Bo Diddley (2005), Nazareth drummer Darrell Sweet (1999), Body Count drummer Beatmaster V born Victor Ray Wilson (1996), influential bluesman Muddy Waters, born McKinley Morganfield (1983), rock writer Lester Bangs (1982), singer-songwriter Richard Fariña (1966)
May 1: singer Jim Hager of Hager Twins (2008), sax player John Pocisk of Johnny and the Hurricanes (2006), Italian tenor Sergio Franchi (1990), musician-bandleader-satirical arranger Spike Jones (1965)
May 3: jazz drummer Billy Higgins (2001), Peter Falcaglia, member of Dion's touring band (1995), Helmut Kollen, bassist and guitarist for Triumvirat (1977), Les Harvey, guitarist for rock group Stone The Crows (1972)
May 4: Dudu Zulu, born Dudu Mntowaziwayo Ndlovu, percussionist for Johnny Clegg & Savuka (1992), Chicago blues harp player Paul Butterfield (1987)