September 24th

 

Musical birthdays today include choral composer John Rutter (81), ex-Fairport Convention guitarist Jerry Donahue (80), jazz guitarist Bill Connors (77), Dokken bassist Sean McNabb (61), former Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss (61), Slipknot percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan (57), Verve drummer Peter Salisbury (55), singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist Liam Finn (43), and Foxy Shazam drummer Joseph Allen Halberstadt (38). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Blind Lemon Jefferson, born on this date in 1893... for songwriter and film score composer Ben Oakland, born in 1907... for jazz singer Herb Jeffries, born in 1913... for jazz percussionist Jack Costanzo, born in 1919... for jazz trumpeter Fats Navarro, born in 1923... for Ventures drummer Mel Taylor, born in 1933... for L.A. session saxophonist Steve Douglas [played on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and Bob Dylan's Street Legal, among many other albums], who would have been 88... for Crusaders trombonist Wayne Henderson, who would have been 87... for Linda McCartney, who would have been 85...  for Gerry & the Pacemakers frontman Gerry Marsden, who would have been 83... and for singer-songwriter Matthew Jay [a collaborator with The Doves, The Stereophonics and Dido] who fell to his death from a 7th storey window in London at the age of 24 today in 2003. 

Also on September 24: Elvis Presley releases 'Jailhouse Rock' (1957)... Elvis receives an invitation to appear at the Royal Variety Command Performance in London, but Colonel Tom Parker graciously declines, citing motion picture commitments. The real reason for his refusal, however, is that the Colonel is a Dutch immigrant residing in the US illegally, and fears that he might not be allowed to return if he leaves the country (1962)... Jimi Hendrix arrives in England for the first time with manager Chas Chandler. The guitarist has with him only the clothes he is wearing, having sold all of his other belongings to pay his hotel bill in New York. One of the first things he does in London is to legally change his name from James to Jimi... The № 1 single in the US is 'Cherish' by The Association (1966)... Traffic make their live debut at the Saville Theatre in London... Filming of the Magical Mystery Tour continues, in a hangar at the RAF West Malling Air Station in Maidstone, Kent. The cavernous indoor space is needed to shoot the 'Your Mother Should Know' ballroom finale. With the Beatles dressed in white suits and shoes, they glide down a glittery staircase as 160 members of the Peggy Spencer Dance Company swirl round about (1967)... John and Yoko move the mixing of the Double Fantasy album from the Hit Factory in NYC to the Record Plant. After the session, Lennon gives one of his final recorded interviews, to Lisa Robinson of 97-FM in Buffalo, NY (1980)... Culture Club score their second UK chart-topping hit with 'Karma Chameleon', the biggest selling single of the year (1983)... Bobby McFerrin's 'Don't Worry' Be Happy' becomes the first a capella song to reach № 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (1988)... Nirvana's album Nevermind is released in the US, entering the chart at № 144 (1991)... Eric Clapton is the musical guest on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live (1994)... Hank Williams is the subject of the first ever country music symposium at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC (1999)... The Dave Matthews Band play a free concert for over 100,000 in NYC's Central park (2003)

September 23rd

 

Musical birthdays today include jazz singer Norma Winstone (85), Julio Iglesias (83), Iron Butterfly drummer Ron Bushy (81), original Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith (79), Bruce Springsteen (77), former Lemon Kitten and experimental musician Danielle Dax (68), session bassist and songwriter Martin Page (66), industrial metal rocker Lucia Cifarelli (56) Ani DiFranco (56), rapper Layzie Bone (51), and Cascada lead singer Natalie Horler (45).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for folk song collector and ethnomusicologist John Lomax, born on this day in 1870... for early R&B singer Tiny Bradshaw, born on this day in 1907... for John Coltrane, born in 1926... for bluesman Mighty Joe Young, born in 1927... for choreographer Bob Fosse, who died on this date in 1987... and for blueswoman Etta Baker, who left us today in 2006. 

Also on September 23: Wagner's opera Das Rheingold has its world premiere in Frankfurt (1869)... Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys make their first recordings in Dallas (1935)... Buddy Holly & the Crickets hit № 1 in the US with 'That'll Be the Day' (1957)... The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts opens in NYC (1962)... The Beatles record 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' at Abbey Road. John Lennon took the title for the song from an advertisement in an American gun magazine that George Martin had showed him. Jim Morrison drops by the studio and watches the Fab Four at work for just over an hour (1968)... Mick Jagger meets Bianca Macias for the first time, backstage after a Stones concert at L'Olympia in Paris (1970)... Blondie release their commercial breakthrough album Parallel Lines (1978)... Against his doctors' advice, Bob Marley goes ahead with a scheduled concert at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh two days after collapsing in Central Park in NYC. The singer passes out in mid-performance and is rushed to the University of Pittsburgh Hospital. It is Marley's last public show before his death from cancer the following May... David Bowie makes his Broadway debut in the title role of 'The Elephant Man' (1980)... James Browne, Melba Moore, and Freddie Jackson headline an anti-crack benefit concert in the ballroom at the Plaza Hotel in NYC (1986)... The first Lilith Fair concert outside of North America takes place at the Royal Albert Hall (1998)... CBS is fined $550,000 by the FCC for airing Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction' during the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year (2004)... Neil Young is named artist of the year at the annual Americana Honors and Awards in Nashville (2006)... Grand Canyon State natives Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks and Buck Owens are inducted into the Arizona Music &am

September 22nd

 

Musical birthdays today include jazz singer Marlena Shaw (84), Lighthouse co-founder Paul Hoffert (83), King Sunny Adé (80), David Coverdale (75), Right Said Fred frontmen Fred & Richard Fairbrass (73), Debby Boone (70), Nick Cave (69), Joan Jett (68), ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp (57), Rilo Kiley lead guitarist Blake Sennett (50), violinist Emilie Autumn (47), Cribs drummer Ross Jarman (42), and Canadian singer-songwriter Coeur de Pirate [née Béatrice Martin] (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for American composer and bandleader Arthur Pryor, born on this date in 1870... for cabaret singer Joni Jame, born in 1930... for songwriter Harry Warren ['That's Amore', 'Chatanooga Choo Choo'], who died on this date in 1981... for Irving Berlin, who passed away in 1989 at the age of 101... and for violin virtuoso Isaac Stern, who left us today in 2001. 

Also on September 22: Webern's String Quartet, op. 28 is given its first performance at the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival in Pittsfield, MA. The work was commissioned by American philanthropist Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge (1938)... Elvis Presley gives a final press conference at the Military Ocean Terminal in Brooklyn, NY before shipping out to Germany with the US 3rd Armored Division on the USS General Randall (1958)... Bob Dylan is on the bill at Carnegie Hall as part of an all-star hootenanny. Dylan performs 'The Ballad of Hollis Brown' for the first time in public (1962)... Herman's Hermits have their first and only UK № 1 with 'I'm into Something Good'... Fiddler on the Roof opens on Broadway (1964)... San Francisco band The Great Society, with then husband and wife Jerry and Grace Slick on drums and lead vocals, respectively, make their live debut at The Coffee Gallery in North Beach... The Who kick off their first Scandinavian tour with a gig in Copenhagen. Roger Daltrey is nearly fired from the band for punching Keith Moon in the jaw just before they go on (1965)... The Doors perform 'Light My Fire' and 'People Are Strange' on The Murray the K Show on WPIX-TV in New York (1967)... The Band release their eponymous second album, which will yield the hit singles 'Up on on Cripple Creek', 'Rag Mama Rag' and 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' (1969)... David Bowie kicks off the North American leg of the Ziggy Stardust world tour at The Music Hall in Cleveland, OH (1972)... The Rolling Stones have the № 1 album in Britain today with Goats Head Soup (1973)... Def Leppard receive their first major press notice when Melody Maker reviews a gig the band recently played in Wolverhampton (1979)... David Geffen incorporates his latest musical venture, the Geffen Records label. His first act signed is John Lennon, who is looking for a home for his just completed album Double Fantasy (1980)... The re-formed King Crimson release Discipline, the band's first album of new material in 7 years (1981)... Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Joni Mitchell and Tom Petty headline the first Farm Aid concert at the stadium of the University of Illinois-Champaign  (1985)... Bob Dylan releases Oh Mercy (1989)... Nirvana play their largest gig to date, at Seattle's Motor Sports International Garage. Dave Grohl, who will audition for the band two days from now, is in the audience of 15,000 (1990)... Bryan Adams makes British chart history when '(Everything I Do) I Do It for You' comes in at № 1 for the 12th consecutive week (1991)... Bruce Springsteen's MTV Unplugged session loses the Un- after the Boss turns up with an electric ensemble for a rare live performance with musicians other than the E Street Band (1992)... Diana Ross is arrested on the Concorde after an incident at Heathrow Airport. The singer claims that a female security guard fondled her breasts when frisking her; Ross retaliated by grabbing the guard's genital area... Joe Strummer, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon are all seen in the same room at the same time for the first time in 15 years, as the former bandmates attend the London premiere of the Clash documentary Westway to the World (1999)... 'A Tribute to Heroes' is aired commercial-free on most of the major US TV networks. The live program was organized to raise money for 9/11 charities. Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, U2, Billy Joel, Pearl Jam and Limp Bizkit all perform (2001)... Jimmy Page is made an honorary citizen of Rio de Janeiro for his work raising money to help the city's street children (2005)... Research conducted by UK car maker SEAT shows that 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is the song most likely to be found on British iPods, with 40% of owners of the device having the Queen hit on their playlists (2011)

September 21st

 

Musical birthdays today include rock guitarist Bobby Tench (82), Spinners lead singer G.C. Cameron (81), ex-Eagles lead guitarist Don Felder (79), former XTC lead guitarist Dave Gregory (74), former Motörhead drummer Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor (72), Swing Out Sister lead singer Corinne Drewery (67), Faith Hill (9), Barenaked Ladies drummer Tyler Stewart (59), De La Soul's David Jude Jolicoeur AKA Dave (58), Liam Gallagher (54), former Korn drummer David Silveria (54), Glasvegas frontman James Allan (47), and Horrors lead singer Faris Badwan (40). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Gustav Holst, born on this day in 1874... for classical pianist György Sándor, born in 1912... for jazz bassist Leroy 'Slam' Stewart, born in 1914... for jazz vocalist Ward Swingle and longtime Mingus sideman Shafi Hadi, both born in 1929... for Leonard Cohen, born today in 1934... free jazz drummer Sunny Murray, who would have been ..90. for  for Liverpool band leader Rory Storm, who would have been 85... for John Stafford Smith [composer of the tune 'To Anacreon in Heaven', which was later adopted for The Star Spangled Banner], who died on this date in 1836... for jazz bassist Jaco Pastorious, who was killed in an altercation outside a bar today in 1987 at the age of 36... and for ex-King Crimson singer and Bad Company founding member Boz Burrell, who left us today in 2006. 

Also on September 21: Bessie Smith records 'Jailhouse Blues', her first side for Columbia Records (1923)... The № 1 song in the US today is Bobby Vinton's 'Blue Velvet' (1963)... Madame Tussaud's Waxworks gives the Beatles their fifth image change of clothes and hair in 4 years... Stravinsky visits Moscow for the first time since 1920 (1968)... The BBC TV music show The Old Grey Whistle Test premieres. In addition to live acts, clips of Jimi Hendrix performing at Monterey and Bob Dylan singing 'Maggie's Farm' at Newport in 1965 are show on television for the first time. According to presenter Bob Harris, the program [which will run until 1987] derived its name from an old Tin Pan Alley expression ~ when a music publishing company received the first test pressing of a record, they would play it for the people they called 'the old greys', i.e. uniformed doormen. The songs they could remember and whistle after the first hearing were said to have 'passed the old grey whistle test' (1971)... Barry White has his only US № 1 with 'Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Baby' (1974)... Art Pepper goes into the studio to record the album to which he will give the same title as his recently published autobiography, Straight Life (1979)... During a North American tour, Bob Marley collapses while jogging in NYC's Central Park. Hospital tests will show that the singer is suffering from cancer in an advanced stage (1980)...  The National Enquirer runs a cover photo of Michael Jackson in an oxygen chamber for a story claiming that the singer has a 'bizarre plan' to live until he is 150 years old (1986)... Status Quo put themselves in the Guinness Book of World Record by playing 4 gigs in 4 cities [Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham and London] within a 12-hour period (1991)... Nirvana release their final studio album In Utero (1993)... The audience at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry witness an historic moment when Hank Williams III makes his debut at the venue. The third-generation country singer leads off his set with 'Lovesick Blues', which grandpa Hank also launched his first Opry performance with it 1949 (1996)... Yusuf Islam [the former Cat Stevens] is denied entry to the United States after his name turns up on an anti-terrorism watch list. The one-time folk singer denies all alleged ties to Hamas (2004)... A contract revealing that the Beatles refused to perform for a segregated audience at the Cow Palace in San Francisco on August 31, 1965 sells for $23,033 at an auction in L.A. (2011). 

September 20th

Musical birthdays today include Styx bassist Chuck Panozzo (78), jazzman Steve Coleman (69), Thompson Twins co-founder Alannah Currie (69), former Housemartins and Beautiful South lead singer Dave Hemingway (65), Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd (58), The Feeling frontman Dan Gillespie Sells (47), and Québécoise pop singer Marilou (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz guitarist John Collins, born today in 1914... for drummer & bandleader Chico Hamilton, born in 1921... for classical pianist William Kappell, born in 1922... for jazz singer & guitarist Jackie Paris and pop singer Gogi Grant, both born in 1924... for original Coasters member Bobby Nunn, born in 1925... for former Styx drummer John Panozzo, who would have been 78... for Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, who died on this date in 1908... for singer-songwriter Jim Croce, who was killed in an airplane crash today in 1973 at the age of 30... and for Leonard Skinner, the high school gym teacher who was the namesake of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, who left us today in 2010. 

Also on September 20: Dimitri Shostakovich's Suite for Jazz Orchestra premieres in Leningrad (1938)... With the Beatles on hiatus, George Harrison travels to India to meet the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for the first time (1966)... Led Zeppelin, still under the name The New Yardbirds, enter Olympic Studios in London to begin recording their first album. It will take only 36 hours to complete, at a reported cost of £1,780. Almost all of the tracks are recorded live off the floor with no overdubs (1968)... During a group meeting at Abbey Road Studios, John Lennon tells the other Beatles "I want a divorce" and announces that he is leaving the band... 'Sugar Sugar' by the Archies starts a 4-week run at № 1 in the US. It's 8-week stay at the top in Britain will set a longevity record in the spot for a one-hit wonder (1969)... Jim Morrison is acquitted on charges of lewd and lascivious behaviour, but is found guilty of exposing himself during a concert at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Coconut Grove, FL 18 months earlier. After his trial at the Dade County Courthouse in Miami, Judge Henry Goodman sentences the Doors vocalist to six months plus sixty days hard labour for public self-exposure and profanity, and a $500 fine. The sentence will still be on appeal when Morrison dies in Paris the following summer (1970)... Paul and Linda McCartney are arrested for possession of cannabis for the second time this month, this time at their farmhouse in Campbeltown, Scotland (1972)... The Roxy in Los Angeles opens its doors. The first headliners are Neil Young & Crazy Horse (1973)... David Bowie has his first US № 1 single with 'Fame', which he co-wrote with John Lennon (1975)... The four former Beatles turn down a £230 million offer from promoter Sid Bernstein to do a one-off reunion concert for charity (1976)... AC/DC release Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)... Kate Bush becomes the first female solo artist to have a № 1 album in Britain, with Never for Ever. Meanwhile, Queen score their only chart-topping LP in the US with The Game (1980)... Bruce Springsteen releases his first solo album Nebraska (1982)... Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton share a stage for the first time since the demise of Blind Faith when they appear at the ARMS [Artists for Research into Multiple Sclerosis] benefit concert at the Royal Albert Hall (1983)... The musical Miss Saigon has its world premiere in London's West End (1989)... The Dave Matthews Band release the album Under the Table and Dreaming, which features their first widely heard singles including 'What Would You Say' and 'Ants Marching' (1994)... In New Orleans, ex-10,000 Maniacs frontwoman Natalie Merchant kicks off her first solo tour (1995)... Pearl Jam's video for 'Jeremy' is cited as one of the reasons that school shooter Barry Loukaitis snapped and killed his algebra teacher and two fellow students in Washington state. The defendant's attorneys take the unprecedented step of playing the video in the courtroom (1997)... The former north London home of the original members of Pink Floyd is bought by a Singaporean developer named Sham Masterman. The businessman, who admits that he is not a fan of the group, purchases the Highgate house and the one next door for £1.2 million. Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason all lived in the house in the late '60s. The previous owner, lighting technician Mike Leonard, was landlord and friend to the musicians, and even inspired their group's first name, 'Leonard's Lodgers' (2012)

September 19th

 Musical birthdays today include Bill Medley (86), folk singer Sylvia Tyson (86), pop & Broadway musical singer Freda Payne (84), David Bromberg (81), ex-10cc lead singer Lol Creme (79), Daniel Lanois (75), free jazz guitarist Henry Kaiser (74), Nile Rogers (74), Rex Smith (71), former Runaways lead guitarist Lita Ford (68), Jarvis Cocker (63), Trisha Yearwood (62), heavy metal guitarist & drummer Jimmy Bower (58), rapper Amil (48), indie pop duo Tegan & Sara Quinn (46), and singer-songwriter Eamon (43). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Brian Epstein, born on this day in 1934... for former Chieftains fiddler Martin Fay, who would have been 90... for Cass Elliot, who would have been 85... for country rock pioneer Gram Parsons, who died today in 1973 at the age of 26... and for session drummer Earl Palmer [who played on the original studio recordings of 'Tutti Frutti', 'You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin' and 'River Deep, Mountain High' among many others], who left us today in 2008. 

Also on September 19: Mahler conducts the premiere of his 7th Symphony at the National Theatre in Prague (1908)... 16-year-old English singer Cliff Richard joins his first band, The Dick Teague Skiffle Group (1957)... Chubby Checker hits № 1 on the Billboard chart with 'The Twist' (1960)... The Beatles begin recording 'Piggies' (1968)... Creedence Clearwater Revival score their only British № 1 single with 'Bad Moon Rising' (1969)... The first Glastonbury Festival opens with T Rex and Jethro Tull among the headliners (1970)... Max Weinberg makes his live debut as the drummer in the E Street Band, at a gig at The Main Point in Philadelphia (1974)... The first of a five-night series of MUSE [Musicians United for Safe Energy] concerts takes place at Madison Square Garden ~ performing this evening are Bruce Springsteen, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne and The Doobie Brothers (1979)...  The № 1 album in the US today is the Rolling Stones' Tattoo You ~ it will stay atop the charts for the next two months... Simon & Garfunkel reunite for a free concert in Central Park in NYC (1981)... Tipper Gore and other US political wives form the PMRC [Parents Music Resource Center] as Frank Zappa, Dee Snider and other musicians testify at Congressional hearings on obscenity in popular music (1985)... Pearl Jam release their second album, Vs. It sets a record for most copies sold in its first week in shops that will stand for 5 years, despite the group's refusal to produce any videos for the album's singles (1993)... James Brown is sued by his own daughters for nearly one million dollars of song royalties they say they are owed. The suit brought by Deanna Brown Thomas and Dr. Yamma Brown Lummar, a Houston physician, alleges that Brown is withholding the money because of family grudges (2002)... Former Cream bassist Jack Bruce undergoes a successful liver transplant after being diagnosed with cancer (2003).

September 18th

 

Musical birthdays today include Frankie Avalon (86), former Kansas frontman Kerry Livgren (77), ex-Black Flag lead singer Keith Morris (71), Jayhawks frontman Mark Olson (65), Cutting Crew drummer Martin Beedle (65), Human League vocalist Joanne Catherall (64), musical trendsetter, ex-college DJ and all-around good egg Sharon 'Sherri' Wallach (58), Wu-Tang Clan rapper Darryl 'Cappadonna' Hill (57), operatic soprano Anna Netrebko (55), Mobb Deep rapper Albert 'Prodigy' Johnson (52), and pop and R&B singer Asher Monroe (38). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for singer-songwriter P.F. Sloan, who would have been 81 today... for Dee Dee Ramone, who would have been 75... for jazz guitarist Emily Remler, who would have been 69... for bluesman Blind Willie Johnson, who died on this date in 1945... and for Jimi Hendrix, who left us today in 1970. 

Also on September 18: The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden opens for the first time (1809)... Reggie Workman replaces Jimmy Garrison on bass for the second of the three sessions that it takes the John Coltrane Quartet to record the album Ballads (1962)... The Beatles continue work on the White Album, recording 'Birthday' today. Mal Evans, Yoko Ono and Pattie Harrison contribute backing vocals and handclaps (1968)... Black Sabbath release Paranoid, which will go on to become the group's only № 1 LP in their home country (1970)... The Who score their first and only UK № 1 album with Who's Next. The cover photo, taken at Easington Colliery in County Durham, shows the members of the band having apparently just relieved themselves on a large concrete piling. According to photographer Ethan Russell, only Pete Townshend was actually able to urinate on cue, so rainwater was tipped from an empty film canister to achieve the desired affect... Pink Floyd become the first rock group to play the Montreux Classical Music Festival, performing the album Atom Heart Mother in its entirety (1971)... John Lennon sits in as all-night guest DJ on WNEW-FM in NYC (1974)... The № 1 single in the US today is 'Play That Funky Music' by one-hit wonders Wild Cherry (1976)... Gary Numan takes off on a round the world trip in a single-engine Cessna aircraft. The attempt ends after he is forced down by the Indian air force over Mumbai and arrested when he lands (1981)... Kiss appear for the first time in public without their famous make-up, in an interview with MTV to promote their latest album, Lick It Up (1983)... At Sotheby's of London, Julian Lennon is the top bidder for Paul McCartney's recording notes for 'Hey Jude', as well as for a copy of his father's handwritten lyrics to 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite'. The two purchases will cost the younger Lennon £21,000 and £57,500 respectively (1996)... Britney Spears marries Kevin Federline in a private ceremony in Los Angeles (2004)... 73-year-old Willie Nelson and four members of his band are charged with drug possession after cannabis and magic mushrooms are found by Louisiana state troopers after the singer's tour bus is pulled over outside Lafayette (2006)... The documentary 'It Might Get Loud' has its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival (2008)... Leonard Cohen collapses on stage while singing his song 'Bird on a Wire' during a concert in Valencia, Spain and is taken to hospital. The 75-year-old tunesmith will be found to be suffering from food poisoning (2009).