Wednesday 14 August 2013

August 14

Musical birthdays today include Buddy Greco (87), David Crosby (72), Connie Smith (72), Larry Graham, former bassist for Sly and the Family Stone (67), Maddy Prior, ex-lead singer for Steeleye Span (66), Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap (62), Sarah Brightman (53), Charlatans' guitarist Mark Collins (48), and Scissor Sisters lead singer Ana Matronic (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for pioneering American jazz violinist Stuff Smith, born on this date in 1900... for Augustus Montague Toplady, composer of the hymn Rock of Ages, who died on this day in 1778... for blues legend Big Bill Broonzy, who passed away in 1958... for singer Johnny Burnette (best known for the top 10 hit 'You're Sixteen'), who was killed in a boating accident in California at the age of 30 today in 1964... for guitarist Roy Buchanan, who hanged himself in his cell in the Fairfax Co., VA jail with his own shirt on this day after being arrested for public drunkenness. Buchanan released 15 solo albums and was a sometime collaborator with Jeff Beck (1988)... for The Platters' lead singer Tony Williams, who left us today in 1992... and for Lita Roza, the first woman to have a no. 1 single in the UK [with a version of 'How Much Is That Doggie in the Window' in 1953] who passed away in Liverpool five years ago today. 

Also on August 14: Unhappy with Pete Best's role in the Beatles, Brian Epstein and the remaining three members of the group decide to sack him. John Lennon places a call to Ringo Starr, nearing the end of a 3-month engagement with Rory Storm & the Hurricanes at a Butlin's Holiday Camp in north Wales, to  offer him the job. Best will play his final show with the group at the Cavern tomorrow night (1962)... Sonny and Cher top the US charts with I Got You, Babe. Bono is said to have been inspired to write the song by Bob Dylan's use of the term of endearment in It Ain't Me, Babe (1965)... 16-year-old Bruce Springsteen plays his first known public show, as lead singer of The Castilles at a gig at the Surf 'n' See Club in Seaside, NJ. Also on the bill are Little Anthony and the Imperials, with lead guitarist Steve van Zandt (1966)... The number 1 song in the UK today is 'Fire' by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Brown frequently performs the number live whilst wearing a top hat set alight (1968)... The 3-day Yorkshire Folk, Blues and Jazz festival opens in Calderton, W. Yorks. Atomic Rooster, Yes, the Kinks and Elton John are among those performing. Headliners Pink Floyd will miss their spot on the first day because they are fogbound at Orly Airport, and will not appear (1970)... Foo Fighters make their US network television debut, performing 'This Is a Call' on the Late Show with David Letterman (1995)... An oil-stained pizza menu signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison goes for $48,000 to an anonymous collector bidding by phone at an auction in Melbourne, Australia. Ringo Starr, suffering from laryngitis, was not on the tour (2001)... Boy George is spotted sweeping streets on the Lower East Side of Manhattan as part of a five-day community service sentence. He will be moved into a fenced-off area only 30 minutes later after being mobbed by the media and fans. The 45-year-old former Culture Club frontman was found guilty earlier in the year of cocaine possession and filing a false burglary report (2006).

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