Musical
birthdays today include R&B singer Jean Knight (79), French
chansonnier Michel Sardou (75), former Little River Band guitarist David
Briggs (71), ex-Big Star bassist Andy Hummel (71), Lucinda Williams
(69), Anita Baker (64), Counting Crows accordionist Charlie Gillingham (62), Cinderella lead singer Tom Keifer (61),
Andrew Ridgeley (59), gospel singer Kirk Franklin (52), Malian
singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré (48), Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon (42), and conductor & violinist Gustavo Dudamel (41).
Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Maria von Trapp, born on this day in 1905... for jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, born in 1908... for record producer Eddie Barclay, born in 1921... for cellist
Jacqueline du Pré, who would have been 77... for Eddie van Halen, who would have been 67... for musicologist and
American folk song collector John Lomax, who died on this date in
1948... and for former Marvelette Gladys Horton, and country singer
Charlie Louvin, both of whom left us today in 2011.
Wednesday, 26 January 2022
January 26th
Also on January 26th: Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte premieres in Vienna (1790)... The Hurtig & Seamon's New Burlesque Theater, having changed its name to the Apollo, reopens on 125th St. in NYC and admits black patrons for the first time (1934)... Josef Stalin and the Politburo attend a performance of Shostakovich's new opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District at
the Bolshoi Theatre. Stalin's displeasure at the music leads to a wave
of condemnation in the Soviet press that makes the composer a virtual
pariah until World War II begins (1936)... Elvis has the № 1 single in Britain with 'Are You Lonesome Tonight' (1961)... During
the Rolling Stones' tour of Australia, Keith Richards has his shirt
torn off after 50 fans invade the stage during the gig at The Town Hall
in Brisbane (1964)... Bob Dylan, Al Kooper and Dylan's personal
assistant Victor Maimudes appear on the early morning show on radio
station WBAI in NYC. Both Dylan and DJ Bob Fass sound extremely stoned.
The two-hour phone-in becomes a series of hilarious verbal
confrontations with the star. When one caller says that he is hungry,
Dylan retorts "Tell me, are you as hungry as a man in drag?" After the
show, Dylan decides to cancel what was to have been the last of four
days of recording sessions at Columbia Studios, which have yielded very
little useable material (1966)... At Southampton University, Pink Floyd play their first gig
without Syd Barrett. The opening act is
Tyrannosaurus Rex, (later to shorten their name to T Rex) featuring
Marc Bolan and percussionist Steve Peregrine Took (1968)... John Lennon
writes, records and mixes his new single 'Instant Karma' all in one day.
It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history,
recorded at Abbey Road Studios and arriving in shops only ten days
later... Simon & Garfunkel's final studio album Bridge over Troubled
Water is released (1970)... Elvis plays the first night of a 31-date
run at the Las Vegas Hilton. The King plays an 8:30 and a midnight show
on most days (1971)... Sean 'Puffy' Combs' father Melvin is shot dead in
his car in Manhattan at the age of 33. The future music industry mogul
is 2 at the time (1972)... Ringo Starr is at № 1
in the USA with his version of the Johnny Burnette oldie 'You're 16'
(1974)... The David Bowie documentary 'Cracked Actor' is shown on
British TV for the first time (1975)... Original Fleetwood Mac guitarist
Peter Green is committed to a mental hospital after threatening his
accountant with an air rifle when he was trying to deliver a £30,000
royalty cheque to him (1977)... Prince makes his US TV debut on American
Bandstand (1980)... Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera', now
the longest-running musical in Broadway history, opens at the Majestic
Theater (1988)... Queen have their second UK № 1
with 'Innuendo'. At 6 minutes 30 seconds, it exceeds their epic
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by 35 seconds and becomes the third longest British № 1
song of all time, behind 'Hey Jude' and Simple Minds' 'Belfast Child'.
[Subsequently the 9 minutes 38 seconds long 'All Around The World' by
Oasis will take over the top slot,demoting 'Innuendo' to fourth place].
For 'Innuendo's' flamenco guitar solo, Brian May is joined by Yes
guitarist Steve Howe (1991)... Billy Joel is airlifted to hospital after
his car smashes into a tree. The singer lost control of his Mercedes
S500 in the Hamptons and skidded for 100 yards before crashing.
(2003)... John Lydon is one of ten contestants to take part in the
latest I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! TV show set in the
Australian outback. The former Sex Pistols singer is seen by 11 million
viewers on the first night covered in bird seed being pecked by giant
ostriches. Lydon, who was paid £25,000 ($42,500) to appear in the show,
will walk off the set after four days (2004).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment