November 13th

 

Musical birthdays today include jazz drummer Idris Muhammad (83), John P. Hammond (80), session guitarist Terry Reid (73), Pogues drummer Andrew Ranken (69), Aldo Nova (66), Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture (44), and rapper Jibbs [né Jovan Campbell] (32). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz pianist Hampton Hawes, born on this day in 1928... for Marshall Tucker Band guitarist Toy Caldwell, who would have been 74... for former Troggs drummer Ronnie Bond, who died on this date in 1992... for Mills Brothers vocalist Donald Mills, who left us today in 1999... and for experimental musician John Balance [co-founder of Coil] who was killed in a home accident on this day in 2004 at the age of 42. 

Also on November 13: The first concert of the music of composer Heitor Villa-Lobos is given in Rio de Janeiro. Both vocal and chamber works are on the program (1915)... New York Philharmonic conductor Bruno Walter, unable to go on because of illness, is replaced at the podium by a little-known 25-year-old assistant named Leonard Bernstein making his concert debut (1943)... The John Coltrane Quartet record the album Ballads (1962)... The Beatles record a television interview at Westward Television Studios in Plymouth, Devon, for the local teen program 'Move Over, Dad'. Due to the large crowd of excited fans outside, the group has to be smuggled from their dressing-room at the ABC Cinema, where they are scheduled to appear that night, into an adjacent building, then through a tunnel, to get to Westward Studios for the interview taping (1963)... Decca Records release The Rolling Stones’ 'Little Red Rooster'. Written by Willie Dixon (as 'The Red Rooster'), and previously recorded by Howlin’ Wolf and Sam Cooke, the single was recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago. The single will become a № 1 hit in the UK and remains the only time a blues song has ever topped the British pop chart (1964)... Brian Jones buys 'Cotchford Farm' in Sussex from the estate of A.A. Milne, who wrote Winnie the Pooh when he was living in the house (1968)... Crosby Stills Nash & Young open a four-night stand at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco (1969)... Led Zeppelin's fifth tour of the UK sells out within four hours (1972)... Rod Stewart starts an 8 week run at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Tonight's The Night'. It is Rod's second US № 1; it made № 5 in the UK despite being banned by many radio stations owing to the song's lyric about the seduction of a virgin. The song features whispers from actress Britt Ekland, who was Stewart's girlfriend at the time... In Britain, Melody Maker announces UK dates for the first major punk tour, with The Sex Pistols and The Ramones co-headlining along with Talking Heads, The Vibrators and Chris Spedding. The 14-date tour which is due to start at Newcastle City Hall on Nov 29th will never take place (1976)... Siouxie and the Banshees release their debut album The Scream (1978)... U2 kick off their 23 date North American 'October' tour at JB Scott's in Albany, NY (1981)...  Rod Stewart fan Patricia Boughton files a lawsuit against the singer claiming that a football he kicked into the crowd during a concert at the Pine Knob Music Theater in Clarkston, MI ruptured a tendon in the middle finger of her right hand; the injury allegedly made sex between her and her husband difficult (1990)... On the occasion of the release of his 5-CD career retrospective Genius & Soul, Ray Charles conducts his first ever online chat at rhino.com (1997)... The Beatles launch their first official website, www.thebeatles.com. The site goes live on the same day as the release of their retrospective 'Compilation 1' album (2000)... Wynona Judd is arrested for DUI after being stopped by Nashville police for doing 90 MPH on a city thoroughfare. The country star is released on $500 bond (2003).