On This Day:
In 1960 Pete Best auditioned to become The Silver Beatles’ drummer and was asked to travel to Hamburg,Germany for the bands next set of dates just a few days later. Before leaving for Hamburg, The Silver Beatles changed their name to simply, “The Beatles.”
In 1966 The Beatles kicked off their final North American tour with two shows at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago.
Radio station KLUE in Longview, Texas held a “Beatles Bonfire” in response to John Lennon’s “more popular than Jesus” comment. Lightning struck the radio station the next day.
In 1968 Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham played together for the first time.
In 1970 Janis Joplin played the last concert of her life with the Full Tilt Boogie Band at Harvard Stadium. She died a few months later of an accidental heroin overdose at just 27-years-old.
In 1973 The Eagles, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers all appeared at the Corral Club in Topanga, California.
In 1980 Paul Simon released an album and dramatic film called “One Trick Pony.” Simon wrote and starred in the film.
In 1984 As The Olympic Games came to a close, Lionel Richie performed, “All Night Long” live from Los Angeles to an estimated television audience of two-point-six-billion people around the world. Richie was just beginning his career away from the Commodores when he got word he was wanted for what would be arguably the biggest solo gig of his life.
In 1991 Metallica released their self-titled fifth album “Metallica.”
In 1994 As many as 250-thousand people attended the first day of a three-day Woodstock ’94 concert in Saugerties, New York, marking the 25th anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethel, New York. The event opened with Joe Cocker and also featured The Band; Crosby, Stills, and Nash; the Cranberries; and Melissa Etheridge.
In 2005 Bonnie Raitt received the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award from the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at NARM’s annual convention in San Diego, California.
A judge ruled that Van Halen would be allowed to pursue legal action against the Baltimore Orioles. The band was suing the ball club over the team’s cancellation of the group’s concerts at Camden Yard during its 2004 tour.
In 2008 The Allman Brothers Band returned to the road with a show in Bethel, New York. The group had been idle for several months and had scrapped a number of shows earlier in the year, including their annual extended engagement at New York’s Beacon Theater, because frontman Gregg Allman was laid up receiving treatments for Hepatitis C.
In 2009 “The Father of the Electric Guitar” Les Paul died at a New York hospital of complications from pneumonia. He also developed other influential recording innovations such as multi-track recording and overdubbing. Paul was 94.
In 2010 Dave Mustaine’s autobiography, “Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir” debuted at number 15 on “The New York Times” best sellers list in the “Hardcover Nonfiction” category.
Richie Hayward, drummer and co-founder of Little Feat, passed away at the age of 64 after contracting pneumonia as he battled liver cancer.
In 2011 John Mellencamp’s divorce from wife Elaine Irwin was finalized, formally ending their 18-year marriage. It was Mellencamp’s third divorce.
In 2012 The Who, former Kinks frontman Ray Davies, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, and Annie Lennox were among the stars who performed live as part of the 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony in London.
In 2015 A postage stamp with Elvis’ face on it was issued in the U.S. This marked the second one of its kind. This stamp featured a 1955 photo of Elvis. It includes a crown, honoring Elvis’ nickname, “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” as well as his signature.
Comments