This day in 'Musical' history

Oct 9th:
.
1965
The Ohio State University marching band plays "Hang On Sloopy" for the first time when their football team takes on Illinois. It soon becomes an OSU favorite, and in 1985 is designated the state song of Ohio.

*-----------------------------------------*

1969 - Top Of The Pops
For the first time in the history of the show, the BBC’s Top Of The Pops producers refused to air the No. 1 song, ‘Je T’aime... Moi Non Plus’, the erotic French language love song by Serge Gainsbourg and actress Jane Birkin.

1760126897491.png

The song, an instrumental with the voices of Gainsbourg and Birkin apparently recorded in the act of love and superimposed over the top, caused such a stir in Britain that the original label, Fontana, dropped the record despite it being No. 2 on the charts.

A small record company, (Major Minor), bought the rights and saw the song climb to the top of the charts, the first French language song to ever do so.
*-----------------------------------------*
 

Oct 9th:
.
1971 - The Who
The Who played a small, low-key show at the University of Surrey, Guildford, with guest John Sebastian joining in on harmonica on ‘Magic Bus’ ‘ the only outside musician ever to jam with The Who on stage.
  • Backstage, the group celebrated John Entwistle’s 27th birthday.
*-----------------------------------------*

1973 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley and Priscilla divorced after six years of marriage. Priscilla was awarded property, $725,000 cash and $4,200 a month support.
*-----------------------------------------*

1976 - Walter Murphy
One hit wonders Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'A Fifth Of Beethoven', included in the Disco smash film 'Saturday Night Fever' , it made No.28 in the UK.
 
Oct 9th:
.
LENNON:

1940

John Winston Lennon is born in Liverpool, England. The "Winston" comes from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
- John would later add "Ono" to his middle name in honor of Yoko.

*-----------------------------------------*
1975
On father John Lennon's 35th birthday, Yoko Ono gives birth to Sean Ono Taro Lennon (Sean Lennon).

*-----------------------------------------*

1985
On what would have been John Lennon's 45th birthday, a section of Central Park in New York City is christened "Strawberry Fields" in his memory.

1760127278619.png...1760127381769.png

Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, funds the project with a gift of $500,000, and appears with mayor Ed Koch at the dedication ceremony.

Months after Lennon's 1980 murder, the city designated the area in his honor - it's located near the Dakota building, where John and Yoko lived. With Yoko's funding, the Garden of Peace is built in 1984 as a place of meditation and quiet contemplation.
In the garden is the Imagine monument, a circular mosaic with the word "Imagine" at its center.Strawberry Fields becomes a popular destination for Beatles fans, who often place flowers on the Imagine monument.

Every December 8th, fans gather there to honor Lennon on the anniversary of his death.

*-----------------------------------------*

2000
--- On what would have been John Lennon's 60th birthday, the book Lennon Remembers, The Complete Rolling Stone Interviews is released, containing material too controversial to publish years earlier.

--- The John Lennon museum opens in Japan on what would have been his 60th birthday. Yoko Ono allows it to operate for 10 years before terminating the agreement, as she feels Lennon's spirit should stay in motion.

*-----------------------------------------
 

Oct 10th:
.
1964
The Olympic Games open in Tokyo, inspiring the song "Tokyo Melody."


*-----------------------------------------------------*

1970 - Sounds
The first issue of Sounds the British music paper was published. It was intended to be a weekly rival to titles such as Melody Maker and New Musical Express and was well known initially for giving away posters in the centre of the paper.

1760127680622.png

- Sounds closed on April 6, 1991.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sounds_(magazine)
*--------------------------------------------------------*

1972
James Brown alienates much of his audience by meeting with President Richard Nixon in the White House and endorsing him in his bid for re-election.

Brown, who doesn't claim a political affiliation, uses the brief meeting to push for a national holiday celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Nixon says he's "aware of that.
-- "Tape recordings from the Oval Office reveal Nixon pushing back against the meeting, saying, "No more black stuff.
--- No more blacks from now on. Just don't bring 'em in here."

When an aide explains that Brown has huge influence in the black community, he reluctantly agrees.
- Nixon is despised by most black voters, but Brown is politically conservative, hewing to a message of rising up on your own.
-- His hope is that Nixon will provide opportunities that African Americans can use to rise up as business owners.
--- His support for Nixon leads to protests, with some fans calling him a sell-out.After Nixon won in 1968, Brown played at his inauguration; after Nixon's victory in 1972,
Brown skips it because the White House refuses to pay for the performance.Brown soon grows frustrated with Nixon, and takes him to task on the 1973 song "You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks And l'll Be Straight."
  • When Jimmy Carter is elected president in 1976, Brown attends one of his inaugural balls.
 
Oct 10th:
.
1978
The second Stiff Records UK tour kicked off featuring;
  • Wreckless Eric,
  • Jona Lewie,
  • Rachel Sweet,
  • Lene Lovich and
  • Micky Jupp.
The UK tour was undertaken by train, and then continued on to the USA, without Jupp, who was afraid of flying.
*----------------------------------------------------------*

1980 - John Bonham
The funeral took place of Led Zeppelin's drummer John Bonham ‘Bonzo’ was found dead at guitarists Jimmy Page's house of what was described as asphyxiation, after inhaling his own vomit after excessive vodka consumption, (40 shots in 4 hours) aged 32.

*----------------------------------------------------------*

1999 - Elvis Presley
A charity auction selling Elvis Presley's belongings was held at The Grand Hotel, Las Vegas.
  • A wristwatch sold for $32,500,
  • a cigar box $25,000,
  • an autographed baseball sold for $19,000, and
  • a 1956 Lincoln Continental sold for $250,000.
*----------------------------------------------------------*
 
Oct 11th:
.
1970
Elvis Presley is made an honorary "special" deputy sheriff of Bel Air, California. - adding to his collection of law enforcement badges. He received the badge as part of his growing interest in law enforcement and badge collecting, which began around this time.

1760184161474.png
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

1981
Opening a show for The Rolling Stones at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Prince gets booed off the stage.
The Stones have good intentions in bringing in a rising star, but his act isn't a good fit for this crowd, and when he opens his trench coat to reveal bikini briefs, it gets ugly.

1760184300537.png
  • Prince never again performs as an opening act.
 
Oct 11th
.
1997
- are among the musicians who perform at a tribute to Muddy Waters at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------0

2004
.

The Vote for Change tour wraps up in Washington, DC. with a concert featuring
- The goal of the tour is to get president George W. Bush voted out of office in the November elections. Bush wins by a narrow margin.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------0

2011
.
After it's launch in 2004 ( People magazine had been handing out the Sexiest Man Alive award since 1985).
Esquire names Rihanna the Sexiest Woman Alive.

1760184704886.png

She's the only musician ever to win the award, which they bestow from 2004-2015.
Other winners include Minka Kelly and Halle Berry.

Their first sexy woman was Angelina Jolie, and every selection thereafter is an actress, until Rihanna is selected in 2011.
The story is written based on a dispatch from her Loud tour, with the reporter noting how Rihanna doesn't really dance, but instead does what amounts to "choreographed oozing." Noting her saucy stage show, he crowns her the "indisputable champion of carnal pop."

For the cover shot, Rihanna is wearing nothing but seaweed, as if she just washed up on shore.
  • On the cover of her next album, Unapologetic, she's naked, concealed with some carefully placed graphics.
1760185167690.png
-----------------------------------------------------------------------0
 
Oct 11th
.
1966
The Moody Blues split up, with Denny Laine signing a solo deal with their label, Deram

1760268918671.png

The group re-forms a month later with new members Justin Hayward and John Lodge.

1760268849566.png

*--------------------*

1968 - Janis Joplin
Big Brother And The Holding Company went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Cheap Thrills'.

1760268556321.png

The cover, drawn by underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, replaced the band's original idea, a picture of the group naked in bed together.

Crumb had originally intended his art to be the LP's back cover, but Joplin demanded that Columbia Records use it for the front cover.
  • Initially the album title was to have been Sex, Dope and Cheap Thrills, but this didn't go down too well at Columbia Records.
 
Oct 12th:
.
1974 - Blondie
Blondie appeared at CBGB’s in New York City, under the name Blondie for the first time.
The name is derived from comments made by truck drivers who catcalled "Hey, Blondie" to Debbie Harry as they drove by.

1760269117228.png
(Valentine, Stein, Burke,Destri and Harry))
-------------------------------------------------0

1975 - Rod Stewart and the Faces
...... made their final live appearance when they played at Nassau Coliseum, Long Island.
The group produced four studio albums:
  • First Step (1970),
  • Long Player (1971),
  • A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse (1971) and
  • Ooh La La (1973).
----------------------------------------------------0

1979
Fleetwood Mac release Tusk, - - - their first album since the wildly successful Rumours in 1977.
The set of songs that cost the band over $1 million to record.

The double album peaked at No.4 in the US and achieved sales in excess of two million copies, spawning two Top Ten singles, 'Sara' and the title track.
It reached No.1 in the UK and achieved Platinum status.

- Though it has less commercial appeal, Mick Fleetwood credits it with keeping the band together, as the band members were free to experiment.
 
Oct 12th:
.
1994 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd played the first of a 15-night run at Earls Court, London, England.

Less than a minute after the band had started playing 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', a scaffolding stand holding 1200 fans, collapsed, throwing hundreds of people 20 feet to the ground.

It took over an hour to free everyone from the twisted wreckage, ninety-six people were injured, with 36 needing hospital treatment.
Six were detained overnight with back, neck and rib injuries.
Pink Floyd sent a free T-shirt and a note of apology to all the fans who had been seated in the stand that collapsed.
- The show was immediately cancelled and re-scheduled.

-------------------------------------------------------------------0

1996 - Rolling Stones
28 years after its creation, The Rolling Stones' Rock & Roll Circus was finally released.
The 1968 event put together by The Stones comprised two concerts on a circus stage and included performaces by
  • The Who,
  • Taj Mahal,
  • Marianne Faithfull and
  • Jethro Tull.
  • John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, - along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell and Keith Richards.
  • It was originally planned to be aired on BBC TV.
1760269685563.png
 
Oct 12th
.
1997

John Denver was killed when the handmade, experimental airplane he was flying ran out of gas and crashed off the coast of Monterey Bay, California.

1760270652100.png

The 53 year old star had scored 15 songs on Billboard's Top 40 Pop chart, ten of which reached number one on either Billboard's Adult Contemporary or Country chart.

Denver's plane has a fuel selection valve behind the pilot's head, forcing him to balance on the right rudder in order to switch tanks.
Denver left the airport with less fuel than he should have, and when attempting to switch tanks, he hits the right rudder, causing the crash.
  • Denver was the aircraft's sole occupant.
Although Denver was an experienced pilot who logged over 2,700 hours on various aircrafts, he wasn't actually allowed to be flying at the time of his death due to his past arrests for drunk driving, but an autopsy proves he wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol during his final flight.
  • The crash is so devastating, the only way the singer's body could be identified is through his fingerprints.
When his death is announced, Colorado governor Roy Romer orders the state's flags to be lowered to half staff.
Colorado always held a special place in the singer's heart. Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., the New Mexico native borrowed his new surname from his favorite state's capital, and eventually settled in Aspen after the success of his 1972 hit "Rocky Mountain High."

Having released his breakthrough album, Poems, Prayers, and Promises, the previous year, Denver's crossover appeal continued throughout the '70s with a steady stream of country folk hits inspired by his love of nature, including "Sunshine On My Shoulders" and "Annie's Song" (written after an invigorating jaunt on the ski slopes). Colorado returned the favor by naming him Poet laureate of the state and making "Rocky Mountain High" one of the official state songs.
  • As his chart success began to wane, Denver leaned into political activism and humanitarian work, founding
The Hunger Project to campaign against hunger and the Windstar Foundation to promote sustainable living.
His distaste for right-wing politics led to his controversial track "Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?)" from his 1986 album, One World.
In the years before his death, he remained in the public eye, publishing an autobiography, Take Me Home, that details his struggles with drug use and infidelity, and accepting a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

His only two Grammy Awards were given posthumously: All Aboard! took home Best Musical Album For Children in 1997 and his classic 1971 hit "Take Me Home Country Roads" was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998

John Denver - Wikipedia
 
Oct 13th:
.
1965 - The Who
The Who recorded 'My Generation' at Pye studios, London.
When released as a single it reached No.2 on the UK chart, held off the No.1 position by The Seekers 'The Carnival Is Over'.
  • Roger Daltrey would later say that he stuttered the lyrics to try to fit them to the music.
  • The BBC initially refused to play the song because it did not want to offend people who stutter.
*------------------------------------*

1974 - Ed Sullivan
TV host Ed Sullivan died.

Leader of the Ed Sullivan Singers and Orchestra, he introduced The Beatles and other UK acts to America via his Ed Sullivan TV show, from New York City, which ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, on CBS every Sunday night at 8pm.

Ed Sullivan - Wikipedia

The Beatles appearance on February 9th 1964 is considered a milestone in American pop culture and the beginning of the British Invasion in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers.

1760383095526.png

The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show - Wikipedia
 
Oct 13th:
.
1986
Neil Young headlines the first Bridge School benefit concert in support of the non-profit institution that provides education for children with verbal and physical disabilities.

Young and his wife Pegi co-founded the school when their son, Ben, was born with cerebral palsy.

The all-acoustic concert - featuring performances by Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Tom Petty, and a reunited Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - turns into an annual event that adds many more big-name acts to the roster, including regular guests Pearl Jam.
--------------------------------------------------------------0

2004 - The Isley Brothers
The US Internal Revenue Service charged 63-year-old Ronald Isley, lead singer of the Isley Brothers, with tax evasion for failing to report income from royalties and performances by the band between 1997 and 2002.
  • He was later found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.
--------------------------------------------------------------0

2011 - Maroon 5
American band Maroon 5 were on the top 10 of the UK singles chart with 'Moves Like Jagger', featuring Christina Aguilera.
Its lyrics referred to a male's ability to impress a female with his dance moves, which he compared to those of Mick Jagger.
The video featured old video footage of Jagger and his iconic dance moves.
Moves Like Jagger was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards.

*-------------------------------------------*

2016
Bob Dylan is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, "For having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."
Previous winners in this category include William Golding, John Steinbeck, and William Faulkner.
He's the first American to win since Toni Morrison in 1993.

2016 Nobel Prize in Literature - Wikipedia
 


Back
Top