If I were to begin life again, I would devote it to music. It is the only cheap and unpunished rapture upon earth. ~Sydney Smith
1939 – The late Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers (‘Cathy’s Clown’) was born.
1943 – The late Janis Joplin (‘Me And Bobby McGee’) was born.
1944 – Shelley Fabares (‘Johnny Angel’ and co-star on the Donna Reed Show and Coach) was born. She’s 72 today.
1946 – Dolly Parton (‘9 To 5”) was born and is 70 today.
1949 – The late Robert Palmer (‘Addicted To Love’) was born.
1951 – Dewey Bunnell (singer/songwriter/guitarist with America – ‘A Horse With No Name”) He’s 65 today.
1958 – Carl Perkins left Sun Records and signed with Columbia.
1967 – The Monkees recorded ‘All Of Your Toys’ and ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’.
Rock Factoid: ‘All Of Your Toys’ was the first recording to feature all four Monkees actually playing on a recording and was scheduled to be their third single. However, the song’s copyright was owned by Tickson Music and Screen Gems, who supervised music selection for the Monkees, had a rule that only Screen Gems-owned material could be released. The song, written by Bill Martin, a friend of Michael Nesmith, was not released until 1987 as part of the ‘Missing Links’ album.
1967 – The Beatles began recording the epic ‘A Day In The Life’.
1973 – The Bobby Darin Show debuted on NBC. It was cancelled four months later.
1973 – The Moody Blues released ‘I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)’.
1976 – The Beatles turned down promoter Bill Sargent’s $50 million offer to reunite for one concert.
1981 – Hall & Oates released ‘Kiss On My List’.
1988 – Doc McGhee, manager of KISS and the former manager of Bon Jovi and Motley Crue pleaded guilty to importing more than 40,000 pounds of marijuana into the U.S.
1993 – Fleetwood Mac performed at “The Presidential Inaugural Gala” a day before Bill Clinton took office. Others on the bill included, Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Chuck Berry, Elton John, Kenny Rogers and Trisha Yearwood.
1994 – The Band, Rod Stewart, Animals, Grateful Dead, Elton John, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Duane Eddy were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Johnny Otis (Non-Performer) and Willie Dixon (Early Influence) were also inducted.
1995 – Gene MacLellan (wrote ‘Snowbird’ for Anne Murray and ‘Put Your Hand In The Hand’ for Ocean) committed suicide.
1998 – Carl Perkins (‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Honey Don’t’, ‘Matchbox’, ‘Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby’) died at the age of 65 from throat cancer after a series of strokes.
Among the mourners at his funeral were George Harrison, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Garth Brooks, and Wynonna Judd.
2005 – On the eve of George W. Bush’s inauguration, Lee Greenwood, Kenny Chesney, The Gatlins, Sara Evans, Clay Walker, Lyle Lovett, and Asleep At The Wheel performed at related events in Washington, D.C.
2006 – Wilson Pickett (‘In The Midnight Hour’, ‘Mustang Sally’, ‘Funky Broadway’, ‘Land Of 1,000 Dances’) died of a heart attack.
2007 – Denny Doherty (lead singer with The Mamas & Papas – ‘Monday, Monday’, ‘California Dreamin’, ‘I Saw Her Again’, ‘Creeque Alley’) died of kidney failure following surgery for an abdominal aneurysm.
2008 – John Stewart (‘The Reverend Mr. Black’ with the Kingston Trio and ‘Gold’ as a solo artist) died following a stroke.
Rock Factoid: Stewart wrote the Monkees’ ‘Daydream Believer’ and The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Never Goin’ Back’
Rock Factoid #2: Stewart’s brother Mike, who died in 2002, founded the folk-rock group We Five (‘You Were On My Mind’) in 1964.
2012 – Dave Millen (lead guitarist with The Puppets – ‘Shake With Me’) died of lung cancer.
2012 – Winston Riley (lead singer with The Techniques – ‘Little Did You Know’) died from a gunshot wound.
2012 – Errol Scorcher (‘Peace Truce’) died of a ruptured blood vessel.
2013 – Steve Knight (keyboards with Mountain – ‘Silver Paper’) died from complications of Parkinson’s disease.
Compiled by Ray Lemire ©2016 RayLemire.com. All Rights Reserved.