The late Frank Sinatra (‘Strangers In The Night’) was born in 1915

The late Joe Williams (‘Every Day I Have The Blues’) was born in 1918

The late Joan Weber (‘Let Me Go Lover’) was born in 1935

The late Tim Hauser (Manhattan Transfer – ‘The Boy From New York City’) was born in 1941

The late Grover Washington Jr. (‘Just The Two Of Us’) was born in 1943

The late Rob Tyner (born Robert Derminer – lead singer with MC5 – ‘Kick Out The Jams’) was born in 1944

Ray Jackson (mandolin and vocals with Lindisfarne – ‘Meet Me On The Corner’ and the uncredited mandolin player on Rod Stewart’s ‘Maggie May’) is 66

Ralph Scala (lead singer/keyboards with Blues Magoos – ‘We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet’) is 67

Alan Ward (rhythm guitarist with The Honeycombs – ‘Have I The Right’) is 69

Dickey Betts (guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band – ‘Ramblin’ Man’) is 71

Terry Kirkman (keyboards with The Association – ‘Cherish’) is 73

Dionne Warwick (‘Walk On By’) is 74

Connie Francis (born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero – ‘Lipstick On Your Collar’) is 76

Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley all performed at the National Guard Armory in Armory, Mississippi—1955

Al Priddy, a Portland, Oregon DJ, was fired for playing Elvis Presley’s ‘White Christmas’. Station management said, “It’s not in the spirit we associate with Christmas.”—1957

Bill Haley recorded ‘See You Later Alligator’—1955

In one of the biggest scandals in rock music history, Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13-year-old second cousin Myra Gale Brown—1957
Rock Factoid: Jerry Lee had already gone through two marriages by 1957; he’d married Jane Mitcham, his second, 23 days before his divorce from his first wife, Dorothy Barton, was final.
Rock Factoid #2: Lewis didn’t seem to realize that marrying your cousin was offensive to most urban markets (and to other countries). For a man from his time and place, marrying at thirteen was a not uncommon occurrence, and he never considered keeping the marriage a secret.
Rock Factoid #3: But wait, it gets better! Lewis married for the seventh time in 2012. His wife, Judith Brown Lewis, is the ex-wife of Rusty Brown, Jerry’s second cousin. And Rusty Brown would be the brother of Myra Gale Brown. Got it? So, Lewis’ current wife used to be married to his ex-wife’s (and cousin’s) brother. Oh, and just to complicate things further, in addition to being his wife, Judith Brown is also Lewis’ caregiver.

‘John Fitzgerald Kennedy – A Memorial Album’, recorded on November 22, the day of Kennedy’s assassination, became the fastest-selling album in history, selling four million copies in six days—1963

The Righteous Brothers released ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ / ‘There’s A Woman’—1964

Pink Floyd performed their first concert (Oxfam benefit at Royal Albert Hall)—1966

Rolling Stones’ guitarist Brian Jones received a $1,500 fine and three years probation in lieu of a nine month prison sentence for marijuana possession after three psychiatrists concluded Jones was in a poor mental state and had suicidal tendencies—1967

Regal Starline released ‘No One’s Gonna Change Our World’, a charity album to benefit the World Wildlife Fund—1969
Rock Factoid: Musical acts such as The Hollies, Lulu, Cliff Richard, Cilla Black, and The Bee Gees, all contributed songs, but most fans remember it for featuring The Beatles’ ‘Across The Universe’ – the title of the album comes from a line in the song – “Nothing’s gonna change my world.”

The Magic Christian (starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr) premiered in London—1969

John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band released the live album ‘Live Peace in Toronto 1969’ which had been recorded at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival concert on September 13—1969

The Doors performed at The Warehouse in New Orleans. It would turn out to be their final concert—1970
Rock Factoid: The concert began normally but halfway through Jim Morrison began to completely omit key lyrics and then just slumped against the microphone stand to keep himself upright.
The band omitted a lot of the song list and jumped to ‘Light My Fire’ but Morrison lost all composure and slumped down on the drum riser. Drummer John Densmore shoved the singer towards the front of the stage but Morrison had completely lost it. In frustration, he picked up the mic stand and continually slammed it into the stage eventually splintering the wood. He stormed off the stage, leaving the band alone and the audience confused.

Elvis Presley recorded ‘Thinking About You’ and ‘Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues’—1973

Guitarist Mick Taylor left the Rolling Stones—1974
Rock Factoid: “It was inevitable. I was becoming so depressed and frustrated that it was rubbing off on the group. You know, for a whole year we just really didn’t do anything. We didn’t see each other and nothing was happening.” … Mick Taylor

Bob Seger released ‘Night Moves’—1976

Ian Stewart (original piano player with the Rolling Stones who was dismissed from an onstage role with the band but remained their longtime session player and road manager) died (heart attack)—1985

Arthur Lee, guitarist and lead singer with Love, was released from prison after serving almost six years of an eleven-year sentence. Lee had been convicted of possession of a firearm and for allegedly shooting a gun in the air during a dispute with a neighbor—2001

Mick Jagger received a knighthood at Buckingham Palace—2003
Rock Factoid: When Jagger agreed to accept the honor, fellow Stone Keith Richards criticized the singer, believing Jagger had sold out.
“It sent out the wrong message. It’s not what the Stones are about, is it?” Calling it a “paltry honor,” Richards added he would never have accepted any similar offer from the British government, “because they know what I would’ve said. They knew I’d tell them where they could put it.”

Ike Turner (guitarist with the Kings of Rhythm – ‘Rocket 88’ {written by Turner but credited to Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats} and later the musical partner with then wife Tina – ‘Proud Mary’) died (cocaine overdose combined with hypertensive cardiovascular disease and pulmonary emphysema)—2007

A copy of John Lennon’s book, A Spaniard In The Works (which contained a lock of Lennon’s hair), sold at Gorringes Auction House for $48,000. Lennon gave the book and the hair to Betty Glasow, the Fab Four’s hairdresser during their heyday. He wrote in the book, “To Betty, Lots of Love and Hair, John Lennon xx”—2007

Eddie ‘Guitar’ Burns (blues guitarist – ‘Orange Driver’) died (heart failure)—2012

Compiled by Ray Lemire ©2014 RayLemire.com. All Rights Reserved.
You may not, under any circumstances, reproduce, record, publish, republish, post, transmit, publicly display, publicly exhibit or distribute any articles or photographs on RayLemire.com without obtaining the express written consent of the Operator.