Sunday, December 23, 2007

This Day In Music History- December 23

The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Foxy Lady" was released in 1967.

In 1969, Elton John and Bernie Taupin began writing songs together.

In 1972, John Lennon's film "Imagine" premiered on national TV.

Cat Stevens converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusef Islam in 1977.
Rod Stewart released the dreadful “Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" in 1978.

James Brown sued the producers of the movie "The Commitments" in 1991. Brown claimed that one of the characters too closely resembled him. He lost the case.

The late "Little" Esther Phillips was born in 1935.

In 1959, Chuck Berry was arrested for transporting a minor across a state line for an immoral purpose (he was eventually sentenced to five years in prison).

In 1964, singer/songwriter Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys suffers a nervous breakdown on an airline flight from Los Angeles to Houston.

Tony Bennett is released from a Washington, DC hospital in 1996, after an emergency hernia operation (he was stricken while preparing to perform at the White House).

Simon & Garfunkel donate a million dollars to the Children's Health Fund in 2003, a fund that was started by Paul six years earlier.

In 1973, Jim Croce receives a posthumous #1 record with "Time In A Bottle."

Jeremy Clyde of Chad & Jeremy appears on CBS-TV's "My Three Sons,” in 1967.

Foxy Brown is handcuffed in court after sticking her tongue out at the judge. The rapper was finalizing a plea deal in a 2004 assault incident.

In 2004, R&B singer Mario tops the American singles chart with "Let Me Love You," knocking Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot" to #2.

In 2003, Ozzy Osbourne was removed from intensive care and transferred to a private clinic so that he can recuperate from injuries that he sustained after crashing an ATV on his English estate.

Chick-rocker Pink signs on as a spokesperson for Pepsi in 2003. She says she will appear in a series of TV advertisements in the New Year.

In 1999, police arrested a stalker at George Harrison's Hawaiian home. The unemployed Christin Keleher appeared to be living the high-life in the empty mansion, using the phone, washing machine and ordering pizza.

Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel dies at age 42 in 1992.

In 1974, George Harrison released one of his rare Christmas records, "Ding Dong, Ding Dong."

1967 saw the UFO Club open in London's Tottenham Court Road. With Pink Floyd as the club's house band, the venue becomes a hive of psychedelic activity.

In 1966, the BBC airs the last edition of “Ready Steady Go!” The show had brought audiences such acts as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The Who performed on the final episode.

The Beach Boys make their first appearance on Shindig in 1964. The group performs "Little Saint Nick," "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Monster Mash."

Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray was born in 1955.

Birthday wishes to Johnny Contardo, drummer with Sha Na Na, who was born in Boston in 1951.

In 1949, Mott the Hoople guitarist Ariel Bender was born.

Also celebrating a birthday is Spooky Tooth guitarist Luther Grosvenor who was born in Worcester, England in 1949.

Iron Butterfly drummer Ron Bushy was born in Washington, D.C. in 1945.

Happy birthday to songwriter Tim Hardin, who was born in Eugene, Ore in 1941. The eclectic songwriter penned “Reason to Believe" and "If I Were a Carpenter."

Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen was born in Washington, D.C. in 1940.
Also born in 1940 was soul-singer Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites.

Birthday wishes to Jazz trumpeter, icon and junkie Chet Baker, who was born in Yale, Oklahoma in 1929.