This Date In Music History- August 6

Birthdays:

Mike Elliot – Foundations (1929)

Allan Holdsworth - Soft Machine (1948)

Pat McDonald - Timbuk 3 (1952)

Randy Debarge – Debarge (1958)

Geri Halliwell – (Ginger Spice) - Spice Girls (1972) Halliwell has scored more UK #1's than any other female artist.


They Are Missed:

Avant-garde musician and former backing singer with David Bowie Klaus Nomi died at the age of 39 of Aids in New York City in 1983. Nomi was one of the first celebrities to contract AIDS.

Born on this day in 1938, Isaac Hayes, singer, (1971 US #1 single, “Theme From Shaft”) Hayes was found dead at his home on Aug 10, 2008 (age 65).

Born in 1969, Elliot Smith, US singer songwriter. His song “Miss Misery” saw him nominated for an Academy Award in 1997. Smith committed suicide on October 22, 2003 (age 34).

Dick Latvala, erstwhile curator of Grateful Dead bootlegs, died from a heart attack in 1999. The archivist's collection of shows was officially released as Dick's Picks.

Rick James was found dead at his Los Angeles home in 2004. Known as “The King of Punk-Funk,” James scored the 1981 #3 album ‘Street Songs’ and 1981 #16 single “Super Freak part 1.” In the late 60's James worked as a songwriter and producer for Motown, working with Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. Addicted to cocaine, he once admitted to spending $7,000 a week on drugs for five years.


History:

In 1955, Dale Hawkins' swamp-rock classic, "Susie-Q," was released. Guitarist James Burton provided the snaky signature riff and searing solo.





Chubby Checker appeared on TV show American Bandstand in 1960 and performed “The Twist.” The song went to #1 on the charts and again 18 months later in 1962. It is the only song to go to the top of the charts on two separate occasions.



Bob Dylan began recording his third album, The Times They Are A-Changin” in 1963.

In 1965, the Beatles released their fifth album and soundtrack to their second film ‘Help!’ which included the title track, “The Night Before,” “You've Got to Hide Your Love Away,” “You're Going to Lose That Girl,” “Ticket to Ride” and “Yesterday.”

Steppenwolf, Janis Joplin, Paul Simon, Poco and Johnny Winter all appeared at the Concert For Peace at New York's Shea Stadium in 1970. The concert date coincided with the 25th anniversary of dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

In 1973, Stevie Wonder was seriously injured when the car he was riding in crashed into a truck on I-85 near Winston-Salem, North Carolina leaving him in a coma for four days. The accident also left him without any sense of smell.

Abba scored their first US top 10 hit in 1974 when “Waterloo” went to #6. The Swedish group were also on their first American tour.

Stevie Nicks released her first solo album “Bella Donna” in 1981 which contained four top 40 US hits. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (with Tom Petty), “Leather and Lace,” (with Don Henley) “Edge of Seventeen” and “After the Glitter Fades.”

Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” starring Bob Geldof opened in movie theatres in New York in 1982. The film was conceived alongside the double album by Pink Floyd’s, Roger Waters.

“Graceland,” the signature album of Paul Simon's career, was released in 1986.

The Beastie Boys sued the city of Jacksonville, FL in 1987 for including the phrase "mature audience" on their concert tickets and ads.

“Appetite For Destruction,” Guns N' Roses debut album, went to #1 in the US in 1988, after spending 57 weeks on the chart and selling over 5 million copies. Singles from the album, “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City” were all US top 10 hits.

In 2001, Whitney Houston became one of the highest-paid musicians in the world after signing a new deal with Arista records, said to be worth more than $100m.

In 2007, Keith Richards claims he did, in fact, inhale his late father's ashes, despite earlier statements saying he was misquoted when he made the infamous revelation in an April NME interview. "What I found out is that ingesting your ancestors is a very respectable way of . . . y'know, he went down a treat," says the Rolling Stones guitarist. Oh well, that's not so weird. Right. Richards also refutes part of the original quote. "The cocaine bit was rubbish. I said I chopped him up like cocaine, not with." Considering Richards doesn’t so much talk as mumbles it’s not surprising he was misunderstood.