Friday, March 26, 2010

This Date In Music History-March 26

Birthdays:

Diana Ross - Supremes (1944)

Fred Paris - Five Satins (1946)

Richard Tandy - Electric Light Orchestra (1948)

Steven Tyler - Aerosmith (1948)



Fran Sheehan - Boston (1949)

James Jonas Iha - Smashing Pumpkins (1968)

Kenny Chesney (1968)

Juvenile (1975)


They Are Missed:

One-man blues band Duster Bennett was killed in a car accident in 1976. Worked with Alexis Korner, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac and B.B. King.

Jon Paulus (Buckinghams) died of a drug overdose in 1980 (age 32).

Born today in 1953, William Lyall, keyboards, Pilot. Also worked with Sheena Easton and The Bay City Rollers. Lyall died in 1989.

Rapper producer, and record executive Eazy-E (Eric Lynn Wright) died of AIDS in Los Angeles in 1995 (age 31). Formed Ruthless Records, worked with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube.

Randy Castillo drummer with the Ozzy Osbourne band died of cancer in 2002 (age 51). Worked with Osbourne during the 1980s and early 1990s. Also worked with Lita Ford and Motley Crue

In 2004, Jan Berry of Jan and Dean, died at the age of 62, after being in poor health sustained in a 1966 car crash. Had the 1963 US #1 single "Surf City" (co written by Beach Boy Brian Wilson).

In 2005, Australian drummer Paul Hester died (age 46), after he "attempted suicide" and died from strangulation after being found hanged in a park in Melbourne. He had been a member of Crowded House, Split Enz and Largest Living Things.

Born on this day in 1950, Teddy Pendergrass, soul singer. One time member of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes. Died on Jan 13, 2010 at the age of 59 following a difficult recovery from colon cancer surgery.


History:

Ricky Nelson recorded his first tunes-- "I'm Walkin'" and "A Teenager's Romance" in 1957.

In 1961, the Beatles performed at the Casbah Coffee Club, West Derby, Liverpool, their last performance before traveling to Hamburg, West Germany, for their second visit.

The photograph for the "butcher" cover for the Beatles' American "Yesterday And Today" album was taken in 1966.



In 1970, Peter Yarrow of Peter Paul and Mary pleaded guilty to 'taking immoral liberties' with a 14 year old girl in Washington D.C. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months in jail. Just days earlier, the trio had won a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children for their album, 'Peter, Paul and Mommy.'





Mott The Hoople announce they were finished in 1972. David Bowie, a major fan, offered a song to keep them recording. They choose “All The Young Dudes” which becomes their biggest hit.




The film "Tommy" premiered in London in 1975.

Hall and Oates started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1977 with "Rich Girl," the duo's first US #1 hit.

The first single by Elvis Costello, "Less Than Zero" was released in 1977.

The Police became the first Western pop group to play in Bombay, India for over ten years when they played a one off gig in the city in 1980.

In 1985, radio stations in South Africa banned all of Stevie Wonders records after he dedicated the Oscar he had won the night before at The Academy Awards to Nelson Mandela.

Guns N' Roses were signed to Geffen Records in 1986.

Michael Jackson started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1988 with "Man In The Mirror."

Soundgarden entered the US album chart at #1 in 1994 with 'Superunknown.'

In 2000, Phil Collins won an Oscar at the Academy Awards for Best Original Song with "You'll Be In My Heart" from the Disney animated feature 'Tarzan.'

The toy figure of Eminem was facing a ban from UK shops in 2001. Woolworth's and Hamleys were refusing to stock the dolls. Psychologists warned parents who buy the dolls for children will be inadvertently giving their approval to bad language.

In 2006, readers of Total Guitar magazine voted the guitar solo by Jimmy Page in Led Zeppelin’s "Stairway To Heaven" as the greatest guitar solo of all time. The 1971 track was voted ahead of tracks by Van Halen, Queen, Jimi Hendrix and The Eagles by its UK readers.



Also in 2006, U2's The Edge donated his favourite guitar a 1975 Gibson Les Paul to a charity he co-founded to replace instruments lost or destroyed when Hurricane Katrina hit the US.

Digital downloads of all of Elton John's albums were available for purchase exclusively (for a little over a month) by iTunes in 2007. The releases include nearly 400 tracks from John's four-decade career.

In 2008, a new promotion was launched promising a free can of Dr Pepper to nearly everybody in America if Guns N' Roses release their long-delayed "Chinese Democracy" album in ‘08. "It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients," says Pepper marketing director Jaxie Alt. "So we completely understand and empathize with (frontman) Axl (Rose's) quest for perfection." 2008

Also in 2008, the Los Angeles Times apologised for claiming rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was involved in a 1994 shooting of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur. The LA Times, which published the original story on its website, initially said its claims were based on FBI records, witness accounts and other unnamed sources. The apology followed a claim that the newspaper was conned by a prisoner who doctored the documents used.

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