Today in 1963, two years and one day after the Beatles started as the house band for the Cavern Club in Liverpool, the Beatles performed there for the last time.

Three years later, the South African government banned Beatles records due to John Lennon’s infamous “bigger than Jesus” comment.

Five years later and one year removed from the Beatles, Paul McCartney formed Wings.

Today in 1974, guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter left Steely Dan for the Doobie Brothers, later to be followed by Michael McDonald.

In my first post-college job, when he went on vacation, the newspaper owner instructed us that whatever happened while he was gone — computer dying on production day, presses struck by lightning, building destroyed by a meteor, whatever — we were to get out a newspaper as scheduled, even if it was one typewritten page. So by that standard, today in 1990 Radio Kuwait failed its listeners, because it left the air due to Kuwait’s invasion by Iraq.

Birthdays start with Tony Bennett — no, not the former Packers linebacker or former UW–Green Bay basketball player — who …

Beverly Lee of the Shirelles:

Morris “B.B.” Dickerson played bass for War:

Jon Graham of Earth Wind & Fire:

Who is Leon Drucker? Lee Rucker, bass player for the Stray Cats:

James Hetfield of Metallica:

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