Today in 1967, Jimi Hendrix released “Purple Haze”:

Three years later, Hendrix made his last concert appearance in Great Britain at the Isle of Wight Festival, which also featured, for your £3 ticket …

Meanwhile, back in the states, Eric Clapton and some musicians he’d hired to put together an album — a group called Derek and the Dominos — attended an Allman Brothers concert in Miami. After the concert, Clapton invited the band, including guitar player Duane Allman, back to the studio for an all-night jam session. Allman then asked to watch the Dominos’ recording sessions. Clapton said if you’re going to watch, you’re going to play. And so became “Layla” …

… “and Other Assorted Love Songs.”

The number one song in the U.S. today in 1978 was a song in a style unlike the movie from whence it came:

Birthdays start with Maurice Williams, who asks you to …

Richard Cowsill of the Cowsills:

Dan Vickrey played guitar for the Counting Crows:

Adrian Young plays drums, No Doubt:

Finally, a musical death of note (get it?): Those who played in high school bands (which are starting up right about now) probably played at least one of the works of British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who died at 85 today in 1958:

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