A short but deep list of birthdays today begins with Neal Doughty of REO Speedwagon:
Geddy Lee of Rush (whose last song here should be the theme song of my old high school):
John Sykes of Thin Lizzy:
And from today’s Ironic Death File: Today in 1974, Mama Cass Elliott died, not from drug use or alcoholism, but from choking on a ham sandwich:
We begin with our National Anthem, which officially became our National Anthem today in 1931:
Birthdays begin with George Cummings of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show:
Clem Cattini was the drummer for the Tornados:
Richard Wright played keyboards for Pink Floyd:
Steven Peregrine Took of T-Rex:
Steve Duncan of the Desert Rose Band:
Today in 1977, John Lennon did not get instant karma, but he did get a green card to become a permanent resident, five years after the federal government (that is, Richard Nixon) sought to deport him. So can you imagine who played mind games on whom?
Birthday-wise, today is more about quality than quality.
One-hit wonder Brenton Wood …
… was born one year before two-hit wonder Dobie Gray …
Today in 1964, the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” hit number one and stayed there for 14 weeks:
Today in 1973, George Harrison got a visit from the taxman, who told him he owed £1 million in taxes on his 1973 Bangladesh album and concert:
Birthdays start with Mark Clarke of Uriah Heep …
… born one year before Verdine White, who played bass for Earth Wind & Fire:
Ken Greer played guitar for Red Rider:
One death occurred today in 1995: Charlie Rich:
Today in 1965, Bob Dylan released “Like a Rolling Stone,” which is not like the Rolling Stones:
Birthdays start with Heinz Burt, bassist for the one-hit-wonder Tornados …
… born one year before Jim McCarty of the Yardbirds …
… who was born one year before Jim Armstrong, guitarist for Them:
William “Junior” Campbell was the lead signer for two-hit wonder Marmalade:
Today in 1965, the Beatles asked for …
Birthdays start with Cleveland Dunkin of the Penguins:
Dino Danelli played the drums for the Young Rascals:
Blair Thornton played guitar for Bachman–Turner Overdrive:
Ian Thomas was a one-hit wonder in this country and a bigger act in the Great White North:
Janis Siegel (who we once saw in a Lawrence University concert) sang for the Manhattan Transfer:
Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore:
Who is Saul Hudson? Slash of Guns N Roses:
Sam Waters of Color Me Badd:
Birthdays start with the indescribable George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic:
Rick Davies played keyboards for Supertramp:
Estelle Bennett was the older sister of Ronnie Spector, and both were part of the Ronettes:
Don Henley of the Eagles:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kslHr7_9Zac
It figures after yesterday’s encyclopedia of music knowledge that there are no interesting moments in rock history today and only three birthdays of note: Larry Tolbert, drummer of Raydio …
… Taco Ocheriski, an ’80s one-hit wonder …
… and Yusaf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens:
(Stevens, or Islam, either put himself in the Foot in Mouth Hall of Shame or revealed the cancer within his own soul when he approved of the fatwa an imam put on author Salman Rushdie for daring to write The Satanic Verses. Some radio stations refused to play Stevens’ music after that. I thought that was a poor decision at the time; my suggestion was to play Cat Stevens songs, followed immediately by a record from another Stevens — Ray’s “Ahab the Arab.” Needless to say, that would not fly today.)
Today in 1968, Iron Butterfly’s “In-a-Gadda-da-Vita” reached the charts. It is said to be the first heavy metal song to chart. It charted at number 117.
At the other end of the charts was South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela:
Quite a selection of birthdays today, starting with T.G. Sheppard:
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