Category: Music

This is more a pop than rock anniversary: One of the two funniest songs Johnny Cash performed, “One Piece at a Time,” hit number 29 today in 1976:

Birthdays start with Gary Brooker of Procol Harum:

Bassist Mike Porcaro of Toto:

Drummer Mel Gaynor of Simple Minds:

Here is a varied career: David Palmer played drums for ABC …

… and AC/DC:

Today is also the anniversary of the death of Jeff Buckley, who drowned today in 1997:

Paul McCartney must like releasing albums in May. Today in 1971, he released his second post-Beatles album, “Ram,” which included his first post-Beatles number one single:

Birthdays today include Papa John Creech of the Jefferson Airplane:

Gladys Knight:

John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival:

Roland Gift of the Fine Young Cannibals:

Kylie Minogue:

Two unusual anniversaries in rock music today, beginning with John Lennon’s taking delivery of his Rolls-Royce today in 1967 — and it was not your garden-variety Rolls:

Ten years to the day later, the Beatles released “Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany, 1962,” which helped prove that bands don’t need to be in existence to continue recording. (And as we know, artists don’t have to be living to continue recording either.)

Meanwhile, back in 1968, the Rolling Stones released “Jumping Jack Flash,” which fans found to be a gas gas gas:

The short list of birthdays includes Mitch Margo of the Tokens …

… Klaus Meine of the Scorpions:

One strange anniversary in rock music Saturday. In 1968, Paul McCartney and Jane Asher attended a concert of … Andy Williams:

Eleven years later, not McCartney, but Elton John became the first Western artist to perform in the Soviet Union.

Four years later, David Bowie’s suggestion reached number one:

Today is famous in rock history for two reasons. The second was in 1980, when drummer Peter Criss quit Kiss. The first was in 1967, when the BBC banned the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” due to its alleged drug references:

Birthdays start with soul singer Shorty Long, who warned people that …

Who is Jill Jackson? She was the Paula of Paul and Paula, the former of whom (whose real name wasn’t Paul either) sang to her:

Joe Cocker did one of the best covers of all time, a song so nice he covered it twice (with Leon Russell on piano):

Oconomowoc native Jane Wiedlin, guitarist for the Go-Gos:

Today is the birthday (in separate years) of John and Susan Cowsill of the Cowsills:

John Cowsill also played drums on this ’80s one-hit wonder:

Three events in rock — well, music — history are of note today:

1958: The soundtrack to the musical “South Pacific” went to number one and stayed there for 31 weeks. The film version starred Mitzi Gaynor, who looked very much like my mother a few years later.

1960: DJ Alan Freed (mentioned in this space last week) and eight others were indicted for payola.

1979: Eric Clapton married Patti Boyd, the former wife of George Harrison and the muse for the song “Layla.” The song lasted much longer than the marriage.

Birthdays today are led by Pete Townshend of The Who:

Two members of Blood Sweat & Tears: trombonist Jerry Hyman and saxophone and flute player Greg Herbert:

Bass player Dusty Hill of ZZ Top:

Ramones lead singer Joey Ramone (born Jeffrey Hyman, so he must have been adopted by the Ramone family, right? Right?):

The first rock related birthday is Big Joe Turner, whose blues song “Shake Rattle and Roll” has only been rerecorded a bazillion times:

Glen Hardin of the Crickets, Buddy Holly’s band:

Born on the same day are William Wallace (no, not the “Braveheart” guy) of the Guess Who …

… and Rick Wakeman of Yes:

Feliciano “Butch” Tavares of, well, Tavares:

Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo:

Today is also the anniversary of the suicide of singer Ian Curtis of Joy Division, who committed suicide at 23 in 1980:

Finally, a moment of silence for Lawrence Welk, who died today in 1992:

Today in 1980, Brian May of Queen collapsed while onstage. This was due to hepatitis, not, one assumes, the fact that Paul McCartney released his “McCartney II” album the same day.

Today’s rock music birthdays start with someone who will never be associated with rock music: Liberace, born in West Allis today in 1919.

Actual rock birthdays start with Isaac “Redd” Holt of Young-Holt Unlimited:

Nicky Chinn wrote this 1970s classic: It’s it’s …

Roger Earl of Foghat …

… was born one year before Barbara Lee of the Chiffons …

… and drummer Darrell Sweet of Nazareth:

William “Sputnik” Spooner played guitar for both the Grateful Dead …

… and The Tubes:

Richard Page of Mr. Mister:

Krist Novoselic of Nirvana was born one year before …

… Miss Jackson if you’re nasty:

You may remember a couple weeks ago I noted the first known meeting of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Today in 1963, upon the advice of George Harrison, Decca Records signed the Rolling Stones to a contract. Four years to the day later, Stones Keith Richard, Mick Jagger and Brian Jones celebrated by … getting arrested for drug possession.

I noted the 51st anniversary May 2 of WLS in Chicago going to Top 40. Today in 1982, WABC in New York (also owned by ABC, as one could conclude from their call letters) played its last record, which was …

Four years later, the number one song in America was, well, inspired by, though not based on, a popular movie of the day:

Birthdays today include Antoine “Fats” Domino:

Henry Fambrough of the Spinners:

Danny Rapp of Danny and the Juniors:

One word: Donovan:

Graham Gouldman, bassist for 10cc, was born one year …

… before Jay Ferguson, who was in Spirit before his 1½ solo hits:

Ron Banks (who headed off to Rock and Roll Heaven, where you know they’ve got a hell of a band, one year ago) of the Dramatics:

Today is also Paul Hewson’s birthday. Who? You too know him:

Today in rock music begins with the Beatles, which today in 1962 signed the first record contract, three years to the day before they saw Bob Dylan in concert.

Birthdays include Dave Prater, half of Sam and Dave, born the same day as …

… Sonny Curtis, guitarist for the Crickets:

Nokie Edwards of the Ventures:

Richard Furay, singer for Buffalo Springfield and Poco:

Steve Katz of Blood Sweat & Tears:

To quote an ’80s rock video, Mr. William Joel …

… was born a year before Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick:

John “Rhino” Edwards, bass player for the Climax Blues Band, which …

And finally Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode: