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THIS WEEK IN ROCK & ROLL HISTORY

April 6 – 12

142 events that created the soundtrack of YOUR life
How many do YOU remember?

A PHOTOS AND FACTOIDS FEAST INCLUDED

THE ROCK & ROLL MEMORY MAGAZINE

SUNDAY April 6

The late Gerry Mulligan (legendary saxophonist and composer) was born in 1927

Frank Black (born Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV – lead singer/songwriter/guitarist with the Pixies – “Where Is My Mind?”) is 43

Ralph Cooper (drummer with Air Supply – “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All”) is 57

Tony Connor (drummer with Hot Chocolate – “You Sexy Thing”) is 61

John Stax (bassist with the Pretty Things – “Honey I Need”) is 64

Merle Haggard (“Okie From Muskogee”) is 71
Rock Factoid: Haggard’s “Mama Tried” was a semi-autobiographical song he recorded in 1968. The line, “I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole,” was partially true. He was in San Quentin Prison at the age of 21 in 1958, but was serving a 15-year sentence for robbery.

Elvis Presley signed a three-picture movie deal with Paramount Studios---1956

The Russian newspaper Pravda warned communist youth about the dangers of doing “The Twist”---1962

The Beach Boys recorded “California Girls”---1965
Rock Factoid: Despite the fact that Brian Wilson calls the song the “theme song of the Beach Boys,” it peaked on the charts at #3, while “I Get Around,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Good Vibrations” and “Kokomo” all reached #1.
Rock Factoid #2: Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #71 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time.

The Beatles began the “Revolver” recording sessions---1966

Syd Barrett, suffering from mental illness and burnout associated with rampant drug use, officially left Pink Floyd---1968
Rock Factoid: Barrett visited the members of Pink Floyd in 1975 during the recording sessions for the “Wish You Were Here” album. Barrett attended the Abbey Road session unannounced, and watched the band record “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” — a song about him.
By that time, Barrett had become quite overweight, had shaved off all of his hair, including his eyebrows, and his ex-bandmates did not at first recognize him. A reference to that visit appeared in the film Pink Floyd The Wall, where the character 'Pink,' played by Bob Geldof, shaves off his eyebrows (and body hair) after succumbing to the pressures of life and fame.

The Beatles opened their Apple Corps office at 95 Wigmore Street, London---1968

Fed up with the fighting within the band, primarily between brothers Ray and Dave Davies, bassist Pete Quaife left the Kinks---1969

Carly Simon met James Taylor---1971

The Rolling Stones record label (with the infamous “lips” logo) debuted---1971

The Smothers Brothers won over $750,000 from CBS in a lawsuit over the cancellation of their television show---1973

Queen signed their first recording contract---1973

The film, Ladies & Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones premiered in New York---1974

Rod Stewart married Alana Hamilton (George Hamilton’s ex-wife-- it lasted five years)---1979

Ral Donner (“You Don’t Know What You’ve Got”) died (lung cancer)---1984
Rock Factoid: Donner’s entire career was based on the fact he was an identical audio twin of Elvis Presley. The vocal resemblance was so uncanny that Donner was chosen to do the vocal impersonation of Presley for the narration in the 1981 documentary This Is Elvis.

Miami Steve Van Zandt announced he was leaving the E Street Band---1985

Wendy O. Williams (lead vocalist with punk group the Plasmatics – “Monkey Suit”) died (self-inflicted gunshot)---1998

Tammy Wynette, the ‘First Lady of Country Music’ (“Stand By Your Man”) died (cardiac arrhythmia)---1998
Rock Factoid: Staning by your man was easier sung than actually done. Wynette was married five times.

MONDAY April 7

The late Percy Faith (“Theme From A Summer Place”) was born in 1908

The late Billie Holiday (“Strange Fruit”) was born in 1915

The late Mongo Santamaria (“Watermelon Man”) was born in 1922

The late Spencer Dryden (drummer with Jefferson Airplane – “White Rabbit”) was born in 1938

The late Alan Buck (drummer with the Four Pennies – “Juliet”) was born in 1943

The late Bruce Gary (drummer with the Knack – “My Sharona”) was born in 1951

Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink - “Society’s Child”) is 57
Rock Factoid: Janis legally changed her last name to Ian when she was 13.
Rock Factoid #2: She was only 15 when she wrote and recorded “Society’s Child”

John Oates of Hall & Oates (“Private Eyes”) is 59

Patricia Bennett (vocalist with the Chiffons – “He’s So Fine”) is 61

Bill Kreutzmann (drummer with the Grateful Dead – “Dark Star”) is 62

Mick Abrahams (guitarist with Jethro Tull – “Beggar’s Farm”) is 65

Charlie Thomas of the Drifters (“There Goes My Baby”) is 71

Bobby Bare (“Detroit City” and the real singer of “All-American Boy”) is 73

Ravi Shankar (sitar maestro) is 88
Rock Factoid: Shankar and George Fenton were nominated for an Academy Award (Best Original Score) for their work on Gandhi.

Although many companies had already made the switch two years earlier, Columbia Records announced it would sell all future singles on “new” 45-rpm records---1956

Sonny & Cher’s Good Times movie debuted in Chicago---1967

"Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (from ‘Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid’) won the Academy Award for Best Original Song---1970
Rock Factoid: The song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, was initially offered to Ray Stevens who turned down the chance to record it. Only then was the song offered to B.J. Thomas.

Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple to form Rainbow---1975

Kit Lambert (manager and early producer of The Who) died (cerebral hemorrhage after falling down a flight of stairs)---1981

President Ronald Reagan overturned Secretary of The Interior James Watts' decision and invited the Beach Boys to perform in Washington, DC---1983
Rock Factoid: By the time Reagan extended the invitation, the band had already booked the date elsewhere. However, they did return to Washington in 1984. Rock Factoid #2: Watts’ Beach Boys gaffe was hardly an isolated example of his troublesome mouth. He seemed to have little concern for the environment – odd considering his position – when he made this bizarre quote:
“We will mine more, drill more, cut more timber.”
Rock Factoid #3: Watts resigned his position eighteen days after this rather hideous quote about the makeup of his staff:
“We have every kind of mix you can have. I have a black, I have a woman, two Jews and a cripple.”

Wham! became the first western pop group to perform live in China---1985

Alice Cooper nearly did hang himself for real at a concert rehearsal when a safety rope broke---1988

Elton John dedicated “Candle in the Wind” to 18-year old AIDS patient Ryan White during his performance at Farm Aid IV. Ryan died the next day---1990
Rock Factoid: In 1990, Congress enacted The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act or Ryan White Care Act, the United States' largest federally funded program (excluding Medicaid and Medicare) for the care of those living with HIV and AIDS.
It is important to remember that because of Ryan White, America learned that AIDS wasn’t only a homosexual disease. It wasn’t contracted by just the promiscuous or junkies who shared dirty syringes.
It was, as Ryan White and his family discovered, also contracted through tainted blood transfusions.

George Michael was arrested in a public restroom in Beverly Hills for lewd conduct---1998

Heinz Burt (bassist with the Tornadoes – “Telstar”) died (muscular dystrophy)---2000

TUESDAY April 8

Julian Lennon (born John Charles Julian Lennon – “Too Late For Goodbyes” and the first Beatle baby) is 45
Rock Factoid: Although John Lennon did phone the hospital, he was on tour with the Beatles and it wasn’t until April 15, a full seven days after Julian’s birth, that John actually saw his son.

Izzy Stradlin (born Jeffrey Isbell – guitarist with Guns N' Roses – “Welcome to The Jungle”) is 46

Steve Howe (guitarist with Yes - “Roundabout,” Asia - “Heat Of The Moment” and GTR – “When The Heart Rules The Mind”) is 61

Roger Chapman (lead singer with Family – “A Song For Me”) is 66

Leon Huff (songwriter/producer) is 66
Rock Factoid: Together with Kenny Gamble, Huff (left in photo) has co-written and/or produced hit songs for the O’Jays, Soul Survivors, Intruders, Archie Bell & The Drells, the Jacksons, Harold Melvin, Billy Paul, Dusty Springfield, Laura Nyro and many, many more.

Peggy Lennon (Lennon Sisters – “Sad Movies Make Me Cry”) is 67

John Frederick Coots (composer who wrote the music for “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and “Love Letters In The Sand” ...plus over 700 more songs) died (natural causes)---1985

The BBC banned “100 Pounds Of Clay” because it contained references to a woman being created from building materials, and was considered to be blasphemous---1961

The Supremes recorded “Where Did Our Love Go”---1964
Rock Factoid: The song, which the Marvelettes had rejected because they it was “too childish,” became the first #1 song for the Supremes.
Rock Factoid #2: The foot-stomping sound effect was performed by a teenager named Mike Valvano, who stomped down upon two wooden boards suspended by strings, to create the aural illusion of a group of foot-stompers.

Mike Vickers left Manfred Mann---1966
Rock Factoid: Vickers (upper left in photo) was replaced by Jack Bruce, but within months, Bruce also left to form Cream with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker.
Rock Factoid #2: Vickers went on to become a highly sought after arranger, including his work on the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.”
Rock Factoid #3: Using the pseudonym Patrick J. O'Hara Scott, Vickers composed the music that for the last 30 years, has been the closing theme on This Week In Baseball.

Kurt Cobain’s body was discovered---1994

Laura Nyro (writer of “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stoney End,” “Eli’s Coming,” “And When I Die,” “Stoned Soul Picnic” and many others) died (ovarian cancer)---1997

Tommy Lee of Motley Crue was jailed for 6 months after breaking probation with an assault on a photographer---1998

WEDNESDAY April 9

The late Carl Perkins (the original “Blue Suede Shoes”) was born in 1932
Rock Factoid: Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #69 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time.

The late Terry Knight (“I Who Have Nothing” and later the manager of Grand Funk) was born in 1943

The late David ‘Chico’ Ryan (extreme left in photo bassist and vocals with Sha Na Na) was born in 1948
Rock Factoid: Ryan’s timing wasn’t the best. He joined Sha Na Na after the band had recorded “At The Hop” and appeared at Woodstock). Prior to joining Sha NaNa, Ryan was a member of the Happenings, who had two Top 10 hits to their name: “See You In September” and “I Got Rhythm” before Ryan joined them.

Phil Wright (lead singer and drummer with Paper Lace – “The Night Chicago Died”) is 60

Gene Parsons (Byrds drummer from 1968-72 – “Chestnut Mare”) is 64

Emil Stucchio (lead vocalist with the Classics – “Till Then”) is 64

Tom Lehrer (singer/political satirist – “National Brotherhood Week”) is 80

Opera singer Marian Anderson, who had been barred from performing for an integrated audience at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, instead sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of 75,000 and a radio audience of millions---1939
Rock Factoid: Infuriated by the DAR’s stance, thousands of DAR members, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, resigned.
Rock Factoid #2: Several weeks later, Anderson gave a private concert at the White House, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt was entertaining King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Britain.

Gene Vincent recorded “Be-Bop-A-Lula”---1956

Capitol Records reached an out-of-court settlement with Vee-Jay Records over Beatles records it claimed Vee-Jay did not have the rights to release---1964

The Rolling Stones' fashion sense was attacked by E.M. Roberts, a Welsh headmaster who was particularly critical of their corduroy trousers. He said it was a, “disservice to the young if adults interpret freedom as a complete disregard of the rules.”
Keith Richards’ response was unprintable---1965

The Beatles released “Ticket To Ride” / “Yes It Is”---1965

Bruce Johnston joined the Beach Boys as a permanent replacement for Brian Wilson---1965

Percy Sledge's “When A Man Loves A Woman” was released---1966

Paul McCartney released “My Love”---1973

Folk singer Phil Ochs (“Draft Dodger Rag”) died (suicide)---1976

“Flashdance…What A Feeling” won the Academy Award for Best Song---1984

Dave Prater of Sam & Dave (“Soul Man”) died (car accident)---1988

Brook Benton (“The Boll Weevil Song”) died (spinal meningitis)---1988

Bill Wyman and Mandy Smith announced their engagement. He was 53. She was 19---1989
Rock Factoid:Their subsequent marriage lasted one year, although Wyman’s 30-year old son Stephen later married Mandy’s 46-year old mother.
Idle Thought:That made Stephen a stepfather to his former stepmother. If Bill and Mandy had remained married, Stephen would have been his father's father-in-law.

Billy Idol released “Cradle Of Love”---1990

Darrell Glenn (“Crying In The Chapel”) died (cancer)---1990
Rock Factoid: Glenn was only 17 in 1953 when he recorded the original version (seven years before Elvis Presley) of the song his father, Artie Glenn, had written.
Artie’s inspiration for the song came from an event that took place while he was recovering from spinal surgery. From his bed in the hospital, he vowed to become closer to God. He kept his promise and went to the church nearest his home — Loving Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.
“Artie told me he walked to the front of the church with tears rolling down his cheeks,” his widow Foy Glenn recalled. Soon the inspiring words came to him:
“You saw me crying in the chapel.”
Rock Factoid #2: Darrell Glenn would later write “Indescribably Blue” which Elvis Presley recorded.

Mae Boren Axton (Hoyt Axton's mother and the co-writer of “Heartbreak Hotel”) died (drowned)---1997

THURSDAY April 10

The late Martin Denny (composer/ pianist - “Quiet Village”) was born in 1911

The late Sheb Wooley (“Purple People Eater”) was born in 1921

The late Nate Nelson (Flamingos – “I Only Have Eyes For You” and later a member of The Platters) was born in 1932

The late Eddie Hazel (lead guitarist with Parliament/Funkadelic – “Maggot Brain”) was born in 1950
Rock Factoid: Hazel’s work on that song is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded.

Brian Setzer ((vocalist and guitarist with the Stray Cats – “Rock This Town” and later founded the Brian Setzer Orchestra – “Jump Jive An’ Wail”) is 49

Danny Woods (Chairmen of The Board – “Give Me Just A Little More Time”) is 64

Bobbie Smith (member of the Spinners – “I’ll Be Around”) is 72

Eddie Fisher was discharged from the Army and arrived home to a check of $330,000 for record royalties for the 7 million records that were sold while he was enlisted---1953

Nat “King” Cole was beaten onstage by racists in Birmingham, Alabama---1956

Ricky Nelson sang his first record (“I’m Walkin’”) on his parents television show---1957

Chuck Willis (“C.C. Rider”) died (perforated stomach ulcer)---1958

Bobby Darin recorded “Splish Splash” and “Queen Of The Hop”---1958

Stu Sutcliffe, the original bass player for the Beatles, died (cerebral hemorrhage)---1962

The Beatles released “The Beatles’ Second Album” in the U.S.---1964

Paul McCartney announced he had quit the Beatles---1970

Isaac Hayes won the Academy Award for Best Song (“Shaft”)---1972

Little Eva (“Loco-Motion”) died (cervical cancer)---2003

FRIDAY April 11

The late Richard Berry (composer of “Louie Louie”) was born in 1935

The late Stuart Adamson (lead vocalist with Big Country – “In A Big Country”) was born in 1958

The late Doug Hopkins (lead guitarist with the Gin Blossoms – “Follow You Down”) was born in 1961

Lisa Stansfield (“All Around The World”) is 42

The Beatles released “From Me To You” in England---1963
Rock Factoid: It went to #1 in England, but only peaked at #116 in America (before Beatlemania struck).

Nat “King” Cole recorded “Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer”---1963

The Beatles occupied a record-breaking fourteen positions on the US Hot 100 chart---1964
“Can't Buy Me Love” (1)
“Twist And Shout” (2)
“She Loves You” (4)
“I Want To Hold Your Hand” (7)
“Please Please Me” (9)
“Do You Want To Know A Secret” (14)
“I Saw Her Standing There” (38)
“You Can't Do That” (48)
“All My Loving” (50)
“From Me To You” (52)
“Thank You Girl” (61)
“There's A Place” (74)
“Roll Over Beethoven” (78)
“Love Me Do” (81)

The Kinks
The NME poll-winners concert at Wembley was, at the time, the biggest star-studded concert in British history---1965
The following acts appeared…in this order: The Moody Blues, Freddie and The Dreamers, Georgie Fame, The Seekers, Herman’s Hermits, The Ivy League, Sounds Incorporated, Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, The Rolling Stones, Cilla Black, Donovan, Them, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Animals, The Beatles and The Kinks.

Frank Sinatra recorded “Strangers In The Night”---1966

The Beatles recorded “Got To Get You Into My Life”---1966

Big Brother & The Holding Company made their national TV debut on ABC’s Hollywood Palace---1968

The Beatles released “Get Back” / “Don’t Let Me Down” in England---1969

Peter Green, founder of Fleetwood Mac, quit the band---1970

Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Will Jennings won the Academy Award for Best Song (“Up Where We Belong”)---1983

Dave Clark’s musical (Time) debuted in London---1986

Cher won the Best Actress Academy Award for ‘Moonstruck’---1988
Rock Factoid: It was the same year Frank Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz won the Oscar for Best Song (“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing).

Elton John sang at the funeral of AIDS victim Ryan White---1990

June Pointer, the youngest of the Pointer Sisters – “He’s So Shy”) died (cancer)---2006

Proof (born DeShaun Holton – co-founder of rap group D12 – “Purple Hills”) was shot to death---2006

SATURDAY April 12

The late Theodore ‘Hound Dog’ Taylor (legendary blues guitarist – “Sadie”) was born in 1915
Rock Factoid: Taylor was born with six fingers on each hand but one night, in a drunken haze, cut the small extra finger on his right hand off with a razor.

The late Billy Vaughn (“Melody Of Love”) was born in 1919

The late Tiny Tim (born Herbert Khaury - “Tiptoe Thru The Tulips”) was born in 1932

Vince Gill (vocalist with Pure Prairie League – “Let Me Love You Tonight” and later a solo act – “When I Call Your Name”) is 51

Alexander Briley (originally the ‘sailor’ and later known as the ‘military man’ with the Village People – “In The Navy”) is 57

David Cassidy (Partridge Family – “I Woke Up In Love This Morning”) is 58

John Kay (born Joachim Fritz Krauledat – lead vocalist with Steppenwolf (“Born To Be Wild”) is 64

Bill Haley and His Comets recorded “Rock Around The Clock”---1954

Big Joe Turner released “Shake Rattle And Roll”---1954

Chubby Checker married former Miss World, Catharina Lodders---1964

“Dead Man’s Curve” almost came true for Jan Berry of Jan & Dean when he crashed his car in Beverly Hills after hearing he was about to be drafted---1966

Simon & Garfunkel released “The Boxer”---1969
Rock Factoid: Constantly asked about the song’s meaning, Paul Simon answered this way:
“The Boxer was a really nice record. I like to listen to that record. I think I was reading the Bible around that time. That's where I think phrases such as ‘workman's wages’ came from, and ‘seeking out the poorer quarters.’ That was biblical. I think the song was about me: everybody's beating me up, and I'm telling you now I'm going to go away if you don't stop.”

“Louie Louie Day” was held in Olympia, Washington as an unsuccessful attempt was made to make it the official state song---1984

Sonny Bono was elected mayor of Palm Springs, California---1988

Abbott ‘Abbie’ Hoffman, author, co-founder of the Youth International Party (Yippies) and one of the ‘Chicago Seven’ who were prosecuted for inciting a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, committed suicide by swallowing 150 Phenobarbital tablets---1989
Rock Factoid: Although Hoffman, along with four of the other members of the Chicago Seven (Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, and TomHayden) were found guilty of intent to incite a riot while crossing state lines.
Each of the five was sentenced to five years in prison and fined $5,000. However, all convictions were subsequently overturned by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and none of the defendants served any jail time.
Rock Factoid #2: Hoffman interrupted The Who's performance at Woodstock in 1969 to attempt a protest speech against the jailing of John Sinclair of the White Panther Party. He grabbed a microphone and yelled, “I think this is a pile of shit! While John Sinclair rots in prison…” The Who's guitarist, Pete Townshend, unhappy with the interruption, cut Hoffman off mid-sentence by hitting him with his guitar, sending Abbie tumbling off the stage.

Herbert Mills (member of the Mills Brothers – “Paper Doll”) died (pneumonia)---1989