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THIS WEEK IN ROCK & ROLL HISTORY
March 14 – March 20

BIRTHS ... DEATHS ... EVENTS
With
Photos – Rock & Roll Trivia – Videos

Why Is This Man In A Rock & Roll Article?

The Answer Is Inside

THE ROCK & ROLL MEMORY MAGAZINE

ALL DEATHS ARE NOTED IN BOLD CHERRY

SUNDAY March 14

The late Les Baxter ('Poor People Of Paris') was born in 1922

The late Peter John 'Ollie' Halsall (guitar virtuoso) was born in 1949
Rock Factoid: Probably the best known recording of Halsall is his work on 'All You Need Is Cash', the soundtrack from a film based on the fictional history of the Rutles – a satirical look at the Beatles. Halsall played many of the instruments and provided backing and lead vocals, most notably on 'Doubleback Alley', 'With A Girl Like You' and 'Get Up And Go'. Eric Idle was cast in his place in the film and Halsall was only featured in a very minor cameo role as Leppo, the fifth Rutle who became lost in Hamburg, ala Stu Sutcliffe.

Taylor Hanson (keyboards and lead singer with Hanson – 'MMMBop') is 27

Rigdon 'Rick' Dees ('Disco Duck') is 60

Walter Parazaider (saxophone with Chicago – 'Make Me Smile') is 65

Jimmy O'Rourke (guitarist with John Fred & His Playboy Band – 'Judy In Disguise') is 65

Jim Pons (bass guitar with the Leaves – 'Hey Joe' and the Turtles – 'She's My Girl') is 67

Quincy Jones (27-time Grammy Award winning producer) is 77

Phil Phillips (born John Phillip Baptiste – 'Sea Of Love') is 79

Elvis Presley auditioned to appear on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts but was rejected---1955

The movie Rock Around The Clock (with Bill Haley) premiered in Washington, DC---1956

The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) certified Perry Como's 'Catch A Falling Star' as its first-ever gold record---1958

Gerry Marsden (Gerry & The Pacemakers) was fined 60 pounds for evading British customs with a German-bought guitar---1963

Billboard reported that Beatle records accounted for 60% of U.S. record sales---1964

Petula Clark made her American TV debut on the Ed Sullivan Show---1965

Mary Anne Ganser (Shangri-Las – 'Leader Of The Pack') died (barbiturate overdose)---1970

The Rolling Stones played a farewell concert at the Roundhouse in London before moving to France to escape British taxes---1971

Carole King was the big winner at the 14th Grammy Awards. She won Album of The Year for 'Tapestry' in addition to Record of The Year for 'It's Too Late' and Song of The Year for 'You've Got A Friend'---1972
Note: All Grammy Awards mentioned in this article are for recordings released the previous year.

Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Tico Torres, Alec John Such and Dave Sabo (soon to be replaced by Richie Sambora) formed Bon Jovi---1983

Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics ('Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This') married Hare Krishna devotee Radha Raman. They started divorce proceedings the following year---1984

Songwriter Doc Pomus ('Save The Last Dance For Me,' 'Suspicion,' 'Hushabye' and many others) died (lung cancer)---1991

Peter MacBeth (bass guitarist with the Foundations – 'Build Me Up Buttercup') was sentenced to six years in prison for child sex offenses---2008

MONDAY March 15

The late Sam 'Lighnin' Hopkins (influential blues guitarist – 'Shotgun Blues') was born in 1912

The late Arif Mardin was born in 1932
Rock Factoid: Mardin produced music for dozens of stars, including Carly Simon, the Young Rascals, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, the Bee Gees, Judy Collins, Phil Collins, Culture Club, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Hall & Oates, Willie Nelson, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie and Ringo Starr.

Brett Michaels (born Bret Michael Sychak – lead singer with Poison – 'Every Rose Has It's Thorn') is 47

Terence Trent D'Arby ('Wishing Well') is 48

Dee Snider (born David Daniel Snider – lead singer with Twister Sister – 'We're Not Gonna Take It') is 55

Ry Cooder (brilliant slide guitarist who was ranked #8 on the All-Time Great Guitarists list by Rolling Stone magazine) is 63

Sly Stone (born Sylvester Stewart) of Sly & The Family Stone – 'Dance To The Music' is 66

Costell extreme left
David Costell (guitarist with Gary Lewis & The Playboys – 'This Diamond Ring') is 66
Rock Factoid: "The band was originally called Gary and The Playboys. When we cut 'This Diamond Ring', all of the Playboys had to sign a contract with Gary and his mother Patty, and became employees of ESTA Music. From then on, we were no longer a group. That's when we became known as Gary Lewis & The Playboys" … John West, former Playboy
Rock Factoid #2: The musicians in the band were only allowed to play the basic rhythm track (and sometimes not even that) on their own recordings. Producer Snuff Garrett brought in session musicians Tommy Allsup (guitar), Leon Russell (keyboards), Carol Kaye (bass) and Hal Blaine (drums) to "maximize the band's chances for success."
Rock Factoid #3: Due to their inability to recreate the sound of their own records, the band was allowed to lip-synch when they appeared on television shows such as the Ed Sullivan Show. Sullivan had a standard policy of not allowing that but due to his friendship with Jerry Lewis (Gary's father), that rule was waived for Gary's band.

Mike Love of the Beach Boys ('Surfin' Safari') is 69

Hughie Flint (drummer with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers – 'Parchman Farm' and later a founding member of McGuinness Flint – 'When I'm Dead And Gone') is 69

Phil Lesh (bass guitar with the Grateful Dead – 'Touch Of Grey') is 70

D.J. Fontana (born Dominic Joseph Fontana – drummer on Elvis Presley's early hits) is 79

The Chords recorded 'Sh-Boom'---1954

Fats Domino recorded 'Ain't It A Shame'---1955

Frank Sinatra's 'September Of My Years' won the Grammy Award for Album of The Year. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass won Record of the Year for 'A Taste Of Honey' while songwriters Johnny Mandel & Paul Francis Webster won Song of The Year for Tony Bennett's 'The Shadow Of Your Smile'---1966

The Beatles released 'Lady Madonna' / 'The Inner Light' in England---1968

The Byrds appeared on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. They received a polite, if not chilly, response---1968

John Lennon and Yoko Ono were left standing on the dock in Southampton as they tried to board a ferry to France with an alternative destination of Holland. Due to passport issues, they were told they could not depart---1969
Rock Factoid: As any Beatles fan knows (or should), the incident became the opening verse in 'The Ballad Of John & Yoko':
"Standing in the dock at Southampton
Trying to get to Holland or France
The man in the mac said, 'You've got to go back'
You know they didn't even give us a chance"

CBS-TV announced it was canceling The Ed Sullivan Show after 23 years---1971

Los Angeles DJ Robert W. Morgan played Donny Osmond's 'Puppy Love' for 90 straight minutes. Police, suspecting foul play, eventually raided the station---1972

Cathy Smith was arrested for second-degree murder for providing the drugs that killed John Belushi---1983

Billy Joel, Curtis Mayfield, Paul McCartney, Del Shannon, Dusty Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, the Staple Singers (and in the non-performing section, George Martin) were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame---1999

Marshall Leib of the Teddy Bears ('To Know Him, Is To Love Him') died (heart attack)---2002

Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Prince, Bob Seger, the Dells, Traffic and ZZ Top were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame---2004

TUESDAY March 16

The late Fred Neil (wrote Roy Orbison's 'Candy Man' and Nilsson's 'Everybody's Talkin'') was born in 1936

Nancy Wilson (guitarist with Heart – 'Magic Man') is 56

Mike Bruce (guitarist/keyboards/songwriter with Alice Cooper – 'School's Out') is 62

Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby – wrote 'Mr. Bojangles') is 68

Betty Johnson ('I Dreamed') is 81

Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch – 'Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody' and the father of Gary Lewis) is 84

Fats Waller recorded the classic 'Jitterbug Waltz'---1942

Hank Williams recorded 'Hey Good Lookin''---1951

Peter, Paul & Mary released 'Puff (The Magic Dragon)'---1963

The Beatles released 'Can't Buy Me Love' / 'You Can't Do That'---1964
Rock Factoid: The single had advance orders of 2.1 million copies.

Radio personality Alan Freed was charged with income-tax evasion by a federal grand jury probing into radio and record company payola, less than two years after he admitted guilt in the same investigation---1964

Tammi Terrell ('Ain't Nothin' Like The Real Thing' with Marvin Gaye) died (brain tumor)---1970

Simon & Garfunkel won the three major Grammy Awards (Record of The Year, Song of The Year and Album of The Year) for 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'---1971

Blues guitarist T-Bone Walker ('Call It Stormy Monday') died (pneumonia)---1975

After receiving pressure from other label artists, A&M Records dropped the Sex Pistols six days after signing them---1977

Seven members of Reba McEntire's band (Paula Kaye Evans, Terry Jackson, Chris Austin, Kirk Capello, Joey Cigainero, Michael Thomas and Tony Saputo) died in a plane crash near San Diego, California---1991

Fans dangled an usher by his ankles from the balcony during a Metallica concert at Orlando Arena. The incident started a riot and the band was charged $38,000 for repairs and cleaning after the audience trashed the building---1992

Johnny Cymbal ('Mr. Bass Man') and also known as Derek ('Cinnamon') died (heart attack)---1993

Joe Pope (The Tams – 'What Kind Of Fool') died (heart attack)---1996

Beatles producer George Martin retired, ending a 48-year career in music---1998
Rock Factoid: As most music fans know, Martin's career did not begin or end with the Beatles. His early work included producing artists such as Cleo Laine, Stan Getz, John Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton and Judy Garland before producing legendary comedy recordings by Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. In 1962, he signed the Beatles to the Parlophone label and the music world changed forever.
In addition to his work with the Beatles, Martin produced albums by Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey, Mahavishnu Orchestra, America, Jeff Beck, Gary Brooker (of Procol Harum), Neil Sedaka, Jimmy Webb, UFO, Cheap Trick, Ultravox, Peter Gabriel, Celine Dion and Kenny Rogers.
Rock Factoid #2: His final #1 song as a producer (he had 30) was 'Candle In The Wind 1997' by Elton John, of which Martin said, "It's not a bad one to go out on."

Ola Brunkert (drummer with ABBA on virtually all of their songs) died (hit his head against a glass door in his dining room, shattering the glass and cutting his neck. He left the house to seek help, but collapsed in the garden.)---2008

Daniel MacMaster (lead singer with Bonham – 'Wait For You') died (staph infection)---2008

WEDNESDAY March 17

The late Nat 'King' Cole ('Unforgettable') was born in 1919

Billy Corgan (lead singer and guitarist with the Smashing Pumpkins – 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness') is 43

Bobby Whitlock (keyboards with Derek & The Dominoes – 'Layla') is 62

Pat Lloyd (bass guitar with the Equals – 'Baby Come Back') is 62

Pattie Boyd, former wife of George Harrison (she was the inspiration for 'Something') and Eric Clapton (the inspiration for 'Layla') is 66

John Sebastian (lead singer with the Lovin' Spoonful – 'Summer In The City' and 'Welcome Back' as a solo artist) is 66

Pat McAuley (drummer with Them – 'Here Comes The Night') is 66

Paul Kantner (co-founder of Jefferson Airplane – 'White Rabbit') is 69

Clarence Collins (Little Anthony & The Imperials – 'Tears On My Pillow') is 69

Carl Perkins made his television debut on the Ozark Jubilee---1956

The Coasters recorded 'Yakety Yak'---1958

Bobby Vee recorded 'Come Back When You Grow Up'---1967
Rock Factoid: In 1960, a young piano player who went by the stage name of Elston Gunn joined Vee's band. The partnership ended after two gigs.
"He was kind of a scruffy little guy, but he was pretty limited by what he could play. He was pretty hot but only in the key of C so we didn't think he had much of a future.
We decided to work as a four-piece band and not use the piano. He was a bit disappointed at the time. We paid him $30 and he was on his way." … Bobby Vee
Gunn, who was actually named Robert Zimmerman, went on to a fairly successful career as Bob Dylan.

The Beatles completed the recording of 'She's Leaving Home' with the addition of the harp intro (played by Sheila Bromberg, the first female musician to appear on a Beatles record)---1967

The Bee Gees made their U.S. television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show---1968

The Rolling Stones recorded 'Street Fighting Man'---1968

Cream released 'Badge'---1969
Rock Factoid: The song, written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, featured a mysterious guitar player who sat in with the band. His name? L'Angelo Misterioso.

His REAL name? George Harrison.
Rock Factoid#2: Why was the song called 'Badge'?
"We were working across from each other and I was writing the lyrics down and we came to the middle part so I wrote 'Bridge.' Eric read it upside down and cracked up laughing – ‘What's BADGE?’ We had a laugh and knew we had the name for the song." … George Harrison

Ringo Starr released 'Back Off Boogaloo'---1972

Samuel George, Jr. (lead singer with the Capitols – 'Cool Jerk') was stabbed to death during a family argument in Detroit---1982

Ric Grech (bass guitar with Blind Faith – 'Presence Of The Lord') died (kidney and liver failure)---1990

Terry Stafford ('Suspicion') died (liver disease)---1996

Jermaine Stewart ('We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off') died (liver cancer attributed to AIDS)---1997

THURSDAY March 18

The late Wilson Pickett ('In The Midnight Hour') was born in 1941

The late Eric Woolfson (vocals/keyboards/songwriter with the Alan Parsons Project – 'Time') was born in 1945

The late Barry 'BJ' Wilson (drummer with Procol Harum – 'A Salty Dog') was born in 1947

Jeff LeBar (guitarist with Cinderella – 'Shelter Me') is 47

Irene Cara ('Fame') is 51

John Hartman (original drummer with the Doobie Brothers – 'China Grove') is 60

Pink Floyd signed with EMI Records---1967

Teddy Pendergrass of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes was paralyzed in a car accident---1982

Bill Wyman confirmed he was leaving The Rolling Stones after 31 years---1993

Four guns and 25 boxes of ammo were confiscated from Kurt Cobain after his wife, Courtney Love, called police fearing he was going to commit suicide---1994

The Beatles' 'Anthology 2' was released---1996

Michael Jackson (dressed as an Arab woman) and his son went shopping at a toy store in Munich, Germany---1998

John Phillips (songwriter/guitarist with the Mamas & the Papas – 'California Dreamin') died (heart failure)---2001

Isaac Hayes, Brenda Lee, Gene Pitney, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the Ramones, Talking Heads (and sideman Chet Atkins) were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame---2002

FRIDAY March 19

The late Paul Atkinson (guitarist with the Zombies – 'She's Not There') was born in 1946

The late Ricky Wilson (guitarist with the B-52's – 'Rock Lobster') was born in 1953

Billy Sheehan (bass guitar with David Lee Roth's band – 'Yankee Rose' and Mr. Big – 'To Be With You') is 57

Derek Longmuir (drummer with the Bay City Roller – 'Saturday Night') is 59

Ruth Pointer (Pointer Sisters – 'Fire') is 64

Clarence 'Frogman' Henry ('Ain't Got No Home') is 73

Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra recorded 'Green Eyes' with Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly handling the vocals---1941

Elvis Presley signed a sales contract to purchase Graceland, a 13.8-acre parcel of property in Memphis---1957
Rock Factoid: Presley's parents had looked at the property on March 17 and paid a $1,000 deposit. When they returned to the residence with Elvis two days later, their son took less than an hour to sign the purchase and sales agreement. The closing was held on March 26.

Rock Factoid #2: The property was originally a 500-acre farm built during the Civil War by newspaper publisher Stephen Toof. He reportedly named the estate after his daughter, Grace. Ruth Brown Moore (Grace's daughter) and husband Dr. Thomas Moore, inherited the property from her mother and in 1939 they built a two-story home with large front rooms so their daughter, Ruth Marie – a 4-year old musical prodigy – could perform in front of crowds of up to 500 people. It was Ruth Marie, a direct descendant of "Grace" who sold the property to Elvis for $102,500.

Rock Factoid #3: Presley's bedroom window is on the front right side of the second floor. An overwhelming majority of fans entering Graceland don't realize that as soon as they walk into the foyer, they are standing directly below where the body of Elvis was found. The second floor of Graceland is private; so private that no tours, no television specials nor any photographs have ever been officially released to the public. It is the one thing, the last thing, regarding Elvis Presley that has yet to be revealed. Upstairs at Graceland is a puzzle and a temptation, a fascinating locked-room mystery that draws in the imagination of millions. Many celebrities have requested private tours but all have been declined. Even President Bill Clinton was refused.

Rock Factoid #4: Graceland receives over 600,000 visitors a year and was declared a National Historic Landmark on March 27, 2006.

Tom & Jerry (pre Simon & Garfunkel) released their second single ('Our Song' / 'Two Teenagers'). The record failed to hit the Top 200---1958

Filming of the "him" scene for the Beatles' first movie, A Hard Day's Night took place at Twickenham Film Studios---1964
Rock Factoid: The TV studio corridor scene centered on John Lennon meeting a woman who thinks he looks like "him," only to change her mind, which causes John to walk away muttering and grousing.

The Rolling Stones recorded 'No Expectations'---1968
Rock Factoid: "Brian (Jones) played slide guitar on that one. That was the last time I remember Brian really being totally involved in something that was really worth doing. It's funny how you remember but that was the last moment I remember him doing that, because he had just lost interest in everything." … Mick Jagger

Paul Kossoff (lead guitarist with Free – 'All Right Now') died (drug related heart attack)---1976

Elvis Presley's autopsy report was a part of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners' case against Dr. George Nichopoulos. Presley's former personal physician was accused of overprescribing drugs to the late singer. He later has his medical license revoked---1980

Randy Rhoads (founding member of Quiet Riot and later the lead guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne's band) died (airplane crash)---1982
Rock Factoid: Osbourne's band was traveling on a bus to a gig in Orlando when they stopped to spend the night at the home of the bus company's owner. The bus driver, Andrew Aycock, who was also a pilot, decided to take a joy ride – without permission – in a plane that was on the property.
Rhoads and Rachel Youngblood, the band's makeup artist and hairdresser, went along for the ride. The plane which had twice buzzed the tour bus, dipped too low on the third attempt and clipped the bus and a tree, then slammed into the two-story colonial home, killing all three.

Alan Civil (principal French horn player with the Philharmonia Orchestra and later the BBC Symphony Orchestra, but remembered here for his solo on the Beatles' 'For No One') died (liver & kidney failure)---1989

Jeff Ward (drummer with Low Pop Suicide – 'Kiss Your Lips') died (suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning---1993

Michael Jackson began construction of his 2,800-acre ranch and private amusement park in Santa Barbara County, CA---1988
Rock Factoid: Unless you have been living in a cave, you must know Jackson named the property Neverland after a fantasy location in his favorite book, Peter Pan, a place where children never grow up.

The Amusement Park

The Train Station

Luther Ingram ('If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right') died (heart failure)---2007

SATURDAY March 20

The late Ozzie Nelson ('Over Somebody Else's Shoulder' with his orchestra, and the father of Rick Nelson) was born in 1906

Fred Rogers ('Won't You Be My Neighbor?' and the host of the long-running 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' on PBS) was born in 1928
Idle Thought: Darn right the man belongs here. Tell me you never sang his theme song. Tell me your kids (and some of your grandkids) never watched his program. Tell me he wasn't the most decent man of our generation. Tell me he didn't have a better sense than John Lennon of what giving peace a chance really meant.

The late Jerry Reed (born Jerry Reed Hubbard – 'When You're Hot, You're Hot') was born in 1937
Rock Factoid: Reed wrote 'Guitar Man' and 'U.S. Male' which Elvis Presley turned into hit songs. Reed also played guitar on both songs.

Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell – drummer with the Stray Cats – 'Rock This Town') is 50

Jimmie Vaughan (guitarist with the Fabulous Thunderbirds – 'Wrap It Up' and the older brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan) is 59

Carl Palmer (drummer with Emerson, Lake & Palmer – 'From The Beginning') is 60

Mike Settle (guitarist/songwriter with the First Edition – 'But You Know I Love You') is 69

Vito Picone (lead singer with the Elegants – 'Little Star') is 69

Joe Rivers (Johnnie & Joe – 'Over The Mountain') is 73

Your Hit Parade debuted on radio---1935

Bobby Rydell made his television debut on American Bandstand---1959

Elvis Presley recorded 'Stuck On You' in his first recording session since being discharged from the U.S. Army---1960

Rick Nelson recorded 'Hello Mary Lou'---1961

The Beatles made their first appearance on the BBC's Ready Steady Go!---1964

Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Richie Furay and Jim Messina, were arrested in Los Angeles for "being at a place where it was suspected marijuana was being used." Clapton was later found innocent and the others were assessed small fines---1968

John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married in Gilbraltor---1969

Norman Harris, guitarist/producer/songwriter with MFSB – 'TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia)' died (cardiovascular disease)---1987

Gloria Estefan suffered a fractured spine when a speeding semi-truck crashed into her tour bus. Surgeons at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City permanently implanted two titanium rods to stabilize her vertebral column. Her rehabilitation required almost a year of intensive physical therapy but she achieved a complete recovery---1990

Conor Clapton (4-year old son of Eric Clapton) died after falling from the 53rd-story window of a New York City apartment building---1991

On the day the Iraq war began, Bruce Springsteen opened his Melbourne, Australia show with a quiet, acoustic version of 'Born In The U.S.A.' and followed it, pointedly, with a cover of Edwin Starr's 'War'---2003

Compiled by Ray Lemire ©2005-2010 Ray Lemire. All Rights Reserved.
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