1958 - This is the day when Eddie Cochran - one of rock's greatest and long-lasting influences - recorded one of rock's classic songs, Summertime Blues. Cochran was an American rock and roll pioneer who, in his brief career, had a lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing, his rebel spirit, but mostly because of his songs C'mon Everybody, Somethin' Else and Summertime Blues. The songs captured teenage frustration and desire in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and in the words of rock critic Lester Bangs, writing in Rolling Stone in 1972, "Eddie may have imitated Elvis vocally even more than a dozen or so other stalwarts of the day such as Conway Twitty, but his influence on pop consciousness of the magnitude of The Beatles and The Who was deep and profound". Cochran experimented with multitracking and overdubbing even on his earliest recordings, and was able to play piano, bass and drums. His image as a sharply dressed, rugged but good looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the Fifties rocker, and in death he achieved iconic status. Cochran was just 21 when he died in April 1960, in a road accident during his British tour. Though his best known songs were released during his lifetime, more of his songs were released posthumously. In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His songs have been covered by many bands such as The Who, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Dick Dale, Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The White Stripes, The Stray Cats and Sex Pistols. This is Summertime Blues.
1964 - Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London announced the Beatles would be cast in wax. And they were, but not sculpted very well, as you can see by this footage.
1967 - One of rock's super-greats, Van Morrison recorded Brown Eyed Girl. This is he, 44 years ago today, hair teased and sprayed, looking totally bored shitless at the reality of lip-synching on television one of most enduring songs of all time.
1969 - Joe Cocker reportedly played his first American concert, and year later on the same day, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young released their classic version of Joni Mitchell's song, Woodstock. David Crosby must have really liked this day because it was also on this day in 1982, Los Angeles, when the CSN&Y member was arrested for possession of Quaaludes and drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence of cocaine, and carrying a concealed .45 calibre pistol. I don't think there's a version of Woodstock from them on video from that time, so instead, how about this song, Down By The River, live at Big Sur in the same year.
1979 - Eric Clapton and Patti Boyd were married. Patti was George Harrison's ex-wife. Would you marry this girl?
1995 - Lyle Lovett and Julia Roberts announced they were separating after having been married for just 21 months on this day. And 15 years ago on this day, Phil Collins announced that he was leaving Genesis to concentrate on his solo career, saying that he "Collins left the band in March 1996. He reasoned that he "felt it time to change direction in my musical life. For me now, it will be music for movies, some jazz projects, and of course my solo career." Puff Daddy, too, decided on a change on this day - it is now a decade since the ego-man told MTV he now wanted to be known as P. Diddy.
2002 - This is the day that The National Museum of American History put a cornet that had belonged to Louis Armstrong on display. Without any doubt whatsoever, Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential musicians of the last century...he overcame prejudice, discrimination and poverty, and lived and succeeded through many social and musical changes in the landscape. I love him to death and wish there were more like him.
