1903 - Almost a century ago today, legendary country singer, major music publisher and entrepreneur, Roy Acuff, was born. He began his music career in the 1930s, and gained regional fame as fiddler and singer for his group, the Smoky Mountain Boys. Acuff joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938, and although his popularity as a musician waned in the late 1940s, he remained one of the Opry's key figures for nearly four decades. Through his career he became known as the 'King of Country Music', mainly because he was instrumental in shape-shifting the genre away from its early, hick string band, hoedown format to the star singer-based format that helped take it to the world. Ever the entrepreneur, in 1942, Acuff co-founded the first major Nashville-based country music publishing company (Acuff-Rose Music), and went on to sign such acts as Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and The Everly Brothers. In 1962, at 59 years old, Acuff became the first living person inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. This is Roy and his band performing the Wabash Cannonball at the 1978 show '50 Years of Country Music' in New York, USA.
1930 - One of the great, ever-lasting songwriters is Hoagy Carmichael, and 81 years ago today he recorded his composition Georgia on My Mind, an evergreen song if there was ever one. The song has been the official state song of Georgia since 1922, and covered by all and sundry for decades since. Carmichael wrote some beautiful songs, including Am I Blue, Stardust, and Lazy River. First up, here, is the original recording of Georgia, with his orchestra plus Bix Beiderbecke, and written and recorded as a fox-trot, as you will see on the 78 record label. Next up we have for you the Ray Charles version. And just for a special treat, a version from Ian Moss, guitar player for Australian rock legends, Cold Chisel.
1962 - Whenever music media folk tell you how good a group is or is not, just remember the London Daily Mirror newspaper hack, Peter Jones, who on this day in 1962, following an interview with the Beatles, declared to his readers that the Beatles were "a nothing group". And seven years later, 1969, same day, British hard rock group, Deep Purple, performed Concert for Rock Band and Orchestra with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London's Royal Albert Hall, the first time in history for a rock group, and for a classical orchestra. Here's a couple of songs from that night, for your enjoyment.
1975 - Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album Wish You Were Here, today in the UK, where it hit #1, as it did around the world, spending a total of 84 weeks on some charts. The album lyric explored themes of absence from the human spirit, the music business, and a nod to former band-mate Syd Barrett's mental decline. Just as a footnote, Pink Floyd's founding member, Rick Wright, died aged 65, from cancer, on the same day, in 2008.
1979 - Superstar rocker Bob Dylan raised a ruckus again today, when he released his full-tilt religious album, Slow Train Coming. Religiously themed, the album raised the ire of many of his fans, just as he did when he went electric. I love the way Dylan has continually reinvented himself, his music, and not given a damn, just moving forward with his life and his craft, meandering and weaving. Here now is an interesting interview with Jerry Wexler, legendary producer, who talks about meeting Bob Dylan and how he came to produce Bob Dylan's Slow Train Coming. This is an out-take from Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan on DVD. But first, here's Dylan with an absolute blistering version of the title track rocking with a strong back-beat roll. Love it.
1990 - His signature tune was a #1 hit back in 1974, and 16 years later in the UK, a hit all over again when the song had been featured in a jeans advertisement. Dear reader, 21 years after that, on a Friday night in 2010, the great Steve Miller does the song live, one more time - and better than he did it originally - on the Jools Holland Show.
1998 - Rap attacker Coolio was booked and released for possessing marijuana and carrying a concealed weapon, tonight in Los Angeles, but far more interesting was his song, Gangsta's Paradise, a rap song, featuring L.V. The song sampled the chorus and music of the song Pastime Paradise, written by Stevie Wonder in 1976. This is Wonder & Coolio and a cast of thousands, performing the song live at the 1995 Billboard Awards.
1930 - One of the great, ever-lasting songwriters is Hoagy Carmichael, and 81 years ago today he recorded his composition Georgia on My Mind, an evergreen song if there was ever one. The song has been the official state song of Georgia since 1922, and covered by all and sundry for decades since. Carmichael wrote some beautiful songs, including Am I Blue, Stardust, and Lazy River. First up, here, is the original recording of Georgia, with his orchestra plus Bix Beiderbecke, and written and recorded as a fox-trot, as you will see on the 78 record label. Next up we have for you the Ray Charles version. And just for a special treat, a version from Ian Moss, guitar player for Australian rock legends, Cold Chisel.
1962 - Whenever music media folk tell you how good a group is or is not, just remember the London Daily Mirror newspaper hack, Peter Jones, who on this day in 1962, following an interview with the Beatles, declared to his readers that the Beatles were "a nothing group". And seven years later, 1969, same day, British hard rock group, Deep Purple, performed Concert for Rock Band and Orchestra with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London's Royal Albert Hall, the first time in history for a rock group, and for a classical orchestra. Here's a couple of songs from that night, for your enjoyment.
1975 - Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album Wish You Were Here, today in the UK, where it hit #1, as it did around the world, spending a total of 84 weeks on some charts. The album lyric explored themes of absence from the human spirit, the music business, and a nod to former band-mate Syd Barrett's mental decline. Just as a footnote, Pink Floyd's founding member, Rick Wright, died aged 65, from cancer, on the same day, in 2008.
1979 - Superstar rocker Bob Dylan raised a ruckus again today, when he released his full-tilt religious album, Slow Train Coming. Religiously themed, the album raised the ire of many of his fans, just as he did when he went electric. I love the way Dylan has continually reinvented himself, his music, and not given a damn, just moving forward with his life and his craft, meandering and weaving. Here now is an interesting interview with Jerry Wexler, legendary producer, who talks about meeting Bob Dylan and how he came to produce Bob Dylan's Slow Train Coming. This is an out-take from Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan on DVD. But first, here's Dylan with an absolute blistering version of the title track rocking with a strong back-beat roll. Love it.
1990 - His signature tune was a #1 hit back in 1974, and 16 years later in the UK, a hit all over again when the song had been featured in a jeans advertisement. Dear reader, 21 years after that, on a Friday night in 2010, the great Steve Miller does the song live, one more time - and better than he did it originally - on the Jools Holland Show.
1998 - Rap attacker Coolio was booked and released for possessing marijuana and carrying a concealed weapon, tonight in Los Angeles, but far more interesting was his song, Gangsta's Paradise, a rap song, featuring L.V. The song sampled the chorus and music of the song Pastime Paradise, written by Stevie Wonder in 1976. This is Wonder & Coolio and a cast of thousands, performing the song live at the 1995 Billboard Awards.
