1936 - He was born in Lubbock, Texas on this day, and named Charles Hardin Holley, but when he signed his first record contract, 20 years later, his name was mis-spelled Buddy Holly...so he kept it that way. Holly remains one of the iconic figures of rock'n'roll, and dead-set pioneer of the music genre. Although his success lasted just 18 months before being killed in a plane crash, he remains amongst the handful of genuine architects and shape-shifters of rock'n'roll. His style of music inspired and influenced both his contemporaries and later musicians, such as Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. He was amongst the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees in 1986. Rolling Stone magazine rank him #13 in the 50 greatest artists of all time. For more info and clips on Buddy Holly's life and death, go to our archive search engine.
1940 - Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded the forties classic, Temptation, today, and this is the song, being played from an original 78 record, on an original 1940 . No video of Artie, but instead, hear it playing from this amazingly restored original 1940 Wurlitxer 700 jukebox - and you can see every single working piece of this beautiful working jukebox. Worth a quick look.
1957 - You can find out a lot more about Sam Cooke by going to our archive search engine, but for today, well, this was the day he released his first single recording, You Send Me. I was just 10 years old at the time, but it sent shivers down my spine, in the same way that Little Richard's voice did, just a couple of years earlier. For me, Sam Cooke owned one of the best voices in soul-styled rock'n'roll. Many have tried to imitate, but it's unique. Gives me goosebumps, especially those raspy bits and his phrasing. This video is 54 years old.
1975 - One of Canada's premiere legendary bands, The Guess Who performed their final show in Montreal tonight. But of course, like most acts who retire early, they didn't really. The challenge of reforming is just too much for any band who had quality success. The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a long history through many manifestations. In the lineup head by lead singer burton Cummings and Guitar player Randy Bachman (later to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, yet another successful Canadian group) the group achieved international fame and success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including their best-known, American Woman. The band was inducted into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1987. this original version is far superior to the Lenny Kravitz version, which is also good. Maybe it has a lot do with Cummings' voice, one of the best in rock for mine.
1976 - It was 35 years ago when Paul McCartney commemorated what would have been Buddy Holly's 40th birthday, with the inauguration of Buddy Holly Week, in Britain. Holly greatly influenced the Beatles, and here's McCartney talking about that influence, and mucking around with off-the-cuff versions of Holly songs.
1978 - Hey ho, it's punk time, New York City, and ex-Sex Pistol, Sid Vicious, performed solo at Max's Kansas City, at that time a pogo-pumping punk club. Also at that time, Sid showed his rock roots and, from his bed room, gave us a version of this Eddie Cochran icon!
1978 - After overdosing on the prescribed drug, Hemenephirin - given to him to assist in his battle with alcoholism - Who drummer, Keith Moon died today, aged 31. This is a one-minute synopsis of what happened, including a view of the psychological flaws and events that result in the tragic deaths of famed notorious and the iconic. Keith Moon remains one of the most outrageous rock'n'roll performers in the world. Foe more info on loony Moony, go to our archive search engine.
1996 - With death threats hanging over his head, Tupac Shakur and Marion "Suge" Knight, nevertheless, travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada, on this night, 15 years ago, to see the Mike Tyson fight. After leaving the venue, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting, and died six days later of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest at University Medical Center, Las Vegas. Another shape-shifter, still today, Tupac remains the most important name in rap music. The former dancer and roadie received massive backlash to his controversial lyrics about growing up around violence, ghetto hardship, racism, problems in society; his strong thoughts of political, economic, social, and racial equality, and his raw descriptions of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and conflicts with the law. He has sold more than 100 million records, and he led the way for mainstream acceptance for acts such as Eminem, Nas, Lloyd Banks, Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Pharrell, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, and so many more.
2000 - This is the show, and this is the night that Rage Against The Machine singer, Timothy Commerford, was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, after climbing a scaffold during the MTV Music Awards, hence delaying the show 20 minutes. And this is their performance that night.
1940 - Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded the forties classic, Temptation, today, and this is the song, being played from an original 78 record, on an original 1940 . No video of Artie, but instead, hear it playing from this amazingly restored original 1940 Wurlitxer 700 jukebox - and you can see every single working piece of this beautiful working jukebox. Worth a quick look.
1957 - You can find out a lot more about Sam Cooke by going to our archive search engine, but for today, well, this was the day he released his first single recording, You Send Me. I was just 10 years old at the time, but it sent shivers down my spine, in the same way that Little Richard's voice did, just a couple of years earlier. For me, Sam Cooke owned one of the best voices in soul-styled rock'n'roll. Many have tried to imitate, but it's unique. Gives me goosebumps, especially those raspy bits and his phrasing. This video is 54 years old.
1975 - One of Canada's premiere legendary bands, The Guess Who performed their final show in Montreal tonight. But of course, like most acts who retire early, they didn't really. The challenge of reforming is just too much for any band who had quality success. The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a long history through many manifestations. In the lineup head by lead singer burton Cummings and Guitar player Randy Bachman (later to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, yet another successful Canadian group) the group achieved international fame and success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including their best-known, American Woman. The band was inducted into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1987. this original version is far superior to the Lenny Kravitz version, which is also good. Maybe it has a lot do with Cummings' voice, one of the best in rock for mine.
1976 - It was 35 years ago when Paul McCartney commemorated what would have been Buddy Holly's 40th birthday, with the inauguration of Buddy Holly Week, in Britain. Holly greatly influenced the Beatles, and here's McCartney talking about that influence, and mucking around with off-the-cuff versions of Holly songs.
1978 - Hey ho, it's punk time, New York City, and ex-Sex Pistol, Sid Vicious, performed solo at Max's Kansas City, at that time a pogo-pumping punk club. Also at that time, Sid showed his rock roots and, from his bed room, gave us a version of this Eddie Cochran icon!
1978 - After overdosing on the prescribed drug, Hemenephirin - given to him to assist in his battle with alcoholism - Who drummer, Keith Moon died today, aged 31. This is a one-minute synopsis of what happened, including a view of the psychological flaws and events that result in the tragic deaths of famed notorious and the iconic. Keith Moon remains one of the most outrageous rock'n'roll performers in the world. Foe more info on loony Moony, go to our archive search engine.
1996 - With death threats hanging over his head, Tupac Shakur and Marion "Suge" Knight, nevertheless, travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada, on this night, 15 years ago, to see the Mike Tyson fight. After leaving the venue, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting, and died six days later of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest at University Medical Center, Las Vegas. Another shape-shifter, still today, Tupac remains the most important name in rap music. The former dancer and roadie received massive backlash to his controversial lyrics about growing up around violence, ghetto hardship, racism, problems in society; his strong thoughts of political, economic, social, and racial equality, and his raw descriptions of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and conflicts with the law. He has sold more than 100 million records, and he led the way for mainstream acceptance for acts such as Eminem, Nas, Lloyd Banks, Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Pharrell, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, and so many more.
2000 - This is the show, and this is the night that Rage Against The Machine singer, Timothy Commerford, was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, after climbing a scaffold during the MTV Music Awards, hence delaying the show 20 minutes. And this is their performance that night.
