December 8, 1980 - ONE of the saddest days in music history today, when the great John Lennon was assassinated in New York City; shot to death by Mark David Chapman. Earlier in the day, on his way to the recording studio, Lennon had autographed an album for Chapman. I remember the day with crystal-clarity, as if it were yesterday. By 1980, former Beatle John Lennon had become an icon for the anti-war movements of the 1970s. His music embodied the struggle for peace and love amidst the horrors of war and destruction. To many of us back then and to many since, he had become a symbol of much more than just Beatles and rock'n'roll - and remains that way in my heart and soul. Following is our *MUSICBACKTRACK* tribute to one of rock'n'roll's greatest, including an interview with his assassin, how the news broke, and two of his iconic songs, along with the post-death Beatles tribute.
1960 - TEEN idol, Fabian, went and paid a visit to his idol, Elvis Presley, at Presley's Graceland mansion today, and when Elvis ripped his pants demonstrating Karate, Fabian dropped his dacks and lent them to the king. Who was Fabian? One of the thousands of young, good-looking teen idols that swept the world on the crest of the early pre-Beatles era of rock'n'roll. This was Fabian.
1961 - BEACH Boys released their first ever recording, Surfin, today. Three years later on the same day, Frank Sinatra Junior was kidnapped, his father paying almost a quarter million dollars for the release of his son. Here's the story, via a cinema newsreel, as reported in the day.
1967 - SUPERGROUP Traffic's Mr. Fantasy LP was released today, the debut album from the English rock band. For the recording, group members included Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, and Dave Mason, however Mason left the band before the album was released. The title song, Dear Mr. Fantasy has been covered by The Grateful Dead, Big Sugar, Jimi Hendrix and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. This is the original, performed by Traffic at the Santa Monica, Civic Centre in 1972, and the only concert video from back in the day.
1968 - AS we noted three days ago, Graham Nash announced the formation of Crosby, Stills and Nash today, three days after he quit the Hollies. A year later to the day, testifying at his trial for possession of hashish and heroin in the Toronto Supreme Court, Jimi Hendrix claimed that he had now "outgrown" drugs. The jury found him not guilty after eight hours of deliberations. This allowed he and his Band of Gypsies to perform at Fillmore East three weeks later, on New Year's Eve, and this is an excerpt from that concert that nearly didn't happen.
1982 - MARTY Robbins died of heart failure at the age of 57, almost 30 years ago, today. Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the most popular and successful country and Western singers of his era, and indeed for most of his nearly four-decade career. He was rarely not in country music charts, and several of his songs also became pop hits, including his first big one, A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation) in 1957. Here are two of his biggest hits.
1995 - COURTNEY Love was interviewed by Barbara Walters for ABC's 10 Most Fascinating People of 1995. During the interview Love told Walters that she wished she had done "eight thousand million things" differently to prevent husband Kurt Cobain's death…no longer on the brink of super-stardom, Love is far from being one of the most fascinating today.
1999 - 1960's Brit pop singer Heinz was given a formal caution by magistrates in Southampton for playing music to loud in his flat, today. The singer who scored 4 Top 40 singles in the 60s is now wheelchair bound. Here's a modern audio super-mix of Heinz's biggest hit, Just Like Eddie - a tribute to rock pioneer Eddie Cochran…with a 16-year-old Steve Marriott on drums.
1960 - TEEN idol, Fabian, went and paid a visit to his idol, Elvis Presley, at Presley's Graceland mansion today, and when Elvis ripped his pants demonstrating Karate, Fabian dropped his dacks and lent them to the king. Who was Fabian? One of the thousands of young, good-looking teen idols that swept the world on the crest of the early pre-Beatles era of rock'n'roll. This was Fabian.
1961 - BEACH Boys released their first ever recording, Surfin, today. Three years later on the same day, Frank Sinatra Junior was kidnapped, his father paying almost a quarter million dollars for the release of his son. Here's the story, via a cinema newsreel, as reported in the day.
1967 - SUPERGROUP Traffic's Mr. Fantasy LP was released today, the debut album from the English rock band. For the recording, group members included Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, and Dave Mason, however Mason left the band before the album was released. The title song, Dear Mr. Fantasy has been covered by The Grateful Dead, Big Sugar, Jimi Hendrix and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. This is the original, performed by Traffic at the Santa Monica, Civic Centre in 1972, and the only concert video from back in the day.
1968 - AS we noted three days ago, Graham Nash announced the formation of Crosby, Stills and Nash today, three days after he quit the Hollies. A year later to the day, testifying at his trial for possession of hashish and heroin in the Toronto Supreme Court, Jimi Hendrix claimed that he had now "outgrown" drugs. The jury found him not guilty after eight hours of deliberations. This allowed he and his Band of Gypsies to perform at Fillmore East three weeks later, on New Year's Eve, and this is an excerpt from that concert that nearly didn't happen.
1982 - MARTY Robbins died of heart failure at the age of 57, almost 30 years ago, today. Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the most popular and successful country and Western singers of his era, and indeed for most of his nearly four-decade career. He was rarely not in country music charts, and several of his songs also became pop hits, including his first big one, A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation) in 1957. Here are two of his biggest hits.
1995 - COURTNEY Love was interviewed by Barbara Walters for ABC's 10 Most Fascinating People of 1995. During the interview Love told Walters that she wished she had done "eight thousand million things" differently to prevent husband Kurt Cobain's death…no longer on the brink of super-stardom, Love is far from being one of the most fascinating today.
1999 - 1960's Brit pop singer Heinz was given a formal caution by magistrates in Southampton for playing music to loud in his flat, today. The singer who scored 4 Top 40 singles in the 60s is now wheelchair bound. Here's a modern audio super-mix of Heinz's biggest hit, Just Like Eddie - a tribute to rock pioneer Eddie Cochran…with a 16-year-old Steve Marriott on drums.
