This Day In Music - August 1

 Ok, done... <whew!!!>

This Day In Music – 1 August - don't forget to get a new perspective for the Grateful Dead!

1942 - American singer-songwriter and guitarist Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead born in San Francisco, California. He was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" cover story. Garcia also founded a variety of side projects, including the Saunders-Garcia Band, the Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, Legion of Mary, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Garcia died from a drugs-related heart attack on 9 August 1995 - https://youtu.be/QmMjY6tXaEo .

1943 - Producer Denny Cordell is born Dennis Cordell-Lavarack in Buenos Aires. His productions include "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" and "American Girl" - https://youtu.be/tXkblbJqwn0 .

1946 - Rick Coonce (drummer for The Grass Roots) is born Erik Michael Coonce in Los Angeles, California. With Grass Roots had the 1968 US No.5 & AU No.9 single 'Midnight Confessions', plus 13 other US Top 40 singles Some references suggest his birth year as 1947 - https://youtu.be/5nZnqtDdsws .

1946 - English musician Boz Burrell born in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, England. With Bad Company, he scored the 1974 UK No.15, No.25 & US No.5 single 'Can't Get Enough'). He was also a member of King Crimson. Burrell suddenly died of a heart attack on 21 September 2006 aged 60 - https://youtu.be/4XwKk_LmwTI .

1947 - Canadian rock bassist Prakash John born in Mumbai, India. He migrated to Toronto in 1960. He has worked with Alice Cooper, Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer of (White Trash) as well as Bobby Whitlock (Derek & the Dominos). John was recruited in 1971 by George Clinton to work with Parliament/Funkadelic on the albums Chocolate City and America Eats Its Young while sharing bass playing duties with Bootsy Collins on tour - https://youtu.be/2ORrntrVU0w .

1947 - Rick Anderson born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Bassist with American band The Tubes known for their 1977 hit single 'White Punks On Dope' and the 1983 US No.10 single 'She's A Beauty'. Best known in for their 1979 No.39 ‘Prime Time’ - https://youtu.be/Jm6HQDKzImQ .

1951 - Guitarist Tommy Bolin (of Deep Purple and the James Gang) is born in Sioux City, Iowa. Guitarist who joined Deep Purple in 1975, member of Zephyr and The James Gang. Bolin died of a heroin overdose on 4th December 1976 - https://youtu.be/WWpsM7EX-2o .

1951 - Tim Bachman (of Bachman-Turner Overdrive) is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Guitarist and vocalist best known for his work with rock bands Brave Belt and Bachman–Turner Overdrive (BTO). Bachman was one of the four founding members of BTO, a group that have sold nearly 30 million albums worldwide and featured his brothers Randy (guitar/vocals) and Robbie (drums), as well as Fred Turner (bass/vocals) - https://youtu.be/PBZqmJjIDPw .

1953 - Robert Cray born in Columbus, Georgia. Singer, blues guitarist, and five times Grammy Award winner. Cray played with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Stevie Ray Vaughan at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin, performing 'Sweet Home Chicago'. This was Stevie Ray Vaughan's final performance before he died in a helicopter accident later that night - https://youtu.be/E_Al16VYTJU .

1959 - Joe Elliott born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Vocals with Def Leppard, who had the 1987 UK No.6 single 'Animal' and the 1987 worldwide No.1 album Hysteria 1988 and the US No.1 & AU No.27 single 'Love Bites'. Their best result in was the 1992 single, ‘Let’s Get Rocked’. As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Def Leppard have sold more than 100 million records worldwide - https://youtu.be/kCGfs4cbd9s .

1960 - Chubby Checker ( born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) releases "The Twist," starting a dance craze that soon grips the nation. The first of his numerous hits in , it peaked at No.18 in the AU singles chart - https://youtu.be/pHGXwQeUk7M .

1960 - Chuck D, (Carlton Ridenhour) born in Queens, New York. Public Enemy, (1988 UK No.18 single 'Don't Believe The Hype' & the No.19 ‘Give It Up’ in 1994) - https://youtu.be/xlCxBD5ROB8

1963 - Coolio is born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. in Compton, California. He gets his stage name when a friend sees him playing guitar and says, "Who do you think you are, Coolio Iglesias?" 1995 , US & UK No.1 single 'Gangsta's Paradise' - https://youtu.be/GIkKGW628aQ - Alternate “Weird” Al Yankovic, ‘Amish Paradise’ - https://youtu.be/lOfZLb33uCg .

1963 - The first Beatles Monthly was published. A magazine devoted to the group, it continued for 77 editions until 1969 and at its peak was selling over 350,000 copies a month - See pics...

1964 - With The Beatles' album A Hard Day's Night already at No.1 in America, the title track also hits the top spot, where it stays for two weeks. Simultaneously, it hits No.1 in and stays there for 6-weeks. In some locations globally, the group had now spent seventeen or more weeks at the No.1 position in this year.

1964 - Adam Duritz born in Berkeley, California. From American rock band Counting Crows, who had the 1994 & UK hit single 'Mr Jones', and the 1996 US No.1 album Recovering The Satellites. ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, a remake of Joni Mitchell’s 1970 No.3 hit, also hit No.3 in in 2003 - https://youtu.be/tvtJPs8IDgU .

1964 - Nick Christian Sayer born. Guitarist with Transvision Vamp he had the 1989 & UK No.3 single 'Baby I Don't Care' - https://youtu.be/r26krlXFmOI .

1965 - During a UK tour, The Rolling Stones appeared at the London Palladium supported by The Walker Brothers, The Fourmost, Steampacket featuring Rod Stewart and Sugar Pie Desanto with The Shevelles.

1968 - Dan Donegan born in Oak Lawn, Illinois, U.S.A. Guitarist with Disturbed, (2005 US No.1 album 'Ten Thousand Fists'). Donegan is a self-taught guitarist.[7] He uses one handed and two handed tapping in many of his solos, with pull-offs, legatos and hammer-ons, sometimes using the "flick off" technique, as used in the solo for the song "Indestructible", and in others as well. His heavy riffs and sweep picking are seen in many music videos. Best known in for their 2016 cover of ‘The Sound Of Silence’, which peaked at No.13 - https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4 .

1969 - Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys is indicted in Los Angeles for failing to perform his required community service hours, which were imposed upon him after he refused to be drafted as a conscientious objector; rather than the janitorial duty he was sentenced to at LA County Hospital, Wilson taught music classes there instead.

1971 - George Harrison hosts the Concert For Bangladesh, the first major charity concert and the precursor to Live Aid. Guests include Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston and Ringo Starr. The whole thing came together in about six weeks. The show sold out quickly, so another show with the same lineup - billed as "George Harrison and Friends" - was added, which gives them more material for the album and film. The show opens with a set of Indian music by Ravi Shankar. Harrison then takes the stage and joins his guests for a mix of his own songs and ones they made famous, including "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Clapton, "It Don't Come Easy" with Ringo, and "That's the Way God Planned It" with Preston. After doing the Beatles favourite "Here Comes the Sun," he looks over his shoulder to see if Bob Dylan has arrived. He has, and Dylan delights the crowd with a five-song set that includes his most famous songs, "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." It would be his last performance until 1974. Harrison had to shell out his own money to maintain the fund after legal problems froze all proceeds. The triple album release (the second in a row by Harrison), hit No.1 in the UK, No.2 in the US & No.3 in and received the Grammy Award for Album of the Year - https://youtu.be/Tby39qh9Lts .

1980 - Def Leppard made their US live debut when they appeared at the New York City concert opening for AC/DC. It was also Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott's 21st birthday.

1981 - MTV goes on the air, bringing music videos to the masses - at least the ones with cable. With the words "Ladies and gentlemen: Rock and roll," spoken by network co-creator John Lack, Viacom-owned MTV ("Music Television") makes its broadcast debut. Following a montage of NASA footage, culminating in the iconic photo of an Apollo astronaut standing near the American flag he planted on the Moon (but with the Stars And Stripes replaced by the network's logo), MTV segues into its first music video, "Video Killed The Radio Star" by British duo The Buggles, which had peaked at #40 in the US back in 1979, but was a #1 hit in five European countries as well hitting No.1 in - https://youtu.be/W8r-tXRLazs .

1981 - - Australian singer Rick Springfield started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Jessie's Girl', which later won the singer a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The song was at No.1 when MTV launched on 1 August 1981. Rick had played Noah Drake in the TV show General Hospital. The song peaked at No.1 in on 31 July - https://youtu.be/l4cCzdpRqqM .

1987 - MTV Europe makes its debut. The first video shown is Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing," a song where Sting proclaims, "I want my MTV" - https://youtu.be/oIDYl-bfvw0 .

1987 - Guns N' Roses head to Park Plaza and 450 South La Brea in Hollywood and shoot their first video, for "Welcome To The Jungle" - https://youtu.be/o1tj2zJ2Wvg .

1987 - Bob Seger scored his first US No.1 single (No.14 in ) with the Harold Faltermeyer penned 'Shakedown', which was taken from the film 'Beverly Hills Cop II'. The song was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, but it lost both awards to Dirty Dancing's '(I've Had) The Time of My Life'. Better know in for the 1987 No.3, ‘Old Time Rock And Roll’, as shown in the movie ‘Risky Business’ - https://youtu.be/G2UVsyVLLcE . (Full Version: https://youtu.be/SoaAb5MnKtY )

1987 - Los Lobos were at No.1 on the & UK singles chart with their version of the Ritchie Valens song 'La Bamba', which was also a No.1 hit in the US. The song was the title track from the film based on Ritchie Valens who died in the same plane crash the killed Buddy Holly - https://youtu.be/nLAWPrCUQQ0 .

1998 - The Spice Girls scored their seventh UK No.1 & No.4 single with 'Viva Forever'. The song was originally set to be released alongside the track 'Never Give Up on the Good Times' as a double A-Side which was pulled as member Geri Halliwell left the group - https://youtu.be/3wkuqRFXNvI .

1999 - Ronan Keating scored his first UK No.1 solo single with 'When You Say Nothing At All' ( No.3). The country song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz was a hit for Keith Whitley, who took it to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1988. The song also appeared in the hit movie ‘Notting Hill’ - https://youtu.be/IobNcpiwpSc .

2014 - The movie Guardians of the Galaxy opens in America, reviving '70s favourites like "Hooked On A Feeling" and "Come And Get Your Love." In the film, Chris Pratt plays a human who totes a Walkman with a tape his mother gave him: the Awesome Mix Vol. 1. As he goes on galactic adventures, he plays songs from the tape, jamming out to "Go All The Way" on his ship and playing "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" for a romantic interlude. The music goes over very well with viewers, who scoop up enough copies of the soundtrack (called Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1) to send it to #1 in the US for two weeks. For many younger audience members, it's an introduction to many of the songs their parents grew up with. When the sequel is released in 2017, we learn that Pratt's character has discovered Awesome Mix Vol. 2, with more '70s favourites - https://youtu.be/ULL7apmAJTE .

2015 - Rush play their last concert, closing out their R40 Live tour with a show at The Forum near Los Angeles. It's not announced as their farewell, but the band has hinted it might be. At the end of the show, drummer Neil Peart uncharacteristically comes to the front of the stage to take a bow with his bandmates - https://youtu.be/EYYdQB0mkEU .

2015 - English singer, actress and entertainer Cilla Black died at her holiday home near Marbella, Spain, aged 72. Along with a successful recording career in the 1960s and early 1970s, Black hosted her own eponymous variety show, Cilla, for the BBC between 1968 and 1976 and later shows such as Blind Date (1985-2003) and Surprise Surprise (1984-2001) - https://youtu.be/_FoOU-6q3SM .

This Day In Music - July 31

 This Day In Music – 31 July

TBA – - Gren Fernandez was born. Lead / Rhythm guitarist and vocalist for Nowra (NSW) based cover band The Rock Addicts and the Sydney cover band, Atomic Rock.

1846 - France's army gives legitimacy to Belgian Adolphe Sax's latest invention, the saxophone, by including it in their marching band.

1918 - Jazz pianist Hank Jones is born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. In addition to releasing over 60 albums, he also accompanies Marilyn Monroe as she famously sings "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," to John F. Kennedy on May 19, 1962 - https://youtu.be/OaP5MN9DthM .

1942 - Daniel Boone was born in Birmingham, England as Peter Charles Green. A British singer and songwriter who scored an international hit with the upbeat pop single "Beautiful Sunday". In 1971, Peter Green joined Larry Page's Penny Farthing record label (Penny Farthing Records) as a singer/songwriter and changed his stage name from Peter Lee Stirling to Daniel Boone, after the American folk-hero. "Beautiful Sunday" peaked at No.15 on the US Hot 100 on 16–23 September 1972. The song also made the charts in New Zealand, France, Japan, South Africa, and Germany, where it held the No.1 position from May 1972 to late June 1972. It peaked at No.9 in - https://youtu.be/p9sZMKnRj6Q .

1943 - Seventies singer-songwriter Lobo is born Roland Kent LaVoie in Tallahassee, Florida. In 1964, while attending the University of South Florida, LaVoie joined a band called the Sugar Beats and met producer Phil Gernhard. He recorded a regional hit, a cover of Johnny Rivers' song, "What Am I Doing Here?". By 1971, LaVoie had started calling himself Lobo (Spanish for wolf). Phil Gernhard was then an executive for Big Tree Records, and the company released his first single, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" in March 1971. The first major hit for the label, it reached No. 5 in the US, No. 4 in the UK & No.8 in , launching a successful series of singles - https://youtu.be/aTbBvPoxUkk .

1945 - Gary Lewis is born Gary Harold Lee Levitch in Newark, New Jersey. Had the 1965 US No.1 & No.8 single with The Playboys, 'This Diamond Ring' plus 11 other US Top 40 hits - https://youtu.be/07LyClUlhqM .

1947 - Karl Green born in Manchester, England. Guitarist with English beat rock band, Herman's Hermits who scored the 1964 UK No.1 ( No.27 ) single 'I'm Into Something Good', the 1965 & US No.1 single 'Mrs Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter' and the 1969 No.1, ‘My Sentimental Friend’ - https://youtu.be/HSWisXwv_sI .

1948 - - Russell Norman Morris AM born in Richmond, Victoria. An Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Morris' career started in September 1966, when he was 18 years old with the formation of the Melbourne group Somebody's Image. It wasn't long before the band came to the notice of Go-Set staff writer Ian Meldrum and the group had a local hit version of the Joe South song "Hush", which peaked at No.15 on the national chart. Meldrum's support and hard work promoting the band helped them to secure a firmer recording deal with EMI Records. The result was their third single "Hide And Seek" which peaked at No.32 in Melbourne. Morris' debut solo single was a near seven-minute production called "The Real Thing", released in March 1969. It was written by Johnny Young, produced by Molly Meldrum and engineered by John L Sayers. The backing track was performed by members of Melbourne soul band The Groop, which included Brian Cadd, Richard Wright (drums) and Don Mudie (bass) as well as Zoot guitarist Roger Hicks and backing vocalists Ronnie Charles (The Groop), the Chiffons (including Maureen Elkner) and Marcie and The Cookies' Sue Brady and Judy Condon. At around six minutes and thirty seconds, it was the longest pop single recorded in Australia at that time, although The Beatles' "Hey Jude" at nearly 7 minutes had appeared the year before and was an obvious influence on the song's extended structure. The single reached 's No.1 spot in June 1969, and number one in Chicago, Houston and New York City, despite international distribution difficulties. It was the biggest selling Australian single of 1969. In 2000, Morris' "The Real Thing" and "Wings of an Eagle" featured prominently in the Australian-made movie The Dish. In 2002 he took a place of honour among his peers as part of the hugely successful Long Way to the Top concert tour. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recognised Morris' status when he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame - https://youtu.be/ERapX9UDAlM .

1951 - Carlo Karges born in Hamburg, Germany. From German group Nena who had the 1984 & UK No.1 & US No.2 single '99 Red Balloons'. The track made them a One Hit Wonder - https://youtu.be/hiwgOWo7mDc .

1953 - Hugh McDowell born in Hampstead, London, England. Cellist with Wizzard and Electric Light Orchestra who had the 1979 UK No.3 & & US No.4 single 'Don't Bring Me Down' plus 20 other Top 40 hits. ELO have sold over 50 million records worldwide. McDowell died of cancer on 6 November 2018 aged 65 - https://youtu.be/lvBOZCrJsAI .

1955 - Elvis Presley performed 3 shows at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida, (2 matinee and 1 evening). A full-scale riot broke out after the show when Elvis announced to the 14,000 strong crowd, "Girls, I'll see you backstage." Fans chased Elvis into the dressing room, tearing off his clothes and shoes - https://youtu.be/XA5HErVE9oI .

1958 - Bill Berry born in Duluth, Minnesota. Drummer with R.E.M. (1991 No.8 single 'Losing My Religion', plus their 1993 No.6 single ‘Everybody Hurts’ as well as the 1992 No.2 album 'Automatic For The People'). Berry quit the band in 1997 - https://youtu.be/5rOiW_xY-kc .

1959 - - Craig Bloxom was born in Inglewood, Los Angeles, USA and moved to Australia in 1965. Bassist and vocalist for Spy vs Spy, an Australian ska/pub rock band from Sydney formed in 1981. They became known for tackling political issues through their music, including racism, homelessness and contemporary drug culture. They were named after a comic strip, "Spy vs. Spy" in the US Mad magazine. They had their highest charting success in February 1987 with their No.26 single "Don't Tear It Down" on the Australian singles chart, whilst the associated album A.O. Mod. TV. Vers. peaked at No. 12 on the albums chart - https://youtu.be/gOeJshHFpPI .

1959 - Cliff Richard charts his first UK No.1 hit with "Living Doll," which becomes the top-selling single of 1959 in Britain (it peaked at No.3 in ). The first of 14 UK No.1's, the song was one of three from the film, Serious Charge - https://youtu.be/40Wv9rItIt4 .

1963 - - Harry Travers, drummer with Sydney based bands The Last Stand, Mandrake and The Score born.

1963 - Norman Cook also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, born in Bromley, Kent, England. English DJ, musician, multi-instrumentalist and record producer/mixer who with The Housemartins had the a cappella cover version of 'Caravan of Love' (originally by Isley-Jasper-Isley) which was a UK No.1 single. He was a member of Beats International who had the 1990 UK No.1 'Dub Be Good To Me'). Freak Power, who scored the hit 'Turn On Tune In Cop Out' and as Fatboy Slim, had the 1999 UK No.1 single 'Praise You' (No.31 in ) - https://youtu.be/yPGMhNikbYI .

1964 - Country singer Jim Reeves was killed in a plane crash when the single engine aircraft flying from Arkansas to Nashville crashed in thick fog. 40-year-old Reeves was one of the first country singers to cross-over into the pop market with his 1960 US No.2 & No.3 single 'He'll Have To Go', and 1966 UK No.1 single 'Distant Drums' - https://youtu.be/bpi8Bek6jdM .

1964 - Jim Corr born in Dundalk, Louth, Ireland. Guitarist, keyboards & vocals, with Irish band The Corrs, who had the 1996 No.9 single 'Runaway'. Forgiven, Not Forgotten was the first of 4 Top 5 albums, reaching No.1. The Corrs have sold 40 million albums worldwide - https://youtu.be/vzerbXFwGCE .

1969 - Elvis Presley comes to Vegas! Making his first live concert appearance since March 25, 1961, he plays the International Hotel in Las Vegas, the first of 57 shows that help revive his career and earn him $1.5 million.

1971 - James Taylor's "You've Got A Friend" hits No.1 in the US (No.13 in ). The song was written by Carole King and included on her landmark album Tapestry in February 1971. James Taylor played guitar on the track and decided to record his own version, which he released as a single in April. When "You've Got A Friend" hits the top spot, the Tapestry album is the No.1 album in America, enjoying its seventh week at the top. The single drops off the top the following week, but Tapestry keeps going, spending a total of 15 weeks at No.1 as King becomes a household name and an inspiration to many young women who decide to pick up guitars and write songs. Taylor's version wins a Grammy for Song of the Year, but King gets the trophy because she wrote it. She also wins the award for Album of the Year for Tapestry - https://youtu.be/xEkIou3WFnM .

1978 - English musician, Will Champion born in Southampton, Hampshire, England. Drummer with Coldplay who had the 2000 No.3 & UK No.4 single 'Yellow', the 2000 UK No.1 & No.2 album Parachutes and the 2005 worldwide No.1 album X&Y (incl ). In December 2009, Rolling Stone readers voted the group the fourth-best artist of the 2000s - https://youtu.be/yKNxeF4KMsY .

1980 - The Eagles split up after Glenn Frey and Don Felder go at it on stage. The group wraps up their The Long Run tour with a benefit concert in Long Beach for California Senator Alan Cranston. Before the show, Felder and Frey exchange words, releasing years of pent-up tension that come to a head when they go on stage. During the show, they exchange threats, and when they finish up, Felder smashes his guitar and takes off. The show becomes known in Eagles lore as "Long Night at Wrong Beach." Frey quits the group, but their manager, Irving Azoff, doesn't make an announcement in hopes they can patch things up. The announcement never comes, but when Frey and Henley release solo albums in 1982, it becomes clear the Eagles are grounded. The band doesn't get back together until 1994 for their Hell Freezes Over album and tour, a wildly lucrative reunion - https://youtu.be/1d5-TleZXCk .

1982 - Survivor's 'Eye Of The Tiger' was at No.1 on the US album chart and peaked at No.1 on the singles chart. The song, which was commissioned by actor Sylvester Stallone for the theme for the movie Rocky III, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and go on to sell over five million copies - https://youtu.be/btPJPFnesV4 .

1985 - The Eurythmics had the No.1 UK and No.2 spot on the singles charts with 'There Must Be An Angel, (Playing With My Heart). The song which was the Eurythmics' first (and to date only) UK No.1 single features a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder - https://youtu.be/RCdneDxFRYQ .

1999 - Christina Aguilera scored her first US No.1 single with 'Genie In A Bottle', also No.1 in the UK & No.2 in . The song spent 5 weeks at No.1 on the US chart and won Aguilera the Best New Artist Grammy for the year - https://youtu.be/kIDWgqDBNXA .

2007 - The iTunes Music Store reached 3 billion songs sold.

2015 - Led Zeppelin released remastered versions of 1976's Presence, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda - https://youtu.be/yYDh7lyqwms .