ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

1959 - Bob Zimmerman

Bob Zimmerman graduated from high school in Hibbing, Minnesota. Zimmerman was known as a greaser to classmates in the remote rural community, because of his long sideburns and leather jacket.

Bob Zimmerman with Dale Boutang "the best rider in Hibbing, a cowboy on wheels and a seasoned weight-lifter" and Dale Boutang's Harley 74, 1956. Photograph taken by Beatty Zimmerman, Bob's mother. (This photograph is seen often on the Internet with the 1956 removed and a modern large 1957 added.) "Waiting in the house was Raatsi on the bed/'I'm gonna pin Boutang's arm,' Melvin, then said/A noise outside! and Raatsi's face had gleam/Ah ha, it was Dale coming on his machine/Raatsi came to the door and opened it wide/Dale Boutang then stepped inside/Roll up that sleeve and let's get to work,'/Said Melvin Raatsi with a great big smirk/'I'm gonna arm-wrestle you to death said Mel the boy/'Shut up,' said Boutang,' I'll take care of you like a little toy..." "We'd pull into the Hibbing Rootbeer stand on Bob's motorcycle when the weather was warm. One time, just outside my house on the old service road, he tried to teach me to ride it. He told me all about the controls, started it up and set me on board. Only trouble was my feet weren't long enough to reach the ground. But I didn't realize that until I'd already taken off. I made about twenty yards in first gear and thought I'd better practice stopping before I went any further, so I tried to put on the brakes; but something went wrong and the engine started revving and I hit a post or a tree and went head over heels. The motorcycle fell over and the rear wheel went crazy with sparks flying and gravel...Bob stood there with his mouth open and his eyes real big, not believing it." -- Echo Helstrom Photograph courtesy of Leroy Hoikkala and Sharon Ness. This photograph was taken by Beatty Zimmerman in 1956 in front of Bob's home. The photograph was a part of Tangled up in Ore a Bob Dylan exhibition at Ironworld.

Bob Zimmerman, Camp Herzl, 1957. ?, Paul Black, Larry Kegan (dark jacket), Jerry Waldman (singing), Bob Zimmerman, Louie Kemp, David Unowsky. Photograph courtesy of Leon (Aryeh) Spotts, a Herzl counsellor  via Mark Alpert. “It was the summer of 1957 and I don’t remember many details. Do I remember him sitting on a roof with his guitar? Yes. Am I sure it was the bet-hak? No. I remember that Bob didn’t join in much of the sports and arts and crafts. I think he was busy with girls. Did I think he was a future genius musician, poet, etc.? No. I do have a recollection of our cabin taking our turn at putting on a show in the Ulam. To say it was post-modern and non-linear would be a large understatement.” -- David Unowsky, Bob Zimmerman’s cabin mate
This last shot is the reason I bought a Harmony semi acoustic  H1213 it had quite a thump and didn't ring quite as much as my Harmony H162 which I have kept but sold on the arch top for several times what I paid for it

1968 - Jimi Hendrix

The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on the Dusty Springfield TV show 'It Must Be Dusty' broadcast on ATV in London, England. Hendrix performed 'Stone Free' and 'Voodoo Chile' and then played a version of 'Mockingbird' with Dusty Springfield.

She is so sweet here . . . . . . . ."this is dedicated to Brian Jones"

1971 - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney's second solo album 'Ram' started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK chart. Featuring the US No.1 single 'Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey' one of my favourite tracks from Paul's entire cannon. It still makes me smile if not LOL!

1975 - Pink Floyd

During recording sessions for Wish You Were Here at Abbey Road Studios, London, England, Syd Barrett turned up out of the blue as Pink Floyd were listening to playbacks of Shine On You Crazy Diamond — a song that happened to be about Barrett. By that time, the 29-year-old Barrett had shaved off all of his hair (including his eyebrows), become overweight, and his ex-bandmates did not at first recognise him. Barrett eventually left without saying goodbye, and none of the band members ever saw him again.

Roger Waters, who was working in the studio, initially did not recognize him and Richard Wright was also mystified by the identity of the visitor. He presumed that the man was a friend of Waters’ and asked him, but soon realized that it was Syd.  David Gilmour presumed he was an EMI staff member,  Nick Mason also failed to recognize him.  Eventually, they realised who he was and Waters was so distressed that he was reduced to tears.

Barrett held a toothbrush and attempted to brush his teeth by holding the brush still and jumping up and down. When asked by a fellow visitor how he had managed to gain so much weight. Barrett said he had a large refrigerator in his kitchen, and that he had been eating lots of pork chops.  He also mentioned that he his services were available to the band, but on listening to the mix of “Shine On” he showed no sign of understanding its relevance to his plight.  Waters finally managed to ask him what he thought of the song, and he simply said he did not like it, and walked out of the studio. This would be the last time any member of Pink Floyd would ever see him.  Barrett passed away on July 7, 2006.

1997 - Ronnie Lane

Ex Small Faces, The Faces and leader of Slim Chance, Ronnie Lane died aged 51 after a 20-year battle with multiple sclerosis. Slim Chance had the 1974 UK No.5 single 'How Come'.

2001 - Janet Jackson

Officials in Singapore threw out an appeal against a ban on Janet Jackson's latest album, ‘All For You’. They decided that the lyrics of the album, particularly one song, ‘Would You Mind’, were "not acceptable to our society". The record was initially outlawed because of its "sexually explicit lyrics", including "I just wanna touch you, tease you, lick you, please you, love you, make love to you." EMI were attempting a compromise by trying to persuade Jackson's management to delete ‘Would You Mind’ from the album. Works for me! what can I say!?

2007 - Paul McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney released his 21st solo album, (yes TWENTY FIRST!) ‘Memory Almost Full’ on the new Hear Music Starbucks label. It was later announced that all copies sold through UK Starbucks would not be eligible for the UK charts as the 533 stores were not registered with the Official Chart Company. The album was being played non-stop in more than 10,000 Starbucks outlets across 29 countries.

BIRTHDAYS

1947 - Laurie Anderson

American avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson, who scored the 1981 UK No.2 single 'O Superman', after it was championed by British DJ John Peel.

bought the single when it came out if found in the ex-jukebox bargain bins . . . . . 
I am never quite sure why the news that Laurie and Lou got together and finally married gave me such a thrill but it pleased me immensely! It struck me as being amongst the most interesting things either of them did! It made me love both of them even more!

Laurie Andersons farewell to Lou Reed [Rolling Stone]