ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

1967 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

On a US tour supporting The Monkees, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared at the Convention Hall, Miami, Florida. After it became plainly apparent that the group is not suited to teenybopper audiences, the tour’s promoter Dick Clark and Hendrix’s manager Chas Chandler concoct a story saying that the conservative Daughters of the American Revolution group had complained at Jimi’s act and so the Experience left the tour after just six shows.

The Monkees adored Jimi and especially Micky and Peter hung out in hotel rooms together whenever they could and Mike Nesmith was rightly in awe of and fascinated by the stellar guitarist. It is additionally hilarious that a blog I visit has disputed the facts of this tour and taken it that someone who posted details of it as evidence that the Monkees were "better" than Jimi who played support. It doesn't really work that way! And yes it did happen however incongruous it may now seem. Jimi even went on record at the time for the venal press trying to mix it up between the bands who suggested there had been a segregated travel deal with The Monkees not mixing with the rest. This is nonsense. 

"There was no tension between us and The Monkees whatsoever. All the rumours about being segregated on the plane were just nonsense. I got on well especially with both Mickey and Peter and we fooled around a lot together "

Jimi liked them. They LOVED him. Fact . . . . . 

Peter and Jimi hanging out . . . 

Mickey Dolenz's diary

Jimi showing Mike and Peter how he played a normally strung guitar upside down

Jimi and Peter out on boat trip in LA - oh you thought they wouldn't get on?

1969 - The Beatles

Working at Abbey Road studios in London The Beatles recorded ‘Maxwell's Silver Hammer.’ John Lennon returned to the studio after recovering from a car crash in Scotland, and a bed was installed in the Abbey Road studio for Yoko, who was pregnant, and who had been more seriously injured in the car accident.

1971 - David Bowie

David Bowie started recording sessions at Trident Studios in London, for what would become the concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. The character of Ziggy was initially inspired by British rock 'n' roll singer Vince Taylor, whom Bowie met after Taylor had had a breakdown and believed himself to be a cross between a god and an alien.

Vince Taylor was Ziggy Stardust (BBC)

1972 - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney and Wings played their very first show in the small French town of Chateauvillon. The band included Denny Laine, Denny Seiwell, Henry McCullough and Paul's wife, Linda. It was McCartney's first time on the road since The Beatles quit touring in 1966. The band travelled on a double Decker London bus with a psychedelic exterior.

Wings l-r Paul, Linda, Denny S,Denny L, Henry 

all aboard . . . . 

1995 - Grateful Dead - The Trip is Over

The Grateful Dead gave their last concert with leader Jerry Garcia at Chicago's Soldier Field. Jerry would die of a heart attack a month later while in drug rehab. A life of poor diet, over weight and suffering diabetes linked with extensive touring switching earlier from LSD to cocaine and smokable heroin all takes it's toll

Grateful Dead credit

The Grateful Dead played the second and final night of their tour-closing run at Chicago’s Soldier Field featuring an opening performance from The Band. The show marked the completion of a long and winding spring/summer tour, a run throughout which lead guitarist Jerry Garcia seemed to many like a shell of his former self. . . . . but here the version of his song left not a dry eye in the house, once again beleaguered by addiction—this time in front of huge, football stadium-sized venues packed to the brim with excited fans. Garcia struggled through equipment difficulties all night, eventually having to replace his “Rosebud” guitar with his older “Tiger.” According to Bob Weir in his Netflix documentary, he and fellow guitarist/vocalist Jerry Garcia shared some short but sweet words as they walked offstage: “Always a hoot,” Garcia said, “Always a hoot.”. . . . . ain't that a shame . . . . . . on the highroad . . . . . . so many roads. Night Jerry . . . . . . 

2004 - David Bowie

David Bowie was forced to cancel a string of European shows after emergency heart surgery. The 57 year-old singer had an operation last month in Germany, where he was on tour, to treat "an acutely blocked artery". The star's cancellation last month of 11 European dates was originally attributed to a shoulder injury.

2006 - Lily Allen

Lily Allen scored her first UK No.1 single with 'Smile'. The organ riff is a sample of Jackie Mittoo playing keyboards on 'Free Soul' by The Soul Brothers

2007 - Shaun Ryder

Happy Mondays' frontman Shaun Ryder was in trouble after he smoked several cigarettes on stage during a concert at The Ritz in Manchester. Smoking had been banned in all enclosed public places in England on 1 July of this year, and anyone flouting the law faced a £50 fine. Performers were only exempt from the smoking ban if the "artistic integrity" of their act required it.

Rebels were different in my day . . . . . . 

2013 - Lauryn Hill

Former Fugees singer Lauryn Hill began a three-month prison sentence in Connecticut for tax evasion. The 38-year-old was sentenced in May for failing to pay tax on $1.8m (£1.2m) of her earnings between 2005-07. After her release, Hill would be under parole supervision for a year, with the first three months to be spent confined to her home.

2013 - Junior Bradshaw

32 year-old Junior Bradshaw who was involved in a plot to rob and murder soul singer Joss Stone was jailed for 18 years. Both he and Kevin Liverpool, were found guilty at Exeter Crown Court three months ago. The pair were found near the singers home with a body bag and a variety of weapons including a Samurai sword, two hammers and knives.

BIRTHDAYS

1975 - Jack White

Jack White, (John Gillis), guitar, vocals, The White Stripes, (2003 UK No.1 album 'Elephant' spent 46 weeks on the UK chart). Also a member of The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.

1959 - Jim Kerr

Jim Kerr, singer, songwriter with Scottish rock band, Simple Minds, who had the 1985 US No.1 single 'Don't You, Forget About Me', and the 1989 UK No.1 single 'Belfast Child', plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles. In 2016, they won the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection.

1947 - Mitch Mitchell

Mitch Mitchell, drums, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967 UK No.3 single 'Purple Haze', 1970 UK No.1 single Voodoo Chile'). Mitchell had been in the ITV's 'Ready Steady Go!' house band. Mitchell was found dead in his US hotel room on 12th Nov 2008 aged 61.

1946 - Bon Scott

Born on this day in Forfar, Scotland, Bon Scott (Ronald Belford Scott), singer with Australian rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. He was brought up in Kirriemuir before moving to Melbourne, Australia, with his family in 1952 at the age of six. Having arrived from 'Bonnie Scotland', he was dubbed 'Bon', and the nickname stuck. After a night of heavy drinking, Scott was found dead in the backseat of a friend's car in South London on 19th February 1980, the cause of death being subsequently listed as ’acute alcohol poisoning' although some mystery surrounds his death and heroin use has been suggested he was an alcoholic and had been left in the car to sober up. 

Bon Scott mystery explored . . . . Louder Sound