ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

 

October 16th

1951 - Little Richard

18 year old Richard Penniman, who was already using the stage name Little Richard made his first recordings for RCA Camden at the studios of Atlanta radio station WGST.

1961 - Patsy Cline

Decca records released 'Crazy' by Patsy Cline. The ballad, composed by Willie Nelson gave Cline a No.2 country hit in 1962. Nelson originally wrote the song for country singer Billy Walker, but Walker turned it down. The song's eventual success helped launch Nelson as a performer as well as a songwriter. It spent 21 weeks on the chart for Cline, and eventually became one of her signature tunes.

1965 - The Beatles

The Beatles recorded 'Day Tripper' at Abbey Road studio's London in three takes, they then added vocals and other overdubs, completing the song before the end of the day. Something was definitely going on . . . . 

1967 - Joan Baez

Folk singer Joan Baez was arrested, along with 123 others, for blocking the entrance to an Armed Forces Induction Center in Oakland, California.

1969 - Bobbie Gentry

Bobbie Gentry was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again,' the singers only UK No.1. Not sure about this . . . . . I never heard it! No.1? It was only the classic 'Ode To Billy Joe' that anyone in my circle paid any attention to her at all!

1969 - Leonard Chess

Record company executive and founder of the Chess record label Leonard Chess died of a heart attack aged 52. Home to John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, The Moonglows, The Flamingos, Jimmy Reed and Sonny Boy Williamson.
I bought an Jimmy Reed EP when I was just about a teenager 

1972 - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater Revival split up following the failure of their most recent album, 'Mardi Gras'. After limited success as a solo act and some legal hassles with Fantasy Records, John Fogarty would have two big hits in 1985, 'Center Field' and 'Rock and Roll Girls'. John's brother Tom Fogarty died in September, 1990 and the surviving members have been touring as Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

1976 - Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder's 'Songs In The Key Of Life', went to No.1 on the US album chart, (the working title was Let's See Life the Way It Is). Featuring the tracks 'Sir Duke', 'I Wish', 'Pastime Paradise' and 'Isn't She Lovely', it was Wonder's third US No.1 and became the best-selling and most critically acclaimed album of Wonder's career.

1982 - Culture Club

Culture Club appeared on UK TV's Top Of The Pops performing 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me'. They were booked on the show thanks to Shakin' Stevens being ill and not able to appear. The song became a major hit after their memorable performance on the music TV show. Such a great voice and underrated for the longest time, I mean the popsters got it and were on message but he is a fine fine vocalist in my opinion.

1986 - Chuck Berry

Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Robert Cray joined other artists on stage in St Louis, for Chuck Berry's 60th birthday concert, as featured in the film 'Hail Hail! Rock & Roll'.

1992 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary (of his recording debut) tribute concert took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Guest performers include Neil Young, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Ronnie Wood and Dylan himself. I will always remember this concert large;y for the performance of Neil Young whose 'All Along The Watchtower' frankly blew us all away!




2001 - Bob Dylan

Two security guards were sacked after refusing to allow Bob Dylan into his own concert. Dylan who had demanded that security on his 'Love and Theft' tour should be tighter than ever didn't have a pass when he arrived backstage.

2006 - Patti Smith at CBGB

CBGB, the legendary New York punk club credited with discovering Patti Smith and Ramones, closed. Blondie and Talking Heads also found fame after performing at the club, which helped launch US punk music. The venue first opened in December 1973, its full name CBGB OMFUG standing for "country, bluegrass, blues and other music for uplifting gormandizers". 
Around 2000, CBGB entered a protracted dispute over allegedly unpaid rent amounts until the landlord, Bowery Residents' Committee, sued in 2005 and lost the case, but a deal to renew CBGB's lease, expiring in 2006, failed. The club closed upon its final concert, played by Patti Smith.

2010 - Led Zeppelin

Auburn University graduate student Justin Havird named a new species of fish, Lepidocephalichthys zeppelini, because the fish's pectoral fin reminded him of the double-neck guitar used by Jimmy Page. 'I'm a big Led Zeppelin fan, and I was listening to them while I was working on the fish,' Havird said. 'The structure that makes this species unique just reminded me of the guitar that Jimmy Page played'. Er, yeah . . . . . . obvious ennit?

2015 - Patti Smith

Patti Smith was said to be moved to tears after a fan returned a bag of stolen goods to the singer, 36 years after they went missing. They included a shirt worn for a 1978 Rolling Stone cover shot and a bandana given to her by her late brother. The items went missing in June 1979 when a truck, which was carrying $40,000 in amplifiers, guitars and other musical equipment, was stolen from outside a hotel after Smith and her band played a show at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.

BIRTHDAYS

1977 - John Mayer

John Mayer, US singer, songwriter, 2003 Grammy award winner for 'Your Body Is A Wonderland', 2004 US No.1 single 'Daughters').

1969 - Wendy Wilson

Wendy Wilson, vocals, Wilson Phillips, daughter of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, (1990 US No.1 & UK No.6 single 'Hold On'). M.O.R but you can't fault the credentials  . . . . 

1947 - Bob Weir

American musician and songwriter Bob Weir, best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. The group released more than 140 albums during their career, the majority of them recorded live in concert.

1938 - Nico

Born on this day in Koln, Germany, Nico (Christa Paffgen), singer with The Velvet Underground, whose first album, the only one to feature her, was one of the most influential of all time on aspiring musicians. Nico died on 18th July 1988 from a brain haemorrhage, while on holiday in Ibiza. She had hit her head after falling off her bicycle as a result of a minor heart attack.