Alex Chilton was born on this day in 1950, and in 1978 Chris Bell was killed in a car crash at the age of 27. Both of these events are significant in the history of the band Big Star, who formed in 1971 and were only active for four years until their reunion 18 years later. They released three albums in their first incarnation and their fourth and final album in 2005. Describing their early days, Rolling Stone said they created a "seminal body of work that never stopped inspiring succeeding generations", and were the "quintessential American power pop band", and "one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll". In the 1980s both R.E.M., and the Replacements cited Big Star group as a major influence.
1968 - The Beatles went to No.1 on the US album chart with the The White Album the group's 12th US No.1 album. A double album, its plain white sleeve has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed, which was intended as a direct contrast to the vivid cover artwork of the band's earlier Sgt. Pepper's. (Photo by Krafft Angerer/Getty Images)
1971 - George Harrison was at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "My Sweet Lord", making him the first ex-Beatle to score a No. 1 U.S. hit. The song was originally intended for Billy Preston. Harrison wrote "My Sweet Lord" in praise of the Hindu god Krishna.
1983 - Having made two successful dives below a friend’s yacht to find items he’d drunkenly thrown off his own boat three years before, The Beach Boys Dennis Wilson took one last dive into the Pacific and never returned from the boat moored in Marina Del Rey, California. With the help of President Reagan he was given a burial at sea, normally reserved for Naval personnel. Dennis was the only genuine surfer in The Beach Boys.
2015 - Lemmy, lead vocalist and bassist with Motörhead died at his home in Los Angeles, California, four days after his 70th birthday following a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. Lemmy worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and the Nice, before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971, singing lead on their hit 'Silver Machine'.
Birthdays:
Roebuck 'pop' Staples of The Staple Singers was born today in 1915.
1948 - Joseph "Ziggy" Modeliste (drummer for The Meters) is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Edgar Winter of the Edgar Winter Group is 74.
John Legend is 42.
On This Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts and Wikipedia.