1964 - During a recording session at Chess Records in Chicago, The Rolling Stones ran into a couple of their heroes: Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. Keith Richards describes the famous moment that the Rolling Stones first visited Chess: “We walked into Chess Studios and there’s this guy in black overalls painting the ceiling. And it’s Muddy Waters and he’s got whitewash streaming down his face and he’s on top of a ladder.
1967 - Bob Dylan and The Band began recording the legendary Basement Tapes in Woodstock, N.Y. Thanks to his 1966 motorcycle accident, Dylan wasn’t able to complete the rest of his 1966 tour with the Band (then called the Hawks). So he wrote these songs partly as a way to earn a living. They were just made so other people could cover them.
The party line on The Basement Tapes is that it is Americana, as Dylan and the Band pick up the weirdness inherent in old folk, country, and blues tunes, but it transcends mere historical arcana through its lively, humorous, full-bodied performances. Dylan never sounded as loose, nor was he ever as funny as he is here, and this positively revels in its weird, wild character.
1971 - Police fire tear gas into the rowdy crowd at the Jethro Tull concert at Red Rocks, but the band continues playing even though some of them have trouble seeing their instruments. It was almost the last rock show ever held at the venue. It started when fans who couldn't get get tickets for the sold-out show decided to climb the hills behind the venue to get in. The police responded with copious amounts of tear gas, and the result was a full-scale riot -- stuff thrown at cops, heads busted, cars tipped, the whole enchilada. In the aftermath, the mayor banned rock shows from the venue, a ban that lasted for five years. (Photo credit PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP via Getty Images)
1975 - The Eagles released their fourth studio album One of These Nights. It was the culmination of the blend of rock, country, and folk styles the Eagles had been making since their start, but more polished, musical arrangements were tighter and more purposeful. More than ever, the Eagles seemed to be evolving into a vehicle for Don Henley and Glenn Frey.
2004 - Ray Charles dies. He was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Charles devised a new form of Black pop by merging '50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the '60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the most emotional and easily identifiable of any 20th century performer, up there with the likes of Elvis and Billie Holiday. He was also a superb keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader. Frank Sinatra called him "the only true genius in show business".
Birthdays:
Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf) was born today in 1910.
Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minn., today in 1922.
Shirley Owens of The Shirelles is 80.
Kim Deal of The Pixies and The Breeders is 60.
Kim Deal's twin sister Kelley Deal of The Breeders is also 60.
Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin is 57.
Joey Santiago of The Pixies is 56.
Darren Robinson of The Fat Boys was born today in 1967.
Faith Evans is 48.
On This Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Every Record Tells A Story, Allmusic, Westword, Song Facts and Wikipedia.