1965 - Bob Dylan released "Like a Rolling Stone" which would become his first major hit single. Dylan got the idea from the 1949 Hank Williams song "Lost Highway," which contains the line, "I'm a rolling stone, all alone and lost." Dylan based the lyrics on a short story he had written about a debutante who becomes a loner when she falls out of high society. The lyrics that made it into the song are only a small part of what was in the story.
In 1966, Dylan described its genesis to journalist Jules Siegel:
It was ten pages long. It wasn't called anything, just a rhythm thing on paper all about my steady hatred directed at some point that was honest. In the end it wasn't hatred, it was telling someone something they didn't know, telling them they were lucky. Revenge, that's a better word. I had never thought of it as a song, until one day I was at the piano, and on the paper it was singing, "How does it feel?" in a slow motion pace, in the utmost of slow motion.
1975 - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played the opening night on their Born To Run Tour at The Palace Theatre in Providence, R.I. The show also saw the live debut of Steven Van Zandt, aka Little Steven, as a member of The E Street Band.
1986 - Sid and Nancy, the biopic about The Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious, premieres. Gary Oldman stars as Vicious. Iggy Pop and Courtney Love also make appearances.
Birthdays:
Carlos Santana, is 74. Learned to play violin when he was five, then picking up guitar three years later. Was the leader of the pioneering Latin rock band that shared his surname. But he also ventured outside of the confines of his namesake band to pursue adventurous collaborations with jazz musicians -- his first non-band album, 1973's Love Devotion Surrender, was recorded with John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu Orchestra; his second was made with Alice Coltrane. One thing remained constant: Carlos' exceptional lead guitar work, characterized by its warm, saturated tone and fluid, lyrical phrasing.
Paul Cook, Sex Pistols drummer is 65.
1964 - Chris Cornell, Soundgarden, Audioslave is born Christopher John Boyle. Possessed a near four octave vocal range. Started out as a drummer. Along with the Melvins, Soundgarden was one of the first rock bands to slow down punk's youthful energy to a Black Sabbath-like crawl. Soundgarden also became one of the first bands of the Seattle underground to sign with a major label. Has 6 solo albums. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Activision)
Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard is 55.
Kim Carnes is 76 today. Best-known for is her 1981 worldwide hit "Bette Davis Eyes".
On This Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Song Facts, Allmusic, and Wikipedia.