1965 - Elvis Presley played host to The Beatles, the "successors to the throne," in a reportedly awkward four-hour meeting at Presley's Bel Air, Calif., mansion. Elvis broke the ice by saying to the Beatles, 'If you’re just going to sit around and stare at me, I’m going to bed.' Elvis and the guys began to laugh, and once the Beatles realized they were dealing with someone who shared their skewed sense of humor, everybody got along great. They hang out, talk music and have a little jam session. John Lennon would later say, "If it hadn't been for him, The Beatles would be nothing."
George Harrison: "I spent most of the party trying to suss out from the gang if anybody had any reefers. But they were 'uppers and whiskey' people. They weren't really into reefer smoking in the South."
1987 - With the jury deadlocked, a judge declares a mistrial in the case against Dead Kennedys frontman and former Boulder resident, Jello Biafra, who was charged with distributing harmful material to minors because he included a surreal poster of penis art in the band's 1985 album Frankenchrist - the first time a musician has been prosecuted for album art. The trial is a costly one for the Dead Kennedys, who break up soon after.
1988 - Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut album hits #1 in the US. Firmly within the classic singer/songwriter tradition, sounding for all the world as if it was recorded in the early '70s, but the record continues to sound fresh because Chapman's writing is so keenly observed and her strong, gutsy singing makes each song sound intimate and immediate.
1990 - Stevie Ray Vaughan perished when the helicopter in which he was flying crashed in East Troy, Wis., during a dense fog. The gig concluded with an encore jam featuring guitarists Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Robert Cray. After the concert, Stevie Ray boarded a helicopter bound for Chicago. Minutes after its 12:30 a.m. takeoff, the helicopter crashed, killing Vaughan and the other four passengers. He was only 35 years old.
1991 - Pearl Jam released their debut album Ten. Eddie Vedder penned most of the album's lyrics over melodies written by Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, and the songs take a frank look at topics like homelessness and suicide. Despite the depressing subject matter, the album is radio-friendly, helping to spur the album's success. It remains a a flawlessly crafted hard rock masterpiece. (Photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images)
Birthdays:
Daryl Dragon of The Captain and Tennille was born today in 1942. He passed away in 2019.
Guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush is 68.
Glenn Matlock, early bassist in the Sex Pisto9ls. Also a member of the reformed version, is 65.
No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal is 51.
Sarah Neufeld, the violinist for Arcade Fire, is 42.
Sean Foreman frontman of 3Oh!3 is 36.
On This Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Song Facts, Allmusic, Ultimate Classic Rock and Wikipedia.