1960 - 17-year-old George Harrison was deported from Germany for being too young to perform with The Beatles.
1965 - The Beatles released a two-hit single with "Day Tripper" on one side and "We Can Work It Out" on the other. Day Tripper: John Lennon's lyrics were his first overt reference to LSD in a Beatles song. The song can be seen as Lennon teasing Paul McCartney about not taking acid. We Can Work It Out: Paul McCartney wrote this about his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher. They split for good in 1968.
1966 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their first single, "Hey Joe". This is the song that started it all for Hendrix. "Hey Joe" was written by a singer named Billy Roberts, who was part of the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early '60s. The song is structured as a conversation between two men, with "Joe" explaining to the other that he caught his woman cheating and plans to kill her. They talk again, and Joe explains that he did indeed shoot her, and is headed to Mexico.
1974 - Mick Taylor revealed in a press release that he was departing The Rolling Stones after a five-year run, stating that he "felt it was the time to move on and do something new."
1983 - Pete Townshend issues a statement announcing he's leaving The Who, not surprising considering they called their last shows in 1982 their "Farewell Tour." It's far from the end, as they reunite for a seemingly unending series of "reunions," starting with Live-Aid in 1985.
1993 - MTV aired Nirvana's "Unplugged" session for the first time. The album featured an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993. Unlike many artists who appeared on the show, Nirvana filmed its entire performance in a single take with the band's fourteen-song set list including six cover versions. And then there was the stage. Kurt Cobain wanted the set to be strewn with stargazer lilies and candles, with chandeliers illuminating the band.
“You mean like a funeral?” asked the producer.
To which Kurt Cobain replied, “Exactly. Like a funeral.” (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
2007 - Singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg died at his home in Maine at the age of 56. Starting out in local bands playing rock and roll, Fogelberg found his passion on acoustic guitar. He left his studies at the University of Illinois and headed for the West Coast, finding inspiration during a week in Colorado before moving on and securing a recording contract. For his second release, Souvenirs, Fogelberg enlisted producer Joe Walsh, who had recently recorded at Caribou Ranch near Nederland, and “Part of the Plan” went to the top of the charts. He's a member of the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame.
While touring through Colorado in the mid-1970s, Fogelberg bought a house from Chris Hillman, situated 9,000 feet up in the Rocky Mountains. His time there resulted in the songs on Nether Lands, a platinum seller. He recorded part of his next venture, Phoenix, in Colorado, and the songs “Heart Hotels” and “Longer” were pop hits.
2013 - Miley Cyrus insured her tongue for $1 million.
2020 - After nearly 178 days, Twenty One Pilots pull the plug on the livestream for their "Level Of Concern" video, which refreshed every 3:40 with new footage uploaded by fans. Guinness declares it the longest music video ever made.
Birthdays:
Ludwig van Beethoven was born today in 1770.
Billy Gibbons, guitarist and lead singer of ZZ Top, is 72.
On This Day In Music History are gathered from The Thin Air, cmhof.org, This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.