1966 - The Monkees TV show makes its debut, with four actors chosen to portray a pop band based on The Beatles. While The Monkees are a fictional band, they become very real and eventually play on their own recordings instead of studio musicians.
1969 - The Rolling Stones release the compilation, Through The Past, Darkly. This album was spawned by three coinciding events -- the need to acknowledge the death of band co-founder Brian Jones (whose epitaph graces the inside cover) in July of 1969; the need to get "Honky Tonk Women," then a huge hit single, onto an LP; and to fill the ten-month gap since the release of Beggars Banquet and get an album with built-in appeal into stores ahead of the Stones' first American tour in three years. From Paint It Black to Street Fighting Man, a potent collection.
1975 - Pink Floyd released, Wish You Were Here. Pink Floyd followed the commercial breakthrough of Dark Side of the Moon with Wish You Were Here, a loose concept album about and dedicated to their founding member Syd Barrett. The record unfolds gradually, as the jazzy textures of "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" reveal its melodic motif, and in its leisurely pace, the album shows itself to be a warmer record than its predecessor. Musically, it's arguably even more impressive, showcasing the group's interplay and David Gilmour's solos in particular. And while it's short on actual songs, the long, winding soundscapes are constantly enthralling.
1990 - Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac announced they were leaving the band at the end of their current tour. At the time, some believed that Nicks' and McVie's departures were hastened by bad blood in the wake of Fleetwood's memoir, Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac which revealed some "sordid revelations" about life in Fleetwood Mac.
1996 - Jack Gillis marries Meg White. He takes her last name, and the couple forms The White Stripes. They tell reporters they are brother and sister, which goes over until a reporter for the Detroit Free Press uncovers their marriage license in 2001.
2007 - The surviving members of Led Zeppelin announced they would reform for a star-studded tribute concert in London. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones would play at a show to remember the late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun.
18,000 tickets priced at $255 each doled out in an online lottery. At least a million registrations come in for the show, which is scheduled for November 26 but postponed to December 10 when Jimmy Page breaks his finger.
Birthdays:
Country legend George Jones was born today in 1931. By most accounts, George Jones was the finest vocalist in the recorded history of country music. Initially, he was a hardcore honky tonker in the tradition of Hank Williams, but over the course of his career he developed an affecting, nuanced ballad style. In the course of his career, he never left the top of the country charts, even as he suffered innumerable personal and professional difficulties. Only Eddy Arnold had more Top Ten hits, and Jones always stayed closer to the roots of hardcore country.
Barry White was born today in 1944. By the time he's a teenager, White's squeaky voice deepens into a lush bass-baritone that will boom in bedrooms across America, but he has to break free of the gang life first. After he's arrested for boosting $30,000 worth of Cadillac tires, the 16-year-old criminal experiences an awakening during a four-month stint in jail. A song on the radio inspires him to pursue a different path and, with the words of Elvis Presley's "It's Now Or Never" echoing in his mind, he heads to Hollywood to become a singer.
Drummer Neil Peart (Rush) was born today in 1952. Ask just about any rock drummer who their influences are and chances are Rush's Neil Peart will be high on the list. With his technically demanding, precise, and deeply complex rhythmic style, few rock drummers scaled the heights that Peart did both on record and on-stage as part of the renowned Canadian prog rock trio Rush. Unlike many of his peers, Peart wrote a lot of his parts and solos, making him as much a musical architect as a drummer
Gerry Beckley is 71. Gerry Beckley is a gifted singer/songwriter best known as a founding member of the classic soft rock outfit America. Alongside bandmates Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek, Beckley first gained recognition for such America hits as 1971's "Horse with No Name," 1972's "Ventura Highway," 1975's "Sister Golden Hair," and others. Though he and Bunnell continue to perform as America, since the mid-'90s he has also recorded under his own name.
Ben Folds is 57. Paired with lyrics that can go from heartbreakingly earnest to biting and humorous, Ben Folds' knack for crafting engaging melodies helped fuel his slow dive into the mainstream, from piano-bashing college rock upstart to commercial crooner.
R.I.P.
2003 - Johnny Cash died in a Nashville hospital. He was 71. Cash was one of the most imposing and influential figures in post-World War II country music. With his deep, resonant baritone and spare percussive guitar, he had a basic, distinctive sound. Cash didn't sound like Nashville, nor did he sound like honky tonk or rock & roll. He created his own subgenre, falling halfway between the blunt emotional honesty of folk, the rebelliousness of rock & roll, and the world-weariness of country. He flouted of musical boundaries continued right up until the end of his life. He died four months after the passing of his beloved wife and partner, June Carter Cash. (Photo by HANS PAUL/LEHTIKUVA/AFP via Getty Images)
On This Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.
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