1963 - The up-and-coming Eric Clapton was tapped to replace Anthony "Top" Topham in the Yardbirds. He would stay in the band until 1965, then join John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. After that it was Cream, Blind Faith, stints with Delaney and Bonnie, Plastic Ono Band, and then Derek and the Dominoes.
1980 - Fleetwood Mac members Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks join the USC Trojan Marching Band, which performed on their hit "Tusk," during halftime of the football game between USC and Arizona State. Nicks twirls a baton, Fleetwood plays a bass drum, and Buckingham mock conducts as the band plays the song. The USC band is then presented with a platinum record for their contribution.
1986 - CBS-TV newsman Dan Rather was caught off guard and roughed up in NYC by one man, as another yelled the enigmatic, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" R.E.M. was inspired to use that as the title their first single off of their 1994 album Monster.
After this song came out, "What's the frequency, Kenneth" became a catchphrase and was a running joke on The David Letterman Show. Rather had a good sense of humor about it and later appeared on the show, singing the song with R.E.M. backing him. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
R.I.P.:
1970 - Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose in her room at the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood, California. At 27, she was just finishing up recording her second solo album, Pearl. The album was released posthumously on January 11th, 1971.
As well as being one of the finest rock singers of the 1960s, Janis Joplin was also a great blues singer, making her material her own with her wailing, raspy, supercharged emotional delivery. She also did much to redefine the role of women in rock with her assertive, sexually forthright persona and electrifying on-stage presence.
On This Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Song Facts, Allmusic, and Wikipedia.