1968 - Graham Nash left The Hollies and started work with David Crosby and Stephen Stills who went on to form Crosby Stills and Nash.
1971 - Reginald Dwight legally changes his name to Elton Hercules John. He had been using the "Elton John" name since 1968, but had never made it official. The name was in homage to two fellow members of Bluesology: saxophonist Elton Dean and vocalist Long John Baldry. The middle name he picked in honor of the mythological hero, which also happened to be the name of a horse on one of his favorite British TV shows: Steptoe and Son. The show was later re-worked as Sanford and Son in the U.S.
1976 - The Eagles released Hotel California. It sketches a thematic statement that begins by using California as a metaphor for a dark, surreal world of dissipation; comments on the ephemeral nature of success and the attraction of excess; branches out into romantic disappointment; and finally sketches a broad, pessimistic history of America that borders on nihilism. Of course, the lyrics kick in some time after one has appreciated the album's music, which marks a peak in the Eagles' playing.
The result was the Eagles' biggest-selling regular album release, and one of the most successful rock albums ever.
1980 - John Lennon was shot and killed in New York City. Lennon was entering his Manhattan apartment building, with wife Yoko Ono, when Mark David Chapman shot him four times at close range with a .38-caliber revolver. Lennon was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, but it was too late. Chapman had received an autograph from Lennon earlier and voluntarily remained at the scene of the shooting until he was arrested by police.
That same day John sat down for a radio interview where he said: “We’re either going to live or we’re going to die. I consider that my work won’t be finished until I’m dead and buried – and I hope that’s a long time”.
Lennon was a great many things to millions of people, and his loss had a seismic impact. As Far Out magazine put it: "He was atop a pedestal of veneration, representing a set of beliefs for which he was a living symbol. This made him larger than his output. He had transcended art and became emblematic of a fraction of evolving society. So, while the popularity of his music may have waned by 1980, only scoring one number one in ten years as a solo artist, his status was positively unimpeached." (Photo credit should read DOUG KANTER/AFP via Getty Images)
Birthdays:
Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals was born on this day in 1942. While they never achieved the commercial success or cultural impact of the Wailers, Toots & the Maytals were nearly as important in the history of Jamaican music. Like the Wailers, the Maytals thrived as ska gave way to rocksteady and then evolved into reggae.
In 1972, "Pressure Drop" and "Sweet and Dandy" were featured on the soundtrack of the film The Harder They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff. The movie was a smash in Jamaica and became an art house sensation in the United States, as the film and its soundtrack album helped make American listeners aware of the growing reggae phenomenon.
The Doors singer Jim Morrison was born today in 1943. With the Doors, Jim Morrison is one of the most legendary and influential figures in rock & roll history. The disturbing, image-rich poeticism of Morrison's lyrics, perfectly supported by the Doors' swirling, eclectic psychedelic rock, have assured him continuing icon status, while his fondness for theatrical shock tactics and nihilistic angst have influenced countless imitators.
Gregg Allman was born today in 1947. Along with brother Duane, he was a founding member of story of the Allman Brothers Band. During the early '70s, they were arguably one of the most influential rock groups in America, thanks in no small part to At Fillmore East (a high-water mark for concert albums), that redefined the scope of rock's musical boundaries.
While he was a gifted keyboardist, his original instrument was the guitar. I interviewed Gregg years ago before a Red Tocks show and I asked him about the transition. He explained that Duane had called him back to Florida from California to join a band he had in the works. That would turn out to be the future Allman Brothers. Upon arrival, he was blindfolded and lead to a room. When the blind fold was removed, there stood a Hammond B3 organ, with a couple of joints on it. Gregg said learn how to play it, we'll come back in a couple of days...
Sinead O'Connor was born today in 1966. With her wide-ranging art and steadfast beliefs, Sinéad O'Connor embodied courage. In a soprano that ranged from piercing to caressing, she used the pain of her childhood to speak out against others' suffering. When she appeared in the late 1980s, O'Connor's shaved head challenged stereotypical notions of femininity, but her rejections of conformity weren't skin-deep. On 1987's acclaimed debut album The Lion and the Cobra, she fused rock, hip-hop, and electronic pop with subjects -- sex, religion, oppression -- many other artists wouldn't touch.
R.I.P.:
2021 - Robbie Shakespeare died age 68. He is best known as one half of the reggae rhythm section and production duo Sly and Robbie, with drummer Sly Dunbar. Regarded as one of the most influential reggae bassists, Shakespeare's work extended beyond the reggae genre, covering various pop and rock artists such as Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Cyndi Lauper, Joe Cocker, Yoko Ono, Serge Gainsbourg, and Grace Jones.
Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts, Allmusic, Far Out Magazine, History Channel, and Wikipedia.