From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 1st July):
Birth
1977. Actress Liv Tyler is born at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Although her birth certificate lists her father as Todd Rundgren she found out in 1988 that her biological father was in fact Steven Tyler. Liv’s mother, Bebe Buell, was Playboy’s Playmate Of The Month for November 1974 and a renowned groupie. She lived with Rundgren from 1972 until 1977 and dated Tyler in 1976 and 1977. If Liv’s choice of two fathers seems confusing, it’s complicated by the fact that both men have married twice since her birth. Her mother’s also managed to fit in two other husbands and a relationship with Elvis Costello that saw her twice mis-carry. That means Liv manages a grand total of one mother, two fathers, two step-fathers and four step-mothers!
On Tour
1997. Figures released today show that despite NOT selling out all their shows, U2’s “Popmart” is the biggest grossing tour of the year. The cash registers have rung up $ 45 million since the band kicked off on April 25th - that’s $ 2.4 million every night!
In Court
1996. The High Court in London rules that Paula Yates acted unlawfully when she knocked down a partition wall in the house she had shared with ex-husband Bob Geldof. The ruling is being contested by Yates and both parties will be back in court this week. The action follows a bizarre house swap in which Paula and her new lover, Michael Hutchence are occupying the former Geldof family home while Bob has moved into the INXS star’s £ 400,000 warehouse flat.
Later that day… Status Quo are also in The High Court in London in a bid to force BBC Radio 1 to play their records. The judge, Mr. Justice Collins takes less than an hour to dismiss the “hopeless” case. He points out that there is no legal requirement for Radio 1 to like their music.
In Hospital
1969. John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Kyoko Cox and Julian Lennon are all injured in a road accident in the Tongue area of Sutherland, Scotland. They are staying in the area whilst visiting John’s aunt in Durness. All four are taken to hospital in Golspie where John receives 17 stitches to a head wound and Yoko 14. Kyoko needs 4 stitches but Julian escapes with bruising and shock. John was driving an Austin Maxi hired for their trip. It’s thought he panicked on the single-track road as a vehicle approached and over-reacted. The car swerved off the road into a ditch and overturned. The car was later transported to John and Yoko’s home, Tittenhurst Park near Ascot and left in the garden to remind them of the event. It’s pictured on my Lennon autograph page here
On Television
1956. Elvis Presley appears on the Steve Allen Show. He is ordered not to girate or dance or make any “suggestive” movements. In an effort to give him a more serious image, his host dresses him in a tuxedo with tails and has him sing “Hound Dog” to a bassett hound. The fans react badly. The next day there are pickets outside the television studios demanding “the real Elvis”. Elvis, of course, takes it all in his stride and seems to enter into the fun of it when he quips that the only thing that doesn’t match his tux and tails are the blue suede shoes he’s wearing.
Death
1981. Rushton Moreve (Steppenwolf), real name John Russell Morgan, dies in a car crash in Sunny Valley, California, aged 35. Moreve had been a session player in Los Angeles before joining a Canadian group called Sparrow which had moved to the city in 1967. That soon changed its name to Steppenwolf which turned into one of the biggest bands on the scene. Moreve left the band under the most bizzare circumstances. Early in 1969, Steppenwolf were heading for a weekend of gigs in Colorado. Moreve turned up at the airport with enough trunks for a stay of several months and several friends in tow. After their gigs, Moreve and friends refused to fly back to Los Angeles despite having to tape a television show the next day. The band flew home, a replacement drummer was found and Moreve wasn’t seen for weeks. When he eventually returned, he told Steppenwolf front-man John Kay that he and the friends with him had believed that a massive earthquake was scheduled to consign California to the ocean floor and they were staying away. Having figured out that the ‘quake wasn’t going to happen, they made their way home. Unfortunately, John Kay had already replaced him and was in no mood to put up with such paranoia.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Friday 27th June):
Birth
1961. Margo Timmins (The Cowboy Junkies) born in Montreal, Canada.
Opening Night
2002. Britney Spears opens in Manhattan, not onstage but in her new business venture - NYLA, a Cajun styled restaurant inside the Dylan Hotel. Among the A-List celebrities were New York Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, Donald Trump and illusionist David Copperfield. Britney’s former boyfriend, Justin Timberlake was not in attendance. The 20-year-old pop princess tld the press, “My dad is my date tonight”.
In Custody
1980. Three members of The Stranglers are freed on £ 10,000 bail after a week in a French jail. The three had been charged with inciting violence when a riot broke out after a power failure at their concert in Nice. Dave Greenfield was released earlier in the week when charges were not pressed against him.
In Hospital
2002. Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, front man with Overkill, collapses onstage half an hour into the band’s performance in Nurnberg, Germany. He’s taken by paramedics to hospital where it’s discovered he’s suffered a “minor stroke”. Ellsworth stays in hospital for two days of tests before being discharged.
On Television
1970. Beat Club (WDR, West Germany) 56: Van der Graaf Generator, Brinsley Schwarz, Family, Santana, Mungo Jerry. Here are Family with their classic, “Weaver’s Answer”.
Death
2002. John Entwistle, bass player with The Who is found dead in a Las Vegas hotel room. It’s believed that he suffered a heart attack. The band were scheduled to begin their U.S. tour at the hotel, The Hard Rock, tomorrow night.
Babble
I’ve updated Rockmine’s Archive page which finally gives a comprehensive overview of the depth of the archive’s written word collection. It’s a crazy concept as even in the course of putting the lists online, I’ve found or added more. None of these listings may ever be complete!
Regardless of whether you’re a casual rock fan or a hardened rock journalist, you need to take a look at these lists.
The Music Paper Archive - These are the music papers currently in stock, from the late 1950s to date. Obviously, if you have something that’s not listed here, then let me know. I’m always happy to swap and have thousands of muisc papers from the late 1970s to mid 1990s for trade.
The Library - This covers most of the seminal books on rock and pop and nearly every related genre and style. This would be a big library on its own but as part of a one-stop resource it shows just how HUGE Rockmine is.
The Magazine And Cuttings Collections - Rock music is the soundtrack to our lives and the people who make it shape our thoughts and even our world. The Magazine Colection takes rock and pop away from the analytical view of music journalists and shows how “real” magazines deal with our heroes. It can be a fascinating and sometimes different angle.
As for the cuttings, everything you could ever want is there: the gossip, the interviews, reviews and news coverage as well as changing styles and even partners. An essential part of Rockmine, the events cuttings are the basis to Rockmine’s Almanac - part of which is published here every day.
The Legal Document Archive - It’s amazing what’s hidden in the stuffy pages of legal filings. Autopsy reports, police files, court transcripts, judgements, F.B.I. files, divorce petitions and wills, they’re all here. For the stories behind events and the reality of rock stars’ lives - and deaths, these are a treasure trove of information.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 26th June):
Birth
1893. Bluesman Big Bill Broonzy born William Lee Conley Broonzy in Scott, Mississippi.
On Tour
1977. Elvis Presley plays Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. Unbeknown to Elvis or his fans, it will be his last concert.
… and in 2002. Twenty-five years after the event, a memorial is unveiled on the site of Elvis Presley’s last concert. The 58 inch high granite block with brass plaque stands on the site of Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. The arena was demolished on July 8th 2001 and its site is currently being used as a car park. The memorial contains a time capsule holding a scarf, Elvis’ last tour schedule and various other items. It is to be opened in 100 years. An error in measuring the space available meant that the capsule could not be lodged in the monument last night. Instead, it had to be sent to a welder to be reduced in size before it could be fitted this morning. Taking part in the dedication was Al Dvorin who was Elvis’ stage announcer for many years. Prior to giving a brief speech, he offered up his trademark announcement given at the end of any concert, “Elvis has left the building”.
In Custody
2001. Howie Epstein, bassist with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and his girlfriend, country singer Carlene Carter are arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico by State Police. The cops pull the couple over for speeding on Interstate 25 but that’s just the start of their problems.
A check shows that the vehicle, a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee was reported stolen from a dealership on March 15 and whilst searching it, 2.9 grams of black tar heroin and “a large amount of drug paraphernalia” is found. Carter told arresting officers that the drugs and related items were hers and “for personal use”. The couple were booked into Bernalillo County Detention Center on felony charges but released the next day after posting a bail bond.
In Hospital
2002. Billy Joel checks out of a substance abuse clinic and psychiatric hospital in Connecticut after 10 days treatment for reported alcohol abuse. People magazine reported that Joel entered the clinic as his Father’s Day gift to his 16-year-old daughter, Alexa.
On Television
1998. Rockpalast (WDR, Germany) Hazeldine; Matthew Ryan (Köln, Stadtgarten). Here’s Matthew Ryan with “Irrelevant”.
Death
1979. Vernon Presley, Elvis’s father, dies at a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, aged 63. He’d been suffering from heart problems and had been hospitalized three times in the last seven months.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 22nd June):
Birth
1947. Howard Kaylan (The Turtles) born Howard Lawrence Kaplan in New York.
On Tour
2001. As R&B singer Lil’ Mo leaves San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre, she’s attacked by a man who smashes a champagne bottle into her head. Mo had been performing in the theatre at a concert given by radio station KMEL. She was taken to hospital where she needed 22 stitches in her face and head. Her assailant escaped.
In Court
1981. Mark David Chapman (26) appears in Manhattan Supreme Court accused of murdering John Lennon. Despite protests from his lawyers who advised him to plead not guilty, by reason of insanity, Chapman pleads guilty. Judge Dennis Edwards, presiding, sets a date of August 24th for sentencing. Chapman’s lawyer, Jonathan Marks, said that earlier in the month his client had two conversations with God - one on June 8th and the other on June 10th. Since then, it had become impossible for him to “have any meaningful dialogue” with Chapman. He went on to tell the court, “I do not believe Mr. Chapman is capable of listening to my advice”.
In Politics
2000. Hamilton Jordan, Chief Of White House Staff when Jimmy Carter was in office, tells an audience at West Virginia University that the president used to get nuisance calls from Elvis Presley. It seems “The King” was excited at having another Southern boy in the top job and liked to keep in touch. Trouble was Presley was “usually pretty loaded” and wouldn’t notice if Carter handed the phone to anyone else he could find.
On Television
1996. Rockpalast (WDR, Germany) Placebo; Crown Of Thorns; Frank Black; Heather Nova; Pulp; Iggy Pop; Bad Religion; David Bowie (Loreley St. Goarshausen) Here’s David Bowie with, “The Voyeur”.
Death
1969. Judy Garland is found dead by her fifth husband, Mickey Deans, at the couple’s home in Cadogan Lane, Chelsea, London. Initial tests rule out a drug overdose or cirrhosis of the liver.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 19th June):
Birth
1948. Nick Drake born in Rangoon, Burma.
On Politics
1984. Michael Jackson is denounced by the Kremlin for having sold out his black roots and being a puppet of the Reagan administration.
In Custody
1990. Adam Franklin (Swervedriver) is arrested and charged with causing an affray after an incident with a bouncer after the band’s gig at London’s Borderline Club which leaves him with several broken teeth and facial bruising. He spends a night in police cells before being released in the morning. Due to his injuries he can barely speak. As a result the band cancel the rest of their U.K. tour.
In The Press
1976. Seventeen year old scribe, Steven Morrissey hits the big time when he gets a letter published in Melody Maker and New Musical Express about The Sex Pistols concert on June 4th in Manchester. Here’s the letter:
“I PEN this epistle after witnessing the infamous Sex Pistols ‘in concert’ at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall. The bumptious Pistols in jumble sale attire had those few that attended dancing in the aisles despite their discordant music and barely audible audacious lyrics, and they were called back for two encores. The Pistols boast no inspiration from the New York / Manhattan rock scene, yet their set includes “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone” a number believed to be done almost to perfection by the Heartbreakers on any sleazy New York night, and the Pistols’ vocalist/exhibitionist Johnny Rotten’s attitude and self-asserted “love us or leave us” approach can be compared to both Iggy Pop and David JoHansen in their heyday.
Not to mention the fact that the Pistol’s manager is the legendary Malcolm MacClaren who has had close connections with the New York Dolls. The Sex Pistols are very New York and it’s nice to see that the British have produced a band capable of producing atmosphere created by the N.Y. Dolls and their many imitators, even though it may be too late. I’d love to see the Pistols make it. Maybe then they will be able to afford some clothes which don’t look as though they’ve been slept in.” - STEVE MORRISEY, Stretford, Manchester
On Television
1980. Musikladen (ZDF, Germany) 54. A la Carte - Do wah diddy diddy; Gibson Brothers - Mariana; The Days - Teacher, teacher; Oscar Harris - Song for the children; Matchbox - Midnite dynamos; Jona Lewie - Kitchen at parties; Jimmy Ruffin - Hold on to my love; Paul McCartney - Coming up (Video); Pretenders - Brass in pocket; Marianne Faithful - Broken English; Roxy Music - Over you; Lipps Inc. - Funkytown; Johnny Cash - Sunday morning coming down (Oldie: 1972); Showaddywaddy - Always & ever. Here’s Marianne Faithful.
Death
2002. Frank “Skip” Candelon, ex-lead singer of Turning Point is found dead in his New Jersey home from a suspected drug overdose. The event is announced by the band’s web site which also says, “the family wishes the details of Skip’s death to remain private”.
Babble
I’ve finally got some of Rockmine’s music film posters up for sale on-line. They’ve been sitting in drawers and portfolios since they were last taken to a memorabilia/record fair in Paris back in 1995! They’re all originals, sent out to cinemas to promote the movie. Here are direct links to them:
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 27th May):
Birth
1957. Siouxsie Sioux (Siouxsie And The Banshees) born Susan Dallion in London, England.
On Tour
1990. The Stone Roses play a mega-rave at Spike Island near Widnes for 30,000 fans. 400 people are treated on site for minor injuries, 27 are hospitalised and five are kept in overnight. One person dies from a heart attack. There are only four arrests - three for drugs and one for public order offences..
In Court
1997. Judge David Horowitz rules in favour of Pamela Anderson Lee, wife of Motley Crue’s drummer Tommy, at the end of a trial brought against her by The Private Movie Company who had sued the star for $ 5 million claiming breach of contract. The suit alleged that Pamela had agreed to star in a Shoiwtime cable TV movie entitled, “Hello, She Lied”. The company also alleged that had the ex-Baywatch star gone ahead with the movie, the company would have made more than $ 5 million in overseas sales. As it was they just broke even on the project.
In Hospital
1969. Cilla Black gives herself an unusual 26th birthday present - a new nose. The new look smaller nose was constructed by plastic surgeons during an operation at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex. The singer had complained last year of how large her nose looked every time she saw herself on television and decided to do something about it.
On Television
1972. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 16. Tony Marshall - Komm, gib mir deine Hand; Hollies - The baby; New Seekers - Beg, steal or borrow; Su Kramer - Holy Moses; Heino - Carnavalin Rio; Uriah Heep - Wizard; Inga + Wolf - Gute Nacht, Freunde; Tony Christie - Don’t go down to Reno; Vicky Leandros - Apès toi, Dann kamst du; Chicory Tip - What’s your name?. Here are Uriah Heep!
Death
2001. Jazz writer, producer and publicist, Helen Oakley Dance (who worked with Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and many more) dies from complications following a heart attack, aged 88.
Babble.
The Rockmine update/upgrade continues. Today. I got the Legal Document Archive on-line. It’s a fascinating mixture of court papers covering criminal cases, debt, divorce and probate along with police files, coroner’s reports and even accident investigations. I’ve always been fascinated by legal documents and they’re often ignored.
I’ve sold stories to the national and international press that people just never saw buried in the dry and boring text. One was the K.G.B. plan to kill Elvis Presley which was in the 2,000 pages that the F.B.I. released. The other, was a “Complaint For Sexual Battery; Battery; Seduction; Willful Misconduct; Intentional Infliction Of Emotional Distress; Fraud And Negligence” brought by one J. Chandler against Michael Jackson. It was in the middle of a file of divorce papers relating to Michael’s marriage to Lisa Marie Presley.
Needless to say, my inventory is more than a little out of date, so there’s still more to add to it. As all the dates are really important and play a part in The Almanac, I’ve removed them along with the exact court or county cherk’s office the papers came from. It is meant to be a commercial resource after all.
Although today had been scheduled for sending out invites and press releases for my memorabilia exhibition at the Red Shoes Theatre in Elgin, I’m still no wiser as to whether the event is going ahead. It seems the theatre, once better known as the Two Red Shoes Ballroom, is unable to get insurance cover for anything hung on the walls of their cafe. I don’t think I’ve EVER been in a theatre that didn’t have some sort of exhibition going on and they must have insurance for it. What worries me most is that reference keeps being made to trying to get an extension to their public liability policy, which may well mean that’s the only insurance they have. I certainly hope that’s not the case.
One of the things I’d aimed to do to tie in with the exhibition was a list of all the gigs staged at the venue. It would be a quirky adjunct to The Almanac’s live listing which has all the dates for The Marquee, The Fillmores, The Cavern and many more. The adverts and pop columns in the local paper are fascinating and would make a great display in the theatre to celebrate its past. I’ve only had a couple of days in the local Heritage Centre but was stunned to find they had all the local papers on microfiche and real copies in storage that were available for photocopying. I’m going to book some more hard copies in the hope that I can get some time to finish this list, regardless of what happens to the exhibition.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 25th May):
Birth
1943. Jessi Colter born Miriam Johnson in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally Colter worked under her real name. She took Jessi Colter as her stage name after her second marriage to Waylon Jennings (her first was to Duane Eddy). It was the name of her great-great-great uncle who was a member of Jesse James outlaw gang.
On Stage
1960. The Cavern Club stages its first beat night in a break from its regular jazz gigs. Until today, beat and before that, skiffle had only been seen in the club during lunchtime sessions. The opening beat combo was local band, Rory Storm And The Hurricanes featuring Ringo Starr on drums.
In Court
1937. Elvis Presley’s father, Vernon, is sentenced to three years in Parchman Farm prison for forgery along with Gladys’ brother and another man. After the sentence farmer Orville Bean, who’d advanced Vernon $ 180 to build his house in 1934, called in his loan. Gladys and the three-year-old Elvis were forced out.
In Politics
2000. Sheryl Crow testifies to a House Of Representatives Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property. She was arguing on behalf of a number of recording stars (Fleetwood Mac, Don Henley and Billy Joel) who are all protesting an ammendment to the 1976 Copyright Act. The new act considers recordings to be “works for hire” and the property of the record company. This will scrap rights musicians have to the masters of their recordings after 35 years. Also on hand were Mary Chapin Carpenter , Deana Carter and Ronnie Spector. Don Henley, who was not present, was lambasted by committee chairman Howard Coble who said, “I hope you get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from counting all the money you make compliments of the Copyright Act.
On Television
1995. Later… With Jools Holland (BBC-2, U.K.) 5.4. Paul Weller - “Woodcutter’s Son”; “You Do Something /to Me”; “Wings of Speed, Walk On Gilded Splinters”; Supergrass - “Alright”; “Caught by The Fuzz”; Baaba Maal - “African Woman”; “Sidiki”; The Vulgar Boatmen - “Wide Awake”; “Heartbeat”; Joan Armatrading - “Back On The Road”; “Merchant of Love”; Scott Walker - “Rosary”. Here’s the Mod Father with “Woodcutter’s Son”.
Death
1992. Khalil Rountree, tour manager for Boyz II Men is shot dead in a Chicago hotel where he and the band are staying while on tour with Hammer.
Babble
It’s been an interesting few days. I’ve been looking for places to stage a memorabilia exhibition and visiting a variety of possible venues. One, which tickled my fancy, was the Moray Arts Centre at the Findhorn Foundation. For a place well known for its weirdness I felt a bit disappointed. My first stop, the foundation’s cafe, was surprisingly middle-class with copies of all the establishment newspapers for the customers to peruse in an atmosphere more reminiscennt of chic Chelsea coffee house rather than radical counter-culture.
What surprised me most, however, was the fact that I was being stared at. A group of German tourists, possibly on a break during their guided tour, wouldn’t take their eyes off me. Here I was, in what I’d always considered to be the hippiest of all places in the U.K. and I’d become a temporary exhibit. To satisfy my curiosity, I have to admit I had a wander through the Scandinavian suburbia of the eco village that mixed converted sheds with vast and hugely expensive state of the art houses but I still couldn’t find anyone that looked like they belonged with the eco warriors. There was one guy with a neatly trimmed beard and short pony-tail who looked like a polytechnic professor on his day off and a delightful woman of early middle age in a perfect pastiche of carpet and curtains. Dressed totally in black with my grey, chest-long locks blowing in the breeze, I felt totally out of place.
Anyway, when I did eventually make it to the Moary Arts Centre, the first thing I saw were posters for an upcoming exhibition of John Byrne’s paintings. John, who is a hugely talented playwright, is steeped in rock music. His seminal series for BBC in the 1980’s, Tutti Frutti, charted the highs and lows of a band struggling to break into the big time. He also had an alter-ego, Patrick, whose work adorned the covers of Stealers Wheel and Gerry Rafferty albums in the seventies.
It seemed totally sensible for me to ask if I could get a poster to put up here and on Rockmine to publicise the exhibition and to ask if I could get an invite for the private view, to review it. I was told that the posters were only for sale during the exhibition, if they had any left and as they clearly carried a copyright mark, could not be reproduced. There was me actively offering to help promote the event and I was getting that! As for an invite to the private view, they were for people who mattered. Needless to say, I walked out without even raising the issue of an exhibition.
I’m not sure what part the caravan park plays in the Findhorn community but as I drove out past the village shop I pondered what would’ve happened if Tommy’s Holiday Camp had been left for thirty-odd years. I may well go back; but I might wait till I’ve cut my hair and got a suit so I blend in a bit more.
They may not want me to publicise the exhibition but I can share some of Patrick’s work with you. Here’s the cover for Gerry Rafferty’s “Night Owl”, signed by the man himself.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 18th March):
Birth
1941. Soul singer Wilson Pickett born in Pratville, Alabama.
On Tour
1965. After a show at the ABC, Romford, England, The Rolling Stones are taken short and are caught urinating against the wall of filling station in Statford. They eventually appear in court and are each fined £ 5. Keith Richards later says that if it hadn’t been for Bill Wyman, they would never have been caught but once Bill starts, he can’t stop.
In Court
1997. Sid Shaw, owner of the Elvisly Yours shop in London wins his 14 year battle with Elvis Presley’s estate over the right to sell Elvis merchandise. Mr. Justice Laddie sitting in The High Court ruled that the company appointed by the estate, Elvis Presley Enterprises, did not have sole right to use the name Elvis on their products.
Shaw had been seeking to overturn an earlier ruling by the Trade Marks Registry that gave the company sole title to the name of Elvis or the facsimile of his signature. In his ruling the judge stated, “Even if Elvis Presley was still alive, he would not be entitled to stop a fan from naming his son, his dog or goldfish, his car or his house Elvis or Elvis Presley, simply by reason of the fact that it was the name given to him at birth by his parents”.
In Hospital
1982. Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass is taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Delaware after suffering severe neck and spinal injuries in a car crash. He had been driving home in his Rolls Royce back from a basketball game when the brakes failed and the car smashed into a tree. The singer was trapped for more than an hour before he could be cut free. The damage done to the spine left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down.
On Television
2002. Late Show With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) with The White Stripes.
Death
2001. “Papa” John Phillips of The Mamas And The Papas dies from heart failure at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center aged 65.
Music Paper From Today
New Musical Express from 18th March 1970. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 16th March):
Birth
1942. Jerry Jeff Walker born Paul Crosby in Onenta, New York State.
In The Mail
1959. RCA Records in New York receive an anonymous letter informing them that plans have been made for a Red Army soldier to kill Elvis Presley during his tour of duty with the U.S. Army in West Germany. The company takes the letter seriously enough to forward it to the F.B.I.
What followed was one of the most bizarre cold war intrigues. The F.B.I. took the the threat seriously enough to assume that it was in fact a KGB plot based on their fear of the effect that rock music might have on Russia’s subjugated youth. All of Elvis’s German contacts were vetted and in the case of his homosexual barber, replaced to minimize any potential assassination attempt.
In Court
1978. Gary Glitter (34) is fined £ 100 and banned from driving for 18 months when he appears at Salisbury Magistrates Court. He admitted driving his Rolls Royce with excess alcohol in his blood last October.
In Hospital
1971. Kim Payne, roadie with the Allman Brothers Band is shot through the right thigh by an off-duty motorcycle cop who tries to give him a ticket for speeding in the band’s hometown of Macon, Georgia. The official (police) version of events is that Payne resisted arrest and broke free as the cop was trying to cuff him. Payne, on the other hand, says the cop couldn’t get the handcuffs over his leather gloves and when he started laughing the cop erupted and shot him. Bleeding profusely, Payne blacked out in the parking lot where the shooting happened. Had he not been rushed to the emergency room he could easily have bled to death. He was later charged with speeding, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. When he appeared in court later in the month, Payne was found guilty of speeding and resisting arrest and fined $ 200.
On Television
1970. Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In (NBC, U.S.A.) with Tiny Tim. All of Tim’s performances on Laugh-In are on YouTube. I think this is the right one for this date but it may not be!
Death
1968. Tammi Terrell (real name Tammi Montgomery) dies of a brain tumour at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia. She was diagnosed last year after collapsing into Marvin Gaye’s arms onstage during a duet of “That’s All You Need To Get By”. Since then, she had undergone six operations but they were unable to save her.
Music Paper From Today
Record Mirror from 16th March 1991. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday 3rd March):
Birth
1954. Merrick (Adam And The Ants) born Chris Hughes in London, England.
On Tour
1967. The Animals refuse to go onstage at a concert in Ottawa, Canada unless they are paid in advance. Their no-show prompts the 3,000 strong crowd to riot causing $ 5,000 worth of damage.
On His Way Home
1960. Elvis Presley sets foot on British soil for the only time during a stop-over at Prestwick Airport, in Scotland, on his return from two years army service in Germany. For more pictures and the full story, click here.
In Hospital
1999. Britney Spears undergoes arthroscopic surgey on her knee at a hospital in New Orleans. The operation which was carried out by Dr. Tim Finney, removed a piece of torn cartilage damaged in February during rehearsals for a video shoot.
On Television
1973. American Bandstand (U.S.A.) featuring Hurricane Smith performing, “Oh Babe What Would You Say” and “Who Was It?”
In Court
1997. An inquest into the death of Hank Marvin’s son hears that the 35 year old died from lobar pneumonia in a Y.M.C.A. hostel on January 6th. The hearing, at Hornsey Coroner’s Court, is told how Dean Marvin, the eldest son of The Shadow’s guitarist and godson of Cliff Richard, was found by police, fully clothed on a bed, in his room at the hostel. The Coroner, Dr. William Dolman, recorded a verdict of death by natural causes. No members of the Marvin family or any friends were in attendance. It’s understood that Dean hadn’t seen his father for more than 10 years.
Music Paper From Today
Sounds from 3rd March 1979. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.
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