Today In Music, January 4th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday, 4th January):

Birth

1956. Bernard Albrecht or Sumner (Joy Division and New Order) born Bernard Dicken in Salford, Manchester.

On Tour

1968. Police are called to an incident at the luxury Opalen Hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden. As a result Jimi Hendrix has his passport seized by police and is taken to the city’s hospital for stitches in his right hand. He will have to report to police for the next two days the group will spend on tour in the country. Criminal charges for damage are dropped by hotel management after they receive adequate financial compensation from the group’s road manager, Gerry Stickles. It’s thought that more than £ 200 worth of damage was done while Hendix and his colleagues partied. In the evening Jimi plays at the Lorensbergs Cirkus with his hand in bandages.

In Custody

1970. Keith Moon, his wife, “Legs” Larry Smith and Moon’s chaffeur, Cornelius Borland attend the opening of a new discotheque at The Red Lion public house in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. As they’re leaving at approx. 10.45 their Bentley is approached by a group of 20 skinheads. Borland moves towards the gang of youths and is soon involved in a scuffle. As Moon starts to drive away from the scene, Borland is knocked to the ground and falls under the wheels of the moving car where he is trapped, receiving fatal injuries. The fire brigade was called to the scene to free Borland’s body.

Moon spends three hours helping police with their inquiry but is not cautioned or charged. Several of the youths are also interviewed resulting in David Paul Holden, 18, appearing in Hatfield Court and an un-named boy appearing at Hatfield Juvenile Court on Monday January 5th, both charged with causing an affray. At their hearings, they are both remanded in custody for a week. On both occasions, Detective Sergeant R.G. Beveridge explains in his statement to the court that a man died during the incident.

In Hospital

1985. Doctors at Sheffield’s Royal hallamshire Hospital take the unfortunate decision to amputate the Def Leppard drummer, Rick Allen‘s arm only days after they had sewn it back on after being severed in a car crash on December 31st. They said that a serious infection had built up where it had been sewn on and they had no alternative but to remove it.

On Television

1979. Rockpalast (WDR, West Germany) Kevin Coyne (WDR Studio-L Köln). Here he is with “Having A Party”.

Death

1986. Phil Lynott dies in the intensive care unit of Salisbury Infirmary eleven days after being transferred from a rehabilitation clinic in Wiltshire. Initially it isn’t clear what caused his death but a post mortem shows that years of drug abuse had finally caught up with him. He suffered kidney, liver and heart failure as a result of blood poisoning and multiple internal abcesses.

 

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Today In Music, September 18th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 18th September):

Birth

1939. Frankie Avalon born Francis Avallone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On Tour

2000. Matchbox 20 are playing Gainsville in Florida but the night doesn’t go well. Guitarist Adam Gaynor has his favourite guitar stolen. The customized Taylor acoustic-electric is described as translucent green with brass hardware and a smoothcutaway design. The band is offering an undisclosed reward for the guitar, thought to be worth at least $ 3,300.

In Custody

1981. Jackson Browne and 36 other protestors are arrested whilst trying to blockade a nuclear power plant at Diablo Canyon in California. It’s the fourth day of protests and so far 966 people have been arrested. The Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission is due to vote on licensing the plant on September 21st. Until the licence is granted, it will be unable to start production. Environmental protestors are claiming that siting the plant so near an earthquake fault line is unsafe.

In Court

1978. Coroner Gavin Thurston records an open verdict at the inquest into the death of Keith Moon.

On Television

1986. Late Night With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Musical guest: Keith Emerson who joins Paul Shaffer and the “Late Show Band” to perform a rockin’ version of the song, ‘America’

Death

1970. Jimi Hendrix is taken from a flat in Landsdowne Crescent, Notting Hill, where he’s collapsed to St. Mary Abbott’s Hospital in Kensington but is found to be “dead on arrival”. It’s believed that his death is the result of a drug overdose. A hospital spokesman said “the matter had been referred to the coroner”. For an insight into the differing conspiracy theories surrounding Jimi’s death, why not check out an article I did many years ago for the magazine “Idols” here.

 

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© Copyright 1995 – 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Today In Music, September 14th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 14th September):

Birth

1950. Paul Kossoff (Free, Back Street Crawler) born in Hampstead, London, England.

In Court

1972. The inquest into the death of George Dew, 25 year old road manager with the Storm pop group, hears that he died as a result of overloading a stage cannon. An explosives expert from Scotland Yard told the inquest, at Romford in Essex, that the cannon, which was used to round off the group’s shows, was so weak it could only take an explosive charge of two or three ounces. He said the damage caused was probably the result of three pounds of explosives being used. The cannon killed Dew when it exploded on stage at Albermarle Youth Centre in May.

In Hospital

1965. French singer Juliet Greco is found unconscious in her Paris apartment in the early morning and rushed to hospital. The 38 year old star had overdosed on sleeping pills.

On The Street

1997. English Heritage honour Jimi Hendrix with the unveiling of a “Blue Plaque” on the wall outside his old flat at 23 Brook Street in London. Pulling the string was Pete Townshend flanked by Jimi’s old girlfriend Kathy Etchingham and Noel Redding.

The convivial atmosphere is ruined when Jimi’s father Al Hendrix and step-daughter Janie Wright turn up in a blatant attempt to grab publicity. Although they were sent invitations they claimed to know nothing of the event. Strange then that both the official Hendrix magazine and web-site announced they would be attending.

On Television

1968. Beat Club (WDR, West Germany) 35: Amen Corner, John Walker, Equals, Ben E. King, Nice, Status Quo, Dave Dee & Co, Canned Heat, Arthur Conley, Leapy Lee, Hollies. Here are The Nice with “America”. 4m 32s.

Death

1968. Fire destroys the lakeside home of Roy Orbison near Hendersonville, Tennessee. Two of his sons, 11 year old Duane and 6 year old Tony are killed in the blaze although 3 year old Wesley escapes without injury. Orbison is believed to be returning home after concerts in the U.K. The children were being cared for by their grandparents, their mother having been killed in a motorcycle crash two years ago. The fire also destroyed an adjoining garage housing the singer’s collection of vintage cars.

 

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© Copyright 1995 – 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Today In Music, July 17th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 17th July):

Birth

1949. Terry “Geezer” Butler (Black Sabbath) born in Birmingham, England.

On Tour

1998. Convicted murderess Pamela Keary escapes from prison in Minneapolis, telling fellow inmates she’s going to see The Smashing Pumpkins who are playing the city this evening. Police arrest the 17 year old at the gig.

In Court

1966. A Munich court rules that The Rolling Stones do make music and not just noise. The city authorities had hoped that the court would find against the group and they could claim back £ 1,270 tax relief for “musical performances” on the group’s concerts at Circus-Krone-Bau on September 14th last year.

In Politics

1985. Mr Barney Hayhoe, Minister Of State in the British Government, announces that the £ 190,000 in V.A.T., paid on tickets for Live Aid, will be waived. The tickets had not made it clear that the fee was voluntary and therefore would be excluded from the tax.

On Television

1976. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 60. Silver Convention; Jürgen Drews; Rubettes; Bob Dylan (video clip); Peter Maffay; Martin Mann; Vicky Leandros; Smokie.

Death

1996. Chas Chandler (born Bryan James Chandler), member of The Animals, the man who “discovered” Jimi Hendrix and manager of Slade dies in hospital while undergoing tests for a heart aneurysm, aged 57.

 

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© Copyright 1995 – 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Today In Music, May 13th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 13th May):

Birth

1947. Peter “Overend” Watts (Mott The Hoople) born in Birmingham, England.

On Stage

1966. Jimi Hendrix is photographed playing his guitar with his teeth at the Club Cheetah, 53 Broadway, New York. Still with Curtis Knight And The Squires, this gives an indication of Hendrix’s future style.

… and in:

2002. Madonna makes her first appearance onstage in London’s West End in the play, “Up For Grabs”. Tickets for her run at the city’s Wyndham Theatre sold out within 10 days. It’s her first stage performance since appearing in David Mamet’s “Speed The Plow” on Broadway in 1988. Tonight’s show was a preview with the run opening properly in 10 days. Here’s the flyer:

In Court

1997. Jerome “J.J.” Johnson has his claim for wrongful termination against Michael Jackson thrown out by Judge David Horowitz. Jackson claimed he was fired from his job as a security guard for Jackson’s production company when he overheard the head of security bragging about having lied to the Grand Jury investigating allegations of child molestation against the singer.

On Television

2000. Later… With Jools Holland (BBC-2, U.K.) 15.5. Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros – “London Calling”, “Tony Adams”, “X Ray Style”, “I Fought The Law”; Tracy Chapman – “Telling Stories”, “Behind The Wall”, “Speak The Word”; The Delgados – “American Trilogy”, “Thirteen Gliding Principles”; Angie Stone – “Life Story”, “No More Rain (This Cloud)”; Warren Zevon – “Werewolves Of London”, “My S**t’s F****d Up”. Here’s Joe with “London Calling”.

Death

1988. Chet Baker dies when he falls (or jumps) from an Amsterdam hotel window.

 

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© Copyright 1995 – 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.