Johnny Kidd and the Pirates were at #1 on the British singles chart with Shakin' All Over today in 1960. It was their only major hit, and sadly Kidd himself (Fredrick Albert Heath) died in a car crash in '66, but their theatrical stage show would be an influence on contemporaries (Screaming Lord Sutch) and "shock rockers" to follow (Alice Cooper and KISS), and Shakin' All Over would be covered by Led Zeppelin, The Guess Who, Iggy and the Stooges, and most notably by The Who on the greatest Live album ever made, The Who Live At Leeds.
Robert Allen Zimmerman legally became Bob Dylan today in 1962.
The Beatles played a show at the Guamont Cinema in Bournemouth England tonight in 1964. Opening the show was a "New and unknown London group" called The Kinks.
Jimi Hendrix was back in New York City tonight in 1967 with the new band assembled for him by the manager who'd found him there and brought him to England Chas Chandler, the former bass player of The Animals, who'd hooked him up with Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell as The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
The Doors had their second American #1 hit with Hello I Love You today in 1968.
The Eagles had their second American #1 hit with One Of These Nights today in 1975.
Pink Floyd's tour manager Peter "Puddy" Watts died of a heroin overdose today in 1976. It's his crazed laughter that you hear on Dark Side of the Moon during "the lunatic is on the grass" thing. Apparently what Puddy was on was much more addictive and dangerous than grass.
Eric Clapton bought a 50% share of the 165 year old London men's clothier Cordings today in 2004. The shop was facing closure after a long period of financial difficulty, and had served British royalty and Eric Clapton who'd been shopping there since he was 16.
Rock and Roll Birthdays
Butch Vig is 65. He bought a drum kit after seeing The Who on the Smothers Brothers show, and would later end up playing in a band called Garbage, but he's more famous as the record producer who recorded the major label debut of a little band from Aberdeen Washington who went by the name Nirvana.
Joe Lynn Turner is 69. He sang with Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple and Rainbow.
The Band's keyboard player Garth Hudson is 83.