The Who recorded My Generation today in 1965. Pete Townsend said the inspiration for the lyrics came from Mose Allison'sYoung Man Blues, which the band covered, but Roger Daltrey's British-Mod-On-Leapers (Speed) angry stutter set it apart, and provided their mod fans to sing along to the "F-F-F-Fade Away' line with an alternate F-word In place of "fade", which was not the reason the BBC initially refused to play it. They were concerned the song would offend people who stutter as King George VI had. The BBC notwithstanding, it would get to #2 on the charts.
Janis Joplin's ashes were scattered at a beach in Marin County north of San Francisco today in 1970. She'd joined the "27 Club" at a hotel in Hollywood on October 4th. The 1965 Porsche 365c 1600 Cabriolet with the distinctive hand-painted psychedelic paint job she left in the parking lot went on the auction block at Sotheby's in December 2016. It was expected to fetch somewhere around a half-million, but sold for a whopping $1.76 million.
The man who's CBS TV variety show introduced mainstream America to rock and roll with Elvis and The Beatles, Ed Sullivan died today in 1974. He was 73.
The Police hit the #1 spot today in 1979 with their 2nd album Reggata De Blanc. In English "White Regatta", an image they embraced with stylish 80's sunny weather clothing and the bleached blonde hair they'd agreed to when they filmed an aborted Wrigley's gum commercial they'd done still desperate for money.
Dividing his time between homes in Hollywood, the South of France, and Surrey England, and getting piles of fan mail and autograph requests at all three, Ringo Starr posted a video on his website today in 2008 pleading for it to stop.
Rock and Roll Birthdays
Paul Simon is 79.
Chicago keyboard player and last man standing of their original songwriters Robert Lamm is 76.
Montrose, Van Halen, and solo singer-guitarist and tequila and cantina magnate Sammy Hagar is 73.