It was today in 1969 that Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones announced he was leaving the band over "musical differences", though he had been asked to leave by the other members, who had already settled on his replacement, 20 year old Mick Taylor. They left it up to Brian as to how he would announce it to the public. Brian had a unique ability to be able to pick up any instrument..sitar, dulcimer, recorder, autoharp, mellotron, you name it... and be able to play it well enough in short order. But he had been eclipsed by now in their prime songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in the band, and was unhappy with their move away from their blues roots. Bill Wyman later said, "He formed the band. He chose the members, he named the band, he chose the music we played, he got us gigs. Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it. Highly intelligent. And just kind of wasted it and blew it all away." A month later he would be found dead at the bottom of the swimming pool of his Crotchford farmhouse.
Deep Purple had their van and instruments impounded by East German police after mistakenly venturing too close to the border today in 1970.
Bill Wyman became the first Rolling Stone to release a solo album today in 1974: Monkey Grip, released on rolling Stones records. The other musicians on it included Dr. John, Leon Russell, and Lowell George of Little Feat.
Keyboard player Rick Wakeman announced that he was leaving Yes...for the first time...today in 1974. He'd quit again in 1980, 1997, and 2009. He doesn't much care for touring anymore, but it pays well. He sent his son Oliver to play keyboards for the band 2008-2011, and since their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2017 has been doing some shows with singer Jon Anderson in one of the two versions of Yes running around.
Mick Jagger's former long-term girlfriend Marianne Faithful married Ben Brierly of British punk rock band The Vibrators today in 1979.
The Pretenders lead vegan Chrissie Hynde dropped at a Greenpeace conference today in 1989 that she had once firebombed a McDonald's. She hadn't....but the following day, a McDonald's in England was firebombed. Chrissie was threatened with legal action. She now owns a vegan restaurant in Akron, Ohio.
Bruce Springsteen married for the second time today in 1991, to bandmate Patti Scialfa. They have three kids.
Rock and Roll Birthdays
Nancy Sinatra is 80, daughter of Frank. Her boots were made for walking, these days possibly with a walker.
Three Dog Night singer Chuck Negron is 78.
Boz Scaggs is 76. He met Steve Miller in Texas shortly after learning to play guitar at age 12, and had a semi-successful solo career after leaving The Steve Miller Band.
Jeff "Worzell" Rich is 66, the drummer for Status Quo, who would later play alongside Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen after he lost his arm after crashing his Corvette. When Rich accidentally missed a gig, Def Leppard realized Allen could handle the drum duties by himself.