1995 – Street musician turned genuine blues hero Ted Hawkins
1995 – Street musician turned genuine blues hero Ted Hawkins dies of a stroke in Los Angeles.
New Year’s Day
1991 – Buck Ram, who produced records by the Penguins and the Platters
1991 – Buck Ram, who produced records by the Penguins and the Platters, dies aged 73 in Las Vegas. He also wrote the Platters’ great hit “Only You.”
1990 – The ABBA back catalog is sold to Polygram International.
1990 – The ABBA back catalog is sold to Polygram International.
1989 – Live Without a Net (Van Halen) is released this day in rock history!
1989 – Live Without a Net (Van Halen) is released this day in rock history! Release date: 1989-01-01
1984 – Alexis Korner, whose band Blues Incorporated gave many English
1984 – Alexis Korner, whose band Blues Incorporated gave many English musicians their start in the business, dies aged 55 of lung cancer in London. Among Incorporated’s alumni are Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Jack Bruce, Steve Marriott and Manfred Mann.
1982 – ABBA make their final live appearance at a Stockholm
1982 – ABBA make their final live appearance at a Stockholm concert on this day in rock!
1980 – Singer Cliff Richard (“Devil Woman”) becomes only the third
1980 – Singer Cliff Richard (“Devil Woman”) becomes only the third British rock act to receive an MBE from the Queen of England. The other two are the Beatles and Elton John.
1977 – Former gay disco the Roxy opens again as a punk club
1977 – Former gay disco the Roxy opens again as a punk club in London. The Clash headline.
1976 – Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant walks unassisted for
1976 – Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant walks unassisted for the first time since his August 1975 car accident in Greece. “I’m going to need physiotherapy so I should think it’ll be the beginning of the next soccer season before I’m running about again,” Plant tells reporters.
1967 – The Grateful Dead and Big Brother & the Holding Company
1967 – The Grateful Dead and Big Brother & the Holding Company perform at the New Year’s Wail/Whale in San Francisco. Hell’s Angels hosts the bash to thank Haight-Ashbury hippies for bailing Angel Chocolate George from jail.
1966 – Amelia Fletcher, vocalist with Talulah Gosh, Heavenly
1966 – Amelia Fletcher, vocalist with Talulah Gosh, Heavenly and Welsh pop pranksters the Pooh Sticks, is born.
1965 – The New Musical Express reports that the Nashville Teens
1965 – The New Musical Express reports that the Nashville Teens, the Zombies and the Hullabaloos have all been denied work visas that would permit them to perform in the United States. Unfortunately, the English groups have already entered the country to start a tour.