2004 – Terry Melcher, the son of Doris Day who produced seminal records by The Byrds, Ry Cooder, Paul Revere and the Raiders and the Beach Boys, dies after battling melanoma. He was 62. He also enjoyed chart success with the Rip Chords, whose “Hey, Little Cobra” was a 1964 hit. Biography Early life Melcher […]
2003 – Skip Battin, former bassist for the Byrds and other notable country-rock bands of the ’70s and ’80s, dies near Palm Springs, Calif., of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He is 69. Battin appeared on the Byrds’ 1970-71 albums “Untitled,” Byrdmaniax and “Farther Along.”
2001 – Guitarist William Lewis (Billy) Byrd dies in Nashville of natural causes. He is 81. Byrd is known as one of the first to introduce electric guitar to country music.
1990 – The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame announces their newest inductees: The Byrds, LaVern Baker, John Lee Hooker, The Impressions, Wilson Pickett, Jimmy Reed and Ike & Tina Turner.
1990 – Bob Dylan unexpectedly joins Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and David Crosby to sing “Mr. Tambourine Man” at a Los Angeles tribute to the late Roy Orbison. It is the first time in 25 years that the three former Byrds perform together onstage.
1973 – Byrds guitarist/vocalist Gram Parsons is found dead in a hotel room in Joshua Tree, Calif.
1973 – Byrds guitarist Clarence White is buried after being killed by a drunk driver. He was 29. Clarence White (born Clarence LeBlanc) (June 7, 1944 – July 15, 1973) was a guitar player for Nashville West, The Byrds, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels. His parents were French-Canadians from New Brunswick, Canada. The father, Eric […]
1973 – Roger McGuinn performs his first solo gig at New York’s Academy of Music and confirms rumors that his band The Byrds is finished. Record executive
1969 – At California’s Fantasy Faire and Magic Mountain Music Festival you can see performances by the Byrds, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Smokey Robinson, and Dionne Warwick. Hopefully you don’t have to wear a silly Gandalf hat.
1968 – The Byrds head off to South Africa to tour. However, one Byrd who isn’t going is Gram Parsons, who is protesting South African apartheid.
1967 – The Byrds played the first of an 8 night run at the Whisky-a-go-go, Hollywood, California.
1966 – The Beatles started a six week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Rubber Soul’ the groups seventh US chart topper, which went on to spend 56 weeks on the chart. The group also started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘We Can Work It […]
