2001 – Bluesman John Lee Hooker, believed to be 83, dies of natural causes at his home in Los Altos, Calif. The singer/guitarist began his career in 1949, when his Modern Records single “Boogie Chillen” became a No. 1 R&B hit. Lyrics: Boom boom boom boom I’m gonna shoot you right down, right offa your […]
2000 – Boyz II Men fail to show up to sing the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. The group say it was delayed by a combination of rehearsals, lousy traffic, and a lengthy security check. The group instead performs later that night at a closing gala with Barbra Streisand and […]
1997 – Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine, original guitarist for Canned Heat, is found dead in his hotel room in France. The cause of Deaths is undetermined. Henry Charles Vestine (December 25, 1944 – October 20, 1997) a.k.a. “The Sunflower”, was an American guitar player known mainly as a member of the band Canned Heat. He […]
1997 – West Arkeen, who played guitar on Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion albums, dies. West Arkeen (June 18, 1960 – May 30, 1997) was an American musician best-known for co-writing several Guns N’ Roses songs, and was known unofficially as GN’R #6. He died on May 30, 1997 in Los Angeles of a […]
1987 – Pink Floyd release A Momentary Lapse of Reason. The comeback album is the band’s first since the departure of Roger Waters and the subsequent lawsuit over the use of the band name. A Momentary Lapse of Reason is Pink Floyd’s 1987 album, the band’s first release after the departure of Roger Waters from […]
1984 -Who better to close the Los Angeles Olympic Games than Lionel Richie? He delights a packed coliseum by singing “All Night Long.”
1983 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “All Night Long (All Night),” Lionel Richie. Richie sings the song at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
1955 – James Dean, whose iconic stance in films like Rebel Without a Cause influenced countless rockers, dies in an automobile accident. He was 24. James Dean: one of the most influential actors on rock n roll who was not famous as a musician… Rather, a great actor with the right ‘tude. James Byron Dean […]
1954 – Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, widely ranked up there with Hendrix, is born in Dallas. Stephen “Stevie” Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American blues-rock guitarist, whose broad appeal made him an influential electric blues guitarist. and Classic Rock Magazine ranked him #3 in their list of the […]
1953 – Tom Petty is born in Gainesville, Fla. He wins a Grammy Award as part of the Traveling Wilburys for the 1989 album “Traveling Wilburys Volume One.” Thomas Earl “Tom” Petty (born October 20, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a […]
1948 – Fleetwood Mac songwriter Lindsey Buckingham is born in Palo Alto, Calif. Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American guitarist and singer, most notable for being a member of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released five solo albums and a live […]
1947 – Carlos Santana is born n Autlan de Navarro, Mexico… this day in rock history! Carlos Santana has been reinventing and reshaping the landscape of the known universe’s musical culture for close to four decades. A visionary artist with no regards for genre boundaries, Carlos’ fluid sound long ago laid claim to the concept […]
