MAY 18 – MAY 25 – THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY
This Week’s Trivia Answer MAY 18 – MAY 25 – Ella Fitzgerald’s cover of the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” enters the UK charts, making her the first outside artist to have a hit with a Beatles song. May 23, 1964
MAY 18 – MAY 25 – Disraeli Gears is Gold!
British Blues-Rock group Cream’s second studio album Disraeli Gears is certified Gold by the British Recorded Music Industry Limited. Featuring the two singles “Strange Brew” and “Sunshine of Your Love.” Receiving high praise and is on many top charts including: UK “top 40 albums,” number 4 on “Billboard 200” in 1968, Platinum in the US, and others! May 22, 1968.
Born this Week in Rock
Burl “Jaybird” Coleman: May 20, 1920 (Country Blues Guitarist and Harmonica player)
Joe Cocker: May 20, 1944 (Rock Singer)
Lee “Shot” Williams: May 21, 1938 (Blues Singer)
Fats Waller: May 21, 1904 (Jazz Singer & Pianist)
John Dalton: May 21, 1943 (The Kinks, Bass)
Hilton Valentine: May 21, 1943 (The Animals, Guitar)
Stan Lynch: May 21, 1955 (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Drums)
Sun Ra: May 22, 1914 (Jazz composer and piano player)
Happy Birthday to Bernie Taupin!
Bernie Taupin: May 22, 1950 (Lyricist, Elton John)
Bob Dylan: May 24, 1941 (Rock Singer-Songwriter)
Albert Bouchard: May 24, 1947 (Blue Oyster Cult, Drums, Guitar)
Jessi Colter: May 25, 1943 (Country Singer-Songwriter)
Mamie Smith: May 26, 1883 (Blues Singer)
Happy Birthday Levon Helm!
Levon Helm: May 26, 1940 (The Band, Drums, Vocals)
Gary Peterson: May 26, 1945 (The Guess Who, Drums)
Miles Davis: May 26, 1926 (Jazz Trumpeter & Composer)
Stevie Nicks: May 26, 1948 (Fleetwood Mac, Vocals)
Died this Week in Rock History:
Ray Manzarek: May 20, 2013 (The Doors, Keyboards)
Joe Pass: May 23, 1994 (Jazz Guitarist)
Elmore James: May 24, 1963 (Blues Singer-Songwriter, Guitar)
Duke Ellington: May 24, 1974 (Jazz Composer & Pianist)
Gene Clark: May 24, 1991 (The Byrds, Vocals)
Sonny Boy Williamson: May 25, 1965 (Blues Singer-Songwriter, Harmonica)
Eric Gale: May 25, 1994 (Jazz Guitarist)
Marshall Lytle May 25, 2013 (Bassist, Bill Haley And His Comets)
Music releases and the top of the charts:
Bill Haley And His Comets released “Rock Around The Clock:” May 20, 1954
Paul McCartney and Wings reaches #5 with “With A Little Luck:” May 20, 1978
Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” hits #1: May 21, 1973
Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke” hits number one on Billboard’s Pop Chart: May 21, 1977
David Bowie tops Billboard Hot 100 for second time with “Let’s Dance:” May 21, 1983
The Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” hits #1: May 22, 1965
The Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers hits #1: May 22, 1971
The Guess Who’s single and album “American Woman” are certified gold: May 22, 1970
The Who, Tommy was released: May 23, 1969
The Beatles’ “Get Back” goes to #1 on Billboard’s Pop chart: May 24, 1969
Deep Purple, “Smoke On The Water” releases. May 26, 1973
This week in rock History:
With, The Who set to play at the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor, England. John Entwistle and Keith Moon are extremely late. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend decide to play the gig with the bass player and drummer of the local opening band. Entwistle and Moon finally arrive during the middle of the show quit the band and then rejoin later. May 20, 1966
Jimi Hendrix signs with Reprise Recods on US Warner Brothers label. May 20, 1967
“The Pistol Shot” a short play featuring David Bowie airs on the BBC2 on May 20, 1968
The film Let It Be premiers May 20, 1970.
Daryl Hall and John Oates headline re-opening concert for Apollo Theatre in Harlem: May 20, 1985
The Rolling Stones begin a six-night stand at London’s Earl’s Court Theatre: May 21, 1976
Elton John plays the first of eight historic concerts in Moscow, making him the first rock star to perform there: May 21, 1979
The Beatles return to Heathrow themselves, after their first triumphant visit to America. Thousands of Beatle maniacs rush to greet them. May 22, 1964
Cream gets Gold Record with “Disraeli Gears.” May 22, 1968
Fleetwood Mac Reunites!
Fleetwood Mac reunites and performs first of two MTV Unplugged specials. May 22, 1997
Ella Fitzgerald’s cover of the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” enters the UK charts, making her the first outside artist to have a hit with a Beatles song. May 23, 1964
San Francisco bans electric instruments from all free outdoor concerts, leaving Jefferson Starship to cancel their free concert in Golden Gate Park. “We Built This City” is about this event. May 23, 1977
Peter Green plays his final Fleetwood Mac gig at the Bath Festival in Somerset, England. May 24, 1970
The Who and Led Zeppelin play their first and only gig together at in Columbia, Maryland. Zeppelin is the opening act. To make matters worse, the band’s name is spelled “Lead Zeppelin on the tickets. May 25, 1969
John Lennon and Yoko Ono check in to room 1742 in Montreal’s Hotel La Reine for their honeymoon. This is where they begin their second “bed-in” for peace. May 26, 1969
Marianne Faithful records a version of “As Tears Go By” by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The recording features Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on the bass, foreshadowing good things to come. May 26, 1964
Known for outlandish things, the rock group KISS provides Marvel Comics with a small vial of their blood. By mixing with the printer’s ink, it’s for their upcoming faux-autobiographical comic. May 26, 1976
Firemen arrive at the burning home of Eric Clapton. They find him running in and out of the home to save his guitar collection. With about three million dollars in damage, the house is completely gutted. May 26, 1996
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