THIS WEEK IN ROCK AUGUST 19 – AUGUST 25

AUGUST 19 – AUGUST 25 – THIS WEEK IN ROCK 

THE ANSWER TO THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:

Singer-songwriter Elton John begins a seventeen-night run at Los Angeles club The Troubadour, his first US club appearance and a move which will catapult him into pop stardom: August 25th, 1970

Born this Week in Rock History

Ginger Baker: August 19, 1939 (Cream, drums)

Ian Gillan: August 19, 1945 (Deep Purple, vocals)

John Deacon: August 19, 1951 (Queen, bass)

“Uncle John” Turner: August 20, 1933 (Johnny Winter, drums)

Isaac Hayes: August 20, 1942

James Pankow: August 20, 1947 (Chicago, trombone)

Robert Plant: August 20, 1948 (Led Zeppelin, vocals)

Phil Lynott: August 20, 1949 (Thin Lizzy, bass and vocals)

John Hiatt: August 20, 1952 (singer-songwriter and guitarist)

Count Basie: August 21, 1904 (Jazz composer and band leader)

Tom Coster: August 21, 1941 (Santana, keys)

Glenn Hughes: August 21, 1952 (Deep Purple, bass and vocals)

Steve Smith: August 21, 1954 (Journey, drummer)

John Lee Hooker: August 22, 1917 (blues vocalist and guitarist)

Donna Godchaux: August 22, 1947 (The Grateful Dead, vocalist)

Vernon Reid: August 22, 1958 (Living Colour, guitar)

Keith Moon: August 23, 1946 (The Who, drums)

Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup – August 24, 1905 (blues vocalist and guitarist)

Wynonie Harris – August 24, 1915 (blues vocalist)

David Freiberg – August 24, 1938 (Quicksilver Messenger Service and Jefferson Airplane, bass, guitar and vocals)

John Cipollina – August 24, 1943 (Quicksilver Messenger Service, guitar)

Wayne Shorter: August 25, 1933 (Jazz saxophonist)

Gene Simmons – August 25, 1949 (KISS, vocals and bass)

 Elvis Costello: August 25, 1954

Jeff Tweedy: August 25, 1967 (Wilco, singer)

Died this Week in Rock History

LeRoi Moore: August 19, 2008 (Dave Matthews Band, Sax)

Robert Moog: August 21, 2005 (inventor of the Moog Synthesizer)

Jack Nitzsche: August 25, 2000 (producer and musician, keyboards)

Music releases and top of the charts

The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” tops the charts: August 19, 1967

Chicago’s Chicago V hits #1: August 19, 1972

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Cosmo’s Factory hits #1: August 20, 1970

The Rolling Stones release “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”: August 20, 1965

The Rolling Stones release “Angie”: August 20, 1973

Bob Dylan Releases “Slow Train Coming”: August 20, 1979

The Rolling Stones’ Out of Our Heads hits #1: August 21, 1965

Lynyrd Skynyrd releases their 14th studio album” August 21, 2012

The Beatles’ Revolver goes gold: August 22, 1966

The Beatles’ Help! goes gold: August 23, 1965

The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” tops the charts: August 23, 1969

Johnny Cash’s Live at San Quentin which is recorded at the prison hits #1: August 23, 1969

“Ashes To Ashes” by David Bowie hits #1 In UK: August 23, 1980

Stevie Wonder’s Little Stevie Wonder / The 12-Year-Old Genius hits #1: August 24, 1963

This week in rock History

Crosby Stills and Nash and Joni Mitchell appear on The Dick Cavett show to discuss Woodstock. Joni Mitchell did not attend the festival but did perform her song “Woodstock” on the show:  August 19. 1969

The last time all four members of The Beatles were at EMI studios: August 20, 1969

On the 56th anniversary of Phil Lynott’s birth, a sort of tribute concert is held for the deceased Thin Lizzy member that included band members Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Eric Bell, and Gary Moore. The last two members split lead guitar duties on “Whiskey in the Jar”: August 20, 2005

The Knebworth Festival is held in England with headliners including The Rolling Stones and Lynyrd Skynyrd: August 21, 1976

Elvis Presley’s record sales pass the 200 million mark! August 21, 1976

Cynthia Lennon comes home to find Beatle husband John in bed… with Yoko Ono. Yikes. Divorce papers are filed: August 22, 1968

Derek and the Dominos begin recording their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. “Layla” is pretty much the best song ever. Clapton and Duane Allman’s interlocking guitar solos are just pure ecstasy: August 22, 1970

Paul McCartney records drums on “Back In The USSR” and “Dear Prudence” after Ringo Starr walks out on White Album sessions: August 23, 1968

Proto-punk legends The Velvet Underground play their final show at New York venue Max’s Kansas City. Shouldn’t it have been called Max’s New York? August 23, 1970

Queen’s Brian May earns his PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College in London. I feel accomplished if I can find my shoes in the morning. Brian May, in addition to being a rock star, earned a PhD in astrophysics. Respect: August 23, 2007

Keith Moon celebrates his 21st birthday by driving his car into a hotel swimming pool: August 24, 1967

The Who perform a special 20th anniversary charity concert of their rock opera Tommy at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, featuring guests Elton John (as the Pinball Wizard), Patti Labelle (as the Acid Queen), Steve Winwood (as the Hawker), Phil Collins (as Uncle Ernie), and Billy Idol (as Cousin Kevin). Kind of an interesting mix of musicians, no? August 24th, 1989

Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page perform Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” at the closing ceremony for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing: August 24, 2008

John Lennon records the song “Cold Turkey.” The song is likely about John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s withdrawal from heroin addictions. It describes the same feeling I get if I miss my 2:30 p.m. cup of coffee: August 24, 1969

The Beach Boys’ founder Brian Wilson

The Beach Boys’ founder Brian Wilson returns to performing live with the band after not doing so for two years on account of stage fright: August 25, 1967

Singer-songwriter Elton John begins a seventeen-night run at Los Angeles club The Troubadour, his first US club appearance and a move which will catapult him into pop stardom: August 25th, 1970

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant record the MTV special Unledded: August 25, 1994

That’s all for This Week in Rock History! Be sure to check back next week for the latest Rock history tidbits!