BORN THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY
2/25/1943 – George Harrison (guitar and vocals, The Beatles)
2/25/1947 – Doug Yule (singer, Velvet Underground)
2/26/1928 – Fats Domino (Pianist, Singer)
2/26/1932 – Johnny Cash (Singer, Songwriter, Actor)
2/26/1943 – Bob “The Bear” Hite (Canned Heat)
2/27/1954 – Neal Schon (Journey)
2/27/1959 – Johnny Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
2/28/1942 – Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones)
3/1/1942 – Michael Giles (King Crimson)
3/1/1944 – Roger Daltrey (The Who)
3/2/1944 – Lou Reed (The Velvet Underground)
3/2/1948 – Rory Gallagher (Taste)
3/2/1948 – Larry Carlton (Steely Dan)
3/2/1956 – Mark Evans (AC/DC)
3/2/1962 – Jon Bon Jovi (Bon Jovi)
3/3/1953 – Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon)
DIED THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY
2/25/2012 – Louisiana Red (blues guitarist, singer, harmonica)
2/25/2014 – Paco De Lucia (flamenco guitarist)
2/26/1977 – Bukka White (Delta blues guitarist and singer)
2/26/2008 – Buddy Miles (Drummer, Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys, The Electric Flag)
2/27/1968 – Frankie Lymon (blues singer and songwriter, The Teenagers)
3/02/2008 – Jeff Healey (Jazz and blues-rock vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter)
3/02/2003 – Hank Ballard (Lead vocalist for the Midnighters)
3/02/1942 – Charlie Christian (Swing and Jazz guitarist, Bebop)
3/02/1999 – Dusty Springfield (English pop singer and record producer)
3/03/2013 – Bobby Rogers (Singer with Motown vocal group The Miracles)
MUSIC RECORDINGS, RELEASES AND TOP OF THE CHARTS:
2/25/1963 – The Beatles release “Please Please Me”
2/25/1984 – Van Halen’s “Jump” leaps to the top of the Billboard charts
2/26/1964 – The Beatles record “And I Love Her” and “I Should Have Known Better”
2/26/1965 Jimmy Page releases his only single “She Just Satisfies
2/26/1966 – Rubber Soul by The Beatles hits #1
2/27/1971 – Pearl by Janis Joplin goes #1
3/1/1975 – Blood On the Tracks by Bob Dylan is released
3/1/1977 – Manfred Mann’s cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Blinded By the Light” goes gold
3/1/1967 – The Beatles record “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds”
3/1/1973 – Tom Waits releases Closing Time, his stunning debut album
3/1/1973 – Pink Floyd releases the overwhelmingly successful album Dark Side of the Moon
3/1/1975 – Bob Dylan reaches #1 with Blood on the Tracks
3/2/1955 – Bo Diddley records “I’m a Man”
3/3/1986 – Metallica releases Master of Puppets
THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY:
2/25/1968 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience play two shows at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. Between shows, Hendrix gets “casted” by the inventive groupie Cynthia Plaster Caster, who makes a mold of his love gun.
2/25/1998 – Bo Diddley and Roy Orbison receive lifetime Achievement Grammy Awards.
2/26/1985 – The Grammy for “Best Male Vocal Performance” goes to Bruce Springsteen for his giant hit “Dancing In the Dark.” It beat out “Blue Jean” by David Bowie, “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol, “Restless” by Elton John, and “Pink Houses” by John Cougar Mellencamp.
2/26/1995 – Former Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant embark on their one-year tour promoting their No Quarter Album.
2/26/1997 – The Beatles, long broken up and having lost John Lennon, win 3 Grammy awards, including 2 for the song “Free As a Bird” and the third for their video for Anthology. While The Beatles were still together, they had only won 4 Grammy’s. Really Grammy’s? Really??
3/1/1968 – Johnny Cash marries June Carter
3/1/1969 – The Doors’ Jim Morrison is arrested after allegedly exposing himself on stage to the audience. He was arrested while still on stage. In 2010, the governor of Florida gave him a posthumous pardon. Because really, it was a rock concert and it was the ’60s.
3/1/1994 – The “Best Metal Performance with Vocal” Grammy Award goes to Ozzy Osbourne, formerly of Black Sabbath, for his song “I Don’t Want To Change the World.” Ozzy beat out Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, and White Zombie for the award.
3/1/1974 – Queen starts their first headlining tour. The gig is at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.
3/1/1974 – Rush releases their debut album
3/2/1988 – U2 is awarded their first Grammy awards, “Album of the Year” and “Best Performance by Rock Duo or Group with Vocal” for their gorgeous album The Joshua Tree. The Album of the Year award went to U2 over Whitney Houston for Whitney, Michael Jackson for Bad, Trio by Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt, as well as Sign o’ the Times by Prince.
3/3/1978 – The first ever Van Halen U.S. tour begins; they are the opening act for Journey.
3/3/1973 – The Concert for Bangladesh wins the Grammy for “Album of the Year.” This live album, recorded at Madison Square Garden, was organized by George Harrison and features Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan. Other artists that were nominated for the award included Don McLean, the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar, Neil Diamond, and Nilsson.
3/3/1966 – Buffalo Springfield is formed
3/3/1965 – Eric Clapton plays his last gig as a Yardbird. After leaving the band to join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, he is replaced by Jeff Beck.
3/3/1967 – The Jeff Beck Group gives its first live performance in London, featuring a then unknown vocalist named Rod Stewart.
3/3/1981 – U2 stars their first major U.S. tour in Washington, D.C. The venue is a club called The Bayou.