Mick and Mick
On this date in 1969, Mick Taylor was announced as the replacement for Brian Jones in the Stones, ushering in what many people (including yours truly) see as the golden era of the band as a live juggernaut. Not only did Taylor elevate the band’s sound on classics like Brown Sugar, Can’t You Hear Me […]
LESTER PAUL
Our musical palette would be far less colorful without Les Paul.
MOTOWN
On this date, way back in 1960, Motown Records Corporation was founded. Berry Gordy had gotten his start helping to write hit songs for Jackie Wilson in the late ‘50s. With those earnings, in April 1959, Gordy and his sister Gwen founded Anna Records. Later that year he purchased a photography studio at 2648 West […]
Whitney, Jimi, Elvis, and The Great Gig in the Sky
How is Whitney Houston related to Dark Side of the Moon, Let It Bleed, Electric Ladyland, and Elvis? Here you go.
Best Drummer and Best Acoustic Guitarist Share Same Birthday
The man I consider the best drummer and the man I consider the best acoustic guitar player ever were both born yesterday. First, the drummer. John freakin’ Bonham would have been 76 today if he hadn’t drank 40 shots of vodka on October 26, 1980. John did everything with ferocious excess including beating the life […]
Lee Sklar – Bassist Extraordinaire
Today is the 77th birthday of one of the three most ubiquitous bassists in popular music history, Lee Sklar (the others being James Jamerson and Carol Kaye). Name a singer-songwriter or soft rock band from the ‘70’s and Lee likely anchored the rhythm section on at least one of their albums. Jackson, CS&N, Karla Bonoff, […]
Guaranteed to Raise Miles of Smiles
Two events that led to damn-near every great musical moment of our lives occurred on this date. The first: the birth of the cool, Miles Davis, who would have been 98 today. There is really no one to compare to Miles Davis as an influencer in modern jazz and, with Bitches Brew, he invented a […]
Rebirths
Probably the most important date in the history of The Rolling Stones, other than the date Keith saw Mick at the train station in 1961, was on this date 56 years ago. On May 24, 1968, the Stones released Jumping Jack Flash. To say that the Stones were in a bad way at the time is like saying Mick Jagger is a bit famous.
Andy Johns
Today is the birthdate of the great Andy Johns. Andy was the engineer on many, many albums that we loved over the years including Zeppelin II, III, IV, Houses of the Holy, and Graffiti as well as the Stones Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends On Tour with Eric […]
Rick Wakeman
Today one of my two favorite keyboardists turns 75. Yes, I’m referring to Rick Wakeman. He also might have been the luckiest keyboardist in rock history. How lucky was he? Wakeman’s first booking as a session musician, and his first time in a recording studio, occurred after guitarist Chas Cronk entered the music shop where […]
