This week in music history…
1957, Jerry Lee Lewis’ single “Great Balls of Fire” is released on Sun Records … it will be his highest-charting hit, reaching second place on the pop chart, third on the R&B chart, and number one on the Country and Western chart … it shares the top five of all three charts with the Killer’s previous single “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On” … even though “Fire” outpaces it on the charts, “Shakin'” sells more records … both tunes spend time at first place on the Country and Western chart…
1966, Bill Graham’s Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco opens its doors … the venue is destined to become the focal point for psychedelic music…
1967, the film How I Won the War starring John Lennon opens in the U.S …. Lennon plays fascist soldier Sgt. Gripweed in the controversial and critically panned war satire … it is the first film to feature a solo performance by a Beatle…
1970, MGM Records drops 18 acts from its roster in one fell swoop, a move president Mike Curb states is to discredit musicians who “exploit and promote hard drugs through music.” … among the dropped artists are notorious drug abusers the Cowsills, Connie Francis, and the estate of Judy Garland, while squeaky-clean Eric Burdon escapes the axe…
1975, The Sex Pistols play their first gig at St. Martin’s School of Art in London…
1979, the movie version of Quadrophenia–sans the mental illness theme–premieres with future superstar Sting playing the part of Ace, a Mod hero character…
1988, The U2 concert film Rattle And Hum opens in theaters worldwide … one of the highlights of the movie is a live rendition of “All Along the Watchtower” recorded in Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco … during the song Bono spray-paints the words “Rock and Roll Stops the Traffic” on the monstrous Vaillancourt Fountain … the graffiti is removed a few days later and the band issues a formal apology…
1991, blues, soul, rock, and country are all well represented when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Bobby “Blue” Bland, Booker T & The MGs, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, The Isley Brothers, The Yardbirds, and Sam and Dave…
1995, Hootie and the Blowfish and Bob Dylan reach an out-of-court settlement over the band’s unauthorized use of Dylan’s lyrics in their song “Only Want To Be With You”…
1995, Beat Farmer Country Dick Montana dies of a heart attack onstage during a gig at The Long Horn bar in Whistler, British Columbia … a throat cancer survivor, Country Dick had recently recorded a solo album which was released posthumously…
2002, Dave Grohl is forced to deny a report that he is romantically involved with pop singer Christina Aguilera after an LA radio station airs the dubious report … Grohl calls in to shoot down the rumor, “It’s not true! I’m, like, 33–she’s a kid, ya know?”…
2003, Sean whatever-his-name-is-this-month Combs runs in the New York City Marathon to raise money for charities dedicated to improving the lives of children … Diddy finishes in 4 hours, 14 minutes and 54 seconds and raises two million dollars…
2004, Eric Clapton is made a commander of the Order of the British Empire in an official ceremony held at Buckingham Palace … Commander Clapton uses the opportunity to announce he and wife Melia McEnery are expecting a child…
And that was the week that was.
Arrivals
November 2: Bunny Berigan (1908), Keith Emerson (1944), J.D. Souther (1945), Dave Pegg of Jethro Tull (1947), Maxine Nightingale (1952), Carter Beauford of the Dave Matthews Band (1957), Bobby Dall of Poison (1958), Matt Sorum of Cult, Guns ‘N’ Roses, and Velvet Revolver (1960), k.d. lang (1961), Alex James of Blur (1968), Reginald Arvizu of Korn (1969), John Hampson of Nine Days (1971), Nelly (1978)
November 3: Brian Poole of The Tremeloes (1941), Marie McDonald Lawrie a.k.a. Lulu (1948), Adam Ant (1954)
November 4: Delbert McClinton (1940), Squeeze singer-guitarist Chris Difford (1954), pianist Yanni (1954), James Honeyman-Scott, guitarist for the Pretenders (1957), Puff Daddy (1970)
November 5: Roy Rogers born Leonard Slye (1911), Ike Turner (1931), Art Garfunkel (1941), Gram Parsons (1946), Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits (1947), Don McDougall of Guess Who (1948), Mike Score of A Flock Of Seagulls (1957), Bryan Adams (1959), David Bryson of Counting Crows (1961), singer-actress Andrea McArdle (1963), Jon Greenwood of Radiohead (1971), Ryan Adams (1974)
November 6: Adolphe Sax, inventor of the sax (1814), John Philip Sousa (1854), composer-pianist Ignace Jan Paderewski (1860), composer Gus Kahn (1886), Ray Conniff (1927), Joseph Pope (1933), Glenn Frey (1948), Rozz Williams (1963), Corey Glover of Living Colour (1964)
November 7: John Jordan (1913), N’awlins trumpeter Al Hirt (1922), Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary (1937), Dee Clark (1938), Joe Gilbert (1940), Johnny Rivers (1942), Joni Mitchell born Roberta Joan Anderson (1943), Dino Valenti (1943), Nick Gilder (1951), Jellybean Benitez (1957), Liam O Maonlai of Hothouse Flowers (1964), Russell Barrett of Chapterhouse (1968)
November 8: Patti Page (1927), R&B producer-label owner Bert Berns (1929), Gerald Alston of The Manhattans (1942), Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney and Bonnie (1944), Don Murray (1945), Roy Wood of ELO (1946), Minnie Riperton (1948), Bonnie Raitt (1949), Rickie Lee Jones (1954), Leif Garrett (1961), Stephen Patman of Chapterhouse (1968)
Departures
November 2: Sammy Kaye Band singer Wandra Merrell (1994), songwriter Mort Shuman (1991), Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat (1990), Steve Peregrine Took of T. Rex (1980), Mississippi John Hurt (1966)
November 3: Lonnie Donegan (2002), blues harmonica player William Clarke (1996)
November 4: Bobby Nunn of the Coasters (1987), Hi-Lites singer Ronnie Goodson (1980)
November 5: Robert Lee “Bobby” Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers (2003), saxophonist Eddie Harris (1996), jazz pianist Bobby Scott (1990), Barry “Green Beret” Sadler (1989), Vladimir Horowitz (1989), Bobby Nunn (1986), Guy Lombardo (1977), Robert “Nighthawk” McCollum (1967), Johnny Horton (1960), piano magician Art Tatum (1956), Orioles singer Tommy Gaither (1950)
November 6: Meadowlarks leader Don Julian (1998), Dickie Goodman (1989), New York Dolls drummer Billy Murcia (1972)
November 7: jazz drummer Vernel Fournier (2000), studio bassist Jimmy Jones (1995), Carter Cornelius (1991), A.P. Delaney Carter of The Carter Family (1960)
November 8: trumpeter Lester Bowie (1999), Lonnie Pitchford (1998), Tommy Comeaux (1997), Country Dick Montana of The Beat Farmers (1995), James Booker (1983), Ivory Joe Hunter (1974), pioneering blues guitarist Kokomo Arnold (1968)