This is the week that was in matters musical …
1920, The first radio receivers are marketed …
1960, in an odd bit of synchronicity, singer Johnny (“Battle of New Orleans”) Horton dies in an auto wreck after playing a date at the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas, the same venue that hosted Hank Williams’ final gig … Horton’s widow had once been Mrs. Williams …
1966, Bill Graham’s Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco opens its doors … the venue is destined to become the focal point for psychedelic music …
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, well known boy band the Sex Pistols play their first gig at St. Martin’s School of Art in London …
1977, Martin Scorcese’s film The Last Waltz commemorating The Band’s last concert opens to rave reviews in New York …
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, a crowd of more than 300,000 attend a free show in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park to commemorate the death of rock promoter Bill Graham … the bill includes the Grateful Dead; Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young; Joan Baez; Santana; and Journey who reunite for the memorial show … Graham had died on October 25 when the helicopter in which he was traveling hit utility lines …
1992, 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” …
1998, Old Dirty Bastard of Wu Tang Clan is arrested for threatening to kill his former girlfriend … he is apprehended while climbing over a security gate at the woman’s place of employment …
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 … also this week, federal prosecutors charge bookkeeper Cynthia Brent of The Inc. record label, formerly known as Murder Inc., with money-laundering … lawyers advise owners Chris and Irv “Gotti” Lorenzo to anticipate arrest … the feds are pursuing a widespread investigation into narcotics trafficking and money-laundering …
2005, following an unfriendly Supreme Court decision about its file-sharing software and website, Grokster shuts down … it is reported that it will pay the music and movie industries $50 million in settlement of lawsuits … also in the courts this week, Mike Love of the Beach Boys files suit against his cuz Brian Wilson claiming that a British promotion for Wilson’s 2004 album Smile that gave away 2.6 million Beach Boys compilations discs cut into the band’s sales … this marks the seventh time that Beach Boys have sued one another …
2006, former Orleans singer and guitarist John Hall is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 19th New York congressional district … at his celebration party he elects to skip playing his signature tune “Still the One” in favor of Steven Van Zandt’s “I Am a Patriot” … this same week, neo glam-rock outfit My Chemical Romance rules the pop chart roost with its new album The Black Parade …
And that was the week that was.
Arrivals:
November 1: Sippie Wallace (1898), Don Robey (1903), Rick Grech, bass player for Blind Faith and Traffic (1946), Dan Peek of America (1950), Ronald Bell of Kool and the Gang (1951), Lyle Lovett (1956), Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (1962), Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen (1963), Willie D of The Geto Boys (1966), LaTavia Roberson of Destiny’s Child (1981)
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: John Jordan (1913), 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)
Departures:
November 1: Grand Funk Railroad manager Terry Knight (2004), classic blues singer and pianist Sippie Wallace (1986), pioneer Delta blues singer Tommy Johnson (1956)
November 2: Sammy Kaye Band singer Wandra Merrell (1994), Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat (1990), Steve Peregrine Took of T. Rex (1980), Mississippi John Hurt (1966)
November 3: singer Art Wood (2006), Lonnie Donegan (2002), blues harmonica player William Clarke (1996), songwriter Mort Shuman (1991)
November 4: Mana “China” Nishiura (2005), Bobby Nunn of the Coasters (1987), Hi-Lites singer Ronnie Goodson (1980)
November 5: Link Wray (2005), 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: jazz pianist Pete Jolly (2004), 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)