Music History Today: July 8, 2023

July 8, 1985: Playboy magazine published nude photos of Madonna before becoming famous. The next day she appeared on the cover of the New York Post with one of her most famous quotes, "I'M NOT ASHAMED!"

Music History Today: June 26, 2023

June 26, 1974: Cher divorced Sonny Bono after ten years of marriage. Four days later, Cher married guitarist Gregg Allman. The couple split ten days later, got back together, and broke up again. They stayed married for three years, producing Elijah Blue Allman.

Cher

Music History Today: May 12, 2023

May 12, 1973: Led Zeppelin started a three-week run at Number 1 on the US album chart with their fifth album, Houses Of The Holy.

Houses Of The Holy follows the same basic pattern as Led Zeppelin IV, but the approach is looser and more relaxed. Jimmy Page's riffs rely on ringing, folky hooks as much as they do on thundering blues-rock, giving the album a lighter, more open atmosphere.

Music History Today: January 21, 2023

January 21, 1978: The defining soundtrack of the disco era, Saturday Night Fever, began a 24-week run at the top of the US album chart.

Saturday Night Fever is the second-biggest-selling soundtrack of all time, after The Bodyguard.

Music History Today: November 27, 2022

November 27, 1998: David Gray released the album, White Ladder.

David Gray's White Ladder is an album of such depth and quality that one would be hard-pressed to ignore his talent.

Music History Today: September 18, 2022

September 18, 1970: Jimi Hendrix died in his London apartment, at the age of 27, from an overdose of sleeping pills.

Music History Today: August 26, 2022

August 26, 2003: Rolling Stone Magazine named Jimi Hendrix the greatest guitarist in Rock history. Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, and Chuck Berry also made the top 10 list.

Music History Today: July 4, 2022

July 4, 1970: Jimi Hendrix, Rare Earth, Jethro Tull, Poco and the Chambers Brothers played at the Atlanta International Pop Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.  

Music History Today: May 5, 2022

May 5, 2001: The title track from the Matchbox Twenty album "Mad Season" entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts at Number 68. 

On Yourself or Someone Like You, Matchbox Twenty's ability to craft sturdy, mainstream rock was overshadowed by their reliance on loud guitars, colorless production, and bombastic vocalizing.

Music History Today: December 16, 2021

December 16, 1989: Taylor Dayne's "With Every Beat of My Heart" topped out at Number 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.  

The first single from Taylor Dayne's second album, "With Every Beat of My Heart" was written by the songwriter-producers Arthur Baker, Lotti Golden and Tommy Faragher.

Music History Today: November 16, 2021

November 16, 1968: The Jimi Hendrix Experience's LP Electric Ladyland hits Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart.

Jimi Hendrix's third and final album with the original Experience found him taking his funk and psychedelic sounds to the absolute limit. The result was not only one of the best rock albums of the era, but also Hendrix's original musical vision at its absolute apex.

Music History Today: August 26, 2021

August 26, 1967: Jimi Hendrix releases "Purple Haze." Exactly two years later, on August 26, 1970, he made his last live appearance in the UK at the Isle of Wight festival. On September 18th he would die from an overdose of sleeping pills.

Music History Today: December 28, 2020

December 28, 1968:  In essentially what was a precursor to Woodstock, Three Dog Night, Joni Mitchell, the Turtles, Fleetwood Mac, Marvin Gaye, the Grass Roots, Chuck Berry, Steppenwolf, the Box Tops, Canned Heat, Jr. Walker and the Allstars, Procol Harum, Iron Butterfly, the McCoys, the Grateful Dead, Blues Image, Procol Harum, Jose Feliciano, Richie Havens, Country Joe and the Fish, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and others performed at the Miami Pop Festival at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida.

Music History Today: November 27, 2020

November 27 1942: Jimi Hendrix is born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle, Washington.

In the early 1960s, Hendrix worked as a pickup guitarist, backing musicians including Little Richard, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, and Sam Cooke. In 1964, he moved to New York and played in coffeehouses, where bassist Bryan Chandler of the British group the Animals heard him. 

Jimi Hendrix

Music History Today: November 16, 2020

November 16, 1964: Jazz singer Diana Krall is born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada.

At the outset of her career in the 1990s, Diana Krall appeared to be a throwback to a different, classier era -- specifically, the mid-20th century, when the Great American Songbook experienced a revival in the hands of singers such as Nat King Cole. 

Diana Krall

Music History Today: September 21, 2020

September 21, 1968: Jimi Hendrix releases "All Along The Watchtower." It becomes his only top 40 hit, peaking at Number 20.

In 1968, Jimi Hendrix and his band The Experience began recording what would become one of their most iconic releases, ‘All Along the Watchtower’. 

Music History Today: September 18, 2020

September 18, 1970: Jimi Hendrix died in Kensington, London, England. He was in an ambulance after taking too many sleeping pills when he choked to death on his vomit. He was 27 years old.

Red wine is usually praised as an indulgence that is actually good for you. 

Music History Today: August 26, 2020

August 26, 1967: Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" entered the US music chart.

When Jimi Hendrix first laid down the riff for his iconic song “Purple Haze” it changed rock music forever. To put it in true perspective, the first chord played in this song has been universally called “the Hendrix chord.” 

Music History Today: August 18, 2020

August 18, 1969: Jimi Hendrix closes out Woodstock with an early morning performance of "Hey Joe."  His set includes a scorching rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner."

On Aug. 18, 1969, legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix stepped onto the stage at the Woodstock, N.Y. Music Festival and embarked upon an uninterrupted set lasting nearly two hours. 

Music History Today: June 29, 2020

June 29, 1984: After a failed attempt to shoot a studio video for "Dancing In The Dark," Bruce Springsteen does it live at his concert in St. Paul, Minnesota...with a young, unknown Courtney Cox.

Long before 'Friends' was even a thought, a young fresh-faced model named Courteney Cox shot to fame as the wide-eyed woman pulled up onstage to dance during Bruce Springsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark' video.