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July 2, 2009
NASCAR racing icon Richard "The King" Petty is 72.
Bruce Springsteen's longtime keyboardist, Roy Bittan of The E Street Band, is 60.
Bassist/vocalist Joey Puerta of Ambrosia is 58.
On this day in 1566, Michel de Nostradamus, the French astrologer and "seer of the future," died at the age of 62. His last documented words: "I knew this was going to happen."
On this day in 1947, an object crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. The U.S. Air Force insisted it was a weather balloon, but eyewitness accounts gave rise to speculation it was an alien spacecraft or, at worst, another KISS Farewell Tour.
On this day in 1969, bass player Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell quit the Jimi Hendrix Experience because of frustration with Jimi's escalating personal and professional problems.
On this day in 1971, Queen was finally set when bassist John Deacon made his live debut with the band at a college gig in Surrey, England.
On this day in 1981, Foreigner released their album "4," considered by many to be their best.
On this day in 1981, Bruce Springsteen played the 21,000 seat Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey — the first of six Springsteen concerts that launched the arena's opening.
On this day in 1983, the final album by The Police, "Synchronicity," entered the American charts on its way to 17 weeks at #1.
On this day in 1987, Sting chose not to attend his mother's funeral in order to stay in Monserrat where he was working on his "Nothing Like The Sun" album.
On this day in 2005, Live 8, the largest live concert ever held, involved over a million people listening to rock and pop musicians at 10 venues across four continents, demanding that the G8 nations move to help Africa. The "battle-of-the-bands" type showcase of most of the world's top acts was unprecedented, but it was the co-ordination of so many acts and staging in so many cities around the globe that was nothing short of amazing. The man in charge of the whole event was Live Aid organizer, Sir Bob Geldof.
This Sunday morning at 7 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Doors as well as more of Joe's conversations with engineer Bruce Botnick, drummer John Densmore, guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
Thin Lizzy Implodes
It's been a rough week for Thin Lizzy. First the group was forced to cancel several European gigs when drummer Tommy Aldridge broke his collarbone, then yesterday they "parted company" with longtime singer/co-lead guitarist John Sykes. Their forthcoming performances "will be canceled or postponed until further notice," but guitarist Scott Gorham promises, "We will be back up to full speed soon." Yep, that's what he said.
Guitar Hero Music Awards
Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" won the Best Guitar Riff award, Queen's "Killer Queen" won the Best Vocals award and KISS' "Rock & Roll All Nite" somehow scored the Best Drum Fill trophy in the "Guitar Hero Smash Hits 2009 Music Awards" yesterday. Over 700,000 people took part in the online vote.
Yoko Wins
A U.S. District Court judge has upheld a May 2008 court ruling declaring Yoko Ono as the rightful copyright holder of some rare, intimate footage of John Lennon and his family shot in London in 1970. After Yoko blocked a Massachusetts-based entertainment company from including the film in a documentary called "3 Days In The Life," they sued her for copyright infringement and wrongfully interfering with their personal property. Ono plans to keep the 10 hours of footage private. In it, John is seen hunched over a piano, smoking marijuana, discussing heroin addiction and joking about putting LSD in President Richard Nixon’s tea. Can't imagine why Yoko wouldn't want that floating around cyber-space!
Chickenfoot Chad Rips (His Bicep)
Chickenfoot drummer Chad Smith tore a bicep muscle during the group's Paris performance on Monday, forcing the boys to cancel their Wednesday Madrid concert. No word on how many more gigs will be affected by Chad's injury, but their European tour is scheduled to run through a July 12th festival in the Netherlands. Stay tuned!
It was jazz great Thelonius Monk who said: "Sometimes it's to your advantage for people to think you're crazy."
It was Benjamin Franklin who said: "All would live long, but none would be old."
Jackson Buttered Up
Hot on the TMZ revelation that Michael Jackson is still dead comes a report that this Summer's Iowa State Fair will showcase its famed butter cow alongside a butter sculpture of Michael Jackson doing his famous moonwalk dance move. The artist plans to give Jackson and big smile and curly locks, hoping to make the sculpture resemble the way the pop star looked before he underwent extensive plastic surgery. Of course with the Iowa State Festival running from August 13th through the 23rd, the odds of the buttery M.J. melting are...
