September 21 - 30, 2007

These are the scripts Joe Benson used on the air at 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles. They all received final editing by Jan Benson, without whom the task would have been far too daunting. Remember to give credit where credit is due, and enjoy!

September 21, 2007

Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder is 60.

On this day in 1966, during his flight to London in search of a record deal as well as fame & fortune, James Marshall Hendrix changed the spelling of his nickname to Jimi. Upon arrival in England, he only had a few short days to assemble a band or he'd be kicked out of the country for lack of a work visa. Within the week the Jimi Hendrix Experience was playing on stage.

On this day in 2006, original Bad Company bassist Raymond "Boz" Burrell died of an apparent heart attack at his home in Spain. He was 60 years old.

This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature Joe's brand new conversation with Ann Wilson as well as music from her new solo album and her band, Heart.

Soto On Stage

Jeff Scott Soto, a great singer who has worked with Journey and Queen, will be playing at Paladino's in Tarzana Friday night, and at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday. Make sure you say hi from yer Unc!

On Stage Sunday

This is going to be one rockin' show! Def Leppard, Foreigner and Styx will be playing the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Sunday.

Selling Out Bruce's Rehearsals

Both of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's pre-tour "rehearsal" benefit concerts at Convention Hall in Asbury Park sold out in a matter of minutes on Thursday morning. Tickets for next Monday and Tuesday's gigs were priced at $100 each, with the money to be split between several charities.

Tyler's Custom Harpoon

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler has finally teamed up with the famed Hohner instrument manufacturer to create his own signature series harmonica. The limited-edition, custom-made piece comes with a Tyler-stylish case and an autographed photo of Steven himself. Meanwhile, Aerosmith have canceled (without explanation) the last date on their current world tour — Wednesday's scheduled gig in Maui, Hawaii. Hmmm.

Ozzy/Slash/Helping

Ozzy Osbourne and Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash are among the artists featured in new videos produced by MusiCares and the MusiCares MAP Fund to raise awareness about the perils of drug and alcohol addiction. Those same two, along with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and many others, have donated signed memorabilia to the 4th Annual Grammy Charity Holiday Auction, which will run from November 26th through December 6th. Here's the link (http://www.grammy.com/MusiCares/News/Default.aspx?newsID=2609&newsCategoryID=10) to check it out at your leisure.

Jovi SNL

After three previous visits to the show as a musical guest, Jon Bon Jovi will host of NBC's Saturday Night Live for the first time on October 13th. Although the Foo Fighters are the official musical guest for the evening, Jon and the Bon Jovi band will perform their new single "Lost Highway" on the show — thus sparing us another six minutes of lame comedy.

Heart Book Coming

An authorized Heart biography, "Heart: In the Studio," will be published in late next Summer. Written by Jake Brown, the book will feature in-depth interviews with Ann and Nancy Wilson, as well as with other bandmembers and producers. In other news, the band's "Legendary Albums Live: Dreamboat Annie" CD and DVD will be released on October 23rd.

Thought For The Weekend

Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job.

Wot a Language!

The bandage was wound around the wound.
The farm was used to produce produce.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
The cowboy decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
I did not object to the object.
The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
They were too close to the door to close it.
The buck does funny things when the does are present.

September 22, 2007

Vocalist David Coverdale of Whitesnake is 60.
Joan Jett is a rockin' 46.

On this day in 1967, The Beatles appeared on the cover of "Time Magazine."

On this day in 1985, the first Farm-Aid concert, organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young to help the nation's farmers, was held in Champaign, Illinois and raised $10 million.

September 23, 2007

Jazz legend John Coltrane would have been 81.
Ray Charles would have been 77.
Bruce Springsteen is 58.

On this day in 1965, Bob Dylan released the song "Positively 4th Street" as "Yesterday" by The Beatles entered the charts.

On this day in 1967, The Doors released "People Are Strange."

On this day in 1972, Elton John's "Honky Cat" peaked at #8 on the charts.

On this day in 1978, "Double Vision" by Foreigner entered the singles charts.

On this day in 1978, Boston played the first of two "Summer Fest" dates at Anaheim Stadium.

On this day in 1989, Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream" peaked at #23 on the charts.

September 24, 2007

Linda McCartney would have been 66.

On this day in 1966, The Beatles' song "Eleanor Rigby" peaked at #11 on the charts.

On this day in 1966, Jimi Hendrix arrived in London with his new manager, Chas Chandler of The Animals. It was on that flight from New York that Hendrix changed the spelling of his name from "Jimmy" to "Jimi."

On this day in 1977, Styx released "Come Sail Away." Four months later, it peaked at #8.

On this day in 1977, "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac peaked at #3 as "Telephone Line" by ELO topped out at #7 on the charts.

On this day in 1978, Boston played the second of two dates ("Summer Fest") at Anaheim Stadium.

On this day in 1979, Led Zeppelin's final studio album, "In Through The Out Door," hit #1.

Stones/Lots O'Cash

The prestigious "Forbes" magazine has named The Rolling Stones the top earning music act of the past year. In fact, no one else came close. The Stones made $88 million between June 2006 and June this year. In taking home $67 million, Bon Jovi ranked fourth while Sir Elton John reached fifth place after earning $53 million and U2 came in at ninth with $30 million. "Forbes" said it was no surprise that artists from the older generation were leading the way: "The really serious money comes from touring. And no-one can pull in the big bucks like an older, established music act. They also exploit the power of their brand name to push other products. That can be as simple as selling ringtones and fan merchandise or locking up lucrative sponsorship deals." In January, The Stones topped the U.S. music top money earners list for the second year running after raking in $150.6 million. Their two-year long Bigger Bang tour — which grossed $437 million — was the most lucrative tour of all time according to "Billboard" magazine.

Bill & Bono Talk the Talk

Bono and former President Bill Clinton will be taking part in the Giving – Live At The Apollo youth activism forum this Friday in New York. Chris Rock, Alicia Keys and Shakira will also be discussing their efforts to spur social change in the roundtable discussion. The talk will be broadcast at Think.MTV.com and later on the MTV networks. Sponsors include Bono's charity, ONE: The Campaign To Make Poverty History; the Clinton Global Initiative, a nonpartisan offshoot of the ex-President's charity, The Clinton Foundation; Keep A Child Alive, which helps children living with AIDS in Africa; and ALAS, which works to improve the overall health and education of Latin American children.

Was Did Sting Say?

Did you ever wonder what Sting was singing? His new book, cleverly called "Lyrics," should answer all your questions. The collection of lyrics covers his entire career, from The Police's debut album to his latest solo release. BUT WAIT — THERE'S MORE! "Lyrics" also features Sting's commentary on the stories behind the songs as well as personal anecdotes from his musical career. Sorry, to learn more, you'll just have to wait until the book is released on October 23rd.

Alice In Chains Expands

The reunited Alice In Chains, currently on an arena tour with Velvet Revolver, have booked a series of "unplugged" shows for later this Fall. A.I.C.'s first 10 "Acoustic Hour" shows run from late September through late October in every geographic zone except the Southland. Oh, you know that will change soon... stay tuned!

Heart/Joss/TV

Heart and Joss Stone will be among the artists performing in ABC's two-hour "Frosted Pink" special airing on October 14th. Olympic Gold Medalist Peggy Fleming and Sharon Osbourne will be among the special guests not singing on the program. Money raised from the event, which also will include Olympic figure skaters, will benefit a number of organizations that focus on cancers that affect women.

The Angels Rock!

The headline said it all: "Angels clinch third division title in four years!" That team rocks!

Quote Of The Day

It was Mark Twain who said: "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."

Three Quickies

There are only four words in the English language which end in '-dous': tremendous, horrendous, stupendous and hazardous.

The average person will spend two weeks over their lifetime waiting for the traffic light to change.

If we had the same mortality rate now as in 1900, more than half the people in the world today would not be alive.

September 25, 2007

On this day in 1967, The Beatles recorded Paul McCartney's "Fool On The Hill" in Abbey Road Studios.

On this day in 1970, Janis Joplin recorded "Me and Bobby McGee."

On this day in 1971, Yes released the song "Your Move" and Cat Stevens released "Peace Train."

On this day in 1976, Boston's debut album entered the charts. It eventually climbed up to #3 and became the fastest-selling debut album in history.

On this day in 1976, Paul McCartney's band Wings played a benefit and raised $50,000 for the restoration of water-damaged art treasures in Venice's St. Marks Square. But the 25,000 audience members unknowingly set back the restoration project when their combined weight loosened paving stones and allowed water to seep through into the Square.

On this day in 1980, Led Zeppelin's drummer John Bonham died of overindulgence at the age of 32. Bonham passed away at guitarist Jimmy Page's home after a night of heavy drinking (reportedly 40 shots in just a few hours). The coroner reported that both asphyxiation and alcohol poisoning caused his death.

On this day in 1981, Genesis released their "ABACAB" album.

On this day in 1982, Aerosmith released the album "Rock in a Hard Place" as Don Henley's solo debut album, "I Can't Stand Still," and The Who's last studio album, "It's Hard," both entered the charts.

Zep's After Party

It should not come as a surprise that Led Zeppelin is hosting an after-party following the band's November 26th reunion gig at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert in London. But talk about a screening nightmare — the Zep boys are seeking unsigned bands to perform at the bash, and request that interested acts upload a video to Ziddio.com explaining why they should get the gig. Winners will be personally introduced by members of the Zeppelin at the party.

Starbucks/Free Music

Starting on October 2nd, Starbucks will be giving away 1.5 million songs per day. Customers will get a free "song of the day" card for music from artists like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Paul McCartney. The plan is to give out 50 million songs by November 7th via "Song of the Day" cards that will be redeemable at iTunes.

Macca/Shrek

Sounds like "Shrek 4" will include an ogre, a donkey and a Beatle. Brit sources are reporting that Paul McCartney is in talks to write the soundtrack for the next installment in the franchise. He may also have a speaking role in the film. Paul told the British "Sun" newspaper, "I'm a huge fan of Shrek. As is my little girl. I can do a really good impression of him — I put on my best Scottish accent!"  As Chris Carter, host of KLOS' Breakfast With The Beatles, would point out, Macca's version of the "James Bond" theme "Live and Let Die" was used in "Shrek 3."

Rodgers Is Off The Market

Sorry girls. Former Free/Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers married his longtime girlfriend, former Miss Canada Cynthia Kereluk, during a surprise wedding at the couple's country home in Canada. Ever the poet, Paul remarked, "There is magic on earth" during the ceremony. After the honeymoon, Paul plans to hit a recording studio to work on tunes for the long-rumored Queen + Paul Rodgers album.

Richie Checks Back In

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora returned to rehab this week — this time at Utah's Cirque Lodge, where Lindsay Lohan is also receiving attention. Richie first went to rehab after the dissolution of his marriage to Heather Locklear, his subsequent break-up with girlfriend Denise Richards and the death of his father. But his week at the UCLA Medical Center just prior to the band's tour wasn't enough. At the time, he told NBC's Matt Lauer "I was just drinking too much, and I needed to get my life together." We're pulling for you, Richie!

Quote Of The Day

It was Finnish composer Jean Sibelius who said: "Don't pay any attention to what the critics say. No statue has ever been erected over a critic."

September 26, 2007

Crooner Brian Ferry of Roxy Music is 62.
Guitarist Craig Chaquico of Jefferson Starship fame is 53.
Los Lobos guitarist/singer/songwriter Cesar Rosas is 53.

On this day in 1964, The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" (their first American hit single) entered the charts.

On this day in 1965, Queen Elizabeth decorated The Beatles with the Order of the British Empire.

On this day in 1973, Paul and Linda McCartney and Denny Laine of Wings returned to England from Nigeria where they had recorded "Band on the Run."

On this day in 1975, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" opened in theaters.

On this day in 1979, The Clash released their first single, a remake of the Bobby Fuller Four's classic, "I Fought The Law."

On this day in 1981, The Police released their classic "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic."

On this day in 1986, Boston released their third album, "Third Stage," 10 years after their first.

On this day in 1987, Pink Floyd's "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason," Rush's "Hold Your Fire" and R.E.M.'s "Document" entered the album charts.

On this day in 1987, The Grateful Dead's "Touch of Grey" reached #9 on the singles chart — their only song to reach the Top 20 in a 40-plus year career.

On this day in 1987, Billy Idol's cover of the Tommy James & The Shondells song "Mony Mony" entered the singles chart.

On this day in 2003, singer Robert Palmer died of a heart attack in Paris at the age of 54.

On Stage Tonight

The Dave Matthews Band will be jamming at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater tonight.

Eagles Will Show Country How To Do It

The Eagles have booked their first-ever performance at an awards show, taking part in the upcoming 41st Annual Country Music Association Awards. While the group isn't a contender in any category this year, they were previously nominated for the C.M.A. Vocal Group Of The Year in 1976 and 1977. (Note: They lost both times to the Statler Brothers.) This year they'll be thanking the country music community which has embraced "How Long," the first release from the Eagles' upcoming album "The Long Road Out of Eden." The song is on the country singles charts, while the video for the track made its broadcast debut on CMT last month. The Nashville awards ceremony will air on ABC on November 7th.

A Real Bruce Store

Bruce Springsteen now has his own store on Amazon.com, the largest-ever single-artist music store on the website. As part of the store launch, Amazon will do an exclusive five-day premiere of the video of "Long Walk Home" off Springsteen's upcoming album, "Magic," scheduled for release on October 2nd. Shop on!

Sex Pistols B.S.

The Sex Pistols — the ultimate English non-commercial rebels — will reunite for one show to mark the 30th anniversary of their "Never Mind The Bollocks" album. Well, actually three shows total — November 8th, 9th and 10th. They've also re-recorded "Anarchy in the U.K." for Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock because they like video games (certainly not for the money!!). Meanwhile, singer Johnny Rotten has been in the Brit press for referring to The Police as a bunch of "soggy old dead carcasses." The bandmate to the long dead/overdosed Sid Vicious went on to say, "You know listening to Stink try to squeak through 'Roxanne' one more time, that's not fun." Ooooo... a snarky little git, isn't he?

Bono Here: Bono There

While we wait for U2 to write, record and release their new album, Bono is (sort of) staying busy. A painting by renowned Irish artist David Nolan depicting the singer receiving his knighthood is expected to sell for at least $4,000 at a James Adam auction next month. And (Don't Call Me Sir) Bono will be presented with the Liberty Medal award by former President George H. Bush in Philadelphia tomorrow. The medal, which is given out by the non-profit National Constitution Center organization, is in recognition of Bono's work to combat poverty and disease in Africa. You can actually watch the ceremony via Web cast at LibertyMedal.org at 5pm our time tomorrow.

Reviving Mudcrutch

After talking about it over the past couple of years, Tom Petty has finally resurrected Mudcrutch, his pre-Heartbreakers band. The original line-up, featuring Tom Leadon (brother of original Eagle Bernie Leadon), Randall Marsh and current Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, hit the studio last month. "It was like a dream, the whole thing," Leadon says of the band's first recording session since 1972. So far, the boys have recorded 18 songs, both old and new, for a 2008 album. Stay tuned!

Metallica For The People

Metallica will make their acoustic Bridge School Benefit sets available for download at LiveMetallica.com. All the proceeds from the sale of the downloads from the two shows will go to The Bridge School. The annual event, hosted by Neil Young, will take place at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California on October 27th and 28th.

Quote Of The Day

It was Napoleon Bonaparte who said: "There are two levers for moving men — interest and fear."

Demo Derby!

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! (Thursday), 8pm: Do any two words put more fear into auto insurance companies than Demolition Derby? J.B. promised his mom he wouldn't drive in one, but that doesn't mean he can't call the action — or drive one of the fork lift/tow trucks. All hail the L.A. County Fair for giving you a chance to see for yourself (and here's a couple of snapshots)!

September 27, 2007

Guitarist/songwriter Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive is 64.
Singer/actor Meatloaf is 60.

On this day in 1967, The Beatles spent several hours at Abbey Road Studios recording "I Am the Walrus."

On this day in 1979, just moments after beginning the tune "Better Off Dead," Elton John collapsed on-stage at the Universal Amphitheatre during an exhausting two man show with percussionist Ray Cooper. Even though he claimed he was suffering from exhaustion brought on by the flu, Elton returned after a ten minute intermission to finish the nearly three-hour-long concert. Thank God Ray didn't have to sing!

On this day in 1986, bassist Cliff Burton of Metallica was killed when the band's bus crashed. He was only 24.

Felder's Book Disappears

"Heaven And Hell: My Life As An Eagle," the lurid tell-all autobiography by former Eagles guitarist Don Felder, was due in stores next Monday. But suddenly the whole project has been dropped due to undisclosed "legal issues." The precise nature of those ''issues'' is unclear, but certainly, the advance copy of the book distributed to reviewers by Hyperion Press didn't stint on depictions of Seventies-era debauchery. Of course Felder recently settled a wrongful-termination lawsuit against his former Eagles bandmates, but the last minute recall of tens of thousands of books is most curious indeed. Stay tuned!

Bruce Gigging/Adding Benefits

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will perform Friday morning on NBC's Today Show, then do their third practice/charity gig open to the public Friday evening at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The tour gets underway on Tuesday in Hartford, Connecticut. A little further down the line, the band will perform at the Stand Up For Heroes: A Benefit For The Bob Woodruff Family Fund on November 7th in New York. Proceeds will go toward assisting injured U.S. soldiers.

Steven's Designing Dream

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, who has been involved in jewelry and clothing design, has now partnered with AC Custom Motorcycles to create the Red Wing Motorcycle Company. The handcrafted line of bikes will be individually designed and autographed by the singer himself. To quote the ever quotable Tyler, "These bikes are sick, rugged and just damn cool. And they're amazing to look at." Let's just hope they don't come with Steven's trademark scarves.

Sex Pistols B.S. #634

After referring to The Police as a bunch of "soggy old dead carcasses," how ironic that singer Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols is doing everything possible to make a quick buck off his old band. It was all well and good that the ultimate English non-commercial rebels agreed to reunite for one show to mark the 30th anniversary of their "Never Mind The Bollocks" album. Then they added two more shows — and now there's five total with more being discussed! They've also re-recorded "Anarchy in the U.K." for Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock because they like video games (certainly not for the money!!). Ooooo... can Sex Pistols commemorative lunch boxes and spit cups be far behind?

Quote Of The Day

It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said: "Shallow men believe in luck, believe in circumstances — it was somebody's name, or he happened to be there at the time, or it was so then, and another day would have been otherwise. Strong men believe in cause and effect."

September 28, 2007

On this day in 1968, Janis Joplin announced that she was leaving Big Brother & the Holding Company next month because she and the band "weren't growing together anymore." Ah, the Sixties!

This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Moody Blues, as well as more of Joe's conversation with Justin Hayward and John Lodge.

Scorsese Takes On George

After directing landmark films on Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones, Martin Scorsese has agreed to direct a documentary on George Harrison, who died of cancer in 2001 at age 58. "Harrison's music and his search for spiritual meaning is a story that still resonates today and I'm looking forward to delving deeper," Scorsese said. "It would have given George great joy to know that Martin Scorsese has agreed to tell his story," added Harrison's widow, Olivia. Work is already underway assembling archival material for the film, which will also feature extensive interviews.

Hall Of Fame Nominees

Is it me, or is the designated gene pool getting a little thin over in Cleveland? Check out the nominees for next year's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction: John Mellencamp, Madonna, the Beastie Boys, Leonard Cohen, Afrika Bambaataa, Chic, The Ventures, Donna Summer and The Dave Clark Five. Five of those acts will be inducted on March 10, 2008 at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Macca/Ringo To Play Liverpool

It was rumored, and now it's official: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will perform in their native Liverpool, next year. No, they won't perform together. They've agreed to be part of the celebration of the city's designation as European Capital of Culture. Macca will headline a June 1st concert, while Ringo will perform during the January 12th opening ceremonies.

Foreigner DVD Ready

The new Foreigner concert DVD "Alive & Rockin'" will be out on October 16th. The DVD captures the band's set at the Bang Your Head Festival in Balingen, Germany in June of last year. Bonus material includes interviews with Foreigner group leader Mick Jones, drummer Jason Bonham and singer Kelly Hansen.

A Thought For The Weekend

After a certain age, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead.

Curious Weekend Factoids

The animal responsible for the most human deaths worldwide is the mosquito.

The four taste zones on your tongue are bitter (back), sour (back sides), salty (front sides) and sweet (front).

The name for Oz in "The Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence "Oz."

September 29, 2007

Rock & Roll Icon Jerry Lee Lewis is 72.
Guitarist/singer Mark Farner of Grand Funk is 59.
Guitarist Mike Pinera, who worked with Blues Image, Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper, is 59.

On this day in 1959, the cartoon show "Rocky And His Friends" debuted on ABC-TV. The first characters to be introduced were Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose as the heroes, along with Boris and Natasha as their enemies. Dudley Do-Right came on the scene a little bit later.

On this day in 1963, The Rolling Stones began their first-ever tour of the U.K. supported by The Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley.

On this day in 1964, The Beatles recorded "Every Little Thing," "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" and "What You're Doing" with producer George Martin at Abbey Road Studios.

On this day in 1967, drummer Mickey Hart joined The Grateful Dead.

On this day in 1967, The Rolling Stones fired their first manager, Andrew Loog Oldham.

On this day in 1967, BBC Radio broadcast a production of Shakespeare's "King Lear" at 7:30pm. Not only was John Lennon listening, he also recorded a bit of the broadcast to use in The Beatles' song "I Am the Walrus."

On this day in 1972, Cat Stevens played a sold-out show with an orchestra at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium. He was supporting his #1 album "Catch Bull at Four."

On this day in 1973, Grand Funk Railroad hit #1 with "We're An American Band."

On this day in 1977, AC/DC released their album "Let There Be Rock."

On this day in 1979, "Bad Case Of Loving You" by Robert Palmer peaked at #14 on the charts.

On this day in 1984, "Drive" by The Cars peaked at #3 on the charts.

On this day in 1989, Glenn Frey joined Don Henley onstage in Los Angeles for the first time since the breakup of the Eagles, eight years earlier.

On this day in 1992, Peter Gabriel released his "Us" album.

On this day in 1996, it was announced that Julian Lennon was the anonymous buyer who had purchased Paul McCartney's handwritten recording notes for the song, "Hey Jude," at auction for about $40,000. The song was written by McCartney for young Julian when John Lennon separated from his mother, Cynthia, in 1968.

September 30, 2007

Drummer Dewey Martin of Buffalo Springfield fame is 65.
Marc Bolan, who really was T. Rex, would have been 60.

On this day in 1955, James Dean, the icon of cool, died in an automobile accident at the age of 24.

On this day in 1961, Bob Dylan began his recording career. His harmonica playing in a session for Caroline Hester's debut album captured the attention of record executive John Hammond, who signed Bob to a solo deal the next day. The rest, as they say, is history.

On this day in 1966, guitarist Noel Redding was offered the job of bass player in Jimi Hendrix's new band, the Experience.

On this day in 1967, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison peaked at #10 on the charts.

On this day in 1969, Crosby Stills & Nash's debut album was certified with "Gold" status, a half-million copies sold. Unfortunately, on that same day, David Crosby's girlfriend, Christine Hinton, died when her Volkswagen collided with a school bus in California.

On this day in 1971, Yes began their first tour with keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who had just joined the band the previous month.

On this day in 1978, Aerosmith's version of "Come Together" peaked at #23 on the singles chart.

On this day in 1982, Bruce Springsteen released his most haunting album, "Nebraska."

On this day in 1997, The Rolling Stones released their "Bridges To Babylon" album. The album didn't do so well, but the following tour was one of their most successful — both artistically and commercially.