 July 11 - 20, 2008These 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! July 11, 2008Unc's On VacationIt's time for some R&R (and desert heat avoidance), so you can expect my reports to be even more sporadic than usual this week! 
Guitarist Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi is 49. 
On this day in 1969, The Rolling Stones released "Honky Tonk Women." On this day in 1969, David Bowie's single, "Space Oddity," was released to coincide with the first lunar landing. Producer Tony Visconti (who also worked with T. Rex and later The Moody Blues) disliked the song so much, he refused to produce it for his friend David. Instead Elton John's producer, Gus Dudgeon, stepped in and turned it into a classic. On this day in 1970, The Who released their version of "Summertime Blues." On this day in 1975, Gary Wright released his "The Dream Weaver" album as Fleetwood Mac released their first album with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, simply called "Fleetwood Mac." One of those albums went on to sell millions and millions and millions of copies. On this day in 1979, Neil Young's concert film "Rust Never Sleeps" debuted at the Bruin Theatre in Westwood as the album of the same name was released nationwide. On this day in 1987, "Alone" by Heart peaked at #1 on the charts.  This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of the Eagles and Joe's brand new conversation with guitarist/singer Don Felder. 
A Mini Who Tour!After talking on and on about how much they didn't plan on working anymore this year, The Who have just announced a Fall tour! Their first two shows will be at the Nokia Theater LA Live on November 8th and 9th. A pre-sale for fan club members will be available on Monday. This Saturday, Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters will be among those playing in tribute to The Who at the taping of VH1's annual Rock Honors concert at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. The Who will close out the night with a 40-minute set which may or may not air in its entirety when the show airs on VH1 next Thursday. Lots Of Beatles For SaleNearly half of the 264 lots in Friday's Christie's Rock And Pop Memorabilia auction relate to The Beatles, with material spanning the group's history and beyond. Big ticket items include the hand-painted bass drum skin used in the cover photo of the 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." It's described as "the world's most famous drum skin" and comes with a letter of authenticity from artist Peter Blake, who designed the image. Also expected to fetch a high price is a card on which John Lennon wrote out the lyrics for "Give Peace A Chance." Lennon used the card as a group lyric sheet so all the people gathered in his Montreal hotel room could participate in the recording during his and Yoko Ono's famed 1969 bed-in. Bidding on the 22-by-14-inch card could go as high as $600,000. Items from numerous other stars, including Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin, are also going up for sale. Allmans ReturnThe Allman Brothers Band will return to the road next month after a lengthy hiatus while frontman Gregg Allman underwent treatment for hepatitis C. So far, the new tour is scheduled from August 12th through October 11th, with more dates expected. Triumph Confirmed (Sort Of)Sounds like being able to do two gigs without trying to kill each other was enough to convince Triumph that it was time to reunite. Actually the Canadian trio is only playing their second gig Friday night at the 2008 Rocklahoma festival somewhere in Oklahoma (the exact location really doesn't matter). Triumph's first reunion gig in 20+ years took place last month at the Sweden Rock Festival, but bassist Mike Levine says, "I think we will have a major tour in '09, starting [around] Memorial Day... and do the sheds and perhaps some arenas in the Fall." So much for the mystery! A New GabrielFortunately for his wife Meabh, Peter Gabriel's babies don't take 13 years to produce like his albums. Peter and Meabh welcomed Luc Gabriel this past Saturday. Luc — weighing in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces — is the couple's second son. The former Genesis frontman also has two grown daughters from his first marriage. Colin Cooper R.I.P.Singer/sax player Colin Cooper of The Climax Blues Band died of cancer last Thursday at his home in Stafford, England. The 68-year-old was a founding member of the 40-year-old British group. The band still plans to make an upcoming festival appearance in Germany, but there's been no word on who may be filling in for the departed singer. 
A Thought For The WeekendThere are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity. Random Thoughts For The Weekend* Remember, half the people you know are below average. * A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. * Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. July 12, 2008
Comedic god/actor Bill Cosby is 71.
On this day in 1962, The Rollin' Stones played their first gig — the Marquee Jazz Club in London was the site. That first line-up included Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, piano player Ian Stewart, bassist Dick Taylor and drummer Mick Avery (who later gained fame as a member of The Kinks). Drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman were recruited into the band by the end of the year. On this day in 1969, as his song "Lay Lady Lay" entered the Top 40, Bob Dylan learned that you can't go home again when he attended his high school reunion in Hibbing, Minnesota. He and his wife Sara were forced to leave after a drunken fool tried to pick a fight with the singer. On this day in 1969, Blind Faith made their U.S. debut at Madison Square Garden in New York City, well before they were ready to be seen by anyone. Singer/keyboardist Steve Winwood of Traffic, guitar-god Eric Clapton & drummer Ginger Baker of Cream, and bassist/violinist Ric Grech of Family barely survived as a group until the end of their first tour when they disbanded. Ultimately, they left us with a few beautiful songs from their only album. On this day in 1983, sax player Chris Wood of Traffic died of pneumonia at age 39. July 13, 2008
Roger McGuinn, guitarist and singer for The Byrds, is 66.
On this day in 1968, Steppenwolf released "Born to Be Wild," the song responsible for the term "heavy metal." On this day in 1973, Queen released their self-titled debut album. On this day in 1985, over a billion-and-a-half people around the world witnessed the Live Aid concerts, held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia. The benefit raised money for the starving people of Africa. Bob Geldof, the former lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, organized the event. Live Aid performers included U2, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, and a reunited Led Zeppelin, among others. The show ran 16 hours and raised over $100 million for the cause. July 14, 2008
Folk legend Woody Guthrie would have been 95.
On this day in 1967, The Who began their first full-scale U.S. tour. As the opening act for Herman's Hermits, they really didn't go over all that well... but they did meet a lot of girls! On this day in 1979, "Dance The Night Away" by Van Halen peaked at #15 on the charts. On this day in 1982, Pink Floyd's film version of "The Wall," directed by Alan Parker, premiered in London. Maybe he understood it... maybe he didn't.
Digital Beatles!! (@Bloomingdales)No, The Beatles' music is still unavailable on iTunes. But Bloomingdales department store has acquired the rights to Beatles images from Apple Records and will produce a series of T-shirts, jackets and accessories that bear images from posters and album artwork. And for the Christmas Holidays, they will also produce a limited-edition Beatles "Yellow Submarine" iPod stocked with every song in the band's catalog. Only 100 of the iPods will be available nationwide, but Bloomingdales' very own web site says they will also sell boxed CD sets! Stay tuned! Who! Who! Who!Last Saturday, Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters were among those playing in tribute to The Who at the taping of VH1's annual Rock Honors concert at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. The Who closed out the show by tearing through classics like "You Better, You Bet," "Baba O'Riley," "Behind Blue Eyes," "Won't Get Fooled Again," "The Seeker," "Who Are You" and "My Generation," as well as several lesser known numbers. No one knows how many of those songs will make the cut when the show airs on VH1 this Thursday, but hopefully they'll include some of Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey's comments. During one notable exchange, Pete said, "Thanks for giving us this night instead of a crappy piece of plastic," to which Daltrey answered, "I don't have any pieces of plastic!" Townshend's playful rejoinder: "You should try writing a song sometime." Boys, boys, boys! Beatles Still Bring Big BucksThe hand-painted bass drum head that appeared on the sleeve of The Beatles' 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" sold for $1.1 million — four times its estimate — at Christie's Rock And Pop Memorabilia auction in London last Thursday. The next biggest selling item was John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for his classic song "Give Peace A Chance," which sold for $834,000 — well above pre-sale expectations. John's tinted prescription sunglasses that he wore during his "1973 - 1974 Lost Weekend" sold for $78,190. One of the few 1967 Gibson SG Special guitars to survive regular use by The Who's Pete Townshend sold for $63,991, while the acoustic guitar which he used to write "Behind Blues Eyes" only brought in $27,115. It Really Wasn't DaveTurns out it was a David Lee Roth impostor who was helped by Canadian police when he went into anaphylactic shock due to a peanut allergy. The fake Dave, who faced incarceration after being pulled over for speeding, was instead escorted to an Ontario hospital for his "allergic reaction." But it turns out that Van Halen was in New York City on May 23rd when the incident took place. To clarify the situation, the real honest-to-God D.L.R. released this statement: "I was in Canada only from July first through the fourth for a performance at the Quebec City Summer Festival. I had no encounters or incidents with the police. The only thing I'm allergic to is criticism." And for that we say, "God bless Diamond Dave!" Woodie's Off AgainRonnie Wood, the 61-year-old Rolling Stones guitarist who has long battled alcoholism, has reportedly run off with a teenage Russian waitress he met in London. Woodie allegedly began the fling with 18-year-old Ekaterina Ivanova after falling off the wagon. "He's drinking heavily — maybe two bottles of vodka a day," claims Wood's wife, Jo, who has been married to the Wood-man for 23 years. Jo also insisted to the Brit press that Ivanova is just a friend. Yeah, and Ronnie is just a very horny drunk guy. New/Old MoodiesThe first line-up of The Moody Blues wasn't the group's best-known. It was their second line-up that started releasing albums in 1967 that went on to worldwide fame and success. Now re-masters of their first seven studio albums — 1967's "Days of Future Past" through 1972's "Seventh Sojourn" — will be re-released on July 15th with bonus tracks including performances taped for the BBC. In other Moody news, a CD documenting the band's appearance at the 1970 Isle Of Wight festival is due out on August 26th, with a companion DVD expected to hit stores next year.
Quote Of The DayIt was Plato who said: "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." July 15, 2008
Linda Ronstadt is 62.
On this day in 1958, John Lennon's mother, Julia, was killed in a car accident in Liverpool, England. She was only 34, and he just 17. On this day in 1967, Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl" entered the singles chart. On this day in 1968, Creedence Clearwater Revival released their self-titled debut album. On this day in 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival released their fifth album, "Cosmo's Factory." Most fans still consider it to be their best. On this day in 1989, Don Henley's "The End Of The Innocence" album entered the charts. On this day in 1989, Pink Floyd performed on a floating stage in Venice, Italy. Unfortunately, the partying audience of 200,000 damaged many of the city's bridges and caused marble to crumble from centuries-old buildings.
Rock Band 2 RocksThey released Rock Band 2's much-anticipated track list yesterday, and the critics seem to have keyed in on the inclusion of the new Guns n' Roses song "Shackler's Revenge." But I must say that the rest of the 74 song list rocks! Among the more notable tracks are AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock," The Allman Brothers Band's "Ramblin' Man," Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue," Jethro Tull's "Aqualung," Journey's "Anyway You Want It," Pearl Jam's "Alive," Rush's "The Trees," Steely Dan's "Bodhitsattva," Steve Miller's "Rock 'n Me" and The Who's "Pinball Wizard." Now that's a lot of guitar pickin'! Robert & Alison Adding MoreAs predicted here, Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass star Alison Krauss have added more U.S. dates in support of their collaborative album, "Raising Sand." No Southland gigs announced yet, but the new tour leg will begin on September 23rd in Kansas City, so anything could happen. Rush & StingHere are two artists you've never heard mentioned in the same sentence: Rush and Sting. But it turns out that those two are among several artists contributing numbers to the "Songs for Tibet" compilation, which is due out on August 5th. The acoustic album is intended to "send a musical message of support to Tibet and the Dalai Lama" to coincide with the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Proceeds will be donated by the Art of Peace Foundation to projects championed by the Dalai Lama. Gabriel/U2/AmnestyPeter Gabriel and U2 guitarist The Edge, two vets of the 1988 Human Rights Now Tour for Amnesty International, have signed on as spokesmen for the Small Places Tour. They are hoping that the Small Places Tour — running from September 10th through the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10th — will represent the 'passing of the torch' to the next generation of musician/activists. And Then They Honored Sir GeorgeLast Saturday night, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison were a big part of the private Los Angeles ceremony honoring famed Beatles producer George Martin with the Grammy Foundation Leadership award. Both Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison chaired the event, which honored Martin's humanitarian and charitable efforts. Among the artists performing to honor Sir George were Jeff Beck, Michael McDonald, Tom Jones and the band America.
Quote Of The DayIt was George Carlin who asked: "If a pig loses it's voice, is it disgruntled?" Knickers In A TwistAmericans have an underwear thing going on, spending $13 billion annually on intimate apparel. Here's a couple of underhosen factoids: * 32% of male respondents say they favor briefs, compared to 28% who wear boxer briefs and 25% who don boxers. Eight percent go with thongs or other styles. * Panties are preferred by 49% of the women polled, with thongs chosen by 28%. Another 13% go with "boy" shorts, while 4% wear other styles. Six percent opt out of wearing anything down under. July 16, 2008
Percussionist Stewart Copeland of The Police is 56.
On this day in 1966, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton formed the first bonafide supergroup. They chose the name Cream because they were considered to be Britain's best rock musicians (the "Cream" of the crop). It wasn't until later that someone suggested the moniker "Grouchy Egomaniacs." On this day in 1969, The Who released the song "I'm Free." On this day in 1976, Loggins & Messina broke up when Kenny Loggins sensed a successful solo career was right around the corner. On this day in 1981, songwriter/storyteller Harry Chapin was killed in an auto accident on New York's Long Island Expressway. On this day in 1996, Styx drummer John Panozzo died of bleeding ulcers and cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 47.
On Stage TonightJourney, Heart and Cheap Trick will be rocking the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater tonight, just as Hippyfest hits the Greek Theatre. Oh, and The Who are playing a private show at the Orpheum tonight to promote the Rock Band 2 video game. First Rush On TV In 33 YearsRush will play their classic "Tom Sawyer" tonight on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." The Canadian trio's last U.S. television performance was on a 1975 episode of "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert." Let's just hope they don't wear the same clothes they did back then! AC/DC Still Not Talking/Coming SoonAbsolutely no one will say anything official about this, but just like we've been predicting, you can figure on AC/DC launching a world tour before the end of the year in support of the Aussie band's first new album since 2000's "Stiff Upper Lip." Sounds like the new LP will be called "Black Ice," will be released on October 28th in North America and will be sold exclusively (to begin with) at Wal-Mart stores. The first single — "Runaway Train" — should hit radio in late August. So don't say we didn't warn you! Who! Who!No, The Who didn't personally invite me to their private show at the Orpheum tonight to promote the Rock Band 2 video game, but their Fall U.S. tour is slowly growing. With 10 shows confirmed, it looks like our November 8th and 9th Nokia Theatre LA Live gigs are the last in the run. Tomorrow night VH1 and VH1 Classic will premiere the edited version of last Saturday's VH1 Rock Honors Who tribute concert paying tribute to the Who. Can't wait to see what made the cut! Sir Elty Ice CreamFor the record, I've never said Sir Elton John was yummy. But I think we'd all love to taste the new Ben & Jerry's "Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road" ice cream! Right now it's just a limited edition flavor available only in B&J's Vermont Scoop Shops from July 18th - 25th, but with all proceeds benefitting the Elton John AIDS Foundation, they gotta release nationwide!!! New Mellencamp/Farm AidJohn Mellencamp took advantage of the release of his new album to announce that this year's Farm Aid concert will be held on September 20th at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. John will be joined by co-headliners Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Willie Nelson, with more top artists to be announced. Since its creation in 1985, Farm Aid has helped raise over $30 million for programs that support farmers, expand the Good Food Movement and promote food from family farms. Oh, and John's new T Bone Burnett-produced album is called "Life Death Love And Freedom."
Quote Of The DayIt was Samuel Goldwyn who said: "Ninety percent of the art of living consists of getting on with people one cannot stand." July 17, 2008
Guitarist/group leader Spencer Davis is 68.
On this day in 1917, the British royal family changed their surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, adopted from their largest castle (especially for the royals, bearing a German surname during World War I was considered in bad taste). On this day in 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience opened for The Monkees in Forest Hills, New York. What were they thinking?!? On this day in 1968, The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" movie premiered in London. What were they smoking?! On this day in 1971, Creedence Clearwater Revival's final Top 10 hit, "Sweet Hitch-Hiker," entered the charts. On this day in 1971, The Who released "Won't Get Fooled Again" and Rod Stewart released "Reason To Believe." On this day in 1976, Heart's "Magic Man" entered the U.S. singles chart. On this day in 1996, Chas Chandler, the bass player for The Animals who later became Jimi Hendrix's manager, died in a British hospital at the age of 57. He had been undergoing tests related to an aortic aneurysm.
Ronnie's On His Way BackThe Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood has finally re-entered rehab for his drinking problem. Immediately following his daughter's wedding, the 61-year-old guitarist went through a 10-day drinking binge that hit his family hard. While downing a couple of bottles of vodka a day, he spent over a week in Dublin with an 18-year-old Russian barmaid while being shadowed by the Brit press. A friend of the Wood family released a statement that said, "Ronnie is an alcoholic and it is a progressive illness. Every time an alcoholic falls off the wagon it is worse than the previous lapse. This is a new low for him... (we) look forward to his recovery." Wood's struggle with substance abuse has been well-documented; one time, his drug addiction was so bad that Keith Richards (of all people) persuaded him to get sober by using a knife or gun. In 2002, Woodie entered rehab again at the strong urging of his family and bandmate Mick Jagger to clean up for The Stones' multi-year A Bigger Bang World Tour. Let's hope it works this time — God speed Woodie! The Last New PoliceThe good news is that The Police will release a live CD/DVD set documenting their year-plus reunion tour: the sad news is that you won't be in it. Drummer Stewart Copeland has confirmed that two of the band's early December 2007 Buenos Aires concerts were recorded for the double-album which will be out later this year. "Better Than Therapy," a documentary about the reunion tour directed by Copeland's son Jordan, will be included on the DVD. The reformed Police will perform their last concert together August 7th at New York City's Madison Square Garden. One Burnt Jimi To GoAs his temporary visa was running out in 1967, Jimi Hendrix played a one-off show at the London Astoria which he ended by lighting his Fender Stratocaster guitar (and his shirt) on fire for the first time. The burnt instrument was eventually given to Jimi's publicist, who held onto it for 40 years before his nephew put it up in this auction. Aside from the guitar's historical significance, it is also the only Fender that survived what became Hendrix' burning ritual. It's expected to sell for $1 million at The Fame Bureau And Idea Generation auction on September 4th. Other notable items up for sale include John Bonham's last-surviving Led Zeppelin drum-kit, Jim Morrison's final book of poetry and a "We Are the World" song sheet autographed by Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan. Lindsey's Newest Is SetFleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham will release "Gift Of Screws," his second solo album in two years, on September 16th. This time around, the Mac's rhythm section — bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood — backed Lindsey on several songs. Largely written and recorded at his home studio and in hotel room sessions during his "Under The Skin" tour, "Gift Of Screws" was self-produced. And yes, you can expect Lindsey to play much of the new music on his Fall tour that will hit UCLA's Royce Hall on September 14th and The Grove of Anaheim on September 19th.
Quote Of The DayIt was John Lennon who said: "There's a great woman behind every idiot." I Scream, You Scream...From "Health" magazine: * 44% of women and 30% of men feel guilty for eating ice cream. * Americans eat an average of one ton of ice cream in their lifetimes. * One ton is the approximate weight of a baby elephant. Now, enjoy! July 18, 2008
"Screaming" Jay Hawkins would have been 79 (the exact number of children he's believed to have fathered).
On this day in 1953, Elvis Presley made his first recording, "My Happiness," as a gift for his mother. On this day in 1960, Elvis Presley's "It's Now Or Never" was released. That evening marked Jim Ladd's first karaoke performance of said song in front of real people. Fortunately, Jim later made bail. On this day in 1964, The Beatles album "A Hard Days Night" was released. It yielded two #1 hits, the title track and "Can't Buy Me Love." On this day in 1964, The Rolling Stones first hit single, a rockin' cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," peaked at #48 in the States. On this day in 1981, Journey released "Who's Crying Now" as Santana's song "Winning" peaked at #17 on the charts. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Pat Benatar as well as more of Joe's conversation with Pat and her guitarist/husband Neil Giraldo.
On Stage TonightLynyrd Skynyrd will be rocking the Soboba Casino tonight. Joel Wraps Up SheaBilly Joel closes out Shea Stadium's concert history tonight. The first of his "Double Play At Shea" shows at the famed New York ballpark Thursday saw Billy joined at various times by Tony Bennett, Don Henley, John Mellencamp and John Mayer. In recognizing The Beatles, the first band to perform at Shea back in 1965, Joel covered three Fab Four tunes, introducing "She Loves You" with, "I want to thank The Beatles for letting us use their room. Best band that ever was, best band that ever will be!" Right so, Piano Man! Tonight's show will be the last concert at the stadium before it's torn down this Fall. Jimi To Guitar HeroThe ultimate guitar hero, Jimi Hendrix, is finally coming to Guitar Hero. The next edition of the game, Guitar Hero: World Tour, will include the original master of "The Wind Cries Mary" and a live version of "Purple Haze" recorded in 1969 at the San Diego Sports Arena. When the game hits stores on October 27th, it will also be the first version of the franchise to feature playable drums and a microphone. No word on the inclusion of avatars of any of Jimi's groupies — but you know they'll be coming! Ray's Staging"Come Dancing," a musical written by Ray Davies, frontman of The Kinks, will begin a six-week run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in east London on September 13th. While Ray hasn't decided whether he'll appear in the show as the narrator, he has reportedly written over 20 songs for the musical, set in the Fifties around the Ilford Palais ballroom. Of course the 1983 Kinks hit "Come Dancing" is the inspiration for the project, and if the show works out well, we could see it Stateside next year. CSN's CoveringVery interesting! Crosby, Stills & Nash will record their first studio album since 1994 with famed producer Rick Rubin early next year. Graham Nash reports, "Rick Rubin's a brilliant man, and what he wants is an album with no CSN songs. He wants to do an album of all the songs we love, all the songs we wish we've written. It's brilliant from this point of view because we usually wait five years to record an album. This way there's no pressure." To date they've worked the songlist down from 60 to 20, which the trio is rehearsing after sound checks during their Summer tour. If all goes well, the album should be out later next year. U2 Finish/Shoot/PlanU2's first photo shoot for their eagerly-awaited 12th new album took place last week at Dollymount Beach, not far from Mount Temple Comprehensive, their alma mater where they all met as teenagers. Word from the shoot was that they've completed all but one or two songs for the still-unnamed album, and of course they plan on touring the world again next year (and probably the year after!).
Thought For The WeekendNo one ever says "It's only a game" when their team is winning. July 19, 2008
Guitarists Bernie Leadon of the Eagles and Brian May of Queen are 61.
On this day in 1954, Sun Records released the first Elvis Presley single, "That's Alright (Mama)." On this day in 1966, The Monkees recorded their TV theme song. On this day in 1980, Billy Joel hit #1 for the first time with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." On this day in 1980, the stage adaptation of "The Elephant Man," starring David Bowie, opened in Denver. The non-musical part gave Bowie his first dramatic stage role, and when the show eventually moved to Broadway, fans could see The Thin White Duke on The Great White Way! July 20, 2008
Bassist John Lodge of The Moody Blues is 63.
On this day in 1968, actress Jane Asher told a BBC TV reporter that her engagement to Paul McCartney was off. Paul was watching the television with some friends at the time, so he found out about the breakup at the same time as millions of other Britons. On this day in 1969, contrary to anything Timothy Leary later said, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. On this day in 1974, Joey Ramone moved out from behind the drums to become the vocalist and frontman for The Ramones. Gabba, gabba, hey! |
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