American
10th December 1967, American soul singer, songwriter Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash, aged 26. Redding and his band had made an appearance in Cleveland, Ohio on the local ‘Upbeat’ television show the previous day. The plane carrying Otis Redding and his band crashed at 3.28.pm into icy waters of Lake Monoma near […]
5th December 1899, Born on this day, Sonny Boy Williamson II, American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. He used various names, including Rice Miller and Little Boy Blue, before calling himself Sonny Boy Williamson. Van Morrison, The Who The Animals, Yardbirds and Moody Blues and many blues and rock artists have recorded his songs. […]
3rd December 2015, American musician and singer-songwriter Scott Weiland died aged 48. He was found in cardiac arrest on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, just before he was scheduled to go on stage with his band The Wildabouts. He was 48 years old. Weiland was best known as the lead singer for Stone Temple […]
2nd Dec 2014, American saxophone player Bobby Keys died as a result of cirrhosis at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. Keys started touring at age fifteen with Bobby Vee and fellow Texan Buddy Holly and was best known as being the main saxophone player for The Rolling Stones. When on tour with the Stones, according […]
15th November 2016, American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter Mose Allison died aged 89. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz. His music influenced many blues and rock artists, including Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Tom Waits, the Yardbirds, John Mayall, J. J. Cale, the Who (who […]
10th November 1997, American session guitarist Tommy Tedesco died of lung cancer aged 67. Described by "Guitar Player" magazine as the most recorded guitarist in history recording with The Beach Boys, Everly Brothers, The Supremes, The Monkees, The Association, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, Sam Cooke, Cher, and Nancy and Frank Sinatra. […]
2nd November 1996, American vocalist and guitarist Eva Cassidy, died of skin cancer aged 33. Two years after her death, Cassidy's music was brought to the attention of British audiences, when her versions of 'Fields of Gold' and 'Over the Rainbow' were played by Mike Harding and Terry Wogan on BBC Radio 2. She is […]
History can be changed or made in an instant. On Oct. 31, 1963, American TV host Ed Sullivan was at London's Heathrow Airport, waiting for his flight home. He saw something that got his interest. The Beatles where returning from a tour of Sweden at the time he was at the airport. There were about […]
On Oct 29, 1967, during an American promotional tour, Pink Floyd appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. They lip-sync their sin@gle "See Emily Play," but singer Syd Barrett (Official) keeps his mouth shut throughout the "performance." Oh those crazy Floyd boys….. The picture is a little grainy but it was the best we could find […]
One of the true American legends on guitar, Leslie West is celebrating his 73rd birthday today. Leslie is best known as a founding member and the guitarist for the band Mountain. Many will remember him also from the power rock trio West, Bruce and Laing where he played with fellow Mountain member Corky Laing and […]