39 Years Ago Today, The Band Play Their Last Concert (The Last Waltz) – Watch “It Makes No Difference”
At the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, The Band plays their last concert, which is filmed by Martin Scorsese and released as the classic concert movie The Last Waltz. Guest performers include Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, and Neil Young. Watch the late great Rick Danko belt…
24 Years Ago Today – Legend Freddy Mercury Dies at 45 (Watch “Stone Cold Crazy” Live at the Rainbow ’74)
24 years ago today (11/24/91), Queen’s Freddie Mercury died of complications from AIDS. Arguably the greatest lead singer ever, Mercury had the voice, charisma and stage presence unlike anybody else prior or since. Mercury still has a lasting impact on several of today’s musicians and Queen’s catalog of music is…
Happy 61st Birthday Bruce Hornsby – (Born 11/23/54) (Watch “Preacher in the Ring” Live)
61 years ago today (11/23/54), singer/keyboardist/pianist/songwriter Bruce Hornsby was born. Hornsby has achieved recognition for his solo albums and performances, his touring band Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, his bluegrass project with Ricky Skaggs and his appearances as a session- and guest-musician. He also collaborated with Grateful Dead and was…
20 Years Ago Today Bruce Springteen Released Second Acoustic Album ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’ (Watch “Youngstown” Live)
20 years ago today (11/21/95), Bruce Springsteen released his second acoustic album (following Nebraska) The Ghost of Tom Joad. Following the 1995 studio reunion with the E Street Band and the release of Greatest Hits, Springsteen’s writing activity increased significantly. He wrote and recorded the album between March and September…
40 Years Ago Today – Earth Wind & Fire Hit #1 With Funk Classic “Shining Star” (Watch Live Version From ‘Midnight Special’)
40 years ago today (11/20/75) Earth Wind & Fire hit # 1 wiht “Shining Star” from their album That’s the Way of the World. The song was written by Maurice White, Larry Dunn and Philip Bailey and produced by White. “Shining Star” was Earth, Wind & Fire’s first major hit,…
22 Years Ago Today – Nirvana Tapes Renowned “MTV Unplugged” Performance (Watch “Plateau” With Meat Puppets)
22 years ago today (11/19/93), Nirvana tapes an all-acoustic show for “MTV Unplugged” at Sony Studios in New York. Cris and Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets sit in on three Meat Puppets songs. The show is shot in one take – imperfections and all – and is aired one…
16 Years Ago Today – Roots Legend Doug Sahm Dies at 58 (Watch “Mendocino” Live ’75)
16 years ago today (11/18/99) Doug Sahm, the rock guitarist known as “Sir Doug,” died at 58. Although he only had one big hit, “She’s About A Mover” in 1965, he followed it with a long recording career, appearing on Grateful Dead’s Wake of the Flood and Willie Nelson’s The…
38 Years Ago Today – Rush Receive First U.S. Gold Records For 2112, All The World’s A Stage, Farewall to Kings (Watch “2112” Live ’76)
38 years ago today (11/16/77) Rush received their first Gold records in the U.S. for 2112, All the World’s A Stage and A Farewell To Kings. These albums. along with 1978’s Hemispheres represented one of the strongest creative periods for the band, where songs vast in length and multi/part sectional…
43 Years Ago Today – Allman Brothers Band Bassist Berry Oakley Dies In Motorcycle Accident (Watch “Dreams” Live ’70)
43 years ago today (11/11/72), Allman Brothers Band bassist Berry Oakley is killed in a motorcycle accident only a few blocks from where Duane Allman’s fatal motorcycle accident occurred a year earlier. Watch the band perform “Dreams” from 9/23/70 at the Fillmore East.
RIP Allen Toussaint 1938-2015 (Watch Video From Last Show 11/9/15)
Legendary New Orleans performer Allen Toussaint died Monday night after appearing in concert in Madrid. He was 77. His contributions to music were lengthy including penning “Sneaking Sally Through the Alley,” “On Your Way Down,” “Soul Sister,” “Country John” and more. Check out a video from his performance last night…