BIRTHDAYS
1941: David Crosby (The Byrds / CSN)
1946: Larry Graham (Sly & The Family Stone)
1947: Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span)
1965: Mark Collins (The Charlatans)
EVENTS
1962: Drummer, Pete Best was sacked from The Beatles.
1965: The Beatles fifth album ‘Help’ started a 9-week run at No.1 on the UK charts.
1971: The Who released their album, ‘Who’s Next’.
1974: New drummer, Neil Peart, played his first gig with Rush, at Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. They were support act for headliners Uriah Heep & Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.
1985: Michael Jackson outbid Paul McCartney & Yoko Ono for Beatles songs publishing rights.
1988: Death of guitarist / singer / songwriter, Roy Buchanan [aged 48].
1988: Death of singer / poet, Robert Calvert of Hawkwind [aged 43].
2020: Death of virtuoso classical guitarist, Julian Bream [aged 87].
2020: Death of bassist, Pete Way of UFO, Fastway & Wasted [aged 69].
Roy Buchanan, 36 years gone. In March 1988, I witnessed one of the best guitarists in concert, when Roy played at the Auckland Town Hall. He made his Fender Telecaster sing, whisper, scream and cry. I remember there was a power cut as he was half way through a searing version of Neil Young’s “Down by the River”. When electricity was restored, he started the song all over again, but with even more intensity, passion and power ~ totally amazing! Tragically, five months later on 14th of August, Buchanan was found dead in a U.S. jail cell, amid murky circumstances. Rest in Peace, Roy ~ you were GREAT!
