BIRTHDAYS
1915: Edith Piaf
1918: Henry Byrd a.k.a. Professor Longhair
1940: Phil Ochs
1944: Alvin Lee (Ten Years After)
1944: Zal Yanovsky (The Lovin’ Spoonful)
1947: Jimmy Bain (Rainbow / Wild Horses / Dio / Last In Line)
1949: Lenny White (Return To Forever)
1951: Gerry McEvoy (Rory Gallagher Band)
1978: Samuel Flynn Scott (The Phoenix Foundation)
EVENTS
1957: Elvis Presley had his draft notice served on him for the US Army.
1964: The Beatles 4th album, ‘Beatles for Sale’, started a 7-week run at No.1 on the UK album charts.
1988: Guns N’ Roses played a concert at Mt. Smart Supertop on their ‘Appetite for Destruction’ tour ~ I was there!
1993: Death of drummer, Michael Clarke of The Byrds [aged 49].
1994: The Manic Street Preachers began a 3-night run at The Astoria, London. These were the last shows Richie James made with the band, before disappearing.
2000: Death of guitarist, Robert Buck of 10,000 Maniacs [aged 42].
2000: Death of guitarist / singer, Roebuck “Pop” Staples [aged 84].
2021: Death of drummer, Billy Conway of Morphine [aged 65].
36 years ago today, Guns N’ Roses played for the first time in New Zealand, on their ‘Appetite for Destruction’ tour ~ I was there! It was a warm Monday night and GNR tore the roof off the place with their loud, dangerous, new form of heavy duty rock ’n’ roll!
Guitar great, Alvin Lee of Ten Years After was born on this day. No longer with us, forever “Going Home”…
