BIRTHDAYS
1930: Walter Jacobs a.k.a. Little Walter
1939: Judy Collins
1944: Rita Coolidge
1946: Joanna Lumley
1966: Johnny Colt (The Black Crowes)
1968: D’arcy Wretzky-Brown (The Smashing Pumpkins)
1970: Bernard Butler (Suede)
EVENTS
1962: The Beatles started a month long residency at The Star Club, Hamburg, Germany.
1976: Led Zeppelin began a 2-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Presence’.
1977: ‘White Riot Tour’ kicked off at the Roxy, London with The Clash, The Jam & The Buzzcocks.
1979: Elton John became the first pop star to perform in Israel.
1980: The South African government banned Pink Floyd’s single “Another Brick in the Wall” after black children adopted the song as their anthem, in protest against inferior education.
1984: Uriah Heep played a concert at Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland ~ I was there!
1989: Metallica played a concert at Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland ~ I was there!
2013: Black Sabbath played a concert at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne ~ I was there! The concert was filmed and released on DVD / Blu-Ray as ‘Live… Gathered In Their Masses’.
2016: Iron Maiden played a concert at Vector Arena, Auckland ~ I was there!
2018: Death of drummer, John “Jabo” Starks, of The J.B.s (Backing band for James Brown)
2022: Death of drummer, Ric Parnell [aged 70]. Over the years, Ric played for Atomic Rooster, Jon Anderson, Ibis, Stars, Nova, Michael Des Barres, The Deviants and many more, but he is best known as drummer “Mick Shrimpton” in Spinal Tap!
2023: Death of singer / songwriter / guitarist, Gordon Lightfoot [aged 84].
2024: Death of keyboardist / guitarist / arranger, Richard Tandy, of Electric Light Orchestra [aged 76].
Heeeep! Unbelievably, it was 40 years ago that friends and I went to the Uriah Heep concert in Auckland! It was televised for Shazam! with Phil Schofield, on TVNZ. I still have the ticket, program and tour shirt too! Heep are still making records and touring the world (Mick Box is the only original member left now). Here is one of my favourites, “The Wizard” ~ classic Uriah Heep from 1972!
