Today in Rock History – 23rd AUGUST:

BIRTHDAYS
1945: Linda Thompson
1946: Keith Moon (The Who)
1949: Rick Springfield
1951: Jimi Jamison (Survivor)
1961: Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots / Talk Show / Army of Anyone)
1962: Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays / Black Grape)
1970: River Phoenix

EVENTS
1970: Lou Reed’s final appearance with The Velvet Underground at Max’s, Kansas City, NY.
1975: Paul Kossoff of Free suffered a heart attack, pronounced dead, but was miraculously revived. (Kossoff died 7 months later).
1980: David Bowie was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with “Ashes To Ashes”.
1990: Anthrax played a concert at Auckland Town Hall — I was there!
1994: Jeff Buckley released his debut album, ‘Grace’.
2020: Death of singer / songwriter / guitarist, Justin Townes Earle [aged 38].
2023: Death of songwriter / producer, Bob Feldman [aged 84]. He co-wrote several hit singles, including “Sorrow” by The McCoys (later also a hit for David Bowie).
2024: Death of jazz guitarist, Russell Malone [aged 60]. He performed with many artists over the years, including Jimmy Smith, Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall, David Sanborn, Benny Green, Ron Carter, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, Kenny Barron, Branford  & Wynton Marsalis.

Play a Birthday tune for Moon the Loon ~ he would have been 78 today! (Like that was ever going to happen). There is no better representative of the zany, excessive side of rock than the legendary Keith Moon. His drumming style was totally unique and his contribution to The Who immeasurable. It’s fair to say that there would have been some wild, crazy parties happening on this date… until 1978, when Moon left Earth.