Today in Rock History – 25th APRIL:

BIRTHDAYS
1923: Albert King
1933: Jerry Leiber. Brilliant lyricist, Jerry Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs with Mike Stoller, over 70 of them becoming chart hits. The Leiber / Stoller songbook includes “Hound Dog”, “Love Potion No. 9”, “Kansas City”, “On Broadway”, “Ruby Baby” (Dion) and “Stand By Me”. They are pictured below… not sure who the guy in the middle is!

1945: Stu Cook (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
1958: Derek Dick a.k.a. Fish (Marillion)
1965: Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction)

EVENTS
1961: Elvis Presley made his last stage appearance for nearly eight years at Bloch Arena, Hawaii.
1968: The Beatles refused to perform for the Queen of England at a British Olympic Appeal Fund show because “Our decision would be the same no matter what the cause. We don’t do benefits.”
1979: Premiere of the film ‘Rock & Roll High School’, starring The Ramones.
1980: Black Sabbath released ‘Heaven And Hell’, the group’s first album with new singer, Ronnie James Dio.
1981: Paul McCartney’s Wings broke up, with the departure of Denny Laine.
2020: Death of New Zealand jazz pianist, Phil Broadhurst [aged 70].

Gone but not forgotten ~ Albert King was the master blues guitar man with the Flying V Gibson. This is an excellent session he did with another late great musician, Stevie Ray Vaughan, recorded back in ’83.