Today in Rock History – 28th JULY:

BIRTHDAYS
1944: Mike Bloomfield (Butterfield Blues Band / Electric Flag / Bob Dylan)
1945: Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
1948: Gerald Casale (Devo)
1949: Simon Kirke (Free / Bad Company)
1949: Steve Peregrin Took (T. Rex)
1954: Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs / Kansas / Deep Purple)
1955: Gregg Giuffria (Angel / House of Lords / Giuffria)
1986: Jacoby Dakota Shaddix (Papa Roach)

EVENTS
1741: Death of composer / violinist, Antonio Vivaldi [aged 63].
1962: Death of jazz pianist / vibraphonist, Eddie Costa [aged 31].
1973: Thin Lizzy appeared at The Marquee Club, London.
1975: Black Sabbath released their sixth album, ‘Sabotage’.
1979: “I Don’t Like Mondays” gave The Boomtown Rats their second UK No.1 single.
2003: Death of jazz bassist, Samuel Bell [aged 81].
2021: Death of bassist, Joseph “Dusty” Hill, of ZZ Top [aged 72].
2024: Death of drummer / songwriter, Mick Underwood [aged 78]. Mick played in many legendary band over the years, including Jet Harris band, The Outlaws (with Ritchie Blackmore), The Herd (with Peter Frampton), Episode Six (with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover), Quatermass (with John Gustafson) and the band, Gillan.
2024: Death of songwriter / singer / guitarist, Martin Phillipps, leader of The Chills [aged 61]. I am terribly saddened to hear of Martin’s passing. I had met him several times since the late 1970s, usually when he was buying records and saw his first band The Same, all those years ago. Here’s a review of The Chills concert, I wrote in 2017. https://www.rockstuff.co.nz/the-chills-at-the-cabana/

Rick Wright of Pink Floyd would have been 79 today, but sadly, he didn’t make it (he died of cancer in 2008). Filmed live in Pompeii in early October, 1971, this masterpiece is a tribute to the wonderful music Rick created in his lifetime ~ it Echoes through our lives…