“Stairway To Heaven”‘s “creator’s” passing, Jimi Hendrix banned by The BCC, The Village People learning the moves for “Y.M.C.A.” and more in this week in music history here on Music Daily!
January 1: Introducing Fleetwood Mac’s Full Lineup
Talking about Fleetwood Mac, this is the day Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham officially joined Fleetwood Mac. It was 1975 and the singers and, concerning Buckingham, guitarist, brought huge innovation to the group, as well as songs such as “Rhiannon” and “The Chain,” completing the group’s—fragile—formation. An indelible moment for music history!
January 2: The “Creator” of “Stairway To Heaven” Dies at 45
A tragic moment today in 1997, when Randy California, the guitarist for Spirit drowned at age 45 in Molokai, Hawaii. The artist, famous for having written the song “Taurus,” which Led Zeppelin allegedly borrowed for the intro of “Stairway To Heaven,” was rescuing his 12-year-old son from a rip current.
January 3: The First Look at The Beatles
From “Stairway To Heaven” to another pillar of music history. In 1964, The Beatles were about to make their iconic live debut in the US on The Ed Sullivan Show. The band at that point had however already been seen. A first look at the band was in fact given when Jack Paar showed a film clip of the band performing “She Loves You” on his TV show.
January 4: The BCC Bans Jimi Hendrix
On this day in music history, in 1969, the BBC banned Jimi Hendrix and his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. What did they do? The group went off-script when they appeared on the show Happening for Lulu, hosted by the “To Sir With Love” singer, Lulu. The band played “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” and started performing “Hey Joe” as scheduled. However, halfway through, Hendrix stopped the music and declared, “We’d like to stop playing this rubbish and dedicate a song to the Cream, regardless of what kind of group they may be in. We dedicate this to Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce.” The group then launched into “Sunshine Of Your Love,” obliging the show’s producer to cut out of his broadcast without the proper closure.
January 5: Beyoncé Performed for Barack and Michelle Obama… and All the Drama that Followed
It’s 2009, and Beyoncé appeared at the Neighborhood Ball to perform Etta James’ signature hit “At Last” for Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. The couple shares their first dance together as President and First Lady of the United States.
James, however, didn’t like this moment. At a Seattle concert, she said: “I can’t stand Beyoncé. She has no business up there, singing up there on a big ol’ president day… singing my song that I’ve been singing forever,” also criticizing the President.
She later took her words back saying the whole thing was a joke. The singer in fact claimed her Alzheimer’s disease was the cause of her erratic behavior.
January 6: The Village People Learn the Dance Moves for “Y.M.C.A.”
On this day in 1979, The Village People appeared on American Bandstand. At this event, the crowd performed, for the first time, the soon-to-be-famous arm movements spelling out “Y.M.C.A.” that now go along with the song. Host Dick Clark insisted and made sure that the band learned the movements for the dance to last in time all through music history.
January 7: Larry Williams Shot at 44
R&B singer Larry Williams, famous in the ’50s for songs such as “Bony Moronie” and “Short Fat Fannie,” died at age 44 on this day in 1980 of a gunshot wound to the head. His death was deemed a suicide, although many still speculate it was a case of murder.
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I loved even more than you will get done right here. The picture is nice, and your writing is stylish, but you seem to be rushing through it, and I think you should give it again soon. I’ll probably do that again and again if you protect this walk.