09.15: On this day in 2004, seminal punk guitarist Johnny Ramone died of prostate cancer. A founder member of The Ramones, Johnny (aka John William Cummings) took his love of The Stooges (Iggy Pop's awesome rock band) and the MC5 (an aggro-rock band out of Detroit) and turned it into what would become known as punk. Many knowledgeable and awesome people consider The Ramones, having influenced members of The Sex Pistols and The Clash (themselves among the first punk bands) with their tour of the U.K. in 1976, to be the first punk band of any repute. We won't disagree with this consideration.
09.15: Richard Wright, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd (yes, that Pink Floyd) died on this day in 2008. Though not the most prominent member of the band, his integral work on keyboard added heft and layer to such tracks at "Us & Them" and "The Great Gig in the Sky."
09.16: On this day in 1925, B.B. King was born. Lucille (look it up) would never be the same. Master of the blues, virtuoso improviser on the guitar, and influencer of everyone from Clapton to Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughn, B.B. King's reach around the globe can never be underestimated. He is the Ambassador of the Blues. Long live the King.
09.17: On this day in 1923, Hank Williams Sr. was born. What a glorious entry into this world. Holy moly, this man was a giant during and after his very short life. His music is country music. We wouldn't have country music as it is today without Hank Williams, Sr.
09.17: Banned from the Ed Sullivan Show on this day in 1967 for including the original lyrics (how dare they) to their song "Fire" (that go like this: "Girl, we couldn't get much higher) when they'd performed on said show, The Doors laughed and laughed because they really couldn't have cared less.
09.18: On this day in 1970, Jimi Hendrix died in a London hotel room. His exact cause of death has never been confirmed, but it is believed he was intoxicated and asphyxiated on his own vomit. An ignominious end to such an amazing career did nothing, however, to undo the ginormous facts and myths surrounding his virtuosity and life. Hendrix's influence on rock is a mountain unto itself. So many guitar players cite his work as their inspiration that it would be counterproductive to attempt a list of such players. Suffice it to say that Hendrix is, was, and forever shall be the greatest guitar player of all time.
09.18: On this day in 1983, KISS made their first appearance without makeup. It wasn't pretty.
09.19: On this day in 1981, Simon and Garfunkel reunited for a concert in New York’s Central Park. It was their first appearance together on stage in 11 years. Just in case you weren't there, don't remember, or have no clue as to exactly how popular these guys were, 750,000 people attended this concert. Three quarters of a million people! Listening to "Mrs. Robinson," "Slip Slidin' Away," and "The Sounds of Silence"! What a strange, strange world we do inhabit.
09.20: On this day in 1973, Jim Croce died in a plane crash, another young casualty on the road of fallen musicians. Bad, bad Leroy Brown's bottle of time was all used up.