09.28: On this day in 1991, the jazz world lost a legend when Miles Davis passed at the age of 65. Innovator, improviser, student, and mentor, Davis' massive influence on jazz musicians and fans alike proves formidable. His Kind of Blue album ranks as the best-selling jazz album of all time, while his Bitches Brew album is considered a masterpiece not only in the history of jazz, but in the history of modern music, as well. Davis’ life in jazz mirrors jazz itself, as he lived through or led every major movement within jazz from the ‘40s until his death.
09.28: 1968, this day, saw The Beatles biggest single hit the top of the charts. "Hey Jude" sat at #1 for nine weeks and has, to date, sold over 7.5 million copies. It also hit #1 in 11 other countries. Considering that the Beatles had 16 other #1 hits (!), "Hey Jude" ranking as the tops says a lot. Yeah, these guys had some talent.
09.29: Jerry Lee "Great Balls of Fire" Lewis, with a whole lotta pushin' and screamin', came to be on this day in 1935. The early rock 'n' roll pioneer introduced piano to the genre, telling one producer, who suggested he switch to guitar if he wanted to make it in said genre, "You can take your guitar and ram it up your ass!" Yeah, Jerry Lee didn't mince words or stray too far from controversy in his life. When he married his 13-year old cousin (first, once removed), his career spiraled down pretty quick, yet he is still regarded today as one of the greatest performers ever to set a piano on fire and play it with his butt.
10.01: Jimi Hendrix found his bass player, Noel Redding, on this day in 1966. Joining Hendrix and Redding, shortly thereafter, Mitch Mitchell rounded out The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Though they would only put out three official albums and last for less than three years, the band remains one of the most influential of the '60s rock era, in no small part because of Hendrix himself, but also due to the rapport between Hendrix, Redding, and Mitchell.
10.01: Coming full circle, Jimi Hendrix was buried on this day in 1970 in Seattle, Washington, where he was born. His death was the first of three that would effectively end the '60s bright glow. All dying from drug- or alcohol-induced causes, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison each only made it to the tender age of 27. Hard to believe, with the way their influence still holds today, that they didn't even make it three decades in this world. R.I.P., Friends.
10.01: A new music-related TV show debuted on this day in 1971. Soul Train showcased R&B and soul artists and, as the '80s kicked in, was one of the first to showcase hip-hop artists. Introducing many people to music they might not have otherwise been exposed to, Soul Train continued on the air for 35 years, until 2006 when production of new shows shut down.
10.03: Rock 'n' roll got an infusion of talent on October 3rd. Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954), one of the greatest guitar players ever, Tommy Lee (1962), one of the greatest drummers ever, and Gwen Stefani (1969), one of the greatest wives of Gavin Rossdale ever, were all welcomed into the world today.
10.03: Sinead O’Connor took on the Catholic Church, and lost, when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live. The singer’s popularity waned following the incident, and she was booed off stage of many performances, including Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary Tribute Concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. To us, however, this does nothing to take away either the power of her voice or of the mesmerizing and haunting video for “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Watching that video still gives us chills.
10.04: On this day in 1970, Janis Joplin, a stellar blues voice in rock 'n' roll, died of a heroin overdose, alone, in a hotel room in Los Angeles. Known just as well for her hard drinking and flamboyant style, Joplin had nearly completed a new album at the time of her death. That album, Pearl, which included "Me and Bobby McGee," would become the best-selling of her short career. From her work with Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Kozmic Blues Band, and The Full Tilt Boogie Band, Joplin left behind a collection of inspired blues and funk inflected rock tunes. Though many consider her to have been an unhandsome woman, those kinds of superficial things mean squat to us (for real, most musicians aren’t that good looking), as she possessed a singular voice, through which she conveyed more emotion and depth and beauty than most singers before or since.
10.04: One of Pink Floyd's best albums, which is saying a lot, really, hit #1 in the States on this day in 1975. Wish You Were Here, the follow-up to the massive Dark Side of the Moon, has sold over 10 million copies since its release, and, at the time, further solidified Pink Floyd's place in the pantheon of rock and roll. Wish You Were Here only contained five songs, but oh what great songs. From the Syd Barrett tribute, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" to the sweet lament of the title track, the amazing songs belied the extreme distance between band members during the production of the album. Dark Side of the Moon's success drained the guys both physically and mentally, but even in this state, they still put out a follow-up album ten times better than most bands could even dream of.