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June 20, 2001 It was 20 years ago today ... or maybe a little longer. But if it happened in rock, you'll find it here in the Rock Clock, our daily diary of the births, deaths, and moments that changed music forever. 1924 Country pickin' legend Chet Atkins is born in Luttrell, Tenn. 1942 Titan of American music, and if you didn't know by now, a big favorite of the Rock Clock, Brian Wilson is born in Hawthorne, Calif. 1945 Anne Murray, fondly referred to as "that bitch" in South Park, is born in Springhill, Nova Scotia. 1948 Ed Sullivan premieres his long-running variety show The Toast of the Town. The gossip columnist-turned-talent-spotter later changed the name to The Ed Sullivan Show. 1953 Hello, is it Lionel Richie you're looking for? You'll find him as a newborn in Tuskegee, Ala. Cyndi Lauper has a birthday today, too. Have a she bop to celebrate. Then have a scream to welcome the arrival into the world of Alan Longmuir, bassist with the Bay City Rollers. 1955 Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony is born in Chicago. 1960 Bassist John Taylor, who as well as being in Duran Duran and the Power Station was a hoot in Sugar Town, is born in Birmingham, England. 1962 Rick Nelson records his No. 5 hit "Teenage Idol." 1963 The Beatles form their first corporate venture - Beatles Ltd. - in order to handle their finances. The Rolling Stones begin a month-long Thursday-night residency at London's Scene club. Brian Nash, one of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood stooges, is born in Liverpool, England. 1964 John Lennon is described as "in a pathetic state of near illiteracy" by one book critic after the publication of In His Own Write. Johnny Rivers performs "Memphis" on American Bandstand as a nation turns over to Peyton Place. 1965 Frank Sinatra plays a benefit for the Teamsters in St. Louis with his celebrity chums Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and comedian Joey Bishop - whose sidekick used to be Regis Philbin. Ira Louvin of the legendary country duo the Louvin Brothers ("When I Stop Dreaming") dies in a car accident at age 41. The Beatles begin a European tour in Paris. 1966 In The New York Times you can read about how the sitar craze is sweeping George Harrison. 1967 Jimi Hendrix and the Jefferson Airplane perform at San Francisco's Fillmore. 1969 Young David Bowie signs with Mercury Records. The label has to wait three years for him to produce a successful follow-up to "Space Oddity." Jimi Hendrix plays the Newport Jazz Festival for a whopping $125,000. At the time it's the largest fee ever for a concert appearance. 1972 The Tallahatchie Bridge collapses in Mississippi. The bridge became a rock landmark after being mentioned in Bobbie Gentry's 1967 No. 1 "Ode to Billie Joe." 1973 On American Bandstand's 20th anniversary show, Dick Clark welcomes Little Richard, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Cheech & Chong, and Three Dog Night. That must have been a gas. 1974 Bob Dylan and the Band release the live album Before the Flood. 1975 On The Midnight Special, host Herb Alpert welcomes Supertramp and the Captain & Tennille. 1980 Billy Joel goes to No. 1 with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." It's his first chart-topper. Bob Dylan releases Saved, his second collection of Christian material. 1981 It's "Goodbye Guitarist" day. Guitarist Gerry Cott walks out on the Boomtown Rats ("I Don't Like Mondays"), while string-bender Bernie Torme leaves Gillan. 1983 Twang pioneer Duane Eddy embarks on his first U.S. concert tour in 15 years in San Francisco. 1987 Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass marries Karen Still. Frank Sinatra loses his voice after a concert in Verona, Italy, where he sang "Singin' in the Rain." It was raining. Boston appear at the 10th annual Texas Jam for their first live performance in eight years. 1988 Bobby Brown releases his album Don't Be Cruel. 1994 It's reported that Paul, George, and Ringo are working on a new song for inclusion in the Anthology boxed set. Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones begin rehearsing in Toronto for their Voodoo Lounge live extravaganza. 1995 The Foo Fighters release their self-titled debut album. 1996 Featuring a posse of former Grateful Dead musicians, the Furthur Festival premieres in Atlanta. 1997 Bob Carlisle becomes the first contemporary Christian artist to go to No. 1 on the albums chart with Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace). He knocks the Spice Girls out of the top spot, too. Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops dies at age 59 from liver cancer. A teenager is killed at the Dusseldorf football stadium in Germany as a crowd surges toward the stage during a performance by Die Toten Hosen. |
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