Tag Archives: George Harrison

Today in Music History August 1

1942 So You Say Its Your Birthday! Jerry Garcia, American singer-songwriter and guitarist for the Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, among others.  Garcia died of a heart attack while in drug rehab in 1995.

Image result for jerry garcia

 

1964, A Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles becomes their 5th #1 single in the span of 7 months in the US.  Its opening guitar chord becomes iconic.  The Beatles would spend 18 weeks at the No. 1 position during 1964.

 

1971, The George Harrison organized  Concert For Bangladesh takes place at Madison Square Garden in NYC.  The two concerts, to raise money to famine and war victims in Bangladesh, featured Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Ravi Shankar, and Badfinger, among others.  It was the first ever benefit concert of this magnitude, seen by over 40,000 people and raised over $250,000.  Over the decades, the concert, and resulting triple album and film, have raised over $12M (as of 1985).

 

1971 The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour begins on the CBS network in the US.  The show grew out of a nightclub act that Sonny and Cher had embarked on after their music career declined.  The show featured comedy skits and musical numbers by the duo along with guest stars.  It ran until 1974, than again in a different from in 1976-77.

 

1981 MTV launches at 12:01 AM Eastern Time, with the words “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll,” spoken by John Lack and played over footage of the first Space Shuttle launch countdown of Columbia and of the launch of Apollo 11.  The first video played is The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.

 

 

Sources: This Day in Music.com; YouTube, Wikipedia, jerrygarcia.com, Billboard,

July 16 This Day in Music History

1969, The Beatles begin work on two new George Harrison songs, “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something” during recording of Abbey Road.  Harrison was apparently inspired to write “Here Comes the Sun” after spending the day in the garden at Eric Clapton’s house.

 

 

1977, One hit wonder Shaun Cassidy, half brother of Partridge Family heartthrob David Cassidy, went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’, a cover of the 1963 hit by the Crystals.  Is a one hit wonder less of a wonder if the hit is a cover??  He also was in the Hardy Boy Mysteries, a late 70’s TV series.

 

 

2007, The White Stripes played their ‘shortest live show ever’ in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, when Jack White played a single guitar C# note accompanied by a bass drum/crash cymbal hit from Meg White. At the end of the “show”, Jack announced, “We have now officially played in every province and territory in Canada.” They then left the stage and performed a full show later that night in St John’s.  Why?  Why not?  From This Day in Music.com

Image result for the white stripes

Sources: This Day in Music.com; Wikipedia