Archive for August 17, 2009

1686 – Composer Nicola Antonio Porpora was born.

1838 – 138 singing teachers traveled to Boston, MA, to attend the first music convention.

1960 – The Beatles began their first engagement away from England.

1964 – The Kinks “You Really Got Me” was released.

1968 – Deep Purple’s “Hush” was released.

1969 – After three days, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in New York came to an end.

1970 – Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac as the group’s first female member.

1973 – Paul Williams (Temptations) was found dead by police. It was ruled a suicide.

1974 – Patrick Moraz replaced Rick Wakeman in Yes.

1974 – Bad Company’s “Can’t Get Enough” was released.

1977 – Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reported that in one day the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland had surpassed the number for any other event in the company’s history.

1977 – The Police played their first gig without original guitarist Henri Padovani at Rebecca’s Club in Birmingham, England.

1983 – Prince’s song “Delirious” was released.

1984 – The first night of his Breaking Hearts Tour, Elton John announced that he was retiring from touring.

1984 – Motley Crue gave its performance debut at the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, England.

1986 – Rick Allen (Def Leppard) played his first concert with his band since losing his left arm in a car accident.

1986 – 42 people were beaten or stabbed at a Run D.M.C. concert in Long Beach, CA.

1995 – Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) attempted suicide by slashing his wrists at a Sunset Strip hotel. He was hospitalized and recovered.

1995 – Security guards carried Courtney Love offstage after she began fighting with Hole fans because they weren’t cheering loud enough during the last night of the Lollapalooza tour in Mountain View, CA.

1998 – Eddie Serrano, a former member of Cannibal and the Headhunters, was injured in a hit-and-run accident. Serrano was on a bicycle or a motorcycle when a car hit him.

1998 – Carlos Santana received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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