On This Day
We take you back into classic rock’s history and legacy to note important events that happened on this date as well as celebrate the birthdays of major musical artists and mourn their passing.
Oct 19, 2020: Spencer Davis, Leader of Britain’s “Gimme Some Lovin”’ Band—Obituary
The band that bore his name was best known for a pair of 1967 top 10 hits, both sung by Steve Winwood, who wrote, “He was like a big brother to me”
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Oct 19, 2010: Elton John Slams Current Music
The musician took aim at what he felt was the sorry state of contemporary pop songwriting and how TV singing contests don’t yield lasting musical acts
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Happy Birthday, Chuck Berry!
One of the founding fathers of rock ‘n’ roll did a stint in prison in the early 1960s after an astonishing run of now-classic hit singles
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October 17, 1969: Kinks’ First U.S. Show in 4 Years
For reasons that are unclear and complicated, The Kinks were unable to play America from 1965 to ’69, with a first show back at the Fillmore East
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Oct. 17, 2017: Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie—Obituary
The beloved Canadian band’s frontman went out on one last tour after he was diagnosed with cancer. He lived ‘the life,’ said the band in a statement.
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Oct 16, 2017: Tom Petty Laid to Rest at Private Service
Two weeks after the unexpected death of the rock icon, family and friends attended a private service in Pacific Palisades, CA
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Oct 16, 1966: Grace Slick Makes Airplane Debut
A heartthrob for men and role model for women within the 1960s counterculture, she sang the band’s two biggest hits: “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit”
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Oct 15, 2020: Dave Munden, Original Member of British Pop Group the Tremeloes, Dies
The group famously was selected, instead of the Beatles, by Decca Records in an audition. They earned eleven Top 10 singles in the U.K. including two #1s
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October 15, 1966: Monkees Record ‘I’m A Believer’
The song was written by a now-well known songwriter, who performed on the recording. Monkees-mania was in full swing as the single had orders of over 1 million copies
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October 15, 1988: UB40’s Unusual Path to #1
20 years after Neil Diamond’s single of “Red Red Wine” was issued and five years after UB40 first released it as a single, the song finally went #1
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