Music History Events: Odds And Ends
March 3, 1980 The esteemed auction house Sotheby's holds their first auction of rock memorabilia. Four dollar bills signed by The Beatles are sold for $528.
November 12, 1979 Jefferson Airplane/Starship singer Marty Balin premieres his new rock opera, Rock Justice, at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco.
October 18, 1979 After a series of renovations, New York's legendary venue Radio City Music Hall re-opens with a showing of its first film, Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.
September 21, 1979 During a break in their only North American tour, members of ABBA bring their kids to Disneyland.
August 5, 1979 Phonogram Records signs Def Leppard.
May 24, 1979 The three remaining members of Genesis give the fans a thrill by manning the box office and selling their own tickets to the upcoming show at the Roxy in Los Angeles.
March 8, 1979 Rolling Stone reports that inflation has ballooned the cost of making and promoting a major label LP to between $350,000 and $500,000.
January 4, 1979 Due to renewed interest in The Beatles, the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, reopens to the public. The club had been an important stepping stone for the band, as they played a residency there early on.
December 22, 1978 The stage version of Nilsson's musical The Point opens in London, featuring ex-Monkees Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz.
October 23, 1978 CBS Records jacks up album prices for their big-name releases to $8.98, becoming the first label to do so.
March 23, 1978 A&M Records sign a new, young band called The Police.
January 28, 1978 By request, Ted Nugent carves his autograph into the arm of a fan using his bowie knife.
November 28, 1977 Elvis: the Musical, starring Shakin' Stevens, opens in London.
July 9, 1977 Elvis Costello quits his job at cosmetics factory to pursue a music career.
June 6, 1977 Stevie Wonder appears, sponsored by Billboard, as a guest music lecturer at a UCLA symposium, talking about his early Motown days and illustrating his points with performances.
May 26, 1977 Beatlemania!, a Broadway tribute to the music of The Beatles, starring sound- and look-alikes, opens at the Winter Garden Theater to rave reviews.
May 6, 1977 The Boomtown Rats sign their first major label recording contract.
April 21, 1977 Having spent a full decade as a draft exile in Canada, singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester returns to the US.
January 27, 1976 Glam rocker Gary Glitter announces his retirement and begins traveling the world, spending time in Paris, Thailand, and New Zealand before a 1977 bankruptcy forces him back into action.
June 5, 1975 Syd Barrett, ex-Pink Floyd member and founder who was forced from the band after becoming an acid casualty, quietly appears in the Abbey Road studios during recording of the band's album Wish You Were Here, which was largely written about him. No one notices Barrett, and he soon leaves as quietly as he entered.
May 10, 1975 Apple Records officially dissolves.
February 26, 1975 Harry Chapin's Broadway revue featuring his songs, The Night That Made America Famous, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. It closes in April.
November 24, 1974 In the midst of his infamous "Lost Weekend," John Lennon rehearses with Elton John for Elton's upcoming Madison Square Garden performance, where Lennon makes a surprise appearance.
October 20, 1974 Eric Burdon (of The Animals) names his newborn daughter Mirage (he later changes it to Alex).
September 6, 1974 George Harrison launches his Dark Horse record label.
May 10, 1974 Led Zeppelin launch their record label, Swan Song, with lavish parties in London and Los Angeles. Bad Company and Dave Edmunds both record for the label, which shuts down in 1983.
February 14, 1974 Rolling Stone reports that David Bowie has been asked by a gay liberation group to compose a gay national anthem, an offer he declines.
November 10, 1973 John Lennon meets with legendary producer Phil Spector in New York to begin work on an album of oldies covers entitled Rock 'n' Roll.
March 7, 1973 Columbia Records throw a party at Max's Kansas City in New York City to celebrate the newest addition to the label's roster, Bruce Springsteen.
October 28, 1972 The Who's recent anthem "Join Together" is adopted as the official song of the United States Council For World Affairs.
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