16 OCTOBER
In Music History
1976 Stevie Wonder's LP Songs In The Key Of Life hits #1.
1975 Bruce Springsteen begins a series of shows at The Roxy in Los Angeles, where he earns adulation from many celebrities and a glowing review in the L.A. Times. This leads to cover stories on Springsteen in both Time and Newsweek on October 27th.
1974 The Rolling Stones release It's Only Rock N' Roll.
1973 Drummer Gene Krupa dies of leukemia in Yonkers, New York, at age 64.
1969 Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records, dies from a heart attack at age 52.
1969 Brian Wilson's wife Marilyn gives birth to their second child, Wendy. Along with Chynna Phillips and her older sister Carnie, she forms the group Wilson Phillips.
1968 Jay & the Americans record "This Magic Moment."
1968 Jimi Hendrix Experience releases Electric Ladyland.
1967 Folk singer Joan Baez is among 124 antiwar protesters arrested for blocking entrance to an Army Induction Center in Oakland, California. She serves 10 days in jail but is undeterred: Two months later she takes part in another protest at the same facility that lands her more jail time.
1965 The Family Dog hosts A Tribute to Dr. Strange at the Longshoreman's Hall in San Francisco. It's the world's first full-scale psychedelic music show, drawing inspiration from the Charlatans' six-week Red Dog Saloon residency.
1962 Flea (bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers) is born Michael Peter Balzary in Melbourne, Australia. His nickname - originally "Mike B the Flea" - comes from his manic energy, as he is always jumping around.
1960 Alt rock guitarist Bob Mould (of Husker Du and Sugar) is born in Malone, New York.
1959 Gary Kemp (guitarist/songwriter for Spandau Ballet) is born in Smithfield, London.
1954 With the Rock Era yet to arrive, Rosemary Clooney lands the #1 song in America with "Hey There."
1953 Rocker Tony Carey (keyboardist for The Rainbow) is born in Watsonville, California. Also known by the pseudonym Planet P Project.
"Disco Duck" Becomes Last Novelty Song To Waddle To #1
1976Disc jockey Rick Dees hits #1 in the US with "Disco Duck," a goofy number that envisions Donald Duck enjoying the spoils of the disco era. It is the last novelty song to top the Hot 100.
Read more16 OCTOBER
Featured Events
2012 Darius Rucker is inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He's just the third African American to join the club, following cast member DeFord Bailey and Charley Pride, who was inducted in 1993.
2003 Apple launches a Windows version of the iTunes store, previously available only on Macs.
2001 Etta Jones dies of cancer at age 72 in Mount Vernon, New York, the same day HighNote releases her album Etta Jones Sings Lady Day.
2001 Bob Dylan is turned away by security guards at his concert at the Jackson County Exposition Center in Oregon because he doesn't have a credential. The guards were under orders from Dylan's security director not to let anyone through without a pass. "He said no exceptions," explained the venue manager.
1992 Sinéad O'Connor is booed when she takes the stage at Bobfest, a Bob Dylan tribute at Madison Square Garden. O'Connor had torn up a picture of the Pope 13 days earlier on Saturday Night Live, making her the most polarizing person in music. At Bobfest, she keeps going against the grain, scrapping her expected Dylan cover and shouting out a protest song instead.More
1991 Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off their Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour with a show in Madison, Wisconsin. Their opening acts are Smashing Pumpkins and a new band called Pearl Jam.
1986 Chuck Berry's 60th birthday bash (held three days before his actual birthday) takes place in St. Louis with a tribute concert featuring Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Etta James, Robert Cray and Linda Ronstadt. Footage is shot for the 1987 documentary Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll.
1972 Creedence Clearwater Revival calls it quits, announcing in a press release: "We don't regard this as breaking up. We look at it as an expansion of our activities." The band never reforms, but John Fogerty emerges with a successful solo career.
1962 At the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, Motown Records launches their first package tour, the "Motortown Revue." Mary Wells and The Contours (thanks to their hit "Do You Love Me") are the big draws; lower on the bill are Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and Little Stevie Wonder.
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