ANNIVERSARIES
1965-The Beatles second feature film, Help! premiered in London, England. Critics didn't like the movie as much as A Hard Day's Night and even John later commented that "The best stuff is on the cutting room floor."
1966-Bob Dylan received serious neck injuries when he crashed his Triumph 55 motorcycle while riding near Woodstock, New York. He had just come off a British tour using The Band as his backup group. During his nine month recovery, "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits" was released and The Band began work on their first album, "Music From Big Pink", that would be issued in the summer of 1968.
1967-An edited version of The Doors' "Light My Fire" reaches number one in the US. Eventually, many radio stations would start playing the full six minute and fifty second album cut, which features a longer instrumental break. Despite its American success, the record could only manage #49 on the UK chart when it was first released, but reached #7 when it was re-issued in 1991.
1970-The Rolling Stones' contract with Decca Records expired and they begin talking about forming their own label. Showing their contempt for the record company and to fill a contractual obligation, the band hands over one final disc called "C***sucker Blues". They also inform their business manager, Allen Klein, that he is fired and that "neither he nor his company, ABKCO Industries, have any authority to negotiate recording contracts on their behalf."
1973-Led Zeppelin, who were in the middle of a very successful US tour, are the victims of one of the largest cash thefts in New York City history. $180,000 is taken from the band's safe deposit box at the Drake Hotel. The money is mostly cash receipts from the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden.
1987-Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream introduces their Cherry Garcia flavor, named after The Grateful Dead's leader.
1990-Elton John checked into a suburban Chicago clinic to cure bulimia and an addiction problem. He will take over a year off from touring and recording, but when he returns he will top the US chart with a re-issue of his 1974 hit, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"
2005-John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for "All You Need is Love", gathered from his music stand after The Beatles' final television appearance in 1967, sold at an auction in London for $1 million to an anonymous bidder.
BORN TODAY
1946-Neal Doughty
keyboards REO Speedwagon
1953-Geddy Lee
bass, vocals, Rush
1953- Patti Scialfa
singer-songwriter who has worked with The Rolling Stones and on Keith Richards' Talk Is Cheap album. She toured with Bruce Springsteen's band from the 1984 Born in the USA tour and later married Springsteen on June 8th 1991. She has released two solo albums. Scialfa was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band.
1959-John Sykes
Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake
