This Week in Music History
A great excuse to introduce students to the people and events that shaped music as we know it today…
April 9
1932: Singer-songwriter Carl Perkins, whose “Blue Suede Shoes” inspired countless early rock & roll bands, is born today.
1945: Drummer Steve Gadd is born today.
1976: Folk giant Phil Ochs is found dead in his apartment today, from self-inflicted hanging. A staunch antiwar protest singer of the 1960s, he maintained a friendly rivalry with Bob Dylan over the years. His most famous songs include “Draft Dodger Rag” and “Love Me, I’m a Liberal.”
1980: Albert Hammond Jr., guitarist for The Strokes, is born today.
1991: British producer Martin Hannett dies. Hannett produced and helped launch many seminal UK acts including Joy Division, New Order, U2, The Smiths and others by the time of his death at age 42.
April 10
1950: Psych-funk guitarist Eddie Hazel, whose acid-washed guitar provided the signature sound to Parliament-Funkadelic, is born today.
1970: Paul McCartney officially announces the breakup of The Beatles.
April 11
1961: Bob Dylan makes his first appearance at Folk City in NYC’s Greenwich Village. His performances at this and other coffee shops over the next year will anchor his reputation as America’s preeminent folk singer and the musical voice of the antiwar movement.
1987: Singer-songwriter Joss Stone is born today.
April 12
1940: Jazz pianist extraordinaire Herbie Hancock is born today.
1957: Country singer-songwriter Vince Gill is born today.
April 13
1742: George Frideric Handel’s Messiah premieres in Dublin.
1896: John Philip Sousa’s El Capitan premieres in Boston.
1944: Jack Casady, bassist for Jefferson Airplane, is born today.
1946: Singer-songwriter Al Green is born today. Green authored modern-day classics including “Take Me to the River” and “Love and Happiness” before becoming ordained in 1976 and devoting his life to preaching and gospel singing.
April 14
1932: Country legend Loretta Lynn is born today.
1945: Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is born today.
1971: Stephen Sondheim’s Follies makes its Broadway premiere.
April 15
1729: Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion premieres in Leipzig.
1894: “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith is born today. She would go on to make over 200 recordings, many of which are considered definitive versions of several blues standards.
1933: Country singer and banjo virtuoso Roy Clark is born today.