This is the week that was in matters musical …
1946, up-and-coming semipro bowler Robert Moog’s life is forever changed when he breaks a wrist and four bones in his right hand in a horrific Scrabble tournament incident … he is attacked by his opponent after scoring a devastating 45 points on the word “oscillator” and is forced to physically defend himself, resulting in the injuries … in an effort to alleviate Moog’s depression over his inability to grip a bowling ball, his father purchases a Heathkit Electronics Learning Lab …
1952, bebop drummer “No Hands” Henderson-famous for his legendary sessions with Biz and Dix as well as his unique headbanging style-knocks himself out during an especially spirited solo at New York’s Blue Note …
1954, Amos Robinson, a black guitarist-vocalist suffering from an extreme case of vitiligo, which causes his skin to appear white, becomes a regular performer at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville … Robinson’s hip-swiveling brand of rockabilly becomes such a hit at the Opry that when a teenage Elvis Presley auditions he is rejected and told “we already got one of you” …
1969, attending a Grateful Dead show in Binghampton, New York, Deadhead Rollie Schwartz is unable to score acid and is forced to watch the concert straight … asked for his reaction to the show, Schwartz responds, “What a lame-ass band!” …
1977, RCA releases the latest Elvis album The King Requests which consists of taped phone calls Elvis made to a Memphis deli over the years to order sandwiches, pizza, and other snacks for delivery to Graceland … the calls were recorded over a span of 12 years on 37 cassettes by the enterprising deli owner who sold them to RCA for $385,000 … and yes, every call ended with Elvis saying “thang-you-very-much” … the remastered CD version from 1983 contains some hilarious outtakes including the time Elvis called and couldn’t remember what he wanted, or the time E called three times in five minutes with the exact same order …
1979, The Economist reports that the cost of funkmeister Rick James’ cocaine intake for 1978 exceeds the GNP of Zimbabwe by a ratio of 5 to 4 …
1984, William Shatner releases an album of all-original songs inspired by his experiences playing a police officer on the popular TV program T.J. Hooker … song titles include “Book ‘Em Hooker,” “The Sergeant and the Lady,” “Flashing Lights,” and “Hot Pursuit” …
1987, sultry country songstress Crystal Gayle marries maker of premium guitar strings, Ernie Ball … music industry officials refuse to prognosticate on the singer’s future were she to tour under her married name, Crystal Ball …
1988, during a show in Throckmorton, Vermont, guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen suffers second- and third-degree burns to his fingers in the midst of an extended solo when his fretboard bursts into flames …
1989, Miles Davis gets his name into the Guinness Book of Records … his autobiography sets the all-time world record for the number of times the word “motherf***er” is repeated in a single work …
1998, Steve Vai scores big at Paris Fashion Week with his “’70s Pimp Drag” collection of men’s apparel …
2002, Kenny G. challenges Pat Metheny to an open match on Celebrity Boxing … he tells Fox TV, “I could fling that snooty bitch with one hand tied behind my back” …
2003, writers from magazines covering the indie rock music scene come together in Chicago to bestow the title of “Most Indie Artist of the Decade” upon the band Leaves of Green … the little-known group of tastemakers had only one real member, recorded only two songs, never played a show, never got signed to a label, and broke up after only three weeks of half-hearted disinterest … record store clerks everywhere instantly begin touting Leaves of Green as their favorite band and lamenting the loss of its unique and creative musical genius …
2004, ex-Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighter Dave Grohl sets a new record by playing on every single album released in the past year …
2005, pop music sustains a stunning setback when Antares, maker of the pitch-correcting wunderware AutoTune, announces they are closing their doors … panicking pop performers flood therapists’ offices suffering from what is coined “Milli Vanilli Syndrome” …
2006, ever the trend-setter, ’80s pop icon and fitness guru Madonna causes a huge uproar among both the religious right and the scientific community … skirting current cloning laws and taking her passion for Ashtanga Yoga to new heights, Madonna has her DNA combined with cryogenically stored DNA samples from India’s late political and spiritual leader, Mahatma Ghandi … according to attending physicians, little Mahatma Donna is doing fine …
2007, Pink Floyd reunites to re-record, note-for-note, their landmark album Dark Side of the Moon claiming that new recording technology has rendered the original version “obsolete” …
2012, Janet Jackson’s right breast is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame …
And that was the April Fool’s week that was. 😉
Arrivals:
March 29: Donny Conn of the Playmates (1930), Vangelis (1943), Chad Allan of Guess Who? (1943), Terry Jacks (1944), Toto’s Bobby Kimball (1947), Patti Donahue (1956), Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction (1959), John Popper of Blues Traveler (1967)
March 30: John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson (1914), Willie Nelson (1933), Graeme Edge of the Moody Blues (1942), Eric Clapton (1945), Jim Dandy Mangrum of Black Oak Arkansas (1948), Procol Harum’s Dave Ball (1950), rapper Stanley “M.C. Hammer” Burell (1963), Tracy Chapman (1964), Celine Dion (1968), Norah Jones (1979)
March 31: blues pianist “Big Maceo” Merriweather (1905), Lightning Hopkins (1912), Herb Alpert (1937), R&B performer and songwriter Chuck Willis (1928), Al Nichol of The Turtles (1946), Jon-Jon Poulos of The Buckinghams (1948), Angus Young (1959)
April 1: jazz-blues singer Alberta Hunter (1895), Willie Dixon (1915), bluesman Amos Milburn (1927), singer-actress Debbie Reynolds (1932), Rudolph Isley (1939), Alan Blakely of The Tremeloes (1942), John Barbata of Jefferson Starship (1945), soul man Arthur Conley (1946), Jimmy Cliff (1948), Jeff Porcaro of Toto (1954), Stan Ridgeway of Wall of Voodoo (1955), Dennis Boon of The Minutemen (1958)
April 2: blues sax man J.T. Brown (1910), French pop star Serge Gainsbourg (1928), Marvin Gaye (1939), Leon Russell (1941), Kurt Winter of The Guess Who? (1946), Emmylou Harris (1947)
April 3: Don Gibson (1928), Johnny Horton (1929), R&B/funk guitarist Jimmy Nolen (1934), jazz organist Jimmy McGriff (1936), Phillipe Wynne of The Spinners (1938), songwriter Jeff Barry (1939), Jan Berry of Jan & Dean (1941), Joey Vann of The Duprees (1943), Tony Orlando (1944), The Band’s Richard Manuel (1945), Elton John bassist Dee Murray (1946), Grand Funk’s Mel Schacher (1951), Mike Ness of Social Distortion (1962), Criss Oliva of Savatage (1963)
April 4: Cecil Gant (1913), Muddy Waters AKA McKinley Morganfield (1915), writer/actor/dancer/singer/poet laureate Maya Angelou (1928), Tiny Tim (1930), Margo Sylvia of The Tune Weavers (1936), trumpeter Hugh Masekela (1939), soulman Major Lance (1941), Tangerine Dream’s Christophe Franke (1942), Allman Brothers’ bassist Berry Oakley (1948), Dire Straits’ Pick Withers (1948), The Faces’ Ronnie Lane (1948), Peter Haycock of Climax Blues Band (1952), Humble Pie’s Jerry Shirley (1952), Mick Mars of Motley Crue (1956)
Departures:
March 29: jazz pianist John Lewis (2001), Joe Williams (1999), Howard Wyeth (1996), Elvis biographer Albert Goldman (1994), schlockmeister Mantovani (1980)
March 30: Doors producer Paul Rothschild (1995)
March 31: Jackie McLean (2006), Tommy Seebach (2003), Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club (1996), Tejano singing star Selena (1995), O’Kelly Isley of the Isley Brothers (1986), Big Dee Irwin of The Pastels (1986)
April 1: Zombies guitarist Paul Atkinson (2004), Denmark’s pop king Tommy Seebach (2003), rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Jesse Stone (1999), Rozz Williams of goth band Christian Death (1998), soul singer Jimmy Hughes (1997), Sister Luc-Gabrielle AKA The Singing Nun (1985), Marvin Gaye (1984), Scott Joplin (1917)
April 2: session guitarist Cliff White (1998), organist Joe Madison (1995), Buddy Rich (1987)
April 3: Lester “Big Daddy” Kinsey of The Kinsey Report (2001), session sax man Alvin “Red” Tyler (1998), Rob Pilatus of the disgraced Milli Vanilli (1998), Roosevelt “Booba” Barnes (1996), Sarah Vaughan (1990)