This Day in Music
On this day in music, May 11, 1981, reggae pioneer Bob Marley died in Miami, following a lengthy battle with melanoma. The Jamaican singer-songwriter was instrumental in popularizing his country’s music with a global audience, thanks to his irresistible fusion of reggae, ska, and rocksteady. Just 36 at the time of his death, Marley left behind an impressive – and enduring – catalog of music, while his greatest hits album, Legend remains the best-selling reggae album of all time. Marley received numerous accolades before and after his death, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and Jamaica’s Order of Merit, recognizing his contributions to the arts. Ever the poet, Marley’s last words to his son Ziggy were “money can’t buy life.”
In 1970, Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More, was released in the US. Featuring select performances from the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair, the triple LP highlighted such acts as The Who, Santana, Crosby Stills & Nash, Canned Heat, and Richie Havens. Woodstock landed in the Top Ten in multiple countries, while it hit No.1 in the US, where it achieved a gold certification within two weeks of its release.
In 1963, The Beatles’ Please Please Me began a 30-week run at the top of the UK album charts. The band’s debut soon made history as the longest-running No.1 album ever – only to be replaced by The Beatles’ self-titled sophomore album in December. Featuring the hits “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me,” the album was primarily recorded in one session at London’s EMI Studios.
In 1974, Led Zeppelin attended Elvis Presley’s show at the Los Angeles Forum. After a shaky start, Elvis jokingly remarked to his band, “Wait a minute, if we can start together fellas, because we’ve got Led Zeppelin out there, let’s try to look like we know what we’re doing.” After the show, the British rockers met Elvis backstage, where they signed autographs for The King of Rock‘n’Roll’s daughter.
In 1967, The Bee Gees made their debut on British TV, appearing on Top Of The Pops. The Australian brothers, who had recently finished recording their first international album, Bee Gees’ 1st, performed “New York Mining Disaster.” They would go on to play the show nearly 90 times.
In 2001, “The Tour of Brotherly Love” kicked off in Las Vegas, featuring Oasis, The Black Crowes, and Spacehog. The tour was aptly titled to recognize the three pairs of brothers on the line-up: Noel and Liam Gallagher (Oasis), Chris and Rich Robinson (Black Crowes), and Royston and Antony Langdon (Spacehog).
BORN ON MAY 11
1888: Irving Berlin (Composer)
1941: Eric Burdon (The Animals)
1943: Les Chadwick (Gerry and the Pacemakers)
1947: Butch Trucks (Allman Brothers Band)
1966: Christoph Schneider (Rammstein)
1983: Holly Valance
1986: Kieren Webster (The View)
