On September 25, 1980, Led Zeppelin’s hard-partying drummer, John Bonham, died at the age of 32. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time, Bonham was known for his epic velocity, power, and versatility as a percussionist. A founding member of Led Zeppelin, the self-taught drummer influenced countless artists, including Dave Grohl, Neil Peart, Tommy Lee, and Chad Smith. After Bonham’s death, Led Zeppelin chose to call it quits to honor their bandmate, rather than find a new drummer. In a press release, they explained, “We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were.”
In 1990, 21-year-old drummer Dave Grohl auditioned for Nirvana and was instantly given the job. Frontman Kurt Cobain first met the drummer when he was touring with the band Scream. In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, sound engineer Craig Montgomery recalled the moment. “Kurt said, ‘That’s the kind of drummer we need.’ Dave had an energy that was hard to miss…He seemed like a good fit for what they were doing.”
In 1964, The Temptations began recording their enduring soul hit, “My Girl,” at Motown’s “Hitsville USA” studios. Written and produced by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, the song became the Temptations’ first US No.1 single.
In 1982, Queen made their one and only appearance on Saturday Night Live, performing “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Under Pressure.” Famously, singer Freddie Mercury blew out his voice earlier in the day and barely recovered in time for the show.
In 1993, Nirvana scored their first No.1 album in the UK with In Utero. The band’s third and final album also topped the charts in the US.
In 2017, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed what would be their final show at the Hollywood Bowl. The concert, which concluded the band’s 40th-anniversary reunion tour, ended with “American Girl.” Petty passed away a week later at 66.
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 25
1930: Shel Silverstein (Poet, Songwriter)
1946: Bryan MacLean (Love)
1955: Zucchero
1968: Will Smith
1969: Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guitarist)
1980: T.I.
1983: Donald Glover (Childish Gambino)
Highway 22 will be detoured from Litchfield to Eden Valley beginning October 6th, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Through traffic will be routed to Highway 24, Meeker County Road 34, and Highway 55 so that crews can replace a culvert just north of 355th Street. The project is expected to be completed by October 17th, depending on weather and other unforeseeable circumstances.
Dragon Week is being observed this week in the Litchfield School District. The week, which traditionally is better-known as homecoming, has included all kinds of daily activities and special sporting events.
Superintendent Susan Burris says there was a volleyball game Tuesday night and there will be swimming this evening and a football game Friday night. She says the coronation is tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 and a dance is scheduled for Saturday evening.
Burris says the Litchfield School Board met on Monday evening and heard a report about the MCA scores from District Assessment Coordinator Steph Hansen, and overall, the results were positive with Litchfield students above the state average in most categories. She says the Board approved of the preliminary levy which will decrease slightly from the previous year and the final levy will be adopted in December.
Burris says the Litchfield School Board approved of a piece of equipment for the Career & Tech Ed Department. She says it will provide students with hands-on learning and they will be able to sell items that they produce with proceeds going back into the program’s fund much like the profits that were made when the construction technology students would build a house each year.
Burris says she provided enrollment information to the Litchfield School Board Monday evening which showed the District gaining 11 students this month compared to last May. She says she also thanked the school board members for their time and service and the LEA provided a light meal for them prior to their meeting.
On September 24, 1991, Nirvana released Nevermind. The seminal album, which marked the Seattle band’s sophomore full-length and major label debut, was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, CA, in May and June of 1991 and produced by Butch Vig. While Nevermind was initially slow to move up the charts, the success of single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” eventually pushed the album to No.1 in January 1992. It has since become one of the world’s best-selling albums of all time. The influence of Nevermind, meanwhile, cannot be understated. Featuring such genre-defining songs as “Come as You Are,” “Lithium,” “In Bloom,” and, of course, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the album shifted the course of modern music and paved the way for countless alt-rock bands to find mainstream success in their wake.
In 1957, Elvis Presley released his classic hit, “Jailhouse Rock.” The song was recorded for the film of the same name, in which Presley plays Vince Everett – an inmate who learns the guitar while in prison and eventually becomes a star after his release. The influential song was a massive hit, topping the US and UK pop charts, and landing in the Top 10 across the globe.
In 1984, Culture Club scored their second No.1 hit in the UK with “Karma Chameleon.” The track followed their first chart-topper, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.”
In 1988, jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin began a two-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with his laid-back classic, “Don’t Worry Be Happy.”
In 2012, Mumford & Sons released their second studio album, Babel. Topping the charts in both the US and the UK, Babel became the fastest-selling album of 2012 in the UK and marked the year’s highest-selling debut in the US.
In 2006, Scissor Sisters enjoyed concurrent runs atop the UK’s album and singles charts with their sophomore effort, Ta-Da, and “’I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’,” respectively.
In 1966, Jimi Hendrix landed in London, where he would soon find success as an artist. Joined by his manager, Chas Chandler, Hendrix famously arrived with just the clothes on his back, having sold the rest of his threads to settle a hotel bill in New York.
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 24
1940: Barbara Allbut (The Angels)
1942: Gerry Marsden (Gerry And The Pacemakers)
1942: Phyllis Allbut (The Angels)
1942: Linda McCartney
1946: Jerry Donahue (Fairport Convention)
1971: Peter Salisbury (The Verve)