On August 26, 2007, The Rolling Stones concluded their A Bigger Bang World Tour with a final show at London’s O2 Arena. The band’s longest and largest tour of their career, it earned over $560 million and the title as the highest-grossing tour in rock history. The Stones had previously set the record with their 1994 Voodoo Lounge Tour.
In 1970, long-running recording studio Electric Ladyland opened its doors in New York City. While the facility was commissioned by Jimi Hendrix two years earlier, the esteemed rockstar only spent ten weeks recording there before his death. Nevertheless, it soon became a hotspot for many top-selling recording artists, including John Lennon, AC/DC, Stevie Wonder, and Guns N’ Roses.
Across the Atlantic that same year, the third Isle of Wight Festival kicked off. Featuring Joni Mitchell, The Doors, The Who, Miles Davis, and The Moody Blues, the British festival also marked Hendrix’s final UK appearance. An estimated 600,000-700,000 people attended the weekend.
In 1995, Britpop rivals Blur and Oasis released their singles “Country House” and “Roll with It,” respectively. While the two bands were neck-and-neck, Blur’s “Country House” sold 270,000 copies (50,000 more than Oasis), placing them at the top of the pop charts and earning them their very first No.1 single in the UK.
In 2003, Rolling Stone named Jimi Hendrix as the greatest guitarist in rock history. Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine wrote that Hendrix “manipulated the guitar, the whammy bar, the studio, and the stage” and “took what was to become Seventies funk and put it through a Marshall stack, in a way that nobody’s done since.” Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Page, and Stevie Ray Vaughan also made the ranking’s top 10.
In 1967, The Beatles held a press conference with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at University College in Bangor, North Wales. The four-piece announced that they had become disciples of the guru and members of the Maharishi’s “Spiritual Regeneration Movement,” renouncing the usage of drugs and donating a week’s earnings monthly to the organization.
In 2014, Kate Bush made her stage comeback after 35 years with a performance at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. Her 22-show residency sold out in less than 15 minutes and ran from August 26-October 1.
In 1987, Sonny Bono announced his campaign for mayor of Palm Springs, California. The singer, songwriter, and former husband of Cher had once stated that he had never voted until he was 53, but he successfully won the 1988 mayoral election and went on to win a seat in Congress in 1996.
BORN ON AUGUST 26
1938: Jet Black (The Stranglers)
1948: Valerie Simpson (Songwriter and recording artist)
1965: Annie Holland (Elastica)
1966: Dan Vickrey (Counting Crows)
1966: Shirley Manson (Garbage)
1969: Adrian Young (No Doubt)
Several events are coming up next month in the Area Faith Community which encompasses the parishes of St. Philip’s in Litchfield, St. John’s in Darwin, the Church of St. Anthony in Watkins and the Church of Our Lady in Manannah. The first event will be the Bazaar and Car Show at St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Litchfield on September 7th from 9-to-1.
Monica Schreiber says the Litchfield Eagles Club will partner with St. Philip’s Church again this year with beverages for the Bazaar.
Schreiber says Glen Everhart will return to provide musical entertainment; and the 20th annual car show will take place. She says people may enter their car or get more information by calling Ashley Huhn at 701-238-1975:
Schreiber says there will be all kinds of food at the St. Philip’s Bazaar for breakfast and lunch including Mexican food, the Knights of Columbus with hamburgers and chicken, and dessert booths with donuts, pie, ice cream, root beer floats, and popcorn; and a farmer’s market, games and more.
Brenda Grates says the 2nd annual bean bag tournament will be held at 10:30 a.m. on September 7th during the St. Philip’s Bazaar, with check-in at 10:15. She says it’s $30 per team and if you don’t have a partner, you can sign up for $15 and she’ll match you with someone.
Grates says there will also be a raffle and $10 tickets are available at St. Philip’s Church or from any parish member.
Also in September, the Church of St. Anthony has its Fall Festival on September 14th from 10-to-5 with an outdoor mass, music, food, games, a cash raffle drawing and more. The Pork Chop Supper at the Church of Our Lady in Manannah will be held on September 28th from 4-to-7 p.m. and that also includes a raffle. For more information on any of the Area Faith Community events, call St. Philip’s Church at 693-3313.
Meeker County Dairy Princess Paige Frenchick, one of the ten finalists for Princess Kay of the Milky Way, got a likeness of her head carved out of a 90-pound of butter on Monday at the Minnesota State Fair by Litchfield artist Gerry Kulzer.
In 1970, Elton John played his first American show at The Troubadour. In addition to performing his recent single, “Border Song,” the 23-year-old British singer-songwriter’s setlist included “Your Song,” “Take Me to the Pilot,” and a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women.” The Los Angeles show, which kicked off a 17-date US tour, was attended by the likes of Don Henley, Quincy Jones, and Leon Russell.
In 2001, 22-year-old R&B star and actress Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas, while shooting a music video for her single “Rock the Boat.” The artist, who rose to fame as a teenager in 1994 with her multi-platinum debut, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, had recently released her third studio album, Aaliyah. The record would go on to sell more than 13 million copies worldwide, following her tragic death.
In 1957, Paul Anka, who was just shy of his 16th birthday, became the first teenage solo act to reach No. 1 with the single “Diana,” written about his brother’s babysitter. The Canadian Music Hall of Famer would go on to find major success as a singer and songwriter over the following decades.
In 2000, the Academy Award-winning composer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and producer Jack Nitzsche died of a heart attack at age 63. As a producer, Nitzsche worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, The Walker Brothers, and Buffalo Springfield, while he scored such films as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Exorcist.
BORN ON AUGUST 25
1918: Leonard Bernstein
1933: Wayne Shorter
1942: Walter Williams (The O’Jays)
1949: Gene Simmons (KISS)
1951: Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
1954: Elvis Costello
1961: Billy Ray Cyrus
1967: Jeff Tweedy