On this day in music, March 3, 1986, Metallica released their masterpiece Master of Puppets. Widely considered to be the best metal album of all time, Master of Puppets marked the band’s third studio album and final record to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in an accident during the album’s promotional tour. Upon its release, the album was met with critical and commercial success, peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 – thanks in part to the Top 40 title track. The album was eventually certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA and became the first metal LP to be preserved in the National Recording Registry in 2015.
In 1966, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay formed the pioneering band Buffalo Springfield, which blended folk and country flavors with psychedelic rock. Taking their name from a steamroller parked outside their Los Angeles home, they added Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey Martin to the lineup. The influential band is best remembered for their third single, “For What It’s Worth,” a counterculture anthem that was a Top 10 US hit.
In 1965, guitarist Eric Clapton played his last show with The Yardbirds. Leaving to join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, he recommended the band hire future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, who declined and suggested Jeff Beck, who played his first gig with the band two days after Clapton’s departure.
In 1972, Elton John released “Rocket Man,” co-written with lyricist Bernie Taupin, which became one of his best-loved songs. A taster of his album Honky Château, it rose to No.2 on the UK Singles Chart and No.6 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
In 2005, 50 Cent followed up his sextuple platinum debut, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, with The Massacre, which moved over 1.4 million copies within four days of its release and achieved quadruple platinum sales figures in two months. The album spawned five Top 5 US singles, the most successful of which was the chart-topping “Candy Shop.”
In 1973, British glam rockers Slade saw their tenth single “Cum On Feel The Noize” go straight to the top of the UK charts on its release, a feat that had not happened since The Beatles with “Get Back” in 1969.
In 2009, U2 marked the release of their twelfth album No Line On The Horizon by appearing for five consecutive nights on The Late Show With David Letterman. They were also honored by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who temporarily renamed part of 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan “U2 Way.”
BORN ON MARCH 3
1923: Doc Watson
1927: Junior Parker
1947: Jennifer Warnes
1948: Terence ‘Snowy’ White
1953: Robyn Hitchcock
1966: Tone-Loc
1977: Ronan Keating
1997: Camila Cabello
The Eden Valley-Watkins Home Trade Show is coming up this Saturday, March 7th, from 9-to-1 in the High School Gym in Eden Valley. It’s a free event and will be especially helpful for those interested in home construction-related services.
The first 150 people attending will receive a free bag from the Eden Valley Chamber of Commerce. There will be food and beverage vendors, and several booths with information about landscaping, painting, cabinet-making, flooring, design, realty and more.
You can find more information on the EV-W Home Trade Show Facebook page or call 320-260-8079. More than 100 people attended last year’s trade show and visited with the 20 vendors. The event is sponsored by Brandi Hansen with Central MN Realty, Citizens Bank, Farmers & Merchants State Bank, and Schmitt Farms of Eden Valley.
The Litchfield City Council held a public hearing last night regarding the state historic building grant owner allocation. A couple of building owners spoke during the hearing.
One of the owners has the buildings at 19 and 21 Depot Street and wondered if funds allocated for one of the buildings could be applied towards the other building, and when the Council later approved of the preliminary distribution of funds, the request for the Depot Street owner was granted. Funds will be granted based on the square footage of the buildings in the program.
On a related note, the Council approved of BCI Construction as the construction manager for the historic building grant project. The Council also approved of hiring Jamie McCarney as the Office Lead last night, but will send the City Planner position back to the Personnel Committee for further review. City Administrator Dave Czoik says there were only four applicants for that position with one – or possibly 2 of them having the minimum qualifications.
The Council approved of golf course rates for 2026 last night on a 6-to-1 vote with Darlene Kotelnicki opposed. Czoik says most of the rates have increased about 6% from 2025. The Council also approved (on a 6-to-1 vote with Kotelnicki opposed) of a monthly rate of $10 for the walking track at the Litchfield Area Recreation Center, and to allow the senior groups who are playing cards and cribbage at the Center to continue doing so for no charge as they were grandfathered in from the former Civic Arena meeting room.
Also last night, Litchfield Fire Dept. Chief Kurt Beckstrand and Rescue Chief Blake Tangen presented their annual reports to the Litchfield City Council. The Council then approved of the fire and rescue contracts for 2026.
On this day in music, March 2, 1999, 59-year-old singer Dusty Springfield lost her battle with cancer. Born Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien in London, the iconic artist – famed for her blonde beehive hairdo and soulful voice – rose to fame in the folk-pop trio The Springfields before going solo in 1963. Between then and 1995, she racked up 27 UK hits, among them the chart-topping “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” (a Top 5 hit in the US) and “Son of a Preacher Man,” a Top Ten favorite on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1999 she was awarded an OBE and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2003, American singer-songwriter Norah Jones began a month-long spell at the summit of the UK albums chart with her debut LP, Come Away With Me. Containing the hit single “Don’t Know Why,” the album topped the charts in thirteen other countries around the world, including the US, where it would eventually go on to sell over five million copies.
In 1963, The Four Seasons became the first group to score three consecutive No.1 hits in the US when “Walk Like A Man” began its three-week stint at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s recording session was interrupted by smoke and water seeping into the studio, resulting from a fire in the room above.
In 1991, French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg died of a heart attack at the age of 62. Although he’s best remembered outside of France for “Je T’aime… Moi Non-Plus” – his steamy No.1 UK duet with then-girlfriend, Jane Birkin – he was a prolific songwriter and composer, with more than 550 songs and 40 soundtracks to his name.
In 1991, Madonna became the highest-debuting female artist in US pop history when “Rescue Me,” the second single from her first greatest hits album The Immaculate Collection, entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No.15. The record had previously been held by teenage singer Joy Layne, whose 1957 debut single, a cover of The Poni-Tails’ “Your Wild Heart,” debuted at No.30.
In 2008, a deluxe edition of Amy Winehouse’s second album, Back to Black, topped the UK album chart, three months after its original release. It contained a bonus disc of demos, outtakes, cover versions, and a slowed-down live rendition of “Valerie,” her Top 10 hit with producer Mark Ronson.
In 1955, rhythm and blues pioneer Bo Diddley began his first recording session for Chicago’s Chess Records, where he cut his debut single, “Bo Diddley.” The song spent two weeks at the top of the US R&B chart and nine years later became a Top 5 UK hit for Buddy Holly.
BORN ON MARCH 2
1938: Lawrence Payton (The Four Tops)
1942: Lou Reed
1948: Rory Gallagher
1950: Karen Carpenter (The Carpenters)
1962: Jon Bon Jovi
1977: Chris Martin (Coldplay)
1985: Luke Pritchard (The Kooks)