July 17
1959, Billie Holiday
died in a New York City hospital from cirrhosis of the liver after years of alcohol abuse, aged 43. (While under arrest for heroin possession, with Police officers stationed at the door to her room.) In the final years of her life, she had been progressively swindled out of her earnings, and she died with $0.70 in the bank.
1965, King Records released 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' by James Brown,
which went on to sell over 2 million copies and receive the Grammy Award for best for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording. 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' is considered seminal in the emergence of funk music as a distinct style.
1967, American jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane died from liver cancer at Huntington Hospital in Long Island, New York, aged 40.
1974, The Moody Blues opened what they claimed was the first 'Quadraphonic' recording studio in the world.
1979, Gary Moore left Thin Lizzy, during a US tour and was replaced by ex Slick & Rich Kids guitarist Midge Ure.
1987, The Ozzy Osbourne Band started a 16-week tour of US prisons.
1993, Guns N' Roses appeared at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in front of 80,000 people, the final show on their Use Your Illusion Tour. A highlight of the night was English drummer Cozy Powell playing drums with Matt Sorum, dressed as a Domino's Pizza delivery boy.
1996, Chas Chandler died aged 57 at Newcastle General Hospital, England, where he was undergoing tests related to an aortic aneurysm. He had been the bass player with The Animals and manager of Slade, Nick Drake and Jimi Hendrix.
2004, Half of the 4,500 people in the audience walked out of Linda Ronstadt's
show at the Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas after the singer dedicated an encore of Desperado to filmmaker Michael Moore and urged the crowd to see his film Fahrenheit 9/11.
2011, Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance at a tribute to Clarence Clemons
at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, N.J. The boss played a 45 minute set to an intimate crowd of 400. Clemons who died on June 18th of this year was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone with him since 1971. Springsteen and Clemons had first met at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park.
1674 Isaac Watts, 1918 Red Sovine, 1921 George Barnes, 1921
Mary Osborne
, 1925 Jimmy Scott, 1928 Vince Guaraldi (wrote "
Linus & Lucy"), 1935 Diahann Carroll, 1939 Spencer Davis, 1942 Zoot Money, 1947 Mick Tucker
(Sweet), 1948 Ron Asheton (The Stooges), 1949 Geezer Butler
(Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, GZR, Ozzy Osbourne), 1950 Phoebe Snow, 1952 David Hasselhoff, 1952 Nicolette Larson, 1957 Bruce Crump
(Molly Hatchet), 1963 Regina Belle, 1965 Craig Morgan, 1976 Luke Bryan
1959 Billie Holiday, 1967 John Coltrane, 1996 Chas Chandler, 2014 Elaine Stritch