January 1
Country music lost its greatest voice today in 1953 when Hank Williams died at 29 in the back seat of his Cadillac from heart failure brought on by alcohol and pills, ending the brief career of the Alabama songwriter whose lonesome sound defined honky-tonk forever… Outlaw country found its defining moment on this date in 1960 when Johnny Cash played a free concert for the inmates of San Quentin Prison in California, the performance captured on his legendary live album that would cement his connection to the downtrodden and imprisoned… Rock's most eligible bachelor finally settled down today in 2002 when 56-year-old Eric Clapton married 25-year-old Melia McEnery at a secret ceremony in Surrey, England, the guitar legend finding lasting partnership after decades of tumultuous relationships and personal tragedy… Studio royalty was born today in 1952 when producer and engineer Andy Johns entered the world, the British technician whose work on Led Zeppelin'...
