August 14

 

The King lost his most beloved supporter today in 1958 when Elvis Presley's mother Gladys died at just 46, devastating the rock and roll icon who would never fully recover from losing the woman who meant everything to him…

 

Music business history was made today in 1985 when Michael Jackson outbid both Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney to purchase the ATV Music Publishing catalog for $47.5 million, acquiring the rights to most Beatles songs in a move that strained his friendship with McCartney…

 

We remember the harmonizing heart of David Crosby on his birthday today in 1941, the Byrds founder and CSNY member whose distinctive voice and complex personality helped create some of the most beautiful music of the 1960s and 70s before his death in 2023…

 

Little Feat's rhythmic soul Richie Hayward passed away on this day in 2010 at 64, ending the life of the drummer whose New Orleans-influenced grooves were essential to the band's unique blend of rock, funk, and country…

 

Blues-rock lost a tormented genius on this day in 1988 when Roy Buchanan took his own life in a jail cell, ending the career of the guitarist whose emotional intensity and technical mastery earned him the title "the best unknown guitarist in the world."…

 

Rock and roll tragedy struck today in 1964 when Johnny Burnette was killed in a boating accident on Clear Lake, California at just 30, silencing the rockabilly pioneer whose "You're Sixteen" had helped shape early rock music…

 

Rock reached its powerful peak today in 1971 with the release of The Who's 'Who's Next,' the album featuring classics like "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" that showcased the band's mastery of both power and subtlety.