November 8

 

Blues-rock's queen Bonnie Raitt celebrates her 75th birthday today, the slide guitar virtuoso whose soulful voice and authentic performances finally received mainstream recognition with her 1989 comeback 'Nick of Time,' proving that talent and integrity eventually triumph…

 

Jazz-pop's most bohemian voice Rickie Lee Jones was born on this day in 1954, the Los Angeles songwriter whose debut album's beatnik cool and hits like "Chuck E.'s in Love" established her as one of the most original and quirky artists of the late 1970s…

 

Entertainment met politics again today in 1994 when Sonny Bono, former mayor of Palm Springs and half of Sonny & Cher, was elected to the US House of Representatives, continuing the entertainer-turned-politician path until his skiing death in 1998…

 

Pink Floyd's guitar architect David Gilmour received royal recognition today in 2002 when he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), honoring his contributions to progressive rock and his distinctive guitar voice that defined the band's sound…

 

Grateful Dead archival royalty David Lemieux celebrates his 54th birthday today, the tape archivist whose "Dave's Picks" series has brought countless vault treasures to Deadheads while preserving the band's live legacy with meticulous care and deep knowledge…

 

Rock's most mysterious masterpiece arrived today in 1971 with the release of 'Led Zeppelin IV,' the untitled album featuring "Stairway to Heaven," "Black Dog," and "Rock and Roll" that became one of the best-selling albums of all time despite having no band name on the cover…

 

Glam rock's poet laureate found his commercial voice today in 1972 with the release of Lou Reed's 'Transformer,' the David Bowie-produced album featuring "Walk on the Wild Side" that brought the Velvet Underground founder mainstream success with his tales of New York's demimonde…

 

Blues mastery met commercial perfection today in 1977 with the release of Eric Clapton's 'Slowhand,' the laid-back masterpiece featuring "Lay Down Sally" and "Wonderful Tonight" that proved Slowhand could conquer the charts without sacrificing his guitar soul.