January 18

 

Rock harmony lost one of its most distinctive voices on this day in 2023 when David Crosby died at home surrounded by family at 81, ending the life of the Byrds founder and CSN&Y member whose soaring harmonies and cantankerous personality made him both beloved and impossible across six decades…

 

The Eagles suffered a devastating loss on this day in 2016 when Glenn Frey died at 67 from complications of rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia, ending the life of the Detroit rocker whose "Take It Easy" vocals and songwriting helped define California rock…

 

Session drumming lost an unsung hero on this day in 2015 when Dallas Taylor died at 66 from viral pneumonia and kidney disease, ending the career of the timekeeper who anchored early Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young albums before drug addiction derailed his promising career…

 

Pop culture's strangest union officially ended today in 1996 when Lisa Marie Presley divorced Michael Jackson after less than two years of marriage, the public questioning whether Elvis's daughter and the King of Pop's relationship had ever been genuine romance or publicity stunt…

 

We remember The Temptations' most passionate voice David Ruffin on his birthday today in 1941, the singer whose emotional delivery on "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" defined Motown's sound before drug problems and his tragic 1991 death ended a troubled life…

 

Rock's most soulful Englishman Steve Winwood and wife Eugenia celebrate their anniversary today, married on this day in 1987, the union proving that even Traffic's spiritual seeker could find lasting partnership while maintaining his prolific musical career…

 

Folk music lost one of its most authentic voices today in 2010 when Kate McGarrigle died of cancer at her Montreal home at 63, ending the life of the Canadian singer-songwriter whose work with sister Anna influenced everyone from Linda Ronstadt to their nephew Rufus Wainwright…

 

Southern rock's business infrastructure collapsed on this day in 1980 when Capricorn Records filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Macon, Georgia label that had launched the Allman Brothers and countless others falling victim to changing tastes and mismanagement.