March 4

Media consolidation reached unprecedented scale today in 1989 when Time Inc. and Warner Communications merged into Time Warner, creating the world's largest media company and fundamentally reshaping how music, film, and television would be produced and distributed…

 

The Band suffered another tragic loss today in 1986 when keyboardist-vocalist Richard Manuel hanged himself at 41 in his Florida hotel room after a concert, the suicide ending the life of the troubled musician whose sweet tenor on "Whispering Pines" had been essential to the group's sound…

 

Grunge's end drew horrifyingly near today in 1994 when Kurt Cobain fell into a 20-hour coma in Rome from an overdose of pills and champagne, internet rumors prematurely declaring him dead while Courtney Love claimed it was suicide—a month later, it would be…

 

Baroque music found its most vivid composer when Antonio Vivaldi was born on this date in 1678, the Venetian priest whose violin concertos 'The Four Seasons' brought programmatic storytelling to classical music 300 years before rock concept albums before his death in 1741…

 

We remember soul's most troubled genius Bobby Womack on his birthday today in 1944, the singer-songwriter whose work with Sam Cooke and solo hits like "Across 110th Street" influenced everyone from the Rolling Stones to Damon Albarn before his death in 2014…

 

Progressive rock's most melodic bassist Chris Squire was born on this day in 1948, the Yes co-founder whose Rickenbacker tone and complex playing made him the only member to appear on every album before his death from leukemia in 2015 ended the band's classic era.