This Week in Music History
September 28th, 2002 - Tina Turner’s hometown Nutbush near Memphis, and made famous in her song ‘Nutbush City Limits,’ named a stretch of highway after the star. The stretch of State Highway 19 was named ‘Tina Turner Highway.’ Turner lived in Nutbush, a small town about 50 miles northeast of Memphis, until she was about 17.
September 29th, 1973 - Grand Funk Railroad is at No.1 on the singles chart with ‘We’re An American Band’, the group’s first of their two chart toppers. The lyrics are somewhat autobiographical, detailing their recent tours and performances. In the song, the band mentions traveling through Little Rock, as well as stopping to party with four groupies, and “sweet sweet Connie,” a reference to legendary groupie Connie Hamzy.
September 30th, 1974 - Police are needed at a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert after a fight broke out between their sound engineer and the sound engineer of Blue Oyster Cult. A roadie clarified that the sound had been deliberately turned off during the bands set. Too much cowbell?
October 1st, 1981 - The Pretenders canceled the last leg of their US tour after their drummer Martin Chambers put his hand through a window. The incident left Martin with cut tendons and arteries, rendering him unable to play for weeks.
October 2nd, 1959 - Elvis Presley fans get rowdy in Germany, where fifteen fans marched through the streets of Leipzig making foul remarks about German music and shouting "Long live Elvis Presley." German officials quickly arrested the group for disturbing the peace.
October 3rd, 1968 - Inspired by Eric Clapton's love for chocolate, The Beatles record George Harrison's new song, 'Savoy Truffle'.
October 4th, 1970 - Janis Joplin is found dead on the floor beside her bed at the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood California. The official cause of death was an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol. Her ashes would be scattered at Stinson Beach in California the following week.