Today in Rock and Roll History

2018 - Roy Clark
American singer and musician Roy Clark died aged 85 at his Tulsa home due to complications of pneumonia. He scored the 1969 US hit single, 'Yesterday, When I Was Young' and was best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1997.

November 17th
1979 - John Glascock
Jethro Tull bass player John Glascock died at the age of 28, as a result of a congenital heart defect. Had also been a member of Chicken Shack.

2003 - Don Gibson
American country music legend Don Gibson died of natural causes aged 75. Scored the 1958 US No.7 single 'Oh Lonesome Me', (covered by Neil Young on his After The Gold Rush album), 1961 UK No.14 single 'Sea Of Heartbreak'. His song ‘I Can't Stop Loving You’, has been recorded by over 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles in 1962.

November 18th
1972 - Danny Whitten
Singer, songwriter Danny Whitten died of a drug overdose aged 29. He was a member of Neil Young's Crazy Horse and writer of 'I Don't Wanna Talk About It', covered by Rod Stewart, Rita Coolidge and Everything But The Girl. The Neil Young song ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ was written about Whitten’s heroin use (before he died of an overdose).

2016 - Sharon Jones
Sharon Jones, the singer who spearheaded a soul revival movement with her band the Dap-Kings, died in a New York hospital after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 60. Despite her powerhouse voice, Jones failed to make a breakthrough for decades until a recording session led to a Dap-Kings album in 2002. The band later won a Grammy nomination and performed at Glastonbury.

2017 - AC/DC
Australian musician and songwriter Malcolm Young died age 64. Young was best known as a co-founder, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for AC/DC. Except for a brief absence in 1988, he was with the band from its November 1973 beginning until retiring permanently in 2014. Young was born in 1953 in Glasgow before his family emigrated to Australia when he was 10. His family confirmed he was suffering from dementia in 2014.

November 19th
1955 - Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins recorded 'Blue Suede Shoes' at Sun Studios in Memphis. The rock 'n' roll classic became a US No.2 & UK No.10 hit for Perkins in 1956, and has been covered by many acts including Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

November 20th
1967 - Strawberry Alarm Clock
Los Angeles-based psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock were at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Incense And Peppermints'. When recording the track the band expressed a dislike for the song's lyrics so the lead vocals were sung by a friend of the band, Greg Munford, who was attending the recording session as a visitor.

1971 - Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Theme From Shaft', it made No.4 in the UK. Hayes won a Grammy award for Best Original Film Score with 'Theme From Shaft'.

November 22nd
1968 - Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac released the instrumental 'Albatross'. Penned by Peter Green it remains Fleetwood Mac's only No.1 hit in the UK. In Green's biography he stated an early inspiration for 'Albatross' was "a group of notes from an Eric Clapton solo, played slower."

November 23rd
1985 - Joe Turner
American blues artist Big Joe Turner died of a heart attack aged 75. Wrote 'Shake Rattle and Roll', (a hit for Bill Haley and His Comets) and 'Sweet Sixteen.'

1992 - Roy Acuff
American country music singer Roy Acuff died aged 89. Known as the "King of Country Music," he was the first living artist elected to the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Acuff started his career in 1932 working for Dr. Hauer's medicine show, hired as one of its entertainers to draw a crowd to whom Hauer could sell medicines.

1995 - Junior Walker
American soul singer and saxophonist Junior Walker died of cancer aged 64. Had the 1966 US & UK Top 20 single 'How Sweet It Is', and the 1969 US No.4 single 'What Does It Take, To Win Your Love'. Walker also played sax on Foreigner's 1981 hit ‘Urgent.’

November 24th
1991 - Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury died of complications from aids at his home in London's Holland park aged 45, just one day after he publicly admitted he was HIV positive. Mercury was openly bisexual and enjoyed a colourful rock star lifestyle. During his career with Queen he scored over 40 Top 40 UK singles including the worldwide No.1 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

1993 - Albert Collins
American blues guitarist and singer Albert Collins died of lung cancer aged 61. Known as ‘The master of the telecaster’, he shared a Grammy for the 1985 album Showdown! which he recorded with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland.

November 25th
1976 - Joni Mitchell
The Band made their final performance; 'The Last Waltz' held on American Thanksgiving Day, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The show also featured Joni Mitchell, Dr John, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Eric Clapton and others. The event was filmed by director Martin Scorsese and made into a documentary of the same name, released in 1978.

November 26th
1968 - Cream
Cream played their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Also on the bill were Yes and Taste. The concert was filmed and released as Cream's Farewell Concert which has often been criticized for both its mediocre sound and visual effects: during Ginger Baker's drum solo, he seems to change clothes at lightning speed due to careless post-editing.

November 29th
2001 - George Harrison
Beatles guitarist George Harrison died in Los Angeles of lung cancer aged 58. Following the breakup of The Beatles Harrison had a successful career as a solo artist and later as part of the Traveling Wilburys. The youngest member of The Beatles, (aged 16 when he joined), his compositions include ‘Taxman’, ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Something’, and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. Harrison released the acclaimed triple album, All Things Must Pass, in 1970, from which came the worldwide No.1 single 'My Sweet Lord.'