Music Diary – 1st February

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 1st February!

Lisa Marie Presley

Happy birthday to Lisa Marie Presley, who was born on the 1st February 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee!

Lisa is the only child of Elvis and Priscilla Presley and her birthdate is exactly nine months after her parents‘ wedding. When she was four years old, the divorce happened and Lisa Marie lived with her mother. After the passing of Elvis Presley, the nine old girl became joint-heir to the estate with her grandfather Vernon Presley and her great-grandmother Minnie Mae Presley. In 1993, on Lisa’s 25th birdthday, she inherited the Graceland estate.

Lisa Marie Presley became also a musician and released several albums over the years. Her debut LP „To Whom It May Concern“ (2003) reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The single outtake „Lights Out“ reached No. 18 in the US and No. 16 in the UK.

Robert Hilburn from the „Los Angeles Times“ abut the album: „The music on her new album has a stark, uncompromising tone and Presley’s gutsy blues-edged voice has a distinctive flair.“

In April 2005 her second album „Now What“ hit the market and went top ten in the USA. About her third LP „Storm & Grace“ (2012 – produced by T-Bone Burnett), Allmusic judged: „On her first two albums, Lisa Marie Presley wanted to be a pop star with a difference; on ‚Storm & Grace‘, she clearly would rather be an artist, and if she’s still working her musical shortcomings out of her system, this is a stronger, more mature, and more effective work than one might have expected. Nearly ten years into a recording career she may or may not have wanted, Presley is finally developing a musical personality that truly suits her.“

Lisa Marie Presley has been married four times – among otheres she was the wife of Michael Jackson and actor Nicolas Cage.

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Music Diary – 23rd January

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 23rd January!

Bruce Springsteen & Danny Federici (23rd January 1950 – 17th April 2008)

 Happy birthday to Daniel Paul „Danny“ Federici, who was born on the 23rd January 1950 in Flemington, New Jersey (USA)! Danny was the long time organ, glockenspiel and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen.

At the age of seven, Danny started to play accordion. Beside a classical education, he also began to study Jazz and Blues. During his high school time at Hunterdon Central High School, he started a band called „Child“ with his friend Vini Lopez – and the singer became a guy named Bruce Springsteen! Federici and also Lopez later joined Bruce’s group Steel Mill, which became later Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. And Danny worked with „The Boss“ over 40 years.

In the nineties, when the E Street Band was – more or less – inactive, Danny played with a Country/Americana band called Diamondback and they recorded the album „Ragin Wind“. Danny Federici also recorded four solo LPs. Best known is his release „Flemington“ (1997), which features also bassist Garry Tallent and guitarist Nils Lofgren from the E Street Band. Beside this, Federeici also worked with other artists like Joan Armatrading, Graham Parker, Gary U.S. Bonds and Garland Jeffreys.

On 21st November 2007, it was officially announced, that Danny Federici would take a break from the E Street Band to pursue treatment for melanoma. Sadly, Danny returned only one time on stage again – on 20th March 2008 in Indianapolis. One month later, on the 17th April 2008 and after three years suffering with melanoma, Danny Federici died at the age of 58 years.

 

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Music Diary – 11th January

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 11th January!

Clarence Clemons and Bruce Springsteen

Happy birthdy to Mr. Clarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr., better nown as „The Big Man“ and more better known as the tenor saxophone player of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band from 1972 until his passing in 2011. Clarence was born on the 11th January 1942 in Norfolk County, Virginia (USA).

At the age of nine, his father gave him an alto saxophone as a Christmas present and Clarence received music lessons. Over the years he switched to the baritone and finally to the tenor saxophone. In his youth, Clemons was an excellent football player and due to a serious car accident, his plans becoming a pro were annihilated. His first recording sessions took place in 1960 and one year later he joined his first band called „The Vibratones“ (until 1965). In the meantime Clarence Clemons has moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he also worked as a counselor for emotionally disturbed children at the Jamesburg Training School (from 1962 – 1970).

In September 1971, Clarence Clemons and Bruce Springsteen met the very first time. Listen and watch, what Clarence is talking about this historic meeting:

Bruce Springsteen started in July 1972 to record his debut ebut album „Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.„. During recording breaks he also jammed with Clemons at some occasions and after that, he decided to use a tenor saxophone on the songs  „Blinded by the Light“ and „Spirit in the Night„. This was the start of a long cooperation and a deep friendship which holded on until Clemons‘ passing in 2011.

Clemons‘ final recordings are featured on the Springsteen album „Wrecking Ball„, which was released in 2012. On the 12th June 2011, Carence suffered a stroke and only six days later, on the 18th June, he died of complication from it at the age of 69 years.

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Music Diary – 23rd September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 23rd September!

Bruce „The Boss“ Springsteen (born 23rd September 1949)

Today in the year 1949 Mr. Bruce  Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. Later nicknamed as „The Boss“, Springsteen started his musical career in the late sixties with the band Earth. After that, Bruce Springsteen was from 1969 until 1971 member of Steel Mill. In this group were also Danny Federici, Vini Lopez, Vinnie Roslin and  Steve Van Zandt – all these people became later musicians of Springsteen’s The E Street Band.

In 1972 Bruce Springsteen signed with Columbia Records and his debut album „Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.“ was released in January 1973. A few months later, the follow up „The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle“ hit the stores in September.

His first breakthrough marked his third LP, called „Born to Run“ (1975), which reached No. 3 on the US charts. Especially the title track became a classic in the Springsteen discography. With the following albums „Darkness on the Edge of Town“ (1978), „The River“ (1980) and „Nebraska“ (1982) the fanbase get bigger and with the legendary record „Born in the U.S.A.“ (1984) Bruce Springsteen topped almost worldwide the album charts. From the twelve songs seven were released as singles and almost all of them went Top Ten all over the world.

Over the last decades Bruce Springsteen released more outstanding albums like „The Ghost of Tom Joad“ (1995), „The Rising“ (2002) and „Devils & Dust“ (2005). Remarkable for „The Boss“ is his open minded musical attitutude: So his last release „High Hopes“ (2014) features Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave) on eight tracks.

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Music Diary – 15th March

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 15th March!

Bruce Springstten with Clarence Clemons (left) and Steven Van Zandt (right)

On the 15th March 1999, Bruce Springsteen was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bono!

Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a short set featuring the following songs:

Promised Land
Backstreets
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
In the Midnight Hour (feat. Wilson Pickett)

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