Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 18th February!
On the 18th February 1990, singer Freddie Mercury made his final public appearance. With his band Queen, he collected the „Brit Award“ in the category for „Outstanding Contribution to Music“. The ceremony took place at the Dominion Theatre in London (UK). You can watch this historic moment here:
Freddie died only 21 months later – on the 24th November 1991. The most charismatic frontman of all time passed away at the age of 45 years. Just the day before, the Queen singer admitted he was HIV positive.
Get your Queen stuff here (for Austrian customer):
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.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 24th November!
Freddie Mercury (5th September 1946 – 24th November 1991)
On the 24th November 1991 the Rock world lost one of the greatest and charismatic frontman of all time: Queen singer Freddie Merucry passed away at the age of only 45. Just the day before, Freddie admitted he was HIV positive. Merucry died of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS.
Welcomt to my Music Diary – today for the 3rd October!
Stevie Ray Vaughan (3rd October 1954 – 27th August 1990)
In 1954 Mr. Stephen „Stevie“ Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas (USA). Also nicknamed as SRV, Vaughan was an American Blues musician. The singer and songwriter is still considered as one of the most influentical guitar players. Or as Allmusic describes him as „a rocking powerhouse of a guitarist who gave blues a burst of momentum in the ’80s, with influence still felt long after his tragic death.“
And Chris Gill of Guitar World commented on Stevie’s unique style: „Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar tone was as dry as a San Antonio summer and as sparkling clean as a Dallas debutante, the product of the natural sound of amps with ample clean headroom. However, Vaughan occasionally used pedals to augment his sound, mainly to boost the signal, although he occasionally employed a rotating speaker cabinet and wah pedals for added textural flair.“
Stevie started guitar playing at the age of seven. In 1971 he was dropped out from school and one year later he moved from Dallas to Austin and started his career as a musician. At this time he played with people like Marc Benno (The Nightcrawlers) and Denny Freeman (Cobras). In 1977 SRV founded his own band called „Triple Threat Revue“ – shortly after that drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon joined the group and it was renamed in Double Trouble. Five years later at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival (1982) Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble became much more famous. The album debut „Texas Flood“ was released one year later and charted at No. 38 in the US charts. Before the album „In Step“ was recorded, Stevie Ray Vaughan went into rehab in 1986.
On the 27th August 1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash. He died at the age of only 35. SRV earned six Grammy Awards and ten Austin Music Awards and he was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2014. The music magazin Rolling Stone ranked him as the twelfth greatest guitarist of all time.
Get your Stevie Ray Vaughan gear here (for Austrian customer):
Stevie Ray Vaughan Shop (Europe): Stevie Ray Vaughan Shop (USA):
Freddie Merucry was one of the most outstanding and charismatic singers/performers in Rock history. He died on the 24th November 1991 at the age of only 45 years in London.
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