Rock History August 27
1966, The Beach Boys “God Only Knows” peaked in the second spot on the UK singles chart. The song was groundbreaking in many ways. It was one of the first commercial songs to use the word “God” in its title and Brian Wilson used many unorthodox instruments, including the French horns that are heard in the song’s famous introduction.
1967, British music entrepreneur and the manager of The Beatles Brian Epstein was found dead, locked in a bedroom at his London home. A coroner’s inquest concluded that Epstein died from an overdose of the sleeping pill Carbitrol. He also managed several other artists including Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black and The Remo Four. The first contract between The Beatles and Epstein was auctioned in London in 2008, and was sold for £240,000.
1969, During a North American tour Led Zeppelin played two shows at the Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.
1970, Howl, Andy Roberts’ Everyone, Supertramp, and The Groundhogs were among the acts playing the Reading Festival at Afton Down in Freshwater, Isle of Wight.
1975, Eric Clapton appears at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana.
1976, Aerosmith performs at the Cow Palace, Daly City, California, just outside San Francisco.
1977, Singer songwriter Jimmy Buffett married his second wife, Jane Slagsvol, they later separated for 9 years, but have since reunited.
1978, Blue Oyster Cult played at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.
1982, During a North American tour, Queen appeared in Myriad, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1988, Tracy Chapman went to No.1 on the US album chart with her self-titled album.
1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed when the helicopter he was flying in, hit a man-made ski slope while trying to navigate through dense fog. Vaughn had played a show at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisconsin with Robert Cray & His Memphis Horns, and Eric Clapton. Vaughan was informed by a member of Clapton’s crew that three seats were open on a helicopter returning to Chicago with Clapton’s crew, it turned out there was only one seat left; Vaughan requested it from his brother, who obliged. Three members of Eric Clapton’s entourage were also killed. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Stevie Ray Vaughan #7 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarist’s of all time.
1991, Pearl Jam released their debut album Ten. The group’s most commercially successful album, which has sold over 13 million copies, produced three hit singles: “Alive”, “Even Flow”, and “Jeremy”.
Born on August 27: B.J. Thomas (1942) and Alex Lifeson, Rush (1953)
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Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffett, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead.
