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Today in rock history: On this date in 1946, folk/country pioneer John Prine was born in Maywood, Illinois. One of the brightest stars to emerge from the late 60s and early 70s folk music boom, Prine began his career with a highly-revered and critically-lauded debut album. His 1971 self-titled album garnered rave reviews when released under the Atlantic Records label. More critically-praised albums came from the former mail carrier but, sadly, that recognition would not translate to significant album sales figures. Actively releasing albums for an indie record label since the 1980s, Prine has remained a favorite of diehard, loyal fans who appreciate his body of work and consider him to be among the very best contemporary songwriters out there. Still writing, touring and recording, this pioneer and torchbearer for so many different genres turns 72 years old today.
BOOKS ISSUE
John Prine’s Beyond Words journeys beyond the songs, lets fans into his heart
Today in rock history: On this date in 1970, the first issue of the weekly UK music publication Sounds was published with Janis Joplin on the front cover. The magazine lasted until April 1991 and was the first British publication to regularly cover the thriving U.K. punk scene as it started to explode in the mid-1970s.
GIBBEM' TO US
Florida musicians: Show us your Gibson guitars
Today in rock history: On this date in 1902, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, mandolin maker Orville Gibson founded the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co, Ltd. In 1936 it would create the first commercially successful electric guitar, the ES-150 model. In 1946, Gibson introduced the P-90 single coil pickup, which was eventually used on the first Les Paul model made in 1952. The guitar maker had a really rough summer this year, but things seem to be looking up.
TODAY IN ROCK HISTORY
The birth of Stiff Records
Today in rock history: On this date in 1978, The second Stiff Records UK tour, dubbed the "Be Stiff" tour, kicked off with artists from the label's roster in tow, including: Wreckless Eric, Jona Lewie, Rachel Sweet, Lene Lovich and Micky Jupp. The UK tour, put on by the most outrageous and clever indie record labeled in British music history, was undertaken by train, and then continued on to the U.S.A., without Jupp, who was afraid of flying.
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This article appears in Oct 4-11, 2018.