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Today in rock history: On this date in 1950, Steely Dan founder and guitarist Walter Becker was born in Queens, New York. Teaming with college friend and fellow musician Donald Fagen, the two formed a most clever and accomplished bands which scored several hit singles and best-selling albums throughout the 1970s. The multi-instrumentalist was also a skilled record producer and also released a few solo albums throughout his long career. Suffering from cancer, Becker passed away in 2017 at the age of 67.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1953, Kristy Marlana Wallace, better known as Poison Ivy Rorschach, was born in San Bernardino, California. As guitarist, songwriter, occasional singer and producer for American rockabilly legends The Cramps, Ivy and her longtime partner, the band’s singer Lux Interior, created one of the most original and visually intriguing bands of the punk era. Based out of Lux’s home turf of Akron, Ohio before moving to New York City, the band released many groundbreaking, beloved albums and was one of the wildest and most unpredictable outfits of its day. Playing a hollow body Gretsch guitar and wielding a fierce onstage persona, Poison Ivy became known for her rockabilly riffs and her strong presence. She remained musically active with The Cramps until Lux’s death in 2009.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 2009, garage duo White Stripes became the last musical guests to appear on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The band performed its single “We’re Gonna Be Friends” at the host’s request and the appearance wound up being the last live performance for Jack and Meg White, too, since the group disbanded two years later.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1981, funk and R&B giant Rick James released “Give it to Me Baby,” the first single from his breakthrough album, Street Songs. Already successful on R&B and dance charts, the single introduced the outlandish James to a more mainstream audience, cracked the Top 40 on pop charts and opened the floodgates for a future single from this platinum-selling album (“Super Freak”).
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This article appears in Feb 14-21, 2019.