Remembering recently deceased powerhouse Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell today on what would have been his 53rd birthday. Born Christopher John Boyle on this date in 1964 in Seattle, Washington, this amazing frontman, singer and songwriter was one of the key players in the rise of grunge music in the 1990s. Serving a stint as the lead singer of supergroup Audioslave as well as boasting a successful solo career, the distinctive and often-imitated singer was one of the most engaging and talented singers of his era. See photos from Soundgarden's April performance in Tampa here.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1973, Love Devotion Surrender, an album that paired guitar legends Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin was released. Backed by both musician’s respective bands, Santana and The Mahavishnu Orchestra, the album was a mix of Santana’s expressive rock guitar work with McLaughlin’s experimental, fusion style. Created in part as a tribute to the teachings of Sri Chinmoy, an Indian spiritual leader and meditation teacher, the album also paid homage to jazz great John Coltrane by opening with an improvisational rendition of his renowned composition, “A Love Supreme.” The album sold surprisingly well and climbed as high as no. 14 on Billboard’s pop albums chart and achieved gold sales status by selling in excess of 500,000 copies later in the year of its release. Incidentally, Carlos Santana celebrates his 70th birthday today as well. Born on this date in 1947 in Jalisco, Mexico, the veteran guitarist is still going strong in his career that spans back to the mid-1960s. Santana will play Tampa's Amalie Arena on October 27 — more information is available here.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1970, Absolutely Live, the very first live album by legendary rock band The Doors was released. The two-LP set featured recordings captured mostly at a 1970 New York City concert as well as selections recorded at different tour stops throughout the band’s tour that year. Featuring Doors classics like “Break On Through,” “Soul Kitchen” and a staggering version of their epic “When The Music’s Over,” the record was a slow seller although it rose as high as no. 8 on Billboard’s album sales charts. Rumor has it late lead singer Jim Morrison was furious with the record’s cover shot as the band’s record label opted for a much earlier photo of the charismatic lead singer that looked nothing like the drastically different, bearded appearance he was sporting at the time of the recording of the album and of its release.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1963, California singing duo Jan and Dean became the first artists to have a surf-related song top the charts when their classic “Surf City” climbed to no. 1 on U.S. sales charts. The song, co-written by the pair’s Jan Berry and Beach Boy Brian Wilson, stayed at the top spot for two weeks. The song that put surf rock, a style usually associated with The Beach Boys, even charted high on R&B charts. Although it would end up being the pair’s only chart-topper amid their long line of 1960’s single releases, it’s still significant for being the first to achieve this stature.
This article appears in Jul 20-27, 2017.