Today in rock history: On this date in 1955, legendary hard rock and heavy metal guitarist Michael Schenker was born in Sarstedt, West Germany. An early member of groundbreaking German metal band Scorpions (which features Michael’s older brother, band founder and guitarist Rudolf Schenker) Schenker left Scorpions and became a member of highly influential hard rock band UFO. Renowned for his style and recognized for his use of the visually striking Flying V guitar, Schenker is usually ranked among the best and most imaginative players of his genre. He formed the Michael Schenker Group (MSG) in 1979 and is still musically active. Schenker celebrates his 64th birthday today.
Today in rock history: On this date in 1976, one-hit wonder C.W. McCall released “Convoy.” The song — which used CB jargon normally utilized by truck drivers — topped Billboard’s pop and country music singles charts and stayed atop the latter for six weeks. CB radios, or citizens band radios, were popular at the time, and the mostly spoken-word song capitalized on the fascination. The song’s success was enough to prompt Sam Peckinpah — a film director best known for his explicit and violent films — to base a 1978 movie starring Kris Kristofferson on the hit song. McCall released a handful of singles after “Convoy,” but none came close to matching its success or popularity.
Today in rock history: On this date in 1985, rockabilly and roots-rock influenced singer-songwriter Chris Isaak released his 12-track debut album, Silvertone. Named after Isaak’s backing band at the time, the album was critically praised but had little impact on album sales charts (labels could not figure out how to market a songwriter who looked like a young Elvis and sounded like Roy Orbison). The album fared well in Australia, but it didn’t start turning heads until director David Lynch used a standout track, “Gone Ridin,” in his 1986 cult film, Blue Velvet. Lynch, once again, boosted Isaak’s career when he featured “Wicked Game” in his 1990 film Wild At Heart. A fine record in its own right, Silvertone was the start of a long and consistent career for Isaak.
Today in rock history: On his date in 1917, journalist-turned-record producer Jerry Wexler was born in the Bronx borough of New York City. Wexler was integral to the rise of soul, coined the term “rhythm and blues” during his years as a writer for Billboard and was an important factor in signing and producing the works of some of the best and biggest musical legends of all time (Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and The Allman Brothers all passed through Wexler’s atmosphere). Wexler also produced Dusty Springfield’s 1969 masterpiece Dusty in Memphis, and his foresight (along with that of Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun) led to the signing British hard-rock band Led Zeppelin. Wexler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2008, at the age of 91, Wexler passed away at home in Sarasota, Florida. The death was blamed on congestive heart failure.
This article appears in Jan 10-17, 2019.