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Today in rock history: On this date in 1979, country music legend Willie Nelson made his acting debut in the Robert Redford film, The Electric Horseman. Although the film received mixed reviews, Nelson was praised for this first stab at film acting in the box office success Nelson classics "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys," "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" and several others were incorporated into the film, solidifying Willie’s place as one of the top country music artists of the day. After his successful foray into acting, Nelson has gone on to appear in more than 30 films throughout his long career.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 2013, Canadian folk rock troubadour Leonard Cohen performed the very last concert of his long career. Ambitiously deciding to embark on a 125-date world tour in support of his then-current album Old Ideas, Cohen not only fulfilled the grueling schedule but did so while playing three-hour concerts night after night. The final show took place in Auckland, New Zealand and, as reported, Cohen, then 79 years old, prophetically told the audience, “Tonight, and especially tonight, we’re going to give you everything we’ve got.” While leukemia was a factor in his 2016 death, Cohen passed after suffering a fall and eventually dying in his sleep.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1953, soul and R&B singer Betty Wright — known for her "whistle register" high-pitched voice — was born in Miami, Florida. Born Bessie Norris, Wright adopted her stage name shortly after she was discovered and signed to a recording contract at the age of 12. While still a teenager, Wright released “Clean Up Woman,” her breakthrough, million-selling single that wound up in the Top 10 of Billboard’s pop and R&B singles charts. While other hits followed, none reached the heights of “Clean Up Woman.” Continuing to record through the '70s and '80s, Wright is still musically active and scored hits during the disco era. The Grammy-winning singer recorded a duet with shock rocker Alice Cooper (“No Tricks”), and has had her music sampled by a variety of musical artists throughout the years including Sublime and Mary J. Blige.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1942, R&B and soul singer Carla Thomas was born in Memphis, Tennessee. The daughter of another well-known Memphis artist, singer Rufus Thomas, Carla is often referred to as the “Queen of Memphis Soul." Her first hit, “Cause I Love You,” was a duet with dad, and it paved the way for several solo singles like “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes),” “B-A-B-Y,” and “Tramp,” one of many duets she recorded with another soul legend, the late Otis Redding. While Thomas hasn’t been musically active in many years, she’ll always be regarded as one of the key figures in the rise in popularity of Memphis soul music. Carla Thomas celebrates her 76th birthday today.
This article appears in Dec 20-27, 2018.