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Today in rock history: On this date in 1959, Helen Folasade Adu was born in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in West Africa. More commonly known as Sade, the soulful, sultry singer rose to fame in 1984 with her best-selling debut, Diamond Life, which was fueled by the hit singles “Smooth Operator” and “Your Love is King” and “Hang On To Your Love.” Since then, Sade, who releases albums very sporadically, has put out five more albums which have all been fantastic sellers. The lovely, stylish vocalist turns 60 years old today.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1992, British guitarist and singer Eric Clapton recorded MTV Unplugged in front of a small audience in Windsor, England. Performing a variety of blues covers in stripped-down fashion, Clapton’s setlist included songs written by Son House, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. Also included was a newly arranged version of Clapton’s 1971 hit with Derek and the Dominos “Layla” as well a take on “Tears in Heaven,” the melancholy composition written for his recently deceased four-year old son. The latter was originally part of the soundtrack of the 1991 film Rush, but it was far more successful as part of the Unplugged album released seven months after this performance was captured. The record was an incredible success; sales exceeded 25 million copies making it the best-selling live album of all time. Unplugged also won Clapton two Grammys and reached the No. 1 spot on album sales charts in several countries around the world.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1988, Tina Turner broke a world record when she attracted the largest concert audience ever assembled to see one single performer. More than 180,000 fans gathered at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to see her perform on this stop of her “Break Every Rule” tour. The concert was also recorded and released in VHS format to commemorate the event. While other performers have since eclipsed this record, Tina still holds the title of being the only female performer to attract this many fans to a concert as the sole performer.
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Today in rock history: On this date in 1957, The Cavern Club opened in Liverpool, England. Initially opened as a jazz venue, the club eventually became known for regularly hosting a four-piece rock and roll band called The Quarrymen. The band — which eventually renamed itself The Beatles — gained a huge following over two years. Brian Epstein encountered the outfit at the club, became its manager and helped land a record deal for them. The club has become legendary for birthing the most popular band in the world.
