Time to take a look back into this day in rock history: January 27
An in-flight emergency convinces Little Richard Penniman to enroll in Bible school and trade rock and roll for gospel. He joins the Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama while members of his band go on to work with James Brown and others. Richard eventually decides to return to pop music, but newer groups are getting all the attention. Jimi Hendrix plays a 1965 session with him on “I Don’t Know What You’ve Got, But It’s Got Me”.
The BBC’s Juke Box Jury features the up and coming Rolling Stones and it doesn’t go well. The British press sees them as impolite, even insulting a new Elvis Presley record, “There’s Gold in the Mountains” as “dated”. Keith Richards would later state, “”We didn’t give a shit…. We just trashed every record they played.”
An accidental explosion on the set of a Pepsi commercial shoot in LA featuring Michael Jackson sends him for emergency care to treat scalp and neck burns. He gets a $1.5 million settlement that donates to the hospital where he was treated. Have to warn you. This is some disturbing video.
One of the greats of the folk movement, both as a member of the Weavers, and a solo performer, 94-year old Pete Seeger dies of natural causes. Among, his many hits are “If I Had a Hammer”, “Turn, Turn, Turn”, and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”.
