Judge throws out lawsuit against loud rock music
2003
Jeffrey Powell, a personal injury lawyer filed a $5 million lawsuit against former Creedence Clearwater Rival singer John Forgery alleging that he had suffered hearing loss in his left ear from attending one of his concerts in 1997 that featured ‘unreasonably loud’ rock music.
Unfortunately for the lawyer, the Supreme Country judge presiding in the Manhattan court threw out Powell’s complaint citing that loud rock music was "perfectly obvious" and "commonly appreciated."
Floyd’s David Gilmour supports cause to provide music for inmates
2014
Pink Floyd frontal David Gilmour joined forces with Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien and Johnny Marr of the Smiths, to support an initiative spearheaded by English singer and activist Billy Bragg and American musician Wayne Kramer, to provide musical instruments for the rehabilitation of prison inmates.
Gilmour signed an open letter petition that was published by The Guardian newspaper to support Brag’s 2007 "independent initiative" called Jail Guitar Doors, inspired by a song of the same name recorded by Punk band, The Clash.
Fans go crazy for Prince's Music as it swarms the charts
2016
Following his shock death in April fans rushed to buys his albums sending 15 of them into the UK charts. Six were in the top 40 with The Very Best Of Prince, Ultimate and Purple Rain residing at two, three and four.
Prince’s music was unavailable on most streaming services and download distributors with fans having to buy them either on vinyl or compact disc.
His music appealed to a whole generation of fans because it incorporated elements of different styles including funk, R&B, Latin, rock, new wave, classical, soul, synth-pop, psychedelia, pop, jazz, and hip hop.
His discography consists of 39 studio albums (including four soundtrack albums), four live albums and nine compilation albums.
April 29: Born This Day, That Year in Music History
The arrival of the Duke
1899
American composer, bandleader, pianist Edward Kenney Ellington, aka Duke Ellington, one of the most influential jazz musicians to have ever lived.
Ellington, who has written over 1,000 compositions in his lifetime has worked with some of the giants of Jazz including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday.
Ellington preferred to describe his composition as Negro Music and American Music as opposed to the popular term for the genre, jazz.
After the Great ‘economic ‘Depression that ravaged America during the 1930s, Ellington and his band began a world tour that lasted almost half a century.
Instead of using the term "jazz," Ellington preferred to call his genre of music by Negro Music and American Music,
He died on May 24, 1974 from lung cancer and pneumonia, a few weeks after his 75th birthday.
A high-school drop-out Ellington was given a posthumous Pulitzer Prize Special Award for music in 1999.
He was also honoured in 1960 with a Hollywood Walk of Fame a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1966), a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US (1969) the Legion of Honor by France, its highest civilian honors. (1973) and an Honorary PhD from the Berklee College of Music(1971).
In 1986 a United States commemorative stamp was issued with Ellington's image.
Willie Nelson the iconic singer with the vintage Martin Guitar
1933
Legendary Country singer Willie Nelson discovered late in life that he was actually born on April 29, although doctors had wrongly recorded his date of birth as April 30. He was actually born just before midnight.
The Texas native, who has recorded 100s of hit songs over six decades including “On the Road Again” and the classic “Crazy”, has acted in over 30 films, cheerfully celebrates his birthday on both days.
A committed activist and prior to global events like Live Aid, Nelson teamed up with singers Neil Young and John Mellencamp to create to create Farm Aid in 1985, a concert to support and increase awareness of family farms.
Nelson is always seen playing a Martin Classical N-21 guitar, which he calls ‘Tiger’ after a horse ridden by American singer, actor, Roy Rogers, since 1969. The guitar has been signed by friends, family, lawyers, and the late country legend Johnny Cash. Nelson reportedly goes to the same shop in Austin, Texas, should the guitar require any repairs.
An avid horse lover, he owns a 700-acre farm where he cares for over 70 horses, many of which have been rescored.