Musical Facts
In 1958 Fan’s of rock and roll music were warned that tuning into music on the car radio could cost you more money. Researchers from the Esso gas company said the rhythm of rock and roll can cause the driver to be foot heavy on the pedal, making them waste fuel.
The band Wild Cherry, who had a number one disco hit with "Play That Funky Music" in 1976, took their name from a box of cough drops
Hendrix claimed 'Purple Haze' was inspired by a dream where he was walking under the sea. In the dream, he said a purple haze surrounded him, engulfed him and got him lost. It was a traumatic experience, but in his dream his faith in Jesus saved him. At one point, Hendrix wrote the chorus as "Purple Haze, Jesus Saves," but decided against it.
In 1961 Britains' BBC Radio banned the song "100 Pounds of Clay" by Gene McDaniels because it has a reference to women being created from building materials, which the network considered to be blasphemous!
At the same time that Ringo Starr received an offer from Brian Epstein to join the Beatles, he was also asked to join another Liverpool group called Kingsize Taylor and The Dominoes. Ringo chose the one offering the best wage ... 25 pounds a week!
Frank Sinatra once called Rock and Roll "The most brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious form of expression it has been my displeasure to hear."
During a gig at a David Bowie Ziggy Stardust tour in Glasgow Scotland. 6 fans, who arrived at the venue in wheel chairs, amazingly sprang to their feet as David and group took the stage!
Led Zeppelin played Staiway To Heaven for the first time in Belfast on March 5, 1971. John Paul Jones said the audience was not impressed. They wanted to hear something they liked - like "Whole Lotta Love."
On his debut album 'For You' Prince played 27 different instruments.
The Animals 1964 single 'House Of The Rising Sun' was the first Number 1 to have a playing time of more than four minutes
Keith Richards favourite drink is called 'Nuclear Waste'. Vodka with orange, Fanta and cranberry juice
I Fought The Law' a hit for The Clash was written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly's Crickets
A concert promoter in Hawaii sold a thousand tickets to a Spice Girls concert. Unfortunately the concert was never scheduled. The man was arrested and told police he needed the money for a nose job and a sex change
In Sept 1974 Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones entered a Swiss Clinic to have his blood cleaned [in a form of dialysis] to get him off heroine quickly, to complete a European tour.
Elvis Presley made only one television commercial, an ad for "Southern Maid Doughnuts" that ran in 1954
A concert promoter in Hawaii sold a thousand tickets to a Spice Girls concert. Unfortunately the concert was never scheduled. The man was arrested and told police he needed the money for a nose job and a sex change
Bryan Adams took a picture of The Queen of England that was used on a Canadian stamp
Country singer Waylon Jennings was a guitar player in Buddy Holly's backup band. He gave up his plane seat to J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) just moments before it took off. The plane crashed, killing all on board, including Buddy Holly.
While playing in front of a large lake at the Crystal Palace Bowl in London in 1970, Pink Floyd played so loud, a number of fish were killed
In 1996, Ringo Starr appeared in a Japanese advertisement for apple sauce, which coincidentally is what "Ringo" means in Japanese
Millie Small's 1964 hit, "My Boy Lollipop" features a very young Rod Stewart on harmonica.
Throughout their career, Ringo received far more fan mail than any of the other Beatles.
The first record to sell a million copies was "Chattanooga Cho-Cho" by The Glen Miller Orchestra in 1942
Despite all of the hits that they've had, The Who have never had a number one record in the UK or the US
The Everly Brothers world hit "Bye Bye Love," was rejected by 30 labels before Cadence Records picked it up
Among those who sang the chorus of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" were Marianne Faithful, Graham Nash, Jane Asher, Patti Boyd, Keith Moon and Mick Jagger.
Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson once had a giant sandbox built around his piano, so he could feel the sand beneath his feet for song writing inspiration.
Gene Simmons of Kiss has a tongue that is seven inches long, two inches longer than most men
Steppenwolf's lead singer, John Kay , made a perilous midnight escape from post-war East Germany when he was a child.
The first CD pressed in the United States for commercial release was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."
At age 47, the Rolling Stones' bassist, Bill Wyman, began a relationship with 13-year old Mandy Smith, with her mother's blessing. Six years later, they were married, but the union only lasted seventeen months. Not long after, Bill's 30-year-old son Stephen married Mandy's mother, age 46. That made Stephen a stepfather to his former stepmother, Mandy.
Chuck Berry holds a degree in cosmetology.
Roy Orbison's trademark look came about when he misplaced his regular glasses and had to rely on a pair of prescription sun-glasses. His management liked the mysterious look it gave him and soon, they were the only ones he wore.
Jimi Hendrix was thrown out of high school for holding the hand of a white girl in class.
Even though he has recorded some of the most memorable rock and roll classics, the only gold record that Chuck Berry ever received was for "My Ding-a-ling".
The original Eagles, Glen Frey, Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon first met when they were members of Linda Ronstadt's backup band
When Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" finally fell off of Billboard's Hot 200 Album list in October 1988, it had set a record of 741 weeks on the chart
'Billie Jean' by Michael Jackson was the first video to air on MTV by a black artist
"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" the 1960 hit for Elvis Presley was written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926 as a vaudeville recitation and first recorded by Al Jolson.
EMI stands for Electrical & Musical Instruments
When John Lennon divorced Julian Lennon's mother Cynthia, Paul McCartney composed the song "Hey Jude," to cheer Julian up.
Over 400 musicians applied for a part in The Monkees, including Stephen Stills, John Sebastian and Harry Nilsson
Sonny and Cher were initially known as Caesar and Cleo.
Andy Warhol created the Rolling Stone's emblem depicting the big tongue. It first appeared on the cover of the 'Sticky Fingers' album
The Beatles song "Dear Prudence" was written about Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence, when she wouldn't come out and play with Mia and the Beatles at a religious retreat in India

 

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