On June 6, 2006, William Everett “Billy” Preston, died aged 59. He was musician (keyboards, Hammond organ), Grammy-winning artist, recorded and performed with some of the greatest names in the modern music history, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan. Preston also had a successful solo career, his best known songs include “That’s the way God planned it”, “Outa-Space”, “Will it go round in circles”, “Space Race”, and “Nothing from nothing”.
Tag Archives: Bob Dylan
Phil Ramone
On March 30, 2013, Phillip “Phil” Ramone died aged 79. He was musician (violin), recording engineer, producer, and composer, in 1958, together with Jack Arnold he founded the recording studio “A & R Recording, Inc.” later became record company. Ramone is regarded as one of the most successful music producers ever, with 14 “Grammy” awards and cooperation with names such as Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Elton John and Paul McCartney. He is also known as producer of the first major commercial release on CD, Billy Joel’s 1982 album “52nd Street”.
Lightnin’ Hopkins
On January 30, 1982, Sam John Hopkins aka Lightnin’ Hopkins died aged 70. He was musician (guitar, piano), singer and songwriter, influenced many famous musicians such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix.
Willie Dixon
On January 29, 1992, William James “Willie” Dixon died aged 72. He was musician (guitar), singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, “Grammy Award” winner ,next to Muddy Waters recognized as the most influential person in shaping the post-World War II sound of the Chicago blues. His songs were recorded by countless number of musicians such as Bob Dylan, Cream, Jeff Beck, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Some of his best known songs are “Hoochie Coochie Man”, “I Just Want to Make Love to You”, “Little Red Rooster”, “My Babe”, “Spoonful”, and “You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover”.
We Are the World
On January 28, 1985, the song “We Are the World” was recorded in the “A&M” studios in LA. The USA response to the UK Band Aid’s “Do they know it’s Christmas” was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World. The single was released on March 7, 1985 on “Columbia” label and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
The following singers, musicians and celebrities took part in the song:
- Lionel Richie
- Stevie Wonder
- Paul Simon
- Kenny Rogers
- James Ingram
- Tina Turner
- Billy Joel
- Michael Jackson
- Diana Ross
- Dionne Warwick
- Willie Nelson
- Al Jarreau
- Bruce Springsteen
- Kenny Loggins
- Steve Perry
- Daryl Hall
- Huey Lewis
- Cyndi Lauper
- Kim Carnes
- Bob Dylan
- Ray Charles
- Dan Aykroyd
- Harry Belafonte
- Lindsey Buckingham
- Mario Cipollina
- Johnny Colla
- Sheila E.
- Bob Geldof
- David Paich
- Michael Boddicker
- Paulinho da Costa
- Louis Johnson
- Michael Omartian
- Greg Phillinganes
- John Robinson
Ian McLagan
On December 3, 2014, Ian McLagan died aged 69. He was musician (keyboards), member of The Small Faces and the Faces, and has performed with Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Izzy Stradlin, Paul Westerberg, Billy Bragg and Nick Lowe.
Rolling Stone Magazine First Number
On November 9, 1967, the first issue of “Rolling Stone” magazine was published in San Francisco. The name of the magazine have been created from three sources: the Muddy Waters song, the first rock ‘n’ roll record by Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. The magazine was founded by Jann Wenner, who is still the magazine’s editor-in-chief, and music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine became popular for its musical coverage and for political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. The first issue cover featured a photo of John Lennon, dressed in army fatigues from his recent movie “How I Won the War”.
The Concert for Bangladesh
“The Concert for Bangladesh” were actually two benefit concerts organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, held at 2.30 and 8 pm on Sunday, August 1, 1971, playing to a total of 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The shows were organized to raise international awareness and fund relief efforts for refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related Bangladesh atrocities. The concerts were followed by a live album, a boxed three-record set, and “Apple Films” concert documentary, which opened in cinemas in the spring of 1972. The event was the first-ever benefit concert of such a magnitude and featured a supergroup of performers that included Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and the Badfinger. In addition, Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan – both of whom had ancestral roots in Bangladesh – performed an opening set of Indian classical music. Decades later, Shankar would say of the overwhelming success of the event: “In one day, the whole world knew the name of Bangladesh. It was a fantastic occasion”.
The concerts raised close to US$250,000 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. Although the project was subsequently marred by financial problems – a result of the pioneering nature of the venture – the “Concert for Bangladesh” is recognized as a highly successful and influential humanitarian aid project, generating both awareness and considerable funds as well as providing valuable lessons and inspiration for projects that followed, notably Live Aid. By 1985, through revenue raised from the “Concert for Bangladesh” live album and film, an estimated $12 million had been sent to Bangladesh in relief. Sales of the live album and DVD release of the film continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
Bob Dylan: Like a Rolling Stone
On June 16, 1965, Bob Dylan recorded “Like A Rolling Stone” at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City, in the sessions for the forthcoming “Highway 61 Revisited” album.
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