Nowadays Olive Can't Even Write

Today we remember Rolling Stones founder and multi-instrumentalist Brian Lewis Hopkin Jones on the 54th anniversary of his death. Source: Morgan Media Partners/Ed Caraeff Jones, who had already established himself as a blues musician at the time, posted an advertisement in the May 2nd, 1962 edition of Jazz News looking for musicians to audition for an R&B group. Pianist Ian Stewart was the first to respond (and was a member of the band until his removal in 1963) and Mick Jagger followed soon after, bringing his childhood friend Keith Richards to rehearsals, where he joined as well. The three members shared a flat for a year, and recruited bassist Bill Wyman due to the fact that he always had cigarettes as well as a spare VOX AC30 guitar amp. In January of 1963, the four stones had convinced drummer Charlie Watts to join. It was at that moment that a significant piece of rock history was truly born. In the band's early days, Jones proved to not only be a gifted multi-instrumenta...

While today marks what would have been the 80th birthday of former Beatle George Harrison, it also marks the 8th birthday of the George Harrison tree's replacement, which couldn't have been needed for a more amusing reason. Source: Anna Pantoliano The original tree, which was a Canary Island pine, was planted on Harrison's birthday a few months after his death on this day in 2002. It managed to survive until 2014, when it was eaten by beetles. Ceremony organizer Paula Greenfield blames California's long-standing drought for the infestation, adding  “It’s because of the drought that beetles are able to get into the trees to begin with. I’ve had neighbors who’ve lost trees during this drought — when they take them down they’re totally hollowed out.” The replacement tree was planted the following year on what would have been his 72nd birthday. In order to avoid this one having the same ironic fate as the first tree, a yew pine was chosen instead. Less likely to be eaten b...

Today we remember former Monkees bassist and multi-instrumentalist Peter Tork on the 4th anniversary of his death. Source: Michael Ochs Archives On March 3rd, 2009, he had announced on his official website that he had been diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a cancer of the head and neck. He writes: "It's a bad news/good news situation. It's so rare a combination (on the tongue) that there isn't a lot of experience among the medical community about this particular combination. On the other hand, the type of cancer it is, never mind the location, is somewhat well known, and the prognosis, I'm told, is good." He began radiation therapy the following day in New York City, and all seemed well until June 11th, when a spokesperson for Tork reported that the cancer had returned. He was reportedly given an 80% chance of shrinking and containing the tumor, and underwent surgery soon after. Post-recovery, he had an interview with the Washington Post where he stated...

On February 20th, 1959, a 16-year-old Jimi Hendrix made his stage debut at the Temple De Hirsch Sinai synagogue in his hometown of Seattle, Washington. Source: Morgan Media Partners/Ed Caraeff Playing with an unnamed band at the time, he was supposed to perform pop songs that were, by the sounds of it, supposed to be easier to play. There wasn't a need for flashy solos, but Hendrix had already gained much of the skill he would eventually become known for and couldn't really help himself. His bandmates, however, seemed to still be in the brunt of their learning, and just wanted to play without messing up.  His first gig turned out to be rather short-lived, as he was fired in the middle of the band's set due to the fact that they thought he was trying to show off. But despite the sudden setback, that night was enough for Hendrix to know for sure that he had found his calling as a musician and performer.  If that doesn't scream "Guitar master in the making", I do...

Hey, readers! After a nasty bout with the flu, I am now back with another list. Nothing new today, but there are a couple of interesting anniversaries. Check them out below! The Monkees Announce Decision to Drop Session Musicians (1967) Source: Keystone Features/Getty Images Rather than using session musicians, The Monkees decided they would use their own recordings from this point forward. They had been wanting a chance to record their own written material for some time, but were not initially given a chance. The Beatles Release Double A-Side Single "Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane" (1967) The Beatles released the John Lennon-penned " Strawberry Fields Forever " and the Paul McCartney-penned " Penny Lane ", which served as a turning point from their usual poppy sound to a more psychedelic sound, as well as a sort of ode to both members' childhoods. " Strawberry Fields Forever " is also my all-time favorite Beatles song. Elec...

 February 7 carries a fair amount of news with it, mainly based around birthdays and important anniversaries. Check them out here! The Beatles Release "Please Please Me"  in the US (1963) & Arrive in the US for the First Time (1964) Source: @FlyPanAm on Twitter "Please Please Me"  became the first Beatles single to be released to the US a month after its UK counterpart. It had been rejected by various American record companies before being picked up by Vee-Jay Records.  The following year, The Beatles made their first appearance in the States. Their flight, Pan Am flight 101, was greeted by over 5,000 fans as it arrived at JFK Airport in Queens, New York. The Stooges Release Raw Power (1973) Raw Power  was the Stooges' third studio album, which contains one of their most well-known songs, "Search and Destroy" . Although it was originally mixed by vocalist Iggy Pop, it had to be remixed by David Bowie due to Pop's lack of regard for overall qual...

Today brings lots of news, mostly in the form of birthdays and music releases, with a couple of other interesting bits. Check them out below! The Rolling Stones Releases "19th Nervous Breakdown"  (1966) "19th Nervous Breakdown", which was penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards during a US tour spanning from October to December, reached no.2 on both the US and UK charts and topped the NME charts. It was the 5th best-selling single in the UK that year. Fleetwood Mac Releases hit single  "Rhiannon"  (1976) and album  Rumours ( 1977) "Rhiannon" was  based off of a novel called Triad by Mary Bartlet Leader. The main character, Branwen, becomes possessed by a another woman known as Rhiannon. The following year, Rumours was released on the same day, boasting hit singles such as "Go Your Own Way" , "Don't Stop" , and "You Make Loving Fun ". Karen Carpenter Passes Away at Age 32 (1983) Source: Tim Graham/Getty Images F...

 On February 1, 2008, US space agency NASA announced its decision to beam the Beatles' " Across the Universe " into space. It was the first song to be used as such.  Source: Harper Collins/Press Association The song was to be aimed at the North Star, Polaris, 431 light-years away as a means to celebrate the song's 40th anniversary. It was officially beamed on the 4th through the deep space network, which is a series of giant radio antennas used to support spacecraft missions. Paul McCartney wrote to the space agency, stating: "Amazing! Well done, NASA. Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul." Yoko Ono also added a statement. "I see that this is the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe." As a result of the event, fans have dubbed February 4 as Across the Universe Day. If you would like to read more on the event, you can check it out on NASA's website here . Happy listening!