Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for January 11th

Today you got Hendrix' big dream hit, a big '80's Fest (like, really big), and then there's The Big Man's b'day...

1/11/1967 (52 years ago today) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded "Purple Haze" in London -- Jimi claimed the song was inspired by a dream he had in which he was "walking under the sea" -- In concert, as a bit of a joke, sometimes Jimi would sing "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy" while gesturing towards drummer Mitch Mitchell. A little over half-a-century(!) later, there's still no other song that quite sounds like this, along with another sound: a million guitar players deciding to simply give up, (astutely) determining "What's the point?"...

1/11/1985 (34 years ago today) - At the time, it was thought to be the "biggest ever of its kind": 1.5 million attend the very first "Rock In Rio" Festival held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil --  On this opening night of a very ambitious ten-day event, Queen were the headliners, with Iron Maiden and Whitesnake as warm-ups (The co-sponsoring McDonald's food stations set a Guinness World Record by selling over 58,000 hamburgers in this one day) --  Over the next nine nights, bill-toppers included James Taylor w/George Benson, Rod Stewart and The Go-Go's, AC/DC w/Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne and Yes...

1/11/1942 - Born on this date, Clarence Clemons, saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band (starting in 1972) and a larger-than-life rock foil if ever there was one (almost 6-1/2 feet tall!) -- Also had hits with Jackson Browne ("You're A Friend Of Mine"), Aretha Franklin ("Freeway Of Love"), Lady GaGa ("The Edge Of Glory"), and acted in films and TV, including Martin Scorsese's "New York, New York" (with Robert DeNiro and Liza MInnelli), "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" (also featuring George Carlin!), The Simpsons, Diff'rent Strokes and The Wire -- On June 18, 2011, Clarence passed away from complications caused by a stroke (New Jersey's state flags were lowered to half staff in his honor); he was 69 years old.

Share your prayers with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band/From the coastline to the city, all the little pretties raised their hands...", xoxo!