Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for January 29th

"In Memory Of..." -- a blues legend, a British psychedelic/prog-rocker, and an American punk icon...

1/29/1992 -Truly influential blues singer-guitarist-bassist-songwriter Willie Dixon died of heart failure, age 76. Along with Muddy Waters, Willie is recognized as the spiritual father of the post-World War II sound of the Chicago blues. One of the most prolific composers of the time -- "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Spoonful", "Little Red Rooster", "Little By Little", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", and more, were all covered at one time or another by The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Cream, Jeff Beck, Steppenwolf, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin -- thus making Willie the definitive/unbreakable link between blues and rock and roll. So many classic rock recordings are completely unimaginable without Willie having gotten there first: fact!

1/29/1947 - Born on this date, Uriah Heep lead vocalist-songwriter David Byron. Though they've been somewhat relegated to second-tier-cult-status, back in the early '70's, the Heep were considered one of the top hard/progressive rock bands of the time, right up there with Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. The "Demons And Wizards" album (1972) was their most successful release in the U.S.; outside of America, in Germany, Scandinavia, Russia, the Netherlands and Japan, Uriah Heep have sold over 40 million records! David Byron passed away from alcohol related complications on February 28, 1985; he was only 38 years old.

1/29/1952 - Born on this date, Thomas Erdelyi, better known by his stage name Tommy Ramone. Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was best known as the drummer for The Ramones for the first four years of the bands existence, which is generally acknowledged to be their most influential and creative artistic period. Variety said "Tommy's driving, high-energy drumming was the turbine that powered the leather-clad foursome's loud, antic sound". Amen. On July 11th, 2014, Tommy passed away at his home in Queens, New York, after battling bile-duct cancer; he was 65.

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"What they want, I don't know/They're all revved up and ready to go...", xoxo!