Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for March 20th

T. Rex near the end... -- Joan totally takes over... -- Birthday for the last surviving member of this Seventies super-group...

3/20/1977 (43 years ago today) - T. Rex played what was to be their last live concert gig at The Locarno in Portsmouth, England -- A sad ending for a revered and influential British rocker: just four years earlier, Marc Bolan's popularity in England matched that of The Beatles (while he was breezily outselling both Jimi Hendrix and The Who) followed, inevitably, by the downward spiral and a lackluster stretch of unsuccessful somewhat experimental LP's. By the spring of '77 (again, inevitably), T. Rex began the comeback: his just-released "Dandy In The Underworld" was met with critical acclaim and the current tour was getting positive reviews. In September, the car Bolan's girlfriend was driving crashed into a tree; she was severely injured, but Marc was killed in the accident, two weeks before his 30th birthday.

3/20/1982 (38 years ago today) - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts start a seven week run at No. 1 with "I Love Rock And Roll" -- The track was her defining moment and big-time breakthrough and (no shame here whatsoever) showcased Joan's quite underrated talent for taking material and making it sound like hers and hers alone (it's what real rock fans do) -- The single was originally done by U.K. outfit The Arrows back in 1975, which is kinda strange to listen to, but also kinda fun anyway:

3/20/1951 - Happy Birthday to master percussionist Carl Palmer, 69 years old today -- Played with Atomic Rooster and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown before forming one of the 1970's most insanely successful bands with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake -- Still though, it must be a little heart-breaking to be the lone remaining member from one of rock's all-time legendary outfits...

Share your whatcha-got's with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"The beat was goin' strong/Playin' my favorite song...", xoxo!