Today in music history, 1945: Bob Marley was born in Nine Mile, Jamaica. He was a founding member of the Wailers, formed in 1963, enjoyed a successful solo career, and introduced reggae music to the world. Marley was a faithful Rastafari and frequently referred to his faith in his music.
We remember his legacy with an earlier recording of a popular anthem:
Today in music history, 1959: J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens perished in a plane crash after leaving Clear Lake, Iowa. Holly had chartered a plane after the heating system of the Winter Dance Party Tour bus failed. Waylon Jennings, who was touring with Holly, gave his seat to The Big Bopper, who was running a fever. Tommy Allsup, another of Holly’s touring mates, lost a coin toss to Valens.
We remember the fantastic music that these men left for us.
Happy Birthday to American musician DJ Muggs, b. 1968. He is best known as the DJ for the Los Angeles based hip hop group Cypress Hill and as the leader of the musical collective Soul Assassins. DJ Muggs has produced music for over sixty artists including Beastie Boys, Janet Jackson, and Pearl Jam.
Celebrate his birthday with a remix produced by DJ Muggs, U2’s “Numb.”
Q: I tell my son to practice piano, but he says that he doesn’t know what to do. I feel like I’m wasting my money because he’s playing piano only during his lessons. Why does the teacher assign him work that he doesn’t understand?
A: Most likely, if his piano teacher assigned him a piece for practice during the week, then it is because he demonstrated that he understood the material. Toward the end of a lesson, after the child has warmed up and gone through his previous pieces, he’s receptive to learning.
If he claims not to remember how to play, ask him to play old pieces. “Play whatever you like, what you enjoy.” This should be enough as a warm up and will trigger his memory of the new piece.
If he still is having trouble with his new piece, just ask him to practice the old pieces. Most teachers go over old pieces anyway. Fewer minutes of the lesson will be spent in reviewing these if he is prepared to play each perfectly.
Mrs. Marie Sleppy is a professional piano instructor and plays piano weekly for a church.
Happy Birthday to English musician Petula Clark, b. 1932, best known for her single that charted number one on Billboard, “Downtown.” For over seventy years, she has worked in the radio, television, film, and theater industries.
Today in music history, 1854: John Phillips Sousa was born in Washington, D.C. and is best known for his American military and patriotic marches. Sousa enlisted into the United States Marine Band, later formed his own band, and eventually, developed the sousaphone. He wrote 136 marches and several operettas.
Celebrate the anniversary of his birth with the official National March of the United States of America, “Stars and Stripes Forever“:
Happy birthday to Adam Ant , b. 1954, best known as lead singer of British post-punk band and Grammy nominated Adam and the Ants.
Happy Birthday to Larry Mullen, Jr. , born 1961, best known as drummer for Irish group U2 . He has collaborated with many other artists such as Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Mullen has won 22 Grammy awards.
Enjoy this single from U2’s 1981 album October :
Happy Birthday to American musician Chuck Berry, b. 1926, best known for his Duck Walk. He helped lay the foundation of what came to be rock and roll. Berry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, one of the first musicians to have the honor.
Celebrate his birthday with a song that Rolling Stone magazine calls “the ultimate rock & roll call to arms, declaring a new era.”
Happy Birthday to Jamaican musician Ziggy Marley, b. 1968, best known as lead singer for the group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. He has won five Grammy awards and is a supporter of the Little Kids Rock program, which brings popular musical instruments to public schools in low-income neighborhoods across the United States.
Celebrate his birthday with the opening theme of WGBH’s Arthur, recorded by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers in 1996:
