Legend

Child In Time IAN GILLAN Celebrates His 80th Birthday Today

Posted on by JL

19 August 2025


Gillan, 2nd from the right

Singer IAN GILLAN was born in Chiswick, Middlesex, England
on 19 August 1945. Happy 80 to one of the greatest voices
ever in rock history.

He joined hard rock titans DEEP PURPLE in 1969 (they were named Episode Six
at that point) after being in several local bands. He left the band already in 1973,
after 5 LPs, to go solo with his own band and he also was the singer for Black Sabbath
for one year in 1983.

Gillan returned to the group in 1993, and has remained its lead singer ever since.

Many rock fans, certainly the fanatic ones, will remember him always for his jaw-dropping vocal tour de force on their 10-minute classic Child In Time from their notorious 1970 LP ‘Deep Purple In Rock‘. Watch/hear a spectacular live version above.

That classic – reworked instrumentally – is now part of the soundtrack for the fifth
season of American sf-horror series Stranger Things, which starts streaming on Netflix from November 26 onward. Listen to the new version below.


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JERRY GARCIA – Charismatic Frontman Of Illustrious Rock Crusaders GRATEFUL DEAD Passed Away Today 30 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

9 August 2025

San Francisco‘s illustrious rock crusaders GRATEFUL DEAD were unquestionably
one of the most important, famous and productive (5 albums between 1967 and
1970) American bands of the 60s/70s. Their eclectic mix of blues, jazz, folk, country, bluegrass, rock, gospel, reggae, and psychedelia fitted the counterculture of those
decades perfectly well. Overall they released 13 studio LPs and multiple live ones.
They went on to play until 1995.

Co-founder/frontman/guitarist/songwriter
JERRY GARCIA was the voice and face of
the Dead.

He passed away on 9 August 1995, today 30 years ago in a rehabilitation clinic
following a heart attack, likely due to diabetes and his poor diet. Garcia had long
struggled with diabetes, weight problems, sleep apnea, heavy smoking, and drug addiction, all of which contributed to his physical decline. RIP.

All Albums

Happy 80 SUNDAY GIRL

Posted on by JL

2 July 2025

Blondie icon DEBBIE HARRY was born,
named Angela Trimble in Miami, Florida
on 1 July 1945.

Happy 80 to the one and only Sunday Girl.

I know a girl from a lonely street
Cold as ice cream, but still as sweet
Dry your eyes, Sunday Girl

Hey, I saw your guy with a different girl
Looks like he’s in another world
Run and hide, Sunday Girl

Hurry up, hurry up and wait
I stay away all week and still I wait
I got the blues, please come see
What your lovin’ means to me

She can’t catch up with the working crowd
The weekend mood and she’s feeling proud
Live in dreams, Sunday Girl

Baby, I would like to go out tonight
If I go with you my folks will get uptight
Stay at home, Sunday Girl
(Ooh ooh ooh)

Happy 70 To THE CLASH Legend MICK JONES

Posted on by JL

26 June 2025

Michael Geoffrey Jones was born on 26 June 1955 in Wandsworth, London.

Happy 70 to The Clash guitar/voice/singwriter legend (1976-1983), who
started dance-orientated band BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE (1984-1997) a year
after Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon fired him.

– SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO –
He had to go in 1983


– RUSH –
With B.A.D

Story

Happy 80 To JOHN FOGERTY

Posted on by JL

28 May 2025

Singer-songwriter-guitarist JOHN FOGERTY
was born in Berkeley (CA) on 28 May 1945.

Happy 80 to the former chief of rock legends CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
(1959–1972 / 7 LPs). The band’s split-up was a nasty one with several legal suits of
CCR vs John Fogerty, lasting for years. Only recently he got the rights back for all
the songs he wrote.

Anyway, Fogerty started a successful solo career
(9 LPs so far) and still a one-man travellin’ band.

CCR

SOLO

JOHN FOGERTY: Bio – Discography – Instagram


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(Image on top: cover of his ’50 Year Trip’ album)

Happy 80 To American Rock Legend BOB SEGER

Posted on by JL

BOB SEGER was born named Robert Clark Seger on May 6, 1945 in Detroit.

Happy 80 to the American singer-songwriter legend who scored 17 albums in
his 58-year career (he retired in 2019). He started off as a member of local bands
The Decibels, The Town Criers and The Last Heard, went solo a couple of years, then
formed his own group The Bob Seger System , later (1974) replaced by The Silver
Bullet Band.

The raspy rock voice sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one
of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012.

Below, two of his timeless classics.

– MAINSTREET –

Goosebumps ballad from 1977 LP ‘Night Moves’

– OLD TIME ROCK AND ROLL –

Timeless firecracker written by George Jackson and Thomas E. Jones III,
and lyrics by Seger. It featured on his 1978 album ‘Stranger In Town’.

Short Bio – All Albums

Crazy Country Legend WILLIE NELSON Who Turns 92 Today Released His 77th Solo LP

Posted on by JL

29 April 2025

Country superstar WILLIE NELSON is a singular musical phenomenon.

Last Friday the Texas-born released his, yes, his 77th (!!) solo longplayer,
his 154th overall (including collaborations, soundtracks, and compilations)
with Oh What A Beautiful World. A longplayer featuring 12 vintage country
songs written by fellow celeb Rodney Crowell.


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And today he celebrates his 92th birthday. He was born in Abott, Texas
on 29 April 1933. A perfect occasion to play his countlessly covered 1961
pearl Crazy.

Nelson Story – Discography

PERE UBU’s Giant Mastermind DAVID THOMAS Passed Away At 71

Posted on by JL

24 April 2025

Florida-born, UK-based singer/songwriter/activist/rocker/poet/storyteller DAVID THOMAS,
best known as the mastermind of wayward alt-rock legends PERE UBU has passed away, following a long illness. He was 71.

The sad news was announced on the band’s socials.

Pere Ubu released 19 LPs between 1978 and 2023, with
Trouble On Big Beat Street as the most recent one.

With multiple amazing records, his revved-up live performances
and his giant presence, he will never be forgotten. R.I.P.

I saw Thomas and PU 7 years ago on one of their last tours, when they played a small
club in Diksmuide, Belgium. Already back then, physical problems nailed him to his chair the whole concert, but it didn’t stop him from deliver a kick out the jams performance.
You can read the review here


David Thomas & Pere Ubu – Diksmuide, Belgium – 1 June 2018 – photo by TUTV

23 April 1991 – New York Doll JOHNNY THUNDERS Passed Away This Day 34 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

23 April 2025

New York doll JOHNNY THUNDERS born John Anthony Genzale passed away today 34 years ago, on 23 April, due to a drug overdose. He was 39. His mother was of Italian descent, and his father was of Italian, Russian-Jewish, and German-Jewish ancestry.

Before he joined (1971) the glam and glitter gang New York Dolls, he had a couple bands of his own. He was a fanatic fan of Keith Richards. He copied his guitar style and his poses, while his sister styled his hair like Keef.

After 2 albums Johnny left to jump on the punk train and
formed The Heartbreakers with Richard Hell, who left soon.

Eventually, he started a solo career. He assembled a cast of ’70s punk and rock stars – Chrissie Hynde, Phil Lynott, Peter Perrett, Steve Marriott, and Sex Pistols‘ Paul Cook, and Steve Jones, among others – for his debut solo LP So Alone, released in 1978.

His masterstroke single You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory
was/is certainly his most memorable achievement.

Studio version

Live

Story – Discography