This Day in Music History: Steely Dan releases Aja, Bob Marley plays his final show

1952 – Hank Williams has his last recording session.

1956 – Micky Dolenz of The Monkees begins his television career as a child actor on the premiere of NBC’s Circus Boy.

1968 – The Beatles begin work a new John Lennon song, then called “Happiness Is A Warm Gun In Your Hand.” Jim Morrison comes to visit the band in the studio and watches them recording.

1969 – The Northern Star newspaper of Northern Illinois University runs a story claiming that Paul McCartney had been killed in a car crash in 1966 and had been replaced by a look-a-like. Russell Gibb of WKNR-FM in Detroit picks up the claim and the story goes worldwide. By late October 1969, the hoax is so well entrenched that McCartney comes out of seclusion at his Scottish farm to deny the story. When McCartney is asked to comment by a reporter visiting Macca’s farm, he replies, “Do I look dead? I’m as fit as a fiddle!”

1974 – John Lennon records “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” at the Record Plant in New York City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOL6ajGmq_o

1975 – For the first time, Bruce Springsteen plays a medley of Little Richard songs in the style of Mitch Ryder to close out a show. This so-called “Detroit Medley” becomes a regular part of his show for about 10 years.

1977 – The Rolling Stones release Love You Live.

1977 – Steely Dan releases Aja.

1980 – Bob Marley, suffering from cancer, performs for the final time. “Redemption Song” is the last song he plays before he collapses on stage in Pittsburgh, and the rest of the tour is canceled because of his ill health.

1996 – Agnetha Faltskog of ABBA publishes her biography, As I Am.

1997 – The Rolling Stones release Bridges To Babylon.

Information for this post was gathered from This Day in Music, The Music History Calendar, On This Day, and Wikipedia.