This Day in Music History: Janis Joplin is found dead, The Smiths make their live debut

1963 – A 17-year-old Eric Clapton makes his first appearance with The Yardbirds at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, England. He replaces their original guitarist Anthony “Top” Topham.

1963 – Dusty Springfield interviews The Beatles when they appear on the British TV show Ready, Steady, Go.

1968 – Cream begins their announced farewell tour with a performance at Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California.

1968 – The Beatles record “Martha My Dear.”

1969 – Creedence Clearwater Revival start a four week run at #1 on the US album chart with “Green River,” the group’s first US chart topper.

1970 – Janis Joplin is found dead at the Landmark Hotel in Los Angeles from an accidental heroin overdose shortly after she finished recording her sophomore solo album, Pearl. She was just 27.

1974 – Thin Lizzy debut their new two new guitar players, Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, at tonight’s concert in Wales.

1980 – Four members of Fleetwood Mac join the University of Southern California Country marching band at halftime of a football game to give them a platinum album for playing on their song “Tusk.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umjYHLt56kg

1982 – The Smiths make their live debut at the Ritz in Manchester, England, supporting Blue Rondo A La Turk.

1982 – Squeeze breaks up for the first time (they reunite in 1985, break up again in 1999, and reform once more in 2007).

1986 – Newsman Dan Rather is attacked by a man who hits him from behind and repeats the phrase, “Kenneth, what is the frequency,” prompting REM to write the song “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”

1996 – Van Halen announces that Gary Cherone, formerly of Extreme, would replace Sammy Hagar as singer of the band.

1997 – Farm Aid returns to Illinois for the first time since it started in 1985, selling out the New World Music Theater in Tinley Park. The performers, including The Dave Matthews Band and Beck, raise over $1 million for US farmers.

2006 – Barbra Streisand’s tour opener at Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center is the highest single event gross in the 10-year history of the arena, pulling in $5,265,600 from 16,510 attendants.

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