Today in Acoustic-Rock History

1972 – James Taylor and Carly Simon are married by a judge in Simon’s Manhattan apartment. Later that night, Taylor announces the news at his Radio City Music Hall concert and confides:
“I don’t know whether to be more nervous about the concert or the marriage.” Carly takes a bow onstage with her new hubby after the encore.

1976 – The country-rock band Firefall earns a gold record for their self-titled debut album.

1977 – During a concert at the Empire Pool in London, Elton John announces he is retiring from live performances. He’ll be good to his word for only 15 months. On February 3, 1979, he will resume touring with a concert in Sweden.

1988 – U2’s concert movie “Rattle And Hum” opens.

1988 – “American Dream,” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, is released. Recorded at Neil Young’s California ranch studio, it is only the second studio album by the CSNY foursome, appearing 18 years after “Deja Vu.”

1991 – More than 300,000 people attend a free concert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in memory of rock promoter Bill Graham. Among the acts performing are Grateful Dead, CSNY, Joan Baez and Santana.

1992 – Grateful Dead announces that, for the first time, they will not play a New Year’s Eve concert in San Francisco, breaking a long- standing tradition.

1998 – “The John Lennon Anthology,” a four-CD box set of unreleased songs and performances, is released.

2005 – Eric Clapton is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Princess Anne.

BIRTHDAY:

Bert Jansch (Pentangle) 1943