Today in Acoustic-Rock History

1967 – The Monterey Pop Festival begins in Monterey, California. Over three days, 50,000 attendees will see the first major appearances of Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Janis Joplin. Also performing are The Byrds, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Buffalo Springfield.

1968 – The Fillmore West holds a benefit concert for another San Francisco venue, The Matrix Club. Entertainment is provided by Santana and The Steve Miller Band.

1977 – “Beatlemania,” a revue based on Lennon/McCartney songs and starring four Beatle look-alikes, opens on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater. It runs for 1006 performances before moving to two other venues.

1982 – Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman Scott dies of a drug overdose in his sleep in London. He was 25.

1986 – ELP reforms (with Cozy Powell on drums to replace Carl Palmer) and releases “Emerson, Lake & Powell” which reaches #23 in the U.S.

BIRTHDAY:

Peter Lewis (Moby Grape) 1945

Ian Matthews 1946

Steve Walsh (Kansas) 1951