Pick a Day

13 SEPTEMBER

In Music History

1990 Eddie Vedder does some surfing, writes some lyrics, and adds his vocals to three instrumental tracks recorded by the guys he would later join in Pearl Jam. The songs become "Alive," "Once" and "Footsteps."

1988 N.W.A founder Eazy-E releases his debut solo album, Eazy-Duz-It.

1986 The Communards hit #1 in the UK with their cover of "Don't Leave Me This Way," an American #1 for Thelma Houston in 1977. Their version becomes the top-selling UK single of 1986.

1984 Patti LaBelle makes her feature-film debut in the Norman Jewison drama A Soldier's Story, a WWII-era mystery about the murder of a Black sergeant near a segregated Army base in Louisiana. For her role as blues singer Big Mary, LaBelle wrote and performed the tune "Pourin' Whiskey Blues."

1980 The TV series Solid Gold premieres. Like its genre-mates American Bandstand and Soul Train, the show consists of Top-40 music (mostly recorded) in a studio with a dance stage and floor. A feature of the show is a specialty crew of "Solid Gold dancers" who bump and grind to the tunes. Dionne Warwick is the host for the first season, but the show rotates through numerous hosts during its course. The show runs almost eight seasons before discontinuing in 1988.

1979 ABBA starts their first and only tour of North America with a show at the Edmonton Sports Arena.

1977 Fiona Apple is born in Manhattan to singer Diane McAfee and actor Brandon Maggart.More

1976 Bob Dylan releases Hard Rain.

1976 Lynyrd Skynyrd release their first live album, One More from the Road. It's the only live album the band releases before a 1977 plane wreak ends the original lineup and puts the band out of commission entirely for fourteen years.

1975 The Isley Brothers' LP The Heat Is On hits #1.

1975 Janis Ian's "At Seventeen," a song about dealing with unrealistic standards of beauty (not typical hit song material at the time), peaks at #3 on the Hot 100 for the first of two weeks.

1973 The New York Dolls perform "Trash" and "Personality Crisis" on The Midnight Special television program.

1971 Deep Purple write "Highway Star" on the way to show in Portsmouth, UK, where they play it that night.

1971 Paul McCartney and wife Linda welcome a daughter: Stella Nina McCartney. Stella, who will grow up to be a fashion designer, joins older sister Mary and half-sister Heather (Linda's daughter from a previous marriage).

1969 John Lennon introduces the Plastic Ono Band at the Rock and Roll Revival Show in Toronto. The set is later released as the Live Peace In Toronto 1969 album. Basically a supergroup with revolving members headed by John and Yoko, they are credited for the single "Give Peace A Chance."