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Noteworthy Then

2-27-1954 Journey's Neal Schon born

 

 

Happy birthday to Guitar wizard Neal Schon, born on this day in 1954 to musical parents at Tinker Air Force Base near Oklahoma City.  His father 's favorite instrument was the tenor saxophone, but he knew his way around every reed instrument, and was also a gifted composer and arranger.  Neal's mother was a big band singer. Their son started playing guitar at the age of ten and, at just 17, wowed Carlos Santana so much that he landed a spot in Santana. After two albums with Carlos, Neal and Gregg Rolie co-founded Journey in 1973.  He is the only original member still in that group, but has done stints in Bad English, the group that included Journey bandmates Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronova, and done projects with Sammy Hagar and Jan Hammer.

 

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on February 27 include...

1951 Cockney Rebel's Steve Harley is born.

1960 Johnny Van Zant is born.

1967 Pink Floyd records Arnold Layne.

1970 Jefferson Airplane fined $1,000 for profanity during an Oklahoma City concert.

1976 A Respiratory infection lands Mick Jagger in the hospital.

1977 Robert Plant's case of tonsillitis forces Led Zeppelin to cancel opening night of tour.

1977 Authorities arrest Keith Richards on cocaine and heroin possession charges at Toronto's Harbor Castle Hotel.

1980 Jake Clemons of The E Street Band is born.

1992 David Bowie attends actress Elizabeth Taylor’s 60th birthday party at Disneyland. 

1996 Jackson Browne releases Looking East. 

1996 Eddie Vedder walks out on David Letterman when the host starts singing the Pearl Jam song Black during his interview. 

1997 35 injured when a sound tower collapses during a Deep Purple concert in Chile.

1998 U2 does at tribute to Michael Hutchence of INXS during Sydney, Australia concert. 

2001 Carlos Santana statue gets unveiled in the guitarist’s hometown of Autlan, Mexico.

2003 Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gary Rossington undergoes emergency heart surgery.

2009 U2 does a four song set on roof of the BBC broadcast building in London.