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Noteworthy Then

5/23/1969 The Who release Tommy

 

    

Released in the UK 5/23/1969, six days after its US release, the Who's Tommy is met with a combination of rave and dismissive reviews, many of the negative ones based on the opinion that an album revolving around a multi-handicapped boy was distasteful and exploitative.

 

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on May 23 include...

 

1963 Elmore James dies after suffering heart attack.    

1946 J. Geils Band bassist Danny Klein born.

1947 Electric Light Orchestra keyboard and horn player Bill Hunt born.

1966 The Doors do their first set at the Whiskey a Go-Go.

1967 Pink FLod records See Emily Play.

1970 Grateful Dead play UK for first concert overseas.

1971 Iron Butterfly breaks up.  

1972 San Francisco city council bans electric instruments in Golden Gate Park to block a Jefferson Airplane concert.

1974 George Harrison announces the formation of Dark Horse Records.

1975 Last Genesis concert with Peter Gabriel.  

1978 Bruce Springsteen opens Darkness on the Edge of Town tour in Buffalo.   

1979 Tom Petty declares bankruptcy in effort to resolve dispute with record company.

1979 KISS releases Dynasty.

1979 The Who's The Kids are Alright documentary debuts in New York City.

1987 Tom Johnston reunites with the Doobie Brothers for a veterans benefit.

1988 Kinks release The Road.

1990 Nick Mason of Pink Floyd marries Annette Lynton.

1995 Warren Zevon releases Mutineer. 

2006 Def Leppard eases Yeah, covers CD.

2007 Paul Simon honored with the Gershwin Award by the Library of Congress.

2009 A roof collapse forces cancellationof a.38 Special concert.