January 6, 1976 – Peter Frampton releases one of the biggest double live albums in history, Frampton Comes Alive! The album goes on to sell over 11 million copies in the U.S.
January 6, 1993 – Bill Wyman formally exits the Rolling Stones after 31 years. He is replaced on the road by touring bassist Darryl Jones.
January 6, 2001 – Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour wins the right to his “dot com” name. David took legal action in his battle to reclaim davidgilmour.com from a man who had registered the URL and was selling Pink Floyd merchandise through the site.
January 6, 1958 – Gibson patents its Flying V guitar. Shipping records show that only 81 Flying V guitars shipped in 1958 and only 17 in 1959. In early 1959, the Flying V was phased out of production.
Backstage Access:
David Gilmour Guitar Auction Reveals A Lot About The Man
Classic Rock Birthdays
January 6, 1953 – Malcolm Young, guitar (AC/DC) (d. 2017)
January 6, 1946 – Syd Barrett (born Roger Keith Barrett) guitar, vocals (Pink Floyd) (d. 2006)
January 6, 1967 – Peter Loran (born Peter Loran Archibald), vocals (Trixter)
January 6, 1968 – Muzz Skillings, bass (Living Colour)
January 6, 1951 – Kim Wilson, vocals, harmonica (The Fabulous Thunderbirds)
The 12 Most Influential Live Classic Rock Albums of All Time
Rock Remembrances
January 6, 2007 – Peter E. “Sneaky Pete” Kleinow dies in California after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 72. Kleinow was best known as a member of the band the Flying Burrito Brothers but was also a busy session musician, recording with such artists as Jackson Browne, The Byrds, Joe Cocker, the Eagles, The Everly Brothers, George Harrison, The Steve Miller Band, Joni Mitchell, The Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr, Stevie Wonder, Spencer Davis and many others. Kleinow was one of the first pedal steel players to work in a rock context, and his style of playing influenced players such as Jerry Garcia.
January 6, 2009 – Ron Asheton is found dead at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, apparently having died of a heart attack a couple of days earlier. He was 60. Asheton formed the Stooges with Iggy Pop and was the lead guitarist on the Stooges’ first two albums, and later appeared as the bassist on their third release, before being replaced.
January 6, 2006 – Alex St. Clair (born Alexis Clair Snouffer) dies of a massive heart attack. He was 64. St. Clair was an original member of Captain Beefheart and a contemporary of Frank Zappa who he met in his high school.
Backstage Access:
A Day in the Life with Frank Zappa
