February 1, 2007 – Wayne Fontana, frontman for Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, is arrested after pouring gasoline on a bailiff’s car and setting it on fire – while the bailiff was in the car. The police had been dispatched to collect a debt Fontana owed. He later shows up at his court hearing dressed as Lady Justice and is sentenced to 11 months in prison.
February 1, 1972 – Neil Young releases what will become his signature album, Harvest. It also becomes the best selling album of 1972. David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash all contribute vocals to the record, along with James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man” are the two biggest singles.
February 1, 2009 – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform at the halftime show during Super Bowl XLIII between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Tampa, Florida. Songs include “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born to Run,” “Working on a Dream” and “Glory Days.”
Backstage Access:
Bruce Springsteen & the Business of the Unexpected
February 1, 1985 – Glenn Frey of the Eagles makes his acting debut in an episode of Miami Vice. He plays the song “Smuggler’s Blues.”
Classic Rock Birthdays
February 1, 1950 – Mike Campbell, guitar (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
February 1, 1950 – Rich Williams, guitar (Kansas)
February 1, 1971 – Ron Welty, drums (The Offspring)
February 1, 1937 – Ray Sawyer, vocals (Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show) (d. 2018)
February 1, 1968 – Lisa Marie Presley, singer-songwriter, daughter of Elvis (d. 2023)
February 1, 1938 – Jimmy Carl Black (born James Carl Inkanish, Jr.), drums, vocals (Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart) (d. 2008)
February 1, 1951 – Fran Christina, drums (The Fabulous Thunderbirds)
February 1, 1937 – Don Everly (born Isaac Donald Everly), guitar, vocals (The Everly Brothers) (d. 2021)
Backstage Access:
A Day in the Life with Frank Zappa
Rock Remembrances
February 1, 2020 – Andy Gill, lead guitarist and producer of Gang of Four, dies of pneumonia. He was 64. Gill’s death was later suspected to be from complications of Covid-19, as the band had just finished a tour in China. Gill was also a celebrated producer who produced the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ debut album, and many punk albums from bands like The Stranglers and Killing Joke among many others.
February 1, 2002 – Mickey Finn (born Mickey Waller) dies in Paris of kidney and liver problems. He was 65. Not to be confused with Mickey Finn of T. Rex, Finn was a popular session guitarist who played with the likes of Brian May, Jimmy Page and Steve Marriott.
February 1, 1986 – Dick James (born Leon Isaac Vapnick) dies in London of a heart attack. He was 65. Originally a singer, James worked with many of England’s top acts in the 60s, including The Beatles. He signed an unknown Reginald Dwight (Elton John) and his lyricist Bernie Taupin. He also founded the DJM record label.
February 1, 2012 – Don Cornelius dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 75. Cornelius was the host of Soul Train from 1971 until 1993 and helped break down racial barriers and broaden the reach of black culture. In his later years, he was plagued by seizures after a brain operation and lived in constant pain.
February 1, 2018 – Dennis Edwards, lead singer of the Temptations, dies of complications from meningitis in Chicago. He was 74. Edwards sang lead on hits including “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today),” “I Can’t Get Next to You,” and the Grammy-winning tracks “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and “Cloud Nine.” Sadly, Edwards was a quadriplegic at the time of his death, and it was alleged that his wife had been abusing him. The case is still under investigation.
