July 16, 1966 – The world’s first “supergroup” is forged when Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker form Cream. Though they last only two years, Cream sells 15 million records.
July 16, 1900 – The logo of the Victor Recording Company and later RCA Victor, is registered with the U.S. Patent Office. The logo features Nipper the dog looking into the horn of a gramophone.
Classic Rock Birthdays
July 16, 1949 – Alan “Fitz” Fitzgerald, keyboards, vocals (Montrose, Sammy Hagar, Night Ranger)
July 16, 1952 – Stewart Copeland, drums (The Police)
July 16, 1971 – Ed Kowalczyk, vocals (Live)
10 Classic Rock Songs That Inspire Baby Girl Names
Rock Remembrances
July 16, 2012 – Jon Lord, longtime Deep Purple keyboardist, dies from a pulmonary embolism and complications of pancreatic cancer. He was 71. Lord was a prolific symphonic composer and also worked with Whitesnake sculpting their commerical sound.
July 16, 2014 – Johnny Winter, famed blues guitarist, dies in Switzerland of complications of emphysema combined with pneumonia. He was 70. Johnny and his brother Edgar were born with albinism and both became accomplished musicians with the support of their family. Winter worked closely with Muddy Waters and produced three Grammy Award-winning albums for him, in addition to winning a Grammy in 2015 for his own blues album.
July 16, 1996 – John Panozzo, drummer for Styx, dies of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging after a long bout with cirrhosis of the liver. He was 47. Panozzo and his twin fraternal brother, Chuck, formed Styx with Dennis DeYoung.
July 16, 1981 – Harry Chapin, folk rock singer, is killed after suffering a heart attack either before or after being hit by a truck while driving on a New York expressway. He was 38. Chapin donated an estimated third of his income to charitable causes and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his campaigning on social issues. His #1 song “Cat’s In The Cradle” has been covered by everyone from Tori Amos to Ugly Kid Joe and remains a staple on radio and in TV shows and movies.
