May 9, 1992 – Bruce Springsteen makes his North American network television debut on Saturday Night Live with host Tom Hanks. He performs three songs to promote his two recently-released albums, Lucky Town and Human Touch.
May 9, 1974 – Bruce Springsteen opens a show for headliner Bonnie Raitt, who insists on him playing his full 2-hour set, rare for an opener. In the audience is future manager, Jon Landau, who famously writes, “I saw rock and roll’s future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.”
May 9, 1978 – Fee Waybill of The Tubes breaks a leg after falling from the stage at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. He says,”I had a chain saw and we were doing ‘I Was a Punk Before You Were a Punk’ when I went to jump off the edge of the stage and I slipped off with my left leg, and my whole body twisted around and I broke my right leg. It broke before I hit the ground and I am laying there, can’t get up, the chainsaw is still running, and no one comes to my rescue! Everyone figured it was just part of the show.”
May 9, 1960 – The world’s first commercially produced birth control pill is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Rock and roll tours are never quite the same.
Classic Rock Birthdays
May 9, 1950 – Tom Petersson, bass, vocals (Cheap Trick)
May 9, 1944 – Richie Furay (born Paul Richard Furay), guitar, vocals (Buffalo Springfield, Poco)
May 9, 1949 – Billy Joel, piano, vocals
May 9, 1953 – John Edwards, bass (Status Quo)
May 9, 1962 – Dave Gahan (born David Callcott), vocals (Depeche Mode)
May 9, 1971 – Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan, bass (Oasis)
May 9, 1945 – Steve Katz, guitar, vocals (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
May 9, 1937 – Dave Prater, vocals (Sam & Dave) (d. 1988)
May 9, 1975 – Ryan Vikedal, drums (Nickelback)
Rock Remembrances
May 9, 2020 – “The Architect of Rock and Roll,” Little Richard (born Richard Wayne Penniman), dies of bone cancer at his home in Tennessee. He was 87. Little Richard broke racial, sexual and genre barriers during his legendary career and was truly a one-of-a-kind performer who influenced so many rockers that came after him. His biggest songs were “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Lucille,” and “Good Golly Miss Molly.”
