September 14th

1997:  Pete Townshend unveiled an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 23 Brook Street in London to mark where Jimi Hendrix had lived in 1968-1969.  Among those in attendance included Hendrix’s old girlfriend Kathy Etchingham and Noel Redding, the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

1996:  Pearl Jam entered the Billboard 200 album chart at number one for the third time with their fourth album No Code which spent two weeks on top.  This would be the last time Pearl Jam topped the album chart until 2009’s Backspacer debuted at number one.

1984:  The first annual MTV Video Music Awards were held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City with hosts Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler.  The Cars won Video of the Year for You Might Think and there were performances by Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Tina Turner & ZZ Top.

1979:  Quadrophenia, the movie based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera was released in theatres in the U.K.  The film featured Sting’s acting debut where he played Ace Face.  It would be released that November in North America.

1974:  Eric Clapton reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the first and only time with his cover of Bob Marley’s I Shot the Sheriff, which spent one week on top.

1969:  Genesis performed their first paid concert in Surrey, U.K. at a cottage owned by Peter Gabriel’s former Sunday School teacher Mrs. Balm.  They received 25 British pounds for four sets.

1968:  Peter Townshend revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone that The Who’s next album would be a rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind boy.  This album would go on to become Tommy.

1968:  Roy Orbison’s home in Hendersonville, TN burned to the ground while he was on tour in the U.K.  His sons Anthony & Roy Jr. died in the fire.

Birthdays:

Pete Agnew-bassist for Nazareth born in 1946

Steve Gaines-guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd born in 1949

Paul Kossoff-guitarist for Free born in 1950