Music History

The Doors began recording their second album “Strange Days” at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California.

Elvis Presley was released from Speedway and was due to begin two nights of recording at RCA Studio A on Sunset Boulevard. However, because of an accident near Elvis's home in Bel Air, Colonel Parker, fearing negative publicity, sent Elvis and Priscilla to Las Vegas.

American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Layne Staley was born in Kirkland, Washington. He became known as the frontman of the grunge band Alice in Chains and was also a member of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99. He died on April 5, 2002, at his home from a combination of heroin and cocaine.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on the British television program “Simon Dee” on the BBC. Other guests on the program included Kiki Dee and Cat Stevens.

Jamaican singer Cedella Marley was born. With Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, she had the 1988 UK hit “Tomorrow People”. She is the daughter of reggae singers Bob Marley and Rita Marley.

Elvis Presley and Priscilla were in Las Vegas with the group after Colonel Parker sent them there because of a traffic accident near Elvis's home in Bel Air involving one of the members of the Memphis Mafia.

Herman's Hermits, with The Who as their opening act, performed at Atwood Stadium in Flint, Michigan, during their North American tour.

Joni Mitchell made her first appearance in the UK when she supported The Piccadilly Line at The Marquee club in London.

Keith Moon of The Who drove a Lincoln into the swimming pool of the Holiday Inn while drunk during a wild celebration of his birthday. When police arrived to end the out-of-control party, Moon attempted to escape in a Lincoln Continental limousine, but after the handbrake was released, the car rolled forward, broke through a fence and ended up in the swimming pool.

Layne Staley, frontman of Alice In Chains, was born.

Australian singer and songwriter Paul Colman was born.

The Beatles continued recording the song “Your Mother Should Know” at Chappell Recording Studios in London's Mayfair. The temporary relocation of the recording session was due to scheduling conflicts at EMI Studios. During the session, they concentrated on layering backing vocals for the song intended for the “Magical Mystery Tour” project. This evening was also the last visit to the studio by their manager Brian Epstein; he died four days later.

The Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at the Park Lane Hilton in London.

Keith Moon, drummer of The Who, celebrated his 21st birthday by driving a Lincoln Continental into the swimming pool of the Holiday Inn hotel in Flint, Michigan. The Who later received a $50,000 bill for the damage and were given a lifetime ban from Holiday Inn hotels.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at his lecture at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London. They later traveled to India and studied transcendental meditation with him.

The Doors performed at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.

After a two-year hiatus caused by anxiety and stage fright, Brian Wilson returned to live performing with The Beach Boys at the Honolulu International Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

American musician, songwriter, author and producer Jeffrey “Jeff” Tweedy was born in Belleville, Illinois. He became known as frontman and co-founder of alternative rock band Wilco; he previously performed with Uncle Tupelo. Wilco won two Grammy Awards for the 2004 album “A Ghost Is Born”.

The Beatles released the single “Baby You’re a Rich Man” in the US.

The Yardbirds performed in New York at the then Village Theatre, later known as Fillmore East. Their opening act Jake Holmes performed the song “Dazed And Confused”, which Jimmy Page later released with Led Zeppelin in a very similar form under the same title.

Bobbie Gentry began a four-week run at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with “Ode to Billie Joe”. The song also reached the top in Canada, reached No. 7 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, No. 8 on Hot R&B Singles and No. 17 on Hot Country Songs, and later became an international hit. It received eight Grammy nominations, three of which Gentry won.

Elvis and Priscilla Presley returned from Las Vegas to Memphis at 8:20 a.m.

Jeff Tweedy of Wilco was born.

Jimi Hendrix's “Purple Haze” entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 94. During its eight-week run, it peaked at No. 65. It performed much better in the UK, reaching No. 3 and spending 14 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. In 2010, Billboard ranked it No. 17 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Jimi Hendrix released “Purple Haze” as the opening track of the US edition of the album “Are You Experienced”.

Small Faces, The Move, The Gass, Tomorrow, Denny Laine, Jeff Beck, Eric Burdon and Marmalade performed on the first day of the three-day nonstop event “Festival of the Flower Children” at Woburn Abbey in England. DJs John Peel and Tommy Vance also performed; a one-day ticket cost £1.

Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull joined The Beatles in Bangor, North Wales, where they were collectively seeking guidance from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. After his lecture, The Beatles held a press conference at which they announced that they had become his disciples and joined his “Spiritual Regeneration Movement”. The group also announced that they were giving up drug use; according to the sources, the group was to donate one week's earnings to the movement each month.

British music manager Brian Epstein, best known as the manager of The Beatles, was found dead in his locked bedroom at his home in London’s Belgravia at the age of 32, just a few weeks before his 33rd birthday. The coroner determined that the cause of death was an overdose of the sleeping medication Carbitrol and ruled his death accidental. The Beatles were then in Bangor, North Wales, attending a conference with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Epstein also managed Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black and The Remo Four. The first contract between The Beatles and Epstein was auctioned for £240,000 in 2008.

Elvis Presley spent time at Circle G Ranch and, instead of horseback riding, took up target shooting.

The Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company performed at a memorial service for Hell's Angels member Charles “Chocolate George” Hendricks, who died in an accident in San Francisco. Hendricks served as a peacemaker between the bikers and the Haight-Ashbury hippie community. Both bands volunteered to perform in his honor.

Anton Newcombe, singer, songwriter, and guitarist of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, was born.

Brian Epstein's funeral was held in Liverpool. The Beatles did not attend because they wanted to give his family privacy and prevent the media and fans from being drawn to the funeral. They later attended a memorial service at New London Synagogue in St John's Wood.

Chris Gorman, drummer of the American alternative rock band Belly, was born. In 1993, the group had the UK single "Feed The Tree" at No. 32, which also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

The Doors appeared on the television program The Ed Sullivan Show following the success of the song "Light My Fire".

The Who performed at the Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Gerard Love, bassist of Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, was born.

The Beatles announced that they would manage their own affairs following the death of their manager Brian Epstein.

Boz Scaggs officially joined the Steve Miller Band as a rhythm guitarist after receiving an invitation on a postcard while performing on the streets of Stockholm. He had known Steve Miller since his youth. After returning to the U.S. from Europe, he rejoined the group and appeared on the albums Children of the Future and Sailor. He left in 1968 to pursue a solo career, during which he had eight Top 40 hits on the Billboard chart between 1976 and 1988.

Roy Orbison co-starred with Sheb Wooley in the musical comedy western The Fastest Guitar Alive, his only leading film role. The film was released in theaters in the United States and Canada. Its bizarre plot portrays Orbison as a Confederate spy who uses a special bullet-firing acoustic guitar to successfully rob the federal mint of its gold, only to be caught off guard when the Civil War ends immediately after the robbery.

Following the death of manager Brian Epstein, The Beatles met at Paul McCartney's house in St. John's Wood, London, to discuss their future. They decided not to seek a new manager and to manage their business affairs themselves, with McCartney taking over most business decisions. At the same time, they postponed their planned trip to India and began production of the long-delayed film Magical Mystery Tour, for which they had already recorded “Magical Mystery Tour” and “Your Mother Should Know.” McCartney presented the others with his idea for a film based on “Magical Mystery Tour.” This decision contributed to the creation of Apple Corps.

“ Ode To Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry remained at number one after five weeks. “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles remained at number two, while The Supremes moved from number eight to number three with “Reflections”. “Light My Fire” by The Doors completed an exceptionally strong top four.

Elvis Presley’s album Double Trouble reached number 34 on the UK album chart.

Pink Floyd, The Move, Soft Machine, Fairport Convention, The Nack and Denny Laine performed at the UFO festival at the Roundhouse in London's Chalk Farm district.

The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band remained at number one on the US album chart for the tenth consecutive week.