Merry Christmas, Rockers!
Not surprisingly, the day is a relatively quiet one in terms of Classic Rock events in years past, but some parents gifted the world some very musically gifted children on Christmas day, including Jimmy Buffett, born on this day in 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi. His first instrument was trombone, which he played in his grade school band. He picked up guitar during his freshman year at Auburn University before transferring to a community college and concluding his education at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesbrug. After a brief stint as a music writer for Billboard, Buffett took to the water, crewing on a yacht based in Key West owned by a wealthy industrialist . He honed his skills as a songwriter/guitarist in Nashville and southern Florida and released his first album, Down to Earth, in 1970. Since, he has released more than 30 albums, mounted annual sold out tours and created a multi-faceted, multi million dollar brand extension empire involving restaurants, resorts and merchandise based on the lifestyle and attitude of his by far biggest song, Margaritaville.
Sadly, this is the first Christmas Jimmy is no longer with us, but we can honor him by following through with what we're said to be his among his last wishes... "keep the party going".
Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on December 25 include...
1932 Little Richard (Richard Penniman) in Macon, Georgia.
1944 Canned Heat guitarist Henry Vestine born.
1945 Noel Redding, Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist, is born.
1948 Background vocalist extraordinaire Merry Clayton born.
1954 Eurthymics Annie Lennox born.
1959 Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) gets his first drum kit for Christmas.
1960 James Taylor gets his first guitar for Christmas.
1965 George Harrison proposes to Patty Boyd.
1967 Paul McCartney and Jane Asher get engaged.
1968 Led Zeppelin arrives for its debut US tour.
1978 John Lydon's Public Image LTD debuts live in London.
1981 The J. Geils Band does a concert for inmates at Norfolk Prison.
2006 James Brown dies of heart attack at 73.
2021 Neil Young surprises fans with a Christmas Day release of Summer Days, an album he recorded in 1987 but never released...
