A Happy birthday to Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh, born on this day in Berkeley, California. Lesh played violin and trumpet before meeting Jerry Garcia and agreeing to pick up bass to secure a spot in the Warlocks, the group that would morph into the Grateful Dead.
Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on March 15 include...
1941 Mike Love of the Beach Boys is born.
1943 Sly Stone is born Sylvester Stewart.
1947 Ry Cooder is born.
1955 Twisted Sister's Dee Snider is born.
1963 Poison's Bret Michaels is born.
1968 The Byrds got a chilly reception from country music fans when they play the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
1968 Beatles release Lady Madonna in the US.
1968 T-Rex's Marc Bolan publishes a book of poetry titled The Warlock of Love.
1976 Kiss releases Destroyer.
1979 Bonnie Bramlett cold-cocks Elvis Costello for harrassing Ray Charles.
1974 The Emerson, Lake and Palmer film Pictures at an Exhibition opens in LA.
1982 Bob Dylan inducted by the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
1988 Mick Jagger opens his first solo tour in Osaka, Japan.
1988 Talking Heads release Naked.
1994 Sammy Hagar releases Unboxed box set.
1999 Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel are inducted into Rock Hall Of Fame.
2004 Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Bob Seger, Traffic and Prince are inducted into Rock Hall Of Fame.
2010 Genesis, Stooges, Hollies are inducted into Rock Hall Of Fame.
2015 Mike Porcaro of Toto dies of ALS at 59.
2024 The Black Crowes release Happiness Bastard, their first album since reuniting in 2020.
2024 Mark Knopfler releases a new version of Going Home (Theme from Local Hero) to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust that includes dozens of gueast artists, among them, Jeff Beck , Joe Bonamassa, Joe Brown, Jonathan Cain, Paul Carrack, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Jim Steve Cropper, Sheryl Crow, Roger Daltrey, Duane Eddy, Peter Frampton, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Tony Iommi, Joan Jett, Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, Alex Lifeson, Steve Lukather, Phil Manzanera, Dave Mason, Brian May, Robbie McIntosh, John McLaughlin, Tom Morello, Rick Nielsen, Mike Rutherford, Joe Satriani, John Sebastian, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Zak Starkey, Sting, Andy Taylor, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Ian Thomas, Pete Townshend, Keith Steve Vai, Waddy Wachtel, Joe Walsh, and Ronnie Wood.
