When synthesizer Rock ruled, Gary Wright's light shone bright. Born on this date in 1943 in New Jersey, his entertainment career started as stage and TV child actor. Wright was in a couple of bands in high school before deciding to pursue a medical degree, which led to studies in Europe, where he met Island Records head honcho Chris Blackwell, who arranged for him to join a UK band that soon became the on-again-off-again band Spooky Tooth. Wright played on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass during the first Spooky Tooth hiatus and later worked on other Harrison solo projects. Wright's one big solo album came out in the summer of 1975. The title song became a staple of Album Rock radio and Love Is Alive was a moderately big song, too.

 

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on April 26 include...

 

1949 Wet Willie lead singer and harp player Jimmy Hall is born.

1959 The Scream and Motley Crue singer and guitarist  John Corabi is born.

1964 The Beatles and Rolling Stones both perform on the NME popularity poll winner's concert.

1973 Elton John launches Rocket Records, his own label.

1976 Santana releases Amigos.

1977 Studio 54 opens in New York City.

1978 The Last Waltz film documenting the farewell concert by The Band premieres.

1982 Rod Stewart's Porsche is car-jacked in New York City.

1994 Grace Slick pleads guilty to charge she pointed a gun at a police officer responding to a disturbance call at her home. Her sentence is 200 hours of community service and mandatory attendance at AA meetings.

2003 David Lee Roth subdues a man with a knife in the his home. 

2007 Lou Reed is honored by Syracuse University at an event in New York City announcing a scholarship in the name of its famous musical former student.

2009 Poco reunites at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California.

2016 Stevie Nicks does Rhainnon with School Of Rock musical's band during AIDS benefit event in New York City...