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Noteworthy Then

9/15/2019 Ric Ocasek dies of pulmonary emphysema

On this day in 2019 Rock lost one of its cleverest, most inventive song stylists when Ric Ocasek, front man for the Cars, died of pulmonary emphysema.  Ocasek was 75 and died peacefully in his sleep in his lower Manhattan apartment. A perfectionist who pushed boundaries, Ocasek and his band introduced a whole new sound forged from New Wave with pop undercurrents on their smash debut release in the spring of 1978.

 

Other Noteworthy September 15 events in Classic Rock include...

 

1942 Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman born.

1952 Night Ranger drummer and vocalist Kelly Keagy born.

1964 A fan invasion of the stage interrupts a Beatles concert in Cleveland.

1968 The Doors do a set without Jim Morrison in Amsterdam after Morrison collapses during the Jefferson Airplane's opening set.

1971 Band releases Cahoots. 

1978 Bob Dylan opens a US tour in Augusta, Maine.

1980 David Bowie makes Broadway debut in The Elephant Man. 

1980 John Mellencamp releases Nothin’ Matters And What If It Did.

1982 Queen plays the last U.S. concert with Freddie Mercury at the Great Western Forum.

1986 Talking Heads release True Stories.

1986 Elvis Costello releases Blood & Chocolate. 

1988 Mark Knopfler goes solo, Dire Straits beaks-up.

1990 Bruce Hornsby starts his part-time gig as the grateful Dead keyboard player.

1996 Pearl Jam does surprise club date in Seattle two days before opening No Code tour. 

1996 Bonnie Raitt arrested during protests over the cutting of virgin timber in California. 

2004 Johnny Ramone (John Cummings) dies of prostate cancer at 55.

2006 US vs John Lennon movie premiers. 2008 Rick Wright of Pink Floyd dies of cancer. 

2009 Mark Knopfler releases Get Lucky. 

2009 Roger Waters opens The Wall anniversary tour with a sold out show in Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.

2017 Foo Fighters release Concrete & Gold...