Showing posts with label musicians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musicians. Show all posts

June 3 - Tonsillitis for Musicians Day

   Posted on June 3, 2022     


This is an update of my post published on June 3, 2011:



On this date in 1959, Elvis Presley was stricken with tonsillitis. He was serving in the U.S. army at the time, and he was taken to the base hospital, where he remained for about six days while Army personnel searched for a doctor to take his tonsils out.

But...um...operate on ELVIS Presley's THROAT? No doctor wanted risk operating on such a famous throat, so the infection just ran its course, and Elvis kept his tonsils. 

Probably for the best, I feel.


On this date in 1964, tonsillitis-for-musicians disaster struck again. This time, it was Ringo Starr, the drummer for the Beatles. The day before a big tour, Starr collapsed at an early-morning photo shoot. He had a high fever, and when he got to the hospital, the doctors ordered complete rest.


Now, did you know that touring with a rock-and-roll band isn't particularly restful? It certainly doesn't qualify as “complete rest.” So a session drummer named Jimmie Nicol stepped in and was part of the Beatles for 12 days, touring Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Australia. Finally, on June 11, Ringo was discharged from the hospital and rejoined the group in Australia on June 15.

(By the way, Ringo had his tonsils removed in December of that year, on a break from touring.)

What are tonsils?

Tonsils are part of the lymphatic system and presumably help fight off infections. However, when tonsils are inflamed, they can be enlarged so much that they make it hard to breathe or swallow. This is why tonsils are sometimes removed. Also, when people have frequent recurring tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils), their tonsils can be removed. This surgery is a lot less common nowadays than in the 1950s and 1960s!

While recovering from a tonsillectomy, it's really painful to swallow, and patients often eat a whole lot of popsicles and ice cream to make their throats feel better.







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September 17 - The Doors Defy Ed Sullivan

Posted on September 17, 2021


This is an update of my post published on September 17, 2010:



 

The Ed Sullivan show was an important and influential variety television show that aired on Sunday evenings for more than 20 years! About every kind of act appeared on the show, and the Ed Sullivan Show was famous for making acts famous (to American mainstream audiences, at least).

Some of the famous appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show were Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Doors.

To some observers, at least, an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show was the hallmark of success. Many acts appeared multiple times...but not The Doors.


On this date in 1967, The Doors were about to go on the air, live, to perform their hit “Light My Fire.” They had been told that they had to change one of the lines, “Girl, we couldn't get much higher,” to “Girl, we couldn't get much better.” The Doors told the producer they would make the change, but Jim Morrison, the lead singer/songwriter, performed the song just as usual, with the word higher.

Jim Morrison

Sullivan was reported to be furious and refused to shake the band members' hands. Instead of booking the band for multiple appearances, as planned, The Doors were never invited back again. However, Morrison and the others were reported to be gleeful—the one appearance gave them a ton of exposure, and the controversy gave them publicity. Morrison was never one to bow down to conventions, anyway.



I have seen several situations in which musicians or bands are asked to change the lyrics for a live performance. In one situation, the lead singer was so mad that he couldn't use a certain 4-letter word, he ranted to the audience about the censorship for minutes and minutes (without saying the banned word) and managed to get the audience to yell the word multiple times.

Alannis Morissette

On a live awards show, Alannis Morissette didn't smoothly change a banned word, but instead left a glaring silence—the accompanying musicians ceased to play for a beat or two, as well, leaving a noticeable silence—where the word had been. Morissette's song was well known, and the context of the lyrics made clear the word that was missing, and in my opinion, the whole thing drew attention to the word—even though the words wasn't uttered at all.

Mick Jagger rolling his eyes

Another example of censorship occurred on the Ed Sullivan Show: The Rolling Stones complied with the lyric changes, singing “let's spend some time together” instead of “let's spend the night together,” but Mick Jagger rolled his eyes every time he sang the changed line, and afterwards the group came out on stage in Nazi uniforms with Swastikas. (Sullivan was furious and never had them back on the show.)

Censorship sometimes calls attention to whatever is being censored. What do you think about this topic?

  • Here is a survey of kids about censorship and who should decide what materials are okay for kids to see and hear.


Also on this date:














 Time's Up Day






(third Friday in September)




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