1968: April

12:54 PM GMT 21/02/2008

4 - Martin Luther King Jr, spends the day at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis discussing plans for the Poor People's March, due to take place in Washington at the end of the month. At 6:01pm, while standing on the balcony of Room 306, he is shot by James Earl Ray. King is declared dead less than an hour later. Ray manages to escape the crime scene, but will eventually be arrested in the UK on June 27. He is later convicted of murder. In the wake of the assassination, there are riots in over 150 cities across the US. Senator Robert Kennedy, taking the stage to give a speech in Indianapolis hears the news and delivers an on-the-spot eulogy in which he pleads with the shocked crowd, "to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world."

5 – Fearing continued nationwide civil unrest, soul star James Brown is enlisted to calm the feelings of anger and retribution. He appears on national televison and radio and plays a show at Boston’s Garden. Meanwhile, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and Strawberry Alarm Clock cancel the opening of their tour in Nashville. In Virginia Beach, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King and Buddy Guy hear the news and jam long into the night.

6 – Cliff Richard sings Congratulations at The Eurovision Song Contest. The song will come in second to Spain’s La La La.

6 – Syd Barrett officially leaves Pink Floyd. There are fears the songwriter may have ingested too much LSD.

19 – The Lennons and Harrisons leave Rishikesh two weeks prior to the official end of their study with the Maharishi.

20 – The Rolling Stones record Jumpin’ Jack Flash at Olympic Studios in Barnes.

20 – Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Nick Simper and Rod Evans make their debut in Tastrup, Denmark. Together, they are Deep Purple.

24 - After a particularly long bender in Flint, Michigan, The Who’s Keith Moon drives his car into the Holiday Inn Hotel swimming pool. The drummer’s excesses will continue unabated until his death in 1978.

29 – Hippie rock musical Hair opens at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway.

30 – Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane and Fever Tree play the opening night of The Kaleidoscope Club. It will quickly become the premier freak hangout on L.A.’s fabled Sunset Strip.

30 – The BBC launch The Cilla Black Show. Paul McCartney pens the theme tune, Step Inside Love.

...MAY

Posted by Ross_Bennett at 12:54 PM GMT 21/02/2008

Related MOJO content:
Cliff Richard , Deep Purple , James Brown , Keith Moon , Paul McCartney , Pink Floyd , Syd Barrett , The Rolling Stones

Add to Digg

Add to reddit

Add to facebook

Add to delicious