Dave Swanson

Over 40 years on, UFO remain one of hard rock's most treasured, and yet most under appreciated bands ever. Though the band has seen its share of personnel changes over the years, founding drummer Andy Parker and original singer Phil Mogg are clearly in it for the long haul. Thursday night at the Tangier in Akron, Ohio, neither one showed any real signs of wear and tear.

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By the start of 1973, Fleetwood Mac were in a state of flux, trying to find solid footing and an identity for the band. The recent departure of longtime guitarist Danny Kirwin led to a fluctuating lineup, with the addition of guitarists Bob Weston and Bob Welch, as well as Dave Walker, who would supply some of the vocals on Mac's first 1973 offering, 'Penguin.' But the overstuffed lineup didn't last long, and by the time sessions started for their next album, 'Mystery to Me,' Walker was gone, and Welch had settled into his role as frontman.

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The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their live debut 47 years ago this week with four dates in France.

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After releasing their elegantly titled debut album, 'My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair ... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows,' in mid-1968, Tyrannosaurus Rex quickly became fixtures on the U.K. underground scene. Their engaging live performances, and support from the likes of John Peel on his radio show, helped spread their reputation.

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On Oct. 12, 1978, the body of 20-year-old Nancy Spungen was found in a room at New York's famous Chelsea Hotel. She and her boyfriend, Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, had been living in Room 100 for abound a month and a half when Vicious called the front desk, saying that something had happened to his girlfriend. It turned out that she was dead from multiple stab wounds to her stomach. 

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Guitarist Phil Chevron has died after a long battle with cancer. Even though he got his start as a founding member of the Radiators From Space, one of the many bands to emerge from the late-'70s punk scene in England, Chevron was best known as the guitarist for the Irish punk band the Pogues. He was 56.

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On Oct. 7, 1975,  New York State Supreme Court judge Irving Kaufman reversed a deportation order for John Lennon, allowing him to legally remain in the United States. Lennon was in the spotlight throughout the first few years of the decade, not only due to his music and his status as a former Beatle, but equally for his very outspoken stance on the Vietnam War and the Nixon administration.

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From his days at New York's famed Brill Building, through the behind-the-scenes power struggle with the Monkees and on through the years, Don Kirshner's position in the world or pop music in unquestionable. "The Man with the Golden Ear," as he was commonly known, built his legend as a maverick with his hands in music publishing as well as finding new talent. In late-1972, he embarked on a new venture, bringing live rock and roll music into living rooms across America with a show called 'In Concert' on ABC.

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In 1978, Blondie began to skyrocket to the big time. When the band first appeared on the scene at famed NYC club CBGB in 1975, they were dismissed as a '60s throwback pop group. But they had the last laugh, becoming the most successful act to emerge form that rock 'n' roll underground.

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Paul McCartney is alive and well, but a well-placed rumor in 1969 had some thinking otherwise. On September 23, 1969, the Northern Star newspaper of Northern Illinois University published a story claiming that McCartney had been killed in a car crash a few years earlier and had been replaced by a look-alike. A radio station in Detroit picked up on the story and ran with it. Within a month, the story had gone global and Beatles fans worldwide were collectively scratching their heads.

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On Sept. 9, 1968, recording engineer Chris Thomas received a note from producer George Martin. "Chris, hope you had a nice holiday," it read. "I'm off on mine now. Make yourself available to the Beatles."

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When an artist releases a live album, it often closes one chapter in their career, and opens another. Such was the case with the 1978 release of 'Stage' by David Bowie.

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