Historic events this week from Mick Jagger, Eagles, Journey, Def Leppard and more

JULY 28, 2021

Less than a week after leaving ZZ Top‘s tour to address a hip issue, bassist Dusty Hill passed away.

The posted to social media:

“We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston. We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top’. We will forever be connected to that ‘Blues Shuffle in C.’ You will be missed greatly, amigo.”

He was 72.

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JULY 28, 1970
Mick Jagger made his feature film acting debut as the infamous iron outlaw, Ned Kelly.

A year before the film’s release, Jagger told The Australian Women’s Weekly:

“I am taking this film very seriously. Kelly won’t look anything like me. You wait and you’ll see what I look like. I want to concentrate on being a character actor.”

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JULY 31, 1980
Due to a pre-show argument, a couple of the Eagles spent an entire show threatening to beat each other up after they got off stage.

The group, essentially, broke up after the gig. Glenn Frey and Don Henley both released their first albums apart from one another in 1982.

They reunited 14 years later for the massively successful Hell Freezes Over Tour.

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JULY 31, 1981
Journey’s Escape was a massive album for the band. The classic album features the hits “Who’s Crying Now”, “Open Arms” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.” It remains, by far, Journey’s biggest album with 10 million sold in the US.

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AUGUST 1, 1971
George Harrison‘s Concert for Bangladesh Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Leon Russell and more coming together to raise money for the starving and homeless people of Bengal.

“An enormous amount of money was collected and this could never have been achieved without the help of dear George.” – Ravi Shankar (2005)

The concert album won a Grammy for Album of the Year; beating out Don McLean’s American Pie and Harry Nilsson’s Nilsson Schmilsson.

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AUGUST 3, 1987

Def Leppard released their biggest album, Hysteria, this week in 1987. All 7 singles from Hysteria went Top 10: “Hysteria” (#9), “Women” (#7), “Animal” (#5), “Rocket” (#5), “Armageddon It” (#3), “Pour Some Sugar on Me” (#2), “Love Bites” (#1). Hysteria has sold over 12 million copies in the US alone.