Oct 6, 2026 – This Day in Music History 🇺🇸

From the Desk of CLASSICKONG

Welcome back, music lovers, to another trip through the records, artists and moments that built the soundtrack of our lives.

Before we spin the first record, WTSG-DB proudly sends our thanks to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces—past and present—and to the families who stand beside them. Your service and sacrifice are never forgotten.

There is something about music that gets handed down.

A young musician hears somebody play and discovers an entirely new way of approaching an instrument. A songwriter finds a voice that eventually becomes unmistakably his own. A record comes through the radio during a particular season of our lives, and decades later just a few notes can take us right back there.

October 6 gives us plenty of those connections.

The Beatles experiment their way toward “Eight Days a Week.” Stevie Wonder unexpectedly finds himself behind the drums with Jimi Hendrix. George Harrison reaches an important milestone. Dr. Hook gives us some of the warmest falling-in-love radio of the 1970s. R.E.M. delivers a simple message that still matters: hold on.

And we’ll follow a fascinating trail through Ginger Baker, Billy Cobham and Alex Van Halen that ultimately leads us behind the drum kit on one of Van Halen’s greatest recordings.

Grab the coffee.

Turn it up.

Let’s go.

October 6, 1964 — The Beatles Build “Eight Days a Week”

The Beatles entered EMI Studio Two in London on October 6, 1964, to work on “Eight Days a Week,” which would appear on Beatles for Sale (1964, Parlophone) in the UK and Beatles VI (1965, Capitol) in the United States.

What makes this session fascinating is that The Beatles didn’t walk into the studio with everything figured out.

They experimented.

The group recorded 13 takes while trying different introductions and arrangements. Eventually they arrived at one of the record’s most distinctive touches:

The song fades in at the beginning.

Normally we’re accustomed to hearing a record gradually fade away at the end. Here, The Beatles reversed the idea. “Eight Days a Week” slowly rises out of silence until the band is fully present, giving the record an unusual entrance that immediately separated it from much of what surrounded it in 1964.

And while they were working on one future hit, another was beginning to appear.

Between takes, John Lennon could be heard experimenting with the guitar idea that would eventually develop into “I Feel Fine,” released later that year as a single on Parlophone in the UK and Capitol in the United States.

It’s a wonderful snapshot of creativity in motion.

One song wasn’t even finished yet, and another was already knocking on the door.

October 6, 1967 — Stevie Wonder Plays Drums with Jimi Hendrix

Now THIS is a jam session worth talking about.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was at London’s Playhouse Theatre recording a BBC session for Top Gear when Stevie Wonder happened to be there.

At some point, Mitch Mitchell stepped away from his drum kit.

Stevie sat down.

Think about that lineup for a second:

Jimi Hendrix on guitar.
Noel Redding on bass.
Stevie Wonder on drums.

They jammed, including an instrumental version of Stevie’s “I Was Made to Love Her,” from I Was Made to Love Her (1967, Tamla).

Stevie Wonder’s ability as a multi-instrumentalist sometimes gets overshadowed by his singing and songwriting.

But Stevie could PLAY.

Keyboards, harmonica, drums and percussion—the man seemed to hear an entire band inside his head.

And somewhere in London in 1967, Jimi Hendrix got to hear what happened when Stevie Wonder sat behind the kit.

Thankfully, so can we.

October 6, 1969 — George Harrison Gets His First Beatles A-Side

On October 6, 1969, The Beatles released a new single in the United States with “Something” on one side and “Come Together” on the other.

Both songs came from Abbey Road (1969, Apple), and the release was promoted as a double A-side single.

For George Harrison, it represented an important milestone:

“Something” was the first song he had written to be issued as the A-side of a Beatles single.

That distinction matters when you consider the company George kept.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney had dominated The Beatles’ singles for years while Harrison steadily developed as a songwriter. Earlier compositions including “Taxman,” from Revolver (1966, Parlophone), and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” from The Beatles (1968, Apple), had already demonstrated how far his writing had come.

Then Abbey Road gave us both “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun.”

There was no overlooking George anymore.

“Something” became one of Harrison’s most enduring compositions and one of the most widely covered songs in the Beatles catalog. Frank Sinatra admired it enough to perform it himself.

After years of developing beside Lennon and McCartney, George Harrison had become a major songwriter in his own right.

“Something” made that impossible to miss.

October 6, 1973 — Cher Takes “Half-Breed” to No. 1

On the Billboard Hot 100 dated October 6, 1973, Cher reached No. 1 with “Half-Breed,” from Half-Breed (1973, MCA).

And look at the record she replaced at the top:

Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re an American Band,” from We’re an American Band (1973, Capitol).

That’s quite a handoff.

But Cher’s story was already remarkable long before “Half-Breed.”

She and Sonny Bono had exploded into the public consciousness during the 1960s as Sonny & Cher, scoring their signature No. 1 with “I Got You Babe,” from Look at Us (1965, Atco).

Their combination of music, distinctive clothes, humor and obvious chemistry made Sonny & Cher one of the most recognizable couples in entertainment. Television eventually expanded that audience even further with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.

But Cher proved she could stand on her own.

“Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves,” from Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves (1971, Kapp), reached No. 1.

Then came “Half-Breed.”

Then “Dark Lady,” from Dark Lady (1974, MCA), gave her another chart-topper.

And somehow that was still only one chapter.

Years later she returned with rock-oriented hits including “If I Could Turn Back Time,” from Heart of Stone (1989, Geffen), before reinventing herself yet again with “Believe,” from Believe (1998, Warner Bros.).

Think about that career arc.

The 1960s.

The 1970s.

The 1980s.

The 1990s.

Different sounds. Different audiences. Different eras of popular music.

And Cher kept finding her way back to the radio.

CLASSICKONG Must Haves — Cher

Look at Us — Sonny & Cher — 1965 — Atco

Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves — 1971 — Kapp

Half-Breed — 1973 — MCA

Dark Lady — 1974 — MCA

Heart of Stone — 1989 — Geffen

Believe — 1998 — Warner Bros.

Cher has been around the block more than once.

The remarkable part is that every time popular music seemed to move somewhere else, she somehow found another road back to the radio.

October 6, 1978 — Dr. Hook Gives Us Falling-in-Love Radio

Dr. Hook released Pleasure and Pain (1978, Capitol) on October 6.

The album was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama, a place we’ve visited before on This Day in Music History.

Muscle Shoals became legendary because of the extraordinary musicians and records that came out of that little corner of Alabama. Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, the Rolling Stones and countless others became part of the larger Muscle Shoals story.

And here comes Dr. Hook.

The band’s story begins with musicians including Dennis Locorriere, Ray Sawyer, George Cummings and Billy Francis, with several other players moving through the lineup over the years.

They were funny.

They could be outrageous.

They could play country-rock, pop and soft rock.

And then they could turn around and make a record that sounded like somebody had dimmed the lights in the room.

“Sharing the Night Together,” from Pleasure and Pain (1978, Capitol), is one of those records.

So is “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman,” from the same album.

Man, those songs were everywhere when I was growing up.

They had a warmth to them. You could hear one coming through the radio and suddenly feel like you were in love—even if there wasn’t anybody sitting beside you.

But before Dr. Hook became masters of romantic radio, they had a completely different side.

And that brings us to one of the funniest self-fulfilling prophecies in rock history.

“The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone,’” from Sloppy Seconds (1972, Columbia), was written by the wonderfully twisted Shel Silverstein.

The joke was essentially that Dr. Hook had achieved all the supposed trappings of rock-and-roll success…

but they still couldn’t get their picture on the cover of Rolling Stone.

Then the song became a hit.

And guess what happened?

Dr. Hook made the cover of Rolling Stone.

You can’t write a much better punch line than that.

Those early Dr. Hook records also gave us “Sylvia’s Mother,” from Doctor Hook (1972, Columbia), and “Carry Me, Carrie,” from Sloppy Seconds (1972, Columbia).

Later came “A Little Bit More,” from A Little Bit More (1976, Capitol), followed by the smoother radio years and songs such as “Sharing the Night Together,” “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman,” “Better Love Next Time” and “Sexy Eyes.”

People sometimes remember Dr. Hook as a quirky novelty act because of the eye patch, the humor and “The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone.’”

They were much bigger than that.

Dr. Hook were genuine radio stars.

Sadly, several members of the Dr. Hook family are no longer with us. Ray Sawyer died in 2018. Billy Francis died in 2010, bassist Jance Garfat in 2006, drummer John Wolters in 1997 and founding guitarist George Cummings in 2024.

And this year brought another major loss.

Dennis Locorriere, the voice behind many of those records, died May 22, 2026, at age 76.

That makes listening to Pleasure and Pain on this anniversary hit a little differently.

Those voices that seemed to be permanently living inside our radios when we were young aren’t permanent after all.

Thankfully, the records are.

October 6, 1982 — Madonna Releases Her First Single

Before the stadium tours, MTV domination and worldwide fame, there was “Everybody.”

Madonna released her debut single “Everybody” on October 6, 1982, through Sire Records.

The song would later appear on Madonna (1983, Sire).

At the time, she was still working her way through the New York club scene. DJ Mark Kamins played her demo at Danceteria, and the response helped move things forward toward a recording contract with Sire.

“Everybody” wasn’t yet the Madonna the entire world would soon recognize.

But the machinery had started moving.

Within only a few years, Madonna would become one of the defining artists of the MTV era and eventually one of the biggest-selling performers in popular music history.

Every enormous career has a first record.

This was hers.

October 6, 1992 — R.E.M. Releases Automatic for the People

R.E.M. released Automatic for the People (1992, Warner Bros.) on October 6.

And before we go any farther, let’s identify the band.

Michael Stipe — vocals
Peter Buck — guitar
Mike Mills — bass, keyboards and vocals
Bill Berry — drums and vocals

That’s R.E.M.

Four musicians from Athens, Georgia, who grew from the American college-rock underground into one of the biggest bands in the world.

And what does R.E.M. stand for?

Yes—it really is the same phrase you remember from science class:

Rapid Eye Movement.

That’s the stage of sleep strongly associated with dreaming.

But there apparently wasn’t some grand philosophical meaning behind the band’s name. Michael Stipe reportedly came across “R.E.M.” while looking through a dictionary and liked it.

ROFLMAO!

After all these years of people searching for some mysterious hidden meaning…

they apparently just liked the name.

By 1992, however, everybody knew it.

Automatic for the People became one of the defining albums of R.E.M.’s career.

“Drive.”

“Man on the Moon.”

“Nightswimming.”

“Find the River.”

And, of course, “Everybody Hurts.”

There was also an unexpected classic-rock connection.

John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin arranged the strings on several tracks, adding another layer of beauty to an already atmospheric record.

But “Everybody Hurts” reaches somewhere beyond production and chart positions.

At its center is a remarkably simple message:

Hold on.

There are times when life hurts. There are times when people feel alone even while surrounded by others. And there are moments when making it through the next hour seems more important than figuring out the next year.

That’s where this song lives.

It doesn’t pretend pain doesn’t exist.

It acknowledges it and then asks you not to surrender to it.

Hold on.

More than three decades later, that’s still worth hearing.

October 6, 1951 — Happy Birthday, Kevin Cronin

Kevin Cronin was born October 6, 1951.

As the voice and one of the principal songwriters behind REO Speedwagon’s greatest successes, Cronin helped create records that became permanent fixtures of American radio.

“Keep On Loving You,” from Hi Infidelity (1980, Epic).

“Take It on the Run,” from the same album.

“Can’t Fight This Feeling,” from Wheels Are Turnin’ (1984, Epic).

And don’t forget “Time for Me to Fly,” from You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tuna Fish (1978, Epic).

REO Speedwagon has always sounded particularly good coming through a car radio.

And maybe it’s just us, but there’s something about REO that fits autumn.

A sunny October afternoon. The temperature has finally cooled off. Leaves are beginning to change. The window is cracked open.

Then “Roll with the Changes,” from You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tuna Fish (1978, Epic), comes through the speakers.

Turn it up.

Some music just belongs on the road.

REO Speedwagon is that kind of band.

Happy birthday, Kevin.

October 6, 1949 — Thomas McClary and the Sound Behind the Commodores

Thomas McClary was born October 6, 1949.

Mention the Commodores and naturally many people immediately think of Lionel Richie.

And why wouldn’t they?

Lionel became one of the biggest stars in the world.

But the Commodores were never simply Lionel Richie and some guys standing behind him.

They were a BAND.

McClary was a founding member and guitarist whose playing helped shape the Commodores’ sound as they moved effortlessly between funk, soul and ballads.

And if you want a beautiful example of what McClary brought to the group, listen to his guitar work on “Easy,” from Commodores (1977, Motown).

That solo doesn’t need to scream for attention.

It fits the song.

That’s musicianship.

The Commodores could tear into “Machine Gun,” from Machine Gun (1974, Motown), or “Brick House,” from Commodores (1977, Motown), then turn around and deliver something as smooth as “Easy.”

Lionel Richie deserves every bit of recognition he’s received.

But today we tip the hat to one of the musicians who helped make the Commodores sound like the Commodores.

Happy birthday, Thomas McClary.

October 6, 2019–2020 — Ginger Baker, Eddie Van Halen and the Drummers Between Them

Ginger Baker died on October 6, 2019, at age 80.

Exactly one year later, on October 6, 2020, Eddie Van Halen died at only 65.

Those two losses occurring on the same date give us an unusual opportunity to follow an influence through generations of musicians.

Because sitting right in the middle of this story is Eddie’s brother:

Alex Van Halen.

Alex has spoken about Ginger Baker as an early influence, particularly Baker’s feel and his ability to function inside a band.

But another name belongs in this conversation too.

Billy Cobham.

Cobham’s Spectrum (1973, Atlantic) was a big record around our house growing up.

As a young drummer, I would sit and listen to Billy play and just be mesmerized.

That feel.

That power.

That control.

Billy Cobham has always been one of my drum heroes.

Listen to “Quadrant 4,” from Spectrum, and you’ll hear the kind of blazing double-bass shuffle that expanded what rock and fusion drummers imagined was possible.

Then put on “Hot for Teacher,” from Van Halen’s 1984 (1984, Warner Bros.).

Good grief.

The opening gets all the attention—and deservedly so. Alex attacks that double-bass shuffle with tremendous speed and precision.

But as a drummer, I want you to listen deeper than the notes.

Listen to the SOUND of that drum kit.

Listen to the separation.

Listen to the snare.

Listen to the kick.

And especially…

listen to that ride cymbal.

The definition of every strike is extraordinary. You can hear the stick meet the metal. The cymbal has body and character without washing out everything around it.

That’s how a ride cymbal is supposed to speak.

And there’s something fascinating behind that clarity.

Recording at the newly built 5150 Studios presented serious space limitations. Alex incorporated Simmons electronic drums into the setup, and cymbals could be overdubbed separately rather than bleeding into every microphone surrounding the kit.

Suddenly, some of what we’re hearing makes sense.

That cymbal definition wasn’t simply luck.

It was performance, equipment, engineering and ears all working together.

And experience teaches you to hear those things.

My Dad and I had a favorite ride cymbal that we were extremely fond of. To somebody else it might simply have been another cymbal sitting on a stand.

We heard something in it.

My Dad understood that as a bandleader.

Old-school jazz percussionists understood it.

Billy Cobham understood it.

And Alex Van Halen sure as hell understood it.

A great drummer doesn’t simply know when to hit a cymbal.

He knows what he wants that cymbal to say.

That’s why I call “Hot for Teacher” a master class for rock drummers.

The lesson isn’t only Alex’s technique. It’s his feel, his choices, the sound of the kit, the cymbal tone, the recording and the relationship between the drums and Eddie’s guitar.

Eddie and Alex had spent a lifetime playing together. Eddie even recalled sitting directly in front of Alex at 5150 without headphones because all he needed to hear was his brother’s drums.

Think about that.

One brother with a guitar.

One brother behind the kit.

Years of playing together.

That’s chemistry you can’t manufacture in a studio.

So today, forget the arguments surrounding Van Halen. Forget who isn’t speaking to whom. Forget the gossip.

Put on “Hot for Teacher.”

And this time, don’t concentrate only on Eddie.

Listen to Alex.

Then go backward and listen to Billy Cobham.

Go farther back and listen to Ginger Baker.

You’ll begin hearing something that can’t be shown very well on a family tree.

Musical DNA.

The Final Spin

There’s a moment every music lover eventually experiences.

You hear something that changes the way you listen.

For me, one of those experiences was sitting at home as a young drummer listening to Billy Cobham play on Spectrum. I couldn’t have explained everything he was doing. I didn’t need to. Something in those drums had grabbed my attention, and I wanted to understand it.

Years later, you begin to realize what was happening.

You weren’t merely hearing technique.

You were developing an ear.

That’s something my Dad understood as a bandleader. It’s why a particular ride cymbal could matter to both of us. Two cymbals may look nearly identical sitting on their stands, but strike them and they’re suddenly two completely different instruments.

Tone matters.

Feel matters.

The spaces between the notes matter.

Musicians spend lifetimes developing an ear for those things.

And the education never really ends.

Somebody hears Ginger Baker.

Somebody hears Billy Cobham.

Somebody hears Alex Van Halen.

Then another kid sits down behind a drum kit and takes something from all of them without ever becoming a copy of any of them.

That’s how music moves forward.

The same thing happens to us as listeners. Dr. Hook comes through the radio and suddenly we’re back in another room, another car, another time. R.E.M. tells somebody who’s struggling to hold on. George Harrison spends years developing his craft until one beautiful song makes the whole world recognize what he’d become.

Maybe that’s why these old records continue to matter.

We aren’t simply revisiting the past when we play them.

We’re hearing the people who influenced us, remembering the people who listened beside us and occasionally discovering something in a familiar recording that we somehow missed the first hundred times around.

That’s a pretty remarkable gift for a piece of vinyl.

I’m your host, CLASSICKONG. Hopefully we’ve put a smile on your face and put a song in your heart.

Until tomorrow, take care of yourself, help others when you can, and always keep the music playing.

We’ll see ya down the road!

Listen to Today’s Broadcast/Podcast

Want to hear today’s stories instead?

Join CLASSICKONG for the October 6 edition of This Day in Music History on WTSG-DB as we travel through The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix, Cher, Dr. Hook, Madonna, R.E.M., REO Speedwagon, the Commodores, Ginger Baker, Eddie and Alex Van Halen, Billy Cobham and more.

Great music. Great stories. And maybe a reason to pull an old record from the shelf and listen to it again.

Turn it up and come along for the ride.

References

The Beatles — “Eight Days a Week”
https://www.thebeatles.com/eight-days-week

The Beatles — “Eight Days a Week” Recording Session
https://www.thebeatles.com/listen-beatles-recording-session-song-eight-days-week

The Beatles — “Something”
https://www.thebeatles.com/something

The Beatles — George Harrison and “Something”
https://www.thebeatles.com/today-would-have-been-georges-birthday-2

Madonna — “Everybody” — Official Discography
https://www.madonna.com/products/single-everybody

R.E.M. — Official Website
https://remhq.com/

Apple Music — R.E.M., Automatic for the People
https://music.apple.com/us/album/automatic-for-the-people/1440949853

Thomas McClary — Official Biography
https://www.thomasmcclary.com/about/

Thomas McClary — Official Music and Discography
https://www.thomasmcclary.com/music/

Alabama Music Hall of Fame — The Commodores
https://www.alamhof.org/commodore

Amazon Music — Dr. Hook, Pleasure & Pain
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B000XFCR3A

Billboard Book of Number One Hits — Cher, “Half-Breed”
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/Billboard-Book-of-Number-One-Hits-1988–221117.pdf

MusicRadar — Van Halen, 1984 and the Recording Methods at 5150 Studios
https://www.musicradar.com/artists/what-makes-this-album-so-interesting-is-the-fact-that-there-are-guitars-that-are-not-totally-in-tune-but-good-luck-trying-to-get-a-take-as-good-as-that-the-creative-genius-and-insane-methodology-in-van-halens-biggest-selling-album

Van Halen News Desk — “Hot for Teacher”
https://www.vhnd.com/2012/10/02/great-songs-hot-for-teacher/

Van Halen News Desk — The Mystery Behind Alex Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” Drum Intro
https://www.vhnd.com/2026/06/19/alex-van-halen-hot-for-teacher-drum-intro/