popturf

pop culture locations from movies, music, tv & more...

riverside hotel

from bessie smith, ike turner, “rocket 88” posted in music by donkeyoti

This former hospital in Clarksdale, MS is a music landmark. The owner, Frank "Rat" Ratcliff, is part proprietor/part blues historian and is happy to disclose all of the famous musicians who have been through.

On September 26, 1937, Bessie Smith died in Room #2 of this building after a car accident when it was a hospital. It was converted to a hotel in 1944.

In the early months of 1951, Ike Turner practiced with his band here, and worked out the song "Rocket 88" during rehearsals in the basement. Released under the band name Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (Jackie was the saxophone player and vocalist on the track), "Rocket 88" is considered by many to be the first rock and roll song ever recorded.

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woodstock

from woodstock posted in music by crabapple

Max said to the Woodstock crowd: "...The important thing that you've proven to the world is that a half a million kids — and I call you kids because I have children that are older than you are — a half million young people can get together and have three days of fun and music and have nothing but fun and music, and I God Bless You for it!"

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woodstock

from woodstock posted in music by crabapple

In the summer of love, 1969, a pretty cool dairy farmer named Max Yasgur agreed to let half a million hippies on his 600-acre farm for three days (Aug 15-18) of a concert named Woodstock. He was not a hippie, but he recognized the need to bridge the generation gap.

He was paid $50,000 for the land rental, but was ostracized by his community for dealing with "flower children."

When some folks were trying to sell water at the festival, Max put up a sign that said "Free Water," gathered up all his dairy bottles, filled them with water, and gave them away.

Oh, and three days of 500,000 people gathering to listen to music, do drugs, and dance naked in the rain was a fairly significant event as well.

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clear lake plane crash

from buddy holly, ritchie valens, big bopper posted in music by crabapple

About one quarter of a mile west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, five miles (8 km) north of Clear Lake, there is a monument depicting a steel guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers (Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper) and the pilot (Roger Peterson) that died when their plane crashed on February 3, 1959.

The entrance to the crash site is marked by a large plasma-cut steel copy of Holly's signature glasses.

A road originating near The Surf Ballroom and extending north past the west of the crash site is now known as Buddy Holly Place.

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the surf ballroom

from buddy holly, ritchie valens, the big bopper posted in music by crabapple

On February 2, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper played their last performance here as part of the "Winter Dance Party Tour".

That night, they went to nearby Mason City to catch a plane to the Fargo airport to play a show in Moorhead. A 21-year-old pilot had agreed to fly them to Fargo for $36 a piece. Their plane crashed less than six miles from the airport.

This later became known as "The Day the Music Died," which is also a popular song by Don McLean, who drove his Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry.

On September 6, 2011, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

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