Jimi Hendrix lands in London to launch his career
Jimi Hendrix flew into Heathrow Airport on September 24, 1966, with Animals bassist turned manager Chas Chandler, arriving in Britain with barely a dollar to his name, according to Britannica.
Within weeks Chandler introduced him to Eric Clapton and future bandmates and pushed the spelling of his name from Jimmy to Jimi, setting off the transformation from Greenwich Village sideman into the psychedelic rock trio the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
September 24 at a Glance
Tap any event to jump straight to its full card below.
| Category | Event |
|---|---|
| 1969 | |
| concert | Deep Purple premiere their orchestral concerto |
| 1968 | |
| industry | Beatles push through Happiness Is a Warm Gun takes |
| industry | Miles Davis records Mademoiselle Mabry |
| 1967 | |
| broadcast | Mamas and Papas play California Dreamin' on Ed Sullivan |
| 1966 | |
| culture | Jimi Hendrix lands in London to launch his career |
| chart | The Association's Cherish reaches No. 1 |
| 1965 | |
| release | Rolling Stones release Out of Our Heads in the UK |
| concert | Dylan and the Hawks go electric in Austin |
| 1963 | |
| broadcast | Beatles' final Pop Go the Beatles airs on BBC radio |
| 1962 | |
| concert | Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto gets its premiere |
| industry | Flatt and Scruggs cut The Ballad of Jed Clampett |
| 1961 | |
| broadcast | Della Reese sings Summertime on Ed Sullivan |
Deep Purple premiere their orchestral concerto
Deep Purple joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Malcolm Arnold at London's Royal Albert Hall on September 24, 1969, for the live premiere of keyboardist Jon Lord's Concerto for Group and Orchestra.
It was one of the first full-scale performances to fuse a rock band with a symphony orchestra, and the show doubled as the live recording Deep Purple released that December.
Beatles push through Happiness Is a Warm Gun takes
The Beatles spent a 7pm to 2am session in Studio Two at EMI Studios on September 24, 1968, running through takes 46 to 70 of Happiness Is a Warm Gun with John Lennon singing a guide vocal over the rhythm track, according to The Beatles Bible's session log.
Producer Chris Thomas and engineer Ken Scott spliced take 53 together with the ending from take 65, and the rest of the Beatles' White Album track vocals were finished the following night.
Miles Davis records Mademoiselle Mabry
Miles Davis led Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Tony Williams through Mademoiselle Mabry at Columbia's 30th Street Studio on September 24, 1968, naming the tune for Betty Mabry, whom he married that same month.
Inspired by Jimi Hendrix's The Wind Cries Mary, the track later surfaced on Filles de Kilimanjaro and marked one of Davis's earliest steps toward the electric side of jazz and easy listening.
Mamas and Papas play California Dreamin' on Ed Sullivan
The Mamas and the Papas performed California Dreamin' on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 24, 1967, with Michelle Phillips eating a banana on camera in protest of being told to lip-sync, per the group's official site.
The stunt became one of the show's most talked-about moments, even as the group's lush harmonies carried their signature folk rock sound to millions of prime-time viewers.
Jimi Hendrix lands in London to launch his career
Jimi Hendrix flew into Heathrow Airport on September 24, 1966, with Animals bassist turned manager Chas Chandler, arriving in Britain with barely a dollar to his name, according to Britannica.
Within weeks Chandler introduced him to Eric Clapton and future bandmates and pushed the spelling of his name from Jimmy to Jimi, setting off the transformation from Greenwich Village sideman into the psychedelic rock trio the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
The Association's Cherish reaches No. 1
Cherish reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 24, 1966, holding the top spot for three weeks on the strength of Terry Kirkman's swooning falsetto lead.
Produced by Curt Boettcher, the soft rock ballad sold more than a million copies and became one of the defining pop and Brill Building singles of the decade, according to Wikipedia.
Rolling Stones release Out of Our Heads in the UK
Decca released the Rolling Stones' UK edition of Out of Our Heads on September 24, 1965, built around Jagger and Richards originals like The Last Time alongside R&B covers such as That's How Strong My Love Is.
The album reached number two on the UK chart and made clear that the band's own songwriting, not just its covers, would carry it forward, per Wikipedia.
Dylan and the Hawks go electric in Austin
Bob Dylan opened his first Texas concert at Austin's Municipal Auditorium on September 24, 1965, splitting the show between a solo acoustic set and a loud electric set backed by the group later known as the Band, according to the Austin Chronicle.
More than 4,000 fans packed the hall and, unlike the booing crowds at Newport two months earlier, cheered the electric half, a night Dylan later called one of his favorites of the folk rock tour.
Beatles' final Pop Go the Beatles airs on BBC radio
The BBC Light Programme broadcast the fifteenth and final episode of Pop Go the Beatles on September 24, 1963, taped three weeks earlier at Maida Vale Studios and featuring the Beatles' own renditions of She Loves You, Ask Me Why and Devil in Her Heart.
The series had run weekly since June and gave the group a national radio stage just as Beatlemania was taking hold across Britain.
Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto gets its premiere
Pianist John Browning gave the world premiere of Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto on September 24, 1962, with Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra to open Philharmonic Hall at the newly built Lincoln Center.
Barber finished the concerto's demanding third movement barely two weeks before the concert, and the piece went on to win the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Music, per Wikipedia.
Flatt and Scruggs cut The Ballad of Jed Clampett
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, joined by dobro player Buck Graves and the rest of the Foggy Mountain Boys, recorded The Ballad of Jed Clampett for Columbia on September 24, 1962, under producers Don Law and Frank Jones.
Retitled as the theme for the new CBS sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, the tune became the first Nashville Sound and Bakersfield country single to reach number one on Billboard's country chart when it was released that November.
Della Reese sings Summertime on Ed Sullivan
Della Reese performed George Gershwin's Summertime during a September 24, 1961 broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show taped in Las Vegas, sharing the bill with the Crosby Brothers and Danny Thomas.
The jazz-trained vocalist paired the Porgy and Bess standard with In the Still of the Night that same night, showing the range that had already carried her from gospel choirs into jazz and easy listening stardom.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in 1960s music on September 24?
September 24 produced eleven verified music events across the decade, headlined by Jimi Hendrix's arrival in London in 1966 to launch his career.
The same date saw the Rolling Stones release Out of Our Heads and Bob Dylan go electric in Austin, both in 1965, plus a Beatles recording session and a Miles Davis session in 1968.
When did Jimi Hendrix first arrive in London?
Jimi Hendrix landed at Heathrow Airport on September 24, 1966, brought over by his new manager Chas Chandler, the former Animals bassist.
Within weeks Chandler had formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience and introduced Hendrix to the London guitar scene, including Eric Clapton.
When did Bob Dylan go electric?
Dylan first plugged in at the Newport Folk Festival in July 1965, but his September 24, 1965 show in Austin, Texas was the first time his full electric set was warmly received.
Backed by the group later known as the Band, he played a split acoustic and electric show to more than 4,000 fans.
What songs are on the Rolling Stones' Out of Our Heads?
The UK edition of Out of Our Heads, released September 24, 1965, mixed Jagger and Richards originals like The Last Time and Gotta Get Away with R&B covers including That's How Strong My Love Is and Cry to Me.
The US edition, released two months earlier, swapped in Satisfaction and other tracks.
What is Deep Purple's Concerto for Group and Orchestra?
It's a three-movement piece written by Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord that fuses the band with a full symphony orchestra, premiered live at London's Royal Albert Hall on September 24, 1969 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold.
The concert was recorded and released as a live album that December.
Who wrote The Ballad of Jed Clampett?
Bluegrass pioneers Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs recorded The Ballad of Jed Clampett for Columbia on September 24, 1962, as the theme for the new CBS sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies.
It became the first bluegrass single to reach number one on Billboard's country chart.