Eric Wolfson
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ericwolfson.bsky.social
Eric Wolfson
@ericwolfson.bsky.social
Putting the ERIC back in AmERICa.

Author of “Fifty Years Of The Concept Album” & “From Elvis In Memphis,” the 150th volume in the 33 1/3 series.

www.ericwolfson.com
Happy 81st Birthday to
#JimmyPage!

One of rock’s finest guitarists, #Page began as a studio musician (that’s him on #PetulaClark’s #Downtown), as a member of #TheYardbirds, & the founder of #LedZeppelin.

Among the classics he cowrote are #StairwayToHeaven,
#BlackDog, #RockAndRoll, & #Kashmir.
January 10, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Looking for an Elvis gift for yourself or a loved one to celebrate his 90th Birthday?

Check out my critically-acclaimed book on Elvis’s “From Elvis In Memphis,” which is part of Bloomsbury’s legendary 33 1/3 book series:

#Elvis #ElvisPresley #Elvis90 #ElvisAt90 #RockHistory a.co/d/6QFeoY4
January 8, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Happy 90th Birthday to Elvis Presley!

He doesn’t look a day under 1956.

#Elvis #ElvisPresley #RockHistory
January 8, 2025 at 2:37 PM
RIP #JimmyCarter, one of the most underrated presidents & the greatest former president.

He was also a personal hero of mine & a frequent subject of my art.

My first & only solo art show was called cARTer & was all portraits of #Carter.

This was the painting from the postcard made for the show.
December 29, 2024 at 10:01 PM
Need a #Gift for your #Rock & Roll-obsessed loved one?

Check out my book—“Fifty Years Of The #ConceptAlbum In #PopularMusic From #TheBeatles To #Beyonce”!

On sale NOW —>

#Rock&Roll #RockBooks #RockAndRoll #ClassicRock #ConceptAlbums #MusicBooks #RockHistory #MusicHistory

a.co/d/aBa5B3u
December 19, 2024 at 8:49 PM
Truman’s words are still 100%, but they’re outdated.

An even bigger difference is that now Republicans will repeatedly lie, cheat, & gaslight just to hold onto power.

& now they will be using that power to punish anyone who disagrees with them.

Did we Nazi this coming?
December 12, 2024 at 9:42 PM
Today in 1967, a legendary icon of American music tragically died in a plane crash at the age of 26:

The Great #OtisRedding.

#RockHistory
December 10, 2024 at 11:01 PM
Today in 1949, #TomWaits was born.

Kinda makes you wanna fall out of the window with confetti in your hair.

#RockHistory
December 8, 2024 at 4:04 AM
Today in 1969, #MeredithHunter was stabbed to death by a member of Hell’s Angels at The #RollingStones’ free concert on the #Altamont speedway.

Hunter was 18 & the Angels were working security & paid in beer.

The event effectively ended the psychedelic dream of the ’60s.

#RockHistory
December 6, 2024 at 9:37 PM
Today in 1932, #LittleRichard was born.

Among his many hits are #TuttiFrutti, #LongTallSally, #GoodGollyMissMolly, & #KeepAKnockin’.

Rock as we know it would not exist without him.

“I am the innovator. I am the originator. I am the emancipator. I am the architect of rock 'n' roll!”

#RockHistory
December 5, 2024 at 3:17 PM
Despite #16Magazine’s claims, the #MillionDollarQuartet photos were not taken for them, but for the #Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper.

Here’s #RobertJohnson’s original article about #ElvisPresley, #JerryLeeLewis, #CarlPerkins, & #JohnnyCash jamming at @SunRecords from Dec. 5th:
December 4, 2024 at 2:17 PM
Here’s an article about the historic session from the May 1957 issue of #SixteenMagazine:

“There never was a singing combo like this before…there probably never will be again!”

#ElvisPresley #Elvis #MillionDollarQuartet #JerryLeeLewis #JohnnyCash #CarlPerkins
December 4, 2024 at 2:15 PM
Today in 1956, #ElvisPresley swung by #SunRecords to visit some old friends.

#Elvis found #JerryLeeLewis playing on a #CarlPerkins session; before long, #JohnnyCash swung by. The 4 legends started jamming, #SamPhillips switched on the tape, & The #MillionDollarQuartet was born.

#RockHistory
December 4, 2024 at 2:15 PM
Today in 1968, #ElvisPresley aired his triumphant #68ComebackSpecial on #NBC TV, 9:00 PM EST.

The #ComebackSpecial finished #1 for the week & garnered 42% of the TV audience. Featuring hits like #IfICanDream, the #Comeback Special let the #King Of Rock & Roll reclaim his crown.

#RockHistory
December 4, 2024 at 1:59 AM
Today in 1957, #SamCooke hit #1 on the #Billboard Pop charts.

Although a seemingly simple, it marked a big step from #R&B to #Soul.

#Cooke himself had been a famous gospel singer & his turning to pop was akin to #BobDylan “plugging in.”

It established Cooke as both hugely influential & popular.
December 3, 2024 at 1:42 AM
Today in 1985, #JanelleMonae was born.

In my history of the #ConceptAlbum, #Monae’s #TheArchAndroid is a stunning blend of #FritzLang’s
#Metropolis filtered through #AfroFuturism & #Prince influenced pop funk to tell a space saga beamed from the future to the past in our present.

#RockHistory
December 1, 2024 at 10:27 PM
Today in 2001, #GeorgeHarrison dies at age 58.

The youngest & “Quiet One” of #TheBeatles, #Harrison penned some of their best songs: #Something, #HereComesTheSun, #WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps, #Taxman, #ThinkForYourself, #IfINeededSomeone, plus solo hits #MySweetLord, #WhatIsLife, #GotMyMindSetOnYou
November 30, 2024 at 4:22 AM
Today in 1982, #MichaelJackson released #Thriller, the best-selling album of all-time.

7 of its 9 tracks hit the Top 10: #BillieJean (#1), #BeatIt (#1), #TheGirlIsMine (#2), #Thriller (#4), #WannaBeStartinSomethin’ (#5), #HumanNature (#7), & #PYT (#10).

It remains a watermark of the LP era.
November 29, 2024 at 6:51 PM
Turns out Sinclair Lewis was right all along.
November 29, 2024 at 3:27 PM
Today in 1969, #TheRollingStones release #LetItBleed.

Opening with #GimmeShelter, closing with #YouCantAlwaysGetWhatYouWant, & featuring its title track as its centerpiece, the album was a referendum on the end of the ‘60s by the band that weathered it the hardest.

Arguably their finest LP.
November 28, 2024 at 4:32 PM
Happy #Thanksgiving Shorter -->
November 28, 2024 at 3:03 PM
Today in 1942, #JimiHendrix was born.

In my history of the #ConceptAlbum, I quoted #Jimi as a spiritual rambler:

“I’m American…but I haven’t really got a home anywhere. The earth’s my home. I’ve never had a house here. I don’t want to put down roots in case I get restless & want to move on.“
November 27, 2024 at 7:58 PM
Today in 1939, #TinaTurner was born.

In 2013, #Tina was asked about her legacy:

“My legacy is that I stayed on course…from the beginning to the end, because I believed in something inside of me. So my legacy is a person that strived for wanting it better & got it.”

#RockHistory #Legend #Icon
November 27, 2024 at 2:39 AM
November 26, 2024 at 7:51 PM
Today in 1984, #BandAid, the supergroup led by #BobGeldof, recorded #DoTheyKnowItsChristmas? to raise money for the famine in #Ethiopia.

The group included #Bono, #Sting, #GeorgeMichael, #PhilCollins, #BoyGeorge, & bands like #DuranDuran, #Banamarama, & #SpandauBallet.

They raised more than $24M.
November 25, 2024 at 9:58 PM