Died On This Date (September 21, 2008) Yankee Stadium / Hosted Several Historic Concerts
themusicsover Yankee Stadium
April 18, 1923 – September 21, 2008
Sure it was the House That Ruth Built and home to Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees, but the legendary Yankee Stadium was also the site of numerous concerts over its storied 85 years. The first concert ever held there was an R&B festival on June 21, 1969. It was hosted by the Isley Brothers and included Tina Turner, Moms Mabley, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, Brooklyn Bridge, and Patti Austin on the bill. On August 23, 1973, over 44,000 music fans converged on the site to experience one of the most culturally significant Latin music shows the US had ever seen. What started out as a promotional concert by local Latin label, Farina Records to showcase their up-and-coming artists, turned out to be a symbol of the importance of Latin culture in New York City and the foundation of a Latin pride movement. On June 22, 1990, Billy Joel brought his rock and roll show to the stadium. Joel’s “Live At Yankee Stadium” was released on video in 1990 and is considered by many to be his best live recording ever. 1992 saw U2 performing two sold-out concerts there, followed by two sold out Pink Floyd shows in 1994.
Jim Croce was an American singer songwriter who was quickly becoming one of the best selling artists of the ’70s when his life was tragically cut short when he was at his prime. Croce’s career started while in college in the early ’60s, playing in local bands along the coffee house circuit. In those early days, Croce began to form a local following while writing upwards of 3000 songs. He soon began performing with his wife as Jim & Ingrid Croce and in 1968, the duo was signed to Capitol Records and released their debut album. The album failed to ignite their career, so Croce decided he had had enough with the music business and to a job driving trucks. It was while sitting in the cab of the truck that he began to write songs about ordinary people, developing him into a songwriter that would soon become famous. By the early 70s, Croce began writing and recording with a musician he had recently met, 
Ben Webster was a prominent saxophonist who made his mark playing swing. He is considered one of the most important players of the idiom. He got his start in the Young Family Band alongside the great, 