December 22: The great Joe Strummer passed away in 2002

“We aren’t particularly talented. We try harder!”
―Joe Strummer

“Authority is supposedly grounded in wisdom, but I could see from a very early age that authority was only a system of control and it didn’t have any inherent wisdom. I quickly realised that you either became a power or you were crushed”
― Joe Strummer

As frontman and main songwriter of the Clash, Joe Strummer created some of the fieriest, most vital punk rock — and, indeed, rock & roll — of all time. Strummer expanded punk’s musical palette with his fondness for reggae and early rock & roll, and his signature bellow lent an impassioned urgency to the political sloganeering that filled some of his best songs.
~Steve Huey (allmusic.com)

The Edge inducts the Clash Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions 2003:

Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer – Redemption Song:

From Wikipedia:

Birth name	John Graham Mellor
Born	21 August 1952 Ankara, Turkey
Died	22 December 2002 (aged 50) Broomfield, Somerset, England
Genres	Punk rock, alternative rock,world
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, radio host, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, bass
Years active	1970–2002
Labels	CBS, Sony, Hellcat, Mercury
Associated acts	The 101ers, The Clash, The Latino Rockabilly War, The Pogues, The Mescaleros
Website	strummernews.com

 

John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was a British musician who was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership of The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in addition to his own solo music career. Strummer’s work as a musician allowed him to explore other interests, which included acting, creating film scoresfor television and movies, songwriting, radio broadcasting, and a position as a radio host. Strummer is one of the iconic figures of the British punk movement.

The Clash – White Riot:

“White Riot” is a song by English punk rock band The Clash, released as the band’s first single in 1977 and also featured on their debut album. There are two versions: the single version (also appearing on the US version of the album released in 1979), and a different version on the UK album. According to their respective label copy the single version is 1:58 in running time while the UK album version is 1:55.

Strummer and The Clash were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 2003. In his remembrance, Strummer’s friends and family have established the Strummerville Foundation for the promotion of new music, and each year there are many festivals and both organised and spontaneous ceremonies worldwide to celebrate his memory.

“If I had five million pounds I’d start a radio station because something needs to be done. It would be nice to turn on the radio and hear something that didn’t make you feel like smashing up the kitchen and strangling the cat.”
― Joe Strummer

Here is an amazing version of “I Fought The Law”:

“I Fought the Law” is a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and became popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, which went on to become a top-ten hit for the band in 1966 and was also recorded by the Clash in 1979.

Album of the day:

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros – Streetcore (2003):

Other December 22:

• Ma Rainey (April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was one of the earliest known American professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record. She was billed as The Mother of the Blues.
• Dave Dudley (May 3, 1928 – December 22, 2003), born David Darwin Pedruska, was an American country music singer best known for his truck-driving country anthems of the 1960s and 1970s and his semi-slurred baritone. His signature song was “Six Days on the Road,” and he is also remembered for “Vietnam Blues,” “Truck Drivin’ Son-of-a-Gun,” and “Me and ol’ C.B.”. Other recordings included Dudley’s duet with Tom T. Hall, “Day Drinking,” and his own Top 10 hit, “Fireball Rolled A Seven,” supposedly based on the career and death of Edward Glenn “Fireball” Roberts.
• “A Change Is Gonna Come” is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the 1960s’ Civil Rights Movement. The song has gained in popularity and critical acclaim in the decades since its release, and is #12 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
  

  Published	1963 (ABKCO)
  Released	December 22, 1964 (single)
  Recorded	December 21, 1963 RCA Studios (Los Angeles, California)
  Genre	Soul, R&B
  Length	3:12
  Label	RCA Victor
  Writer	Sam Cooke
  Producer	Hugo Peretti Luigi Creatore

-Egil & Hallgeir