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Julia Ward Howe Elected to American Academy of Arts

January 28, 1907
January 28, 1907

Julia Ward Howe Elected to American Academy of Arts

On this day in 1907, 89-year-old Julia Ward Howe became the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Howe lived most of her long life in Boston, but it was in...

Critic Declares Springsteen Future of Rock and Roll

May 9, 1974
May 9, 1974

Critic Declares Springsteen Future of Rock and Roll

On this day in 1974, 25-year-old Bruce Springsteen played at the Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge. Although popular with the college crowd in the Northeast, Springsteen was not yet a star. That night, he and...

Ground Broken for Symphony Hall

June 12, 1899
June 12, 1899

Ground Broken for Symphony Hall

On this day in 1899, ground was broken for Boston's Symphony Hall. From the day it was completed a year and a half later, the building would be considered one of finest concert halls in...

Weepin' Willie Robinson Born

July 6, 1926
July 6, 1926

Weepin' Willie Robinson Born

On this day in 1926, "Boston's Elder Statesman of the Blues," Weepin' Willie Robinson, was born. Raised in the South, he launched his musical career in Trenton, New Jersey, before coming to Boston in the...

BSO Conductor Celebrates Birthday at Tanglewood

July 26, 1940
July 26, 1940

BSO Conductor Celebrates Birthday at Tanglewood

On this day in 1940, Sergei Koussevitzky celebrated his 66th birthday with the first class to graduate from the Berkshire Music Center in Lenox. The school was adjacent to Tanglewood, the summer home of the...

Arlo Guthrie Convicted of Littering

November 28, 1965
November 28, 1965

Arlo Guthrie Convicted of Littering

On this day in 1965, 20-year-old Arlo Guthrie was convicted of littering in the Berkshire County town of Stockbridge, and the song "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" was born. The son of legendary musician Woody Guthrie, Arlo...

Aerosmith Opens Lansdowne Street Music Hall

December 19, 1994
December 19, 1994

Aerosmith Opens Lansdowne Street Music Hall

On this day in 1994, Boston-based rock band Aerosmith opened the Mama Kin Music Hall. In the shadow of Fenway Park, the Lansdowne Street facility enjoyed moderate success as a live music venue before the...

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