I read the news today... oh boy...
Three thousand holes in...


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Dateline: November 19th

Today, in 1955, Carl Perkins recorded 'Blue Suede Shoes' at Sun Studios in Memphis while, a little further back and over the other side of the Atlantic, in 1703, The 'Man in the Iron Mask' (L'Homme au Masque de Fer), whose identity - other than in films starring Douglas Fairbanks, Richard Chamberlain or Leonardo DiCaprio whereby it is always Louis XIV's twin-brother - remains the subject of much speculation, died in the Bastille.

Updates include an ammendment within the Who's Who pages, as well as significant additions to both The Rivits and Seven Windows pages.

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Dateline: November 4th

Today, in 1942, British forces achieved the first major Allied land victory over Germany's Rommel-led troops at El Alamein in Egypt; in 1972, Johnny Nash's 'I Can See Clearly Now' topped the US charts while over in Britain, in 1963, The Beatles topped the bill at The Royal Variety Show at The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London in front of HRH the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret - the night during which John Lennon famously remarked “In the cheaper seats you clap your hands. The rest of you, rattle your jewellery”. The show was broadcast six days later.

Updates today include a good deal more of The Rivits story being told while the tale of the Seven Windows project has also begun to unfold. And, a few more additions to the Bronco gigging schedule have been found and posted.

In addition - a sharing button has been added to this and the main page, making it easier to forward / share info from the site across the web.

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Dateline: November 2nd

Today, in 1960, a jury (twelve fine men - as it was in those days - and true) acquitted Penguin Books of obscenity following their publishing of D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover; further back - in 1871, the 'Rogues Gallery' was instigated whereby all prisoners in Britain were photographed; in 1990, Donald got his come-uppance when Ivana Trump filed for divorce and, back in 1930, Emperor Haile Selassie was crowned in Ethiopia.

Further JRB page updates as well as to The Rivits, Comments and Sources pages. More to follow shortly on The Rivits as well as the project that became known as... Seven Windows.

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Dateline: October 30th

Today, in 1938, Orson Welles' radio production of H.G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds caused pandemonium throughout the US; while in 1817, the independent government of Venezuela was established by Simon Bolivar and, in 1961 The USSR not only tested a hydrogen bomb with a force of approximately 58 megatons but the Soviet Party Congress unanimously approved an order to remove Joseph Stalin's body from Lenin's tomb.

Further updates (with more coming) to the JRB page and an interesting addition to the Butts Band page.

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Dateline: October 19th

Today, in 1966, tragedy hit the small (and hithero obscure) Welsh village of Aberfan as a coal slag-tip engulfed an entire school burying 144 people (116 of which were children) and injuring many more while, further back, in 1805 - Admiral Lord Nelson gave his famous signal at the Battle of Trafalgar, ‘England expects...’ which flew from HMS Victory shortly after 11:00 a.m. The British were victorious against Napoleon’s combined French and Spanish fleets but Nelson, himself, took one in the spine from a sniper's bullet and, nineteen years after he was reputed to have breathed his last saying, Kiss me Hardy, one Joseph Aspdin of Wakefield in Yorkshire patented... Portland cement.

Updates include a new JR Solo(2) page - which is still work in progress - as well as additions to The Butts Band album, Rivits, Sources and Whos Who pages.
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Dateline: October 19th

Today, in 1935,The Chinese' Long March of 5,000 miles ended in Shensi, with a victory over the nationalists.

Further updates to the: Comments, Sources, JRB, AB singles, Who's Who, Rivits & Bronco Concerts pages

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Dateline: October 16th

Today was, in time gone by, a bit of a day for getting rid of people: for example, in 1793, Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne de Habsbourg-Lorraine, otherwise wife to Louis XVI, thus Queen of France and of Navarre, was tried, condemned and guillotined in the Place de la Concorde - her final words allegedly being: "Pardon me Sir, I meant not to do it," to the executioner, Charles Henri Sanson (he being the holder of the heriditary red cloak of office as the City's official executioner), as she was being pushed toward said aparatus. In 1916, the British soldier, Private Harry Farr was court-martialled - a hearing that lasted 20 minutes in which he had to defend himself - found guilty of 'cowardice', and at dawn was tied to a tree and shot by firing squad. General Haig signed his death warrant yet, in 2006, he was granted a 'symbolic' pardon. And, in 1946, 10 Nazi leaders paid for their crimes against humanity in the gym at Nuremberg Prison - von Ribbentrop was the first at 1.11am, followed by Field Marshal General Wilhelm Keitel, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Alfred Rosenberg the former Minister of the Eastern Occupied Territories and one of the main authors of key Nazi ideological creeds before finally Arthur Seyss-Inquart. The executioner, American Master Sergeant JC Woods is reported to have said "Ten men in 103 minutes. That's fast work" adding that he was ready for a "stiff drink"... Oh, and lest we forget, back in 1854, it was Oscar Wilde's birthday.

Further updates include all of the Bronco pages as well as Sources, Alan Bown, Who's Who and the Comments page.

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Dateline: October 14th

Today, in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy (aka The Conqueror), put one into King Harold II's eye at the Battle of Hastings; while in 1947 the American Chuck Yeager - in the aircraft Bell X1 - became the first man to break the sound barrier.

Yes... its been a while (and relevant apologies are due for a lack of updates)... however, the eagle-eyed amongst you will notice a new page devoted to Bronco's gigs, Radio and TV appearances... this, like much of the site, is work in progress and due acknowledgement and thanks go to Demitri Robinson for getting this particular ball rolling. In addition and inexplicably (doubtless a slip of the mouse), there was no listing for the Butts Band album - that's now been rectified. The Bronco story has been updated... and there is an important disclaimer on the Bronco albums page.

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Dateline: August 17th

Today, in 1815, Napoleon arrived at Saint Helena for the beginning of his exile; in 1786 - Davy Crockett was born, to die in a blaze of inglorious glory at The Alamo in 1836; in 1962, Pete Best was ousted from The Beatles, being replaced by Ringo Starr while in 1999, the Euro was officially launched as the currency for all of Europe - bar the UK. A year earlier - President Clinton acknowledged to a grand jury and the US nation in general via television something the world had known all along - that he really had had an inappropriate (ho hum...) relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

Quite a bit more has been added to the Bronco story; the Who's Who section has been updated as has the Comments page.

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Dateline: August 12th

Today, in 1851, Isaac Singer patented the Sowing Machine while, back in 1914, Great Britain declared war against Austria and Hungary - thus plunging a continent into turmoil for the next four and a bit years.

A good deal more has been added to the Bronco story.

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Dateline: August 10th

Today, in 1672, Cardinal Richelieu began beseiging La Rochelle in France; while in 1792, mobs attacked King Louis XVI's palace in Paris, sparking the tinderbox that was the French Revolution. In 1970 Jim Morrison was tried in Miami on a "lewd & lascivious behaviour" charge while, five years later, David Frost purchased exclusive rights to interview former (disgraced) President Nixon.

A wide variety of updates have come about these last few days; there is more on The Butts Band story - with, perhaps for the first time ever, the truth behind the band's name being revealed; the story of the Jess Roden Band has been fleshed out further; there are more - hitherto unseen - images on the Bronco and The Rivits pages. Who's Who has been added to as has the Sources page.

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Dateline: August 4th

In 1944, acting on tip-off from a Dutch informer, the Gestapo captured 15-year-old Anne Frank and her family in a sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse. In September of that year, she was moved to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany but caught typhus and died in early March 1945. Her father, Otto, survived and the camp was liberated by the British less than two months later.

A new page has been added - Sessions & Solo - which details the (sometimes slightly fraught) birth of Jess' first solo album; the Sources and Who's Who pages have also been updated.

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Dateline: July 31st

In 1498, Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad (which must have come as welcome relief after months at sea - a chance to get off the ship and stretch his legs no doubt) and in 2009, soccer-legend Sir Bobby Robson, made his way into the heavenly penalty area having succumbed earlier in the day to his 15-year fight with cancer.

A little more of the Bronco story has now be written; one or two pages are still mis-behaving in terms of layout - in a gremlins are not us style; the Sources page has finally made its way onto the www and there's been a few additions to the Who's Who page as well.

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Dateline: July 27th

In 1794, Robespierre was overthrown and placed under arrest; he was executed via Madame Guillotine's razor-edge the following day.

1940 Bugs Bunny made his debut in the Warner Bros. animated cartoon "A Wild Hare."

And... while it should have been a few days ago, today marks the official - goin' live as live is of this site... yes, there's still a shed load more work to be done, double-facts to be treble cross-referenced etc etc... its not the end, just another part of the end of the beginning.

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Dateline: July 22nd 2009

Today, in 1934, the notorious bank robber, John Dillinger (otherwise known as Johnny Depp) was shot and killed by US federal agents outside of Chicago's Biograph Theater, where he had just watched Clark Gable in Manhattan Melodrama.

And... auspicious or otherwise, today marks the first airing of www.jessroden.com

Over the coming weeks and months, the site will be continually updated - there will always be more information to gather and post...

This isn't the end; merely the end of the beginning.