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Today in Rock History – October 23

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Jimi_Hendrix_Hey_Joe_11966, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded their first single “Hey Joe,” at De Lane Lea studios in London. The earliest known commercial recording of the song is the late-1965 single by the Los Angeles garage band the The Leaves. The band then re-recorded the track and released it in 1966 as a follow-up single which became a hit. The Byrds also performed and recorded a version of the song.

1966, The Yardbirds, with new recruit Jimmy Page, perform at San Francisco’s Fillmore.

1967, Pink Floyd plays at the Bath Pavilion in Bath, Somerset, England.

1969, Columbia Records announces it will take legal action to stop sales of Great White Wonder, the popular bootleg set of previously unreleased Bob Dylan material.

1969, The Who continue a six-night stand at the Fillmore East in New York accompanied by the Joshua Light Show.

1970, Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention perform at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York.

1970, The Who appear at Green’s Playhouse in Glasgow, Scotland.

1971, Yes played at the Empire Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland.

1972, The Grateful Dead appeared at the Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1972, Filming begins on That’ll Be the Day, a musical starring David Essex, Ringo Starr, and Keith Moon.

1973, Genesis appeared at City Hall, Newcastle, England.

1973,  “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & The Pips reaches number one on the US singles chart.

1974, David Bowie  appeared at the Arie Crown Theater, Chicago

1975, Eric Clapton performed at Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan.

The Clash
The Clash

1976, The Clash appeared at The ICA in London.

1976, The Jam played an afternoon show at Soho Market in London.

1976, Chicago started a two week run at number one  on the singles chart with “If You Leave Me Now.” It was the group’s 18th Top 40 and first number one.  It went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance.

1976, Led Zeppelin made their US television debut on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, when footage from The Song Remains the Same movie of “Dazed and Confused” and “Black Dog” is aired on the popular weekly music show.

1977, AC/DC played at Town Hall, Middlesborough, England.

1978, Sid Vicious tries to commit suicide at Rikers Island in New York.  Vicious was waiting to be charged with murder following the stabbing death of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen.

1980, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Sunrise Theater, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

1980, Mark David Chapman quit his security job and signed out for the last time. Instead of the usual “Chappy” he wrote “John Lennon.” Chapman would murder Lennon on December 8th outside his New York City home.

1982, Culture Club were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” the group’s first chart topper and the first of twelve UK Top 40 hits. The song became a major hit after their memorable debut performance on Top of the Pops, when they stood in for Shakin’ Stevens who was ill and not able to appear.

1984, Pete Townshend stages and performs at an anti-heroin benefit concert at The Moonlight in Hampstead. Making their live debut at this show is a new band called The Stone Roses. Their drummer, Alan “Reni” Wren, also sits in for Pete’s set.

1989, Nirvana played their first ever European show when they appeared at Newcastle’s Riverside Club in North East England. It was the first night of a 36 date European tour for the group who were sharing the bill with Tad.

1993, Meat Loaf had his first UK chart topper with “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That.”) It stayed at number one for seven weeks. A number one in twenty-eight countries and gave Meat Loaf his first US top hit.

1995, Def Leppard gave themselves a place in the Guinness book Of World Records, by playing three gigs in three continents in 24 hours. Tangier, London and Vancouver.

2002, A federal judge in St. Louis dismissed a lawsuit against Chuck Berry by Johnnie Johnson, a piano player and former collaborator who wanted royalties for more than 30 songs written between 1955 and 1966. The songs in question included “No Particular Place To Go,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and “Sweet Little Sixteen.” Johnson’s lawsuit argued that he and Berry were co-writers on many of the songs, but because Berry copyrighted them in his name alone, Johnson got none of the royalties. The judge ruled that too many years had passed to bring about a royalties suit.

2005, Arctic Monkeys scored their first UK number one single with “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor,” the Sheffield band’s debut single.

Born on October 23: Ellie Greenwich, songwriter (1940); Freddie Marsden, Gerry And The Pacemakers (1940); Greg Ridley, bass player, Spooky Tooth, Humble Pie (1943); Michael Burston, Motorhead (1949); Dwight Yoakam, (1956); Robert Trujillo, bass, songwriter Metallica, Black Label Society, Suicidal Tendencies (1964); Dale Crover, singer-songwriter, drummer, producer Melvins (1967);

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Today in Rock History – October 22

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The-Who-1966-B1964, EMI sends Kit Lambert a letter of rejection for The High Numbers. That was the original  band name for The Who. The rejection letter is later included with the Live At Leeds album. Since the reason the group is rejected is their lack of original material, Kit and Chris Stamp set up Pete with a Vortexion reel-to-reel recorder and tell him to get writing.  From this time on almost all Pete Townshend songs will be written and presented as completed demos, a style of presentation then unknown in England. His first pieces with the new system are a dance song called “You Don’t Have To Jerk” and a male chauvinist/hot-rod song (meant to appeal to both Roger and Keith) named “Call Me Lightning.”

1966, The Supremes had their first number one album with The Supremes a Go Go, knocking The Beatles Revolver, from the top of the charts.

1966, The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” made its debut on the singles chart. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the track was recorded over 6 weeks in four different Los Angeles studios, at a cost of over $16,000 (£10,000.) The recording engineer would later say that the last take sounded exactly like the first, six months earlier. The record would reach number one on the charts in December 1966.

1967, The Who play two shows at the Saville Theatre in London, preceded by Vanilla Fudge and Studio Six. Before the show, Pete is interviewed on camera about illicit drugs by Australian director Peter Clifton. During the show, Pete plays a two-necked guitar and Keith wears a jester’s outfit.

1969, American singer Tommy Edwards died after suffering a brain aneurysm in Henrico County, Virginia, at the age of 47. He had the 1958 US and UK top single “It’s All In The Game.”

1969, Paul McCartney publicly denied rumors that he was dead. The most recent of many “clues” of this death hoax was the fact that he was the only barefoot Beatle on the newly released Abby Road LP cover. The story was actually started as a prank by Fred La Bour, a sports and arts writer for the student paper, The Michigan Daily at the University of Michigan.

led-zeppelin-led-zep-II1969, Led Zeppelin II was released on Atlantic Records in the UK. The Jimmy Page-produced album which was recorded over six months between four European and three American tours, peaked at number one in both the UK and the US, going on to sell over 12 million copies in the US alone, and spending 138 weeks on the UK chart. The album is now recognized by writers and music critics as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums ever recorded.

1970, The Who appear at the ABC Cinema in Stockton-on-Tees, England.

1970, Pink Floyd played at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, along with the Roger Wagner Chorale, three French horns, three trombones, three trumpets, and a tuba. They were there for the second ever stage performance of the “Atom Heart Mother Suite.”

1971, The Who perform at the Opera House in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

1973, Roxy Music appear at City Hall, Sheffield, England.

1974, David Bowie plays at the Arie Crown Theater, Chicago.

1975, The Allman Brothers Band perform at the Civic Center, Bakersfield, California.

1976, Frank Zappa appears at the Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York.

1978, Bob Dylan plays at the University Of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio.

1979, The Pretenders started a run of four consecutive Monday nights at the Marquee Club in London.

1980, The Grateful Dead kicked off an eight night performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

1982, Mayor Sara Robertson in Worcester, MA, declared today Van Halen Day, in response to local fans collecting 25,000 signatures requesting the band add a second show to their tour.

1983, Culture Club went to number one on the album chart with their second release Colour By Numbers.

1988, Phil Collins started a two week run at number one on the singles chart with “Groovy Kind Of Love,” his 6th chart topper.

1988, U2 scored their fourth number one album with the double set and film soundtrack Rattle And Hum, featuring their first number one single “Desire.”

1989, English folk singer, songwriter, poet, and record producer Ewan MacColl died aged 74. He wrote “Dirty Old Town” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” which became a number one hit for Roberta Flack in 1972. Acts including Planxty, The Dubliners, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash recorded his songs. He was the father of singer, songwriter Kirsty MacColl.

1990, Pearl Jam played their first ever concert when they appeared at the Off Ramp in Seattle.

1993, Oasis signed a six-album deal with Creation Records for a £40,000 ($64,000) advance.

2000, George Michael paid £1.45 ($2.32) million for the Steinway piano on which John Lennon wrote “Imagine.” George said, “I know that when my fingers touch the keys of that Steinway, I will feel truly blessed. And parting with my money has never been much of a problem, just ask my accountant.” The singer outbid Robbie Williams and The Oasis brothers.

2000, Pearl Jam appeared at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, California, celebrating the tenth anniversary of their first live performance as a band.

2008, A homeless man claimed a £2,000 ($3200) reward by returning a waxwork head of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney which had been left on a train. Anthony Silva found the item in a bin at Reading station after auctioneer Joby Carter left it under a seat at Maidenhead station. The homeless man thought it was a Halloween mask and had been using it as a pillow before realizing what it was. The wax model sold the following week for £5,500 ($8800) at auction.

Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary

Born on this day: Timothy Leary  (1920); Bobby Fuller, The Bobby Fuller Four (1942); Leslie West, Mountain (1945); and Eddie Brigati, vocals, The Young Rascals (1946); Greg Hawkes, keyboards, The Cars (1952); Stiv Bators, vocals, Dead Boys, Wanderers, Lords Of The New Church (1956); Cris Kirkwood, singer-songwriter, bass, Meat Puppets (1960); Jon Foreman, singer-songwriter, guitarist Switchfoot,  Fiction Family (1976)

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Today in Rock History – October 21

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beatles-studio-19651965, Wanting to improve on a previous recording session The Beatles started from scratch on a new song called “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown,”) finishing recordings in three takes. They also begin working on a new John Lennon song “Nowhere Man.”

1965, The Kingsmen perform “Louie Louie” on the ABC television variety show Shindig!  Also guesting were the Dave Clark Five.

1965, The Spencer Davis Group recorded “Keep On Running” at Pye Studios in London, England. The track went on to top the UK chart the following January.

1966, Pink Floyd appeared at the London Free School, held at the All Saints Church Hall, Powis Gardens, London.

1967, Scottish singer Lulu started a five-week run at number one on the US singles chart with the theme from the film To Sir With Love.

1967, Pink Floyd performed at Willamette University, in Salem, Oregon.

1970, Pink Floyd’s show at the Fillmore West in San Francisco included a brass and choir for the performance of “Atom Heart Mother.” The choir came back on for an encore of “Ave Maria.” Tickets were $3.

1971, Rolling Stone Mick Jagger became a father when his wife Bianca gave birth to daughter Jade in a Paris hospital.

1972, Pink Floyd performed at a benefit show for War on Want, The Albany Trust Deptford, and Save The Children Fund. The show was held at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London.

1972, Chuck Berry started a two week run at number one on the singles chart with “My Ding-A- Ling,” his first and only US and UK chart topper, 17 years after his first chart hit.

1972, Pete Townshend’s solo album Who Came First hits the British charts. Although it has Pete on the cover and is marketed as a solo album, it is more a compilation of the privately released Meher Baba albums. For instance, the single released from the album, “Forever’s No Time At All” (backed with “This Song Is Green,”) features a lead vocal by Billy Nicholls. The album reaches #30 in the British charts. The single does not chart.

1972, Curtis Mayfield started a four-week run at No.1 on the album chart with soundtrack to Superfly.

1973, The Grateful Dead played at the Omaha Civic Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

1973, Elton John, Sutherland Brothers, and Quiver performed at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood, Florida.

1974, Roxy Music appeared at the Odeon in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1975, The soundtrack to the film Lisztomania is released. The movie stars Roger Daltrey and was helmed by Tommy director Ken Russell. Rick Wakeman’s planned “concept album” version of the soundtrack is turned down for a simple collection of songs and performances. The result does not chart in the U.K. and peaks at number 145 in the US. Wakeman’s version of the soundtrack is not released until 2002.

1975, Elton John is the latest addition to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1975, The Doobie Brothers played at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1976, Los Angeles’ Fox Wilshire Theatre hosts the west coast premiere of Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains The Same.” It was attended by the band. Jimmy Page said, “(The premieres were) held apart by a few days so we could check the cinemas out. It’s not as easy a job as you’d think getting the sound right for cinemas. The first time in New York was great, the first time one had sat in an audience. Every time I had seen the film before was with technicians, people with a really critical eye. Then the film  really lived for the first time and you could see people getting off on things, applauding and laughing at the right time, generally vibing. Other charity premieres are held in various major cities including: Toronto, Boston and Dallas, San Francisco and Chicago, but not attended by the band.

keith-moon21976, Keith Moon played his last show with The Who at the end of a North American tour at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto. On September 7, 1978, Moon died of an overdose of a sedative Heminevrin, that had been prescribed to prevent seizures induced by alcohol withdrawal.

1976, Aerosmith appeared at the Stadthalle, Erlangen,Germany.

1977, Rush performed at Will Rogers Auditorium, Fort Worth, Texas.

1978, The Clash sacked manager Bernie Rhodes, saying the band and record company “found him hard to deal with.” Melody Maker journalist Caroline Coon took his place.

1980, Van Halen played at the Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Indiana.

1981, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas.

1983, The Grateful Dead appeared at The Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts.

1989, Jive Bunny And The Mastermixes had their second UK number one single with “That’s What I Like.” The Theme from Hawaii Five-O was the recurring hook in the record which also included “Lets Twist Again,” “Lets Dance,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and “The Twist.”

1992, George Michael took Sony Records to court in a fight over his contract with the company. He lost the case in 1994. Michael worked with Sony again less than 10 years later.

1995, Shannon Hoon, lead singer for Blind Mellon dies of a suspected cocaine overdose after an all-night drug binge following a “disappointing performance” the night before in Houston, Texas. The band is best known for the song “No Rain.”

1997, Elton John’s “Candle In The Wind 97” was declared by the Guinness Book Of Records as the biggest selling single record of all time, with 31.8 million sales in less than 40 days and raising more than £20 ($32)million for charity.

2001, Concerts at Madison Square Garden and the RFK stadium in Washington were expected to raise millions in funds for the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Stars who appeared included Michael Jackson, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, *NSYNC, P-Diddy, James Brown, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, The Who, and Elton John.

2006, American musician, singer, songwriter, and drummer Sandy West died from lung cancer. She was a founding member, with Joan Jett, of the all-girl group The Runaways. Cherie Currie, the initial lead singer of The Runaways, said, “Sandy West was by far, the greatest female drummer in the history of rock and roll. No one could compete or even come close to her, but the most important was her heart.”

2006, Evanescence were at number one on the US album chart with their second album The Open Door. It became the 700th top album in Billboard since the chart became a weekly feature in 1956.

2007, Stereophonics went to number one on the UK album chart with Pull The Pin, the bands sixth studio album.

2013, Sid Bernstein, the concert promoter who staged early US shows by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, died at age 95. Bernstein booked The Beatles for their legendary show at Shea Stadium in New York in 1965, which was the first concert to be staged in a large stadium. Bernstein also promoted The Beatles’ performance at Carnegie Hall in New York on their first US tour in 1964. He also arranged the first five American dates for the Rolling Stones, as well as shows for Judy Garland, Ray Charles and Tony Bennett.

Born on October 21: Manfred Mann (1940); Steve Cropper, Booker T & the MG’s (1941); Elvin Bishop (1942); Ron Elliott, The Beau Brummels (1943);Lee Loughnane, trumpet, Chicago (1946); Lux Interior, singer-songwriter, The Cramps (1946); Brent Mydland, keyboards, The Grateful Dead (1952); Charlotte Caffey, The Go- Go’s (1953); Eric Faulkner, singer, Bay City Rollers, (1954) Julian Cope, Teardrop Explodes (1957);  and Steve Lukather, Toto (1957); Nick Oliveri, bass, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age (1971)

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Today in Rock History – October 19

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yardbirds-jeff-beck-eric-clapton-jimmy-page-dreja-relf1966, The Yardbirds arrived in New York for their first US tour with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page on lead guitars. After two dates of the tour, Beck developed acute tonsillitis and quit the group. He would go on to form The Jeff Beck Group, giving Rod Stewart his first major exposure.

1966, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon travel to Copenhagen. Pete Townshend misses the flight, as well as the press conference held at the Star Club. While there, Helle Hellman interviews John for the Danish Beat magazine. John says his hearing is going, and he has already developed the habit of seeming to listen and respond to people he cannot hear.

1967, The soundtrack to The Sound Of Music was at number one on the album charts, spending its 132nd week on the chart. The Beatles were second with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Scott Walker was third with Scott.

1968, The “New” Yardbirds made their last appearance at Liverpool University, with only Jimmy Page as a remaining member. He was about to christen his new band as Led Zeppelin later in the month. Press reports suggested that Keith Moon of the Who had come up with the band’s new name.

1968, On their farewell tour, Cream appeared at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, where live recordings were made which were included on the Goodbye Cream album which was released the following year.

1968, Eighteen year-old Peter Frampton met Steve Marriott at a Small Faces show in London. After striking up a friendship, the two started planning a new group which would debut as Humble Pie the following April.

1969, Led Zeppelin, Santana, and Light House performed and afternoon and evening show at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago.

1969, The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Piedmont Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

1971, Jethro Tull played at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York.

1972, Alice Cooper played at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.

bob-marley-19741973, During their ‘Burnin’ North American tour, Bob Marley and The Wailers played the first of two nights at The Matrix Club, San Francisco, California.

1973, Genesis played at the Rainbow Theatre in London.

1973, David Bowie released his seventh album Pin Ups. The album, which features supermodel Twiggy on the front cover, is a collection of cover versions of some of the singer’s favorite songs, including tracks by Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things, The Who, The Yardbirds and The Kinks.

1974, The Grateful Dead performed at San Francisco’s Winterland Auditorium.

1974, KISS played at the Renaissance Valentine Theater, Toledo, Ohio.

1975, The Who appeared at Granby Halls, Leicester, England. The same day, the end of a three-part overview of rock by Philip Norman is published in the Sunday Times Magazine. In his entry on The Who, he says that Pete’s best work predates Tommy and claims, “The Who are trapped playing aging music for the aging young.” In response, that night on stage, Pete calls the Times‘ staff “pricks.”

1976, Rush appeared at the PNE Garden Auditorium, Vancouver, Canada.

1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd performed at Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, South Carolina.

1978, Hawkwind played at King George Hall, Blackburn, England.

1980, AC/DC kicked off a 20-date UK tour at Bristol Colston Hall. The band’s first gigs since the death of singer Bon Scott.

1985, A-Ha went to number one on the US singles chart with “Take On Me,” making them the first Norwegian group to notch a US chart topper.

1991, Oasis played The Boardwalk in their hometown Manchester, the group’s first gig with Noel Gallagher in the group.

1995, African-American jazz trumpeter Don Cherry died of liver failure aged 58. Developed the genre of world fusion music, incorporating influences of Middle Eastern, traditional African, and Indian music into his playing. Is the stepfather to singer’s musicians Neneh Cherry and Eagle-Eye Cherry.

1997, Glen Buxton, an original guitarist for Alice Cooper’s band died from pneumonia at age 49. He was born in Akron, Ohio, but attended High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he met Dennis Dunaway and Vincent Furnier, soon to be known as Alice Cooper. Buxton co-wrote several classic Cooper hits, including “School’s Out,” “I’m Eighteen,” and “Elected.”

1998, Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher made a surprise appearance at the launch party of the new London venue Sound Republic. He jammed onstage with Pete Townshend, and members from Ocean Colour Scene and Boo Radleys.

2009, A clump of hair believed to have been trimmed from Elvis Presley’s head when he joined the US Army in 1958 sold for $15,000 (£9,200) at an auction in Chicago. Other items sold belonging to Presley included a shirt which sold for $52,000 (£32,000), a set of concert-used handkerchiefs, $732 (£450,) and photos from the reception of Presley’s 1967 wedding to Priscilla, sold for nearly $6,000 (£3,700.)

2011, Coldplay released their fifth studio album Mylo Xyloto which charted at number one in thirty-four countries. In the UK, Mylo Xyloto became Coldplay’s fifth album to debut at number one, and became the group’s third to debut in the same spot on the US Billboard 200.

Born on October 19: Peter Tosh (1944); Jeannie C Riley, singer, “Harper Valley PTA” (1945); Keith Reid, Procul Harum (1946); Patrick Simmons,  The Doobie Brothers (1948); Karl Walinger, The Waterboys, World Party (1957); Daniel Woodgate, drummer, Madness (1960);

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Today in Rock History – October 16

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1966, Grace Slick performs as a member of Jefferson Airplane for the first time at San Francisco’s Fillmore West after Signe Anderson bows out of the group’s lineup. Slick, who was with fellow San Francisco band Great Society, introduces the band to two new songs, her composition “White Rabbit,” and “Somebody to Love,” written by her then brother-in-law Darby Slick.

1967, Folk singer Joan Baez was arrested, along with 123 others, for blocking the entrance to an Armed Forces Induction Center in Oakland, California.

1968, Pink Floyd performed at Theatre du Huitieme in Lyon, France with a psychedelic light show by the London Arts Laboratory.

1969, Record company executive and founder of the Chess record label, Leonard Chess, died of a heart attack aged 52. Chicago based Chess was home to Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed and Sonny Boy Williamson.

1969, Bobbie Gentry was atop on the UK singles chart with the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” the singer’s only UK number one.

1970, Rod Stewart & The Faces appear at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan.

1971, Isaac Hayes releases the Theme From Shaft.” The theme music of the hit blaxsploitation film would go to number one.

1971, Neil Diamond performed at the Indiana State University Arena in Terre Haute, Indiana.

1972, Creedence Clearwater Revival split up following the failure of their most recent album, Mardi Gras. After limited success as a solo act and some legal hassles with Fantasy Records, John Fogarty would have two big hits in 1980, “Center Field” and “Rock and Roll Girl.” John’s brother Tom Fogarty died in September, 1990.

1974, The Grateful Dead played the first of five nights at the Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California.

1974, Hawkwind appear at Ellis Auditorium North Hall in Memphis, Tennessee.

1975, The Who played at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland.

1976, One hit wonder Rick Dees and his Cast Of Idiots went to number one on the singles chart with “Disco Duck.”

1976, Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life went to number one on the album charts, featuring the tracks “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” and “Isn’t She Lovely.”

1977, Rush appeared at Taylor County Expo Center Coliseum, Abilene, Texas.

1978, Hawkwind played at Guild Hall, Portsmouth, England.

1979, AC/DC headlined at Towson University, Towson, Maryland.

1980, Jeff Beck appears at Cobo Arena, Detroit,Michigan.

1981, Eric Clapton played at Vejlby-Risskovhallen, Aarhus, Denmark.

1982, Culture Club appeared on UK TV’s Top Of The Pops performing “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” which they got thanks to Shakin’ Stevens being ill and not able to appear. The song became a major hit after their memorable performance on the music TV show.

1983, ZZ Top appeared at the Marquee Club, London.

1986, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Robert Cray joined other artists on stage in St Louis, for Chuck Berry’s 60th birthday concert, as featured in the film ‘Hail Hail! Rock & Roll’.

1992, Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary (of his recording debut) tribute concert took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Guest performers include Neil Young, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Ron Wood, and Dylan himself.

2006, CBGB, the legendary New York punk club credited with discovering Patti Smith and The Ramones, closed after a final gig by Smith herself. Blondie and Talking Heads also found fame after performing at the club, which helped launch US punk music. The venue first opened in December 1973, its full name CBGB OMFUG standing for “country, bluegrass, blues and other music for uplifting gormandizers”.

2010, Auburn University graduate student Justin Havird named a new species of fish, Lepidocephalichthys zeppelini, because the fish’s pectoral fin reminded him of the double-neck guitar used by Jimmy Page. “I’m a big Led Zeppelin fan, and I was listening to them while I was working on the fish,” Havird said. “The structure that makes this species unique just reminded me of the guitar that Jimmy Page played.”

Born on this day: Nico, The Velvet Underground (1938); Fred Turner, bass, vocals, Bachman Turner Overdrive (1943); Bob Weir, Grateful Dead (1947); Michael Balzary, (Flea), Red Hot Chili Peppers (1962); John Mayer (1977)

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Today in Rock History – October 15

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1966, Pink Floyd (who were paid £15 for the gig), The Move, Denny Laine, and Soft Machine all appeared at the launch for International Times at London’s Roundhouse.

1966, The Four Tops started a two week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Reach Out And I’ll Be There.” The spot was previously held by “Cherish” from The Association.

1967, Cream played at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.

1967, The first Sacramento Pop Festival took place which featured Spirit, Jefferson Airplane, Nutty Gritty Dirt Band, Strawberry Alarm Clock and Sunshine Company.

1967, The Who tape an appearance on the BBC1 TV show Twice A Fortnight miming to “I Can See For Miles” and “Mary Anne With The Shaky Hands.” The director chooses to shoot the band using constant, rapid zooming shots. This motion-sickness inducing performance airs on the 21st, and is shown in the US on American Bandstand on December 30th.

1968, Vanilla Fudge played at the MECCA in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1969, The Who appeared at the Capitol Theatre, Ottawa, Ontario.

1970, Yes performed at Dundee University, Dundee, Scotland.

1971, Pink Floyd kicked off a 30-date North American tour at the Winterland Auditorium in San Francisco, California.

1972, Lieutenant Pigeon were atop the UK singles chart with “Mouldy Old Dough.” Keyboard player Rob Woodward had his mom play piano on the single, making them the only mother and son act to score a UK number one. The song was recorded in the front room of their semi-detached house.

1973, Keith Richards was found guilty of trafficking cannabis by a Court in Nice, France. The Rolling Stone was given a one-year suspended sentence and a 5,000 franc fine. He was also banned from entering France for two years.

1974, David Bowie plays the first of a six night engagement at the Michigan Palace in Detroit, as part of the Philly Dogs Tour. Carlos Alomar, David Sanborn, and Luther Vandross were all part of Bowie’s musical entourage.

1975, Jefferson Starship performed at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1976, AC/DC appeared at Cirque Royal in Brussels, Belgium.

1977, Debby Boone started a 10 week run at number one on the singles chart with “You Light Up My Life,” the longest stay at the top since Guy Mitchell’s “Singing The Blues.”

1978, Bob Dylan performed at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio.

1979, Abba played their first concert in North America when they appeared in Vancouver, Canada.

1980, Blue Oyster Cult appeared at Memorial Auditorium, Utica, New York.

1981, The Grateful Dead played at the Melkweg in Amsterdam.

1983, Genesis went to number one on the album chart with their self-titled album Genesis.

1988, Bon Jovi started a four-week run at number one on the album chart with New Jersey.

UB40

1988, UB40 went to number one on the singles chart with their version of the Neil Diamond song “Red Red Wine.”

1995, Paul and Linda McCartney were the guest voices on Fox-TV’s The Simpsons in an episode called “Lisa the Vegetarian.” McCartney’s stipulation for appearing was that Lisa’s decision to become a vegetarian would be a permanent character change, to which producer David Mirkin agreed.

1997, Michael Jackson played the last date on the HIStory Tour at King’s Park Rugby Stadium, Durban, South Africa. During the tour, Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans, visiting five continents and 35 countries.

2000, Radiohead went to number one on the US album chart with Kid A, the group’s fourth album. It became the first Radiohead release to debut at the top position in the US.

2000, U2 went to number one on the UK singles chart with “Beautiful Day,” the group’s fourth UK top single and taken from their album All That You Can’t Leave Behind.

2008, Jon Bon Jovi became the latest musician to disapprove of the use of his songs in John McCain’s US presidential campaign. The Bon Jovi song, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” was used during rallies held by Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Foo Fighters, Heart and Jackson Browne had all asked Mr McCain to stop using their tracks in his presidential bid. Bon Jovi, a Democrat supporter, threw a $30,000 (£17,000) per person, fund-raising dinner for Democratic candidate Barack Obama at his New Jersey home in September.

Born on October 15: Barry McGuire (1935);  Don Stevenson, Moby Grape (1942); Richard Carpenter (1946); and Tito Jackson (1953)

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Today in Rock History – October 14

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Spencer Davis Group

1965, The Rolling Stones, The Spencer Davis Group, Unit 4 Plus 2, The Checkmates, The Habit, The End and Charlie Dickins all appeared at The Odeon, Birmingham during a UK tour.

1966, Pink Floyd and Soft Machine appeared at the London Free School All Saints Hall, Notting Hill, London.

1966, The Who performed at Queens Hall in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

1967, Cream appeared at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan.

1967, Bobbie Gentry started a two-week run at number one on the album chart with Ode To Billie Joe.

1967, Pink Floyd performed at Caesars Club in Bedford England.

1967, The second series of The Monkees TV show started on BBC TV in the UK. Plans for the shows to be screened in color were dropped, so it was aired in black & white.

1967, The Who’s “I Can See For Miles” backed with “Someone’s Coming” is released in Britain. Pete Townshend had held the song back for over a year until The Who would need a surefire hit single. Incredibly, this masterful recording ends up tying with “Anyway Anyhow Anywhere” as the poorest charting to date of The Who’s official U.K. singles, peaking at number ten.

1968, Yes played at the Revolution Club, London.

1968, Pink Floyd began two days in the studio working on “Point Me At The Sky” and “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” at Abbey Road Studios, London.

1968, The Jackson Five make their national TV debut on ABC TV’s Hollywood Palace.

1969, Police in New Jersey issued a warrant for the arrest of Frank Sinatra in relation to his connections with the Mafia.

1970, The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Leon Cole Auditorium at Jacksonville State University, in Jacksonville, Florida.

1971, Music publishing firm Arco Industries filed a $500,000 dollar lawsuit against Creedance Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty, claiming that Fogerty’s song “Travelin’ Band” contained substantial material copied from Little Richard’s “Good Golly, Miss Molly.” The suit was eventually dropped.

1972, Joe Cocker was arrested for possession of drugs after a show in Adelaide, Australia.

1972, Michael Jackson went to number one on the singles chart with “Ben,” his first solo song to top the charts.

1973, Queen appeared at Le Blow Up in Luxembourg.

1974, Roxy Music played at Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, England.

1975, Roxy Music performed at Belle Vue, Manchester, England.

The Grateful Dead in 1976

1976, Aerosmith kicked off their first ever UK tour at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre.

1976, The Grateful Dead played at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

1977, Rush performed at the Assembly Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

1978, Bob Dylan appeared at the Hulman Civic University Center, Terre Haute, Indiana.

1980, Black Sabbath played at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1981, King Crimson performed at Stadthalle Muehlheim, Cologne, Germany.

1982, Van Halen appeared at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1983, Iron Maiden played at the Hollywood Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, Florida.

1988, Def Leppard became first act in chart history to sell seven million copies of two consecutive LPs, with Pyromania, their third studio album released in 1983, and Hysteria, which became the band’s best-selling album to date. It sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and spawned six hit singles.

1989, Motley Crue started a two-week run atop on the US album charts with Dr. Feelgood.

1990, Multi-Emmy and Grammy award-winning American composer, pianist, conductor, and music lecturer Leonard Bernstein died of pneumonia. Composed music for the 1957 musical West Side Story, and the film On The Waterfront. Bernstein conducted the New York Philharmonic aged 25 after guest conductor Bruno Walter came down with the flu.  In addition, he wrote three symphonies, two operas, five musicals, and numerous other pieces.

2004, Eric Clapton was suspended from driving in France after being caught speeding at 134 mph in his Porsche 911 Turbo near Merceuil. He was given a 750 euro (£515, $975) fine and his UK licence was confiscated. After paying his fine Clapton, posed for photographs with French police and then left the scene in his Porsche, with his secretary behind the wheel.

2006, Freddy Fender, the Tex-Mex singer, died of complications from lung cancer at the age of 69. He was known for standards as “Before the Next Teardrop Falls, ” a US number one in 1975,  and “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.”

2014, Isaiah “Ikey” Owens, the American keyboardist known for his work with The Mars Volta, Jack White and an array of bands from the Long Beach music scene, died aged 39. Owens was found dead due to a heart attack in his hotel room in Puebla, Mexico.

Born on October 13: Cliff Richard (1940); Colin Hodgkinson, bass, Whitesnake (1945); Justin Hayward (1946);  Thomas Dolby (1958); Natalie Maines, singer, songwriter, Dixie Chicks (1974)

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Today in Rock History – October 12

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1965, The Beatles recorded “Run For Your Life” in its entirety, in five takes for their upcoming album Rubber Soul at Abbey Road Studio’s London. John Lennon later admits to lifting two lines from Elvis Presley’s 1955 hit “Baby Let’s Play House.” The group also works on another new Lennon song “This Bird Has Flown,” later known as “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown.”) The track included George Harrison’s double-tracked sitar part, the first appearance of an Indian instrument on a pop record.

1967, The Doors played at The Surf Club, Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, supported by Ultimate Spinach.

1968, Big Brother And The Holding Company went to number one on the US album chart with Cheap Thrills. It spent a total of eight weeks in the top spot.

1968, Pink Floyd were at ORTF TV Studios in Paris where footage of the band “larking about on the London underground combined with shots of London landmarks” were used as a backdrop while the band played “Let There Be More Light.” It was broadcast on the arts program A L’Affiche Du Monde.

1968, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers appeared at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan.

1969, The English press announces that Led Zeppelin will receive “the highest fee ever paid to a British group for a one-nighter in this country,” when they appear at London’s Lyceum, though the actual amount is not revealed.

1969, A DJ on Detroit’s WKNR radio station received a phone call telling him that if you play The Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever” backwards, you hear John Lennon say the words “I buried Paul.” This started a worldwide rumor that Paul McCartney was dead.

1971, Gene Vincent (Vincent Eugene Craddock), died from a perforated ulcer, aged 36. He had the 1956 US number seven and UK number 16 single “Be Bop A Lula.” Vincent appeared in the film, The Girl Can’t Help It with Jayne Mansfield. In 1960, while on tour in the UK, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured the car crash that killed Eddie Cochran.

1973, Pink Floyd perform at Munchener Olympiahalle at Olympia Park, in Munich, Germany. It was a typical 1973 show, which included Dark Side of the Moon as the second set of their shows. The support act was Fumble.

bay-city-rollers-saturday-night1974, The Bay City Rollers went to number one on the UK album chart with their debut album Rollin. The album included three British chart hits “Remember,” “Shang-a-Lang,” “Summerlove Sensation,” and the debut of “Saturday Night,” which was never a British hit, despite being a number one smash in America.

1974, If You Love Me, Let Me Know by Olivia Newton-John spent its only week at number one on the US album charts.

1974, The who album Odds and Sods is released in the US. Jim Miller in Rolling Stone calls it “flawed but interesting.”

1975, Rod Stewart and The Faces made their final live appearance when they played at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

1975, The Allman Brothers Band appeared Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California. The Marshall Tucker Band was the opening act.

1977, Rod Stewart played at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto.

1977, The Grateful Dead performed at Manor Hall in Austin, Texas.

1978, Aerosmith appeared at the Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

1978, While living at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, Sex Pistol Sid Vicious called the police to say that someone had stabbed his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. He was arrested and charged with murder and placed in the detox unit of a New York prison.

1980, Yes performed at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.

1980, The Doobie Brothers played at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California.

1981, King Crimson appeared at the Music Centre, Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

1982, Van Halen performed at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1985, Ricky Wilson of the B-52’s died of complications from AIDS.

1991, Simply Red’s fourth album Stars went to number one on the UK chart for the first of five times, featuring the singles “Thrill Me,” “For Your Babies,” and the title track “Stars.” The album became the biggest seller of 1991 and 1992 in the UK spending 134 weeks on the chart.

1994, Pink Floyd played the first of a 15-night run at Earls Court, London, England. Less than a minute after the band had started playing “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” a scaffolding stand holding 1200 fans, collapsed, throwing hundreds of people 20 feet to the ground. It took over an hour to free everyone from the twisted wreckage, ninety-six people were injured, with 36 needing hospital treatment. Six were detained overnight with back, neck and rib injuries. Pink Floyd sent a free T-shirt and a note of apology to all the fans who had been seated in the stand that collapsed. The show was immediately cancelled and re-scheduled.

1997, John Denver was killed when the handmade, experimental airplane he was flying, ran out of gas and crashed off the coast of Monterrey Bay, California. The 53 year old star had scored 15 songs on Billboard’s Top 40 Pop chart, ten of which reached number one on either Billboard’s Adult Contemporary or Country chart.

2005, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee suffered minor burns at a concert in Casper, Wyoming during a pyrotechnics explosion. Lee was treated at a local hospital for the injuries to his arm and face, which occurred while he was suspended from a wire thirty feet above the stage.

2008, Oasis went to number one on the UK album chart with Dig Out Your Soul the band’s seventh and final studio album.

Born on October 12: Sam Moore, Sam & Dave (1935); Luciano Pavarotti (1935); Melvin Franklin, vocals, The Temptations (1942);  Rick Parfitt, vocals, guitar, Status Quo (1948); David Vanian, singer-songwriter, The Damned (1956); Bryn Merrick,  bass, The Damned (1958); Bob Mould, Husker Du (1960);  Martie Maguire, Dixie Chicks (1969); Jordan Pundik,  singer, guitarist New Found Glory (1979)

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Today in Rock History – October 11

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1962, The Beatles made their first appearance on the UK singles chart with “Love Me Do,” which peaked at number four.

1964, The Who performed at Wolsey Hall, Cheshunt, England.

1967, The Doors appeared at Danbury High School, Danbury, Connecticut. Before the group came on stage, an announcer told the audience not to leave their seats during the performance or they would be escorted out of the venue. There was also a beauty pageant just prior to The Doors coming on stage.

1967, The Who performed at the Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

1968, Jimi Hendrix played at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.

1968, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers appeared at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.

1968, during a Beatles recording session at Abbey Road, six saxophonists recorded parts for “Savoy Truffle” for the forthcoming White Album. George Harrison distorted the saxophones to get the desired sound.

1969, Yes appeared at Newcastle University, Newcastle, England.

1969, One hit wonders Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Je t’aime… Moi non plus.” Banned by many radio stations for its sexual content and sounds, it is the only French language chart topper in the UK.

1970, The Who performed at the Odeon Theatre in Birmingham, West Midlands, England.  Pete Townshend introduces the audience to one of the co-authors of “Dogs, Part Two” and brings his dog Towser on stage.

1971, Pink Floyd played at the Birmingham Town Hall in Birmingham, England.

1971, Kraftwerk performed at Karlsbergsaal, St. Ingbert Saar, Germany.

1972, The Who and opening act Golden Earring appeared at Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany for the  beginning of their European tour. It is the band’s first concert in seven months, their longest time off the stage to that date. The as-yet unreleased songs “Long Live Rock” and “Relay” are premiered.

1972, David Bowie appeared at Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri.

1972, Genesis played at St. Georges Hall, Bradford, England.

1973, The Rolling Stones performed at Grugahalle, Essen, Germany.

1974, John Denver was at number one on the singles chart with “Annie’s Song.” The song was a tribute to his wife and was written in ten minutes while he was on a ski lift.

1975, Neil Sedaka started a three week run at number one on the singles chart with “Bad Blood,” his third number one. The song featured Elton John on backing vocals.

1976, Rush appeared at Memorial Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

grateful-dead-771977, The Grateful Dead performed at Lloyd Noble Center on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.

1978, Black Sabbath played at Stadhalle, Offenbach, Germany.

1980, The Police scored their second UK number one album with Zenyatta Mondatta.

1981, The Rolling Stones performed at the Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California, USA, as part of a 50-date North American tour. 95 fans were arrested after trouble broke out at the venue. The tour became the largest grossing of 1981, with $50 (£31.25) million in ticket sales.

1981, The Kinks performed at the Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, Florida.

1982, Van Halen played at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1984, KISS appeared at the Gaumont Theatre, Ipswich, England.

1985, Dire Straits performed at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York.

1986, Madonna was at number one on the UK singles chart with the title track from her album True Blue, her third UK chart topper. The title came from a favorite expression of her then husband Sean Penn and was a direct tribute to him

1990, Drummer Dave Grohl played his first gig with Nirvana when they appeared at the North Shore Surf Club in Olympia.

1991, Comedian, singer, and actor Redd Foxx suffered a heart attack during rehearsals for the television series The Royal Family.  He died later that evening at the hospital. Foxx was 68. It was an ironic end to man whose character on Sanford and Son often feigned having a heart attack.

1991, Apple Computers settled a lawsuit launched by The Beatles’ record company, Apple Corporation, over the name and logo rights. The computer company reportedly paid $29 million to settle the suit.

1997, The Verve started a four-week run at number one on the UK album chart with their third album Urban Hymns. The band’s best-selling release features “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” and “The Drugs Don’t Work.”

1999, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was released on $5000 (£3,125) bail after facing charges relating to a riot at a gig in North Carolina in 1997. Lee allegedly incited the crowd to attack a guard and had also poured a drink over his head.

2005, Freddie Mercury’s 1974 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow was offered for auction on eBay by his sister, Kashmira Cooke, who had inherited the car from him. The luxury vehicle had not appeared in public since 2002, when it had been used to transport the Bulsara family to the premiere of the Queen stage musical We Will Rock You. It came with a box of Kleenex Mansize tissues left in the car by Freddie.

2009, Barbra Streisand went to number one on the US album charts with Love Is the Answer. Streisand’s ninth number one album, making her the only artist to achieve that feat in America in five different decades.

2012, The Rolling Stones’ new single “Doom And Gloom”, was released, the first new studio recordings since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. “Doom And Gloom” was the lead single from the band’s most recent greatest hits collection, GRRR!

Born on October 11: Gary Mallaber, drums, Steve Miller Band (1946); Daryl Hall (1949); Andrew Woolfolk, sax, Earth Wind and Fire (1950); and Blair Cunningham, drums, Haircut 100 (1957); Scott Johnson, Gin Blossoms (1962); Alexander Hacke,  singer, guitarist, Einstürzende Neubauten (1965); Petra Hayden, The Decembrists (1971); Mike Smith, guitarist, Limp Bizkit (1971)

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Today in Rock History – October 8

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beatles-1964B1964, Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recorded their next single “She’s a Woman” in seven takes, plus overdubs, recording the song from start to finish in five hours.

1964, Roy Orbison was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with “Oh Pretty Woman,” his third UK No.1. The title was inspired by Orbison’s wife Claudette interrupting a conversation to announce she was going out.  Orbison asked if she was okay for cash, and his co-writer Bill Dees interjected “A pretty woman never needs any money.”

1965, The Who appeared at City Hall in Perth, Australia.

1965, During a UK The Rolling Stones appeared at The ABC, Stockton on Tees. Also on the bill, Spencer Davis Group, Unit Four + 2, The Checkmates, The End, and Charles Dickens and The Habits.

1965, The Florescents supported by The Castiles, which featured a young singer called Bruce Springsteen appeared at the I.B. Club in Howell, New Jersey. This was The Castiles first publicly advertised nightclub appearance. Admission was $1.00

1966, Cream drummer Ginger Baker collapsed during a gig at Sussex University, England after playing a 20 minute drum solo. He recovered in a local hospital.

1967, Jimi Hendrix, Arthur Brown and John’s Children all appeared at the Saville Theatre in London, England.

1969, Humble Pie, supported by David Bowie, appeared at The Coventry Theatre in England.

1971, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California.

led-zeppelin-led-zep-II1971, Led Zeppelin II was enjoying its 100th week on the UK album charts. It was the band’s first album to hit No.1 in the US, knocking The Beatles’ Abbey Road twice from the top spot, where it remained for seven weeks. When first released the album had advance orders of 400,000 copies in the USA, (the advertising campaign was built around the slogan “Led Zeppelin II Now Flying.”) In 1999, it was certified 12 times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for US sales in excess of 12 million copies.

1972, David Bowie performed at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.

1974, The Ramones played at CBGB, New York.

1975, The Doobie Brothers appeared at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.

1976, AC/DC played at Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

1977,   David Soul was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with “Silver Lady,” his second and last UK No.1 single. Soul was an actor on the American TV cop show Starsky & Hutch.

1978, Yes performed at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, California.

1980, Blue Oyster Cult played at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana.

1982, R.E.M. appeared at the Peppermint Lounge, New York City, supported by The Fleshtones.

1987, Chuck Berry was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His film biography, Hail, Hail Rock & Roll also premiered on the same night.

1988, On their 12th single release, U2 scored their first UK No.1 with “Desire.” The track which was also a US No.3 hit, was taken from their album Rattle And Hum.

1989, The Grateful Dead played at the Hampton Coliseum, in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

1992, The US Postal Service issued a set of commemorative stamps to celebrate pop music legends. The stamps included Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter and Dinah Washington.

2000, Radiohead started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart their fourth studio album Kid A. The album became the first Radiohead release to debut at No.1 in the US.

2006, The Killers started a three week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with Sam’s Town the US bands second album.The title refers to a hotel-casino in the band’s hometown of Las Vegas.

Born on this day: George Bellamy, guitar, The Tornadoes (1940); Butch Rillera, Redbone and Ray Royer, guitarist, Procol Harum (1945); Tony Wilson, Hot Chocolate (1947); Johnny Ramone, guitar, The Ramones (1948); and Bruno Mars (1985)

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