Rock History

On this day...

2005 – Sony BMG Music Entertainment admits to using payola to get songs — 2005 – Sony BMG Music Entertainment admits to using payola to get songs by Jennifer Lopez, Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne and others on the radio following an investigation by the [...]

2005 – Megadeth lead singer Dave Mustaine sues his former — 2005 – Megadeth lead singer Dave Mustaine sues his former bassist David Ellefson, alleging he used the name of the group without Mustaine’s permission.

2003 – Mariah Carey kicks off her tour behind her album — 2003 – Mariah Carey kicks off her tour behind her album Charmbracelet at Celine Dion’s venue of choice, The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

2003 – Iron Butterfly guitarist Erik Braunn dies of heart failure. He was 52. — 2003 – Iron Butterfly guitarist Erik Braunn dies of heart failure. He was 52. Erik Brann aka Erik Braunn aka Erik Braun (born August 11, 1950 – died July 25, [...]

2003 – Nelly and the St. Lunatics play New York’s Radio City Music — 2003 – Nelly and the St. Lunatics play New York’s Radio City Music Hall during their Up Close and Personal tour.

2003 – Pete Doherty, singer/guitarist with rising English — 2003 – Pete Doherty, singer/guitarist with rising English band The Libertines’ Pete Doherty, is arrested for burglary after allegedly breaking into a basement apartment in central London. Does this guy get [...]

2003 – Scottish band Dogs Die in Hot Cars lead singer Craig McIntosh — 2003 – Scottish band Dogs Die in Hot Cars lead singer Craig McIntosh is electrocuted onstage in Dundee. You mean this crap still happens. At least he died lovin’ what [...]

2003 – A student film of John Lennon imitating a baboon sells for $53,700 — 2003 – A student film of John Lennon imitating a baboon sells for $53,700 at an auction.

2001 – Mariah Carey checks herself into an undiscl… — 2001 – Mariah Carey checks herself into an undisclosed hospital, suffering from “extreme exhaustion.” She also pulls out of “MTV20: Live and Almost Legal,” the anniversary event she was due [...]

2001 – Blues singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt and fo… — 2001 – Blues singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt and former Doors drummer John Densmore are among activists arrested after a public protest in Itasca, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. Raitt and [...]

2000 – Pat DiNizio, frontman of the Smithereens, o… — 2000 – Pat DiNizio, frontman of the Smithereens, officially announces that he is running for a U.S. Senate sear for New Jersey on the Reform Party ticket.

1999 – At Woodstock 99, all hell breaks loose. Fir… — 1999 – At Woodstock 99, all hell breaks loose. Fires fueled by paper plates, pizza boxes and garbage strewn around everywhere break out during a set by the Red Hot [...]

1998 – Jazz guitarist Tal Farlow dies of esophagea… — 1998 – Jazz guitarist Tal Farlow dies of esophageal cancer in New York. He is 77. Farlow worked with such musicians as Charles Mingus, Red Norvo, and Eddie Costa in [...]

1997 – On the Grand Old Opry Martina McBride debut… — 1997 – On the Grand Old Opry Martina McBride debuts her new single “Broken Wing” with a special guest. Her father, Daryl Schiff (considered a part-time singer) joins her on [...]

1997 – John Berry fills a tall order when he provi… — 1997 – John Berry fills a tall order when he provides music following the weddings of 48 couples as a radio station promotion for WYGY-FM in Cincinnati. Following the ceremony, [...]

1995 – Singer Nina Simone fires a gun at a pair of… — 1995 – Singer Nina Simone fires a gun at a pair of noisy teenagers playing next door to her home in southern France. She is put on 18 months probation [...]

1992 – Bryan Adams helps two motorists whose car s… — 1992 – Bryan Adams helps two motorists whose car struck his on a highway in St. Gellen, Switzerland. Adams was traveling from Zurich to Vienna as part of a concert [...]

1990 – To the Boss, a son. Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa — 1990 – To the Boss, a son. Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa become the proud parents of Evan James.

1990 – Comic Roseanne Barr is booed off the field … — 1990 – Comic Roseanne Barr is booed off the field after she screeches a crotch-grabbing rendition of the national anthem at a Padres baseball game in San Diego. President Bush [...]

1989 – Steve Rubell dies. He was the mastermind behind Studio 54 — 1989 – Steve Rubell dies. He was the mastermind behind Studio 54, and was played by Mike Myers in the movie of the same name. Steve was born in Brooklyn to [...]

1985 – Bob Dylan appears at the 12th World Festival of Youths and Students in — 1985 – Bob Dylan appears at the 12th World Festival of Youths and Students in Moscow. He performs “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” and “The Times [...]

1984 – The body of “Big Mama” Thornton, who recorded — 1984 – The body of “Big Mama” Thornton, who recorded the original “Hound Dog,” is found in a Los Angeles boarding house. She was 57.

1981 – A Bob Dylan show in Avignon, France, ends in tragedy when a fan — 1981 – A Bob Dylan show in Avignon, France, ends in tragedy when a fan is killed after falling on a tangle of electrical cables, knocking the power out. In [...]

1980 – Kiss unveil their new drummer at New York’s Palladium. The newly — 1980 – Kiss unveil their new drummer at New York’s Palladium. The newly christened Eric Carr, born Paul Caravello, is made up to look like a fox after the band [...]

1972 – Punk poetess Patti Smith goes to see the Rolling Stones — 1972 – Punk poetess Patti Smith goes to see the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder at Madison Square Garden and remembers it as: “My brain cracked like an egg. The [...]

1971 – The Beach Boys enjoy a commercial comeback of sorts — 1971 – The Beach Boys enjoy a commercial comeback of sorts with the release of Surf’s Up. The No. 29 position is their highest chart placement since 1966′s Pet Sounds.

1970 – Chicago release their single “25 or 6 to 4.” — 1970 – Chicago release their single “25 or 6 to 4.”

1969 – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young give their f… — 1969 – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young give their first live performance at the Fillmore East in New York.

1969 – Led Zeppelin play Milwaukee at the Midwest Rock Festival. Former Yardbird — 1969 – Led Zeppelin play Milwaukee at the Midwest Rock Festival. Former Yardbird Eric Clapton, who is playing with Blind Faith the next day, catches the set by fellow former [...]

1967 – In today’s London Times appears a petition calling for — 1967 – In today’s London Times appears a petition calling for the legalization of marijuana. It’s signed by the Beatles and their manager, Brian Epstein.

1966 – Eric Clapton plays lead guitar for George H… — 1966 – Eric Clapton plays lead guitar for George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on the album “The Beatles” (also known as “The White Album”). I look at you all [...]

1966 – The Rolling Stones play San Francisco. The concert is their — 1966 – The Rolling Stones play San Francisco. The concert is their last American live performance with founding guitarist Brian Jones.

1965 – Bob Dylan performs his first non-acoustic s… — 1965 – Bob Dylan performs his first non-acoustic set at the Newport Folk Festival to a hostile crowd. Twas on this epochal day that Bob Dylan goes electric at the Newport [...]

1964 – Today’s Billboard reports on the success of the British — 1964 – Today’s Billboard reports on the success of the British group the Animals, who recently enjoyed a U.K. No. 1 with “House of the Rising Son.”

1962 – The Elvis Presley film “Kid Galahad” prem… — 1962 – The Elvis Presley film “Kid Galahad” premieres.

1958 – Thurston Moore, eternal teenager and guitarist with Sonic — 1958 – Thurston Moore, eternal teenager and guitarist with Sonic Youth, is born in Coral Gables, Fla.

1951 – Verdine White, slaphappy bassist with Earth, Wind & Fire — 1951 – Verdine White, slaphappy bassist with Earth, Wind & Fire, is born in Chicago.

1950 – Bassist Mark Clarke of hard-rock legends Mountain — 1950 – Bassist Mark Clarke of hard-rock legends Mountain and Uriah Heep is born in Liverpool, England.

1948 – Folk singer Steve Goodman, who wrote “The City — 1948 – Folk singer Steve Goodman, who wrote “The City of New Orleans,” is born in Chicago.

1943 – Drummer Jim McCarty, the missing link between the Yardbirds — 1943 – Drummer Jim McCarty, the missing link between the Yardbirds and the Detroit Wheels, is born in Liverpool, England.