All the facts about rock hisory you need in one easy place. With a database of over 25,000 records and growing daily, we update posts about Elvis, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Jet, My Chemical Romance and many more. We include Video from YouTube, lyrics, and all the juicy facts that happen to your favorite stars. Tell you friends, leave comments, and enjoy history.
Finnegan’s Wake
What happens when a dearly loved Irishman passes on? Well, it’s time to celebrate his wake. This song is dedicated, no doubt, to the Irishman’s love of funerals and whiskey, “Finnegan’s Wake” supplied the theme for James Joyce’s famous novel of the same name.
The Unicorn Song
This “Irish song” is not really Irish at all, but the Irish Rovers found it and turned it into a St. Patrick’s Day classic.
Whiskey in the Jar
Metallica tried to turn it into a rock song, but it will always be a classic Irish tale of love and betrayal with a great chorus!
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Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.
Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a “most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.”
Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been – the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the “Holy Wells” that still bear this name.
There are several accounts of Saint Patrick’s death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the “evil eye.” Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city
Why Saint Patrick’s Day?
Saint Patrick’s Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.
So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.
In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick’s Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, “wearing of the green,” music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!
2007 – Stu Sweatman begins prototyping the idea for “THIS DAY IN ROCK” website, where you can find many facts about musicians and what happend on a given day in history!
He joined forces with John Myer’s to create the information base you see. Although the site contains facts from all genres, we tried to focus in on Rock in all forms.
2006 – Turn it on, turn it on again, turn it on, turn it on again. We’re singing because Genesis–Phil Collins, Mike “+ the Mechanics” Rutherford and the other fella–have announced they are reforming for an upcoming world tour.
2005 – Former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant is presented with his lifetime achievement Grammy award at the South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival and conference in Austin, Texas. Plant, who was unable to attend February’s Grammy ceremonies in Los Angeles, receives the trophy from Recording Academy president Neil Portnow, who is on hand to surprise the singer prior to a keynote interview.
2005 – Prolific singer/songwriter/guitarist Lalo Guerrero, known as the “Father of Chicano Music,” dies in Palm Springs, Calif. He is 88. One of the legendary forces in Chicano music, Guerrero first gained recognition with the song “Cancion Mexicana,” which he wrote when he was in his teens.
2003 – Dire Straits singer-guitarist Mark Knopfler is hospitalized after his motorcycle collides with a car in London. He suffers a broken collarbone and six broken ribs.
2003 – Dixie Chick Natalie Maines apologizes to George W. Bush for comments made earlier in the month. Several radio stations boycotted the group’s records after Maines said she was ashamed the president was from her home state of Texas.
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