Rock History

On this day...

2006 – Pianist, composer, musical director and arr… — 2006 – Pianist, composer, musical director and arranger Gerald Cook, who performed in night clubs and with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, dies is Chicago at the age of 85. Be [...]

2005 – Madonna turns DJ to debut her new album Confessions on a Danc — 2005 – Madonna turns DJ to debut her new album Confessions on a Dance Floor at New York’s trendy Misshapes club. Also in attendance: Junior Sanchez, not-so-trendy Lenny Kravitz. Be Sociable, [...]

2003 – UK comedy/glam rockers The Darkness resume their tour in London, after — 2003 – UK comedy/glam rockers The Darkness resume their tour in London, after cancelling three dates, with singer Justin Hawkins denies tabloid reports that he has throat cancer. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

2003 – Liza “With a Z” Minnelli files for divorce from husband David Gest — 2003 – Liza “With a Z” Minnelli files for divorce from husband David Gest a day after he sues her for spousal abuse. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

2003 – American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken tops the album chart, — 2003 – American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken tops the album chart, with his debut Measure of a Man selling a whopping 613,000 copies. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

2001 – The Rev. Howard Finster _ a folk artist who… — 2001 – The Rev. Howard Finster _ a folk artist who created sermons in paint that were featured on the covers of rock albums and in galleries worldwide _ dies [...]

2001 – 69-year-old country legend Johnny Cash is r… — 2001 – 69-year-old country legend Johnny Cash is released from Nashville’s Baptist Hospital after a two-week stay, during which time he was treated for bronchitis. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

2000 – R.E.M. graces its Athens, Ga., hometown wit… — 2000 – R.E.M. graces its Athens, Ga., hometown with the band’s first concert appearance there in eight years. The three-song performance, held on the steps of the Athens Clarke County [...]

1999 – Motown act the Temptations earn their first… — 1999 – Motown act the Temptations earn their first official RIAA-certified platinum award for their 56th album “Phoenix Rising.” Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1998 – Still on the road, Bob Dylan plays Duluth, Minn., in what is generall — 1998 – Still on the road, Bob Dylan plays Duluth, Minn., in what is generally considered a homecoming gig for the former Hibbing resident. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1998 – Robert E. True, guitarist with the Vagabond… — 1998 – Robert E. True, guitarist with the Vagabonds, a musical group of the 1950s, dies of skin cancer. He is 85. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1997 – MTV Italy launches its first domestically p… — 1997 – MTV Italy launches its first domestically planned and produced Italian-language show, “Sonic.” The one-hour weekly show features international and local acts performing live to a studio audience. Be [...]

1997 – Italy’s antitrust agency, the Guarantor for… — 1997 – Italy’s antitrust agency, the Guarantor for Competition fines the Italian divisions of BMG, EMI, PolyGram, Sony Music and Warner Music a total of 7.7 billion lire ($4.5 million), [...]

1997 – Harry Goodman, brother of bandleader Benny … — 1997 – Harry Goodman, brother of bandleader Benny Goodman, for whom he was a sideman, and Gene Goodman, with whom he established a major independent music publishing company dies at [...]

1994 – Producer Jimmy Miller dies in Boulder, Colo. He gave the rock back to the — 1994 – Producer Jimmy Miller dies in Boulder, Colo. He gave the rock back to the Rolling Stones when he produced “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and worked on their finest records, [...]

1994 – A Bob Dylan show in Rochester, N.Y., is interrupted by a stage invasion — 1994 – A Bob Dylan show in Rochester, N.Y., is interrupted by a stage invasion that turns out to have been orchestrated by the makers of a documentary about Dylan. Be [...]

1985 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Saving All M… — 1985 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Saving All My Love for You,” Whitney Houston. The song was originally recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. Be Sociable, [...]

1983 – Keith Barrow, who had a top 30 R&B hit in 1978 with “You Know — 1983 – Keith Barrow, who had a top 30 R&B hit in 1978 with “You Know You Wanna Be Loved,” dies of AIDS in New York. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1982 – If you were in Worcester, Mass., it is Van Halen Day. Local fans had handed — 1982 – If you were in Worcester, Mass., it is Van Halen Day. Local fans had handed over a petition to the band demanding it play another date there. They [...]

1976 – The soundtrack to Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the — 1976 – The soundtrack to Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same is released as the concert film opens nationwide. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1969 – Tommy Edwards, who originally recorded the smash “It’s All — 1969 – Tommy Edwards, who originally recorded the smash “It’s All in the Game,” dies in Henrico County, Va. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1969 – After issuing an official statement denying he is dead, Paul McCartney — 1969 – After issuing an official statement denying he is dead, Paul McCartney goes to Scotland to enjoy a vacation. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1966 – The Beach Boys release “Good Vibrations.” The song goes to No. 1 — 1966 – The Beach Boys release “Good Vibrations.” The song goes to No. 1 later in the month, but thanks to excessive production costs, it’s the most expensive single to [...]

1965 – The Beatles record the electric piano solo for “In My Life.” — 1965 – The Beatles record the electric piano solo for “In My Life.” Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1965 – Hardy folk artist John Wesley Harding is born in Hastings, England — 1965 – Hardy folk artist John Wesley Harding is born in Hastings, England. Dylan later named an album after him. Or he might not have. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1964 – The High Numbers fail an audition with the record company EM — 1964 – The High Numbers fail an audition with the record company EMI. The band would become better known as the Who. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1961 – Chubby Checker sings “The Twist” on TV’s … — 1961 – Chubby Checker sings “The Twist” on TV’s “Ed Sullivan Show.” Chubby Checker sings his 1960 No. 1 hit, “The Twist,” on Ed Sullivan’s variety show. His appearance boosted sales [...]

1958 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “It’s All In … — 1958 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “It’s All In The Game,” Tommy Edwards. The lyrics are written by Carl Sigman to a 1912 melody by Charles Gates Dawes, [...]

1956 – The intensely angry leader of the Dead Boys, Stiv Bators is born — 1956 – The intensely angry leader of the Dead Boys, Stiv Bators is born in Cleveland. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1948 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Twelfth Stre… — 1948 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Twelfth Street Rag,” Pee Wee Hunt Orchestra. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1946 – Singer Eddie Brigati of the Rascals is born in Garfield, N.J. — 1946 – Singer Eddie Brigati of the Rascals is born in Garfield, N.J. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1945 – Mountain’s main mountain, Leslie West is born in New York. — 1945 – Mountain’s main mountain, Leslie West is born in New York. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1943 – Bobby Fuller, he of the Bobby Fuller Four, is born in Baytown, Texas. — 1943 – Bobby Fuller, he of the Bobby Fuller Four, is born in Baytown, Texas. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1942 – Annette Funicello, perennial Mouseketeer and consort — 1942 – Annette Funicello, perennial Mouseketeer and consort of Frankie Avalon in those beach movies, is born in Utica, N.Y. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1934 – Outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd dies in a shootout in Ohio. Woody Guthrie’s — 1934 – Outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd dies in a shootout in Ohio. Woody Guthrie’s song about him would later be covered by Bob Dylan. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1832 – Leopold Damrosch is born in Russia. He foun… — 1832 – Leopold Damrosch is born in Russia. He founds the New York Philharmonic and fathers the famous conductor Walter Damrosch. Be Sociable, Share! [...]