Rock History

On this day...

2004 – Ray Charles dies at his Beverly Hills, Cali… — 2004 – Ray Charles dies at his Beverly Hills, Calif., home from complications relating to liver disease. He is 73. The R&B legend is surrounded by family and friends at [...]

2004 – Graeme Kelling, founding guitarist with Sco… — 2004 – Graeme Kelling, founding guitarist with Scottish hitmakers Deacon Blue, dies after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He is 47. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

2004 – Peter Garrett, the former lead singer of Midnight Oil… — 2004 – Peter Garrett, the former lead singer of Midnight Oil (“Beds are Burning”), announces he will run for a seat on the Australian parliament as a Labour Party [...]

2001 – Flooding in the Houston area forces the can… — 2001 – Flooding in the Houston area forces the cancellation of a concert by Journey with Peter Frampton and John Waite. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1999 – Country singer John Berry finds himself in … — 1999 – Country singer John Berry finds himself in high cotton at President and Mrs. George Bush’s “Milestones and Miracles” Birthdays celebration in Houston. Berry, Larry Gatlin and Michael W. [...]

1998 – Record companies win a victory on the House… — 1998 – Record companies win a victory on the House floor as lawmakers agree to a measure that would prevent recording artists from filing for bankruptcy in order to void [...]

1998 – Rapper DMX (Earl Simmons) is arrested in Ne… — 1998 – Rapper DMX (Earl Simmons) is arrested in New York on charges of rape, sodomy, and unlawful imprisonment. Simmons denies the charges, which relate to an alleged incident earlier [...]

1998 – Former Oak Ridge Boys member Steve Sanders … — 1998 – Former Oak Ridge Boys member Steve Sanders is found dead early in the morning in Coral Gables, Fla., where he had been living. He is 45. Sanders dies [...]

1992 – A Los Angeles judge throws out a $25 millio… — 1992 – A Los Angeles judge throws out a $25 million palimony suit brought against British rock singer Rod Stewart by Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kelly Emberg, his longtime girlfriend. [...]

1982 – Addie “Micky” Harris of the Shirelles die… — 1982 – Addie “Micky” Harris of the Shirelles dies of a heart attack at the age of 42. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1981 – Andy Gibb opens in the role of Frederic in … — 1981 – Andy Gibb opens in the role of Frederic in a Los Angeles production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance.” Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1981 – Bob Dylan kicks off a tour in support of Shot of Love — 1981 – Bob Dylan kicks off a tour in support of Shot of Love in Chicago. However, the record company delays the release of the album until the summer, [...]

1981 – It’s a great day for music as Steve Howe, Geoff Downes… — 1981 – It’s a great day for music as Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, and Carl Palmer form Asia. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1978 – The Rolling Stones open a tour in Lakewood, Fla. Bill — 1978 – The Rolling Stones open a tour in Lakewood, Fla. Bill Wyman falls off stage. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1976 – At Seattle’s Kingdome, Paul McCartney & Wings play — 1976 – At Seattle’s Kingdome, Paul McCartney & Wings play for a crowd of 67,100, setting an indoor attendance record. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1975 – The Eagles release One of These Nights. — 1975  – The Eagles release One of These Nights. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1975 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Sister Golde… — 1975 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Sister Golden Hair,” America. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1974 – The Who play the first of four sellout nights at Madison — 1974 – The Who play the first of four sellout nights at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tickets for the shows sold out in 60 hours. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1971 – A crowd gets so excited during a performance by Jethro Tull — 1971 – A crowd gets so excited during a performance by Jethro Tull in Denver that police fire tear gas on them. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1969 – At California’s Fantasy Faire and Magic Mountain Musi — 1969 – At California’s Fantasy Faire and Magic Mountain Music Festival you can see performances by the Byrds, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Smokey Robinson, and Dionne Warwick. Hopefully you [...]

1966 – “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind” reaches #2, held — 1966 – “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind” reaches #2, held back from the top only by the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black.” Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1966 – Big Brother & the Holding Company perform with their new — 1966 – Big Brother & the Holding Company perform with their new lead singer, Janis Joplin, for the first time. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1964 – In the midst of their first American tour, the Rolling Stones — 1964 – In the midst of their first American tour, the Rolling Stones pause at Chicago’s Chess Studios, where they lay down tracks for their album 12×5, which features [...]

1941 – Shirley Owens Alston of the Shirelles is bo… — 1941 – Shirley Owens Alston of the Shirelles is born in Passaic, N.J. The group’s biggest hit is “Soldier Boy,” which tops Chart Toppers’s Hot 100 for three weeks in [...]

1922 – Judy Garland is born in Grand Rapids, Minn., as Frances Gumm. — 1922 – Judy Garland is born in Grand Rapids, Minn., as Frances Gumm. Be Sociable, Share! [...]

1910 – Bluesman Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Arthur Burne… — 1910 – Bluesman Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Arthur Burnett) is born in West Point, Miss. Four of his singles make the top 10 on Chart Toppers’s R&B chart. He dies of [...]