Dec 1, 2018
Rock Birthdays
Dec. 1
Sandy Nelson (session drummer on such tunes as the Teddy Bears' 'To Know Him Is To Love Him,' he releases a string of Top 40 instrumental hits, including 'Teen Beat' at #4 in 1959) - 79
Eric Bloom (Blue Oyster Cult, Soft White Underbelly) - 74
John Densmore (Doors, The Butts Band, Riders on the Storm, Tribaljazz) - 74
Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, Trio of Doom, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Word of Mouth, solo + more) - b. 1951 - d. 9/27/87
Chris Poland (Megadeth, The Circle Jerks, Damn the Machine, Mumbo's Brain, OHM, OHMphrey, Dave Reffett) - 61
Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper) - 53
Greg Upchurch (3 Doors Down) - 47
Isaiah "Ikey" Owens (The Mars Volta, Jack White + more) - b. 1974 - d. 10/14/14
Brad Delson “Big Bad Brad” (Linkin Park) - 41
Dec. 2
Dr. Peter Carl Goldmark (Engineer for Columbia Records - Inventor of the long-playing microgroove 33 1/3 rpm photograph disc, also developed field-sequential color technology for color television while at CBS, developed Highway Hi-Fi - a system designed to play 7-inch Lp records in automobiles, worked on the Electronic Video Recorder (EVR) + more, various career awards including the National Medal of Science - awarded to him by President Carter in 1977) - b. 1906 - d. 12/7/77
Tom McGuinness (Manfred Mann, McGuinness Flint, Manfreds, Paul Jones Blues) - 77
Ted Bluechel, Jr. (The Association) - 76
Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley (Hanoi Rocks) - b. 1960 - d. 12/8/84
Rick Savage (Def Leppard) - 58
Chris Heilman (Shark Island, Tormé) -
Nate Mendel (Sunny Day Real Estate, Foo Fighters) - 50
Donna Matthews (Elastica) - 47
Dec. 3
John Cale (Velvet Underground) - 76
John Wilson (Them) - 71
Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath, solo) - 70
Mickey Thomas (Jefferson Starship, Starship, Elvin Bishop Group) - 69
Duane Roland (Molly Hatchet, Southern Rock Allstars, Gator Country) - b. 1952 - d. 6/19/06
Chris Kimsey (Producer/Engineer/Mixer: Many Rolling Stones albums, worked with Peter Frampton, Marillion, The Psychedelic Furs, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Ten Years After, Soul Asylum, Duran Duran, Yes, ABWH, INXS, Golden Earring + more) - 67
Don Barnes (38 Special) - 66
Richard Black (Sharks, Shark Island, Contraband) -
Tal Wilkenfeld (solo, performed and recorded with: Herbie Hancock, Jackson Browne, Trevor Rabin, Lee Ritenour, Steve Lukather, Ryan Adams, Macy Gray, Wayne Krantz, David Gilmour, The Allman Brothers Band, Toto and more) - 32
Dec. 4
Bob Mosley (Moby Grape, solo) - 76
Dennis Wilson (Beach Boys) - b. 1944 - 12/28/83
Chris Hillman (Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, The Hillmen, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, Souther Hillman Furay Band, McGuinn Clark and Hillman, Desert Rose Band, Herb Pedersen, Tony Rice, Larry Rice, Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen Desert Rose Band, solo) - 74
Southside Johnny - born John Lyon (Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes) - 70
Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rossington-Collins Band, The Rossington Band) - 67
Bob Griffin (The BoDeans) - 59
Andy Hess (Gov’t Mule, The Black Crowes) - 52
Dave Beste (Rival Sons) -
Dec. 5
Sonny Boy Williamson II (American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. He used various names, including Rice Miller and Little Boy Blue, before calling himself Sonny Boy Williamson. Van Morrison, The Who The Animals, Yardbirds and Moody Blues and many blues and rock artists have recorded his songs) He claims he was born in 1912, but his headstone (erected 12 years after his death) reads March 11, 1908 - b. 1912 - d. 5/25/65
Little Richard - 86
J.J. Cale - b. 1938 - d . 7/26/13
Eduardo Delgado (? & The Mysterians) - 73
Jim Messina (Loggins & Messina, Poco, Buffalo Springfield) - 71
Rick Wills (Foreigner, Small Faces, Bad Company, David Gilmour, Cochise, Joker's Wild, Roxy Music, Roger Daltrey, The Jones Gang, Peter Frampton) - 71`
Kim Simmonds (Savoy Brown, solo) - 71
Mark Boals (Savoy Brown, Ted Nugent, Yngwie Malmsteen, Billionaires Boys Club, Ring of Fire, Royal Hunt, Seven the Hardway, Dokken, Raiding The Rock Vault) - 60
Jack Russell (Great White) - 58
Bobby Barth (Wakefield, Babyface, Axe, Blackfoot) - 56
Johnny Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls) - 53
Glen Graham (Blind Melon) - 50
Todd Kerns (Sin City Sinners, The Age of Electric, Static In Stereo, Slash, Torque + more) - 49
Dec. 6
Mike Smith (Dave Clark Five) - b. 12/5/43 - d. 2/28/08
Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne) b. 1956 - 3/19/82
Peter Buck (R.E.M., Hindu Love Gods) - 62
Jeff Blando (Left For Dead, Saigon Kick, Slaughter, Vince Neil, others) - 54
Nita Strauss (Iron Maidens, Alice Cooper) - 32
Dec. 7
Harry Chapin - b. 1942 - d. 7/18/81
Tom Waits - 69
Tim Butler (Psychedelic Furs) - 60
Dennis Chick (VVSI, House of Lords, Freak of Nature) -
Dec. 8
Bobby Elliott (The Hollies + more) - 77
Jim Morrison (Doors) - b. 1943 - d. 7/3/71
Mike Botts (Bread, Linda Ronstadt, Bill Medley, Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold + more) - b. 1944 - d. 12/9/05
Dan Hartman (Edgar Winter group, 3V, solo) - b. 1950 - d. 3/22/94
Gregg Allman (Allman Brothers Band, The Hour Glass, Gregg Allman Band, The Allman Joys, solo) - b. 1947 - d. 5/27/17
Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant) - 69
Warren Cuccurullo (Frank Zappa, Missing Persobs, Duran Duran) - 62
Phil Collen (Girl, Def Leppard, Manraze, Delta Deep) - 61
Johnny Rod (W.A.S.P., King Kobra) - 61
Marty Friedman (Megadeth, Cacophony, Hawaii, Shout, solo) - 56
Athena Lee (Hardly Dangerous, Butt Trumpet, KrunK, Femme Fatale - sister of Tommy Lee, cast member of the reality TV series 'Ex Wives of Rock) - 54
Ryan Newell (Sister Hazel) - 46
Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) - 45
Dec. 9
Junior Wells (a big star of Chicago Blues, and he later enjoyed a long partnership with Buddy Guy) - b. 1934 - d. 1/15/98
Dan Hicks (Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks) - b. 1941 - d. 2/6/16
Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Composed music for Monty Python's Flying Circus wrote and performed The Rutles a TV spoof on The Beatles) - 74
Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper) - 72
Joan Armatrading - 68
Jack Sonni (Dire Straits) - 64
Rikk Agnew (Adolescents, Social Distortion, Christian Death) - 60
Michael Foster (Firehouse) - 54
Paul Landers (Rammstein) - 54
Brian Bell (Space Twins, The Relationship, Weezer) - 50
Jacob Dylan (The Wallflowers, solo) - 49
Tre Cool - Frank Edwin Wright III (Green Day, The Lookouts, The Network, Foxboro Hot Tubs, Samiam) - 46
Dec. 10
John Hammond (Producer, A&R scout, music critic, civil rights activist. One of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music. Worked with and helped build the careers Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaghan, Benny Goodman, Billie Holliday, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Leonard Cohen, George Benson, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. Largely responsible for the revival of delta blues artist Robert Johnson's music.) - b. 1910 - d. 7/10/87
Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones (New Orleans blues guitar player from the 1940s and 1950s best known for the million-selling song ‘The Things That I Used to Do’, a song that is listed in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.) - b. 1926 - d. 2/7/59
Ace Kefford (The Move, solo) - 72
Brendan Harkin (Starz) - 70
Wolf Hoffman (Accept) - 59
J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis + The Fog, Witch, Deep Wound, Upsidedown Cross, Sweet Apple, Heavy Blanket, solo) - 53
Scot Alexander (Dishwalla) - 47
Meg White (The White Stripes) - 44
Dec. 11
Big Mama Thornton - b. 1926 - d. 7/25/84
David Gates (Bread, solo) - 78
Chester Thompson (Santana, Zappa, Weather Report, Air Pocket, Genesis, solo + more) - 70
Stevie Young (AC/DC) - 62
Mike Mesaros (The Smithereens) - 61
Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue, Sixx:A.M., Brides of Destruction, 58, London, Sister) - 60
Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones) - 57
Justin Currie (Del Amitri, solo) - 54
Dave Schools (Widespread Panic, The Stockholm Syndrome, J Mascis and the Fog, Gov't Mule, others) - 54
Zacky Vengeance (Avenged Sevenfold) - 37
John Fred Young (Black Stone Cherry) - 34
Dec. 12
Reggie Young (American musician who was lead guitarist in the American Sound Studios Band (a.k.a. The Memphis Boys), and is a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with artists such as Elvis Presley, B.J. Thomas, John Prine, Dusty Springfield, Herbie Mann, J.J. Cale, Dionne Warwick, Roy Hamilton, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, the Box Tops, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard, Joey Tempest, George Strait, and The Highwaymen) - 82
Terry Kirkman (Association) - 79
Dicky Betts (The Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts & Great Southern, Dickey Betts Band) - 75
Paul Harris (Stephen Stills, B. B. King, Judy Collins, Al Kooper, ABBA, Eric Andersen, Rick Derringer, Nick Drake, John Sebastian, Joe Walsh, Seals & Crofts, Dan Fogelberg, Manassas, Souther Hillman Furay Band) - 74
Michael Lang (Woodstock promoter) - 74
Rob Tyner (Rob Tyner Band, MC5) - b. 1944 - d. 9/17/91
Dave Meniketti (Y&T) - 65
Bruce Kulick (Billy Squier, Blackjack, Kiss, Union, Eric Singer Project, Daniel McCartney, Grand Funk Railroad, Meat Loaf, Lordi) - 65
Dan Baird (Homemade Sin, The Georgia Satellites, The Yayhoos) - 65
Cy Curnin (The Fixx, solo) - 61
Eric Schenkman (Spin Doctors) - 55
Dan Hawkins (The Darkness) - 42
Dec. 13
Robert Martinez (? & the Mysterians) - 73
Irving Azoff (manager for The Eagles, Steely Dan, & Van Halen) - 71
Chuck Findley (Tonight Show Band, B. B. King, Steely Dan, Miles Davis, Stanley Turrentine, Toto, Pat Boone, Christopher Cross, Jaco Pastorius, James Last, Lee Ritenour, Jackson Browne, George Benson, George Harrison, Elton John, Carole King, Rickie Lee Jones, Joni Mitchell, The Rolling Stones, Dionne Warwick, Diane Schuur, Tom Waits, Randy Newman, Tina Turner, Al Jarreau, Sarah Vaughan, Narada Michael Walden, Buddy Rich, others) - 71
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, Ultimate Spinach, Holy Modal Rounders, Willy DeVille, Bryan Adams, Hoyt Axton, Eric Clapton, Gene Clark, Sheryl Crow, Freddie Hubbard, Tim Weisberg, Joni Mitchell, Rick Nelson, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, Gene Simmons, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Vera and the Beaters, The Best) - 70
David "Davy" O'List (Roxy Music, The Nice) - 70
Ted Nugent (Damnocracy, The Amboy Dukes, solo, Damn Yankees) – 70
Tom Verlaine (Television, Neon Boys, solo) - 69
Berton Averre (The Knack) - 65
Pat Torpey (Mr. Big) - b. 1953 - d. 2/7/18
Dana Strum (Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Slaughter, Vince Neil) - 60
Robb Rivera (Nonpoint) - 49
Joel Hoekstra (Night Ranger, Whitesnake, solo) - 48
Danny Lohner (Worked with Nine Inch Nails, Tapeworm, Killing Joke, Methods of Mayhem) - 48
Nick McCarthy (Franz Ferdinand) - 44
Tom DeLonge (Blink-182, Angels & Airwaves, Box Car Racer) - 43
Amy Lee (Evanescence) - 37
Dec. 14
Johnny Moore (The Drifters) - b. 1934 - d. 12/30/98
Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper, The Frost, Bossmen, Ursa Major, has played lead guitar or written songs for Aerosmith, Lou Reed, Burton Cummings, KISS, Meat Loaf, Steve Perry, Ringo Starr, Etta James, Peter Gabriel, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Air Supply, Hall & Oates, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard + many more) - b. 1942 - d. 7/30/14
Lester Bangs (music journalist, critic, author, and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines and was known for his leading influence in rock music criticism; The music critic Jim DeRogatis called him "America's greatest rock critic") - b. 1948 - 4/30/82
Cliff Williams (AC/DC, Homes, Bandit + more) - 69
Mike Scott (The Waterboys, Another Pretty Face, DNV, Funhouse, solo) - 60
C.J. Snare (Firehouse) - 54
Matt Deis (All That Remains) - 35
Dec. 15
Alan Freed - b. 1921 - d. 1/20/65
Max Yasgur (Owner of a dairy farm in Bethel, N.Y., site of Woodstock Festival 1969) - b. 1919 - d. 2/8/73
Dave Clark (Dave Clark Five) - 76
Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Beck, Bogart & Appice, Rod Stewart, Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus, Ted Nugent, King Kobra, Blue Murder, Mother's Army, Travers & Appice, KGB, Ozzy Osbourne, MSG, Pappo, Paul Stanley, Marty Friedman, DBA, Hear 'n Aid, solo, Rated X) - 72
Paul Simonon (Clash, Havana 3am, The Good, the Bad and the Queen, Gorillaz) - 63
Tim Gaines (Stormer, Stryper) - 56
Dec. 16
Tony Hicks (The Hollies) - 73
Billy Gibbons (The Moving Sidewalks, ZZ Top) - 69
Robben Ford (Discovering the Blues, Charles Ford Band, Yellowjackets, Gregg Allman Band, L.A. Express, others, solo) - 67
Chris Howarth (In This Moment) - 48
Christopher Thorn (Blind Melon, Unified Theory, Sonny Boy Thorn, AWOLNATION + more) - 40
Dec. 17
James Booker (Jerry Garcia Band, sessions, solo) - b. 1937 - d. 11/8/83
Carlo Little (The Rolling Stones, Screaming Lord Sutch, The Savages, Cyril Davies' All Stars, The Flower Pot Men + more) - b. 1938 - d. 8/6/05
Eddie Kendricks (The Temptations) - b. 1939 - d. 10/5/92
Paul Butterfield (Paul Butterfield Blues Band) - b. 1942 - d. 5/4/87
Ron Geesin (composer, orchestrator, Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, The Original Downtown Syncopators + more) - 75
Jim Hodder (Steely Dan, sessionist) - b. 1947 - d. 6/5/90
Jim Bonfanti (Raspberries, Dynamite) - 70
Paul Rodgers (Bad Company, Free, The Firm, The Law, Queen + Paul Rodgers, solo) - 69
Carlton Barrett (Bob Marley, The Wailers, Upsetters) - b. 1950 - d. 4/17/87
Mark Simon (Grim Reaper) - 62
Earl Hudson (Bad Brains) - 61
Mike Mills (R.E.M., Hindu Love Gods, The Backbeat Band, Automatic Baby) - 60
Bob Stinson (The Replacements) - b. 1959 - d. 2/18/95
David "Ginger" Walls aka Ginger Wildheart (The Wildhearts, Michael Monroe Band, solo) - 54
Craig "DJ Homicide" Bullock (Sugar Ray) - 46
Sam Loeffler (Chevelle) - 44
Maria Brink (In This Moment) - 41
Neil Sanderson (Three Days Grace, others) - 40
Ryan Key (Yellowcard, Bothers) - 39
Dec. 18
Allen Klein (Record industry executive, music publisher, manager for Rolling Stones, Beatles & Sam Cooke, ABKCO label founder) - b. 1931 - d. 7/4/09
Lonnie Brooks (blues guitarist, singer) - b. 1933 - d. 4/1/17
Bryan "Chas" Chandler (The Animals, producer) - b. 1938 - d. 7/17/96
Sam Andrew (Big Brother and the Holding Company, Kozmic Blues Band, Sam Andrew Band) - 77
Keith Richards (Rolling Stones, The Dirty Mac, The New Barbarians, The X-Pensive Winos, solo) - 75
Bobby Keys (Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Delaney & Bonnie, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Warren Zevon, Joe Ely, Sheryl Crow, John Lennon, Leon Russell, Plastic Ono Band, Harry Nilsson) - b. 1943 - d. 12/2/14
Randy Castillo (The Offenders, Lita Ford, Stone Fury, Ozzy Osbourne, Bone Angels, Red Square Black, Bret Michaels, Vince Neil, Motley Crue) - b. 1950 - d. 3/26/02
Elliot Easton (The Cars, The Empty Hearts, The New Cars, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, solo) - 65
Uli Jon Roth (Scorpions, Dawn Road, Electric Sun, Sky Of Avalon, G3) - 64
John Webster (Red Rider) - 61
Greg D’Angelo (White Lion, Anthrax, Pride & Glory, Steven Pearcy, Burning Star, Lynyrd Skynhead) - 55
Mille Petrozza (Kreator) - 51
Roman Glick (Brother Cane, Jackyl, Slave to the System) - 48
Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory) - 46
DJ Lethal / Leor Dimant (Limp Bizkit) - 46
Dec. 19
Alvin Lee (Ten Years After, The Jaybirds, solo) - b. 1944 - d. 3/6/13
Zal Yanovsky (Lovin' Spoonful) - b. 1944 - d. 12/13/02
John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, solo, played or recorded with: Levon Helm, Dolly Parton, Steve Martin, Willie Nelson, Bill Wyman, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Jerry Garcia, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Phish, Jerry Jeff Walker, Asleep at the Wheel and more) - 72
Jimmy Bain (Rainbow, Phil Lynott, The Babys, Wild Horses, Gary Moore, Dio, Hear 'n Aid + more) - b. 1947 - d. 1/23/16
Doug Johnson (Loverboy) - 61
Klaus Eichstadt (Ugly Kid Joe) - 51
Kevin Shepard (Tonic) - 50
Dec. 20
Larry Willis (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Jazz great) - 78
Bobby Colomby (Blood, Sweat & Tears + more) - 74
Peter Criss (Wicked Lester, Chelsea, KISS, solo) - 73
Stevie Wright (The Easybeats) - b. 1948 - d. 12/27/15
Alan Parsons (Alan Parsons Project, Producer, Engineer) - 70
Guy Babylon (Elton John) - b. 1956 - d. 9/2/09
Mike Watt (Minutemen, Dos, fIREHOSE, The Stooges, Banyan, solo) - 61
Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Dweezil, Steve Vai, Metropole Orkest, Beer for Dolphins, The Mike Keneally Band, The Mistakes, Marco Minnemann, KMB, Joe Satriani) - 57
Ray Coburn (Honeymoon Suite) - 56
Chris Robinson (Black Crowes, New Earth Mud, Phil Lesh and Friends, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, solo) - 52
Dec. 21
Frank Zappa (Mothers of Invention) - b. 1940 - d. 12/4/93
Albert Lee (Heads Hands & Feet, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes, solo) - 75
Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys) - b. 1946 - d. 2/6/98
Nick Gilder (Sweeney Todd, solo) - 67
Patrick Murphy (The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr.) - 54
Gabby Glaser (Luscious Jackson) - 53
Brett Scallions (Fuel) - 47
Steve Mazur (Our Lady Peace) - 41
Shaun Morgan (Seether) - 40
Dec. 22
Ernest "Barry" Jenkins (Eric Burton & The Animals) - 74
Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) - 72
Peter "Peavy" Wagner (Rage) - 54
Dec. 23
Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) - 78
Duster Bennett (Alexis Korner, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, B.B. King) - b. 1946 - d. 3/26/76
Harry Shearer/Derek Smalls (Spinal Tap, actor, voices a number of characters on The Simpsons, including Principal Skinner and Ned Flanders, radio host + more) - 75
Ron Bushy (Iron Butterfly) - 73
Ariel Bender (Luther Grosvenor) (Mott The Hoople, Spooky Tooth, Stealers Wheel, Widowmaker, The V.I.P.'s, solo) - 72
Ray Tabano (founding member of Aerosmith. Tabano was a childhood friend of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler and was in Steven's first band, The Strangeurs. Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford in Aerosmith in 1971.) - 72
Graham Bonnet (The Marbles, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, Impellitteri, Anthem, solo) - 71
Adrian Belew (King Crimson, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, The Bears, Tori Amos, solo) - 69
Doug Stegmeyer (Billy Joel, Hall and Oates, The Carpenters + more) - b. 1951 - d. 8/25/95
Anthony Phillips (Genesis, Mike Rutherford, Camel, solo) - 67
Dave Murray (Urchin, Iron Maiden) - 62
Munetaka Higuchi (Loudness) - b. 1958 - d. 11/30/08
Sass Jordan (solo, Something Unto Nothing, actress + more) - 56
Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam, Bad Radio, Temple of the Dog, Hovercraft) - 54
Nick Harmer (Death Cab For Cutie) - 43
Dec. 24
Lemmy Kilmister (Hawkwind, Motorhead) - b. 12/24/45- d. 12/28/15
Jan Akkerman (Focus, Johnny and The Cellar Rockers, The Hunters, Brainbox, solo) - 71
Brent Doerner (Helix) -
Neil Turbin (Anthrax, DeathRiders, Bleed The Hunger) - 55
Millard Powers (Counting Crows, The Semantics, Majosha, Ben Folds) - 53
Doyle Bramhall II (Fabulous Thunderbirds, Arc Angels, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters) - 50
Dec. 25
Henry "The Sunflower" Vestine (Canned Heat, Mothers of Invention + more) - b. 1944 - d. 10/20/97
Noel Redding (Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fat Mattress) - b. 1945 - d. 5/11/03
Jimmy Buffet – 80
Merry Clayton (The Raelettes, The Rolling Stones, Sisters Love, solo + more) - 70
Alannah Myles - 59
Darren Wharton (Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott, Dare) - 56
Noel Hogan (The Cranberries) - 47
Stix Zadinia (The Thornbirds, Steel Panther) - 46
Josh Freese (Vandals, Devo, Viva Death, A Perfect Circle, Guns N' Roses, Nine Inch Nails) - 46
Dec. 26
Phil Spector (songwriter, record producer) - 79
Les Maguire (Gerry & the Pacemakers, Hog Owl) - 77
Bob Carpenter (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) - 72
Paul Quinn (Saxon) - 67
Steve Witherington (Ace) - 65
James Kottak (Kingdom Come, Scorpions, Kottak, Buster Brown, Montrose, Warrant) - 56
Lars Ulrich (Metallica) - 55
J / Jay Noel Yuenger (Rights of the Accused, Ruined Eye, White Zombie) - 52
Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt) - 52
Peter Klett (Candlebox) - 49
James Mercer (The Shins, Broken Bells) - 48
Jared Leto (Thirty Seconds to Mars, actor) - 47
Zach Blair (Hagfish, Gwar, Rise Against) - 45
Chris Daughtry (Cadence, Daughtry, Absent Element) - 39
Andy Biersack (Black Veil Brides) - 28
Dec. 27
Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley) - b. 1931 - d. 6/28/16
Mike Pinder (El Riot and the Rebels, Krew Kats, The Moody Blues) - 77
Peter Sinfield (King Crimson, ELP, Roxy Music, PFM, solo) - 75
Mick Jones (Foreigner, Wonderwheel, Leslie West Band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Spooky Tooth, sessions) - 74
Neil Merryweather (The Just Us, The Tripp, Mynah Birds, Bruce Cockburn's Flying Circus, Merryweather, solo, has recorded and performed with musicians including Steve Miller, Dave Mason, Lita Ford, Billy Joel, Rick James and Wilson Picket, solo) - 73
Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group, Jim Carroll Band, Lenny Kaye Connection, others) - 72
Larry Byrom (Steppenwolf, Ratchell) - 70
Martin Birch (Producer/engineer for Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Deep Purple, Jon Lord, Roger Glover, Cozy Powell, Wishbone Ash, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Iron Maiden, Michael Schenker Group + many more_ - 70
Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, UK, Missing Persons, HoBoLeMa, Jeff Beck, Korn, Fantômas, Debbie Harry + more) - 68
Gary Shea (Alcatrazz, TALK, New England) - 68
David Knopfler (Dire Straits, solo) - 66
Rik Fox (Steeler, Surgical Steel, SIN) - 63
Jerry Gaskill (King's X, Galactic Cowboys, solo) - 61
Niclas Engelin (In Flames) - 46
Scott Holiday (Rival Sons) -
Ace Von Johnson (Faster Pussycat) - 36
Chris Rorland (Sabaton) - 32
Hayley Williams (Paramore) - 30
Dec. 28
Johnny Otis (singer, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, record producer, television show host, artist, author, journalist, minister, and impresario - He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll. He discovered numerous artists early in their careers who went on to become highly successful in their own right, including Little Esther Phillips, Etta James, Big Mama Thornton, Johnny Ace, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Hank Ballard, and The Robins (who eventually changed their name to The Coasters), among many others. Otis has become widely synonymous with being known as the original "King of Rock and Roll" and the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues") - b. 1921 - d. 1/17/12
Young Jessie (The Coasters, wrote and recorded the single 'Mary Lou,' later covered by Ronnie Hawkins, Steve Miller Band, Bob Seger, Gene Clark and Frank Zappa) - 81
Edgar Winter (Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer, The Edgar Winter Group, Sawbuck, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, solo) – 72
Chas Hodges (Chas & Dave, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, The Outlaws, Heads Hands & Feet) - b. 1943 - d. 9/22/18
Dick Diamonde (The Easybeats) - 71
Alex Chilton (The Box Tops, Big Star) - b. 1950 - d. 3/17/10
Hugh McDonald (Bass; Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, sessions including Cher, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Lita Ford, Michael Bolton, David Bromberg Band, David Bromberg, The Big Dogs + more) - 67
Rik Fox (Sister, Circus Circus, W.A.S.P, Steeler, SIN, Thunderball, Surgical Steel, Burn, Hellion) - 63
Paul Wagstaff (Black Grape)- 54
Matt Jp Walst (My Darkest Days) -
Parker Lundgren (Queensryche) - 32
Dec. 29
Matt "Guitar" Murphy (Memphis Slim, Howlin' Wolf, The Blues Brothers) - b. 1929 - d. 6/15/18
Ray Thomas (The Moody Blues) - b. 1941 - 1/4/18
Rick Danko (The Band, solo) - b. 1942 - d. 12/10/99
Bill Aucoin (Band Manager: KISS, Piper, New vEngland, Manowar, Gen X, Billy Idol, Starz, Tantric + many more) - b. 1943 - d. 6/28/10
Marianne Faithfull (Singer, songwriter, Andrew Loog Oldham, The Rolling Stones, solo) - 72
Cozy Powell (Bedlam, Cozy Powell's Hammer, Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Micheal Schenker Group, Whitesnake, Emerson, Lake & Powell, Blue Murder, Gary Moore, Black Sabbath, The Brian May Band, Suzi Quatro, Peter Green Splinter Group, Yngwie Malmsteen, Thin Lizzy, solo) - b. 1947 - d. 4/5/98
Neil Giraldo (Derringer, Pat Benatar) - 63
Dexter Holland (Clowns of Death, The Offspring) - 53
Chris Barnes (Six Feet Under, Cannibal Corpse) - 52
Evan Seinfeld (Biohazard, Damnocracy, Attika7, The Spyderz) - 51
Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper, Vasco Rossi, Sixx: A.M., Beautiful Creatures, Impellitteri, SX-10, Gary Hoey, Jennifer Batten, Tony MacAlpine) - 48
Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket, Mutual Admiration Society, Works Progress Administration, Plover, solo) - 48
Dec. 30
Bo Diddley - b. 1928 - d. 6/2/08
Del Shannon - b. 1934 - d. 2/8/90
Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary) - 81
Felix Pappalardi (Mountain) - b. 1939 - d. 4/17/83
Kenny Penifallo (Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes) - 79
Robert Quine (Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Lou Reed, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Ikue Mori, Marc Ribot, Marianne Faithfull, Lloyd Cole, Tom Waits, Matthew Sweet, Odds, Jody Harris +more) - b. 1942 - d. 5/31/04
Mike Nesmith (The Monkees, First National Band, solo) - 76
Davy Jones (The Monkees) - b. 1945 - d. 2/29/12
Patti Smith - 72
Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Blodwyn Pig, Robin Trower, Jude, Aviator, Jeff Pain (aka Dicken, formerly of the UK band Mr Big), Jack Bruce, Gordon Giltrap, Anna Ryder, Uli Jon Roth, Electric Sun, Steve Hillage, Vikki Clayton, Solstice, Glenn Hughes, Jerry Donahue, solo) - 72
Jeff Lynne (The Move, The Idle Race, ELO, Traveling Wilburys, solo, Producer) - 71
Bruce Fairbairn (Musician, Record producer: Loverboy, Blue Öyster Cult, Bon Jovi, Poison, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Scorpions, Van Halen, Chicago, The Cranberries, INXS, KISS, Yes and more) - b. 1949 - d. 5/17/99
Joe Hasselvander (Pentagram, The Boyz, Raven) - 62
Tommy Clufetos (Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath) - 39
Dec. 31
Pete Quaife (Kinks) - b. 1943 - d. 6/23/10
Andy Summers (Police, solo) - 76
Burton Cummings (The Guess Who, The Carpet Frogs, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, solo) - 71
Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith) - 67
Alan St. Jon (Billy Squier, Alice Cooper, Cher, The John Entwistle Band, Steve Forbert, Leslie West, Twisted Sister, Ted Nugent, others, solo) -
Paul Westerberg (Replacements, Grandpaboy, solo) - 59
Scott Ian / Scott Ian Rosenfeld (Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death, Damnocracy, Pearl, The Damned Things) - 55
Bob Bryar (My Chemical Romance, Gerardolopoly, The Used) - 39
Sean Kelly (Helix, Crash Kelly, Author of .Metal On Ice. book) - 36
Today In Rock
Dec. 1
1956: One of the first Rock movies, 'The Girl Can't Help It,' opens in America. Featuring performances by Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, the Platters and Fats Domino, the film starred Jayne Mansfield as an aspiring singer.
1956: After leading the Cashbox Best Sellers chart for 15 weeks, Elvis Presley is finally knocked out of the #1 spot by Guy Mitchell's 'Singing The Blues.' Elvis had topped the list with 'Hound Dog' (4 weeks), 'Don't Be Cruel' (6 weeks) and 'Love Me Tender' (5 weeks).
1957: Three rock and roll acts made their debut on the Ed Sullivan Show: Buddy Holly & the Crickets ('That'll Be the Day'), Sam Cooke ('You Send Me'), and the Rays.
1958: Life magazine becomes the first major publication to print the phrase "teen idol" when they use it to describe their cover subject, Ricky Nelson.
1958: The Phil Spector written 'To Know Him Is To Love Him' was the #1 song in the US for The Teddy Bears. The trio consisted of Spector along with two friends, Marshall Leib and Annette Kleinbard.
1959: Chuck Berry meets a young lady named Janice Escalante in Juarez, Mexico (his band has a show in El Paso that night). After learning she is a runaway, Berry invites her on the tour and takes her back to St. Louis to work at his restaurant. She's just 14, which puts Berry in violation of a law against transporting minors across state lines. He would be arrested and serve 20 months in jail.
1960: Bobby Darin took time out from his busy recording schedule to marry actress Sandra Dee. Bobby had put four songs on the singles chart that year, including 'Beyond the Sea' (#6), "Clementine" (#21), 'Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey' (#19) and 'Artificial Flowers' (#20). The couple would divorce in early 1967.
1961: The Beatles performed a lunchtime show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. That night they headlined a six-group Big Beat Session at the Tower Ballroom, New Brighton in Wallasey. Between 1961 - 1963, The Beatles played at The Tower Ballroom 27 times.
1964: Beatles drummer Ringo Starr booked into University College Hospital to have his tonsils removed.
1964: The Who played the first of 22 consecutive Tuesday night gigs at The Marquee Club in London, the band were paid £50 for each gig. The Marquee Club saw the rise of some of the most important British artists in the 60's such as Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Cream, Manfred Mann, The Nice, Yes, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, King Crimson and many others who all appeared at the club.
1965: During a North America tour The Rolling Stones appeared at the Vancouver Auditorium in Vancouver, British Columbia.
1966: The Mamas and The Papas' 'Cass, John, Michelle and Denny' album is certified gold.
1966: Jimi Hendrix signed an exclusive management deal for four years with Mike Jeffrey, Kit Lambert & Chris Stamp’s Yameta Company.
1967: The 16 date UK package tour with Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move, Nice, Outer Limits and Amen Corner played at the Central Hall, Chatham. The Chatham Standard later reported: ‘Hendrix opened his act with the Beatles’ number Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the three-piece group made as much of an impression as a studio full of musicians. Once upon a time this sort of noise could not be reproduced outside a studio. He did several of his own numbers, including unfaultable versions of 'Hey Joe' and 'Purple Haze' and The Troggs’ 'Wild Thing.'
1967: Jimi Hendrix's 2nd studio album, 'Axis: Bold as Love' is released in the UK (Jan. 15, 1968 in the U.S.). It reached both the Billboard 200 Top LP's (#3) and Top R&B LP's (#6) charts, and reached #5 in the UK. In 2003, the album was ranked #82 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
1967: The Who end their first headlining tour of the US, playing the Long Island Arena in Commack, New York. Vanilla Fudge is the supporting act.
1967: Thge Doors and Cannet Heat play Men's Gym on the campus of Cal State Long Beach.
1968: Janis Joplin made her final appearance with Big Brother &the Holding Company, at a Family Dog show in San Francisco.
1968: The Monkees released the soundtrack album to their movie, 'Head.' It reached #45 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. It was The Monkees' last album to feature Peter Tork until 1987's 'Pool It!' and the last to feature all four Monkees until 1996's 'Justus.'
1968: The Beatles 'White Album' started a seven-week run at #1 on the UK chart. The double set was the first on the Apple label,
1969: George Harrison and Ringo Starr turn up at London’s Royal Albert Hall to watch Delaney & Bonnie perform with Eric Clapton.
1970: Derek and the Dominoes played the Curtis Hixon Convention Center in Tampa. FL.
1971: John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir's 'Happy Xmas(War is Over)' b/w "Listen, the Snow Is Falling' 45 single is released.
1971: Yes appeared at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, Connecticut.
1972: Pink Floyd performs at the Centre Sportif, in Ile Des Vannes, St. Ouen, Paris. The show was broadcast live by RTL Radio.
1972: Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain' is released in the US where it will reach #1. The tune causes much speculation about who Carly was singing about, with popular guesses that included Mick Jagger (who sang unaccredited backing vocals on the song), Cat Stevens, Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson (with whom she had had brief relationships), her unfaithful fiance William Donaldson, and her ex-husband, James Taylor. At one point, Carly said she was singing about a composite of many men she had known, but later claimed that the song was about openly gay record producer David Geffen.
1972: Paul McCartney/Wings 'Hi, Hi, Hi' b/w 'C Moon' 45 single is released in the UK. The single peaked at #5 in the U.K. and at #10 in the United States in January 1973. The song became a staple of Wings' live shows in the 1970's. In the UK, the song was banned by the BBC for its sexually suggestive lyrics. The BBC also assumed that the title phrase, "We're gonna get hi, hi, hi" was a drug reference. The specific lyrics objected to is the apparent phrase "get you ready for my body gun"; McCartney has said that the correct lyrics are "get you ready for my polygon", an abstract image, and later said, "The BBC got some of the words wrong. But I suppose it is a bit of a dirty song if sex is dirty and naughty. I was in a sensuous mood in Spain when I wrote it."
1972: Gentle Giant released their 4th album, 'Octopus.'
1973: Aerosmith's 'Dream On' only makes it to #59 on the pop chart. When it's re-released three years later it lands in the Top 10, peaking at #6.
1973: Black Sabbath's 5th studio album, 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' is released. It reached #11 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. The band also released the title track as a single the same day.
1973: Deep Purple, Electric Light Orchestra and Elf play the Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1974: Genesis performed at the Lyric Theater in Baltimore, Maryland.
1975: The Allman Brothers Band played at the Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.
1975: Black Sabbath 'We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll' compilation album was released.
1975: The 5th album from Styx, 'Equinox' was released. It reached #58 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and features the Billboard Hot 100 single, 'Lorelei,' which reached #27.
1975: AC/DC released the album 'T.N.T.' in Australia.
1976: The Sex Pistols appeared on ITV's live early evening 'Today' show (in place of Queen who had pulled out following a trip to the dentists by Freddie Mercury). Taunted by interviewer Bill Grundy who asked the band to say something outrageous, guitarist Steve Jones says: 'You dirty bastard...you dirty fucker...what a fucking rotter!' The result was the Sex Pistols being banned in several British cities.
1977: During a North American tour Queen appeared at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1977: Rush played at the Montreal Forum.
1977: Aerosmith release their 5th studio album, 'Draw the Line.' It reached #11 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart.
1977: Billy Joel's 'The Stranger' peaks at #2. It's Joel's 5th album and contains a couple of his best known ballads ('Just The Way You Are' and 'She's Always A Woman') but also includes Rockers in 'Movin' Out' and 'Only The Good Die Young.'
1978: The Doobie Brothers 8th studio album, 'Minute by Minute' is released. It hit #1 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and features three Billboard Hot 100 charting singles - 'Dependin' on You' (#25), 'Minute by Minute' (#14 and Black Singles #74), and 'What a Fool Believes' (#1 and Black Singles #72), which also won a Grammy Award.
1978: Quiet Riot released the album 'Quiet Riot II' only in Japan. It was the last Quiet Riot album to feature Randy Rhoads, as he left the band the following year to join Ozzy Osbourne's band.
1979: U2 perform outside of Ireland for the first time, as they begin a series of London dates.
1979: Motorhead released their 6th single, 'Bomber.'
1979: The Police track 'Walking On The Moon,' is the #1 single in the U.K. It was written by Sting.
1979: The Grateful Dead performed at Stanley Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1980: The Talking Heads kick-off their tour of the U.K. at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. Support on this tour would come from U2.
1981: King Crimson appeared at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, British Columbia.
1982: Aerosmith played at Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
1982: Judas Priest played Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, NM.
1983: Neil Young was sued by Geffen Records because his new music for the label was ‘not commercial in nature and musically uncharacteristic of his previous albums’. His latest album 'Everybody's Rockin' featured a selection of rockabilly songs (both covers and original material) which ran for just 25 minutes, Young's shortest album.
1984: Billy Squier made his first and only appearance as a musical guest on 'Saturday Night Live.'
1986: Queen release their 2nd live album, 'Live Magic.'
1987: A Kentucky teacher lost her appeal in the US Supreme Court over her sacking after showing Pink Floyd's film 'The Wall' to her class. The court decided that the film was not suitable for minors with its bad language and sexual content.
1989: Sly Stone was sentenced to 55 days after pleading guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of cocaine, (two weeks later he also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and was sentenced to spend 9-14 months in rehab).
1989: Billy Lyall dies from AIDS. He was 36. Lyall was the keyboardist and vocalist of Pilot, who had the platinum single 'Magic.' He was also an early member of The Bay City Rollers and The Alan Parsons Project.
1989: Savatage released their album 'Gutter Ballet.'
1990: C.C. Deville of Poison spent six hours in jail after being arrested for public drunkenness and criminal mischief after a concert in Louisville that night.
1991: Thinking there are 31 days in November, Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell continues his hunting trip, causing the band to miss their next show opening for Van Halen in Memphis.
1991: The Band's self-titled sophomore album is certified a platinum selling album. It only took 22 years.
1992: Pearl Jam's 'Ten' album passes the 6 million sales mark.
1992: The Journey 'Time3' box set is released.
1992: Duran Duran release the single 'Ordinary World' earlier than planned after radio airplay creates a huge demand. The song reaches #3 in the US, their biggest hit there since 'Notorious' in 1986.
1993: Ray Gillen dies from AIDS in New York City. He was 34. Gillen replaced Glenn Hughes in Black Sabbath, choosing the band over an offer to play the lead role in Cats on Broadway, as he was a trained opera singer. But, he was only in the band for one year. He followed that stint with three albums for the group Badlands, with Jake E. Lee and Eric Singer.
1993: Elton John suffered a rare flop when his album 'Duets' failed to crack the top 25 on the US album chart. The effort, which featured Don Henley, Chris Rea, kd lang, Little Richard, Kiki Dee, Gladys Knight, Bonnie Raitt and Leonard Cohen, was received much better in the UK, topping out at #5.
1993: Pink Floyd held a press conference to announce their 1994 world tour, which proved to be the band’s last tour.
1993: Ramones released their 13th studio album, 'Acid Eaters.'
1999: Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil & Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra performed a concert at the Show Box in Seattle to protest the World Trade Organization summit.
2000: C. C. DeVille of Poison is arrested and jailed for seven hours after jumping on the hood of a car in Louisville, KY. He then proceeded to eat some roses. He is charged with alcohol intoxication and criminal mischief.
2005: Pearl Jam plays the first of two shows at Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo. Mayor Jose Serra had suspended the shows after complaints from nearby wealthy residents about the noise and mess. He later reverses his decision when the group complies with some ground rules. The shows mark Pearl Jam's Brazilian debut.
2005: The White Stripes are the first group to perform on Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show.' “We’ve never had a musical performance on the show before — not because we haven’t wanted one — but because we were holding out for a reunited Spandau Ballet,” host John Stewart jokes in a statement. “This will have to suffice.”
2005: It's World AIDS Day. Bidding begins on Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica signed guitars for the LIFEbeat organization's Bid 2 Beat AIDS auction. There are also items from Green Day, Foo Fighters, Godsmack, KoRn, Linkin Park, 3 Doors Down, Coheed and Cambria, Hoobastank, Kid Rock, Sevendust, Zakk Wylde, My Chemical Romance, Guns N' Roses, Tool and U2.
2005: 'Memories Of John Lennon' is in bookstores. The 300-plus page book, compiled by Yoko, contains prose, poetry and drawings from Lennon's friends, associates and admirers, including the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, the Who's Pete Townshend, U2's Bono, Carlos Santana and Elton John.
2005: Rocky Horror Picture Show is entered into the National Film Registry.
2006: GQ magazine names Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson "Newlyweds of the Year," but by the time the issue hits newsstands, the couple are divorced.
2006: Paul McCartney admits he's been seeing a psychiatrist to help him get through his divorce from second wife, Heather Mills.
2006: An Oasis fan enjoyed “the best day of his life” when Noel Gallagher came to his house in Poynton, Cheshire to play an intimate gig. Lucky listener Ben Hayes won a BBC Radio 1 competition to have the star play in his front room as part of a week of gigs compered by DJ Jo Whiley. 15 people packed into his lounge for the tiny gig, with his mother on hand making cups of tea for the crew.
2007: Killswitch Engage are the Act of the Year and Outstanding Metal/Hardcore Band of the Year at the '07 Boston Music Awards. They do not attend. But Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton does and receives a Personal Achievement Award. The bassist is honored for his successful bout against cancer and his help in supporting the community.
2007: 3 Doors Down's fourth annual Better Life Foundation concert/auction is in Biloxi, MS. On the block are a custom 3 Doors Down Bourget motorcycle along with guitars autographed by 3DD's members, Chris Cornell, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and Seether.
2007: A World AIDS Day benefit concert in Johannesburg, South Africa, features Peter Gabriel.
2008: U2, Elton John, the Police, Bob Dylan and R.E.M. contribute music to (RED)WIRE, a subscription-based music-download service launched in conjunction with U2 singer Bono's Product Red initiative. Funds raised combat HIV and AIDS in Africa.
2008: 'The Lennon Prophecy' is in bookstores. Joseph Niezgoda claims The Beatles' popularity and John Lennon's death were the result of a 20-year pack Lennon made with the devil in December of 1960 well before The Beatles were international stars. The author cites historical events and hidden messages (in songs, album art, etc.) as proof.
2009: Little Richard asked fans to pray for his speedy recovery after undergoing hip surgery at a Tennessee hospital. The 76-year-old Rock 'n' Roll pioneer asked family friend Rev. Bill Minson to tell fans "to get ready to rock 'n' roll with him in the new year because he's coming back strong."
2010: In recognition of World AIDS Day, Elton John is a guest editor for The Independent, a U.K. newspaper. "I'm pleased to get the chance to put the subject of AIDS at the top of the editorial agenda," says Elton in a statement. Proceeds from the day's circulation revenues benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Meanwhile, U2 frontman Bono says that the global recession is hampering efforts to combat AIDS. "In recessionary times, people have to tell their politicians this is important to them."
2010: Bon Jovi 'Greatest Hits' tops Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart. The compilation also peaks at #24 on the Billboard 200 and at #3 on the Rock Albums chart.
2010: Sean Yseult's 'I'm In the Band: Backstage Notes from the Chick in White Zombie' is out in paperback. Yseult was White Zombie's bassist.
2011: Opening bids are taken online by Gotta Have Rock And Roll for a to-do list written by John Lennon for May 22nd (the year is not specified). The list includes letting the cable man into his apartment to fix his HBO and getting books back from friends.
2013: Artist Martin Sharp, designer of the groundbreaking album covers for Cream's 'Disraeli Gears' and 'Wheels Of Fire,' passes away from emphysema at his home in New South Wales, Australia. He also designed album covers and concert posters for Jimi Hendrix, Donovan and Bob Dylan, and co-wrote the lyrics to Cream's 'Tales Of Brave Ulysses.' He was 71.
2013: Bob Dylan was placed under judicial investigation in France for allegedly provoking ethnic hatred of Croats. It followed a legal complaint lodged by a Croat association in France over a 2012 interview Dylan gave to Rolling Stone magazine. In the interview Dylan allegedly compared the relationship between Jews and Nazis to that of Serbs and Croats.
2014: Phil Rudd of AC/DC pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening to kill and possession of drugs. Phil Rudd was excused from appearing in New Zealand's Tauranga District Court, with his lawyer entering his plea. The 60-year-old Australian-born musician was originally charged with attempting to procure the murder of two men.
2014: U2 Minus 1 (less Bono) perform in Times Square on World AIDS Day (RED) benefit. Because Bono is recuperating from a bicycle injury, Coldplay's Chris Martin ('Beautiful Day' and 'With Or Without You') and Bruce Springsteen ('Where The Streets Have No Name' and 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For') fill in. Former President Bill Clinton talks about the battle against AIDS and introduces the band.
2014: 'Megadeth - The Countdown To Extinction Auction' kicks off. Original stage back props, guitars, amps, apparel, set lists, lyrics, tour programs, and signed items are on the block.
2015: Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is guest star on ABC's 'The Muppets.' Grohl appears as himself on the episode titled 'Going, Going, Gonzo.' He performs 'Learn To Fly' and challenges Animal to a drum-off.
2015: The bike U2's Bono was riding in 2014 when he was seriously injured in New York City's Central Park goes on the auction block as part of Shopathon, a campaign for his organization (RED), which raises money to battle AIDS. The auction coincides with World AIDS Day.
2015: Former Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver frontman, Scott Weiland, plays what turns out to be his last concert at Toronto's Adelaide Hall with his solo band The Wildabouts. The singer dies two days later.
2016: Beastie Boys' Ad-Rock designs a shoe, made in collaboration with L.A. vegan footwear company Keep, to help raise funds for Planned Parenthood.
2017: U2 release their 14th studio album, 'Songs Of Experience.' The release coincides with World Aids Day and is in conjunction with Project Red, an initiative set up by frontman Bono.
Dec. 2
1957: Al Priddy, a disc jockey at the Portland, Oregon, radio station KEX, is fired for playing the Elvis Presley version of 'White Christmas,' which the station has banned. Their program manager says it "desecrates the Spirit of Christmas and transgresses the composer's intent." The story makes national news, but it turns out to be a publicity stunt. Priddy was back on the air two weeks later, with the station claiming letters were pouring in to support the DJ. As part of the stunt, Priddy recorded the GM calling in to "fire" him for playing the song and played the conversation on his show before he left.
1960: Elvis enlists the help of his father Vernon to try to convince Priscilla Beaulieu's father to let her spend the holidays at Graceland. Their efforts would succeed and a scheduled two week stay over Christmas would be extended to nearly a month.
1961: Elvis Presley fills in an automobile insurance form. He lists a 1950 Chevy one-ton truck, a pink 1955 Cadillac Sedan, a 1958 Harley-Davidson and a 1960 Rolls-Royce.
1961: 'Surfin', the first recording by The Beach Boys, gets its first ever play on KFWB Radio in Los Angeles.
1962: The Beatles appear as an opening act for Frank Ifield in Peterborough, England. While Ifield performed in his usual, calm, crooning style, The Beatles were pounding out loud Rock 'n' Roll, causing many in the crowd to demand that they "turn it down!"
1963: The Beatles recorded an appearance on the UK TV comedy program 'The Morecambe and Wise Show.' The Beatles played ‘This Boy,' ‘All My Loving,' and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ and also participate in comedy sketches with Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. The program was broadcast on April 18, 1964.
1966: David Bowie released 'Rubber Band,' his first single on the Deram label. It was part of a three-track audition tape Bowie's new manager Kenneth Pitt used to persuade the label to sign him. Despite some good reviews in the music press, the single was a flop, once more failing to break into the UK charts.
1966: Donovan's 'Sunshine Superman' b/w 'The Trip' 45 single is released in the UK. The 'Sunshine Superman' single was released in the United States through Epic Records (Epic 5-10045) in July 1966, but due to a contractual dispute the United Kingdom release was delayed until December 1966, where it appeared on Donovan's previous label, Pye Records.
1967: The Monkees' 'Daydream Believer' hits #1 on the US charts.
1967: The Monkees' 'Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones' album hits #1. It was their 4th to sell over a million copies.
1967: Bill Wyman's 'In Another Land' b/w The Rolling Stones 'The Lantern' 45 single is released. It's the third track on The Rolling Stones album 'Their Satanic Majesties Request.' It was released as a single a week before the album and peaked at #87 on the United States pop chart.
1967: Pink Floyd play at The Dome in Brighton, England.
1967: Small Faces 'Tin Soldier' b/w 'I Feel Much Better' 45 single is released in the UK.
1968: The Beach Boys 'Bluebirds Over The Mountain' b/w 'Never Learn Not To Love' 45 single is released. Written by Ersel Hickey, the song was covered by notable artists such as The Beach Boys and Ritchie Valens. The single peaked at #61 on the Billboard pop chart in the United States and at #33 in the United Kingdom and went to #9 in Holland. It reached #36 on the Record World national Top 40 and went into the top 20 in Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis and Columbus. The B-Side of this single, 'Never Learn Not To Love' was written by notorious mass-murderer, Charles Manson. Dennis Wilson was friends with Manson for a brief period of time before the "Tate-LaBianca Murders" as they would later be referred to.
1968: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention's 'Cruising with Ruben & the Jets' album is released. It reached #110 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. The album is fashioned as a simultaneous parody of and tribute to the doo-wop music Frank and many of the Mothers grew up with and worked on.
1969: George Harrison performs anonymously with Delaney, Bonnie & Friends in Bristol, England, after having watched them play with Eric Clapton the night before in London. He tours the UK with their ensemble, marking the first series of live performances by a Beatle since 1966.
1969: On the way to their fateful Altamont concert of December 6, The Rolling Stones stop at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama, where they spend three days recording the songs 'Wild Horses,' 'You Gotta Move' and 'Brown Sugar.'
1970: Free released their 4th studio album, 'Highway' in the UK. It reached #41 on the UK album charts (the previous album 'Fire and Water' had reached #2) and #190 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. The single, 'The Stealer,' reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1970: Former Animal Eric Burdon launched his new initiative, 'Curb the Clap,' by distributing bumper stickers. Burdon said he wanted to raise awareness of the “number one sickness in the record business today – VD” and raise money for the Los Angeles Free Clinic. Burdon’s manager, Steve Gold, denies that it has anything to do with MGM Records president Mike Curb’s recent announcement that he was dropping eighteen acts from his roster because their music advocated drug use. “It’s because Eric has the clap,” says Gold. “He says from age fifteen to twenty-six he only had it once, but it’s happened three or four times since. For every donation to the L.A. Free Clinic, Eric will send out a CURB THE CLAP bumpersticker. VD has more effect on this industry than any drug.”
1971: Led Zeppelin appeared at The Royal Ballroom in Bournemouth, England.
1971: Led Zeppelin released 'Black Dog' b/w 'Misty Mountain Hop' 45 single is released as a single in the United States and Australia. It reached #15 on Billboard and #11 in Australia. In 2010, the song was ranked #300 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
1971: Taj Mahal performs for the men on death row at Wilmington State Penitentiary.
1972: David Bowie performed at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
1972: Steely Dan make the Billboard 200 for the first time when their debut album 'Can't Buy a Thrill' lands at #197. The title comes from the Bob Dylan song "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry," where he sings: "Well, I ride on a mailtrain, baby
Can't buy a thrill".
1973: The Who arrive in Montreal, Canada, disembarking from the plane wearing paper hats made out of French in-flight newspapers and singing the French national anthem. That evening they perform at the Montreal Forum. Early the next morning The Who and twelve members of their entourage are jailed in Montreal after Pete and Keith wreck their hotel suites. They manage to post bail at 1:15pm when the local promoter pays $5,995.34 (£3746.88) in cash to the police station and they perform that night at the Boston Garden, where they rail to the audience about the Montreal police. John Entwistle later wrote the song 'Cell Block Number Seven' about the incident.
1973: The Allman Brothers Band appear at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia.
1973: Bob Dylan fans start mailing in ticket requests for his latest tour today. Dylan sells 658,000 seats through the mail, but not before San Francisco witnesses traffic jams as people rush to send in their applications.
1973: The Grateful Dead performed at the Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.
1974: Yes played at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
1974: Ravi Shankar is hospitalized after suffering chest pains while touring with George Harrison.
1975: Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' b/w 'I'm In Love With My Car' 45 single is released in the U.S. (Oct. 31 in the U.K.) It hit #1 and stayed at the top of the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks and selling more than a million copies by the end of January 1976. It reached #1 again in 1991 for five weeks following Mercury's death, eventually becoming the UK's 3rd best-selling single of all time. In the United States the song originally peaked at #9 in 1976; however, it returned to the chart at #2 in 1992 following its appearance in the film 'Wayne's World' which revived its American popularity.
1975: The Who perform at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Des Moines, Iowa.
1976: Elvis Presley played the first of an 11-night run at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.
1976: The British press is in an uproar the day after The Sex Pistols appeared on the 'Today' programme on London regional TV and swore repeatedly. The front page headline of the Daily Mirror reads "THE FILTH AND THE FURY!"
1976: Linda Ronstadt is on the cover of the latest Rolling Stone magazine.
1976: The first day of the photo shoot for the forthcoming Pink Floyd 'Animals' album cover took place at Battersea Power Station in London, England, with a giant inflatable pig lashed between two of the structure’s tall towers. A trained marksman was hired ready to fire if the inflatable escaped, but was not needed on this, the first day. Unfortunately the following day the marksman hadn’t been rebooked, so when the inflatable broke free from its moorings, it was able to float away. It is spotted by airline pilots at thirty thousand feet in the air causing flights at Heathrow Airport to be cancelled. It eventually lands in Kent where it was recovered by a local farmer, reportedly furious that it had scared his cows. The pig (known as Algie), is later withdrawn from auction in 2015 due to the band’s interest in restoring it.
1977: Rush play at the Fitchburg Theater in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
1978: Rod Stewart reached #1 on the U.K. Singles Chart for the 5th time with 'Da Ya Think I’m Sexy' which spent one week on top. The song would also reach #1 in the U.S. in February of the following year. A plagiarism lawsuit by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor confirmed that the song had been derived from his composition 'Taj Mahal.' Stewart agreed to donate all his royalties from the song to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
1978: 'The Beatles Collection (Box Set) is released in the UK. It's a box set with all the 12 original studio albums (all stereo versions), plus one "free" album of "Rarities.". It was presented in a blue box with embossed gold lettering. The "Rarities" album was mostly a compilation of B-sides, EP tracks and German releases, and was supposed to be unique to this box set. Also included was a poster showing enlargements of the four pictures from 'The White Album.'
1978: Aerosmith appeared at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
1980: Bob Dylan performed at The Armory in Salem, Oregon.
1982: Def Leppard filmed the music video for 'Photograph' in Battersea, London. This video was the video debut of guitarist Phil Collen.
1982: Van Halen played at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.
1982: Judas Priest played McNichols Arena in Denver, CO.
1982: US folk singer David Blue died of a heart attack aged 41 while jogging in New York's Washington Square Park. He was a member of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue during the late 70's and wrote ‘Outlaw Man’ covered by The Eagles on their 1973 'Desperado' album.
1986: Jerry Lee Lewis checks into the Betty Ford Clinic for addiction to painkillers.
1988: Geraldo Rivera welcomed Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Willie Nelson on his talk show to talk about sex on the road.
1988: Ozzy Osbourne played the Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. Anthrax opened the show.
1991: The US Supreme Court rules that The Shirelles, Gene Pitney and B.J. Thomas are owed $1.2 million in unpaid royalties.
1994: Warner Music Group acquires a 49% share of Seattle "Grunge" record label Sub Pop.
1997: At a Rolling Stones concert at the Pontiac Silverdome outside of Detroit, 31 year old Eric Zylema fell 23 feet to his death while dancing on a handrail.
1998: Jimmy Buffett gave Mobile, Alabama a hand in recovering from Hurricane George. He performed a benefit concert, his first in his hometown in eight years.
1999: Sir Paul McCartney confirmed that he would play Liverpool’s Cavern Club for the first time since The Beatles said farewell to the club in 1963.
1999: David Bowie played his first UK show in over two years when he appeared at the Astoria Theatre in London in front of 2,000 fans.
2000: The Smashing Pumpkins played their “final” concert when they appeared at the Metro Club in Chicago. They would not play again until May 2007, with founder Billy Corrigan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain as the only other original members to participate.
2002: Singer Peter Garrett leaves Midnight Oil for a political career in his native Australia.
2002: Oasis singer Liam Gallagher was arrested and charged with assault after he Kung-Fu kicked a police officer. The incident happened at the Bayerischer hotel in Munich, the singer lost his two front teeth in the brawl and an Oasis minder was knocked out cold.
2003: The reunited Simon & Garfunkel performed at Madison Square Garden. It was their first New York gig in 10 years.
2003: Alice Cooper receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Cooper’s star is the 2,243rd on the Walk of Fame and lies between those of Gene Autry and Hugh Hefner. He says, “We would walk over the names of Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, never, ever thinking that our names would ever be on the Walk of Fame. That is really quite a privilege to be here.”
2003: Darkness singer Justin Hawkins was held for two hours at JFK Airport in New York after police mistook him for a wanted man with the same name and looks. The police agreed to let him go after Justin's fiance and manager Sue Whitehouse produced a tour schedule to prove that he was in England on July 4th when the crime was committed.
2004: Panic Channel, with former Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro, Chris Chaney and Stephen Perkins, plus vocalist Steve Isaacs, play their first publicized performance in Los Angeles. Two "secret" gigs preceded this show.
2005: The legendary Living Colour begin a U.S. tour of clubs and theaters prior to the release of their first-ever concert DVD. The DVD documents an '04 performance in South America.
2006: Bruce Springsteen makes an unscheduled appearance in Sayreville, NJ, at an annual Light Of Day concert to benefit the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.
2006: 3 Doors Down hold their 3rd annual benefit concert for The Better Life Foundation in Mobile, AL. Staind also performs. Proceeds from the event aid victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in the Gulf Coast region. "This concert...is just another way for us to try and give back to the area we so dearly love," says 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold. Also in Mobile, Staind start a brief eight day tour of the southeast.
2007: Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne made more than $800,000 for charity after they sold off some of their possessions from their former US home. Items sold included the family's custom pool table for $11,250 and a pair of Ozzy's trademark round glasses went for $5,250. The beaded wire model of the Eiffel Tower that adorned the kitchen fetched $10,000, while skull-adorned trainers worn by Ozzy sold for $2,625.
2008: Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx and his girlfriend, L.A. Ink tattoo artist Kat Von D, attend a benefit at a West Hollywood art gallery featuring sixty-six portraits of Sixx created by Von D. Proceeds go toward the Covenant House teen shelter and its affiliated 'Running Wild in the Night' music program that Sixx founded.
2008: Kid Rock's request to have his performances for overseas U.S. troops count toward the 80 hours of community service required from his 2007 Waffle House brawl is denied in court. In retaliation, Rock posts the judge's contact information online, and encourages fans to voice their disapproval.
2008: American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a civil and human rights activist Odetta died of heart disease age 77. She influenced many of the key figures of the folk-revival of that time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mavis Staples, and Janis Joplin. Time magazine included her song 'Take This Hammer' on its list of the 100 Greatest Popular Songs. Martin Luther King Jr. called her the queen of American folk music.
2009: Paul McCartney launches his first European tour in five years in The Beatles old stomping ground, Hamburg, Germany.
2009: It's the Grammy Nomination Concert in L.A. Linkin Park and Ringo Starr are among the presenters announcing the 2010 Grammy nominees. Kings Of Leon's 'Use Somebody' receives 4 nominations. The song is up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rock song. Also nominated for Best Rock song are Pearl Jam's 'The Fixer,' U2's 'I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight,' Green Day's '21 Guns' and Bruce Springsteen's 'Working On A Dream.'
2009: Eric Woolfson, co-founder of the Alan Parsons Project, dies of cancer at 64. He wrote all the band's lyrics and contributed some lead vocals. After his 10 albums with the Alan Parsons Project, he moved into musical theater and wrote five musicals. In total, he sold over 50 million albums worldwide.
2010: Peter Gabriel, Jimmy Cliff and Sheryl Crow appear at a benefit for the human rights organization WITNESS at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. WITNESS is a group that was co-founded by Gabriel and provides training for human rights activists worldwide.
2011: Limp Bizkit announce they have left Interscope Records, the label that issued all six of their albums. Frontman Fred Durst admits the split came down to creative differences over their comeback record 'Gold Cobra,' which suffered disappointing sales.
2012: Led Zeppelin’s three surviving members, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, receive the Kennedy Center Honors from President Barack Obama. In his tribute to the band, Mr Obama said: "When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham burst onto the musical scene in the late 1960s, the world never saw it coming." The president thanked the former band members for behaving themselves at the White House given their history of "hotel rooms being trashed and mayhem all around". Their tribute is performed by the Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Jason Bonham, and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Blues guitarist Buddy Guy is also honored.
2013: Iron Maiden LLP, the band's holding company, is named one of the fastest-growing music companies in the UK, by the London Stock Exchange.
2013: Roger Taylor and Brian May opened the 'Queen Studio Experience - Montreux,' an exhibition of Queen memorabilia at Mountain Studios in Switzerland, where they had recorded many classic tracks spanning seven albums and where Freddie Mercury recorded his last vocal. The exhibition would open to the public a day later.
2014: Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry releases a four song Christmas EP, 'Joe Perry's Merry Christmas,' via Unison and iTunes. The set contains a rendition of 'Run Run Rudolph' with actor Johnny Depp on rhythm guitar.
2014: Saxophonist Bobby Keys, who started touring at age 15 with fellow Texan Buddy Holly, and more famously with the Rolling Stones as their main saxophonist (he soloed on the Stones' 'Brown Sugar'), passed away as a result of cirrhosis at his home in Franklin, TN. When on tour with the Stones, according to legend Keys filled a bathtub with Dom Perignon champagne and drank most of it. Keys appeared on albums by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, George Harrison, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Sheryl Crow, Humble Pie and Barbra Streisand and other prominent musicians..
2016: Enuff Z'Nuff released their 13th studio album, 'Clowns Lounge.' It was mainly an archival release that features previously unreleased songs from 1988-89 in Wisconsin, back when the band was demoing their first self-titled release on ATCO Records. One song, 'The Devil Of Shakespeare,' was originally recorded around 2004 and features the late Jani Lane of Warrant on vocals, along with James Young of Styx on lead guitar.
2016: Duran Duran said they were "outraged and saddened" at losing a High Court fight to reclaim US rights to some of their most famous songs. The group had argued that US copyright laws gave them the right to call for a reversion of copyright after 35 years. 'Girls on Film,' 'Rio' and 'A View to a Kill'' were among the disputed tracks.
2016: A list of 25 songs were chosen as inductees to the Grammy Hall Of Fame. Among those selected were David Bowie's 'Changes,' Elvis Presley's 'Jailhouse Rock,' The Beach Boys' 'I Get Around,' The Jackson 5's 'ABC,' Sonny And Cher's 'I Got You Babe,' Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' and N.W.A.'s 'Straight Outta Compton.' The Grammy Hall Of Fame is open to all genres of music as long as the recording is at least 25 years old. Once the new set of 25 songs were added, the total number of inductees sat at 1,038.
2016: The Rolling Stones ended their longest-ever studio album drought with the release of 'Blue & Lonesome,' a 12-song, 42-minute collection of Blues classics. It was the British rockers' first studio LP since 2005's 'A Bigger Bang,' which peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200.
2016: Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) makes a surprise appearance at the NASCAR Sprint Series Awards Banquet in Las Vegas to pay tribute to the recently retired driver Tony Stewart. Also, the NASCAR community makes a donation of $1.8 million on behalf of Stewart to EB Research Partnership, Vedder's non-profit organization which aims to cure Epidermolysis Bullosa, a devastating skin disorder that affects children.
2016: British musician Kate Nash recruits Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Queen's Brian May and Yeah, Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O to sign a letter to President Barack Obama condemning the treatment of Standing Rock Sioux tribe members protesting the Dakota Access (oil) Pipeline.
Dec. 3
1955: Elvis Presley's first release on RCA Victor Records was announced. The first two songs ‘Mystery Train’ and ‘I Forgot to Remember to Forget’ had been purchased from Sun Records owner Sam Phillips. Elvis was described by his new record company as 'The most talked about personality in recorded music in the last 10 years.'
1960: Elvis Presley's 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' hits #1.
1961: The Beatles meet Brian Epstein for the first time, at his Liverpool record store, NEMS. John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best arrived late for the 4pm meeting, (they had been drinking at the Grapes pub in Matthew Street), but Paul McCartney was not with them, because, as Harrison explained, he had just got up and was "taking a bath." Later they meet again to discuss Brian's management of the group.
1964: The Rolling Stones had their second UK #1 single with their version of 'Little Red Rooster.' The Stones had recorded the song at Chess Studios in Chicago, the same studios where Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Little Walter had recorded their blues classics.
1965: The debut studio album by The Who, 'My Generation' is released in the U.K. by Brunswick Records
1965: Keith Richards is knocked unconscious by electric shock when his guitar makes contact with his microphone during the song 'The Last Time' at a Rolling Stones show in Sacramento. Richards takes about ten minutes to get back up to speed, but he finishes the show.
1965: Beatles release ‘Rubber Soul’ album in the U.K. This edition includes 'Nowhere Man' which does not appear on the U.S. version, which is released on Dec. 6. The album spent nine weeks at #1 on the UK chart during its 43 week stay. It was ranked #5 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
1965: The Beatles 'We Can Work It Out' / 'Day Tripper' double A-sided 45 single is released in the UK.
1965: The Beatles kick off what would be their last ever UK tour at Glasgow's Odeon Cinema. Also on the bill, The Moody Blues The Koobas and Beryl Marsden. The last show was at Cardiff's Capitol Cinema on December 12.
1965: The Who's 'My Generation' debut album is released in the UK. It was released in the US, with a slightly altered track listing and cover in April 1966 as 'The Who Sings My Generation.' It reached #5 on the UK charts, and has been named the 2nd greatest guitar album of all time by Mojo magazine. In 2004, it was #18 in Q magazine's list of the 50 Best British Albums Ever. In 2006, it was ranked #49 in NME's list of the 100 Greatest British Albums. In 2003, the album was ranked number 236 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,] and In 2004, the title track was #11 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
1965: Bob Dylan plays the first of two nights at the Berkeley Community Theater in Berkeley, CA.
1966: The Monkees make their live concert debut at the Honolulu International Center Arena before a sold out crowd of 8,000.
1966: One of Paul Revere & the Raiders biggest hits 'Good Thing' enters the charts. The song will eventually reach #4 and enjoy a ten week chart run.
1967: Jimi Hendrix Experience and Pink Floyd performed two shows at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham, England. Syd Barrett missed the first show, and Davy O’List of the The Nice stepped in and ad-libbed with the Floyd before Barrett arrived in time for the second performance.
1968: Iron Butterfly's 'In-a-Gadda-da-Vida' album is certified gold.
1968: Cream gets a gold record for their 1967 debut 'Fresh Cream.'
1968: 'Singer (program sponsor) Presents Elvis' airs on NBC. This soon becomes known as the 'Comeback Special.' The soundtrack album was released simply as 'NBC-TV Special.' It was directed by Steve Binder and produced by Binder and Bones Howe. The program featured a taped, semi-unplugged performance given earlier at Burbank Studios in front of a live audience. This was Elvis' first appearance before a live audience since 1961. According to his friend Jerry Schilling, the special reminded Presley of what "he had not been able to do for years, being able to choose the people, being able to choose what songs and not being told what had to be on the soundtrack....He was out of prison, man."
1969: John Lennon was offered title role in the rock opera 'Jesus Christ, Superstar.' The offer was withdrawn the following day.
1969: 'Led Zeppelin II' hits #1 on U.S. album charts. It sells over eight million copies.
1969: The Rolling Stones recorded 'Brown Sugar' on the 2nd of 3 days at Muscle Shoals studios. The single went on to be a UK & US #1. The song was written by Mick Jagger with Marsha Hunt in mind; Hunt was Jagger's secret girlfriend and mother of his first child Karis.
1969: Grand Funk Railroad's 'Mr. Limousine Driver' b/w 'High Falootin' Woman '45 single is released.
1971: Switzerland’s Montreaux Casino burns to the ground during a gig by Frank Zappa. Someone shoots off a flare gun which hits the wooden roof and quickly spreads. It eventually reaches the building’s heating system, causing an explosion. Luckily, everyone escapes. Deep Purple, in town at the time recording an album, commemorate the incident in the song ‘Smoke On The Water’.
1971: Yes played at the Civic Auditorium in Akron, Ohio.
1972: French authorities confirm that they have issued arrest warrants for Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg for violating the country's drug laws. Richards claims the first he learned of the charges was when he read about them in the morning newspaper.
1972: Pink Floyd appeared at the Palais des Sports, Caen, France in the middle of their 'Dark Side of the Moon' tour.
1973: Ringo Starr's 'You're Sixteen' b/w 'Devil Woman' 45 single is released. Originally written by the Sherman Brothers (Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman), Ringo's cover version hit #1.
1973: The Beach Boys and Billy Joel appeared at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.
1974: The first of three nights of Pink Floyd concerts take care at the Hippodrome in Birmingham, England.
1975: Ronnie Wood's wife Krisse was arrested for alleged possession of marajuana and cocaine after a raid on the couple's house. Krissie’s friend Audrey Burgon was also arrested, with newspapers reporting that the two women were found "sleeping together."
1976: The forty-foot inflatable pig being photographed for the cover of Pink Floyd's 'Animals' albums breaks free from its moorings over London's Battersea Power Station. Flights are cancelled at Heathrow Airport because the pig is an air traffic hazard. The pig eventually crashed into a barn in Godmersham, Kent, where the farmer complained of his cows being scared by the incident.
1976: Bob Marley is shot in the upper arm when intruders storm his house in Kingston, Jamaica, attempting to assassinate the singer. Also shot were his wife Rita, manager Don Taylor and Lewis Griffiths, a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The attack was motivated by politics, as elections in Jamaica were days away and Marley was seen as supporting the ruling party. Marley made a full recovery and never had the bullet removed, as he was told that the operation could cause him to lose movement in his fingers.
1977: Paul McCartney & Wings topped the U.K. Singles Chart for the first of 9 weeks with 'Mull of Kintyre' which became the first single to sell more than two million copies in the U.K.
1978: A soccer team co-owned by Peter Frampton, Paul Simon and Mick Jagger called The Philadelphia Furies kicked off their first match in the North American League with a 3-0 loss to the Washington Diplomats.
1978: The Cure drummer Lol Tolhurst accidentally pees on Billy Idol backstage after a show in Bristol, England, where The Cure are opening for Idol's band Generation X. Idol is entertaining a young lady in a men's room stall when Tolhurst unloads his lager, missing the urinal and hitting Idol's leg. The Cure is kicked off the tour the next day.
1979: Eleven fans are trampled to death at a Who concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, with another 26 fans injured. At 7:05, after the Who had finished their sound check, 5 of the Coliseum’s 134 doors were opened, because only nine ticket takers had been hired. The Coliseum said enlisting ushers would be a union violation. For nearly an hour, people were jammed together up against the glass doors, unable to move or, in some cases, even breathe. The concert was using “festival seating” where seats are available on a first come-first served basis. This is later banned at virtually all venues.
1980: Photographer Annie Leibovitz takes the last known photos of John Lennon and Yoko Ono together at their apartment in New York's Dakota building.
1980: KISS performed their last concert with original guitarist Ace Frehley at Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand until their 1996 reunion tour.
1980: Frank Zappa appeared at the Terrace Ballroom in Salt Lake City, Utah.
1981: Black Sabbath played at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
1981: At a show in Hartford, AC/DC is prohibited from firing their cannons during 'For Those About To Rock (We Salute You),' as police enforce an ordinance banning stage weaponry.
1982: Rush performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1983: Duran Duran scored their first UK #1 album with their 3rd release, 'Seven And The Ragged Tiger,' which also peaked at #8 on the US chart.
1983: Slayer release their debut studio album, 'Show No Mercy.' It became Metal Blade Records highest selling release.
1986: Judas Priest and CBS Records were sued by James Vance and the family of Raymond Belknap alleging that they were responsible for Vance & Belknap forming a suicide pact and shooting themselves in the head after listening to Judas Priest’s records for six hours. The parents and their legal team alleged that a subliminal message of 'do it' had been included in the Judas Priest song 'Better By You, Better Than Me' from the 'Stained Class' album and alleged the command in the song triggered the suicide attempt. The lawsuit would later be dismissed in 1990.
1987: R.E.M.'s album 'Document' breaks into the U.S. Top 10. As a result, Rolling Stone magazine calls them "America's Best Rock & Roll Band."
1988: Carole King and Gerry Goffin receive a Lifetime Achievement award from the US National Academy of Songwriters.
1988: Will To Power's medley of 'Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird' is the #1 song in the U.S. Peter Frampton fans are relatively silent but Lynyrd Skynyrd fans get mighty riled about one of the all time great Southern Rock songs getting a pop treatment.
1991: Gilby Clarke replaces Izzy Stradlin as Guns and Roses’ rhythm guitarist.
1991: Guns N' Roses release their 9th single, 'Live and Let Die.'
1992: In an MTV Europe interview, Rolling Stones' frontman Mick Jagger says bassist Bill Wyman has left the group.
1994: Adam Sander performs 'The Chanukah Song' on the Weekend Update segment of 'Saturday Night Live.' Released as a single the following year, it reaches #10 on the charts US and is now a seasonal favorite.
1999: Bono of U2 had his missing laptop computer returned after losing it. A young man had bought it for £300 and discovered he had the missing laptop, which contained tracks from the forthcoming U2 album.
2000: Mick Jagger and U2 formed a £100 million offshore investment trust to buy commercial property. Based in the Channel Islands the fund planed to invest in small offices and shops in London, England.
2001: American session guitarist Grady Martin died aged 72. He was a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team, playing guitar on hits ranging from Roy Orbison's ‘Oh, Pretty Woman,' Marty Robbins' ‘El Paso’ and Loretta Lynn's ‘Coal Miner's Daughter.' During a 50-year career, Martin backed such names as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Joan Baez and J. J. Cale.
2003: The Recording Industry Association of America gave Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers a Diamond Award to mark the sale of 10 million copies of the band's 'Greatest Hits' album in the United States.
2003: Limp Bizkit cancels the Southeast Asian leg of their tour for security reasons. The U.S. State Department had warned of "increased security risks" in the region.
2005: Marilyn Manson and his longtime girlfriend, striptease artist Dita Von Teese (Heather Sweet), wed at a castle in Kilsheelan, Ireland. About 60 people attend the ceremony that is officiated by underground movie director Alejandro Jodorowsky. The bride and groom read self-penned vows.
2006: A program documenting Sammy Hagar and the Wabos' summer concert in St. Louis premieres on HDNet. The gig, part of Hagar's 'Livin' It Up' tour, features a set with ex-Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony.
2007: The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and Diana Ross both collected awards for contributions to US culture a ceremony in Washington, DC attended by President Bush. Hootie and the Blowfish paid tribute to Brian Wilson with a medley of some of the Beach Boys' best-known songs.
2008: Nickelback's 'Dark Horse' is the #2 album in the U.S. (behind Beyonce). The set sells 326,000 units during its first week of release. Checking in at #3 is Guns N' Roses' comeback album 'Chinese Democracy.'
2008: 'Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...,' a performance-and-interview show, makes its debut on the Sundance Channel with an appearance by the program's executive producer, Elton John.
2008: Composer, keyboardist and arranger Derek Wadsworth died in Oxfordshire, England. As a musician he worked with Georgie Fame, Alan Price, George Harrison, Mike Oldfield, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Simply Red. Arranger for David Essex, Dusty Springfield, Nina Simone, Judy Garland, Kate Bush, Cat Stevens, Rod Stewart, The Small Faces, The Rolling Stones and Manfred Mann.
2008: Elmer Valentine, co-founder of the legendary Whiskey a Go Go on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard, dies at age 85. Valentine launched the Whiskey in 1964. Johnny Rivers, The Byrds, Love, Buffalo Springfield, and The Doors made a name for themselves at the venue.
2009: Scott Weiland (Velvet Revolver/Stone Temple Pilots) released a cover of 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.'
2009: Nickelback are the first major contributors to the Obakki Foundation which helps orphaned children in Cameroon, Africa. The band donates $1 of every ticket sold during their previous summer tour for a total contribution of $500K. "Through the ongoing support of our incredible fans, Nickelback has the opportunity to step up, contribute and make a difference," says Ryan Peake, who founded the organization with his wife Treana. "I will personally be making the trip to Africa this weekend and I'm really looking forward to visiting the villages and communities to see where we can make the largest impact."
2009: Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood was arrested in Esher, Surrey on suspicion of assault. A passer-by dialed 999 after witnessing a violent argument taking place between Wood and his 21-year-old on and off girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova. He was later cautioned by police.
2009: Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker settles a lawsuit over the '08 South Carolina plane crash that killed four and left Barker seriously injured. The defendants - Clay Lacy Aviation, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Global Exec Aviation, Bombardier Inc. and others reach an undisclosed agreement with Barker during a mediation session.
2009: A version of '21 Guns,' featuring Green Day with the cast from 'American Idiot,' debuts on Spinner.com. The track was recorded in an Oakland studio just days after the musical's final performance at the Berkeley Rep in November. "They sung the hell out of it," says frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. "It's great to have something out there for people to hear who didn't get to see the show." The song goes to radio the next day.
2010: An extensive collection of John Lennon and The Beatles memorabilia goes on the auction block over two-days in Beverly Hills. A white and gold braided jacket worn by Lennon in 1966 for a Life magazine photo shoot and a guitar played by both Lennon and Elvis Presley during a Los Angeles jam session (at Elvis' house) are among the items.
2012: Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe is indicted on manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic for the death of a fan who died two weeks after being allegedly injured at the band's 2010 concert in Prague. "Obviously, we intend to fight vigorously against these charges as we feel that in no way did Randy intend to cause bodily harm on the young fan who subsequently died from injuries sustained at the show," says Larry Mazer, the band's manager. Blythe is later acquitted.
2013: Bob Dylan is investigated in France after a Croatian community organization alleges that comments he made the previous year amounted to an incitement of racial hatred when he compared Croatians treatment of Serbs to the Nazis slaughter of Jews.
2013: Mastodon launch their "Black Tongue Brew" beer. Named after a track on their 5th album 'The Hunter,' the brew is described as a balance of "rumbling smoky notes and misbehaving punchy hops."
2013: U2's 'The Joshua Tree,' Neil Young's 'After The Gold Rush,' George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass' and Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Cosmo's Factory' are among the entrees into the 2014 Grammy Hall Of Fame.
2013: Billy Joel announced that he would play once a month at New York's Madison Square Garden for the indefinite future, "as long is there is a demand."
2013: Boston released their 6th studio album, 'Life, Love & Hope.'
2014: Ian McLagan, dies from a stroke in Austin, TX. at 69. McLagan started his career as a keyboardist and sometime guitarist with the Small Faces, later the Faces. After the Faces split up in 1975, McLagan worked as a sideman for the Rolling Stones. He was also an active session player, working with Chuck Berry, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Westerberg, Chuck Berry, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Izzy Stradlin, John Hiatt, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen and many more. McLagan had been married to Keith Moon’s ex-wife, Kim Kerrigan, for 28 years, prior to her death in 2006.
2014: The Alliance Of Artists And Recording Companies filed a class action lawsuit against, Chrysler and Mitsubish for refusal to pay royalties or include copy protection systems on in-car music readers. The devices allow users to copy CDs directly onto a hard drive for playback in vehicles. Ford and GM were named in a similar suit the previous July.
2014: A fake MSNBC report claims that Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose has been found dead in his West Hollywood home. The band's official Facebook page posts photos of the singer with the caption "Ha! They say I'm dead -- again… Wait, what? WTF? It's a hoax. Guys. Get a life at ParadiseCity.com." The link references the band's online fan community.
2015: Rick Nelson's twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar, appeared on a Billboard chart for the first time in more than 20 years when their original holiday song 'This Christmas' debuted on the Adult Contemporary list at #22. Billed as Nelson, the pair first appeared on the Hot 100 in 1990 with their breakthrough hit "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection", which went all the way to number one.
2015: Former Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland dies in his sleep while on a tour stop in Bloomington, MN, with his band The Wildabouts. The troubled singer was 48. He dies of an accidental overdose of cocaine, alcohol, and MDA; the medical examiner also cited prolonged substance abuse as a contributing factor. A vibrant and ever-changing performer, Weiland struggled with his addictions for most of his adult life. He was arrested numerous times and had several stints in rehab. Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, called Weiland one of three “voices of the generation” alongside Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley.
2016: Armored Saint played the Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore, Maryland with Queensryche and Midnight Eternal opening.
2016: Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler receives the Humanitarian Award from the Hospitality Committee for United Nations Delegations at the Ambassadors' Ball in New York. He’s honored for his philanthropy: Janie's Fund.
2016: Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh, the surviving members of The Eagles, are among the honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors for influencing American culture.
2016: Forbe's magazine announced it's annual list of the highest paid musicians between June 2015 and June 2016. Taylor Swift topped everyone at #170 million, One Direction was second with $110 million. Of people we care about, AC/DC finished 7th with $67.5 million, The Rolling Stones were 8th at $66.5 million, Bruce Springsteen was 11th with 60.5 million, Paul McCartney was 12th at $56.5 million, Elton John was 24th at $42 million, and Jimmy Buffett was 27th with $40.5 million.
Dec. 4
1956: The 'Million Dollar Quartet' impromptu jam session took place at Sun Studios in Memphis with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. The sessions were later released as The Million Dollar Quartet & weren’t released until 1981.
1957: After hearing reports that many US radio stations had banned Elvis' Christmas album because of their shock over "the Pelvis" singing religious songs, DJ Allen Brooks of CKWS in Kingston, Ontario, plays the entire album and invites listeners to call in their opinion. Of eight hundred callers, only 56 disapprove of Presley's sacred music.
1960: The Crickets released the single 'I Fought the Law' on Coral Records. Written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets, a remake by the Bobby Fuller Four became a top 10 hit for the band in 1966 and was also recorded by The Clash in 1979 after Joe Strummer and guitarist Mick Jones heard the song on a jukebox in San Francisco.
1961: Gene Chandler 'Duke Of Earl' b/w 'Kissin' In The Kitchen' 45 single is released. By the first week of February, 1962, it would reach #1 in the US, on its way to selling over one million copies worldwide.
1962: The Beatles made their London-area debut on television when they appeared in a live broadcast from Wembley on 'Tuesday Rendezvous,' airing on ITV station Rediffusion. The Beatles lip-synced performances of 'Love Me Do' and 45 seconds of ‘P.S. I Love You.’
1964: The Beatles released their 4th album 'Beatles For Sale' in the UK. It went to #1 in the UK and retained that position for eleven of the 46 weeks that it spent in the Top Twenty. Beatles for Sale did not surface as a regular album in the U.S. until 1987.
1964: The Beatles' fan club in England announces its current membership now totals 65,000.
1964: The Yardbirds live debut album 'Five Live Yardbirds' is released in the UK. It was recorded live at the Marquee Club, London in March of 1964.
1965: The Byrds started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with 'Tury7u67n! Turn! Turn!' the group's second #1. Unlike their first chart topper, ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’, the entire band was allowed to play on the recording, instead of studio musicians.
1965: The Rolling Stones 5th American studio album, 'December's Children (and everybody's)' is released. It reached #4 on the Billboard Top LP's chart, and has two singles that reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart - 'Get Off of My Cloud' (#1) and 'As Tears Go By' (#6). The title of the album came from the band's manager, Andrew Loog Oldham. According to Jagger, it was Oldham's idea of hip, Beat poetry.
1965: The Kinks 'Well Respected Man' enters the U.K. pop chart. It is one of the first (of many) “social commentary” songs by Ray Davies.
1965: With much of the music world trying to sound like The Beatles, the Knickerbockers actually pull it off with their only major hit 'Lies.' It just makes the U.S. Top 20 with a John Lennon sounding vocal.
1967: This was the penultimate night of a 16-date UK package tour played at City Hall, Newcastle-Upon-Tyneon. Pink Floyd joined The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Move, The Nice, The Eire Apparent, The Outer Limits and Amen Corner. Hendrix was having equipment problems, and in his frustration rammed his Gibson Flying V into his speaker cabinets. Like an enormous arrow, the guitar became stuck in the amplifier, which the audience greeted as all was part of the act.
1968: The New York Times quotes Soviet music critic A. Martinosa, who says that The Beatles "have become rich idols of the Philistines."
1969: Jimi Hendrix signed a contract for $12,500 to perform at the Fillmore East in New York.
1969: Santana go gold with their debut album.
1969: President Richard Nixon, Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew, and forty US governors view "simulated acid trip" films and listen to rock music in order to comprehend the generation gap.
1969: The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Boston Tea Party in Boston, Massachusetts.
1970: Johnny Winter and Rick Derringer played at the Carolina Coliseum in Columbia, South Carolina. The Allman Brothers Band were the opening act.
1970: Iron Butterfly played at Edmonton Gardens in Edmonton, Alberta.
1970: Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Steven Stills' Supersession album is certified gold.
1970: Wishbone Ash released their self-titled debut album.
1971: Don McLean's ‘American Pie’ enters the US Hot 100. The eight and a half minute song would eventually sell over 3 million copies.
1971: T Rex scored their first #1 album with their 6th release 'Electric Warrior.' The album, which became the biggest seller of the year in the UK, contained two of T. Rex’s most popular songs, 'Get It On' and 'Jeepster.'
1971: Sly and the Family Stone started a five-week run at #1 on the singles chart with 'Family Affair,' their 3rd chart topper.
1971: The Montreux Casino in Switzerland burnt to the ground during a gig by Frank Zappa. The incident is immortalized by Deep Purple’s 1973 hit, 'Smoke On The Water,' which includes the line, “some stupid with a flare gun, burned the place to the ground.” In 1967 the Casino became the venue for the Montreux Jazz Festival, which was the brainchild of music promoter Claude Nobs. On the night of the blaze, Nobs saved several young people who, thinking they would be sheltered from the flames, had hidden in the casino from the blaze. A recording of the outbreak and fire announcement can be found on a Frank Zappa Bootleg album titled 'Swiss Cheese/Fire.'
1971: Led Zeppelin started a two-week run at #1 on the UK chart with the Four Symbols album, otherwise known as 'Led Zeppelin IV.' Featuring the 8-minute track 'Stairway To Heaven,' the album stayed on the US chart for one week short of five years, selling over 23 million copies in the US alone.
1971: Pink Floyd were at Decca studios in West Hampstead, London composing, writing, and making initial demos for what would become 'Dark Side of the Moon.'
1972: Led Zeppelin played to a crowd of 3500 at Green’s Playhouse in Glasgow, Scotland. Admission was £1.00 ($1.60).
1973: The Who perform at Spectrum in Philadelphia. The show is recorded and later broadcast in quadraphonic sound on 'The King Biscuit Flower Hour' syndicated radio show in the U.S. So far, the only track officially released from this concert is 'Won’t Get Fooled Again' on the 1998 CD 'King Biscuit: Best Of The Best.' However, the broadcast has been widely bootlegged under such titles as 'Tales From The Who,' 'American Tour ’73,' 'Decidedly Belated Response,' 'Mods and Rockers,' 'Moon Life,' 'Taking The Capitol' and 'Who Are You.'
1973: The Grateful Dead appeared at the Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1974: Genesis performed at the Mosque Theater in Richmond, Virginia.
1975: The Who appeared at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago.
1975: The 'KISS Alive!' album is certified gold. It was the first KISS album to go gold.
1976: Rush appeared at the Auditorium Arena in Denver, Colorado.
1976: Deep Purple’s Tommy Bolin dies from an overdose of heroin and other substances, including alcohol, cocaine and barbiturates at the age of 25 the day after opening a show for Jeff Beck in Miami, Florida. Bolin was a guitarist and vocalist with the James Gang, Deep Purple, Zephyr, and Moxy and released two highly acclaimed solo albums.
1976: Rod Stewart's 'A Night On The Town' album, with the chart topping single, 'Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright),' hits #2 on the U.S. album chart.
1976: Kiss peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Beth,' which was their first top 10 single in the U.S.
1976: Workers at EMI Records in the U.K. went on strike refusing to package The Sex Pistols’ single 'Anarchy in the U.K.'
1976: A year after leaving The Guess Who, lead singer Burton Cummings is awarded a Gold record for his million selling, US Top Ten, solo hit, 'Stand Tall.'
1977: Yes appeared at the Palais des Sports in Lyon, France.
1977: Scorpions release their 5th studio album, 'Taken By Force.'
1978: Black Sabbath performed at the Long Beach Arena. It was the last full tour with Ozzy Osbourne until the band reunited for Ozzfest 1997. The Ramones opened the show.
1979: U2 appeared at The Hope and Anchor in Islington, London. Misnamed ‘The U2s,’ they played to only nine people and the show ended abruptly after The Edge broke a guitar string.
1979: The Who play at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, the security staff is doubled and doors are opened three hours before the concert. Roger says from the stage “You all heard what happened yesterday. We feel totally shattered. We lost a lot of family yesterday. This show’s for them.”
1979: Fleetwood Mac fans at The Forum in Inglewood get a brassy surprise when the USC Trojan Marching Band is brought out to perform 'Tusk.' The USC band, which appears on the recording, makes four more appearances at Forum concerts with Fleetwood Mac over the next seven days.
1980: Prince played the first night on his 31-date 'Dirty Mind' North American tour at Shea’s in Buffalo, New York. After being told by his managers he couldn’t wear spandex pants without any underwear, Prince began performing in a long trench coat, black high heeled boots and leggings, and bikini brief trunks.
1980: Led Zeppelin issue the following statement about the death of John Bonham: “The loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were.”
1982: Aerosmith appeared at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1982: Hellion headlioner at the Troubadour in Hollywood with W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint on the bill.
1982: A retrospective compilation album of John Lennon's solo music called 'The John Lennon Collection' started a six-week run at #1 on the UK album chart. The front and back covers for the LP were taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz on December 8th, 1980, just five hours before Lennon was murdered.
1983: Blue Oyster Cult performed at McNichols Arena, Denver, Colorado.
1988: Roy Orbison played his final ever gig when he appeared at the Front Row Theatre in Highland Heights, OH outside of Cleveland. Orbison died of a heart attack two days later.
1991: Van Halen plays a free concert in Dallas. Singer Sammy Hagar lost his voice during a concert three years earlier and promised another show for fans.
1993: Frank Zappa dies of prostate cancer at the age of 52. Zappa was a self-taught composer and performer, and his diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often difficult to categorize. He recorded 60 albums, many with The Mothers Of Invention as well as a solo artist. Zappa recorded one of the first concept albums, 'Freak Out' released in 1966. It was also one of the earliest double albums in rock music. In 1985, he testified before the United States Senate against PMRC censorship alongside Dee Snider and John Denver. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. The next day, his family publicly announced: "Composer Frank Zappa left for his final tour just before 6:00 pm on Saturday."
1993: Founding Gin Blossoms guitarist, Doug Hopkins, is found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Tempe home. He wrote the group's first two hits, 'Hey Jealousy' and 'Found Out About You.'
1995: The Beatles 'Free As A Bird' b/w 'Christmas Time (Is Here Again)' 45 single is released in the UK (December 12 in the U.S.). Originally composed and recorded in 1977 as a home demo by John Lennon. The studio version of the recording incorporating contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The single was released as part of the promotion for The Beatles Anthology video documentary and the band's 'Anthology 1' compilation album.
1997: The first of two Black Sabbath reunion shows take place at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Center. The band plays again the following night.
1997: Loverboy released their 6th studio album, 'Six.'
2005: Green Day wins the Big Music Artist honor at VH1's Big In '05 Awards. The band was also nominated for Big Download (which Gwen Stefani took with 'Hollaback Girl'). Def Leppard, Fall Out Boy and Audioslave perform.
2006: Nickelback takes home three trophies at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. They earn Artist Duo/Group of the Year, Hot 100 Artist Duo/Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year ('All the Right Reasons'). Three Days Grace are awarded Rock Single of the Year for 'Animal I Have Become.'
2006: A page of Paul McCartney's working lyrics for the Beatles tune 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' nets $192,000 at Christie's memorabilia auction in New York. A 1968 Fender Stratocaster guitar once owned by Jimi Hendrix goes for $168,000. A handwritten poem by late Doors singer Jim Morrison sells for $50,400.
2006: Evanescence is the musical guest on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman.
2007: Godsmack releases 'Good Times, Bad Times -- 10 Years Of Godsmack.' The hits compilation includes their version of the track originally recorded by Led Zeppelin.
2008: Paul McCartney and Nobel Prize-winning scientist Rajendra Pachauri write a joint letter encouraging people to embrace vegetarianism for environmental reasons. "We are writing this letter not because vegetarianism is . . . an emotional issue but because it is a very attractive option for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and stabilizing the Earth's climate."
2009: R.E.M. launch an iPhone application that automatically updates users with news and tour dates. There are also 30-second R.E.M. song clips, photos and videos. The "R.E.M. & You" feature allows fans to interact with one another and the band directly.
2011: Chicago blues musician Hubert Sumlin, a member of Howlin' Wolf's band, dies of heart failure at age 80.
2012: Randy Blythe, frontman of Lamb of God, is charged with the death of a 19-year-old fan at a concert in Prague in 2010 after he pushed him off the stage. The fan, Daniel Nosek, hits his head when he falls to the concrete floor and dies of his injuries 2 weeks later. Blythe is later acquitted, but spends five weeks in jail.
2013: REO Speedwagon, Styx, Richard Marx and Survivor play a "Rock to the Rescue" concert in Bloomington, Illinois to benefit victims of a November 17 tornado in the area. Longtime REO guitarist Gary Richrath joins the band for 'Ridin' the Storm Out,' his first appearance with the group since he left in 1989. It's the last time he plays with the band, as he dies in 2015.
2014: The day after a fake MSNBC story reports the death of Axl Rose, the very much alive Guns N' Roses frontman tweets: "if I'm dead do I still have to pay taxes?"
2015: A new statue of The Beatles was unveiled in Liverpool - 50 years after their last show in Merseyside. The bronze sculpture, by Andy Edwards which weighed 1.2 tonnes, had been given to the city by The Cavern Club the venue synonymous with the Fab Four in the 1960's.
2015: Ringo Starr's 1963 Ludwig drum set sold for $2.2 million at Julien's Live auction. The kit was used to record 'Can't Buy Me Love,' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand.' 'She Loves You' and other Beatles classics from that era. Starr used the drums in more than 200 performances between May of 1963 and February of 1964. They were later employed by Paul McCartney during the recording of his 1970 solo album 'McCartney.' Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was the successful bidder.
2016: Black Sabbath played Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo, Brazil on their 'The End' Tour.
Dec. 5
1956: The Alan Freed produced movie, 'Rock Rock Rock' is released, with Tuesday Weld lip-synching to Connie Francis' voice.
1958: Ritchie Valens returns to his old school, Pacoima Junior High, for a performance that is recorded and later released.
1959: Gene Vincent arrives in England on his way to entertain U.S. troops in Germany over the holidays. Fans greet him at Heathrow Airport. He is interviewed on the BBC and makes a couple TV appearances.
1960: Billboard reports that five "answer records" to Elvis Presley's 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' have been released -- four versions of 'Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight' and one 'Oh, How I Miss You Tonight.'
1960: Elvis Presley started a ten-week run at #1 on the US album chart with 'G.I. Blues'. His 5th US #1 album.
1960: Paul McCartney and Pete Best were arrested for pinning a condom to a brick wall and then igniting it. The two were told to leave Germany and The Beatles returned home
1964: The Rolling Stones had their second UK #1 with their cover of Willie Dixon’s 'Little Red Rooster.' In the U.S., their version of Irma Thomas’ 'Time is on My Side' went to #6.
1964: Kinks enter US chart with ‘You Really Got Me.’
1964: The Beach Boys' 'Beach Boys Concert' album hits #1 for the first of 4 weeks, claiming the top spot for the rest of December.
1964: The Zombies' 'She's Not There' tops the Cashbox Best Sellers chart. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 in the UK.
1964: RCA announces that 'Elvis' Christmas Album' has sold over 800,000 copies since being released in 1957.
1965: The Beatles played their last ever show in their hometown of Liverpool when they appeared at The Liverpool Empire during the group's final UK tour. Only 5,100 tickets were available, but there were 40,000 applications for tickets.
1965: The Rolling Stones played two shows at the Convention Hall in San Diego, California on the last night of a 37-date North American tour.
1966: Buffalo Springfield's self-titled debut album is released. It reached #70 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's list. The single 'For What It's Worth' reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1967: It was the final night of a 16-date UK package tour with Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move, The Nice, The Outer Limits, The Erie Apparent and Amen Corner at Green's Playhouse, Glasgow. All performances had two shows per night, one at 6.15pm, the second at 8.45pm. Jimi Hendrix had the curtains closed on him halfway through his set, after the management at the venue regarded his movements with his guitar as having sexual overtones.
1967: The Beatles throw a party to celebrate the opening of the Apple Boutique.
1968: Graham Nash quits the Hollies. He announces the formation of Crosby, Stills & Nash just three days later.
1968: Rolling Stones hold a ‘Beggar’s Banquet’ at Elizabeth Rooms to mark release of their album of the same name. An ill Keith Richards was not in attendance, as a custard pie foo fight was a highlight of the event.
1969: 'Let It Bleed,' the last Rolling Stones album to feature Brian Jones (autoharp on 'You Got The Silver' and percussion for 'Midnight Rambler') and his subsequent replacement, Mick Taylor (guitar on 'Country Honk' and 'Live With Me'), is released. It's the 8th British and 10th American album by The Rolling Stones and reached both the Billboard 200 Top LP's (#3) and Top R&B (#19) charts, and topped the UK Album chart. It goes on to sell over 2 million copies in the U.S. In 2003, it was listed as #32 on the "List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time."
1969: Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant prevented Atlantic from releasing 'Whole Lotta Love' as a single in the UK. John Bonham said, “We refused because they wanted to take the middle section out and we didn't like it. We don't want kids to think we are releasing an LP track just to get into the chart. I'm dead against that sort of thing – we feel it's conning the public.”
1970: Badfinger peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'No Matter What,' which was their 2nd top 10 single in the U.S.
1970: 'Amazing Grace' by Judy Collins entered the singles chart for the first of eight times, it spent a total of 67 weeks on the chart never making the number one position. 'Amazing Grace' is a Christian hymn with lyrics written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton, which was first published in 1779.
1970: The Allman Brothers Band performs at the Music Factory in Greenville, North Carolina.
1971: The Who are at the Coliseum in Denver, Colorado. John Swenson interviews all four members at length for the magazine Crawdaddy.
1971: Yes performed at SUNY College Gymnasium in Plattsburgh, New York.
1972: Pink Floyd performed at the Sport Palais Vorst Nationaal in Brussels, Belgium.
1972: The Who begin three days of rehearsal for the upcoming live performance of the orchestral Tommy. During a break, Pete tells Roy Carr of New Musical Express that he is working on a new rock opera he calls “Jimmy.” The main protagonist of 1973’s 'Quadrophenia' is named Jimmy.
1972: Mott the Hoople's 'One Of The Boys' b/w 'Sucker' 45 single is released.
1973: Paul McCartney released 'Band On The Run,' his 5th album since his departure from The Beatles. It topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart, and features three Billboard Hot 100 charting singles - 'Band On The Run' (#1),'"Helen Wheel'" (#10) and 'Jet' (#7). In early 1975, Paul McCartney & Wings won the Grammy award for "Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus" for 'Band on the Run.' In 2003, the album was ranked #418 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
1973: REO Speedwagon's 'Ridin' The Storm Out' b/w 'Whiskey Night' 45 single is released.
1973: Hawkwind played at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
1974: Aerosmith performed at the Orpheum Theater in Boston, Massachesetts.
1974: Yes 'Relayer' is released. It's the 7th studio album from Yes and reached #5 in the U.S. (remaining 16 weeks in the Top 200).
1975: The first Fleetwood Mac album with guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and vocalist Stevie Nicks goes gold. The album contains the bands's first ever singles to crack the Billboard Top 40, 'Over My Head' (#20), 'Rhiannon' (#11) and 'Say You Love Me' (#11).
1975: KISS performs at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia.
1975: Black Sabbath and Kansas played the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN.
1976: Two days after he is shot in an assassination attempt, Bob Marley performs at the Smile Jamaica concert, which he organized in an effort to promote peace in the country. The concert becomes more of a political event after the shooting, which was carried out by a political party who saw Marley as a threat. About 80,000 Jamaicans attend the concert, where Marley takes the stage for 90 minutes.
1976: Music weekly NME reviewed The Sex Pistols debut single 'Anarchy In The UK' saying "Johnny Rotten sings flat, the song is laughably naive, and the overall feeling is of a third-rate Who imitation."
1977: Rush performs at the Tomorrow Club, Youngstown, Ohio.
1979: The Grateful Dead played the last of three nights at the Uptown Theater in Chicago.
1980: John Lennon gave his final Rolling Stone interview to Jonathan Cott. On the same day, Mark David Chapman left Honolulu, Hawaii, to fly to New York, where he would shoot Lennon three days later.
1980: Just 3 days before John Lennon is killed, U2 play their first show in the US when they perform at The Ritz Ballroom in New York City.
1981: The Police peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,' which was their 3rd top 10 single in the U.S.
1981: Black Flag's debut album, 'Damaged' is released. It will go on to become one of the most influential albums in the hardcore punk genre.
1982: Bob Seger's 12th album, 'The Distance' is released. It's the 12th album by Bob Seger and his 4th with The Silver Bullet Band. It reached #5 on the Billboard 200 Top albums chart, and features the hit, 'Shame on the Moon,' which reached #2 for four weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 behind Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean.' It also hit #1 Adult Contemporary and crossed over to #15 Country.
1982: Judas Priest played Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, OH.
1983: Accept released their 5th studio album, 'Balls to the Wall.' It was Accept's first album to chart in the United States, where it peaked at #74 on the #Billboard 200.
1987: R.E.M. peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'The One I Love,' which was their first top 10 single in the U.S.
1987: The Jesus And Mary Chain were banned from appearing on a US music TV show after complaints of blasphemy when the group’s name was flashed across the screen. The CBS show asked the band to be called JAMC but the group didn’t agree.
1988: Sheriff's 'When I'm With You' b/w 'When I'm With You' 45 single is released.
1993: Co-founder of Gin Blossoms Doug Hopkins died of a self-inflicted gunshot wounds age 32. The guitarist and songwriter was in a detox unit of Phoenix's St. Luke's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona when he snuck out and bought a .38 caliber pistol. The next day Hopkins committed suicide. Hopkins was fired from the group before the release of their debut album, 'New Miserable Experience,' but the biggest hits from that album, 'Hey Jealousy' and 'Found Out About You,' were songs he wrote.
1995: Pearl Jam released a two-song single that featured Neil Young called 'Merkin Ball.'
1998: Offspring's 'Americana' debuts at #6 on the U.S. album chart in the first week of its release.
1998: Billboard changes the way they calculate the Hot 100, finally accounting for airplay. Previously, if a song wasn't available for purchase as a single, it couldn't chart.
2000: Alice Cooper released the 'Brutally Live' DVD of his concert on July 19, 2000 at the Labatts' Apollo Hammersmith in London, England.
2000: Roger Waters released his live album 'In the Flesh,' which was recorded on his In the Flesh tour, which was his first tour in 12 years.
2000: Alice In Chains released their 2nd live album simply titled, 'Live.'
2000: Rage Against The Machine released their 4th studio album , 'Renegades.'e
2001: David Crosby and Don Henley headline a benefit concert that raises $300,000 for children of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. US Rep. Martin Meehan organized the benefit to help children of his district pay for future education expenses.
2003: Original Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore undergoes surgery to repair a subdural hematoma.
2003: Coldplay frontman Chris Martin marries actress Gwyneth Paltrow in Santa Barbara, CA., a year after meeting backstage at one of his concerts.
2003: David Bowie announced that he had to postpone the first five concerts of his first North American tour in eight years due to coming down with the flu.
2002: Elton John guest stars on NBC's 'Will and Grace.'
2004: Elton John received a Kennedy Center honor in Washington, D.C. During the ceremony, Secretary of State Colin Powell performed a rap to celebrate another onoree, Warren “Bulworth” Beatty.
2004: Steven Tyler, Motley Crue's Vince Neil and Bon Jovi`s Richie Sambora participate in South Florida`s 17th annual Christmas Toys In The Sun Run. The motorcycle rally and toy drive benefits the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation.
2004: A Bob Dylan interview is aired on CBS. It's Dylan's first on-camera interview in two decades. The chat with Ed Bradley helps promote Dylan's book, 'Chronicles: Volume One.'
2004: U2 started a two week run at #1 on the UK album chart with 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb', the bands 9th UK #1 album. The band also went to #1 on the US album chart giving them their 6th US #1 album.
2004: Band Aid 20 started a four week at #1 on the UK singles chart with a new version of 'Do They Know It’s Christmas?' The third time the song had reached #1. The new version featured, Joss Stone, Busted, Chris Martin, Bono, Justin Hawkins, Dizzee Rascal, Tom Chaplin, Ms Dynamite, Beverly Knight, Will Young, Jamelia, Fran Healy, Sugababes, Dido and Robbie Williams.
2005: Actress Valerie Bertinelli, Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen's estranged wife, files divorce papers in a Los Angeles court seeking to officially end their 24 year marriage (they separated over four years earlier). Wolfgang is their only child.
2006: The piano that John Lennon used to pen "Imagine" is on view at a special antiwar photography exhibition in Dallas. The instrument is on loan from its owner, pop singer George Michael, who paid $2.1 million for it in 2000.
2007: The Police's Stewart Copeland apologizes to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet after her government objects to comments the drummer made about her. Copeland was quoted saying Argentinean president-elect Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was "good for one beer" while Bachelet was good "for four." He sends a message to Bachelet expressing his regrets and invites her to the Police's concert in Santiago, Chile, that evening.
2008: The musical biopic 'Cadillac Records' premieres in US theaters, with Beyoncé in a starring role as soul legend Etta James.
2009: '3 Doors Down & Friends,' the 6th annual concert and silent auction hosted by The Better Life Foundation, takes place at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi, MS. Sponsored by the Mississippi Army National Guard the show features performances by 3 Doors Down and Aaron Lewis of Staind.
2009: Papa Roach and Shinedown headline a tour that begins at the Bank of Kentucky Center in Highland Heights, KY. Both acts donate a portion of the tour proceeds to charitable organizations. Shinedown - Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD) and Papa Roach - the World Hunger Year organization.
2009: Phish played the final show of their 2009 Fall Tour at the John Paul Jones Arena at the University of Virginia. At the beginning of a first set an erratic fan proceeded to run on stage fully naked. He ran up and hugged guitarist Trey Anastasio and kissed him on the cheek. He made three laps around the stage before finally being chased down by security.
2010: Paul McCartney is an award recipient at the 33rd annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. "President [John F.] Kennedy was such an icon for us in the ‘60s and his presidency was so inspiring for so many people that it is a great pleasure for this kid from Liverpool to receive this honor," says McCartney in a statement. The gala honors the ex-Beatle and other luminaries for their contributions to society.
2010: VH1’s Divas Salute the Troops special features Paramore (fronted by Hayley Williams), Heart’s Nancy & Ann Wilson and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. The show is at San Diego's Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
2011: Metallica's six-hour celebration at the Fillmore in San Francisco honoring the band's 30th anniversary features an appearance by the group's former bassist Jason Newsted.
2011: Forever 21 pull their copy of the Flipper T-shirt that Nirvana's Kurt Cobain designed using a Sharpie pen. Cobain wore the original T-shirt during Nirvana's 1992 'Saturday Night Live' performance.
2012: The Black Keys 'El Camino' and Jack White's 'Blunderbuss' are nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy's nomination ceremony. Record of the Year nominations go to 'Lonely Boy' by Black Keys.
2012: The Eddie Vedder Radio Show premieres on Sirius/XM satellite radio for a limited run.
2012: Yngwie Malmsteen releases his 19th studio album, 'Spellbound.' Malmsteen played all of the instruments and sang all vocals on this album.
2013: KISS, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil perform at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas to benefit the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy, an organization that offers "children of the Boys and Girls Club a unique opportunity to not only learn about musical instruments, but to also grow and gain confidence by performing and working in groups."
2013: Eddie Van Halen makes a surprise visit at L.A. Unified School District's Foshay Learning Center. "I wasn't born 'Eddie Van Halen,' successful or famous, it took years of dedication and practice, practice, practice," Van Halen tells the music students. Van Halen and the Fender Musical Instruments Company donate one of his signature amplifiers to the class.
2013: Bruce Springsteen's handwritten working lyric sheet for his 1975 hit 'Born To Run' sells for $197,000 at Sotheby's in New York City. "Although Springsteen is known to have an intensive drafting process," said Sotheby's, "few manuscripts of 'Born To Run' are available, with the present example being one of only two identified that include the most famous lines in the song."
2013: Spotify responded to critics by revealing how much acts can expect to earn from the music streaming site. The company said it paid an average of $0.007 per play, according to figures on its new website Spotify Artists, aimed specifically at musicians. Explaining its business model, Spotify said it had paid more than $1bn (£612m) in royalties since its 2008 launch. Earlier this year Radiohead singer Thom Yorke pulled material from the site in protest at how much it pays artists.
2014: Debbie Harry (Blondie) headlines 34th Annual John Lennon Tribute at New York's Symphony Space. David Johansen, the B-52s' Kate Pierson and Marshall Crenshaw perform.
2014: Smashing Pumpkins released their 9th studio album, 'Monuments to an Elegy.'
2015: Ringo Starr's personal copy of 'The Beatles' (The White Album), numbered 0000001, sold for a world record $790,000 at Julien's Live auction. The auction house said the sale of the LP broke a record set earlier in the year when Elvis Presley's first acetate recording sold for $300,000.
2016: A statue of David Bowie was set to go up in the town where he first performed as Ziggy Stardust following the success of a crowdfunding campaign. More than 650 people pledged sums totalling more than the £100,000 goal, 19 hours before the deadline. The statue would be put up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where Bowie unveiled his Ziggy character.
2016: James Taylor, Mavis Staples and The Eagles were among the honorees at this year's Kennedy Center ceremony in Washington D.C. hosted by comedian and Late Show host Stephen Colbert.
2016: Rob Zombie teams with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for the Spooky Holiday Stocking video that is actually a non-spooky fundraiser. Zombie, a vegetarian, is a supporter of animal rights.
Dec. 6
1887: Thomas A. Edison finished his first phonograph design and gave a sketch of the machine to his mechanic, former Swiss clock maker John Kruesi, to build. Thirty hours later the machine was finished, but Kruesi bet the inventor $2 that it would not work. Edison immediately tested the machine by speaking a nursery rhyme into the mouthpiece, "Mary had a little lamb." To his amazement, the machine played his words back to him. Kruesi would go on be involved in many of Edison's key inventions, including the quadruplex telegraph, the carbon microphone, the phonograph, and the incandescent light bulb and system of electric lighting.
1949: American blues artist, Lead Belly (born Huddie William Ledbetter) dies in New York City. Lead Belly wrote many songs including 'Goodnight Irene' and 'The Midnight Special' and was an influence for artists as varied as Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead and Nirvana. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
1957: Elvis Presley visits radio station WDIA in Memphis and meets two of his idols, Little Junior Parker and Bobby Bland.
1957: Mercury Records releases The Diamonds' version of "The Stroll". The song will peak at #4 on the Billboard Pop chart and help spark a dance craze where two lines of dancers, men on one side and women on the other, face each other, moving in place to the music.
1961: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best met with Brian Epstein for further discussions about his proposal to manage them. Epstein wanted 25% of their gross fees each week. He promises that they will never again play for less than £15, except for The Cavern lunchtime sessions, for which he will get their fee doubled to ten pounds. Lennon, as leader of The Beatles accepts on their behalf.
1962: During sessions for the 'Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan' album, Dylan records 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' and versions of 'Hero Blues,' 'Whatcha Gonna Do,' 'Oxford Town,' and 'I Shall Be Free,' at Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios in New York City.
1963: Beatles send out the first of the specially recorded Christmas records to fans in the UK.
1964: The New Musical Express annual reader’s poll names the Rolling Stones the #1 U.K. R&B Group and Best New Group.
1965: Rolling Stones begin sessions for ‘19th Nervous Breakdown' and 'Mother’s Little Helper’ at RCA Hollywood studios.
1965: The Beatles 'Rubber Soul' is released in the U.S.
1965: The Beatles release their 10th E.P., 'Million Sellers' is released in the UK.
1965: The Byrds release their 2nd album, 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' It reached #17 on the Billboard Top 200 LPs chart and #11 on the UK Albums chart. The single, 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' preceded the album by two months and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1965: The Beatles 'Rubber Soul' is released in the U.S.
1966: The Beatles performed two takes of 'When I’m 64,' marking the first session for 'Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band' at Abbey Road Studios.
1966: The Beatles recorded Christmas and New Year's greetings for pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London. Both stations were broadcasting from ships anchored off the British coastline.
1968: The Rolling Stones release their 7th studio album, 'Beggars Banquet' album. It includes the tracks 'Street Fighting Man' and 'Sympathy For The Devil.' It reached #5 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and #3 on the UK Album chart. In 2003, the album was ranked #57 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
1968: President Richard Nixon sent out 66,000 letters to supporters who could hold office in his administration, including Elvis Presley.
1968: Canned Heat played at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
1968: James Taylor's eponymous debut album was released in the UK (February 17, 1969 in the US). It was the first recording by a non-British artist released by The Beatles' Apple Records. It reached #62 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart in 1969.
1969: The Rolling Stones performed a free concert at Altamont Speedway in San Francisco with Jefferson Airplane as the opening act. The Grateful Dead refused to perform after they heard stories of violence at the gig, including a Hell’s Angels security guard beating up Airplane singer Marty Balin. While the Stones performed 'Under My Thumb' in pitch darkness, another Hell’s Angel killed a fan by stabbing him in the back. Four die at the concert, including Meredith Hunter, who is stabbed to death by Hell’s Angels security guards. It is all later documented in the film 'Gimme Shelter.'
1969: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Taylor & Reeves and special guest Taj Mahal played Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, CA.
1969: Led Zeppelin made their debut on the US singles chart with 'Whole Lotta Love' it went on to make #4 on the chart and was the first of six Top 40 singles for the group in the US. During the bands career, Zeppelin never released any singles in the UK.
1970: Rolling Stones film of 1969 tour, ‘Gimme Shelter’ premieres. The movie captures the Rolling Stones’ '69 U.S. tour, including stark images of confusion and violence at Altamont.
1970: The Who performed at Scene Two in Scarborough, York, England.
1971: King Crimson performed at the Ritz Theater in New York.
1972: While reading the morning newspaper in Nice, France, Rolling Stone Keith Richards was surprised to learn that arrest warrants had been issued for him and his girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg for drug possession.
1973: Steve Miller Band goes gold with ‘The Joker’ album.
1973: Yes played at The Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland.
1973: The Who play at The Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, a suburb of Washington D.C. This show is also recorded by The King Biscuit Flower Hour and remains in their vaults although it is never broadcast. The photograph used for the poster insert in the Odds and Sods album is taken at this show.
1973: Deep Purple, Electric Light Orchestra and Elf played The Coliseum in Cleveland, Ohio.
1974: George Harrison performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
1975: A Tallahassee preacher conducts an unscientific survey of 1,000 unwed mothers and finds that 984 conceived while listening to Rock music. The preacher goes on to claim that the Rolling Stones are "sinful" and has his congregation burn Stones (and Elton John) records in a bonfire.
1975: Paul Simon went to #1 on the US album chart with 'Still Crazy After All These Years', his first US #1 solo album. It featured four US Top 40 hits, 'Gone at Last' (#23), 'My Little Town' (#9), '50 Ways To Leave Your Lover' (#1) and the title track (#40).
1975: The Who played Pontiac Stadium in Pontiac. MI. Toots and the Maytals opened the show.
1976: The Sex Pistols 'Anarchy In The U.K.' Tour gets underway with the Clash and the Damned, who get dumped early on. Only three of nineteen scheduled shows actually happen.
1976: Lynyrd Skynyrd performed at Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan.
1977: Jackson Browne releases his 5th album, 'Running on Empty.' The album reached #3 on the Billboard Top 200 LP's chart, and remained on the chart for 65 weeks. The single for the title track, 'Running on Empty,' peaked at #11 and the follow-up single, 'The Load-Out"/"Stay,' reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album produced two Grammy Award nominations in 1979: one for Album of the Year (the winner being 'Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track') and the other for Pop Male Vocalist for the lyrics to the song 'Running on Empty' (the winner being Barry Manilow for the lyrics to his song 'Copacabana (At The Copa)').
1978: The Sex Pistols Sid Vicious, out on bail after being charged with murdering his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, gets into an altercation at a at New York City club Hurrah, smashing a glass into Patti Smith's brother Todd Smith during the fight.
1979: AC/DC release their 5th album, 'Highway to Hell.' It turns gold and happens to be the last album recorded with original vocalist Bon Scott, who dies two months later.
1979: The Outlaws played at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
1980: In the studio, John Lennon mixed 'Walking on Thin Ice.' He was also interviewed by British DJ Andy Peebles, who he tells that the great thing about living in New York City was that people leave him alone. Meanwhile, Mark David Chapman arrived in New York from Honolulu. He checked into a YMCA nine blocks from John Lennon’s apartment.
1980: U2 play their first North American show at the Ritz in New York.
1981: The Grateful Dead performed at the Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois.
1981: The Allman Brothers Band performed at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
1982: Aerosmith performed at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York.
1982: Judas Priest played Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN.
1983: ‘Asia in Asia’, a live TV concert from Budokan Theatre in Tokyo, has an audience of 20 million in US (via MTV).
1985: The sound system breaks down during a John Mellencamp concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. Mellencamp waits until the problem is fixed, resumes the show and offers anyone in the audience their money back if they're not satisfied.
1986: Ringo Starr agreed to become a spokesman for Sun Country wine cooler, which made him the first Beatle to get into advertising. He was paid “in the seven figures.”
1986: Europe were at #1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Final Countdown'. They became only the second Swedish act to score a UK #1. The song reached #1 in 25 countries and the song's lyrics were inspired by David Bowie's song 'Space Oddity'
1986: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes debuts by Journey’s 'I’ll Be Alright Without You' at #79. Also, Genesis’ 'Land Of Confusion' was #26, Toto’s 'I’ll Be Over You' #24, Boston’s 'Amanda' #14, Billy Idol’s 'To Be A Lover' #10, and Bon Jovi’s 'You Give Love A Bad Name' was #2.
1988: Roy Orbison died from a cardiac arrest in Madison, Tennessee at 52. Known for his songs 'Only the Lonely' (1960), 'Crying' (1961), and 'Oh, Pretty Woman' (1964), Orbison was revered by many musicians, including the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Van Halen and Bob Dylan. His career was revived in the 80s by many artists covering his songs, and for his inclusion in the rock supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
1988: Metallica film their very first video for 'One' in Long Beach, CA.
1991: Mimi Smith, the aunt who raised John Lennon for most of his childhood, passed away at the age of 85 at the Varcoe Nursing Agency in Poole, Dorset, England. According to auxiliary nurse Lynne Varcoe, Mimi's last words were "Hello, John."
1993: At a video shoot for Travis Tritt's remake of the Eagles' 'Take It Easy,' the Eagles themselves reunite and decide to re-form for new songs and a tour.
1994: Pearl Jam's 'Vitalogy' is released.
1994: Bush release their debut album 'Sixteen Stone,' which takes off in America but is largely ignored in their native England.
1994: Tower Records released The Beatles 'Live At The BBC', a 69 track, double album of tunes recorded for BBC shows such as Top Gear, Easy Beat, Saturday Club and Pop Go The Beatles. The LP will rise straight to the top of the UK chart, selling over 600,000 copies by the end of the year and 2,000,000 in the US four weeks later.
1995: Four months after the death of guitarist Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead disband.
1997: AC/DC make a cameo appearance in Howard Stern's bio flick, 'Private Parts.'
1997: Metallica entered the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #1 with their 7th studio album 'ReLoad,' which spent one week on top of the chart and went on to sell four million copies in the U.S. This was Metallica’s 3rd album to debut at #1 in the U.S.
1997: Metallica were the musical guest of Saturday Night Live. They perform 'The Memory Reamin' with Marianne Faithful and 'Fuel.'
1999: Paul McCartney fans lined up overnight to get a chance to see their hero play Liverpool’s Cavern club for the first time in more than 35 years. McCartney was giving away tickets to the December 14th performance via a special lottery.
2000: Bruce Dickinson and Queensryche’s Geoff Tate join Rob Halford onstage in London for a rendition of ‘The One You Love To Hate’.
2000: Tina Turner wraps up her wildly successful 'Millennium 2000 Twenty Four Seven' tour with a show in Anaheim, California. She claimed it would be her last stadium tour, but it is not - she hits the road again in 2008.
2002: Axl Rose is a no-show at the Philadelphia Guns N' Roses concert. Fans riot and the group cancels remaining tour dates.
2003: Elvis Costello married jazz artist Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John's UK mansion. About 150 guests, including Paul McCartney attended the wedding. It was Costello's third marriage.
2004: Mötley Crüe announced they were reforming for their first tour in five years, the 'Red, White & Crue' Tour. They also announce the 'Red, White & Crue' compilation album and the first single, 'If I Die Tomorrow.'
2005: Former One Day at a Time actress Valerie Bertinelli filed for divorce from her husband, guitarist Eddie Van Halen.
2005: KoRn unleash their 7th album, 'See You On The Other Side.' "When we started this album we totally wanted to reinvent ourselves and do something different," says singer Jonathan Davis. "It's a bit more progressive and a lot more emotional," claims guitarist Munky. "It's not so much anger, anger, anger, like on previous KoRn albums." It is their first album without long-time guitarist Brian "Head" Welch and the last album with original drummer David Silveria.
2005: Green Day wins six trophies, including Rock Artist of the Year and Pop Group of the Year, at the 2005 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.
2006: On her 3rd wedding anniversary to Elvis Costello, Diana Krall gives birth to twin boys, Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James.
2006: Incubus' 'Light Grenades' debuts at #1 on the Billboard album charts, selling 165,000 copies. It marksthe first time the group has scored a #1 album.
2007: Elton John is given a rare bird-feather cloak by members of a Maori community during a concert in the New Zealand city of New Plymouth. The gift denotes John as an "honored member of (the) Ngati Te Whiti (sub-tribe)," says a spokesman.
2007: Drowning Pool bassist Stephen Benton is hospitalized in Eau Claire, WI, after experiencing paralysis and is diagnosed with the neurological malady Bell's palsy, a condition that usually is temporary. The group is forced to cancel the remaining shows on their tour. "I'm really bummed that... we can't perform this last string of shows," says Benton. "We can't wait to come back and rock out with you all again soon."
2007: Billy Joel released a new Pop single called 'Christmas in Fallujah,' which featured the vocals of 21-year-old singer Cass Dillon. At 58, Joel said he felt he was too old to sing the song, which was inspired by letters he received from soldiers in Iraq.
2009: Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo is injured after his tour bus hits a patch of ice in Upstate New York and crashes into a ditch. Cuomo suffers three cracked ribs and a lower leg injury. Emergency responders use the Jaws of Life to pry Cuomo from the wreck. The accident occurs as the band travels from Toronto to Boston.
2009: Bruce Springsteen is among the honorees at Kennedy Center Honors Gala fundraiser in Washington D.C. President Barack Obama would say “I’m the President, but he’s The Boss. Actor Robert DeNiro, comedy director Mel Brooks and Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck are also honored. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder uses the occasion to propose to longtime girlfriend Jill McCormick.
2011: The Black Keys release their 7th studio album 'El Camino.'
2011: KoRn released their 10th studio album, 'The Path of Totality.' It’s the band’s tenth full-length studio album and second for Roadunner Records.
2011: American singer and songwriter Dobie Gray died from complications of cancer surgery in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 71. His hit records included 'The 'In' Crowd' in 1965 and 'Drift Away', which was one of the biggest hits of 1973, and went on to sell over one million copies.
2011: Barbara Orbison, the second wife and widow of Roy Orbison, dies 23 years to the day after her husband.
2012: 'A Special Evening with Neil Young and Crazy Horse,' a Hurricane Sandy benefit is held at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.
2012: Metallica signs with Spotify, the Swedish music streaming service offering digitally restricted streaming of selected music. Sean Parker, the founder of Napster, is a Spotify exec. The signing is seen as a reversal for Metallica since they famously sued Napster in 2000.
2012: Ed "Cass" Cassidy, the drummer and co-founder of the legendary Psychedelic Rock band, Spirit, passes away at the age of 89. In 1964, Cassidy formed the Rising Sons with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder. That was followed by the Red Roosters who morphed into Spirit in 1967.
2012: Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton dies after a battle with cancer.
2013: After its authenticity is verified on the PBS series History Detectives, Bob Dylan's sunburst Fender Stratocaster, played at the '65 Newport Folk Festival, is sold at auction for a record-breaking $965,000. It had spent the previous 48 years with the family of Dylan's personal pilot, who received no reply when he told Dylan to retrieve the gear he left behind. The previous record for a guitar sold at auction was a 1950s era Stratocaster owned by Eric Clapton, nicknamed "Blackie", which sold at Christie's for $959,500 in 2004.
2014: During a chat with British TV host Jonathan Ross, Paul McCartney called John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, "the jerk of all jerks." Macca went on to say, "For me, it was just so sad that I wasn't gonna see him again..."
2014: Sting (Police) and R&B singer Al Green are among honorees at the 37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C.
2015: Carole King is celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors, where 73-year-old Aretha Franklin brings the audience to its feet with her rendition of "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman," one of many classic songs written by King.
2016: Greg Lake of Emmerson, Lake And Palmer died following a long battle with cancer. The news came just nine months after Lake's band-mate Keith Emerson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
2016: Disturbed is the most played act of the year on Active Rock radio, according to Mediabase, which monitors and analyzes airplay in the U.S. and Canada. The band's success is bolstered by singles from its ‘15 comeback album, 'Immortalized.'
2016: Sebastian Bach’s autobiography '18 And Life On Skid Row' is out. It’s billed as an ‘uncensored, unfiltered memoir’ of the singer/actor/TV personality’s career.
2017: Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler Steven officially opens Janie’s House near Atlanta. The shelter for abused girls is in partnership with Youth Villages.
2017: Michael Stipe, Tom Morello and Graham Nash are among the dozens of musicians who sign an open letter to Congress asking that the government stop the Federal Communication Commission's upcoming vote to end net neutrality. But a week later, that's just what F.C.C. does.
2017: Bon Jovi leads the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fan vote, amassing 1,162,146 votes, being the first act to pass the million vote mark. The next top vote getters are Moody Blues, Dire Straits, The Cars and Judas Priest. A week later, Bon Jovi joins the ’18 class of inductees.
Dec. 7
1954: Marty Robbins becomes the first major artist to cover an Elvis Presley tune when he records the Arthur Crudup composition 'That's All Right' for Columbia Records. Robbins' effort will pay off in a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Country chart.
1956: 'Rock! Rock! Rock!,' one of the earliest Rock and Roll movies, opens in theaters. The film features the popular disc jockey Alan Freed along with Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and Lavern Baker.
1957: The movie 'Jamboree,' featuring a scene where Jerry Lee Lewis performs 'Great Balls of Fire,' debuts in theaters. Also appearing in the film are Fats Domino, Carl Perkins, Frankie Avalon and Connie Francis.
1962: Bassist Bill Wyman auditions for the Rolling Stones. He is performing with the group a week later.
1963: 'The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite' does a story on the rising popularity of The Beatles in England. There's footage of The Beatles performing and their fans reaction. It's the group's first appearance on U.S. network television.
1963: The Beatles appear as panelists on the BBC show Juke Box Jury to rate records. Some of the songs The Beatles judged were ‘Kiss Me Quick’ by Elvis Presley, ‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’ by the Swinging Blue Jeans. ‘Did You Have a Happy Birthday’ by Paul Anka and ‘Where Have You Been All My Life’ by Gene Vincent. Elvis' new single, 'Kiss Me Quick,' is declared a "hit."
1963: The Beatles second album 'With The Beatles' started a 21-week run at #1 on the UK album chart. It replaced their first album 'Please Please me' which had been at the top of the charts since it's release 30 weeks previously.
1964: Beach Boy Brian Wilson married Marilyn Rovell in Los Angeles. The couple divorced in 1979. Marilyn and her sister and cousin were in a group, The Honeys, who were produced by Brian Wilson. Marilyn and Brian had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who became members of Wilson Phillips.
1964: Jerry Lee Lewis, on his first tour of the UK, appeared at The Town Hall In Birmingham with The Yardbirds, Twinkle, and The Quite Five.
1968: The Beatles self-titled double album, often referred to as 'The White Album' because of its cover, topped the British album charts.
1967: The Beatles' Apple Boutique officially opens its doors at 94 Baker Street in London. The store closed seven months later when it fell foul of council objections over the psychedelic mural painted on the outside. All the goods from the shop were given away free to passers by and to people who had queued throughout the night for a chance of getting a free item.
1967: Graham Nash, fresh from his break with The Hollies, announces the formation of his new group Crosby, Stills & Nash.
1968: The Beatles 'White Album' started a seven-week run at #1 on the UK chart. The double set was the first on the Apple label.
1968: Eric Burdon announces that Eric Burdon & The Animals are done but will fulfill remaining concert obligations. Burdon later moves to L.A. to pursue an acting career but ends up fronting War.
1968: Janis Joplin's last "official" performance with Big Brother and the Holding Company is in Hawaii.
1968: The Grateful Dead perform at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky.
1968: Pink Floyd are part of an all day festival billed as Kaleidoscope ’68 at Liverpool Stadium, in Liverpool England. Starting at noon and continuing until 1:30 am, the bill also included The Move, Cliff Bennett, The Perfumed Garden, The BJ’s, Reason Why, The Klubs, The Mumbles, The New Mojo Band, The Curiosity Shoppe, The Pattern People, The Chapter Six, Mick Burns, and The Humphrey Lyttleton Band.
1969: King Crimson played at the Whiskey A-Go-Go in Hollywood.
1970: Creedence Clearwater Revival release their 6th album, 'Pendulum.' It reached both the Billboard 200 Top LP's (#5) and Top R&B LP's (#25) charts, and features the single 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain,' which reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. 'Pendulum' was the only studio album by the group that did not contain any cover songs; all tracks were written by John Fogerty. It was the last album the band did with Tom Fogerty, who would leave the band to start a solo career. It was also the last album to feature John Fogerty as the record's solo producer.
1971: Paul McCartney & Wings release their debut album in the UK, 'Wild Life' (December 8 in the US). It reached #10 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart.
1971: Alice Cooper performs at Park Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1972: Roxy Music performed at the Ohio University Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio.
1972: While reading the morning newspaper in Nice, France, Rolling Stone Keith Richards was surprised to learn that arrest warrants had been issued for him and his girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg for drug possession.
1973: Fleetwood Mac manager Clifford Davis declared that he owned the rights to the band’s name and assembled a second Fleetwood Mac to tour around the country. Legal proceedings ensue but the tour is cancelled because nobody cares. After a lengthy legal fight, the second Fleetwood Mac changed its name to Stretch. The whole business is a low point for the group but they see their fortunes drastically improve in just two years.
1973: Paul McCartney & Wings released the album 'Band on the Run.'
1973: Yes released their 6th studio album, the double LP 'Tales from Topographic Oceans.'
1973: Todd Rundgren performs his hit 'Hello It's Me' on 'The Midnight Special' wearing a bizarre, bird-like outfit.
1973: Humble Pie played at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
1973: The Guess Who and Poco play the Met Center in Minneapolis, MN.
1975: Black Sabbath with special guest Savoy Brown and Ruby Star and the Grey Ghost play Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.
1975: Paul Simon gets his first US #1 solo album on the US album chart with 'Still Crazy After All These Years.'
1976: Bob Seger releases 'Night Moves.'
1976: Eagles release the 'New Kid In Town' b/w 'Victim Of Love' 45 single. Written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther, it was released as the first single from the 'Hotel California' album. The song became a #1 hit in the US, and #20 in the UK.
1976: "We'll do everything we can to restrain their public behavior," says EMI Records chairman Sir John Read of the Sex Pistols. He makes the statement at the company's annual general meeting.
1976: AC/DC performed at the Civic Centre in Shepparton, Australia 4 dates into the tour of their home country that wraps up on Jan. 14 at the Ballarat Wendowee Hall.
1977: Inventor Dr Peter Carl Goldmark was killed in a car crash aged 71. Goldmark invented the long-playing microgroove record in 1945 that went on to revolutionzse the way people listened to music.
1978: Aerosmith performed at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.
1979: Queen's 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' b/w 'Spread Your Wings' 45 single is released in the US. It was written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, and featured on their 1980 album 'The Game.' The song peaked at #2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979, and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. on February 23, 1980, remaining there for four consecutive weeks. As reported by Freddie Mercury in Melody Maker (May 2, 1981) he composed 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' on the guitar in just five to ten minutes.“'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' took me five or ten minutes. I did that on the guitar, which I can't play for nuts, and in one way it was quite a good thing because I was restricted, knowing only a few chords. It's a good discipline because I simply had to write within a small framework. I couldn't work through too many chords and because of that restriction I wrote a good song, I think.”
1979: Led Zeppelin release 'Fool In The Rain' b/w 'Hot Dog' 45 single in the U.S. It was the final U.S. single released during the band's tenure, reaching #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1980.
1979: The Police had their second UK #1 single with 'Walking on the Moon', taken from their 2nd album 'Reggatta De Blanc'. The video for the song was filmed at Kennedy Space Center interspersed with NASA footage.
1980: Having recently arrived in New York, Mark David Chapman moved from a YMCA to the Sheraton Centre Hotel. The next day he fatally shot John Lennon.
1980: Darby Crash (born Jan Paul Beahm), commits suicide by intentional heroin overdose. He was 22. Crash was the lead singer of Germs, who were an L.A. punk band well known for their violent and tumultuous performances which resulted in the band being banned from nearly every rock club in Los Angeles. They were a big part of The Decline of Western Civilization movie, and in fact the promotional poster featured a close-up of Darby lying drugged-out on a stage with marker graffiti on him from the audience. Darby’s female friend, Casey “Cola” Hopkins, was supposed to have died with him as part of a suicide pact, but ended up surviving. She was in and out of mental institutions over the next few years.
1980: The Allman Brothers Band performed at Pershing Memorial Auditorium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Outlaws were the opening act.
1981: The Rolling Stones played at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
1981: The Beach Boys compilation album, 'Ten Years of Harmony' is released. It spans their entire Brother Records-era up to that point, (1970–80), including some unreleased and rare material. It reached #156 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart.
1981: 'The Beatles E.P. Collection' (15 Disc Box Set) is released. A complete collection of the Beatles' twelve original mono EPs, along with the two-record stereo 'Magical Mystery Tour 'set and a bonus EP containing four supposedly true stereo tracks. All EPs were issued on the Parlophone label with their original catalog numbers. All records were packaged in their original full-color, laminated covers and came complete with any original enclosures (Magical Mystery Tour's twenty-four-page story booklet with lyrics). The EPs were encased in a blue, textured cardboard box with a fold-open top, identical in style to the Beatles album package. The set's title and facsimiles of the Beatles' autographs were embossed on the front of the box in gold lettering.
1984: Foreigner release their 5th studio album 'Agent Provocateur.' It goes on to sell three million copies in the U.S. It reached both the Billboard 200 Top LP's (#4) and Top R&B LP's (#49) charts on the strength of the 'I Want To Know What Love Is,' their chart-topping hit. It was the band's first and only #1 album in the UK.
1985: Mr Mister started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart with 'Broken Wings,' a #4 hit in the UK.
1985: Heart peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Never' which was their 4th top 10 single in the U.S.
1985: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes debuts by James Brown’s 'Living In America' at #91. Also, A-Ha’s 'Take On Me' was #49, Bryan Adams & Tina Turner’s 'It’s Only Love' #37, Simple Minds’ 'Alive And Kicking' #11, Eddie Murphy’s 'Party All The Time' #9, and Mr. Mister’s 'Broken Wings' was #1.
1987: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Judy Collins and others) appear onstage at Carnegie Hall to pay tribute to Harry Chapin, who would have been celebrating his 45th birthday.
1987: Harry Chapin receives a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts in fighting hunger. Along with Bill Ayres, Chapin founded World Hunger Year, which is later re-named WhyHunger and becomes a very effective organization in distributing food to those in need.
1988: Whitesnake’s PR team puts out the following press release announcing that guitarist Vivian Campbell is no longer part of the band moving forward. ‘The usual musical differences,’ is cited as the reason for the departure.
1989: The Cult and special guests Bonham, played Aitken Centre on the University of New Brunswick campus in Frederiction, NB.
1990: Originally billed as Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie's final performance with Fleetwood Mac, it isn't. However, it is still an emotional show at L.A.'s Great Western Forum.
1991: Michael Jackson's 'Black Or White' tops the pop chart. Slash plays the song's guitar intro.
1991: U2 hit #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart for the 3rd time when 'Achtung Baby' debuted on top of the chart.
1991: Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' peaks at #7 on the U.K. singles chart.
1991: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes debuts by Metallica’s 'The Unforgiven' at #65 & Nirvana’s 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' at #40. Also, Mötley Crüe’s 'Home Sweet Home' was #47, Van Halen’s 'Top Of The World' #34, Metallica’s 'Enter Sandman' #33, Extreme’s 'Hole Hearted' #24, and Guns N' Roses 'Don’t Cry' was #16.
1991: Rush were awarded Madison Square Garden’s Gold Ticket Award for more than 100,000 tickets sold at the venue during the second sold out show of a two night stand.
1993: Guns N’ Roses announce they will keep the Charles Manson penned tune, ‘Look At Your Game, Girl’ on their album, 'The Spaghetti Incident?' because the royalties from the song will go to the son of one of Manson’s victims.
1994: Offspring play 'Bad Habit' to open the the 5th annual Billboard Music Awards in Universal City, CA. Melissa Etheridge performs 'I'm The Only One.'
1999: The Eagles held a press conference to announce that their first Greatest Hits package had become America’s best-selling album. Glenn Frey said, “I hated popularity contests when I was in high school, and I hate them now.”
1999: The Recording Industry Association of America launches a lawsuit against the on-line, file sharing company Napster, seeking $100,000 in damages for each song copied.
2008: The 31st annual Kennedy Center Honors salutes Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who. Also feted are Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Barbra Streisand and Twyla Tharp. Rob Thomas, Dave Grohl and Chris Cornell honor them with a live performance.
2002: Police were called to a Philadelphia Guns N’ Roses concert after the band failed to appear and the show was abruptly cancelled. Two people were hospitalized from the resulting furor and G N’ R’s tour was called off completely the following week.
2003: Ozzy Osbourne told the Los Angeles Times that his stuttering and physically unstable condition was caused by a cocktail of prescription medicines. Osbourne was put on an array of tranquilizers and amphetamines to combat depression after his wife was diagnosed with cancer.
2005: The MBE medal that John Lennon returned to the Queen was found in a royal vault at St James' Palace. Lennon returned his medal in November, 1969 with a letter accompanying saying, "Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With Love, John Lennon." Historians were calling for the medal to be put on public display.
2005: Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee files a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against her band's former manager, Dennis Rider of Rider Management, for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and sexual assault. Earlier, Rider filed a suit against Lee for unpaid commissions. 2006: A couple who witnessed the Damageplan show on 12/08/04 in Columbus, OH, where five people were shot and killed, including guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, file a lawsuit against the club's owners. The plaintiffs claim club security was inadequate and that they suffered severe and permanent emotional injuries from witnessing the shooting.
2006: Former Sublime bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Floyd "Bud" Gaugh file a trademark-infringement lawsuit against Southern California tribute band Sublime Remembered for allegedly claiming to include original Sublime members. "I've got two of their fliers and both of them actually said 'featuring' former members of the band," says the attorney for Wilson and Gaugh, who also requested that the cover band remove any references to Sublime from its promotional campaigns.
2006: Guitars autographed by Slash, Scott Weiland, Dave Navarro and the Edge are among the items up for bid in the online Grammy Charity Holiday Auction. VIP tickets to see Aerosmith in concert, signed memorabilia by Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood and a signed, life-size KISS banner, are also on the block. Proceeds go toward MusiCares and the Grammy Foundation.
2006: Ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Queen's Brian May and David Bowie donate footwear to an online charity auction that benefits the Give Landmines the Boot campaign. Proceeds go toward the MAG organization, which works to clear land mines and unexploded bombs in war-torn countries.
2006: Paul McCartney and U2 are among more than 4,000 artists who sign a full-page ad in the Financial Times demanding "fair play for musicians" in the United Kingdom. Record companies and performers lobby the U.K. government for an extension of copyrights on sound recordings from 50 years to 95 years. 95 years is the copyright protection length offered in the United States.
2007: Foo Fighters, Kid Rock and ex-Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro perform at the Video Game Awards in Las Vegas.
2007: The Lunchbox Auction with personalized lunch boxes designed by David Bowie, Elton John and R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe takes place in New York. Proceeds raised benefit the Food Bank for New York City and the Lunchbox Fund Food Bank for New York and the Lunchbox Fund of South Africa.
2007: Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler delivers an anti-drugs statement at the ninth annual Fort Lauderdale Harley-Davidson Bikers Bash. "I want to pass the message to kids that it is so easy to smoke a joint, quit school and get into trouble, but that leads to nowhere," says Tyler, whose acoustic set at the charity event includes a duet with Motley Crue's Vince Neil on 'Chip Away The Stone.'
2007: Yoko Ono issues a statement encouraging world peace on the eve of the 27th anniversary of husband John Lennon's murder. "Let's not waste the lives of those we have lost," writes Ono. "Let's, together, make the world a place of love and joy."
2008: The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are saluted at the 31st annual Kennedy Center Honors gala in Washington, D.C. The Kennedy Center's chairman, Stephen A. Schwarzman, praises Daltrey and Townshend for transforming "the sights and sounds of Rock & Roll." Chris Cornell and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl perform renditions of The Who anthems 'Won't Get Fooled Again' and 'Who Are You,' respectively, with Rob Thomas performing 'Baba O'Reilly. Also feted are Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Barbra Streisand and Twyla Tharp.
2008: Metallica's 'All Nightmare Long' video debuted.
2008: Cream's Ginger Baker is the main honoree at the 2008 Zildjian Drummers Achievement Awards in London. Zildjian manufactures percussion instruments.
2008: Dennis Yost dies of respiratory failure, after two years of complications after falling down a flight of stairs and suffering serious brain trauma. He was 65. Yost was the lead singer of The Classics IV, a group that had Top 10 hits with the songs 'Stormy,' 'Spooky,' and 'Traces.' Most of his band later left to form the Atlanta Rhythm Section.
2009: Wes Scantlin, frontman for Puddle of Mudd, breaks his right foot after jumping off of a stool following a New York radio station interview. "I was kind of hoping it was more serious than it is," jokes Scantlin. "So much for a sexy explanation of what happened."
2009: Rolling Stone magazine readers vote U2's 'No Line On The Horizon' the "most overlooked album" following the announcement of the 2010 Album of the Year Grammy nominations the previous week. #2 is Mastodon's 'Crack The Sky' with Bruce Springsteen's 'Working On A Dream' coming in 3rd. Albums by Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Dave Matthews Band and the Black Eyed Peas were nominated instead.
2010: The Beatles' 'Penny Lane,' the Box Tops' 'The Letter,' the Animals' 'We Gotta Get Out Of This Place' and Hank Williams' 'Lovesick Blues' are inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The Hall, founded in 1973, honors recordings at least 25 years old that made a lasting impact on society and in the world of music.
2010: Judas Priest announces that their Epitaph World Tour, which will run until 2012, will be their last major tour. In 2013 they change their minds and pick up right where they left off.
2011: Metallica played The Fillmore in San Francisco for the 2nd of 4 shows to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary. John Bush of Armored Saint joined them on stage for an amazing rendition of 'The Four Horsemen.'
2011: After numerous elections where performers vocally complained about Republican candidates using their songs without authorization comes the announcement that Kid Rock's 'Born Free' is Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's official campaign song. "I said he could use it and I would say the same for any other candidate. I have to have a little faith that every candidate feels like he or she can help this country," writes Rock on his official website. "PS: Any candidate who makes 'So Hott' their theme song has a good chance of getting my vote."
2011: The Black Keys, who won three Grammy Awards in 2011, appear on 'The Colbert Report.' They play 'Lonely Boy' and 'Gold on the Ceiling.'
2011: 30 Seconds to Mars breaks the record for most shows performed during a single album cycle when they play their 300th concert in support of their album 'This Is War' at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
2012: 'Tre!,' the 11th studio album by Green Day, drops. It is the third and final installment in the 'Uno!,' 'Dos!,' 'Tre!' trilogy that was released over a three month period.
2013: Alice Cooper's 13th Annual Christmas Pudding concert in Phoenix features KISS, Rob Zombie and Vince Neil of Motley Crue. Proceeds benefit Solid Rock Teen Center, which reaches out to teens through free music, dance, and voice lessons.
2014: Ex-Judas Priest guitarist K. K. Downing announces the launch of his own fragrance line, 'Metal For Men.' The product's slogan is: "Be Metal. Be Men."
2014: Pink Floyd's classic album, 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' made a surprise return to the Billboard chart when it landed at #13, thanks to ultra-cheap pricing in the Google Play store where the album was discounted to 99-cents. Although it held the #1 spot in the US for only a week when released in 1973, it remained in the Billboard album chart for 741 weeks.
2015: Thom Yorke (Radiohead) publishes a heartfelt note to Father Christmas, in celebration of National Letter Writing Day. He requests that no presents be given to "oil company executives and the politicians whose influence they buy."
2015: Opeth celebrate their 25th anniversary by launching a beer with Leeds, U.K. based brewery Northern Monk Brew Co. 'XXV Anniversary Imperial Stout' is a one-off brew.
2015: David Bowie made his last public appearance when he attended the opening night of the Lazarus production at the New York Theatre Workshop in Manhattan. Tickets to the entire run of the musical (which ran until 20th Jan 2016), sold out within hours of being made available.
2015: Less than a month after their concert was invaded by terrorists and many of their fans murdered, Eagles of Death Metal make an emotional return to the Bataclan Theatre in Paris, where they lay flowers in memory of the 90 dead. They also join U2 on stage at the AccorsHotel Arena to perform Patti Smith's 'People Have the Power.' 'Don't Let It Go Away' is performed by the Missing People Choir in a carol service at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square in the evening.
2016: Kid Rock, a dedicated supporter of President Donald Trump during the election, sells a line of Trump-themed T-shirts. The first says that the “Red States’ that voted for Trump are ‘The United States of America’ while the Blue States that didn't are ‘Dumbf*ckistan’."
2016: Greg Lake of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer died following a long battle with cancer. He was 69. In ELP, Lake served as the sole producer for most of the group’s works, which sold more than 48 million albums. He wrote and recorded several of their biggest songs, including 'Lucky Man' (which he wrote at age 12), 'Still...You Turn Me On' and 'From the Beginning.' Lake had his solo hit 'I Believe in Father Christmas.' Jimi Hendrix considered joining ELP in their earliest incarnation, and if this had happened, the band would've been known as HELP. The news came just nine months after Lake's band-mate Keith Emerson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Dec. 8
1961: The Beach Boys first single 'Surfin' was released on Candix Records, a small label based in Los Angeles. On the strength of the song’s performance in the Southern California market, Capitol Records signed the group.
1962: Legendary DJ and promoter Alan Freed appears at his payola trial in New York City. He testifies that he received $2,000 in 1958 from Cognat Distributors for a promise to play their records on his New York radio show. He also accepted a similar deal from Superior Records for $700. He is found guilty, fined $300, and given six months probation, but the irreparable damage to his career has been done. Dick Clark was also questioned, but is cleared of all charges.
1966: At Abbey Road in London, Paul McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal for ‘When I'm Sixty-Four.' Then The Beatles set about remaking a new John Lennon song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever.’
1967: The Beatles 'Magical Mystery Tour (E.P.') is released in the UK as a special double E.P. package. It entered the UK charts on December 13, and spent 12 weeks in the top 40. Its highest chart position was #2 on the singles chart, the dedicated EP chart having been abandoned at the start of December 1967. It was held off the top spot by The Beatles' own 'Hello, Goodbye.' It contained two 3 track E.P.'s and was advertised as being complete with; "A 32 page full colour book packed with exclusive pictures, a strip cartoon of the original story, plus the words to the songs in the show!"
1967: Traffic release their debut album, 'Mr. Fantasy.' It features Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, Chris Wood and Steve Winwood. Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones are featured as backup singers.
1967: The Rolling Stones released the 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' album. It was the 6th British and 8th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, reaching #2 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart during its 13 weeks stay; and #2 on the UK album chart during its 30 weeks stay. The title is a play on the "Her Britannic Majesty requests and requires..." text that appears inside a British passport. It includes 'She’s a Rainbow' which made #2 in America and second record that was released as a single in America as, Bill Wyman’s 'In Another Land,' Bill wrote the track and it features Steve Marriott from the Small Faces on vocals. There were no UK single releases from the album.
1967: Pink Floyd appeared at the Royal College of Art in London.
1968: Graham Nash announces the formation of Crosby, Stills & Nash. The former Hollie is now partnered with an ex-Byrd and an ex-Buffalo Springfield. They are quickly heralded as a super group.
1969: Jimi Hendrix appeared in front of the Toronto Supreme Court to answer charges of hashish and heroin possession. Hendrix admitted he had used pot, hashish, LSD and cocaine a handful of times. But he told the judge he had “outgrown” drugs. The jury found him not guilty.
1969: Mick Jagger was quoted saying "I don't really like singing very much, I enjoy playing the guitar more than I enjoy singing and I can't play the guitar either."
1969: The GTO's (Girls Together Outrageously) release their only album, 'Permanent Damage,' with Frank Zappa producing. The band is entirely made up of "groupies." The lineup consists of Pamela Miller (later Des Barres), Mercy Fontenot, Cynthia Wells (later Cale-Binion), Christine Frka, Lucy Offerall, Sandra Rowe and Sandy Parker.
1970: Yes performed at City Hall in Newcastle, England.
1971: This weeks Top selling 8-Track cartridges chart, #5: 'Frank Sinatra’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2,' #4: Carole King, 'Tapestry,' #3: Simon and Garfunkel, 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' #2: 'Motown Chartbusters Vol. 6,' and #1: John Lennon, 'Imagine.'
1971: Reginald Dwight legally changes his name to Elton Hercules John. He had been using the "Elton John" name since 1968, but had never made it official. The middle name he picked in honor of the mythological hero, which also happened to be the name of a horse on one of his favorite British TV shows: 'Steptoe and Son.'
1972: King Crimson played at the Odeon in Newcastle, England.
1972: Carly Simon's 'No Secrets' album is certified gold.
1972: Led Zeppelin appeared at the Hardrock Concert Theatre in Manchester, England. Ticket price was £1.25 ($2).
1972: Free's 'Wishing Well' b/w 'Let Me Show You' 45 single is released in the UK.
1973: The Grateful Dead performed at Cameron Indoor Stadium on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
1973: Roxy Music had their first UK #1 album when 'Stranded' went to the top for one week. The sleeve featured Playboy's Playmate of The Year, model Marilyn Cole, (who was the magazines's first full-frontal nude centerfold).
1973: Elton John's 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' tops the Cashbox Best Sellers chart. The record's flip side was a song originally called 'Screw You,' though the US release re-titled it 'Young Man's Blues' so as not to offend record buyers.
1974: Genesis appeared at the Palace Theatre in Providence, Rhode Island.
1975: George Harrison's 'This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)' b/w 'Maya Love' 45 single is released. The single became the final release by Apple Records until the label was revived in the mid-1990s for The Beatles BBC sessions album 'Live at the BBC' and 'The Beatles Anthology' project.
1975: Bob Dylan hosts 'Night of the Hurricane,' a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden for imprisoned boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Many believe, including Dylan, that Carter was wrongfully convicted of triple homicide. Dylan wrote the song 'Hurricane' recounting Carter's arrest and trial. Carter was freed ten years later.
1975: Gary Thain dies of respiratory failure due to a heroin overdose at 27. Thain was best known as the bassist in Uriah Heep. The year prior to his death, Thain had suffered a severe electrical shock during a concert in Dallas. After the incident, Thain, who had always been frail and prone to ill-health, sunk deeper into addiction.
1975: AC/DC released the single 'It’s A Long Way To The Top.'
1976: Black Sabbath with special guest Ted Nugent played Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
1976: The Eagles release their classic album 'Hotel California.' It was the first Eagles album without the appearance of their founding member Bernie Leadon and their first album with guitarist Joe Walsh. It is also the last album featuring original bassist Randy Meisner. The album became the band's best-selling studio album, with over 16 million copies sold in the U.S. alone and over 32 million copies sold worldwide. The album topped the charts and won the band two Grammy Awards for 'Hotel California' and 'New Kid in Town.' The album was nominated for Album of the Year but lost to Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours.' The album yielded three Top 20 singles, 'New Kid in Town,' 'Hotel California,' and 'Life in the Fast Lane.' 'New Kid in Town' and 'Hotel California' both topped the Billboard Hot 100, and 'Life in the Fast Lane' reached #11 on the charts. The album was ranked #37 on Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The song 'Hotel California' is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock songs of all time; it was ranked #49 on Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The guitar duet at the end of the song was performed by Don Felder and Joe Walsh. The album also features 'Wasted Time,' 'Victim of Love,' and 'The Last Resort.'
1977: Four people were arrested after a riot broke out when Blondie didn’t arrive for a gig in Brisbane. Over 1,000 Australian fans had waited more than an hour for the group to appear on stage, but the gig was cancelled due to singer Debbie Harry being ill.
1979: Styx 'Babe' is the #1 U.S. Single. Written by Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung, is #1 and becomes the group's biggest hit.
1979: The Police reached #1 on the U.K. Singles Chart for the second time with 'Walking on the Moon' which spent one week on top of the chart.
1979: 'On Parole' is the 1st recording made by Motorhead. It was left unreleased at the time of its completion in 1976, and it was not released until over three years later on this date.
1980: Angel Witch released their debut album 'Angel Witch.' The album made Angel Witch one of the key bands in the new wave of British heavy metal movement.
1980: Queen released thir 9th studio album, and 1st soundtrack album for 'Flash Gordon.'
1980: Annie Leibovitz photographs John Lennon and Yoko Ono at their apartment in New York City for a feature in Rolling Stone. Lennon would be shot and killed hours later.
1980: John Lennon was shot five times by 25 year old Mark Chapman outside the Dakota building on the northwestern corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West in New York City where John and Yoko lived. Chapman had been stalking Lennon for days outside the Dakota apartments and asked for an autograph as Lennon walked through the courtyard. After approaching the former Beatle and calling his name, Chapman dropped into a combat stance and shot John in his chest, back and left arm. Lennon staggered into the porters' vestibule in a desperate attempt to get upstairs to see his son, Sean. As he collapsed, John was comforted by porter Jay Hastings, who covered him with his jacket and gently removed his glasses. Police were quickly summoned and took John to Roosevelt Hospital on West 59th St. Although doctors did everything they could to save him, John Lennon was pronounced dead at 11:07 PM. A sobbing Yoko cried "Oh no, no, no, no... tell me it's not true," and was led away in shock. After the shooting, the 24-year-old Chapman remained at the scene, took out his copy of 'The Catcher in the Rye' and read it until the police arrived. He was arrested without incident. Much of America learned of the tragedy from ABC-TV, which was in the midst of airing an NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. Announcer Howard Cosell, who had interviewed Lennon years earlier, announced the news of the murder: "This, we have to say it, is just a football game, no matter who wins or loses. An unspeakable tragedy, confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City. John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City, the most famous perhaps of all of The Beatles, shot twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, dead on arrival." When asked why he decided to target Lennon, Chapman said he couldn't resist the fame that would come with the crime. "That bright light of fame, of infamy, notoriety was there," he said. "I couldn't resist it."
1980: Pat Benatar's first album'In The Heat of the Night goes platinum.
1981: A year after her husband’s death, Yoko Ono published a letter in Rolling Stone that said, “I think of John’s death as a war casualty – it is the war between the sane and the insane.”
1981: The Rolling Stones performed at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
1981: U2 played the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio.
1983: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Ron Wood, Joe Cocker, Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers were among the participants at the Ronnie Lane ARMS Appeal concert at Madison Square Garden.
1984: Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle (Nicholas Dingley) is killed when the car he’s riding in, driven by intoxicated Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, hits another vehicle. Two occupants in the other car were seriously injured; Razzle was pronounced dead at the hospital. He was just 24 years old. Neil is arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. In July 1986 he would be sentenced to a 30 day jail term, 5 years probation and $2.6 million in restitution to the victims of the crash, as well as 200 hours of community service. Vince was released from jail after 20 days.
1984: Bryan Adams made his second appearance on American Bandstand where he performed 'Run to You' & 'Kids Wanna Rock.'
1984: Hall & Oates 'Out Of Touch' hits the top spot, giving the duo their sixth and final #1.
1984: The 'KISS: Animalize Live Uncensored' video by KISS was recorded at Cobo Hall in Detroit during the Animalize World Tour. Queensrÿche opened the show.
1984: The former manager of The Coasters, Patrick Cavanaugh, is convicted and sentenced to death after he is found guilty of murdering the group's bass singer, Nathaniel Wilson. Wilson's dismembered body was discovered in Modesto, California, in 1980.
1986: Tesla released their debut album 'Mechanical Resonance.'
1987: Foreigner's 'Inside Information' is released. The band's 6th sixth studio reached #15 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, and features five tracks that reached the Billboard charts - 'Heart Turns to Stone' (Mainstream Rock Tracks #7 and Hot 100 #56), 'Say You Will' (Mainstream Rock Tracks #1), 'Can't Wait' (Mainstream Rock Tracks #18), and 'I Don't Want to Live Without You' (Adult Contemporary #1, Mainstream Rock Tracks #18, Hot 100 #5).
1990: Poison's 'Something To Believe In' peaks at #4 on the pop chart.
1995: The Grateful Dead announced they were disbanding in the wake of Jerry Garcia’s death. Their statement read, “After four months of heartfelt consideration, the remaining members of the band met yesterday and came to the conclusion that the ‘long strange trip’ of the uniquely wonderful beast known as the Grateful Dead is over.”
1995: Courtney Love appeared on the ABC TV show '10 Most Fascinating People', telling the presenter that she wished she had done "eight thousand million things differently" to have prevented the death of her husband Kurt Cobain.
1998: Yoko Ono spreads some Christmas cheer via a billboard in New York's Times Square. Her message: "War is Over! If you want it. Happy Christmas from John & Yoko."
1999: Racer X released the album 'Technical Difficulties.' The Japanese bonus track was a cover of the Black Sabbath song 'Children Of The Grave.'
1999: Santana told a press conference in Mexico City that while he prayed in church the “Virgin of Guadalupe” spoke to him. He added, “Marijuana is not a drug and if factories are set up here to make clothes, tofu cheese, medicine and paper from marijuana, we won’t have to chop down so many trees.”
2000: On his Web site, Julian Lennon did his best to remember the father who was never there for him. On the 20th anniversary of John Lennon's murder, he wrote: “I had a great deal of anger towards Dad because of his negligence and his attitude to peace and love. That peace and love never came home to me.”
2000: On the 20th anniversary of John Lennon's murder in New York, a statue of Lennon is unveiled in Havana. Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, who severely criticized The Beatles in the 1960's as "decadent" now says Lennon was a "revolutionary."
2000: The FBI arrested a man who had threatened to kill 'Valley Girl' singer Moon Unit Zappa. The man allegedly decided to murder Moon Unit after concluding she stole the lyrics to the song from him.
2000: A plaque to commemorate the 20th anniversary of John Lennon's death was unveiled outside his childhood home in Liverpool.
2000: Sting gets a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Hllywood Mayor Johnny Grant declared the day Sting Day in Hollywood.
2003: David Bowie postponed the opening of his first North American tour in 8 years after he came down with the flu.
2003: Ozzy Osbourne was rushed into emergency surgery at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, U.K. Osbourne broke his collarbone & several ribs after he crashed an ATV on the grounds of his Buckinghamshire estate.
2003: Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors attend a memorial at Jim Morrison's gravesite in Paris on the Lizard King's 60th birthday.
2003: Christian bookstores refuse to carry P.O.D.'s 'Payable on Death,' because they believe the disc's cover has occult overtones.
2004: Former American Bandstand host Dick Clark was hospitalized in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke. Although he was seldom been seen in public, Dick later returned to Times Square for limited segments during the annual New Year's Eve celebration. He passed away on April 18th, 2012 at the age of 82.
2004: Damageplan, a supergroup founded by brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott in the wake of Pantera's breakup, performs at a concert in Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, when Nathan Gale climbs on stage and shoots Darrell in the head multiple times. Also killed are the band's Head of Security, Jeffery Thompson as he scuffled with Gale, a fan who attempted to give CPR to Thompson and Darrell, and roadie Erin Halk, who also tried to stop Gale. Gale is shot and killed by police. Investigation reveals no motive, although some claimed that Gale blamed the brothers for Pantera's breakup and believed they had stolen his lyrics. Dimebag was just 38 years old. He was a huge fan of Kiss, Joe Satriani, Pete Willis and Tony Iommi, and was buried with his friend Eddie Van Halen’s famous “bumblebee” guitar in a Kiss Kasket.
2005: Dimebag's family sues the venue where the Damageplan guitarist was killed. The lawsuit claims that the Alrosa Villa nightclub did not provide adequate security for the gig, and that the staff could have done more to prevent the shooting.
2005: Online bidding closes on the Grammy Charity Holiday Auction. Autographed instruments and memorabilia from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Tommy Lee, Slash, Dave Navarro, Cold and members of U2 are on the block. Proceeds benefit MusiCares health and human service initiatives.
2006: Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong performs 'The Saints Are Coming' with U2 during the group's concert at Oahu's Aloha Stadium. The song was released as a charity single to help Hurricane Katrina victims.
2006: Green Day, Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Rancid and U2 are on 'CBGB Forever,' a compilation available exclusively at Best Buy. It's the first album released by Little Steven Van Zandt's Wicked Cool Records.
2007: Lou Reed is the guest of honor at an invitation-only dinner in Miami Beach, FL. The event is held in conjunction with the Art Basel Miami Beach exhibition. There's a screening of the concert film Lou Reed's Berlin which documents a series of 2006 New York shows where Reed performed his 1973 'Berlin' album in its entirety.
2008: Kid Rock lashes out at animal-rights organization PETA, declaring that he'll always wear fur. "I'm willing the animal-rights protesters to chuck red paint on me," says Rock. "To throw paint on someone is just wrong. They do it to little Hollywood actresses who can't defend themselves." PETA counters saying it's time for Rock to "grow up and grow out of his cruel wardrobe." They also contend that Rock's divorce from well-known PETA supporter, Pamela Anderson, is the true cause of his behavior. "I want to go to war with PETA," concludes Rock. "My biggest extravagance is fur coats - I've got every kind of animal in my wardrobe."
2008: Mike McCready's Jimi Hendrix tribute band Shadow '86 perform in the Pearl Jam guitarist's hometown of Seattle. The club show raises money for the Treehouse for Kids organization for foster children.
2008: L.A. eatery Barney's Beanery unveils a plaque honoring The Doors' Jim Morrison on what would have been the late singer's 65th birthday. The marker commemorates the spot where Morrison infamously urinated on the bar. Fellow Doors, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger attend.
2009: KISS released their 56th single, 'Say Yeah, the second single from their 'Sonic Boom' album.
2009: Puddle Of Mudd release their 4th studio album, 'Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love & Hate.' It's the follow-up to 2007's 'Famous.' Scantlin says the tracks 'Keep It Together' and 'Pitchin' A Fit' were inspired by his wife, who doesn't always approve of his songwriting technique. He is often on the couch at 5 AM with a pack of beer. "I get a song out of any mood that my wife is in," Scantlin adds.
2009: 'A Song For A Son,' is a free download at the Smashing Pumpkins official website. It's the first single off the 44-song project 'Teargarden By Kaleidyscope.' "My desire is to release a song at a time, until all 44 are out," says Billy Corgan. "Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached."
2009: Green Day's 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams' is the best single and 'American Idiot' wins the finest album honor in the Rolling Stone Best of the Decade Readers Poll. The group is also named the most accomplished artist of the past 10 years. However, Rolling Stone editors, writers and select musicians name Radiohead's 'Kid A' as the album of the decade and select U2's 'No Line On The Horizon' as 2009's best album. Meanwhile, over at iTunes, Apple's digital music service, Kings Of Leon score with 'Only By The Night.' It's both the top-selling album and the Editor's Pick as Album of the Year.
2009: 7dayBinge with 3 Doors Down bassist Todd Harrell, MusikMafia guitarist Jon Nicholson, former Kid Rock guitarist Kenny Olson and drummer Shannon Boone, make their self-titled debut album available for downloads.
2009: Soundscan reports that The Beatles were 2nd only to Eminem in album sales between 2000-2009. The Beatles sold over 30 million units including 11.5 million of their 2000 compilation 'The Beatles #1's.' That album, the decade's best seller, moved more copies than either Linkin Park's 'Hybird Theory' or Creed's 'Human Clay,' the only other Rock albums to make the decade's Top 10 sales list.
2009: Former the Velvet Underground members Lou Reed, Doug Yule and Maureen "Moe" Tucker take part in the Live from the NYPL series at the New York Public Library. The discussion is moderated by Rolling Stone magazine's David Fricke.
2010: Kid Rock's 'Born Free' tops Billboard's Rock Albums chart after spending the previous week at #2. 'Born Free' is also #13 on the Billboard 200.
2010: The Black Keys are #1 on both Billboard's Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts with 'Tighten Up,' from their 6th studio album, 'Brothers.'
2010: Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose is named the top lead singer of all time by the readers of MusicRadar.com. He tops Freddy Mercury, Robert Plant, Ronnie James Dio, John Lennon, and Bruce Dickinson. According to MusicRadar, "{Rose is} the hotheaded, horny ginger stepchild of Steven Tyler and Robert Plant, a born Rock star who made being fashionably late a lifestyle choice and started riots in the process."
2010: Several hundred people with candles and glow sticks braved cold temperatures to sing John Lennon songs next to a peace monument in Liverpool, England. In New York, hundreds of fans gathered in Central Park, near the spot where Lennon was shot. Flowers were laid in the Strawberry Fields area of Central Park, which was converted to a memorial garden after his death.
2011: Metallica played The Fillmore in San Francisco for the 3rd of 4 shows to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary. Rob Halford of Judas Priest joined them on stage for the song 'Rapid Fire.'
2011: Nickelback donates $50,000 to Children's Hospital as part of a challenge issued by Chilliwack, B.C. band Pardon My Striptease. "We're moved by the efforts of Pardon My Striptease to raise money for B.C. Children's Hospital and are happy and excited to take part," writes Nickelback singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger in a release. Pardon My Striptease's lead singer Andrew Putt's one-year-old daughter Lilee-Jean has already undergone two bouts of chemotherapy at the hospital.
2011: Former bandmates Paul Simonon and Mick Jones perform Clash material together live for the first time since 1982 at the Hillsborough Justice Campaign benefit concert. Supported by backing musicians the pair plays a dozen Clash songs including 'London Calling' and 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go.' The concert is for the victims of the Hillsborough football tragedy where 96 people were killed in 1989.
2011: Ringo Starr unveils his Knotted Gun statue for the Non-Violence Foundation in the Gibson Guitar Studio in London. The former Beatle calls for stricter weapons regulation at the anti-gun event held on the anniversary of John Lennon's murder. The statue depicts a large revolver, painted in a variety of pastel colors, with its barrel twisted into a knot. The word 'imagine' is emblazoned below the cylinder.
2012: Alice Cooper hosts the 12th annual Christmas Pudding concert at the Comerica Theater in Phoenix. Johnny Depp, Sebastian Bach, L.A. Guns and Don Felder of The Eagles are among the performers. Proceeds go to Cooper's Solid Rock, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of teens through music, dance, and self expression.
2013: Metallica perform in Antarctica as part of a Coca-Cola Zero-sponsored promotional event. They play in a dome near the heliport of the Argentine Antarctic Base Carlini. Metallica's performance is transmitted to the audience via headphones with no amplification. The concert also makes Metallica the first band to play all seven continents in one year. The feat is recognized in the 2015 Guinness World Records book. It was only the second ever gig to take place on the continent, following a performance in 2007 from a group of musical scientists, called Nunatak, at British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station as part of the Live Earth climate change awareness concerts.
2013: Carlos Santana and Billy Joel are recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture at the 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
2013: Muscle Shoals alum John Wyker dies of congestive heart failure age 68. His band Sailcat had a huge hit in 1972 with 'Motorcycle Mama.'
2014: Saxon postponed the remainder of the 35th anniversary Warriors Of The Road UK tour after drummer Nigel Glockler is rushed to hospital where he undergoes surgery to repair a brain aneurysm.
2014: Former Creedence Clearwater Revival members Stu Cook and Doug Clifford, along with the wife of late CCR member Tom Fogerty, file a lawsuit against the band's former leader/singer/songwriter, John Fogerty. The suit alleges that Fogerty violated the terms of a 2001 agreement saying that he wouldn't disparage Clifford and Cook's Creedence Clearwater Revisited by mocking the band in an interview.
2014: Yes release their 12th live album 'Like It Is: YES at the Bristol Hippodrome.' It was released for CD and DVD.
2015: Jared Leto (30 Seconds To Mars) files a lawsuit against TMZ and parent company Warner Bros. Entertainment after the site posts a video of the singer critiquing Taylor Swift's music. Leto alleges TMZ knew it was stolen, but published the video anyway. Leto also apologizes to the Pop/Country superstar for his harsh words.
2015: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that over 1.15 million people have been killed by firearms in the United States since John Lennon was gunned down thirty-five years earlier.
2015: Eagles Of Death Metal return to Bataclan in Paris less than one month after terrorist killed at least eighty-nine audience members during a concert at the venue. The band adds flowers to the makeshift memorial site and read their own tributes. "The bad guys never take a day off, and therefore we Rock 'n Rollers cannot either...and we never will," the band writes on Facebook.
2016: Sir Mick Jagger became a father again at the age of 73, after his 29-year-old girlfriend, American ballerina Melanie Hamrick, gave birth to a boy in New York City. The singer already had seven children, whose ages range from 17 to 45 and he became a great-grandfather in 2014.
2016: On the anniversary of John Lennon's death, Yoko Ono continued her plea for gun control in the United States with a Facebook posting that said, "Dear Friends, every day, 91 Americans are killed with guns. We are turning this beautiful country into a War Zone. Together, let's bring back America, the green land of Peace. The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. After 36 years, our son Sean and I still miss him."
Dec. 9
1955: Elvis Presley performs at the B&I Club in Swifton, Arkansas, introducing his new song, 'Heartbreak Hotel,' by claiming "It's gonna be my first hit."
1961: The Tokens' 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' tops the Cashbox Magazine Best Sellers Chart for the first of a four week run.
1961: The Beatles played their first concert in the south of England with Ivor Jay & the Jaywalkers at The Palais Ballroom in Aldershot, England. The gig was billed as a “Battle of the Bands – Liverpool vs. London.” The show was not advertised properly and, as a result, only 18 people attended, (local newspaper, The Aldershot News, failed to publish the advertisement for the show). However, the band and friends had their own fun after the show, including a mock funeral for Paul McCartney.
1962: Future Beatles producer George Martin was taken to the Liverpool Cavern by the group’s manager Brian Epstein to see the band perform live.
1962: The Four Seasons sing their current US #1 hit, 'Big Girls Don't Cry' on The Ed Sullivan Show.
1963: The Beach Boys 'Little Saint Nick' b/w 'The Lord's Prayer'45 single is released. It peaked at #3 on Billboard magazine's special seasonal weekly Christmas Singles chart, while also reaching #69 on the regular weekly sales chart surveyed by Cashbox magazine.
1964: In the second week it was available in the UK, The Beatles’ 'I Feel Fine' became a million seller. The song borrows its rhythm and structure from the group's 1963 hit 'Little Deuce Coupe.'
1964: The Kinks' 'All Day And All Of The Night' b/w 'I Gotta Move' 45 single is released. It reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was released on the compilation album 'Kinks-Size' in the US. For many years it was rumoured that Jimmy Page played the guitar solo; however, Ray Davies confirmed that Dave Davies created and played the solo, accidentally augmenting the riff by playing it through a speaker with a hole in it. Page may have appeared on the single's b-side, "I Gotta Move", which gives credits as "possibly Jimmy Page acoustic 12 string guitar, else Ray Davies".
1966: The Who released their 2nd studio album, 'A Quick One' in the UK (May 1967 in the US). In the US, Decca Records released the album under the title'“Happy Jack,' rather than the sexually suggestive title of the original UK release, and due to 'Happy Jack' being a top 40 hit in the US it replaced a cover of the Holland–Dozier–Holland hit Heat Wave) which was included on the original UK version of the album. In 2003, the album was ranked #383 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
1966: Cream release their debut album, 'Fresh Cream' in the UK (January 1967 in the US). It reached #6 on the UK charts. Upon release in the US, it reached #39 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart is later certified Gold. In 2003, the album was ranked #101 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. They also released their 2nd single 'I Feel Free' on the same day.
1967: Doors lead singer Jim Morrison arrested in New Haven, Connecticut following backstage fight when security guard mistakes him for a fan. Before the show a policeman found Morrison making out with an 18 year-old girl in a abckstage shower and after an argument the policeman sprayed mace in Morrison's face. Once onstage, Morrison told the audience the story of what happened backstage and started taunting the police who then dragged him off stage and arrested him. The crowd then rioted, leaving the venue in disarray and many concert goers arrested. Later, over 100 protestors gathered at the police station in demonstration and more arrests were made.
1967: Cream enters the US chart with their ‘Disraeli Gears’ album.
1967: The Beatles 'Hello Goodbye' topped the British singles charts.
1968: Free appeared at the Marquee Club in London.
1969: The Allman Brothers Band appears at Ungano’s in New York.
1970: Yes performs at Hull University in Hull, England.
1971: Richie Havens receives a role in the orchestral stage version of the Who’s rock opera 'Tommy.'
1971: Ten Years After's 'Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'N Roll You' b/w 'Once There Was A Time' 45 single is released. Written by Alvin Lee; from Ten Years After's 1971 LP, 'A Space in Time.' It reached #61 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1972: The Moody Blues hit #1 on the U.S. album charts with 'Seventh Sojourn.' It stays there for five weeks. It will be their last album of new material for more than five years as the group's members split to record and to tour as solo artists.
1972: Neil Diamond released the live double album 'Hot August Night,' from a concert on August 24, 1972, which was one of ten sold out concerts that Diamond performed that month at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The album peaked at #5 on the US chart and spent 29 weeks at #1 on the Australian chart.
1972: An All-Star Orchestra version of ‘Tommy’ was performed at the Rainbow Theatre London's Rainbow Theatre. Advance tickets went for the then princely sum of $50, but the show itself was a major disappointment, with most of the "actors" floundering (except Who singer Roger Daltrey and Steve Winwood as Tommy's father). Narrator Pete Townshend, for his part, was observed to be drunk. None of this stopped the cast recording from being recorded and eventually becoming a hit in 1973.
1972: Three Dog Night's 'Pieces of April' enters the Billboard chart. The Dave Loggins written ballad will reach the US Top 20.
1972: Pink Floyd performs at Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland.
1973: David Coverdale plays his first live show with Deep Purple, replacing Ian Gillan, at the KB Hallen in Copenhagen, Denmark.
1973: Yes played at City Hall in Newcastle, England.
1974: George Harrison released 'Dark Horse,' his first album on the label of the same name. His cover of The Everly Brothers 'Bye Bye Love' was a backhanded farewell to wife Patti Boyd, who took up with his friend Eric Clapton.
1974: On Monday Night Football, John Lennon stopped by the booth during a game between the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. While he was there, guest Ronald Reagan explained the rules of football to him.
1974: After clearing the shelves of unreleased material, The Who gets a gold record for 'Odd and Sods.'
1975: The Who play Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio. Toots and the Maytals open the show.
1975: The Sex Pistols appeared at Ravensbourne College in Chistlehurst, London.
1976: Black Sabbath performed at the Capital Centr e in Landover, Maryland.
1976: Y & T released their debut album 'Yesterday And Today.'
1976: John Lennon purchased a Renoir painting valued at half-a-million dollars.
1977: KISS play the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis on their KISS Alive II Tour.
1978: The Blues Brothers release their first single, a cover of 'Soul Man.' The original is by Sam & Dave, whom the Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) emulated to create their act. It reaches #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1978: Steely Dan’s ‘Greatest Hits’ hits the US charts.
1978: While on bail for allegedly murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious is charged with assault after attacking Todd Smith, singer Patti Smith’s brother, at a Skafish concert at a New York club. Vicious is sentenced to 55 days on Rikers Island for rehab. He died the night of his release after OD’ing on heroin his mother had procured for him.
1979: Motorhead released their debut album 'On Parole.'
1979: 'Let There Be Rock - Live in Paris' by AC/DC was recorded live at the Pavillon de Paris in Paris, France, during the 'Highway to Hell' World Tour.
1979: Marshall Tucker Band played at the Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida.
1979: The Grateful Dead performed at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
1980: The airwaves are filled with the music of John Lennon, who was shot and killed the previous evening. In Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen opens his concert by telling the crowd, "It's hard to come out here and play tonight, but there's nothing else to do."
1980: The day after John Lennon was murdered, Yoko Ono issued a statement to the press that read: "There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him. Love, Yoko and Sean." She also pleaded with chanting and singing mourners outside The Dakota to re-convene in Central Park the following Sunday for ten minutes of silent prayer. Meanwhile, Paul went into a recording studio to clear his head. He reportedly told his guitarist, Denny Laine, "I'm never gonna fall out with anybody again, just in case this happens."
1981: King Crimson appeared at the Shibuya Kokaido in Tokyo.
1984: Blue Oyster Cult performed at The Bacchanal in San Diego, California.
1984: Jimmy Page and the Firm recorded an MTV Special at London’s Hammersmith. Odeon. Producers convinced Page and the band to perform 'Stairway to Heaven.'
1987: KISS play the Erie Civic Center in Erie, PA on their Crazy Nights Tour.
1988: Metallica played the first of two nights at Cow Place in San Francisco, during their 222-date 'Damaged Justice' world tour,
1989: Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start The Fire,' is the #1 single in the U.S. It's lyrics are made up from rapid-fire brief allusions to over a hundred headline events between 1949 (Joel was born on May 9 of that year) and 1989, when the song was released on his album 'Storm Front.'
1989: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes Aerosmith’s 'Janie’s Got A Gun' at #49, Whitesnake’s 'Fool For Your Loving' #41, Tesla’s 'Love Song' #20, Alice Cooper’s 'Poison' #16, Bad English’s 'When I See You Smile' #15, Bon Jovi’s 'Living In Sin' #14, and Kix’s 'Don’t Close Your Eyes' at #12.
1991: After a long legal battle, Bob Marley’s $11.5 million estate is awarded to his wife Rita and her children. Ziggy Marley’s daughter is born on this day and he names her Justice in honor of the verdict.
1991: Guns N’ Roses made their debut at Madison Square Garden in the first of a three night stand. All three concerts were sold out, drawing over 54,000 fans & grossing over $1.3 million.
1992: Bill Wyman leaves the Rolling Stones after being a member for over 30 years.
1992: George Harrison is the first recipient of Billboard magazine's Century Award. Tom Petty handles the honors at the ceremony in Universal City.
1992: KISS play the Boise State University Pavilion in Boise, Idaho on their Revenge Tour.
1993: Country singer Travis Tritt's video of the Eagles 'Take It Easy' has appearances by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Don Felder, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit. An Eagles reunion happens the following year.
1995: The Beatles 'Anthology Vol. 1' hits the top of the charts. It sells 855,000 copies in its first week of release.
1997: Bryan Adams releases 'Unplugged.' The album was recorded at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on September 26, 1997.
1997: Oasis played the first of three sold out nights at Wembley Arena, London, supported by Supergrass.
1997: Following an Oasis show in Cardiff, Wales vocalist Liam Gallagher pours lager over the head of a reporter in a local hotel bar. Oddly, the reporter is in town to cover Gary Glitter and has nothing to do with Oasis.
1998: KISS play Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY on their Psycho Circus Tour
1999: Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic reunited with drummer Dave Grohl during a Foo Fighters performance in Seattle. The Foo Fighters own bassist was suffering from the flu.
2000: Sting received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2000: U2 made their first appearance on 'Saturday Night Live' where they performed 'Beautiful Day' & 'Elevation.'
2001: Slash shows up at The Joint in Las Vegas, where his old band Guns N' Roses are playing. He is denied entry, as band management doesn't want to upset Axl Rose.
2002: Paul McCartney sparked another Beatles feud with the release of his live album, 'Back in the US.' Against the wishes of John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, the nineteen Beatles songs included on the two-disc set are credited to "Paul McCartney and John Lennon" rather than the traditional "Lennon / McCartney".
2003: Ozzy Osbourne was admitted to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Berkshire after being injured in a quad bike accident at his UK home. The 55 year-old singer broke his collarbone, eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck. News of Osbourne's accident reached the House of Commons, where the government sent a goodwill message.
2003: In the case surrounding the February 2003 fire at a Great White concert, a Rhode Island grand jury gave three indictments of involuntary manslaughter to the club’s two owners as well as Great White's road manager.
2003: Offspring's 'Splinter' album is released. Produced by Brendan O`Brien, the group's 7th album features drummer Josh Freese.
2005: A man charged with stealing more than $300,000 worth of Elvis Presley's jewelry from the Elvis-A-Rama museum appeared in a Las Vegas court. 30 year old Eliab Aguilar was arrested on November 3rd after police said he approached a retired Elvis impersonator and offered to sell him several items including Presley's 1953 class ring from Humes High School worth $32,000, a 41 carat ruby and diamond ring worth $77,000 and a gold-plated Smith & Wesson .38 special.
2005: Alice In Chains guitarist-singer Jerry Cantrell undergoes surgery at an L.A. orthopedic clinic to correct a problem that was causing acute pain in his left shoulder. "It's tough not being able to play for a while but I'm really looking forward to... performing without being in constant pain," says Cantrell.
2005: Mike Botts dies of colon cancer at 61. Botts was the drummer for Bread and died one day after his birthday. In addition to Bread, Botts was an active session musician who worked with hundreds of artists including Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, Peter Cetera, Warren Zevon, Dan Fogelberg, Eddie Money, J.D. Souther and Eric Carmen. He also worked on numerous soundtracks including 'Batman Beyond,' 'The Simpsons,' 'Footloose' and 'Urban Cowboy.'
2006: U2 wrap up their 'Vertigo' '06 tour in Honolulu. They are joined onstage by Green Day'S Billie Joe Armstrong and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder & Mike McCready. Pearl Jam opens the show.
2006: A monument is unveiled on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, NJ, honoring musicians, including Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's past and present members, who helped develop the local sound and music scene.
2006: An acetate LP of the Velvet Underground's first recording sells for $155,401 on e-Bay. The record was purchased by a collector for 75 cents four years earlier. Acetates were generally used as demos since they were cheap and of inferior quality to commercial albums. How the acetate got into 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' sleeve remains a mystery.
2006: Fred Marsden, the drummer for the Merseybeat band Gerry And The Pacemakers, died of cancer at the age of 66. After disbanding in 1967, Gerry Marsden reformed The Pacemakers in 1973 but without Fred, who had given up the music business to be a telephone operator and later established The Pacemaker Driving School.
2006: The "Red Rocker Chopper," a custom-designed motorcycle boasting artwork inspired by Sammy Hagar, is raffled off online for charity. Proceeds go to the First Candle organization, which works to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and stillbirth.
2008: Steve Isham, former keyboardist with Autograph and Vince Neil died of liver cancer.
2008: Former Papa Roach drummer Dave Buckner files a lawsuit in Sacramento Superior Court charging his old group with breach of contract and other improprieties. He also seeks to dissolve the Papa Roach partnership and related corporations. Buckner claims that his relationship with his ex-bandmates has become "strained and antagonistic" since being fired from the group ON Christmas Eve, 2007.
2008: The U.S. Military releases a list of songs they use to break down detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay (Cuba). 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica, 'Bodies' by Drowning Pool, 'Born In The U.S.A.' by Bruce Springsteen and a double shot, 'Shoot To Thrill'/Hell's Bell's' by AC/DC, top the list which also includes tracks by Nine Inch Nails. "It's difficult for me to imagine anything more profoundly insulting, demeaning and enraging than discovering music you've put your heart and soul into creating has been used for purposes of torture," writes frontman Trent Reznor in an online post. In addition, Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello backs the Reprieve organization's Zero dB initiative protesting the use of music to torture political prisoners. The campaign promotes periods of silence during concerts and festivals to show solidarity for the victims of this psychological torture method. Among those supporting the effort are RATM, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails and AC/DC.
2009: The second season of 'Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...' begins on the Sundance Channel. Guests for season two include U2 members Bono and the Edge, Nick Lowe and Levon Helm (The Band). "I wasn't looking for a career in TV," says Costello. "It's something I did as a side project from my real career."
2009: Izzy Stradlin released his 10th studio album, 'Smoke,' only on iTunes.
2010: Jim Morrison is posthumously pardoned for a 1969 indecent exposure conviction in Florida. Outgoing Governor Charlie Crist leads the pardon effort, which the Clemency Board unanimously grants. The Doors frontman, a Florida native, was appealing the conviction when he was found dead in a Paris bathtub in 1971.
2010: Eric Clapton announced he was to sell off part of his extensive guitar collection to raise money for his Crossroads rehab Center in Antigua. Highlights of the sale would include a guitar Clapton played at the Cream reunion shows in 2005, estimated to sell for more than £13,000 ($20,800). The sale to be held by Bonhams in New York would also feature a vast collection of amps and speakers, including a pair of Marshall speaker cabinets.
2011: A copy of The Beatles 'Love Me Do' 1962 Demonstration Record sold for $17,339.31 during a 10-day eBay auction. According to the seller, this original demo was the ‘Holy Grail’ of Beatles items.
2011: 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' is in theaters. The soundtrack is by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. "We laughed, we cried, we lost our minds and in the process made some of the most beautiful and disturbing music...," writes Reznor on the Nine Inch Nails website.
2011: 'New Year's Eve,' a romantic comedy with Jon Bon Jovi, is in theaters.
2012: Megadeth leaves Roadrunner Records.
2013: Pixies name Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle and Zwan) as their touring bassist taking over from Kim Shattuck, who departed just four months after replacing co-founder Kim Deal.
2013: Recipients honored at the 36th annual national John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts were: pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer Herbie Hancock; singer and songwriter Billy Joel and guitarist and songwriter Carlos Santana.
2014: Sting joins the cast of his struggling Broadway musical 'The Last Ship.' His month long run is an attempt to save the show from closing. Variety reports there were “no major car crashes” during Sting’s debut performance.
2014: Blink-182's Travis Barker is named the Best Rock Drummer of the Year by readers of Rhythm magazine. He beat out Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), John Fred Young (Black Stone Cherry) and Brent Fitz (Slash's solo band).
2014: Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is named GQ Magazine's Rock God Of The Year.
2014: Lynch Mob release their 6th studio album, 'Sun Red Sun.'
2015: The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and the Rolling Stones are the biggest-earning Rock acts of 2015. According to Forbes, The Eagles made $73.5 during the past 12 months but that figure was dwarfed by a pair of pop acts - Katy Perry netted $135 million while One Direction took in $130 million. Fleetwood Mac was 9th with $59.5 million and The Rolling Stones ranked 11th with $57.5 million. Elton John also had a good year, raking in $53.5 million, as did Paul McCartney, who earned $51.5 million.
2015: Lamb Of God singer Randy Blythe has harsh words for Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump. "He could just be a clown," states Blythe. "If he is the president, though, I am leaving America 'till he's gone."
2016: The Rolling Stones topped the UK chart with their latest album 'Blue & Lonesome,' the bands first original studio album to reach #1 for 22 years and the 12th album by The Rolling Stones to reach the top of the charts.
2017: 'Up All Night' tops the Billboard Adult Alternative Chart. It’s Beck’s third #1 on the chart in the last three years. 'Dreams' (’15) and 'Blue Moon' (’14) are the other two.
2017: Alice Copper's Annual Christmas Pudding fundrasier concert takes place at Celebrity Theatre in Phoeniz, AZ. This years show to benefit Alice's The Rock Teen Center features Slash, Rob Halford, Ace Frehley, Edgar Winter, Filter, David Ellefson, Nita Strauss, Glen Sobel and more.
Dec. 10
1949: Fats Domino recorded his first tracks for Imperial Records at J&M Studio in New Orleans. Fats Domino records his first single, 'Detroit City Blues,' backed with 'The Fat Man.' The B-side becomes the hit, and "The Fat Man" later became his nickname.
1959: The four male members of The Platters were acquitted of charges of aiding and abetting prostitution, lewdness and assignation after an incident on August 10th in Cincinnati. Despite the outcome of the trial, the scandal would severely damage the group's career.
1961: The Beatles appeared at Hambleton Hall, Huyton in Liverpool after returning to Liverpool from their first live performances in south England and London. The Beatles arrived so late for their appearance in Huyton that they only had time to play for 15 minutes. The promoters, having to pay The Beatles their full £15 were very unhappy.
1965: 18-year-old David Bowie recorded 'Can't Help Thinking About Me' at Pye Studios, London, England, which was later released as a single under the name David Bowie with The Lower Third. It became the first David Bowie record to be released in the US as well as the first time the name "Bowie" appeared under the songwriters credit.
1965: The first Bill Graham promoted show takes place at the Fillmore Auditorium (later to be known as Fillmore West). The performers include Jefferson Airplane and The Great Society, with future Airplane vocalist, Grace Slick.
1965: Grateful Dead played their first show at the Fillmore in San Francisco for concert promoter Bill Graham. It was only the 2nd time they had played under that name having recently changed it from The Warlocks.
1966: The Beach Boys 'Good Vibrations' hits #1 on the pop charts. It's the group's 3rd US #1. As a child, his mother told him that dogs could pick up "vibrations" from people, so that the dog would bark at "bad vibrations" Wilson turned this into the general idea for the song. At a cost of $16,000, it was the most expensive single ever produced in music history up to that time.
1966: The Who performed at the Odeon Theatre in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England.
1966: The Who's 'I'm A Boy' b/w 'In The City' 45 single is released.
1966: The Rolling Stones 1st live album, 'Got LIVE If You Want It!' is released. It reached #6 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart.
1966: The Beatles compilation album of of songs recorded between 1963 and 1966, 'A Collection of Beatles Oldies - But Goldies!' is released in the UK. It only reached #6 on the UK album chart, perhaps because most fans already owned most of the tracks on other releases. However, the album continued to sell reasonably well, remained in print for many years, and was only deleted when the compact disc age approached (and made obsolete by the Past Masters compilations). It was also the longest album that the Beatles had released to that point, totaling almost 40 minutes of music.
1967: Pink Floyd play the Teenagers Sunday Club, at The Birdcage, in Harlow, Essex, England.
1967: The Byrds played the first of an eight night run at the Whisky-a-go-go in Hollywood.
1967: American soul singer, songwriter Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash. He was just 26. Redding and his band had made an appearance in Cleveland, Ohio on the local ‘Upbeat’ television show the previous day. The plane carrying Otis Redding and his band crashed at 3:28pm into icy waters of Lake Monoma near Madison. Redding was killed in the crash along with members from the The Bar-Kays, Jimmy King, Ron Caldwell, Phalin Jones and Carl Cunningham. Trumpet player Ben Cauley was the only person to survive the crash. Redding had only three days earlier recorded '(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,' which he co-wrote with Steve Cropper. It went on to become the first posthumous #1 Billboard single in U.S. chart history.
1967: Steve Miller (Blues) Band, a previously almost unknown San Francisco group, signs with Capitol Records for unprecedented $750,000. Blues is almost immediately dropped from the name.
1968: Led Zeppelin perform at the Marquee Club in London.
1969: The Allman Brothers Band performed at Ungano’s in New York.
1969: Janis Joplin, Grand Funk, and opener Fat Jessie appeared at the Rochester Community War Memorial Arena in Rochester, New York.
1969: Sly And The Family Stone 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' b/w 'Everybody Is A Star' 45 single is released. It reached #1 on the soul single charts for five weeks, and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970. Rolling Stone ranked the song #402 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
1970: Ginger Baker's Air Force release their 2nd and final album, 'Ginger Baker's Air Force 2.'.
1970: Yes played at Teesside Polytechnic in Middlesborough, England.
1971: Playing the first of two nights at London's Rainbow Theatre, Frank Zappa was pushed off stage by jealous boyfriend Trevor Howell. Zappa fell onto the concrete-floored orchestra pit - the band thought Zappa had been killed. He suffered serious fractures, head trauma and injuries to his back, leg, and neck, as well as a crushed larynx, which ultimately caused his voice to drop a third after healing. This accident resulted in him using a wheelchair for an extended period, forcing him off the road for over half a year. Later, Zappa says, “The band thought I was dead. My head was over on my shoulder, and my neck was bent like it was broken. I had a gash in my chin, a hole in the back of my head, a broken rib, and a fractured leg. One arm was paralyzed.”
1971: At the "Free John Sinclair Rally" in Ann Arbor, Michigan, John Lennon debuts his new song, fittingly called 'John Sinclair.' Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger and Phil Ochs also appear at the rally, which is an effort to get Sinclair, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of two marijuana joints, out of jail. Sinclair was released two days later.
1971: Monkees singer Davy Jones guest stars on The Brady Bunch episode "Getting Davy Jones."
1972: King Crimson appeared at Town Hall in Birmingham, England.
1973: The CBGB Club (Country, BlueGrass, and Blues), opened in the lower eastside of New York City. Founded by Hilly Kristal, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a home for American punk and New Wave bands such as Blondie, Television, Patti Smith and the Ramones. There were two rules: 1) bands had to move their own equipment, and 2) bands had to play mostly original songs – no cover bands – because the owner couldn’t afford to pay ASCAP royalty fees.
1974: Deep Purple's 9th studio album, 'Stormbringer' is released. It reached #20 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and #6 on the UK chart.
1974: KISS performed at the Davenport Auditorium, Davenport, Iowa.
1975: The Who's 7th album, 'The Who By Numbers' goes gold. It was released two-months earlier.
1976: The 'Wings Over America' album is released. The triple live album ant the 6th from the band goes on to sell over four million copies in the U.S. reached to #1 during its 86 week stay on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and reached #8 on the UK albums chart during its 22 week stay.
1976: Queen release their 5th studio album, 'A Day at the Races.' It reached #5 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and topped the charts in the UK, Japan and the Netherlands. 'A Day at the Races' was the band's first completely self-produced album, and the first not to feature producer Roy Thomas Baker. The title of the album followed suit with its predecessor 'A Night at the Opera' in taking its name from a film by the Marx Brothers.
1976: Billy Idol's Generation X play their first live performance, at London's Central College of Art.
1976: Rush played at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey.
1976: Hall & Oates with special guest Al Stewart played Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio.
1978: Bob Dylan appeared at the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1980: Dire Straits performed at City Hall in Newcastle, England
1980: John Lennon's body is cremated at the Fercliff Mortuary in Hatsdale, New York. Yoko took possession of the ashes and reportedly brought them back to her Dakota apartment.
1980: Journey released 'Dream, After Dream,' the soundtrack album to the Japanese film 'Yume, Yume No Ato.'
1983: Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's 'Say, Say Say' hits #1 in the US, the first of 6 weeks at the top spot. Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' is #3 and Pat Benatar's 'Love Is A Battlefield' sits at #5.
1983: Pat Benatar peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Love is a Battlefield,' Benatar’s second top 10 single in the U.S.
1983: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes The Fixx’s 'One Thing Leads To Another' at #42, Genesis’ 'That’s All' #34, The Romantics’ 'Talking In Your Sleep' #24, Peter Schilling’s 'Major Tom (Coming Home)' #18, and Quiet Riot’s 'Cum On Feel The Noise' at #8.
1983: Stevie Nicks made her first appearance as a musical guest on 'Saturday Night Live' where she performed 'Stand Back' and 'Nightbird.'
1984: Band-Aid releases 'Do They Know It's Christmas' to raise money for African famine relief.
1985: Three Dog Night's Danny Hutton and Cory Wells fire third vocalist Chuck Negron.
1985: Dokken released the single 'The Hunter.'
1987: Joe Satriani's second full-length solo album, 'Surfing with the Alien,' is released.
1988: Killer Dwarfs opened for Iron Maiden at Wembley Arena in London on the 'Seventh Tour Of A Seventh Tour.'
1988: Chicago started a two week run at #1 on the singles chart with 'Look Away,' the group’s third chart topper.
1991: Alan Freed, the man who coined the term "Rock and Roll” is posthumously awarded a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
1993: Matthew Trippe finally dropped his lawsuit against Doc McGhee claiming he was the real Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. Trippe claims that in June 1983, Mötley Crüe's managers Doc McGhee and Doug Thaler decided to bring him in as the new Nikki Sixx after Nikki was unable to continue due to a serious car crash. In January 1988, he filed a lawsuit against McGhee Enterprises, Inc. citing civil theft and other relief, claiming royalties that were never paid for songs he said he wrote. These included 'Danger,' 'Knock 'Em Dead Kid,' "Girls Girls Girls,' 'You're All I Need,' 'Dancing on Glass,' and 'Wild Side.' In March 1989, Mötley Crüe recorded a demo for 'Dr. Feelgood' called 'Say Yeah.' The song's lyrics, written by Nikki Sixx, are supposedly about Trippe and the lawsuit. The track later turned up on 'Supersonic and Demonic Relics' (1999).
1994: BBC2's 'Later With Jools Holland' has Oasis performing 'Whatever' and their take on The Beatles 'I Am The Walrus.'
1997: Bryan Adams released his 'Unplugged' album.
1998: Bruce Springsteen won a $3 million legal battle in the U.K. with two companies that wanted to release previously unreleased songs from his early career. Masquerade Music wanted to release an album titled 'Before the Fame' & Flute International wanted to release an album of 19 unreleased songs.
1998: A recording of a 1963 Beatles concert was sold at auction at Christies in London for £25,300 ($41,500). The tape of The Beatles’ 10-song concert was recorded by the chief technician at the Gaumont Theatre in Bournemouth during one of six consecutive nights which The Beatles had played. Also sold for £5,195 ($8500), was a set of autographs of five Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best, and Stuart Sutcliffe. The autographs had been obtained by a fan in Liverpool in 1961.
1999: The day after his 56th birthday, The Band's bassist, Rick Danko, dies in his sleep in Woodstock, NY. The Canadian guitarist and singer joined The Hawks in 1963 who went on to work as Bob Dylan’s backing band, (with Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson). They later became The Band. After The Band performed its farewell concert, 'The Last Waltz,' at Winterland in 1976, Danko was the first Band member offered a solo contract. His self-titled debut featured each of his former bandmates in addition to Ronnie Wood, Eric Clapton and Danko’s brother, Terry. Danko also sang on the Pink Floyd songs 'Comfortably Numb' and 'Mother.' In 1994, he was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Band.
2002: Spin Magazine names The Strokes “The Band of the Year."
2003: Audioslave captures Modern Rock Artist of the Year and Rock Artist of the Year 2003 at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. Trapt`s 'Headstrong' nails Track of Year honors in both the Rock and Modern Rock categories. Evanescence gets New Group Artist of the Year and Soundtrack Single of the Year ('Bring Me to Life'). Foo Fighters and Evanescence perform. Jane`s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro is among the presenters.
2003: Metallica announces their complete catalog is available for download on select websites, but fans must purchase albums rather than individual songs.
2004: One of three RCA microphones used by radio station KWKH for the historic Elvis Presley appearance at the Louisiana Hayride was sold for $37,500. The microphone was one of three used during 50 performances by Elvis Presley when he performed for the radio show in Shreveport from 1954 to 1956.
2005: Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk weds Seven Year Bitch vocalist Selene Vigil in Lake Tahoe, CA. The small ceremony is the culmination of a 10 year courtship.
2005: U2 receives Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award in recognition of their work on human-rights issues and fighting global debt over the past two decades. "They have inspired and empowered millions with their music and by speaking out on behalf of the poor, the powerless and the oppressed," says the organization's secretary general, Irene Khan.
2007: Led Zeppelin take the stage of London's O2 arena as the headliners of a tribute concert for Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who passed away the previous December. He was the one who signed Zeppelin in 1968. John Bonham's son Jason is on the drumkit. Zeppelin start with 'Good Times Bad Times,' the first track from their debut album. Zeppelin performs a total of sixteen songs, including for the first time, live, full-length versions of 'Ramble On' and “For Your Life.' Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Jeff Beck, Brian May, David Gilmour, The Edge, Peter Gabriel, Queen drummer Roger Taylor and Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott are in the audience. More than one million people had taken part in a ballot for the 20,000 tickets available for the show. With proceeds going to Ertegun’s charity, the cost is $255 per ticket, but scalpers get up to $2,000.
2007: Eddie Van Halen's backyard is swamped when a water main bursts. Firefighters are able to prevent the ensuing mudslide from harming the guitarist's L.A. home but his swimming pool and driveway gate are damaged.
2008: The Associated Press reported that the US military used loud music to "create fear, disorient and prolong capture shock" for prisoners at military detention centers at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Among the songs blasted 24 hours a day were 'Born In The USA' by Bruce Springsteen, 'Hell's Bells' by AC/DC, 'White America' by Eminem, 'The Theme From Sesame Street' and 'I Love You' from the Barney and Friends children's TV show.
2009: Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose punches a photographer while boarding a flight at Los Angeles International Airport. The singer, reportedly traveling to a performance in Taipei, Taiwan, warns the photographer and tells bystanders he's going to "break this guy's f*cking neck," before knocking the photographer to the ground. Footage of the incident lands online.
2009: In an interview with Q magazine, Paul McCartney was asked if his marriage to Heather Mills was the worst mistake of his life. He replied "OK, yeah. I suppose that has to be the prime contender." The divorce settlement had cost McCartney £24m ($38.9m), plus annual payments for his daughter, Beatrice.
2009: Slipknot's 'Psychosocial' and 'Sulfur,' from 'All Hope Is Gone,' and 'Duality' from 2006's 'Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses' are available for download for the 'Rock Band' video game.
2010: The original hand-written lyrics to Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changin' sold at a New York auction. Expected to go for $300,000, hedge-fund manager Adam Sender pays $422,500 beating out a handful of other bidders. Dylan wrote the classic protest song in 1963.
2011: A copy of The Beatles 'Love Me Do' 1962 Demonstration Record sold for $17,339.31 during a 10-day eBay auction. According to the seller, this original demo was the ‘Holy Grail’ of Beatles items.
2011: Sublime with Rome (Ramirez) drummer Bud Gaugh announces he has quit the band prior to a performance at the Almost Acoustic Christmas Concert in L.A. "The story is that I'm gonna be a dad here again real soon, and I just wanna be there for my family," says Gaugh.
2011: At the last of four 30th anniversary concerts at The Filmore in San Francisco, Metallica are joined on stage by two original members: bass player Ron McGovney and guitarist Dave Mustaine.
2012: Guitarist Stacey Blades announces that he has left L.A. Guns due to "extenuating circumstances and musical differences."
2014: Foo Fighters perform in South Africa for the first time at Cape Town Stadium.
2014: Slipknot percussionist Chris Fehn condemns "mosh pit bullying." "I think, especially in America, moshing has turned into a form of bullying. The big guy stands in the middle and just trucks any small kid that comes near him. Those guys need to be kicked out. A proper mosh pit is a great way to be as a group and dance, and just do your thing."
2014: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble top the public poll for induction into the 2015 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. They get 18 million votes, one-third of the total votes cast.
2014: Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' is named the best song of all-time to have playing during surgery, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Among the worst songs are Queen's 'Another One Bites The Dust,' Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' and R.E'M.'s 'Everybody Hurts.'
2015: Janis Joplin's psychedelic Porsche sells for $1.76 million at RM Sotheby's 'Driven By Disruption' car auction in New York. Joplin bought the car secondhand in 1968. The pearl white auto was painted by a Big Brother & The Holding Company roadie.
2015: Funeral services for former Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland are held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in L.A. Weiland died in his sleep a week earlier. Members of both bands attend.
2016: 'Hair Metal Holiday' featuring BulletBoys, Kix, Lynch Mob, King's X, Pretty Boy Floyd, Lillian Axe and Tuff and others happens in Dallas, Texas.
2016: Patti Smith accepts the Nobel Prize in Literature on behalf of Bob Dylan. Dylan doesn't attend the ceremony, but sends an insightful speech that is read by the US ambassador to Sweden. Dylan said it was "truly beyond words" to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. He said he thought his odds of winning were as likely as him "standing on the moon". Patti Smith performed 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' at the ceremony. But the singer had to apologize during her rendition after nerves got the better of her and she forgot the lyrics.
2016: Green Day pay tribute to the victims of the fire at the Ghost Ship building in Oakland which was a mixed use space for artists. Thirty- six people died eight days earlier during an event at the space. "My heart just goes out to all the people who perished in that warehouse, because these are just people looking for themselves," says frontman Billie Joe Armstrong.
Dec. 11
1957: Jerry Lee Lewis marries 13-year-old Myra Gale Brown, who is the daughter of his cousin (and bass player), J.W. Brown. That makes her his first cousin once removed. Besides creating one of the most shocking scandals of its time, the marriage is further complicated by the fact that Lewis was still technically married to his previous wife, Jane Mitcham. Lewis and Brown divorce 14 years later after Myra claims, “I have been subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable.”
1958: The Coasters record 'Charlie Brown,' which would go on to reach #2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cashbox Best Sellers list in early in 1959. The song was so popular that over the years more than 80 cover versions have been recorded.
1960: Aretha Franklin makes her New York stage debut, singing Blues and Pop standards at the Village Vanguard.
1961: Elvis Presley started a 20-week run at #1 on the US album chart with 'Blue Hawaii', his 7th US #1 album.
1961: Motown Records achieves their first #1 song when The Marvelettes' 'Please Mr. Postman' reaches the top. The session musicians on the track included 22 year old Marvin Gaye on drums.
1964: Sam Cooke is killed at age 33 when the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles (where rooms cost $3 a night) shoots him three times. The manager claims that Cooke assaulted her and that he tried to rape his companion. The incident was ruled a justifiable homicide.
1964: The Righteous Brothers 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling' is released. It will become their first Billboard Top 40 hit and reach #1 the following February. In 1999, the performing-rights organization, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) ranked the song as having had more radio and television play in the United States than any other song during the 20th century.
1965: The Velvet Underground play their first show: opening for a group called The Myddle Class in the auditorium of Summit High School in New Jersey. They play three songs: 'There She Goes Again,' 'Heroin' and 'Venus In Furs.'
1965: Bob Dylan plays the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco, CA.
1966: Elton John's band Bluesology opens for Little Richard at a show in London. Elton would later say, "When I saw Little Richard standing on top of the piano, all lights, sequins and energy, I decided there and then that I was going to be a rock and roll piano player."
1966: The Lovin’ Spoonful performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Also on the bill, The Children, and The Paupers.
1968: Blood, Sweat & Tears self-titled 2nd album is released. It topped the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart for seven weeks throughout 1969, and features three singles that reached various Billboard charts - 'And When I Die' (Hot 100 #2, Adult Contemporary #4), 'Spinning Wheel' (Hot 100 #2, Adult Contemporary #1, R&B Singles #45), and 'You've Made Me So Very Happy' (Hot 100 #2, R&B Singles #46). It won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
1968: Filming begins on 'The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus' movie. Conceived by Mick Jagger, the event was comprised of two concerts on a circus stage and included such acts as John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performing as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell, Keith Richards, Jethro Tull and The Who, as well as clowns and acrobats. It was originally meant to be aired on the BBC, but the Rolling Stones withheld it because they were unhappy with their performance. Many believe the real reason was because the Who completely upstaged the Stones. As a footnote, this is the only footage of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi performing as a member of Jethro Tull. The film was eventually released in 1996.
1968: Deep Purple released their 2nd album, 'The Book of Taliesyn.' It reached #54 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart.
1969: Yes appeared at LCP Fletcher Hall in Leicester, England.
1970: The Doors performed at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas.
1970: King Crimson released their 3rd album, 'Lizard.' It reached #113 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart.
1970: John Lennon releases ‘Plastic Ono Band’ LP, containing ‘Mother’ and ‘Working Class Hero.’ It reached #6 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. In 2003, it placed at #22 in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
1970: The film 'The Magic Christian' starring Ringo Starr, premieres in London.
1971: Yes played at the Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York.
1971: UK comedian Benny Hill was at #1 on the UK singles chart with the innuendo-laden novelty song, 'Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West),' giving Hill his only #1 and the Christmas #1 hit of 1971. The song was originally written in 1955 as the introduction to an unfilmed screenplay about Hill's milkman experiences.
1971: Carly Simon's 'Anticipation' is released in the US where it will reach #13 during a ten week run.
1972: Genesis play their first-ever US concert at Brandeis University in Massachussetts.
1972: The Grateful Dead played the first of two nights at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
1972: The Rolling Stones 'More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies)' is released. It was the second compilation album of Rolling Stones music by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records (who usurped control of the band's Decca/London material in 1970), released on December 11, 1972, after the band's departure from Decca and Klein. It reached #9 on the Billboard 200 Top LP"s chart.
1973: KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is nearly electrocuted during a concert in Florida when he touches a short circuited light. He is carried from the stage but returns 10 minutes later to finish the show. This incident inspires the song 'Shock Me,' which is Frehley’s first lead vocal in Kiss.
1973: Alice Cooper and ZZ Top played Dane County Memorial Coliseum in Madison, WI.
1973: Bobby Darin has an operation to repair his artificial heart valves at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles. He would die nine days later at age 37.
1974: Deep Purple played at the Mecca Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1976: Al Stewart's 'Year Of The Cat' enters the pop charts.
1976: Bob Seger releases his breakthrough album 'Night Moves.' It sells over 5 million copies.
1977: Queen played at The Summit in Houston, Texas.
1978: David Bowie appears at NHK Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
1978: Black Sabbath performed their last concert with their original lineup at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, NM. They later reunited for one-off performances at Live Aid in 1985 & in 1992 at Ozzy Osbourne’s “farewell” concerts before touring sporadically between the years of 1997-2005. Van Halen opened the show.
1979: The Cars 'Double Life' b/w 'Candy-O' 45 single is released.
1979: King Crimson released their 3rd studio album, 'Lizard.'
1980: U2 appeared at The Mudd Club in New York City, the first date of four US shows which also took the band to Boston and Washington DC.
1981: The Rolling Stones performed at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
1982: Slade released their live album, 'Slade on Stage.' It was recorded at Newcastle City Hall in 1981 and reached #58 in the UK charts.
1982: Pat Benatar peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Shadows of the Night,' Benatar’s 7th top 40 single in the U.S.
1982: Billy Idol made his first appearance on American Bandstand where he performed 'Hot in the City' & 'White Wedding.'
1984: Krokus, W.A.S.P. and Helix played at the Long Beach Arena.
1988: Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre plays host to a Roy Orbison tribute concert, featuring Don Henley, Tom Petty, Graham Nash and Bonnie Raitt. Orbison passed away a week earlier.
1989: The Recording Industry Association of America certified four Led Zeppelin albums as multi-platinum: 'Presence' (2 million), 'Led Zeppelin' (4 million), 'Physical Graffiti'
(4 million) and 'In Through The Out Door' (5 million).
1989: Supporting Alice Cooper, Great White play Wembley Arena; the concert is broadcast later by 'The Friday Rock Show' and is released the following year in Japan as 'Live In London.'
1993: Guns N’ Roses entered the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #4 with their covers album 'The Spaghetti Incident?' which was their last album to feature original guitarist Slash & original bassist Duff McKagan.
1998: During a gig in Tuscon, Arizona, a bottle thrown from the audience hit Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson. A security guard was then stabbed trying to eject a man from the crowd.
2000: A Perfect Circle’s debut album, 'Mer de Noms,' is approved for release in China by the country’s government' It's the first Western rock album since Guns N’ Roses 'Use Your Illusion I and II' were permitted in 1997. 'Mer de Noms' is required to display an “explicit language” warning in China.
2001: Paul McCartney performs 'Let It Be' as part of the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize celebrations in Oslo, Norway.
2002: David Lee Roth files a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Records and his former bandmates in Van Halen, claiming he was underpaid royalties. Roth argues that the 1996 agreement was instituted without his knowledge and was a “plan to divert royalties” due to him. Roth claims to be owed 25% of Van Halen’s royalties, per a contract he signed upon leaving the band.
2002: The remaining dates of Guns N’ Roses’ North American tour was cancelled by promoters after a riot in Philadelphia six days earlier due to Axl Rose no-showing the concert. 35 concerts were scheduled, but only 16 took place.
2002: What was left of the original Napster's computers, laptops and servers were auctioned off in San Francisco, as the online file sharing company cleaned out its remaining physical assets. A federal judge ordered Napster offline until it could comply with an order to halt the unauthorized trade of copyright music.
2004: Artworks created by 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold and his wife, Terika, are auctioned on eBay. Proceeds benefit the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Nature Preservation Society. The organization assists injured and orphaned animals in Mississippi.
2006: Courtney Love has two drug-possession cases and an assault charge dismissed by a Los Angeles Superior Court justice after successfully completing her court-mandated drug-rehab program. "Thank you for giving me (another) opportunity," Love tells the judge.
2006: A keyboard signed by Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, U2's Bono, David Bowie and ex-Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones is auctioned in New York to benefit the Witness human-rights organization co-founded by Gabriel.
2007: Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards issues a digital single (via iTunes) featuring two rare cover songs, his 1976 rendition of Chuck Berry's, 'Run Rudolph Run' and an 2003 version of 'Pressure Drop,' which was originally recorded by Toots and the Maytals. 2008: Bon Jovi's 'Lost Highway' tour tops Billboard's Boxscore (an annual list of the highest-grossing tours). The trek earned $210.6 million. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band land at #2 ($205 million).
2008: 3 Doors Down and Hinder appear in "teen service announcements" to promote Best Buy's @15 platform for social change. "My advice to any teenager would be...aim for your future and start it now," says 3DD singer Brad Arnold.
2009: Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo leaves an Albany, NY, hospital following a tour bus accident that left him with a punctured lung, lacerated spleen and broken ribs. In what looks to be a classic mess-up his management arranges for a bus to transport him back to LA. Actually, doctors order Cuomo not to get on an airplane for a month because the air pressure changes would be bad for his healing punctured lung.
2009: Time magazine ranks Mastodon's 'Crack The Skye' as the third best album of 2009. The Progressive Metal set is the last of four in a cycle that focuses on the concept of Earth's elements. "Nods to European Folk, Free Jazz and Prog Rock...the ambition and tenacity of Mastodon's music makes 'Crack The Skye' sonically unforgettable," writes Time. Brad Paisley's 'American Saturday Night' and Dirty Projectors' 'Bitte Orca,' are #1 and #2, respectively.
2009: Marilyn Manson settles a $20 million lawsuit filed against him by former bandmate Stephen Bier. The keyboardist, also known as Pogo/Madonna Wayne Gacy, sued Manson for breach of contract, claiming he was deprived of his share of the band's earnings due to Manson's questionable acquisitions. The suit is settled for $175,000. "After being dismissed from the band, Bier could have focused on resurrecting or attempting to pursue a music career," says Manson's lawyer. "Instead, he devoted the last several years to complaining about Manson's alleged spending habits and extravagant behavior to anyone who would listen."
2010: Good Charlotte's Joel Madden marries Nicole Richie at the home of Richie's dad, Lionel Richie, in Los Angeles.
2011: Evanescence performs at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway.
2011: Kid Rock is on CNN's 'Heroes: An All-Star Tribute' recognizing everyday people changing the world. Playing a piano, Rock sings a special version of his single 'Care.'
2012: Metallica released their 'Quebec Magnetic' Blu-Ray/DVD.
2012: Ravi Shankar (born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury) dies in La Jolla, CA after undergoing heart valve replacement surgery at 92. Shankar was an Indian musician well known for introducing the sitar to George Harrison of the Beatles. Shankar performed at the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock, and toured up until his death. He was awarded five Grammy Awards, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score for Gandhi. He was the father of musician Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones, who has sold upwards of 50 million albums.
2012: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2013 is announced. Rush and Heart make the cut. "It's a terrific honor and we'll show up smiling," Rush's singer/bassist, Geddy Lee, tells Rolling Stone. "It made my mom happy, so that's worth it." Heart's Ann Wilson offers an observation on why it took so long for the Hall to honor her band. "Some people have an idea of what the shape of Rock & Roll is supposed to look like," says Wilson. "We're not really it. Personally, that's why I think it's taken quite a while." Joan Jett and Deep Purple are passed over. "To be frank, I am disappointed that Deep Purple is not included in that group," adds Lee. "Certainly Heart and Rush would not sound the way we sound without Deep Purple." The formal induction comes in April, 2013.
2012: The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger makes a guest appearance on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' to deliver the Top 10 list based on "10 Things I, Mick Jagger, Have Learned After 50 Years In Rock N' Roll." At #1: "You start out playing Rock 'n' Roll so you can have sex and do drugs. But you end up doing drugs so you can still play Rock 'n' Roll and have sex."
2012: A paperback version of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi's memoir, 'Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath,' is in bookstores. "It's got new chapters bringing everything up to date, including my battle with lymphoma," states Iommi. The hardcover version came out in 2011.
2013: Led Zeppelin officially release their first two albums, I and II, for streaming via Spotify. The legendary band had been a conspicuous hold out. The remaining Zep catalog follows.
2013: Rod Stewart confirmed a reunion with The Faces in 2015, which is the 40th anniversary of the band's breakup. They planned on getting together after Ronnie Wood's next tour with the Rolling Stones.
2014: AC/DC score their 9th Top 10 album when 'Rock Or Bust' debuts at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The album sells 174,00 copies during its opening week to land behind Pentatonix ('That's Christmas To Me') and Taylor Swift ('1989').
2015: Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil and his Rockstar Investment Group, is sued for allegedly helping defrauded investors in the ill-fated Las Vegas Outlaws Arena Football League franchise, which folded earlier in the year.
2015: KISS frontman Paul Stanley sings the 'The Star-Spangled Banner' when the San Antonio Spurs host the L.A. Lakers at the AT&T Center.
2015: Motorhead played their last concert ever in Berlin.
2015: More than a hundred relatives, friends, fans and former employees gathered to dedicate the stone that will become the centerpiece of a memorial garden outside the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Mississippi.
Dec. 12
1901: Guglielmo Marconi sent out and received the very first transatlantic radio signal.
1955: Bill Haley and His Comets record 'See You Later Alligator.'
1955: Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley all appeared at the National Guard Armory in Mississippi.
1957: A Portland, Oregon, DJ is fired for violating the station's ban of Elvis Presley's version of 'White Christmas.' Presley's straight-ahead rendition of the Christmas classic is considered in poor taste by some. The station management said, "it's not in the spirit we associate with Christmas."
1957: Jerry Lee Lewis marries his second cousin, Myra Gale Brown, in Hernando, MS. She's the daughter of J.W. Brown, Jerry Lee's bass player and cousin. Myra is 13 years old, though she claims to be 20 on the marriage license. When her age and family ties are discovered it leads to a major scandal that wrecks Jerry Lee's career for several years. Also, Jerry Lee is still married to his second wife, Jane Mitchum. Though separated, the divorce didn't become final until May of 1958.
1959: After being pushed out of the #1 spot on the Cashbox Best Sellers chart for the last four weeks, Bobby Darin's 'Mack The Knife' returned to the top of the chart. It is a feat that is seldom duplicated.
1961: Mike Douglas begins his TV variety/talk show in Cleveland, Ohio.
1963: The Beatles were at #1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', the group's 3rd #1 (and first Amercan #1) and this year's UK Christmas #1.
1964: The Rolling Stones’ second American album, '12x5,' went to #3 on the chart.
1964: 'The Beatles Story' enters the albums chart.
1964: The Zombies reached their highest point on the Billboard Pop chart when 'She's Not There' topped out at #2. Although they recorded the track in just one take, it would stay on the Hot 100 for 3 months and climbed to #12 in the UK.
1965: Bob Dylan plays the San Jose Civic Auditorium in San Jose, CA.
1966: Pink Floyd perform their first concert at Oxfam benefit at Royal Albert Hall. They would play the RAH three more times, with the last performance there in 1970.
1966: Jimi Hendrix performs at the RamJam Club in London.
1966: Elvis Presley donates over $100,000 to a variety of Memphis charities.
1967: Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones was let off the hook by a London appeals court. He faced nine months in prison after he was found guilty of possessing cannabis, but three psychiatrists testified that his nerves would be unable to handle such a lengthy incarceration, and the court agreed to commute his sentence.
1967: Jefferson Airplane appears at the Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia.
1969: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band 'Live Peace in Toronto 1969' is released. It reached #10 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. It was recorded at the Toronto Rock ‘n Roll Revival concert which took place on September 13th.
1969: The Ringo Starr/Peter Sellers film 'The Magic Christian' premieres in London. The film also featured appearances by John Cleese, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Richard Attenborough and Roman Polanski.
1969: The Allman Brothers Band played at the Woodrose Ballroom in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
1970: Although they had enjoyed 26 previous Top 40 Hits, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles reached #1 on the Billboard Pop chart for the first time with 'The Tears Of A Clown.' It was also a #1 in the UK.
1970: Charges of larceny by trick are filed against Little Richard in Miami Beach, Florida by Blacks, Inc., a black advocacy group which says the veteran Rocker pocketed $250 he had solicited for the organization. Little Richard claims that all he wants is a receipt and then he'll give them their money. A week later, the charges were dropped.
1970: The Doors played what would be their last ever live show with Jim Morrison when they played at the Warehouse in New Orleans. Before the show, Morrison allegedly spent the day drinking and indulging in a cornucopia of drugs, including a strong dose of psychedelics. The show ends when Morrison rams the mic stand into the stage, which finally gives way.
1970: Steven Stills releases 'Love The One You're With.'
1970: Neil Young peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' Young’s first top 40 single in the U.S.
1970: 'Abraxas' by Santana enters it’s 4th week at #1 on the US album charts. It hit the top spot for a week on October 24th, then returned for the last five weeks of 1970 on November 28th.
1971: The Who performed at the Civic Auditorium, San Francisco.
1972: Genesis appeared at Philharmonic Hall in New York.
1973: Emerson, Lake and Palmer's 'Brain Salad Surgery' is certified gold.
1973: The Grateful Dead played at the Omni, in Atlanta. Georgia.
1974: KISS performed at the I.M.A. Sports Arena in Flint, Michigan.
1974: The Rolling Stones second guitarist, Mick Taylor, announced he was quitting the band. The Stones carried on recording their album 'Black and Blue' in Munich with a variety of guitarists, including Taylor’s eventual replacement, Ron Wood.
1975: Rush played at War Memorial Arena in Syracuse, New York.
1975: Black Sabbath and special guests KISS played Onondaga County War Memorial Memorial in Syracuse, New York.
1976: KISS & Uriah Heep performed at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida. Ace Frehley is nearly electrocuted right after they played 'Detroit Rock City.' KISS performed that song on top of their set before descending to the stage for the next song. As Frehley came down, he grabbed onto a metal rail to steady himself, completing an electrical circuit with his guitar. He was seized by the current and unable to move, but finally broke free and fell several feet to the stage below. "If I hadn't been able to let go, I would have died," Frehley later told the Lakeland Ledger. "My life passed in front of my eyes." Ace took a 10-minute break in the dressing room before returning to the stage to a standing ovation, finishing the night's set. The incident inspired his song 'Shock Me,' which wound up being the first track he ever sang on a KISS album.
1976: Bob Seger’s single 'Night Moves' is released. The song peaks at #4 on the Billboard chart and is Seger’s breakthrough track.
1977: KISS and AC/DC played Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY.
1978: Van Halen entered the studio to begin work on their 2nd album.
1978: David Bowie played the last show of his world tour at NHK Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
1979: Paul McCartney & Wings performed in Birmingham, England, the latest stop on their farewell tour. Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and John Bonham, who performed on the Wings album 'Back to the Egg,' attended the show.
1980: Four days after John Lennon's murder, thousands of marchers make their way from down Fifth Avenue to the Dakota Building, where he lived and was killed.
1980: The Clash's 4th 'Sandinista!' is released. It reached #24 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and was voted the best album of the year in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics poll. It was ranked #404 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003.
1981: King Crimson performed at Expo Hall in Osaka, Japan.
1981: The Foreigner '4' album hits #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It spends a total of 10 weeks at #1.
1982: Judas Priest 'Live Vengeance '82' by was recorded at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee and originally released on VHS as 'Judas Priest Live.'
1985: Keyboardist Ian Stewart died in London of a heart attack in his doctor's Harley Street waiting room. Stewart was a founding member of The Rolling Stones. Stewart was the first to respond to Brian Jones's advertisement in Jazz News seeking musicians to form a rhythm & blues group. However, Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham kicked him out of the band because he didn’t have “the right look.” Stewart became the band’s road manager and their indispensable sideman. He played on all The Rolling Stones albums between 1964 and 1983. Also played piano on Led Zeppelin's ‘Rock and Roll’ and ‘Boogie With Stu’ from 'Physical Graffiti.'
1985: After missing a bond revocation hearing in November, David Crosby turns himself in to the FBI and begins serving time for drug and firearms possession. Crosby considered fleeing the country to avoid jail time, but decided to bite the bullet and serve his sentence.
1987: Whitesnake go platinum with ‘Slide it In.’
1987: 'Dude (Looks Like A Lady),' Aerosmith's first chart single in seven years, climbs to #14.
1990: Britain’s Q magazine presents its first awards. During the London fete the Rolling Stones are named Best Live Act and U2 is the Best Act In The World Today.
1991: Cynthia Lennon, as well as Sean and Yoko Ono, attended the funeral of John Lennon's Aunt Mimi (Smith). Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all sent floral arrangements. During the service, the funeral home played 'Imagine.'
1994: Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love is awarded songwriting credits on 35 Beach Boys songs. Love claimed that Murry Wilson, the father of Beach Boys Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, administered the publishing rights and left him uncredited for many songs for which he contributed lyrics.
1997: John Fogerty plays live on a Hollywood (actually Burbank) soundstage for an MTV special. Not only does he play songs from his new album 'Blue Moon Swamp,' he plays Creedence Clearwater Revival classics. Fogerty had refused to play CCR songs due to a major falling out over song ownership with Fantasy Records, CCR's label.
1998: Pearl Jam's 'Live On Two Legs' reaches #15 on the U.S. album chart.
1998: A seven inch single by the Quarry Men featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison was named as the rarest record of all time, only 50 copies were made with each copy being valued at $20,500.
2000: Guns N' Roses announced their long-awaited album 'Chinese Democracy' was due for release in June 2001. It actually came out in November of 2008.
2001: Arthur Lee guitarist and singer from Love, was released from prison after serving almost six years of an eleven-year sentence. Lee had been convicted of possession of a firearm and for allegedly shooting a gun in the air during a dispute with a neighbor.
2001: Nirvana bandmates Dave Grohl & Krist Novoselic filed a countersuit against Courtney Love involving future releases of Nirvana material. The suit was in response to a lawsuit Love filed earlier in the year claiming Nirvana’s contract with the Universal Music Group was null & void & that all rights pertaining to Nirvana would revert to her.
2002: The Boring Institute of America declared Ozzy Osbourne the most boring celebrity of the year.
2002: At a New York radio show, Kelly Osbourne re-ignited her family’s feud with Billy Corgan. She claimed Corgan’s new band, Zwan, was only on the bill because Corgan orally serviced the radio station’s program director. Kelly’s mom managed The Smashing Pumpkins briefly before quitting because, she claimed, Corgan made her sick.
2003: Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger became a Sir as he was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Jagger brought his 92-year-old father Joe to the ceremony.
2006: Don Henley and Dallas Mayor Laura Miller appear at a Mt. Vernon, Texas, City Council meeting to speak in favor of the city's continued membership in a coalition that promotes restrictions on coal-fueled power plants built in the state.
2006: The all-star covers group Camp Freddy, featuring Velvet Revolver's Scott Weiland and drummer Matt Sorum, release a version of Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" via iTunes.
2007: Scott Weiland is formally charged with driving under the influence of drugs. The charges stem from the singer's 11/11/07 arrest following a car crash in L.A.
2007: The Eagles 'Long Road Out Of Eden' is certified triple platinum, signifying U.S. shipments in excess of 3 million units. It's also the #1 album on Billboard's Top Country chart.
2007: John Mellencamp receives the ASCAP Foundation Champion Award "for music in the service of humanity" in New York. Farm Aid is but one of the singer's social and humanitarian efforts.
2007: A copy of John Lennon's book, 'A Spaniard in the Works,' which contained a lock of Lennon's hair, sold at Gorringes Auction House for $48,000. Lennon gave the book and the hair to Betty Glasgow, the Fab Four's hairdresser during their heyday. He wrote in the book, "To Betty, Lots of Love and Hair, John Lennon xx."
2007: Students singing Guns N' Roses 'Welcome To The Jungle' after hours over the school's P.A. system are handcuffed and questioned by Roxbury, CT, police. A teacher mistakes the lines "You're in the jungle baby / You're gonna die" for a threat and barricades herself in her classroom before calling the cops.
2007: Guitar Center stores sell a replica version of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's 1965 Stratocaster.
2007: Ike Turner dies at his home in San Diego of a cocaine overdose at age 76. He was also struggling with emphysema and cardiovascular disease. A notorious wife beater and drug abuser, Turner is credited with recording the first Rock N' Roll song, 'Rocket 88' (released in 1951). Later, he married Tina and the pair led the Ike & Tina Revue from 1958 through the mid-70's when the couple's troubles led to a split and subsequent divorce.
2008: Bono receives the Man of Peace award in Paris at a gathering of Nobel peace laureates. The U2 singer is honored for his efforts to combat global poverty and the HIV/AIDS crisis.
2008: The town where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards grew up announced it was to name streets in a new estate after Rolling Stones hits. The 13 streets in Dartford, Kent, were to be given names such as Angie Mews, Babylon Close, Sympathy Street, Little Red Walk and Satisfaction Street. Leader of the council, Jeremy Kite, said he thought Ruby Tuesday Drive sounded a "fantastic" place to live, but police were concerned the street signs might be stolen by fans.
2008: The 20th edition of Allman Brothers Band/Gov't Mule guitarist Warren Haynes' annual Christmas Jam gets underway in Asheville, NC. All proceeds from the two-day event go to Habitat for Humanity. In addition to the Allmans and Gov't Mule, John Paul Jones, ex-Black Crowes member Audley Freed, Blues-Rock veteran Johnny Winter and the Derek Trucks Band all take part.
2009: Three Days Grace hit #1 on the Billboard Rock Songs Chart with 'Grace.'
2009: As part of their Artist In Residence stint on NBC, Bon Jovi perform 'Superman Tonight' and 'When We Were Beautiful' (from 'The Circle') on Saturday Night Live. "In a shrinking media environment, you have to kind of reinvent the wheel," says Jon Bon Jovi regarding the first-ever exclusive deal between a Rock band and a TV network.
2009: David Bowie's 1972 album, 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars,' is voted as the greatest, gayest album of all time by a panel assembled by Out magazine. 100 actors, comedians, musicians, writers, critics, performance artists, label reps and DJs were asked to list the most important albums of their lives. The Smiths self-titled 1984 set is #2.
2010: 'Break' by Three Days Grace, replaces Breaking Benjamin’s 'I Will Not Bow' at the top of the Rock Songs chart.
2011: Billy Joel becomes the first non-Classical performer to have his portrait displayed at the Steinway Hall, home to legendary piano makers Steinway and Sons.
2012: The 12-12-12 Concert For Sandy Relief takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was in response to Hurricane Sandy, which devastated portions of Northeastern United States. Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Billy Joel are all on the bill. Nirvana's Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic also perform together for the first time since Nirvana's final concert 18 years earlier. The pair, plus guitarist Pat Smear, back McCartney on his song 'Cut Me Some Slack.'
2013: Joey Jordison announces his departure from Slipknot. The group later claims that Jordison decided to leave, even though he was actually fired. "We all wish Joey the best in whatever his future holds," reads a Slipknot statement.
2013: A spokeswoman for Apple records confirmed the release of 59 rare and unheard Beatles recordings in a bid to stop their copyright protection expiring. EU law protects recordings for 70 years, but only if they get an official release. Otherwise, the copyright period lasts 50 years. In the case of The Beatles, that means the master tape for their 1963 debut album "Please Please Me" is protected until 2033, but the unreleased session tapes for that album are not.
2013: Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow announced that The Beatles, Kris Kristofferson and The Isley Brothers were among the artists to be honored with the Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award at a special ceremony the night before the 56th Annual Grammys in January.
2014: The Eagles are named the top-earning Rock Band of the Year (third overall behind Dr. Dre and Beyonce), grossing approximately $100 million between June 2013 and June 2014.
2015: A benefit show for guitarist Tony McAlpine, who was diagnosed with colon cancer, features Tom Morello, Zakk Wylde, Billy Sheehan, John 5, Mike Portnoy and Nuno Bettencourt. Following the show at the Wiltern Theater, the guitar played by Steve Vai is stolen.
2016: Rolling Stone magazine calls Metallica's 'Hardwired… To Self-Destruct' the #1 Metal album. Their Readers’ Poll says David Bowie’s 'Blackstar,' his final album, is Album of the Year.
2017: 74-year-old Gayla Peevey was on hand to welcome another hippopotamus to the Oklahoma City Zoo, more than sixty years after her song about wanting one for Christmas helped raise $3,000 to purchase the facility's first one. She was also was there in December 1953 when the Nile hippopotamus Mathilda arrived, and her recording of 'I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas' has since gone on to become a Christmas favorite.
2017: Anthrax’s Scott Ian releases his book 'Access All Areas: Stories From A Hard Rock Life.'
2017: Metallica’s 'Hardwired… To Self-Destruct' tops Billboard magazine's year-end Top Rock Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts. The ranking is based on sales, streaming and radio airplay.
2017: Pat DiNizio, vocalist/guitarist/songwriter for the Smithereens, dies after battling severe health issues including the loss of the use of his right hand and arm due to nerve damage following a pair of falls. The Smithereens co-founder passes away in Summit, NJ at age 62.
Dec. 13
1956: In a year when he had eleven US Top 40 hits, Elvis Presley endures a rare miss when a song called 'Paralyzed' peaks at #78 during a one week stay. In the UK however, the record would reach #8 in August, 1957.
1960: Elvis Presley's 'It's Now Or Never' sets a new record in the UK for achieving one million sales just six weeks after its release.
1959: Singing a translated version of a French song, the Everly Brothers record their timeless ballad, 'Let It Be Me,' in Nashville.
1961: The Beatles performance at Liverpool's Cavern was witnessed by Mike Smith, an A&R man from the Decca record label.
1966: Jimi Hendrix records 'Foxy Lady.'
1966: Jimi Hendrix, who is quickly gaining momentum in England, makes his first UK TV appearance when he performs on 'Ready Steady Go.'
1967: Jimi Hendrix Experience release their 7th single, 'Foxy Lady.'
1967: At the Shrine Exhibition Hall in Los Angeles, the Grateful Dead perform 'Dark Star' for the first time. The song quickly becomes one of the most revered songs in their live catalog, a conduit for extensive jams that become part of Dead lore. The studio version of the song runs a mere 2:44.
1968: The Grateful Dead played two shows (Dec. 13 & 14) at The Bank in Torrance, CA.
1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Wedding Album entered the Billboard album chart at #182.
1969: Bob Dylan was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents.
1969: The Grateful Dead, Country Joe & the Fish and The Flying Burrito Brothers played Swing Auditorium in San Bernadino, CA.
1971: Badfinger released their 3rd album, 'Straight Up.' It reached #31 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and features two Billboard Hot 100 hits - 'Baby Blue' (#14) and 'Day After Day' (#4).
1974: George Harrison had lunch with President Gerald Ford at the White House.
1974: Bachman-Turner Overdrive go gold with ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.’
1975: Chicago started a five-week run at #1 on the US album chart with 'Chicago IX-Chicago's Greatest Hits', the group's 5th #1 album.
1975: The Chilean government nixes plans for a Rolling Stones concert on Easter Island. The idea was to fly and ferry 100,000 people to the island.
1975: Patti Smith released her debut album, 'Horses.' The record was a key factor and major influence on the New York punk rock scene. In 2003, the album was ranked #44 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. NME named the album number 1 in its list "20 Near-as-Damn-It Perfect Initial Efforts". According to a list released by Time magazine in 2006, Horses is one of the All-Time 100 Greatest Albums.
1975: David Bowie releases 'Golden Years.'
1975: Foghat release their epic track 'Slow Ride.' Composed by Dave Peverett and recorded by Foghat, it appeared on their 5th album 'Fool for the City.' It was Foghat's top single, peaking at #20. It also appears on 'Foghat Live' (1977), which was their best selling album at over two million copies. In 2009, it was named the 45th "Best Hard Rock" song of all time by VH1. The original LP version from Fool For the City lasts 8 minutes and 14 seconds. The single version was edited down to 3:56 with a fade-out ending.
1976: Robin Trower's 'Long Misty Days' album goes gold. It's the 5th solo album by the former Procol Harum guitarist.
1976: Only three days after its release the live 'Wings Over America' goes gold.
1977: Aerosmith's 'Draw The Line' album earns a platinum award.
1980: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes debuts by Donnie Iris’ 'Ah! Leah!' at #90. Cheap Trick's 'Stop This Game' was #48, The Vapors’ 'Turning Japanese' #47, Eddie Rabbitt’s 'I Love A Rainy Night' #32, Kool and the Gang’s 'Celebration' #25, Devo’s 'Whip It' #17, and Pat Benatar’s 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' was #10.
1982: Motley Crue invited every manager they knew to see them perform at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. After the concert they signed with Doc McGhee & Doug Thaler of McGhee Enterprises Inc.
1983: During a solo concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon, Robert Plant was joined by his old Led Zeppelin cohort Jimmy Page. The two performed 'Treat Her Right,' a song that was originally a hit for Roy Head in 1965.
1983: Paul McCartney 'So Bad' b/w 'Pipes Of Peace' 45 single is released in the U.S. Written by Paul McCartney, from his LP 'Pipes of Peace.' It reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1984: Bruce Kulick joins KISS.
1984: Deep Purple play the Entertainment Centre at Sydney. George Harrison makes a surprise appearance and is introduced by Jon Lord as "Arnold from Liverpool."
1985: An episode of Miami Vice, 'Phil The Shill,' features Phil Collins in the role of a drug dealer airs on NBC.
1986: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes debuts from Bon Jovi’s 'Livin’ On A Prayer' #83 & Corey Hart’s 'Can’t Help Falling In Love' at #79. And Georgia Satellites’ 'Keep Your Hands To Yourself' was #48, Glass Tiger’s 'Someday' #28, Genesis’ 'Land Of Confusion' #20, Duran Duran’s 'Notorious' #8, and Billy Idol’s 'To Be A Lover' at #7.
1986: 'The Way It Is' from Bruce Hornsby And The Range hits #1. Written by Bruce Hornsby and his brother John Hornsby, it made explicit reference to the American Civil Rights Movement. The song was heavily sampled by Tupac Shakur in his song, 'Changes' from 1998.
1986: Billy Idol peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with his 3rd full length studio album 'Whiplash Smile,' which went on to go Platinum in the U.S.
1987: A Madison Square Garden concert to benefit the New York Children's Health Project has performances by Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and Billy Joel.
1988: Bruce Springsteen's divorce from Julianne Phillips became final. He later married his back-up singer, Patti Scialfa.
1988: 'Celebration of Life,' a Roy Orbison tribute concert, is held at the Wiltern Theatre in L.A. Bonnie Raitt and the Stray Cats perform. The legendary singer died of a heart attack a week earlier.
1993: Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash joined Billy Joel on stage in Los Angeles to play a solo on the tune 'Shameless.'
1994: Guns N' Roses release their version of The Rolling Stones 'Sympathy For The Devil.'
1996: 'Jerry Maguire,' directed by Cameron Crowe opened in North American theaters. The film featured cameos from Glenn Frey of the Eagles & Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains.
1997: A protest in front of a Guess? store over alleged use of sweatshop labor and union busting gets Rage Against The Machine's guitarist Tom Morello arrested. He, and 32 others, block the entrance to a Santa Monica shopping mall and are issued citations.
2000: Sir Paul McCartney held his first-ever London book signing at Waterstone's in Piccadilly. Sir Paul was in the store to sign copies of his new book, Paul McCartney Paintings.
2000: After former Democratic presidential hopeful Al Gore delivered his concession speech to George W. Bush in Washington, D.C., he held a party in his home with a performance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It featured guest appearances by Jon Bon Jovi and Stevie Wonder and others. Petty performed 'I Won’t Back Down' with Jon Bon Jovi accompanying him on vocals, Blues Traveler frontman John Popper on harmonica and Tipper Gore on percussion. Stevie Wonder joined in for a song later in the show.
2000: Aerosmith and Queen make it into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, while AC/DC and Black Sabbath are overlooked again.
2002: Canadian guitarist and singer Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin Spoonful died of a heart attack. He was a member of The Mugwumps with Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot and formed Lovin Spoonful with John Sebastian in 1964.
2003: Jack White assaults Von Bondies frontman Jason Stollsteimer in a Detroit nightclub, possibly because Stollsteimer badmouthed White in the press. Three months later, White pleads guilty to assault and battery and is forced to pay $750 and take anger management classes.
2004: The "love shack" where Kate Pierson of The B-52's used to live in Athens, Georgia is destroyed by fire, with only its chimney and tin roof still standing.
2004: A Maryland couple sues Wal-Mart for selling Evanescence's 'Anywhere But Home' CD/DVD without a parental advisory label. The song "Thoughtless" contains an explicit lyric. The suit charges the national retailer of deceiving its customers, after promoting a policy of selling only clean versions of albums. The suit requests that Wal-Mart either censor or remove the CD/DVD from its shelves. Or perhaps those offended Wal-Mart customers could purchase some other CD.
2005: KISS release their 'Rock The Nation Live!' DVD.
2005: 3 Doors Down's second annual benefit concert for their Better Life Foundation takes place in Mobile, AL. All proceeds from the sold out event go to aid Hurricane Katrina victims along the Gulf Coast. Alter Bridge also performs.
2005: Nine Inch Nails replace drummer Alex Carapetis with A Perfect Circle's Josh Freese. He played two shows with N.I.N. two months earlier when former drummer Jerome Dillon suffered health/heart problems.
2005: Aerosmith announces they will appear in an ad campaign for Target, which is offering an exclusive expanded edition of the band's live disc 'Rockin' the Joint.' Guitarist Joe Perry claims these ad deals are a great way to attract new fans.
2005: Billboard Magazine's Boxscore claims U2's Vertigo tour is the top-grossing jaunt of the year taking in $260 million over the course of 90 shows, all of which were sold out. More than 3 million people saw the group live.
2006: New York police arrested Koral Karsan and charged him with first-degree attempted grand larceny for allegedly trying to extort $2 million from John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. The 50 year old Karsan had worked for Ono as a chauffeur for over six years.
2007: Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, performing under his Nightwatchman moniker, is joined onstage at Hollywood's Hotel Cafe by ex-Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, System Of A Down's Serj Tankian, Velvet Revolver's Slash, Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, Filter's Richard Patrick and Motley Crue's Mick Mars.
2007: Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' tops VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s special. The online poll places U2's 'One,' Pearl Jam's 'Jeremy' and Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Under The Bridge' in the Top 20. All 100 songs are featured in a five-night countdown on the cable channel.
2008: Joe Walsh marries Marjorie Bach, making him brother-in-law to Ringo Starr, who is married to Marjorie's sister Barbara.
2010: Bon Jovi's world tour is named the most successful tour of the year by Billboard magazine (beating out U2). The band earned $146.5 million from their 69-show Circle tour which spanned North America, England, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
2010: Just two days after making his third appearance on NBC's 'Saturday Night Live,' Paul McCartney stays in town for his first ever show at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem.
2011: Frontman Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses are presented the key to West Valley City, Utah by Mayor Mike Winder during a concert at the Maverik Center.
2011: 'Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC,' written by former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans, is released. The book covers Evans three year stint with the band until he was unceremonious fired in 1977.
2011: Metallica's 'Beyond Magnetic' EP was released as a digital download only on iTunes to coincide with the band's 30th anniversary shows.
2012: Songwriting legend Carole King, whose career dates back to the Brill Building, wins the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize in recognition of her lifetime achievement. She is the first woman to have been awarded this honor
2013: Mick Jagger's passionate letters to his former lover Marsha Hunt are auctioned off for over $300,000 at Sotheby's in London. Hunt inspired the Rolling Stones' 1971 hit 'Brown Sugar' and she gave birth to Jagger's first child (Karis Hunt Jagger).
2013: Foo Fighters perform their first concert in Mexico at Foro Sol in Mexico City. They use a video with former CHiPs actor Erik Estrada to promo the show.
2014: Alice Cooper's annual Christmas Pudding show raises funds for Cooper's Solid Rock Foundation. The show has performances by members of Rainbow, Night Ranger and the E Street Band.
2015: Officials at New York's Madison Square Garden announced that Billy Joel had sold out his 30th consecutive show at the 18,666 seat venue, set for June 17, 2016.
2016: PETA honors Blink-182 and AFI’s Dave Havok at their 11th Annual Libby Awards. Havok earns the Hero of the Year for Animals award after baring it all for PETA’s anti-leather campaign. Blink-182, an all veg band, is named the year's Most Animal-Friendly Band.
2017: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announce the 2018 inductees: Bon Jovi, Dire Straits, the Cars and the Moody Blues are in. Judas Priest are passed over. Fans are screaming for vengeance. The official induction ceremony is the following April in Cleveland.
2018: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announce the 2018 inductees: Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks, The Zombies, Roxy Music, The Cure, Radiohead and Janet Jackson. Nominees Todd Rundgren, Rage Against The Machine, MC5, Devo, John Prine, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J and Rufus & Chaka Khan are passed over.
Dec. 14
1959: The Ohio State University Research Center issues a report showing that rock and roll is the overwhelming favorite music of people aged 14-18. However, most over the age of eighteen who were polled considered it their least favorite form of music.
1959: Billboard magazine reports that in the wake of the government's payola investigations, the pay-for-play phenomenon has all but ceased. One Philadelphia record distributor complained, "You can't even buy the disc jockeys lunch."
1962: Bill Wyman made his live debut with The Rolling Stones at the Ricky Tick Club, Star and Garter Hotel in Windsor, England. The group were know as The Rollin' Stones during this period.
1962: Bob Dylan's 'Mixed Up Confusion' b/w 'Corrina, Corrina' 45 single is released.
1963: The Beatles 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' replaces 'She Loves You' at #1 on the U.K. pop chart. It's the first time in U.K. chart history an act replaces itself at the top. The Beatles 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' replaces 'She Loves You' at #1 on the U.K. pop chart. It's the first time in U.K. chart history an act replaces itself at the top.
1963: The Beatles played a show for their Southern Area Fan Club at Wimbledon Palais in London. To prevent damage to the stage from fans the management of the Palais constructed a platform for The Beatles to perform on, surrounded by a steel cage.
1966: Elvis Presley's film 'Spinout' premieres in Los Angeles.
1967: Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones was rushed to St Georges hospital in London after collapsing. A doctor reported Jones was tired and suffering from over strain and was also recovering from having some teeth out.
1967: Dick Clark announces that he's filming a movie about hippies, 'The Love Children,' starring Jack Nicholson and Dean Stockwell and featuring the music of The Strawberry Alarm Clock and the Seeds.
1967: The Who's 3rd album, 'The Who Sell Out' is released in the U.K. It was released in January 1968 in the U.S. It reached #48 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and the single 'I Can See For Miles' reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 in the UK. In 2003, the album was ranked #113 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
1968: Iron Butterfly's 'In-A-Gadda-Da Vida' album goes gold. The album sells three million copies as it stays on the album chart for nearly three years.
1968: Tommy James and the Shondells release 'Crimson and Clover.'
1968: Deep Purple played at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
1970: John Lennon's 'Instant Karma!' is certified gold.
1970: George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' is certified gold.
1970: Grand Funk Railroad performed at Park Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1971: The Grateful Dead were in Ann Arbor, Michigan where they played at Hill Auditorium.
1971: 'Led Zeppelin IV' was riding high in the Top 10 of the US album charts. In 2006, the album was rated #1 on Classic Rock magazine's '100 Greatest British Albums' poll, and #1 in a poll conducted by Guitar World. The album has now sold over 23 million copies in the US. The typeface for the lyrics to 'Stairway to Heaven,' printed on the inside sleeve of the album, was Jimmy Page's contribution. He found it in an old arts and crafts magazine from the late 19th century. He thought the lettering was interesting and arranged for a designer to create a whole alphabet
1972: Seals and Crofts' 'Summer Breeze' is certified gold.
1972: 'Born To Boogie,' a film about T-Rex and Marc Bolan, makes its London debut. The film was produced and directed by Ringo Starr. The film was based around a concert at Wembley Empire Pool, London, England and was released on The Beatles Apple Films label.
1972: Fleetwood Mac appeared at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.
1972: In a clever publicity stunt, Alexander's department store in New York stays open late especially so Alice Cooper can do his Christmas shopping.
1973: Bruce Springsteen appeared at the Pinecrest Country Club in Shelton, Connecticut. Only 200 tickets were sold for the show.
1973: Roger Daltrey of The Who performs the second of two nights as Tommy in the second all-star concert version of the orchestral 'Tommy' at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
1973: Yes' 6th studio album, 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' is released in the UK (January 9, 1974 in the U.S.). It topped the UK albums chart and reached #6 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart during a chart stay of 27 weeks after its US release in January 1974.
1974: Mick Taylor leaves Rolling Stones to form new group with Jack Bruce.
1974: Styx re-released'“Lady' which went on to become their first top 10 hit in the U.S. peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.
1974: Pink Floyd played the last show of the 1974 British Winter Tour at the Hippodrome in Bristol. These shows were notable for the concert debut of 'You Gotta Be Crazy,' an early version of 'Dogs' that would subsequently appear on the 'Animals' album.
1975: The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.
1976: AC/DC played at the Civic Centre in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia.
1977: KISS perform the first of three night's at New York's Madison Square Garden. Detective opens the first night, with Piper opening the other two nights.
1978: Rush appeared at the International Amphitheater in Chicago.
1979: ZZ Top performed at Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City, Tennessee.
1979: The Clash's 3rd studio album, 'London Calling' is released in the UK (January 1980 in the U.S.). It reached #27 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart and #9 on the UK chart. In 2003, it was ranked at #8 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
1980: Steely Dan’s ‘Gaucho’ hits US LP chart.
1980: Yoko Ono asked for a ten-minute silent vigil to take place around the world at 2 p.m. EST. Over 100,000 people gathered in Central Park & 30,000 people assembled in observance in Liverpool. Lennon was murdered in New York less than a week earlier.
1981: During their 'Ghost In The Machine World Tour' The Police played the first of three sold out nights at Wembley Arena in London.
1982: Judas Priest play Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, IN.
1984: George Harrison joined Deep Purple on stage during their concert in Sydney, Australia.
1985: James Taylor marries actress Kathryn Walker at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. They would divorce in 1996.
1985: ZZ Top peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Sleeping Bag' which was their second and final top 10 single in the U.S.
1995: Little Richard, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen are among the performers honoring Frank Sinatra on the TV special Sinatra: 80 Years My Way.
1995: The FBI, acting on a judge's order, releases most (but not all) of its documents revealing the organization's attempts to deport John Lennon.
1996: Smashing Pumpkins release 'The Aeroplane Flies High.' The 5 disc box set contains singles, b-sides and covers.
1997: Kurt Winter died of kidney failure at 51 years old. He was a member of Brother and The Guess Who (replacing guitarist Randy Bachman). Winter penned the hit singles ‘Bus Rider’ and ‘Hand Me Down World’, both of which were hits for The Guess Who.
1997: Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana, 'Candle in the Wind 1997,' was at its 9th week at #1 on the Billboard chart. The song would go on to become the largest selling single of all time in the US and the UK, and sits 2nd to Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' as the best selling record world-wide.
1998: Billy Preston pleaded guilty to insurance fraud in a Los Angeles court and agreed to testify against six other defendants who allegedly participated in starting fires, staging thefts and rigging car crashes for which a total of 18 fraudulent insurance claims were filed. Preston received five years of probation and one year in jail to run concurrently with a sentence he was already serving for violating probation on a prior conviction for cocaine possession.
1999: Sir Paul McCartney appeared at The Cavern Club Liverpool, England in front of 300 people with David Gilmour, Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, Pete Wingfield on keyboards and the legendary Mick Green (of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates) on guitar. It marked McCartney's last gig of the year and the 20th Century. His last gig at the venue was in 1963. The show went out as a live webcast and was estimated to have been watched by some three million people worldwide (a record at the time for an online audience), BBC Radio 2 broadcast the show live and BBC1 TV also aired the historic performance.
2000: The search for Loverboy bassist Scott Smith, who was swept off his sailboat November 30th in the San Francisco Bay, officially ends.
2000: Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher recorded a cover version of Slade's 1973 #1 'Merry Xmas Everybody' for the Christmas Day edition of the BBC1 comedy show 'The Royle Family.'
2001: Billy Preston pleads guilty to insurance fraud in a Los Angeles court and agrees to testify against six other defendants in the same case.
2003: Ozzy Osbourne reached the top of the U.K. Singles Chart for the first time with a cover of Black Sabbath’s 'Changes' remade as a duet with his daughter Kelly. It was the first father and daughter chart topper since Frank & Nancy Sinatra in 1967.
2004: Clint Lowery leaves Sevendust. Dropped by their label, the band is mired in disputes. Lowery returns four years later.
2004: A public memorial is held in Arlington, TX, for "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott who was shot to death on-stage in Columbus, OH, on December 8th. Former Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell performs and there are eulogies from Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wylde. Ex-Chains bassist Mike Inez and members of Slipknot attend. Van Halen holds his cell phone up to the microphone and plays a profanity-laced message left by an excited Abbott after a concert he played with Van Halen. “I just wanted to give you a … call to tell you thank you so … much, man, for the most awesome, uplifting, euphoric, spiritual rock and roll extravaganza ever,” Abbott said in the message to Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen also placed Darrell’s original black and yellow stripes guitar into the Kiss Kasket he was buried in.
2004: Aerosmith's Steven Tyler becomes a grandfather when his daughter Liv (who is married to Royston Langdon of Spacehog) gives birth to a baby boy in New York.
2004: A shoulder injury forces Ozzy Osbourne to cancel an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in London. The Prince of Darkness needs surgery to relieve discomfort from a metal plate that was inserted into his shoulder following an ATV accident.
2004: A lawsuit is filed in L.A. Superior Court claiming that a soccer ball kicked from the stage during an August 31st Rod Stewart concert at the Hollywood Bowl caused a concertgoer "personal injuries, physical disability and physical and emotional distress, pain and suffering." Stewart, a one-time aspiring soccer player, ceased kicking soccer balls into the audience when similar suits mounted in the 1980's.
2005: Jimmy Page is appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. Page is recognized for his charitable work with underprivileged Brazilian youth over the past decade.
2006: Lou Reed plays his 1973 solo album 'Berlin' live for the first time. A series of "theatrically realized" performances tell the story of a drug-addicted couple. The four-day engagement runs at New York's St. Ann's Warehouse.
2006: Linkin Park's Brad Delson stops by Los Angeles' Nightingale Middle School to deliver 36 electric guitars donated by Little Kids Rock, an organization that provides musical instruments and instruction to public-school students.
2006: Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder of Atlantic Records in 1947, dies at age 83 after injuries sustained in a fall while attending the Rolling Stones show six weeks earlier at New York's Beacon Theatre. Ertegun who founded Atlantic Records with Herb Abramson in 1947, and helped make Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin stars. He signed the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin in the early ’70s. Atlantic Records and subsidiary label, ATCO, were instrumental in ushering in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Their artists included Cream and the Iron Butterfly.
2007: Billboard magazine says the Police's reunion tour, which earned more than $210 million, is the highest-grossing tour of 2007. Another reunion trek, this one by Genesis, netted approximately $129 million to land at #2 on the list. Billboard also names Daughtry's self-titled debut the top-selling album of the year. In addition, Nickelback's 'All The Right Reasons' and Linkin Park's 'Minutes To Midnight' are in the survey's Top 20. Papa Roach's 'Forever' is the #1 single for the year on the Mainstream Rock chart.
2007: The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame announced that Madonna, John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, The Ventures and The Dave Clark Five will be enshrined in 2008.
2009: An anti-meat video featuring Paul McCartney debuts. "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian," McCartney says during the graphic video.
2010: President Barack Obama appoints Jon Bon Jovi to the White House Council for Community Solutions. The Council was created in 2009 "to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs."
2010: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces that Alice Cooper (the band), Darlene Love, Dr. John and Tom Waits are the 2011 inductees.
2010: Motorhead 'The Wörld Is Yours' exclusive edition was released. Th standard release came one month later. The album was dedicated by Lemmy to Ronnie James Dio, who had died from cancer seven months earlier.
2011: Seether's 'Country Song,' the lead single from the group's 5th studio album, 'Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray,' is named Billboard's Active Rock Song of the Year.
2011: The Black Keys 'El Camino' album sells 206,000 copies in its first week to debut at #2 on the Billboard Album Chart (behind Michael Buble's 'Christmas').
2011: 'DimeBash 2011' features Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains), David Draiman (Disturbed), Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Joey Jordison (Slipknot) and Scott Ian (Anthrax). The tribute to the late Pantera/Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was gunned down on stage seven years earlier (12/08/04), raises money for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up & Shout Cancer Fund.
2012: Queen guitarist Brian May launches his eBook '40 Years Of Queen' in London. The work covers the band's history, with personal anecdotes about each member, iTunes links to songs and concert set lists.
2013: It's announced that the railway platform where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met by accident will be marked with a blue plaque - a permanent sign that commemorates either a famous person or historical moment. The future Rolling Stones, who had gone to the same primary school, ran into each other at Dartford Station on 10/17/61. The encounter led to the formation of the Stones.
2015: Alex Van Halen is honored at the Nashville Drummers Jam 7, an annual charity event.
2017: Liam Gallagher (former Oasis frontman) is the voice of Sammy the Snowman in a U.K. public service announcement produced by the Climate Coalition. In the clip Sammy is melting in the wintertime due to rising global temperatures.
December 15
1943: Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller) dies of pneumonia on a train trip near Kansas City. He was 39. Waller was a jazz pianist who copyrighted over 400 songs, including 'Ain’t Misbehavin' and'“Honeysuckle Rose.' In 1926, he was kidnapped by associates of Al Capone and ordered to perform at what turned out to be a surprise birthday party for the gangster. Relieved he wasn’t going to be killed, Waller collected several thousand dollars in tips from Capone and his friends. After his death, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered over Harlem from an airplane piloted by a World War I black aviator.
1955: Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two releases the 'Folsom Prison Blues' b/w 'So Doggone Lonesome' 45 single is released.
1956: Elvis Presley gave his final performance on 'Louisiana Hayride.' Presley made 50 appearances on the live radio program that was broadcast on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana. At the end of the show, Horace Logan first made the now legendary phrase "Elvis has left the building."
1957: Sammy Davis Jr. hosts a syndicated radio talk show with a round-table discussion of Rock 'n' Roll. His guests are Columbia Records executive Mitch Miller and MGM Records president Arnold Maxim. When Davis and Miller blast Rock 'n' Roll as "the comic books of music," Maxim takes an opposing viewpoint and says, "I don't see any end to Rock 'n' Roll in the near future."
1959: The Everly Brothers record 'Let It Be Me' in New York. It's the first time the duo has recorded outside of Nashville and the first time they use an orchestra.
1959: Colonel Tom Parker cleverly keeps his client in the news by suggesting that Elvis may re-enlist at the end of his first hitch. That, of course, never happened and Presley received his official discharge from active duty on March 5th, 1960.
1962: Bill Wyman plays his first live gig with The Rolling Stones.
1962: The Beatles played two separate shows at the the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead, Merseyside. First they played a standard booking, then at midnight, the first-ever "Mersey Beat" poll awards show took place. The Beatles closed the show (at 4:00 am).
1964: The Beatles issue 'Beatles '65.' It's their 5th Capitol album and 7th American album. It topped the Billboard 200 Top LP's album charts in its' second week and stayed there for nine weeks, after which it stayed at #3 for five weeks.
1967: The Beatles ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ album goes gold. The album contains 'I Am The Walrus' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever.' It is, in part, the soundtrack for The Beatles ill-conceived TV special, of the same name, that airs the day after Christmas.
1967: The Beatles release The Beatles' Fifth Christmas Record.
1967: Vanilla Fudge played at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
1967: In Paris, the members of The Beach Boys have their own audience with guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
1967: The Who release their 3rd studio album in the UK, 'The Who Sell Out.' The album was to have been released a month earlier but was delayed while permission was sought from all the companies mentioned in the commercials. While getting the rights for the commercials, someone forgets to secure the rights for the Radio London jingles and a lawsuit erupts. Those who rush out to buy the first copies of the album in the store find a psychedelic poster designed by Adrian George inside. Good condition posters are now one of the most sought-after Who artifacts. Melody Maker declares: “The Who drop out of everything that is supposedly fashionable and therefore valid in 1967’s flowery year. On the whole, this album easily surpasses anything The Who have done before.” The album peaks at #13 in the UK charts, failing to make the top ten as their two previous albums had done. With 'I Can See For Miles' rising no higher than #10 in the singles charts, it points toward The Who’s sinking popularity in their home country.
1968: Appearing on the ‘Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour’, Grace Slick appears in blackface and raise a black-leather glove in a black power salute at the end of 'Crown of Creation.' The incident is one of several that leads to the show’s cancellation.
1969: John Lennon and Plastic Ono Band (Featuring George Harrison, Delanie and Bonnie, Keith Moon and Billy Preston) make their debut UK concert appearance in ‘War is Over’ UNICEF Peace For Christmas benefit gig at The Lyceum. The same day, posters, paid for by John and Yoko, go up around the world, stating ‘War is over if you want it.’
1970: The Allman Brothers Band appeared at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
1971: A Led Zeppelin concert scheduled for City Hall in Salisbury, England, had to be postponed due to Jimmy Page’s being ill. It was held five days later on the 21st.
1972: King Crimson played at Guild Hall in Portsmouth, England.
1972: Roxy Music appeared at Selland Arena in Fresno, California.
1972: The Grateful Dead performed at the Long Beach Arena.
1973: Genesis debut on US album charts with ‘Selling England by the Pound.’
1973: Aerosmith appears on 'American Bandstand' to perform 'Dream On.'
1974: 'Young Frankenstein' opens in theaters. When members of Aerosmith take a break from recording the 'Toys in the Attic' album and see the film, they laugh hysterically at the scene where Igor (Marty Feldman) tells Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) to "walk this way," and the doctor imitates Igor's walk. Returning to the studio, they have the title to the track they've been working on.
1974: Genesis performed at the Montreal Forum.
1975: The Who played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1976: Aerosmith appeared at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.
1977: The Who perform a set at the 2000-seat Gaumont State Theatre in the London suburb of Kilburn. The audience is made up of those lucky enough to have heard an announcement that morning on Capitol Radio. The entire event is set up and filmed by Jeff Stein for The Kids Are Alright because there was no good footage of The Who performing their hits 'Baba O’Riley' and 'Won’t Get Fooled Again.'
1977: Sex Pistols are denied visas to enter the US. Johnny Rotten because of a drugs conviction, Paul Cook & Sid Vicious because of 'moral turpitude' and Steve Jones because of his criminal record. They were due to appear on 'Saturday Night Live' two days later at the start of a US tour. Elvis Costello fills in for them, but then gets banned from the show for 12 years for playing an unscheduled song, 'Radio, Radio.'
1977: KISS perform the 2nd of three night's at New York's Madison Square Garden. Piper (featuring future W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper) open the show.
1977: Rush played at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
1978: Rush performed at the International Amphitheater in Chicago.
1979: U2 appeared at the Windsor Castle Pub, Harrow Road in London. Admission was free.
1979: Blue Oyster Cult performed at Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.
1979: Supertramp's 'Take The Long Way Home,' hits #10 on the Billboard charts.
1979: Pink Floyd tops the U.K. singles chart for the only time in their career with 'Another Brick in the Wall Part II' which spent 5 weeks on top of the chart. The song, which was also the final #1 single of the 1970s, received a Grammy nomination for Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group, but Floyd lost to Bob Seger’s 'Against the Wind.'
1979: Jackie Brenston, R&B singer and saxophonist, dies of a heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 49. Recorded the original 'Rocket 88' with Ike Turner.
1980: Yes played at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.
1980: Eagles 'Seven Bridges Road' b/w 'The Long Run' 45 single is released. The single, bundled with a live version of 'The Long Run,' reached #21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #55 on the country music charts.
1981: Rolling Stones performed at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.
1982: Prince appeared at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.
1982: Judas Priest play Roberts Stadium in Evansville, IN.
1983: Blue Oyster Cult played at the Civic Center in Danville, Illinois.
1984: 'Do They Know It’s Christmas' by Band Aid entered the UK chart at #1 and stayed at the top for five wees. Band Aid was masterminded by former Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, who had been moved by a TV news story of famine in Ethiopia. Geldof had the idea of raising funds with a one-off charity single featuring the cream of the current pop world. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Paul Young, Culture Club, George Michael, Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, Paul Weller, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo and Bananarama all appeared on the recording. The original version became the biggest selling single in UK Singles Chart history, selling a million copies in the first week alone, and passing three million sales on the last day of 1984. It became a Christmas number one, and has sold 3.7 million copies domestically. It remained the highest selling single in UK chart history until 1997, when Elton John’s 'Candle in the Wind 1997' was released in tribute to Princess Diana, which sold almost 5 million copies in Britain. Worldwide, the single had sold 11.8 million copies by 1989.
1984: U2 reached number #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Pride (In The Name of Love)' which was their first top 40 single in the U.S.
1986: At the Oakland Coliseum Arena, the Grateful Dead play their first concert since frontman Jerry Garcia slipped into a diabetic coma six months earlier. With Garcia's heath scare, it was unclear if the band would continue, but Garcia reassures fans with the opening number, 'Touch Of Grey,' as he sings, "I will get by. I will survive."
1989: Melissa Etheridge makes her national TV debut on 'Late Night With David Letterman'.
1990: Rod Stewart married model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills. Stewart was quoted as saying "I Found the Girl that I Want, I won't be putting my banana in anybody's fruit bowl from now on." They split in 1999.
1992: Nirvana release a collection of outtakes, demos, non-album singles and live sessions titled 'Insecticide.' Kurt Cobain agreed to the release of this compilation due to having complete control over the album’s artwork.
1994: Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora married actress Heather Locklear in a civil ceremony at his Red Bank, NJ home. The couple divorced in 2006.
1998: Badlands release their 3rd and final album, 'Dusk.'
1999: Former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren announced that he was running for the Mayor of London. He said he would be campaigning for brothels, pot shops and boozing in libraries.
2001: American funk and soul singer Rufus Thomas died of heart failure aged 84. Recorded on Sun Records in the 1950s and on Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. Scored the 1963 US #10 single 'Walking The Dog' and the 1970 UK #18 and US #28 single 'Do The Funky Chicken.' A street is named in his honor, just off Beale Street in Memphis.
2001: Joe Walsh receives an honorary Doctorate of Music in recognition of his musical achievement and involvement in environmental and humanitarian causes from Kent State University. Walsh attended school there off and on for six years during the 60’s, without ever graduating. He says, “I majored in English and minored in music. Unfortunately, I was at the Kent State shootings. After that, I didn’t look at college the same. Then, the James Gang started to gather momentum and I decided I’d try pursuing music as a profession. Being at the shootings really affected me profoundly. I decided that maybe I don’t need a degree that bad.”
2001: An intruder who broke into George Harrison's home and stabbed him earlier in the year is found not guilty by reason of insanity.
2001: Joe Walsh receives an honorary Doctorate of Music in recognition of his musical achievement and involvement in environmental and humanitarian causes from Kent State University. Walsh attended school there off and on for six years during the 60’s, without ever graduating. He says, “I majored in English and minored in music. Unfortunately, I was at the Kent State shootings. After that, I didn’t look at college the same. Then, the James Gang started to gather momentum and I decided I’d try pursuing music as a profession. Being at the shootings really affected me profoundly. I decided that maybe I don’t need a degree that bad.”
2002: Blue featuring Elton John went to #1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.' Previously a #11 hit for Elton in 1976. It gave Elton only his 5th #1 after over 30 years of hits.
2003: Courtney Love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation after she admitted being under the influence of cocaine and opiates. She was banned from taking non-prescription drugs, drinking alcohol or being in places that serve alcohol.
2005: Ronnie James Dio lays down vocals for Queensryche's 'Operation: Mindcrime II.' He plays Dr. X on the sequel of the 1988 concept album, 'Operation: Mindcrime.'
2006: The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour re-captured the title of top-grossing tour ever from U2's Vertigo and was the top grossing tour of the year, according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore. The Stones took in about $437 million since the previous November.
2006: B.B. King receives the Medal of Freedom, from President George Bush, in recognition of his musical accomplishments.
2007: Alice Cooper participates in a dedication ceremony for The Rock, a music-themed youth center that's to be built at Phoenix's Grand Canyon University. The $7 million project is being spearheaded by Cooper's Christian nonprofit the Solid Rock Foundation.
2008: Metallica release their 34th single, 'All Nightmare Long.' The song was used as the theme for the WWE’s 2008 pay-per view event “No Mercy".
2008: John Byrne, the lead singer of The Count Five and writer of their 1966 hit 'Psychotic Reaction,' died following kidney and liver failure. He was 61.
2008: A modest, one-story, red-brick house in St. Louis where Rock 'n' Roll pioneer Chuck Berry lived for eight years in the 1950s, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Berry, who now lives in Wentzville, Mo., about 40 miles west of St. Louis, said "Many of my favorite songs came about while in that house. It's good to know that my music and now that house will always be a part of St. Louis' history."
2009: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces that Genesis, The Stooges, the Hollies and ABBA will be inducted in 2010.
2009: U2 grosses over $311 million dollars finishing as the top earning touring acts of the year. They were followed by Madonna ($222 million), Bruce Springsteen ($156 million), AC/DC ($135 million), Billy Joel and Elton John ($90 million) and Tina Turner ($86 million).
2009: The soundtrack to the film 'Nowhere Boy,' which chronicles John Lennon's teen years, is issued. The two-disc collection features Jerry Lee Lewis ('Wild One'), Gene Vincent And The Blue Caps ('Be-Bop-A-Lula'), Big Mama Thornton ('Hound Dog,' the original version), Little Richard ('Rip It Up') and Elvis Presley ('Shake, Rattle & Roll' and 'Baby Let's Play House' - it's from the latter that Lennon lifted the opening line to The Beatles 'Run For Your Life').
2010: Various Pink Floyd items were sold at an Entertainment Memorabilia auction by Bonhams in Knightsbridge London. A demo pressing of the single ‘Point Me To The Sky/Careful With That Axe Eugene’ sold for £720 ($1152.) Pink Floyd signatures, in various blue marker pens on four separate pieces of paper mounted and framed together with a copy of Dark Side Of The Moon sold for £624 ($998,) and a demo pressing of the single by Syd Barrett, 'Octopus' /'Golden Hair' from 1969, misspelt 'Barratt' corrected in ink on A-side, sold for £300 ($480.)
2010: The vintage Epiphone FT79 acoustic guitar, once owned by Jimi Hendrix is up for auction at Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia in London. The guitar was purchased by Hendrix in New York for about $25, and reportedly became his prime instrument during the recording of the final Experience album, 1968's 'Electric Ladyland.' Hendrix gave the guitar away in 1970 and it was later used by David Bowie on his 'Diamond Dogs' album. Also, John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to The Beatles song 'I'm Only Sleeping' are on the block. The lyrics are on the back of a letter chasing payment for a radiophone bill.
2011: Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Atticus Ross are nominated for a Golden Globe. The pair created the score for the film 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.'
2011: Phil Spector's lawyers asked the US Supreme Court to review his murder conviction, arguing his constitutional rights were violated by the trial judge. In February, 2012, that appeal would be denied.
2012: The Rolling Stones pay-per-view event titled 'One More Shot' is telecast from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and the Black Keys make guest appearances.
2013: Journey guitarist Neal Schon weds Michaela Salahi in San Francisco. The pay-per-view event is on TMZ.
2013: 'Courtney Love, My Story' is in bookstores. In the autobiography Courtney covers relationships with her late husband Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), as well as, Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins).
2013: KISS top the fan voting for the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. They get 239,417 votes, or 17.22% of the more than 1.39 million cast. Nirvana is second with Deep Purple at #3.
2014: Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band appeared The Late Show With David Letterman where they performed a cut from the new album, a Country flavored tune called 'All Of The Roads.' Seger also told Letterman about the origin of the name the Silver Bullet Band. "We were all arguing about what our band name should be, and I was kind of letting the band pick it themselves, and they just kept arguing and arguing," Seger said. "Finally, our manager sent us our paychecks with 'Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band' on it. He got tired of waiting for us so he made it up himself."
2015: The week following the death of Scott Weiland, eight slots on Billboard's Top 10 Hard Rock Digital Songs are held by Weiland's former bands, Stone Temple Pilots (six) and Velvet Revolver (two). STP's 'Plush' has 18,000 downloads to lead sales.
December 16
1956: Elvis Presley gives his final performance on 'Louisiana Hayride,' a live radio program that was broadcast on KWKH in Shreveport. Originally signed in October, 1954, Presley made 50 appearances on the show. The immediate and enormous demand for more of Presley's new kind of Rockabilly music actually resulted in a sharp decline in the popularity of the Louisiana Hayride, that until that point had been strictly a Country music venue.
1956: A New York Episcopal minister predicts that the whole "Elvis Presley craze" will pass. He calls Presley a "whirling dervish of sex."
1957: Elvis Presley's 'Elvis' Christmas Album' hits #1.
1960: George Harrison is deported from Germany during a Beatles tour. At 17, he is too young to have a work permit.
1965: Released as a double A-side The Beatles 'Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out,' became their 9th UK #1, and their 3rd Christmas chart topper in a row. The single was a US #1 in January 1966.
1966: The Beatles 'Pantomime: Everywhere It's Christmas - The Beatles Fourth Christmas Record' is released in the UK. Recorded between sessions for 'Strawberry Fields Forever,' for the 1966 offering, the usual greetings and thanks gave way to a 'Pantomime'-themed collection of original songs and dramatic skits. The songs include 'Everywhere It's Christmas,' 'Orowainya', and 'Please Don't Bring Your Banjo Back.' Paul McCartney plays the piano. The sketches performed include 'Podgy the Bear and Jasper' and 'Felpin Mansions.'
Once again, the US fan-club members did not get a flexi-disc. Instead, they received a postcard with the message on one side and a short version of The Beatle Bulletin on the other, with enough room for a mailing label and postage.
1966: Pink Floyd appeared at a prohibition themed dance, the AA Students Christmas Carnival, held at The Architects Association in Bedford Square, London.
1966: Jimi Hendrix releases ‘Hey Joe’ in the UK. It is released on Polydor Records after being rejected by Decca. It went on to be a #6 hit in the UK, and the single was released in the United States on May 1, 1967 with the B-side '51st Anniversary' but failed to chart. Chas Chandler, who was now managing Hendrix had seen Folk singer Tim Rose perform the song at the Cafe Wha? in New York City.
1967: Rolling Stones' lead guitarist and founding member Brian Jones was sentenced to probation and a fine for various drug offenses.
1967: The Rolling Stones announce that they have signed Mick Jagger's girlfriend, Marianne Faithfull as the first act on their new Mother Earth record label.
1967: Pink Floyd played two shows with Gospel Garden and The Rare Breed in Birmingham, England. The first show took place at the Ritz Ballroom, King’s Health. The late show was billed as the Saturday Spectacular, and held at The Penthouse, Constitution Hill.
1968: 'Creedence Clearwater Revival,' the group's debut album goes gold.
1968: Led Zeppelin appeared at the Bath Festival Pavilion in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England.
1969: The Who played at the Coliseum Theatre in London,
1969: At the Fillmore West in San Francisco, Keith Emerson's band The Nice shares a bill with Greg Lake's band, King Crimson. The pair enjoy a jam session before the show and discuss a partnership, which with the addition of Carl Palmer from Atomic Rooster, becomes Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
1970: The Kinks 'Apeman' b/w 'Rats' 45 single is released. While it did not do as well on the U.S. Pop Singles chart as its predecessor, 'Lola,' did, it was a major hit in the UK, peaking at #5 on the singles chart.
1970: Four albums by Creedence Clearwater Revival, 'Bayou Country,' 'Cosmo's Factory' and five singles ('Down On The Corner,' Lookin' Out My Back Door,' 'Travelin' Band,' 'Bad Moon Rising' and 'Up Around the Bend') are certified gold.
1971: Frank Zappa's film '200 Motels' premieres at London's Piccadilly Classic Cinema in the UK. The film which also featured Ringo Star, covers a loose storyline about The Mothers of Invention going crazy in the small town Centerville.
1972: Yes appeared at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
1973: Stephen Stills loses a paternity suit filed by a Mill Valley, California woman.
1974: Ian Hunter quits Mott the Hoople.
1974: Grand Funk Railroad's 'Some Kind Of Wonderful' b/w 'Wild' 45 single is released. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 22 February 1975, it ranked #74 on Billboard's Hot 100 year-end chart.
1974: John Lennon '#9 Dream' b/w 'What You Got' 45 single is released in the U.S. (January 31, 1975 in the UK). It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #23 on the British singles chart.
1974: Guitarist Mick Taylor announced he was leaving The Rolling Stones saying he felt that now was the time to move on and do something new.
1976: Aerosmith played at Madison Square Garden in New York.
1977: KISS perform the last of three night's at New York's Madison Square Garden. Piper (featuring future W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper) open the show.
1979: KISS performed their last concert with their original lineup at the Toledo Sports Arena until their reunion tour in 1996.
1980: Bruce Springsteen performed at the Boston Garden.
1981: Ray Charles receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1981: The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey.
1982: Blues musician Big Joe Williams dies in Macon, Mississippi, at age 79. Known for hits of the '30s and '40s, such as 'Baby, Please Don't Go' and 'Crawlin' King Snake.'
1982: The Who play the last show of their farewell tour at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, which is filmed for an HBO special called 'Who's Last.' They re-form to play Live Aid in 1985, then tour again in 1989.
1983: "I will not be making anymore records with The Who," writes guitarist Pete Townshend in a statement. "I will not perform live again anywhere in the world with The Who." Of course, he later changes his mind leading to many "final" Who tours.
1986: The Grateful Dead played at the Oakland Alemeda-County Coliseum.
1986: Metallica with special guests Metal Church performed at the Edmonton Covention Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.
1986: Guns N' Roses released their 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' EP.
1989: Billy Joel went to #1 on the US album chart with his 11th studio release 'Storm Front.' The album featured one of Joel's three #1 hits, 'We Didn't Start the Fire,' and 'Leningrad,' Joel’s take on the end of the Cold War.
1989: Bon Jovi peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Living in Sin,' which was their 8th top 10 single in the U.S.
1989. Billboard’s Hot 100 includes Great White’s 'The Angel Song' at #48, Aerosmith’s 'Janie’s Got A Gun' #40, Whitesnake’s 'Fool For Your Loving' #39, Skid Row’s 'I Remember You' #34, Alice Cooper’s 'Poison' #32, Lou Gramm 'Just Between You And Me' #21, and Tesla’s 'Love Song' at #20.
1989: Whitesnake peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with 'Slip of the Tongue,' which was their 2nd and final top 10 album in the U.S.
1990: Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne perform in Sioux City, ND, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the massacre at Wounded Knee.
1990: Bad Company and Damn Yankees played the Event Center at San Jose State University.
1991: Chubby Checker filed a lawsuit against McDonald's in Canada seeking $14 million for it's alleged use of an imitation of his voice. The song 'The Twist' had been used on a French fries commercial.
1993: MTV aired Nirvana's 'Unplugged' session for the first time. The album featured an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993. Unlike many artists who appeared on the show, Nirvana filmed its entire performance in a single take with the band's fourteen-song setlist included six cover versions.
1994: Davy Jones, former lead singer of The Monkees, is charged with a DUI after being stopped on a rural Pennsylvania road near his home. Jones is released on $5,000 bail.
1994: Foreigner release the home video/laserdisc, 'Live At Deer Creek.' It was recorded on June 19, 1993 at the Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana.
1995: The Beatles' 'Free As A Bird' peaks at #2 on the UK charts and #6 in the U.S. Written by John Lennon and performed by him on piano as a rough demo shortly before he was murdered, the track was completed by the remaining Beatles at Paul McCartney's home studio.
1997: Singer songwriter Nicolette Larson died at the age of 45 from complications arising from cerebral edema. Worked with Neil Young, ('Comes a Time' and 'Harvest Moon' albums), Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Michael McDonald, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Boys and The Doobie Brothers. She was best known for her 1978 cover of Neil Young ‘Lotta Love’.
2001: Stuart Adamson, lead singer of Big Country was found dead in Hawaii a month after disappearing from his home in the US. The 43-year old Scottish musician had fought a long battle against alcoholism. His body was found in a hotel room.
2004: Jack White and actress Renee Zellweger have ended their to their two-year romance.
2004: Gold and silver Black Sabbath discs were stolen from the Kent home of Ozzy Osbourne's former manager Patrick Meehan. Police recovered the discs a week later after they were offered for sale on the internet auction site eBay.
2004: The results of a VH-1 poll asking "What music do you want for Christmas?" are out. Not surprisingly, Ray Charles, the recently deceased legend and subject of a popular bio-flick, tops the list with 'Ray: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.' The Beatles' 'The Capitol Albums Vol. 1: Box Set' is second. Other bands in the Top 10 include, U2 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb,' Nirvana's 'With The Lights Out: Box Set,' and the Rolling Stones' 'Live Licks.'
2005: U2’s' Vertigo' tour was declared the top grossing tour of 2005 grossing $260 million & drew 3 million people to 90 sellout concerts.
2005: The surviving Beatles and relatives of the band's late members began legal action against EMI to get royalties allegedly worth £30m. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and relations of George Harrison and John Lennon claimed EMI owed record royalties to their company Apple Corps.
2006: Sir Paul McCartney said he left EMI, his record label of 45 years, as it had become "boring" and he had "dreaded going to see" its executives. Sir Paul went on to sign a deal with Starbucks' label, Hear Music.
2006: Naturalist/TV presenter David Attenborough (1st) and even former Smiths' frontman, Morrissey (2nd), beat out Paul McCartney in a public poll to determine who is Britain's greatest living icon. First a very public divorce and now this.
2007: 56 year old singer / songwriter Dan Fogelberg died after a three year battle with prostate cancer. His hits 'Longer' (#2), 'Same Old Lang Syne' (#9), 'Hard To Say' (#7) and 'Leader of the Band' (#9) helped define the Soft Rock era of the '70s and '80s,
2008: Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi sues music promoters Live Nation for trademark infringement. He claims a subsidiary, Signatures Network Inc., is selling merchandise containing images of Sabbath, despite the expiration of a licensing agreement between the parties.
2008: Elton John donates more than 1,000 concert tickets to the NHS Foundation Trust. The organization then sells the seats to University Hospitals Birmingham (England) staff at a steep discount as a "thank you" for their contributions to health care. The sale raises more than $15,000 for the Trust's charitable pursuits.
2009: Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford performs 'Living After Midnight,' along with Guns N' Roses' Slash, Foreigner's Jason Bonham and Toto's Steve Lukather at the 95.5 FM KLOS Mark And Brian Christmas Show in L.A. Heart, Foreigner, and Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora also appear the Nokia Theatre concert.
2010: Mike Portnoy confirms that he is no longer with the Avenged Sevenfold. The drummer joined the band to fill in for Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan, who died unexpectedly in 2009.
2010: Paul McCartney paid tribute to his Beatles band mate John Lennon during an appearance on Saturday Night Live where he performed 'A Day in the Life' and then thrilled viewers with a cover version of his late friend's anti-war anthem 'Give Peace a Chance.'
2011: An ultra-rare 'Beatles VI' in-store promotional poster sold at an eBay auction for $6,300. Seventeen bids were placed before the 20 - 28 inch rarity sold. "Beatles VI Is Here!" was printed in block letters across the top of the black-and-white photo of the Fab Four, with album art of the first five records printed along the bottom edge.
2011: Duff McKagan joins Axl Rose and the current edition of Guns N'Roses on stage in Seattle for a rendition of 'You Could Be Mine,' a song written in part by both McKagan and Rose. McKagan's band Loaded is the opening act. McKagan, who left GN'R in 1997, does a repeat appearance the following night in Vancouver.
2011: Sting is paid $1.5 million dollars to play a Christmas office party for Czech tycoon Petr Kellner's finance firm PPF in Prague.
2012: Billy Idol performs 'Rebel Yell' with Miley Cyrus on the 'VH1 Divas' special.
2013: Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell performs on CBS-TV's 'The Late Show With David Letterman.' Cornell plays 'Misery Chain,' which appears on 'Music From And Inspired By 12 Years A Slave,"' the pre-Civil War story of Solomon Northup.
2013: Avenged Sevenfold launch an animated series based their album 'Hail To The King.' The series supports the group's video the game 'Hail To The King: Deathbat.'
2014: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame officially announce the class of 2015: Lou Reed, Green Day, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band are in.
2014: Lynyrd Skynyrd and Fall Out Boy perform on the Season 7 finale of NBC's 'The Voice.' The eventual winner, Craig Wayne Boyd, teams with Skynyrd on 'Sweet Home Alabama,' while Matt McAndrew and Fall Out Boy roll through 'Centuries.'
2014: It's announced that Joe Strummer of The Clash was the inspiration for the name of a newly discovered snail, Alviniconcha strummeri. The golf ball-sized invertebrates have a spikey shape that resembles the look of many classic Punks.
2014: Legendary American radio host Casey Kasem was laid to rest at Norway's Vestre Gravlund Cemetery. After Kasem died June 15 at the age of 82, his wife Jean Kasem and daughter Kerri Kasem waged a public battle over the burial site. Jean wanted Kasem interred in Norway because of her own Norwegian heritage and because her plans to relocate there would allow her to visit him.
2014: Rock Scully, the manager of The Grateful Dead from their early Haight-Ashbury days up until 1985, passed away at a Monterey, California hospital. He was 73.
2015: Nine Inch Nails and long-time collaborator Russell Mills publish 'Cargo In The Blood,' a limited edition (2,000 copies) collection of artwork created for the 2013 album 'Hesitation Marks.'
2015: "(Presidential candidate) Donald Trump is the hellraiser America has needed for a very long time," posts Ted Nugent on Facebook, well in advance of the '16 election. "He and (Senator) Ted Cruz may be the only hope to end the criminal jihad on America by our own corrupt punkass government, media and bigBiz goons. Are there enough Americans smart enough to end the nightmare?" Meanwhile, Disturbed frontman David Draiman says he supports Senator Bernie Sanders, but admits that the Democratic candidate needs 'a miracle' to win the White House.
2016: Bon Jovi releases 'This House Is Not For Sale Live from The London Palladium.'
2016: Scientists name a plant is found only in a small area of Baja California, after the late Jimi Hendrix. Dudleya hendrixii is described as a thin, stalky plant less than a foot tall with succulent leaves and brilliant pinkish white flowers.
December 17
1954: Bill Haley and his Comets' 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'(originally recorded by Big Joe Turner) hits #4 on the UK charts. It is the first rock song to make that chart.
1955: While their hit 'Only You' was still at #2, The Platters' 'The Great Pretender' enters the Billboard R&B chart at #13.
1957: Bobby Helms' 'Jingle Bell Rock' enters the Billboard Pop chart for the first time, where it will reach #6. It will make the chart again in December 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1962.
1960: Returning from Hamburg, The Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined The Beatles on bass guitar (to replace Stuart Sutcliffe, who had remained in Hamburg), a position he would hold for only two weeks and four performances. When Newby bowed out to return to college, Paul McCartney became The Beatles' bass player.
1962: Bob Dylan arrived in England for the first time; he played his first UK date the following night at the Troubadour Club in London.
1963: James Carroll, a disc jockey at WWDC in Washington, D.C., is the first person to play a Beatles record on American airwaves. The DJ obtained a copy of 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' from his stewardess girlfriend who brought the single back from Britain. The song is hugely popular forcing Capitol Records to release it in the U.S. ahead of schedule.
1965: Released as a double A-side The Beatles 'Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out,' became their ninth UK #1, and their third Christmas chart topper in a row. The single was a US #1 in January 1966.
1965: The Beatles release 'The Beatles Third Christmas Record.' The 7" flexi record was distributed free to their fans through the fan club. It was recorded November 8, 1965 on the same day as they recorded 'Think For Yourself.' Members of the Beatles' US fan-club did not receive this (or any) Christmas flexi-disc in 1965. Rather, they received a black and white postcard, with a photo of the Fab Four and the message "Season's Greetings – Paul, Ringo, George, John." The Beatle Bulletin, the publication of the US fan-club, explained in its April 1966 edition that the tape arrived too late to prepare the record in time for Christmas.
1966: MC5 played at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
1966: The Four Tops' 'Standing in the Shadows of Love' enters the Billboard Hot 100. During a ten week stay, the record will peak at #6. It also reaches #2 on the R&B chart.
1967: The Beatles' John Lennon and George Harrison throw a party in London for the area secretaries of their official Fan Club. The film 'Magical Mystery Tour' is screened here for the first time.
1968: “The Who’s Christmas Party” takes place at the Marquee in London. It is The Who’s last ever performance at the venue where they had first come to the capital’s attention during their residence in 1964-1965. This time, Who fan Nigel Cornthwaite comes onstage to sing 'Magic Bus' with the Who. Yes is the opening act.
1968: Pink Floyd released 'Point Me at the Sky' which was the last single they released in the U.K. for eleven years. The song was an early collaboration by bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour. The song wasn’t released in the U.S. & some members of Pink Floyd declared the song to be one of their most embarrassing moments.
1969: The 'Chicago Transit Authority' album is certified gold.
1970: The Beach Boys play a command performance for Princess Margaret at London's Royal Albert Hall.
1971: John Lennon and Yoko Ono appear at Harlem’s Apollo Theater for a benefit for the families of victims of the Attica State Prison riots.
1971: David Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’ LP becomes his first to be released in U.S., and first album for RCA Records. It was also the first to feature all the members of the band that would become known the following year as Ziggy Stardust's Spiders From Mars. Two singles were released from the album: 'Changes'/'Andy Warhol' in January 1972 and 'Life on Mars' which was released late June 1973. Bowie himself considered the album to be one of the most important in his career. It reached #93 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. The single, 'Changes,' reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1973: Aerosmith began recording their 2nd album 'Get Your Wings' at New York City’s Record Plant Studios. The album was released the following March. Former Alice Cooper/Lou Reed guitarists Steve Hunter & Dick Wagner are uncredited contributors on the album.
1973: Slade were at #1 on the UK singles chart with 'Merry Xmas Everybody' their 6th chart topper. It has been released during every decade since 1973, and has been covered by numerous artists. In a 2007 poll, 'Merry Xmas Everybody' was voted the UK's most popular Christmas song.
1973: Badfinger 'Apple Of My Eye' b/w 'Blind Owl' 45 single is released.
1973: Genesis performed at the Roxy Theater in Hollywood, California.
1974: Yes appeared at the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
1974: Joe Walsh releases his 3rd album, 'So What.' It reached #11 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart.
1975: Hawkwind played at Brunel University in Uxbridge, England.
1976: AC/DC released a modified international version of the 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' album.
1976: AC/DC performed at Harristown High School Hall in Toowomba, Australia.
1977: George Harrison played an unannounced live set for the regulars at his local pub in Henley-On-Thames near his home in the UK.
1977: Queen play Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA.
1977: Elvis Costello and the Attractions appear on 'Saturday Night Live.' They are a substitute for the Sex Pistols who can't get visas to enter the U.S. Costello is not allowed to play 'Radio, Radio' which criticizes the broadcast industry. After a couple measures of 'Less Than Zero' the group slips into 'Radio, Radio.' Costello said later that the inspiration for the last-minute song change came from a similar episode years earlier, concerning Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was on the BBC television show hosted by pop-star Lulu, and was supposed to play his hit, 'Hey Joe.' Hendrix started the song, stopped, said, “We’d like to stop playing this rubbish and dedicate a song to the Cream regardless of what kind of group they might be. I’d like to dedicate this to Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce,” and then launched into a feedback-laden version of 'Sunshine of Your Love.'
1978: Rush performed at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin.
1979: The Who appeared at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
1979: Paul McCartney and Wings played the Glasgow Apollo where they recorded a live version of 'Coming Up,' which would rise to #2 in the UK and top the Billboard chart in America, selling over four million copies. They closed the show with 'Mull Of Kintyre,' accompanied by the same pipers and drummers from the Campbelltown Pipe Band who appeared on the record.
1981: The Allman Brothers Band appeared on the Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts.
1982: Delta blues musician and songwriter Big Joe Williams died in Macon, Mississippi at age 79. He wrote 'Baby Please Don’t Go,' a 1965 Top 10 hit for Them, featuring Van at Morrison.
1982: The Who perform the last show of their "farewell" North American Tour at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. It is filmed for an HBO special called 'Who's Last.' They re-form to play Live Aid in 1985, then tour again in 1989.
1986: A one-off benefit concert in Palo Alto, California, by the Doobie Brothers leads to a reunion tour.
1986: Paul McCartney's limo catches fire en route to a TV taping in Newcastle, England. Both he and his wife Linda escape unharmed.
1987: Robert Plant performed Led Zeppelin songs for the first time as a solo artist at a concert in Folkstone, U.K. He performed 'Misty Mountain Hop' & 'Trampled Underfoot.'
1989: Britny Fox released their 2nd album, 'Boys in Heat.' The album spent 23 weeks on Billboard’s 200 Album Chart peaking at #79. Single 'Dream On' peaked at #34 and spent nine weeks on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart.
1994: Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora marries Heather Locklear.
1994: Bon Jovi's 'Always' reaches #4 on the pop chart and stays there through the holidays.
1994: A remixed version of The Four Seasons' 'December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)' re-entered the US Hot 100, where it stayed for another 27 weeks, just as it did when it first charted in 1976. The combined run will establish a record for the longest total chart appearance in US chart history. The song reached #1 the first time out and #14 during its second stay.
1995: A statue of the late Frank Zappa was unveiled in Vilnius, the capital of the Republic Of Lithuania. It had been organised by Zappa fan club President Saulius Pauksty.
1995: Sting’s wife Trudie Styler gave birth to their 4th child, a son named Giacomo Luke was born at a London hospital.
1999: Keith Richards stole a guitar from a fan outside of Richards’ party at the Russian Tea Room in New York City that he was asked to autograph. The owner of the guitar decides not to press charges saying, "It's Keith, man."
2004: Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert Sillerman in a deal worth $100m. Sillerman would run Presley's Memphis home Graceland, and own Elvis' name and the rights to all revenue from his music and films. Lisa Marie will retain ownership of Graceland and many of her father's personal effects. The agreement was to pay her $53 million in cash and absolve her of $25m in debts owed by the estate. She will also receive shares in the new company expected to be worth more than $20 million. Actress Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie's mother and Presley's former wife, remained executive consultant to the business.
2004: A letter written by late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to Courtney Love in 1991 sells for more than $19,000 at a Christie's memorabilia auction in NY.
2005: Bon Jovi's show in Washington, D.C., is transmitted live through Sprint wireless phones and multimedia devices, becoming the first full-length concert streamed through the carrier. Subscribers watch by tuning in Sprint TV.
2005: The Who's Pete Townshend performs an acoustic set during a live online charity event. The performance is part of a holiday edition of the In the Attic Internet show.
2005: U2 had the top-grossing tour of 2005, according to Billboard. More than three million people watched the band's sell-out 90-date Vertigo tour which grossed $260 million. The Eagles, took $117 million from 77 shows and Neil Diamond grossed more than $71 million. Kenny Chesney was fourth with $63 million, Paul McCartney $60 million, Rod Stewart with $49 million, Elton John with $45.5 million, Dave Matthews Band with $45 million, Jimmy Buffett with $41 million and Green Day with $36.5 million.
2006: Ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin joins the group for five songs during an L.A. concert.
2006: Dave Clark Five's Denis Payton passes away after a long battle with cancer. The saxophonist was 63.
2007: It's reported that Stephen Stills has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo treatment for the disease. "Stephen found his (cancer) at an early stage," says CS&N bandmate Graham Nash.
2008: The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and actor Ben Affleck launch an initiative seeking to raise $23 million to aid displaced citizens of the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. Money raised goes toward buying various humanitarian supplies for the refugees, including mosquito nets, blankets and utensils.
2009: Rumors that John Frusciante had left the Red Hot Chili Peppers are confirmed on the guitarist's MySpace blog. "To put it simply, my musical interests have led me in a different direction." According to Frusciante, this isn't exactly new news. He writes that he left the band over a year earlier when the Peppers were on indefinite hiatus. It's the second time Fusciante has parted company with the RHCP.
2009: Insisting that he has let go of all his "anger and bitterness", John Lennon's son Julian said that he has finally forgiven his late father for walking out on him as a child. "I realized if I continued to feel that anger and bitterness towards my dad, I would have a cloud hanging over my head." After John was murdered in 1980, it was revealed that he had left very little to Julian in his will.
2010: Paul McCartney performs for just 300 fans at the 100 Club on London's Oxford Street. The well-known Punk shrine (The Clash and Sex Pistols performed there) is the city's oldest live music venue but is under threat of closure due to a rent increase. It's the smallest venue McCartney has played in a decade.
2010: Don Van Vliet, who became 1960's legend Captain Beefheart, dies in California due to complications from multiple sclerosis. He's best known for 'Trout Mask Replica' which was slotted at #58 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Beefheart was 69.
2012: "Cut Me Some Slack," with Paul McCartney backed by former Nirvana bandmates, bassist Krist Novoselic, guitarist Pat Smear and drummer Dave Grohl, is released. This line-up performed the song live at the 12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief a week earlier.
2012: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2012 tour sold out 54 of 72 shows earning $199.37 million to place second (behind Madonna) on Billboard's list of top-grossing tours. Springsteen performed in front of 2.1 million people, approximately 500,000 more than Madonna, but he grossed $29 million less. Roger Water's (Pink Floyd) The Wall and Coldplay also land on the list's Top 5.
2012: L.A. Guns officially announce that guitarist Frankie Wilsey has joined the band replacing Stacy Blades (who took over from the band's namesake Tracii Guns). Wilsey is a vet of Stephen Pearcy's band Arcade.
2012: AC/DC, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nickelback and Rolling Stones make TouchTunes year-end tally of the most-played artists and songs in more than 57,000 jukeboxes. Touch Tunes is he largest in-venue interactive entertainment network in North America.
2013: Just days after KISS walked away with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote, the Hall announces the band will be a 2014 inductee, after being overlooked for years. Also on the induction list are Nirvana, #2 on the fan poll, Peter Gabriel, Linda Ronstadt, Hall and Oates, and Cat Stevens.
2014: Following the announcement that Ringo Starr is to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo work, Paul McCartney lists his favorite Ringo songs on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. They are 'Back Off Boogaloo' and 'It Don't Come Easy.' McCartney and Starr are already in the Hall as members of The Beatles.
2015: Foo Fighters 'Greatest Hits,' released in 2009, passes the one million sales mark.
2015: A London judge said he was concerned at how much Liam Gallagher and his ex-wife Nicole Appleton were spending in a legal dispute over how their assets should be split after it was revealed that the pair had spent over £800,000 on legal fees. Judge O'Dwyer decided their money and property should be divided equally, with each receiving £5.4m.
2015: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced that Deep Purple, Chicago, Cheap Trick and Steve Miller would be inducted into the shrine at their ceremony the following April.
2016: The late David Bowie is named England’s most popular male musician in a poll commissioned by CamRate, an online rating company.
2017: Former As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis is released from prison after less than three years of a six year sentence for a murder for hire plot of his estranged wife.
2017: Following allegations of sexual misconduct, including sexual activities with a minor, Pierce The Veil drummer Mike Fuentes announces plans to step away from the group.
December 18
1961: The Tokens started a three week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight.' It reached #11 in the U.K. REM included a live version of the song on the 1993 'Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight' single.
1962: On their 5th visit to West Germany The Beatles played the first night of a two-week engagement at the Star-Club in Hamburg. It was a 13 night run, playing 3 hours each night. The final night's performance was recorded and became known as ‘The Star-Club Tapes,'
released in 1977 against the wishes of the ex-Beatles themselves.
1964: The Beatles 'Another Beatles Christmas Record' 7" flexi-disc is released to UK fan club members. It was not sent to American fans. Rather, at Christmas time 1964, US fans received an edited version of The Beatles' 'Christmas Record,' which had been sent to British fan-club members in 1963. Also, as opposed to using flexi-discs, the US fan-club sent the message in a tri-fold cardboard mailer, with the "record" embedded in one of the flaps of cardboard.
1965: The Beatles two-sided single, 'We Can Work It Out'/'Day Tripper' hits the U.S. charts. It already sits atop the U.K charts.
1965: The Rolling Stones 'As Tears Go By' b/w 'Gotta Get Away' 45 single is released.
1966: Tara Browne was killed when driving at high speed in his Lotus Elan after it collided with a parked lorry in South Kensington, London. A close friend of The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Brian Jones his death was immortalized in The Beatles song ‘A Day In The Life’ after John Lennon read a report on the coroner's verdict into Browne's death.
1966: Pink Floyd made their debut at London’s Blarney Club. Five days later, the club changed their name to the UFO Club & they became the house band.
1967: The Beach Boys 13th studio album and 16th overall, 'Wild Honey' is released. It reached #24 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and #7 on the UK Top Album Chart. Both singles hit the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 – 'Wild Honey' (#31) and 'Darlin' (#19).
1968: In San Francisco Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites assemble and rehearse the Janis Joplin’s new band. A long list of names proposed (Janis Joplin & the Joplinaires, the Janis Joplin Review, etc. ) but band eventually becomes the Kozmic Blues band.
1968: On the occasion of the Underground Art Movement’s Christmas party in London, John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold a press conference from the inside of a white bag. Ono calls it “Bag-ism.”
1969: The New York Times estimates that the "youth audience" accounts for $750 million of the $1 billion a year music industry.
1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono take out a full-page ad in The New York Times saying "War Is Over."
1969: While staying on Ronnie Hawkins’ farm outside Toronto, John Lennon signs 3000 lithographs from his collection 'Bag One.'
1970: Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Pendulum' album goes gold. It was their final album with rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty.
1970: Bob Dylan's second album, originally released in 1963, 'Freewheelin' Bob Dylan,' goes gold.
1970: T.Rex released the 'T.Rex' album.
1970: The Beatles 'From Then to You/The Beatles Christmas Record 1970' is released in the UK. In the wake of the band's break-up, the UK fan-club sent out this compilation LP of all seven recordings (from 1963 – 1969). The master tapes having been mislaid, the LP was mastered from copies of the original flexi discs. In the US, the LP was repackaged as 'The Beatles' Christmas Album' and sent out by the fan-club around springtime 1971. With no new recording, the LP served to remind that the Beatles were no more, but had the advantage of durability over the original flexi discs, and, for the US, it was the first time the 1964 and 1965 messages had been made available. Each year from 1963 to 1969, the Beatles had recorded a short Christmas message for their fans, composed of carols, skits, jokes, and thanks to the loyal "Beatle People". Each recording was pressed onto a 7" flexi disc and mailed free to the British members of the Fan Club.
1970: Pink Floyd played at Town Hall in Birmingham, England. The set list included: Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast/Fat Old Sun/A Saucerful of Secrets / second set: Atom Heart Mother (with brass and choir conducted by John Aldiss) /encore: Atom Heart Mother (reprise.)
1970: The Allman Brothers Band performed at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
1970: Chuck Berry, Sir Douglas Quintet and Boz Scaggs played the first of two nights at the Pepperland Auditorium in San Rafael, CA.
1971: Jerry Lee Lewis and his wife Myra who he married when she was 13 divorced, as he prepared to marry 29-year old Karen Elizabeth Gunn Pate.
1971: Sly and the Family Stone went to #1 on the singles album chart with ‘There’s A Riot Going On.'
1972: Bob Dylan starting filming his role in the film 'Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid.'
1972: The Ringo Starr-directed T. Rex documentary, 'Born to Boogie,' is premiered at Oscar's Cinema in Brewer Street, Soho. In attendance are Starr, the members of T. Rex, and Elton John.
1973: The Who played at Edmonton Sundown in London.
1974: Genesis appeared at the Century Theatre in Buffalo, New York.
1975: The Ramones performed at CBGB in New York.
1975: Rod Stewart announces his departure from the Faces. Stewart pursues his solo career full-time and guitarist Ron Wood heads for The Stones.
1976: The Steve Miller Band's 'Fly Like An Eagle' album is released.
1976: Eagles hit the U.S. chart with ‘New Kid in Town’, on the way to #1.
1976: Queen's 'A Day At The Races' ships gold, and eventually goes platinum. It reaches #5 in the U.S.
1976: AC/DC played at Festival Hall in Brisbane, Australia.
1977: Cheap Trick appeared at the Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
1978: Led Zeppelin completed recording of their final studio album 'In Through the Out Door' in Stockholm, Sweden.
1979: The Police play two London shows on a single night but at different venues. The Hammersmith Odeon appearance is followed by a set at the Hammersmith Palais (the theaters are near each other).
1981: Rod Stewart plays the Los Angeles Forum, along with Kim Carnes and Tina Turner. The show is broadcast around the world to a television audience of 35 million.
1981: On his 38th birthday, Keith Richards is playing with The Rolling Stones at a show in Hampton, Virginia when a fan rushes the stage. Keith sees him coming and hits him with his guitar. As security intervenes, Richards straps his guitar back on and continues playing.
1982: Hall and Oates started a 4 week run at #1 on the US singles chart with 'Maneater,' the duo's 5th US #1 and biggest hit in the UK making #6.
1983: Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards marries model Patti Hansen on his 40th birthday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Mick Jagger is the best man.
1988: Mike Peters of The Alarm was rushed to hospital after having his eyes burnt by spotlights during a gig in Chester, causing the remaining dates on their UK tour to be cancelled.
1992: A Toronto radio station removed the Beatles’ song 'Run for Your Life' from their playlist, 27 years after its release saying that promoted violence against women.
1996: The Smashing Pumpkins/Garbage tour ends at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA. It's the last Garbage concert of the year (following more than 140 shows in less than 12 months).
1997: The Red Hot Chili Peppers publicist says that Dave Navarro is using hard drugs. The admission helps explain the guitarist's recent strange behavior.
1998: Alice Cooper's Cooper'stown restaurant opens in Phoenix (try the 'Welcome To My Nightmare' chili). To celebrate, Cooper performs with his original bandmates Michael Bruce and Neal Smith - the first time the three have been on stage together in 24 years.
2000: Bob Geldof is granted custody of Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, the daughter of his former wife Paula Yates and INXS singer Michael Hutchence. Yates was found dead of a heroin overdose in her London home in September by Tiger Lily, who was four at the time. Hutchence was found dead, hanged from the door handle of his Sydney hotel room, in November of 1997. Geldof will raise Tiger Lily with her three half-sisters, Trixibelle, Peaches and Pixie.
2003: Audioslave/Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, System Of A Down singer Serj Tankian and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea are among the artists who perform at an Axis of Justice-organized benefit concert for striking California grocery-store workers in Hollywood, CA.
2004: 3 Doors Down host a dinner and auction to raise money for their Better Life Foundation. The group also performs, along with Shinedown and Lynyrd Skynyrd, at the Biloxi, MS event.
2004: A guitar played by George Harrison and John Lennon sold for $570,000 at auction in New York. The Gibson SG guitar was used by Harrison from 1966 to 1969, including the recording of Revolver, and by Lennon during 'The White Album' sessions.
2006: Eddie Money joins Hinder at an L.A. gig to perform his 1986 hit 'Take Me Home Tonight.' Hinder recorded a cover with Money contributing vocals.
2006: Elton John attends the London premiere of the film 'It's A Boy Girl Thing.' John is the executive-producer. Sting and Sharon Osbourne, who is in the film, also are present.
2006: Bob Dylan's 'Modern Times' tops the 2006 Billboard Critics' Choice poll. Bruce Springsteen's 'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions' is #2 on the list. The Billboard poll is tabulated using Top 10 lists compiled by 48 Billboard staff members and freelancers. 'Modern Times' is also #1 on Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2006.
2006: Led Zeppelin, the Doors, the Grateful Dead and Carlos Santana (or at least their representatives) file a suit in U.S. District Court demanding Wolfgang's Vault stop streaming footage of the group's live shows taped during the 1960s at the Fillmore auditoriums (in SF and NY). Wolfgang's began streaming the videos the previous month. They also produced posters and T-shirts with the artist's images.
2007: 'KISSology Vol. 3: 1992-2000' is released. The four-disc set features nearly 10 hours of live performance footage, including a vintage 1973 New York show, a complete 1992 Detroit concert and the 1995 MTV Unplugged set.
2007: Weezer's frontman issues his solo album, 'Alone -- The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo.' It's his "favorite demos from 1992 to 2007."
2007: Tool releases their 'Vicarious' DVD containing the seven-minute title track video. The disc features bonus material and special packaging.
2008: Shinedown announce that they have parted ways with lead guitarist Nick Perri and have named the band's rhythm guitarist, Zach Myers, as his replacement.
2009: Billboard magazine names the Rolling Stones the top touring act of the decade: 2000-2009. The group grossed $869 million from 264 shows before 8.2 million people. U2 made $822 million with 288 shows, all of which sold out. Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and the Dave Matthews Band also land in the Top 10.
2012: Rush release an iBook to coincide with the re-release of their '2112' album. The work features a 40-page comic book by story artist Tom Hodges (Star Wars - The Clone Wars, The Simpsons), unpublished pictures, black and white ink art and pencil sketches.
2012: Ted Nugent's reality show, 'Gun Country,' is canceled by the Discovery Channel following the mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, CT.
2012: Blink-182's EP 'Dogs Eating Dogs' is released.
2013: Disgraced Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins is sentenced to 35 years in jail for 13 child sex offences.
2014: AC/DC sell out their Wembley Stadium concert moving 72,500 tickets in under 60 minutes. The show is more than six months away (7/4/15).
2015: The Kinks Ray and Dave Davies perform together onstage for the first time in nearly 20 years at Dave's concert at London's Islington Assembly Hall. The brothers play the Kinks' classic 'You Really Got Me.'
2015: A US medical examiner said Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland died from a toxic mix of drugs including cocaine, alcohol and ecstasy. Weiland, who was 48, rose to fame with the Stone Temple Pilots was found dead on his tour bus outside a hotel in Bloomington, Minneapolis, on December 3rd of this year.
December 19
1955: Carl Perkins records 'Blue Suede Shoes' at Sun Studios in Memphis. It was based on an incident Perkins spotted while performing a dance where he noticed a couple dancing & the boy cautioned his date “don’t step on my suedes.”
1957: Elvis Presley had his draft notice served on him for the US Army. He went on to join the 32nd Tank Battalion third Armor Corps based in Germany.
1964: The Beatles 4th album 'Beatles For Sale' started a 7-week run at #1 on the UK album charts. Recorded when Beatlemania was just at its peak, it was The Beatles’ 4th album in just 21 months.
1964: The Rolling Stones 'Heart of Stone' b/w 'What a Shame' 45 single is released. It became their 2nd Top 20 US hit, reaching #19. The song was included on the US album 'The Rolling Stones, Now!' the following February. It was not released in the U.K. until featuring on the 'Out of Our Heads' UK album released September 1965.
1965: Keith Moon collapses during a Who concert in Ontario.
1967: Buffalo Springfield performed at the Community Concourse in San Diego, California.
1968: Santana play San Francisco's Fillmore West for the first time.
1968: During a UK tour Led Zeppelin performed at The Civic Hall in Exeter, England, supported by The Empty Vessels, featuring Martin Turner and Steve Upton who later formed Wishbone Ash.
1969: Janis Joplin and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band played Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1969: Mick Jagger was fined £200 plus 50 guineas costs at Marlborough Magistrates Court for illegal possession of cannabis.
1969: 'The Beatles' Seventh Christmas Record' flexi-disc was released to members of their fan club in the UK and the US. The final Beatles Christmas offering was also recorded separately, as the band had effectively split by this point. It features an extensive visit with John and Yoko at their Tittenhurst Park estate, where they play "what will Santa bring me?" games. Harrison only appears briefly, and Starr only shows up to plug his recent film, The Magic Christian. Paul sings his original ad-lib, "This is to Wish You a Merry, Merry Christmas." Starting at 1:30, at the tail-end of Ringo's song, the guitar solos from "The End" are heard, followed by Yoko interviewing John. For the only time, the American and British jackets were identical. The US version of the flexi-disc had an elaborate drawing of the Beatles' faces on it.
1970: Elton John's first US hit, ‘Your Song’ entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it went on to reach #8. The Hollies had been offered the song and Three Dog Night had already recorded a version which was included on their ‘It Ain't Easy’ album.
1972: Roxy Music played at the Whisky A-Go-Go in Hollywood, California.
1973: The Grateful Dead played their last show of the year at Curtis Hixon Convention Hall in Tampa, Florida.
1973: Alice Cooper performed at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
1973: The Rolling Stones 'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)' b/w 'Dancing With Mr. D.' 45 single is released. Released as the 2nd single from 'Goats Head Soup' in the US only (after the #1 hit 'Angie'), it reached #15 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100.
1974: On his first ever solo world tour, George Harrison performs the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden.
1975: Rush played at the Broome County Arena in Binghamton, New York.
1975: The Faces split becomes public and official as Rod Stewart bitterly complains that guitarist Ron Wood is permanently "on loan" to the Rolling Stones.
1976: AC/DC appeared at Showgrounds in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia.
1976: Aerosmith performed at the Carolina Coliseum in Columbia, South Carolina.
1976: During an interview with UK daily newspaper The Daily Mail, the mother of Sex Pistol Paul Cook said he was no longer welcome at home and she was going to turn his bedroom in a dining room.
1979: Elvis Presley's personal physician, George Nichopoulos, was charged with 'illegally and indiscriminately' prescribing over 12,000 tablets of uppers, downers, and painkillers for the star during the 20 months preceding his untimely death. Although he was acquitted this time, he was charged again in 1980 and again in 1992 and was stripped of his medical license in July 1995.
1981: The Cars peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with their 4th album 'Shake it Up' which later went on to sell two million copies in the U.S.
1981: The Rolling Stones finished their North American tour in support of 'Tattoo You' at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA. The concert was broadcast on closed-circuit cable.
1986: David Lee Roth and his band play the Los Angeles Forum for the first of a two night stint.
1986: Metallica and Metal Church play the PNE Coliseum in Vancouver, BC.
1986: A California Superior Court Judge refuses to reinstate a lawsuit brought against Ozzy Osbourne by the parents of a teenager who committed suicide while listening to Osbourne's 'Suicide Solution.' The judge ruled that Ozzy is protected by The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gives him the right to freedom of speech.
1987: Whitesnake peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Is This Love,' their second and final top 10 single in the U.S.
1987: KISS play The Spectrum in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on their 'Crazy Nights' tour. The heavily bootlegged show (& available on a YouTube) included an impromptu version of 'White Christmas.'
1993: Byrds drummer Michael Clarke dies of liver failure (due to long-term alcohol abuse) at his home in Treasure Island, FL. Before his death Clarke had expressed a wish of alerting children to the dangers of alcoholism. Following his wishes, Clarke's girlfriend Susan Paul started a foundation in Clarke's name, called the Campaign for Alcohol-free Kids.
1994: Aerosmith performed the final concert of their 240 date tour in support of 'Get a Grip' at their Mama Kin’s Music Hall in Boston which was broadcast on radio stations across North America. It's the first show at the 250 seat venue that's co-owned by the group.
1996: Avenue H in Lubbock, Texas, is renamed Buddy Holly Avenue in honor of the city's hometown hero.
1999: E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons made a guest appearance on 'The Simpsons' as the narrator of The Simpsons’ Christmas.
2003: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi & Nils Lofgren were among the mourners attending the funeral of Wall Street tycoon John Mulheren. Springsteen led the assembly in Christmas carols & Lofgren sang 'Wind Beneath My Wings.'
2003: Peter Eckenrod is sentenced to 25 months in prison for pretending to be Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti. He pleads no contest to scheming to defraud and fraudulent use of a credit card.
2005: Sir Elton John turned down £5.7m for the exclusive rights to his civil union to his partner David Furnish. The couple had considered the offer from a US television channel, putting the money in the Elton John Aids Foundation, but they told Attitude magazine they had decided to keep the day private.
2005: Trans-Siberian Orchestra's annual holiday concert at New York's Madison Square Garden features Joan Jett performing 'I Love Rock & Roll.'
2005: Bono is named one of Time magazine's 2005 Persons of the Year, along with Microsoft founder/CEO Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda. The trio is recognized for their efforts to aid Africa in its fight against disease and destitution.
2006: As many as 30 concertgoers are treated for minor injuries received at a Music As A Weapon tour stop in Ashwaubenon, WI. Two fans are transported to a local hospital for treatment during the Disturbed-headlined event. Many mosh pit mavens suffer cuts, bruises or overheating.
2006: The FBI release documents related to their investigation of John Lennon in the early 1970s. The Nixon administration thought Lennon, an anti-war (Vietnam) advocate, was aiding left wing causes and therefore an undesirable alien. Unsuccessful deportation efforts ensued. While Lennon had contact with representatives from radical organizations the FBI could find no evidence that he was a member or financially supported these groups.
2006: Two giant eyeballs donated by Pink Floyd raised £16,500 for the homeless charity Crisis. The 6ft-high props, made to promote the 'Pulse' DVD, were on the auction site eBay for a week and attracted 46 bids. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, a vice-president of Crisis, said extra help was needed in the winter months.
2006: Neil Young's 'Living With War - Raw' CD (live studio renditions of the 10 'Living With War' songs) and DVD, is in stores. The war referenced this time around is the one in Iraq.
2007: The Big House Foundation, an organization dedicated to establishing an Allman Brothers Band museum at the Macon, GA, residence (called the "Big House") where the group rehearsed during its formative years, announce they have purchased the building and unveil design plans.
2007: Marilyn Manson initiates a countersuit against former bandmate Stephen Bier (aka Madonna Wayne Gacy) alleging that the keyboardist failed to fulfill his obligations in the group. Bier hit Manson with a breach-of-contract lawsuit the previous August. The action, filed in L.A., accuses Bier of turning up late for shows and promotional appearances, among other complaints.
2008: Christine Grahame, a member of Scotland's parliament, files a parliamentary motion recognizing AC/DC's achievements. Founding members Angus and Malcolm Young were born in Glasgow before the family moved to Australia in 1963. Also, the late vocalist Bon Scott and his successor, Brian Johnson, are Scottish natives.
2010: After the Black Crowes perform their last show of a six night stand in San Francisco, they announce that they are going on an "indefinite hiatus."
2010: Carlos Santana ties the knot with his drummer Cindy Blackman in a private ceremony at Maui's Ritz Carlton.
2011: Internet rumors of Bon Jovi's death are greatly exaggerated. The bogus reports state that the singer suffered cardiac arrest. Turns out, Bon Jovi is alive and well.
2012: Nick Mason stepped in to help save Foote's, the historic London music shop where he bought his first ever drum kit. The Pink Floyd drummer, along with the store's sales director, Rob Wilson, were buying the business from the family who has owned it since the 1930s.
2012: Tony Iommi joins The National Guitar Museum's board of advisors. NGM is the first museum dedicated to the history, science, and cultural impact of the guitar.
2013: Pussy Riot members Nadya Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina are released from prison, three months early. The two women and fellow band member Yekaterina Samutsevich were arrested for performing Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral in 2012. Their crime: "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility." Samutsevich was released earlier.
2014: Darlene Love sings 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' on David Letterman's show for the final time, as the host has announced his retirement. When Love first performed the song on Letterman in 1986, it went so well that Dave made it a Christmas tradition, and every year she would come back to sing it.
2015: Bruce Springsteen returns to 'Saturday Night Live' as the musical guest for the first time since 2002. During his rendition of 'Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town,' Springsteen is joined by Paul McCartney.
2016: The Official Chart Company announced it was changing the way it calculated the Top 40 to reflect the rise in streaming. Currently, 100 streams counted as one "sale" of a song. From January 2017, the ratio will become 150:1. It was hoped that the change would break the bottleneck at the top of the charts, as hits on streaming services linger for weeks on end.
2016: Bring Me The Horizon singer Oli Sykes launches a clothing collection inspired by the Star Wars movie, Rogue One. Sykes brand, Drop Dead, works in collaboration with Lucasfilm on what Sykes calls "an intensely challenging project for both sides."
2016: Journey win the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s public vote for induction in ‘17. Meanwhile, the Velvet Underground and Sly Stone are among the artists to receive the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ (NARAS) Lifetime Achievement Award in ‘17.
2017: Jani Lane's estate sued by his ex-managers over the sale of the late Warrant singer's music catalog. Just Having Fun Productions claims that they have yet to get their 15 percent commission (over $500,000).
December 20
1956: Elvis Presley made US chart history by having ten songs on Billboard's Top 100.
1957: Elvis Presley gets his draft notice. He later told reporters that it's a "duty I've got to fill and I'm going to do it." He will be inducted at the Memphis Draft Board in March of 1958 and assigned to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training for six months.
1958: The US Army's 32nd Armored unit returns to base after maneuvers and Pvt. Elvis Presley is rewarded for his hard work with a three day pass, which he uses to buy himself a BMW sports car.
1958: John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison appeared as The Quarry Men at the wedding reception of George's older brother, Harry. The event was held at the Harrison family home at 25 Upton Green, Speke in Liverpool.
1963: Capitol Records releases 'Meet The Beatles' in the U.S. Beatlemania officially gets underway in the states.
1965: The Beach Boys release the 'Barbara Ann' b/w "Girl Don't Tell Me' 45 single. The song peaked at #2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 (#1 in Cash Box and Record World) and at #3 in the UK It also topped the charts in Germany, Switzerland and Norway. It was The Beach Boys' biggest hit in Italy, reaching #4. The song was also released on the 1965 album 'Beach Boys' Party!' Dean Torrence, who had previously recorded the song as one half of Jan and Dean, and Brian Wilson are featured on lead vocals along with The Kids, Tommy and Sindi. Dean is not credited on the album jacket but "Thanks, Dean" is said by Carl at the end of the track.
1965: The Rolling Stones and the Kinks make their first appearance on 'Shindig.'
1965: Wilson Pickett records '634-5789' with Booker T. & the MG's, sans Booker (with Isaac Hayes filling in for him on piano).
1966: The Beatles recorded the bells and vocal harmonies for 'When I’m Sixty-Four' which was released as a single the following June.
1967: Ian Anderson and Glenn Cornick form Jethro Tull, named after an eighteenth-century inventor of farming implements. John Evan himself will later join them as Jethro Tull's keyboard player.
1967: The Hollies release their hit single 'He Ain’t Heavy (He’s My Brother.)'
1967: Joan Baez and her mother are sentenced to 45 days in prison for the singer's part in the Oakland Demonstration, where she protested the draft.
1967: Pink Floyd were at the Maida Vale Studio 4 for a taping of the BBC show 'Top Gear.' That same day, the band also made it to Studio 2, EMI Studios, Abbey Road for a recording session for the album 'A Saucerful of Secrets.'
1968: Pink Floyd were at the BBC Paris Cinema, on Lower Regent Street in London to record a live audience show for BBC Radio One.
1968: Bob Dylan and The Band join several folkies in a concert commemorating the legendary Woody Guthrie. It's Dylan's first public appearance since his motorcycle accident two years earlier.
1968: The Beatles sixth Christmas record 'The Beatles' 1968 Christmas Record', was sent to fan club members in the UK and the US. It was the first Beatles Christmas fan-club disc to be recorded separately, the 1968 offering is a collage of odd noises, musical snippets, and individual messages. McCartney's song 'Happy Christmas, Happy New Year' is featured, along with John's poems 'Jock and Yono' and 'Once Upon a Pool Table.' Also notable is a rendition of 'Nowhere Man' by the ukulele-playing Tiny Tim. Also included is a sped-up snippet of the Beatles' own 'Helter Skelter' and a brief snippet of Perrey & Kingsley's 'Baroque Hoedown' which was used three years later in Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade. 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' and 'Birthday' are also heard in the background for part of the message.The dialogue and songs for the flexi-disc were organised and edited together by DJ and friend of the Beatles, Kenny Everett. The US fans got a flexi-disc for Christmas in 1968, but it came in a modified version of the 1967 UK sleeve.
1969: Though it spends several weeks in the Top 5, Creedence Clearwater Revival's two-sided hit 'Down On The Corner/Fortunate Son' peaks at #3. 'Leaving On A Jet Plane' (Peter, Paul & Mary) and 'Someday We'll Be Together' (Diana Ross & The Supremes) are #1 and #2.
1969: Peter Paul and Mary went to #1 on the singles chart with ‘Leavin’ On A Jet Plane’. John Denver wrote the song in 1966 with the original title of ‘Oh Babe I Hate to Go.’
1969: The Grateful Dead performed at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.
1969: The Rolling Stones went to #1 on the album chart with their 10th release ‘Let It Bleed,' featuring ‘Midnight Rambler,' and ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want.’ The album knocks The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' from the top spot on the U.K. album chart.
1971: The Rolling Stones 'Hot Rocks 1964–1971' is released. It reached #4 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. It was the first compilation album of Rolling Stones music released by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records (who gained control of the band's Decca/London material in 1970) after the band's departure from Decca and Klein. After reportedly having been duped by Klein to unknowingly sign over the recording copyrights to all of their material from 1963 to 1970, The Rolling Stones left Decca and formed their own label, Rolling Stones Records, with a new distributor.
1971: Grand Funk Railroad's 'Footstompin' Music' b/w 'I Come Tumblin' 45 single is released.
1971: George Harrison & Friends 'The Concert for Bangladesh' live triple album is released. It reached #2 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. The concert was planned in aid of the homeless Bengali refugees of the 1971 Bangladesh Lberation War. Performed on August 1, 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden, The Concert for Bangladesh was a pioneering charity event, preceding Live Aid by 14 years. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
1973: Jerry Lee Lewis makes his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. Having gone Country to maintain his career, Lewis is told not to play Rock but does. Told not to swear, he does.
1973: American singer Bobby Darin died aged 37. One of the first teen idols, he had the 1959 #1 with 'Dream Lover' plus 20 other Top 40 hits during the 60’s including 'Mack the Knife,' Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1960. Darin traveled with Robert Kennedy and worked on the latter’s 1968 presidential campaign. He was with Kennedy the day he traveled to Los Angeles on June 4, 1968 for the California Primary. Darin was at the Ambassador Hotel later that night when Kennedy was assassinated.
1974: Former James Gang guitarist Joe Walsh officially replaced Bernie Leadon in The Eagles.
1974: George Harrison's 4th studio album, 'Dark Horse' is released. It reached #4 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. The album features an array of guest musicians, including Billy Preston, Tom Scott, Ringo Starr, Nicky Hopkins, Gary Wright, Willie Weeks, Ron Wood and Jim Keltner, and spawned two hit singles, in 'Dark Horse' and 'Ding Dong, Ding Dong.'
1975: Paul Simon's 'Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover' enters the pop charts.
1975: Former James Gang and Barnstorm guitarist Joe Walsh joins The Eagles after producer Bill Szymczyk had recommended Walsh to The Eagles. He replaces Bernie Leadon who goes solo.
1976: Fleetwood Mac 'Go Your Own Way' b/w 'Silver Springs' 45 single is released. Written by Lindsey Buckingham and performed by the American/British band Fleetwood Mac. It was released on this date in December 1976, the first single from their then forthcoming 'Rumours' (which would be released in February 1977) and peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's first top ten hit in the U.S. It is ranked #120 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list. The song is about the complicated relationship that Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were having.
1980: Pat Benatar peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Hit Me with Your Best Shot' which was Benatar’s first top 10 single in the U.S.
1980: Motörhead drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor accidentally breaks his neck after being lifted above the head of a friend in a test of strength, only to be dropped upon his head. Taylor continued to play in Motörhead with the aid of a neck brace, as is visible in the music video for “Ace of Spades”. As a result, Taylor had a prominent lump located on the back of his neck (affectionately referred to as his “knob”), thought to be a calcium deposit caused by his previous spinal trauma.
1980: '(Just Like) Starting Over' gives John Lennon his first #1 single as a solo artist in the UK, 12 days after his murder.
1980: AC/DC's 'Back In Black' peaks at #4 on the U.S. album chart.
1980: Black Sabbath released the single 'Die Young.'
1982: Ozzy Osbourne is hospitalized and treated for rabies after biting the head off a bat during a concert.
1982: U2 perform 'Sunday, Bloody Sunday' live in Belfast for the first time.
1983: Judas Priest played De Montfort Hall in Leicester, U.K. Quiet Riot opened the show with tickets only £5.00.
1984: Metallica played the Lyceum Ballroom in London, England. Tickets are only £3.50.
1985: Guns N' Roses perform 'Nightrain' for the first time at the Music Machine in Los Angeles.
1986: David Lee Roth and his band play the Los Angeles Forum for the 2nd of a two night stint.
1986: Metallica and Metal Church play the Seattle Arena in Seattle, WA.
1986: The Bangles hit #1 for the first of a four week run at the top on the Billboard Hot 100 with 'Walk Like An Egyptian.'.
1988: The Beatles and the Beach Boys are inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. However, the Beach Boys Mike Love is totally ungracious and insults just about everybody in the music business.
1989: A lawsuit is filed against Chuck Berry on behalf of more than seventy women who claimed he had secretly videotaped them while they used rest rooms in his home and a restaurant. Although Berry adamantly denied making the tapes or even knowing who did, the cases were settled out of court for more than one million dollars.
1993: Pearl Jam release the single for 'Daughter.' It's the second single from the band's second album 'Vs.' With lyrics by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music primarily written by guitarist Stone Gossard, the song goes on to top both the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.
1994: Melissa Etheridge sings John Lennon's 'Happy Christmas (War Is Over)' on NBC's The Tonight Show.
1996: 'Beavis And Butt-Head Do America' is released in theaters.
1999: Readers of UK Guitar magazine voted Noel Gallagher the most overrated guitarist of the millennium. Jimi Hendrix was voted guitarist of the millennium with Nirvana's 'Nevermind' winning best album.
2001: It was a very good year for Classic Rockers. Elton John and Billy Joel toured together and grossed nearly $60 million from just 31 dates, averaging $1.9 million per show. Eric Clapton proved to be a strong draw in international arenas, earning a healthy $43.5 million from 59 shows, racking up 38 complete sell-outs and averaging nearly $750,000 per night.
2001: Tommy Lee branded his ex-wife Pam Anderson an unfit mother. Lee filed papers with the Los Angeles Superior Court alleging his son's tell him 'We hate Mommy' and his son Brandon had been using the F-word he learned from his mommy.
2003: Bruce Springsteen was the top-earning concert attraction in 2003, taking in $115.9 million. That ranks second only to The Rolling Stones for the most money ever earned by a concert act in a year.
2004: Doug Robb's battle with pneumonia causes Hoobastank to cancel their remaining December concerts. Hospitalized the previous weekend the singer is ordered to remain in bed for a week.
2004: Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery quits the band to embark on a new project with his brother, ex-Stereomud bassist Corey Lowery.
2005: A a two-CD compilation titled 'Welcome To The Jungle -- The Very Best Of Guns N' Roses' is released.
2005: ABC television announced that Dick Clark would return to 'New Year's Rockin' Eve,' the annual TV special he had hosted for 32 years before a stroke caused him to miss the 2004 edition.
2005: Queens Of The Stone Age are joined onstage by John Garcia, frontman Josh Homme's ex-bandmate from the stoner-rock outfit Kyuss. Three Kyuss songs get a work at the L.A. show before QOTSA ends the set with 'Go With the Flow.'
2006: Former Procol Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher wins his court battle over royalties from the band's biggest hit, "Whiter Shade Of Pale." Fisher claims to have written the distinctive organ part on the track, which originally was credited only to frontman Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid. A London judge rules in Fisher's favor, entitling him to 40 percent of the song's future copyright earnings, as well as those amassed since the musician initiated legal proceedings in May 2005.
2006: Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton says he's cancer free after undergoing radiation treatments.
2006: Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen make surprise appearances on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report.
2006: Guitarist Izzy Stradlin makes his third appearance in three nights with Guns N’ Roses at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA. It was also the band’s last show of 2006.
2007: Kid Rock starts a holiday USO tour in Kabul. Rock performs 'Sweet Home A labama' and Robin Williams and Lance Armstrong make jokes about the French.
2007: Seether frontman Shaun Morgan begins a series of acoustic performances in his native South Africa. The first of six concerts is in Johannesburg.
2007: The divorce of Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli is finalized. The Van Halen guitarist and the actress agree that neither "shall take unfair advantage of the other." They married in 1981, separated in 2001, with Bertinelli filing for divorce in December 2005.
2008: Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry offers a free download of his version of 'Run Rudolph Run' on the band's fan site Aero Force One.
2009: Metallica's 1991 self-titled record ('The Black Album'), is the biggest album of the SoundScan era when sales surpass Shania Twain's 'Come On Over.'
2009: James Gurley, guitar player for Big Brother and the Holding Company, dies of a heart attack in Palm Desert, California. He was 69 Hurley spent four years at Detroit’s Catholic Brothers of the Holy Cross, studying to be a priest, but instead embarked on a music career with Janis Joplin, with whom he later had an affair while married. Gurley’s wife forgave both him and Joplin (with whom she had a close friendship) and the band, along with their wives and children, all moved into a single house in Lagunitas, California in 1966. In 1969, Nancy Gurley died of a heroin overdose and Gurley was charged with her murder for injecting the drugs. He was later sentenced to probation.
2009: Larry Knechtel, the keyboard player for the Soft-Rock group Bread, died following a heart attack at the age of 69. Knechtel earned a Grammy award for his arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and also performed with Neil Diamond, Randy Newman, Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr., The Dixie Chicks and Elvis Costello.
2010: Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn places the federally funded project to archive the songs and artwork of the Grateful Dead at #4 on his list of the Top 5 Biggest Wastes of Money. "The number one thing is that it is not a federal responsibility to archive the materials of a Rock band," says John Hart, Coburn's director of communications. The Dead project costs $615,000.
2010: Bret Michaels winds up his VH1 reality TV show 'Bret Michaels: Life As I Know' It by sticking a rock on the finger of Kristi Gibson, longtime on-and-off girlfriend for 18 years. In Michaels former reality TV show, 'Rock of Love,' he held a contest to let women get engaged to him concurrent with this relationship. She accepts his proposal on-air. They later break the engagement off. Bret Michaels never takes off his head rag or cowboy hat the entire time. Also, Michaels has now made four subsequent relationships the subject of reality TV shows.
2013: David Richards, a producer who worked with David Bowie, Queen, Iggy Pop, and others died. Included in Richards' lengthy discography are co-production credits on Bowie's 'Never Let Me Down,' 'The Buddha of Suburbia,' and 'Outside.' He also worked on Queen's last four albums, 'A Kind of Magic,' 'The Miracle,' 'Innuendo,' and 'Made in Heaven.' He also dealt with live music recording in such events as Montreux Jazz Festival.
2016: The site of the ‘69 Woodstock Festival is nominated for the state and national Register of Historic Places. Max Yasgur’s dairy farm hosted 32 bands and 400,000 fans over three days.
December 21
1957: Elvis Presley begins work on his 2nd film, 'Loving You.' The soundtrack contains '(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear.'
1959: Chuck Berry is arrested when a 14-year-old girl he brought from Texas to work in his St. Louis club reports him to police. Berry serves 20 months in prison for transporting a minor across state lines.
1960: Elvis Presley's movie 'Flaming Star' opens.
1964: Brian Wilson had a nervous breakdown while he was on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston. Five minutes into the flight, Wilson “started crying and making shrieking noises. He screamed into a pillow, spun out of his seat and sobbed on the cabin floor.” He decided soon after to stop touring with The Beach Boys.
1965: The Beatles' 'We Can Work It Out' enters the pop charts.
1965: The Byrds record Bob Dylan's 'Mr. Tambourine Man.'
1965: The U.S. Immigration Department says the Animals can't play New York's Apollo Theater. Immigration is cracking down on the flood of UK bands. The Animals perform on The Ed Sullivan Show then leave the country.
1966: The Beach Boys get a gold record for their classic summer song, 'Good Vibrations.' Their 'Little Deuce Coupe' and 'Shut Down, Vol. 2' albums are both certified gold as well.
1966: George Harrison marries former fashion model Patti Boyd. They met on the set of 'A Hard Day's Night.' Later, Boyd does time as Mrs. Eric Clapton but that doesn't last either.
#2 in the American album charts, below the Beatles’' Magical Mystery Tour.'
1967: The Beatles throw a party at London's Royal Lancaster Hotel in order to celebrate the BBC airing of 'Magical Mystery Tour.'
1967: The Rolling Stones release their psychedelic-themed 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' in the United States. The album reaches #2 in the American album charts,
1967: Pink Floyd played at the Speakeasy Club in London, a late-night haunt for the music industry from 1966 to the late 1970's.
1968: Crosby, Stills and Nash perform together in public for the first time.
1968: Traffic's debut album hits the US charts.
1968: Janis Joplin and her Kozmic Blues Band perform at the Stax/Volt Yuletide Thing at Memphis’ Mid South Coliseum.. The Stax house band Booker T & The MG's also plays.
1969: Ginger Bakers Airforce (With Steve Winwood, Ric Grech, Chris Wood and Denny Laine) performs their debut gig in Amsterdam.
1969: The Rolling Stones play the first for four shows at the Lyceum Ballroom in London as a sort of Christmas gift to fans.
1970: Pink Floyd performed at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England.
1970: Steve Winwood reforms Traffic as a trio with original members Jim Capaldi (drums) and Chris Wood (woodwinds). Their 'John Barleycorn Must Die' eventually goes gold. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.
1970: Elvis Presley drops in on President Richard Nixon at the White House. No invitation, no warning. Elvis is convinced drugs are ruining America's youth and he offers his to help deal with the problem. The White House staff allows Elvis to see the President. At Elvis' request, the meeting remained secret for more than a year, until the Washington Post broke the story on January 27th, 1972.
1972: 'An Anthology,' a collection of late guitarist Duane Allman's work, is certified gold.
1972: Martha Reeves And The Vandellas play their last show together at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. Their recording career spanned from 1963 to 1972, charting over two dozen times. Ten of their singles reached the Top 10 of the Billboard R&B chart and twelve made it into the Top 40 of the Hot 100, including 'Dancing in the Street,' 'Heat Wave,' 'Nowhere to Run' and 'Jimmy Mack.'
1974: Harry Chapin's 'Cat's In The Cradle' hits #1. The song's theme about a distant father and son relationship was suggested to Harry by his wife, after he expressed disappointment about being on tour instead of attending his son's birth.
1974: The Doobie Brothers release their hit 'Black Water.'
1974: During a Bad Company concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre, Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones joined the group onstage for a rendition of B.B. King’s 'Rock Me Baby.'
1978: Rod Stewart settled out of court with drummer Micky Waller who claimed he hadn’t received royalties for his work on Stewart’s 1974 album 'Smiler.'
1978: The Grateful Dead played at The Summit in Houston, Texas.
1979: Linda Ronstadt performs at a benefit show for the presidential campaign for California governor Jerry Brown, who is her boyfriend. The show at the San Diego Sports Arena, which inludes The Eagles and Chicago is followed-up by a similar show at the Aladdin Theater in Las Vegas.
1980: Iron Maiden record what becomes their 1st live video 'Live at the Rainbow.'
1980: AC/DC released their 'Back in Black' single. It reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981. The song was AC/DC's tribute to their former singer Bon Scott. The song was ranked #4 by VH1 on their list of the 40 Greatest Metal Songs.
1983: Van Halen released their 17th single, 'Jump.' It becomes the only Van Halen song to reach #1 on the Billboard pop chart.
1984: 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart' by Yes hits #1.
1985: Heart reached the top of the Billboard 200 Album Chart for the first and only time with their self-titled album which spent one week at #1.
1985: Bruce Springsteen's album, ‘Born in the USA’ passed Michael Jackson's Thriller to become the second longest-lasting LP on the Billboard US Top 10. It stayed there for 79 weeks. Only ‘The Sound of Music’ with Julie Andrews lasted longer at 109 weeks.
1985: Dante Bonutto's Phil Lynott interview is screened. It would be the singer's last TV appearance before his death.
1987: Eddie Cochran, Rick Nelson, Roy Orbison, B.B. King and Bo Diddley are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1989: Carlos Santana and his wife Debbie welcome their daughter Angelica Faith.
1989: To help promote Aerosmith's 'Love In An Elevator,' a couple gets married in an actual elevator at the Scope Arena in Norfolk (VA) during the group's show.
1990: MTV Unplugged premieres. The Squeeze are the first to "unplug." Over the years countless bands go acoustic for this program, including Nirvana. The first season features Aerosmith and Poison. There's also an appearance by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
1991: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' goes back to #1 on the UK charts after the death of Freddie Mercury and stays there for five weeks. In America, the song would get new life the next year when it was used in the movie 'Wayne's World.'
1992: Albert King died of a heart attack at his home in Memphis just two days after performing his final concert in Los Angeles. He was 69 years old. He recorded dozens of influential songs, such as 'Crosscut Saw' and 'As The Years Go Passing By,' and the 1967 album, 'Born Under a Bad Sign.' King would be posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. At his funeral, B.B. King eulogized him by stating, “Albert wasn’t my brother in blood, but he was my brother in blues.”
1994: Loudness released the album 'Heavy Metal Hippies.' After the defection of bassist Taiji Sawada, Akira Takasaki played both bass and guitar on the album.
1995: The Melissa Etheridge single 'I'm The Only One' cracks the Top 10, peaking at #8.
1996: KISS bring their 'Alive/Worldwide' reunion tour to the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany.
1996: The charity record 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' went to #1 on the UK singles chart. With the consent of Bob Dylan musician Ted Christopher of Dunblane, Scotland wrote a new verse for the song in memory of the schoolchildren and teacher killed in the Dunblane massacre. The cover version of the song included brothers and sisters of the victims singing the chorus and Mark Knopfler on guitar.
1997: Elvis Presley's manager, Col. Tom Parker, dies. An illegal immigrant (from Holland) Parker managed several Country performers, including Hank Snow, before finding Elvis.
2001: Beverly Hills police launched an investigation into why Olivia Harrison listed a non-existent Beverly Hills address as the place of George Harrison’s death.
2001: KISS made a guest appearance on 'Family Guy' where they appeared in a holiday special 'KISS Saves Santa.'
2003: Tommy Hubbard from Whitby, aged 14, won the 2003 Riffathon, a nationwide guitar competition in aid of Action For Brazil's Children Trust. The final was held at the University of Surrey and was judged by Jimmy Page and Brian May. The ten Riffathon finalists each performed a Led Zeppelin classic track with a full live band. Tommy's performance of 'Ramble On' won him the star prize of a 1958 re-issue Gibson Les Paul standard guitar, donated by Gibson Guitars.
2004: Following the departure of guitarist Terry Balsamo, who left to join Evanescence, Cold singer Scooter Ward insists his group will continue. "We are looking for a new guitarist," says Ward. Evanescence's Amy Lee adds she's sorry for implying earlier that Balsamo's absence meant the end of Cold.
2005: Elton John and David Furnish exchange vows and diamond wedding bands during a civil ceremony (now legal in the United Kingdom). It's John's second marriage. Guests at the ceremony, which takes place in Windsor, England, include Ringo Starr, Victoria Beckham, Joss Stone, Sting, Elvis Costello, Jamie Cullum, George Michael, Sharon Stone, and Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne.
2005: Journey gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Past and present band members, including vocalist Steve Perry, are on hand.
2006: The Beatles' 'Love' sat at #1 on the European Top 100 Albums chart. The collection was produced by George Martin and his son Giles Martin and features music compiled and remixed for the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name. The disc would quickly be certified Platinum and won Grammys in two categories - Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Surround Sound Album at the 50th annual Grammy awards on February 10th, 2008.
2006: Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, performed on stage before a live US audience for the first time in nearly thirty years as he promoted his first Pop album since leaving the music world for life as a devout Muslim. Mixing new songs with such old hits as 'Oh Very Young' and 'Peace Train,' he sang with a gentle voice that had changed little from his heyday in the 1970s.
2007: Hinder vocalist Austin Winkler is arrested in Jonesboro, AR, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after being pulled over for driving an SUV with its headlights off. The police report says Winkler blew a 0.16, which is twice the legal limit in Arkansas. Winkler admitted to having "had a few glasses of wine at his own engagement party."
2008: A trashed Fender Mustang guitar once owned by the late Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, is sold to an unidentified private collector for $100,000.
2009: Rage Against The Machine's 1992 track, 'Killing In the Name,' is the #1 selling single in the U.K. at Christmas. A Facebook campaign was started by part-time DJ, Jon Morter, to beat out X-Factor winner Joe McElderry and his song, 'The Climb.' "Fed up with Simon Cowell's latest karaoke act being Christmas number one? Me too," Morter wrote on his Facebook page. As a result U.K. based bookmakers Coral and Ladbrokes report losses of nearly $1.6 million U.S. after offering 150/1 odds against RATM. Not too smart."Quite a day! Thanks again for making Rage part of this historic campaign," tweeted Rage guitarist Tom Morello. "Changing the charts or the world: together we can't be stopped."
2009: Five Finger Death Punch announce that guitarist Darrell Roberts has exited the group and has been replaced by Jason Hook, who previously played with Alice Cooper and Vince Neil. According to a statement the split "was a mutual agreement between the band and Darrell. It was a swift and smooth transition and we all remain good friends."
2009: Mudvayne released their self-titled album.
2010: The street crossing featured on the cover of The Beatles 'Abbey Road' album is declared an official site of "cultural and historical importance." The 10-minute photo-shoot occurred in 1969. For traffic-management reasons the crosswalk was later moved several meters.
2010: The three surviving members of Nirvana perform together for the first time since Kurt Cobain's death during a Foo Fighter's encore in Tarzana, CA. Bassist Krist Novoselic joins former Nirvana tour guitarist/current Foo Fighter Pat Smear and fellow Foo and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl onstage. The trio plays 'Marigold,' the non-album b-side of Nirvana's 'Heart Shaped Box.'
2010: A London Kings Of Leon show is canceled after two of the band's buses, in the loading bay of the O2 Arena, catch fire. A lengthy damage assessment leaves no time to set up for the show.
2010: The Recording Academy that organizes the Grammys announced seven artists to be honored with lifetime achievement awards next February. The list included The Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton and The Ramones.
2011: U2's 360 Tour, the highest grossing tour of all time, is named the #1 tour of 2011. The group performed 44 concerts for about 2.8 million people, taking in approximately $293 million.
2011: Felice Catena, the sister of The Knack's late drummer, Bruce Gary, launched a lawsuit against Capitol Records in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming the label failed to pay the correct royalty rate when licensing the band's music to digital download services.
2012: The Rolling Stones' 65-year-old Ronnie Wood, exchanged wedding vows with his 34-year-old fiancee Sally Humphreys during a private ceremony in London. Keith Richards and Rod Stewart were his groomsmen. Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell were also in attendance, as were Wood's two sons, Tyrone and Jesse.
2012: Lee Dorman, bassist for the Iron Butterfly, dies of natural causes in his car at his home in Laguna Niguel, CA. at 70. Authorities speculate that Dorman may have been on his way to a doctor's appointment. Dorman played on the legendary 'In-Gadda-Da-Vida' album.
2012: Paul Simon performed 'The Sound of Silence' at the funeral of a teacher who died in the school shooting in Connecticut on December 14 of this year. The 1966 song was understood to be a favorite of 27-year-old Victoria Soto, a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The singer, a family friend, performed the song in front of some 400 mourners, at Soto's local church
2012: Queen and Adam Lambert's London concerts are named Gigwise readers' favorite live shows of 2012. "It was such a tremendous honor to take the stage with Rock and Roll royalty earlier this year," Lambert tells Gigwise. "Brian May and Roger Taylor are true gentleman who inspired magical moments onstage and off," says Lambert. 'In paying deep respect to the late, great Freddie Mercury, I feel I have evolved into a better artist." The Killers come in second with The Muse placing third.
2012: Paul Simon performed his classic track 'The Sound of Silence' at the funeral of a teacher who died in the school shooting in Connecticut on 14 December of this year. The 1966 song was understood to be a favorite of 27-year-old Victoria Soto, a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The singer, a family friend, performed the song in front of some 400 mourners, at Soto’s local church. Twenty six people were killed by Adam Lanza in the mass shooting the previous week.
2012: Flotsam and Jetsam released their 11th studio album, 'Ugly Noise.' Original bassist Jason Newsted co-wrote some songs for the album, but did not officially rejoin the band.
2012: Van Halen played Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA.
2013: Soundgarden's Chris Cornell performs at the Commander-in-Chief's Ball as part of President Barack Obama's second term inauguration. The Ball recognizes Medal of Honor recipients and Wounded Warriors. Then Soundgarden plays "Been Away Too Long," 'Outshined' and 'Rusty Cage' at the Inaugural Ball.
2014: 'Transgender Dysphoria Blues,' Against Me!'s 6th studio album, but first since vocalist/guitarist Tom Gabel became Laura Grace, is out.
2014: Elton John marries his partner of more than two decades, David Furnish, at a ceremony in England. The couple undertook a civil partnership in 2005 and were waiting for a same-sex marriage to be legal in the country, which happened the previous March.
2014: Neil Young is honored by the Recording Academy Producers and Engineers in L.A. "We pay tribute to a musical icon who has been tireless in his own efforts to draw attention to the importance of hearing music as the artists who created it intended," says Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow in a statement.
2015: Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst is banned from entering Ukraine for five years after attempting to buy property in the Russian occupied part of the Ukraine. Durst is also married to Kseniya Beryazina, a Russian.
2017: Joe Perry (Aerosmith) receives the Les Paul Award during the 32nd annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards, in Anaheim, CA. The NAMM TEC Awards honor individuals and companies for outstanding achievement in professional audio technology and production.
2017: The Chris Cornell Scholarship, named for the late Soundgarden/Audioslave singer and songwriter, is announced at the UCLA School of Law. The launch includes a gift of $1 million from a coalition led by the late musician’s wife, Vicky Cornell.
2017: Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach launches a multi-day Twitter rant after an Apple store in Sherman Oaks, CA fails to replace the battery for his iPhone in a timely manner. Bach has a two-year-old iPhone 6s that obviously, like its owner, has issues.
December 22
1955: 'Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Holiday Jubilee' opens in New York. The twelve day show features Count Basie, LaVern Baker, The Cadillacs, The Wrens, The Valentines, The Chuckles and a host of others.
1956: Billboard magazine reports that Elvis Presley wrapped up the year with a phenomenal 17 chart records. Nobody else has even half that. Pat Boone was next with five, followed by Fats Domino, Little Richard and The Platters with three each.
1958: After just two weeks on the Billboard Pop chart, 'The Chipmunk Song' was the #1 tune in the US. It's creator, David Seville (Ross Bagdasarian), named the Chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore, after executives at Liberty Records.
1962: The Tornadoes become the first British group to top the U.S. pop chart. They do it with their instrumental 'Telstar.' The song was named after the world's first communication satellite launched by the US earlier in the year and preceded the Beatles' chart debut by 13 months.
1962: During his first visit to the UK Bob Dylan performed at the Singers Club in London, the singer songwriter's second UK gig.
1963: The Dave Clark Five scored their only US #1 single with 'Over And Over.'
1963: Dion DiMucci reaches the Top 10 of the Billboard singles chart for the 8th time as a solo artist when 'Drip Drop' peaks at #6. It was a feat that he wouldn't accomplish again until 1968's 'Abraham, Martin And John.'
1963: The Beatles appeared at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool. This appearance was the second concert-only preview of their ‘The Beatles' Christmas Show’, which would open in London in two days.
1966: Acting on an earlier order from John Lennon, producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick manage to adjust the tape speeds of two completely different versions of 'Strawberry Fields Forever' in order to create the track we know today. They pull off one of the all-time great feats of sound editing: combining the two takes in different keys and tempos - to make one song. The edit is 59 seconds in, just before John Lennon sings, "Going to..."
1967: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Who, Keith West and Tomorrow, Eric Burdon & The Animals, 1984 (featuring future Queen guitarist Brian May) and Soft Machine all appeared at The Olympia, London at an all night festival 'Christmas On Earth Continued'. The DJ was John Peel plus the venue featured a paddling pool, light shows and a movie theater. Tickets are £1.
1967: The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Blueberry Jam and Sweetwater played the first of two nights at the Shrine Exposition Hall in Los Angeles, CA.
1968: Singer Eric Burdon leaves The Animals for a solo career.
1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Minister of Health John Munro to discuss drug abuse.
1972: Joni Mitchell's 'For the Roses' album is certified gold.
1972: Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter writes 'All The Way From Memphis' and dedicates it to two of their crew, Leee Childers and Tony Zanetta. And Memphis, Tennessee.
1973: With 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' sitting atop both the US and UK charts, Elton John's show at London's Hammersmith Odeon is broadcast live by BBC Radio 1.
1973: Todd Rundgren peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Hello It’s Me' which was Rundgren’s first and only top 10 single in the U.S.
1973: Alice Cooper and ZZ Top played Tampa Stadium in Tampa, FL.
1975: Ike And Tina Turner are robbed of $86,000 when a suitcase containing concert receipts is stolen.
1976: Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band received their first Gold record for their live album 'Live Bullet' which later went on to sell five million copies in the U.S.
1978: Faces' drummer Kenney Jones joins The Who, replacing Keith Moon, who had died from an accidental overdose of anti-alcoholic medications two months earlier. The band also adds John Bundrick on keyboards.
1978: Steven Tyler and Cyrinda Foxe have a baby girl named Mia.
1978: Todd Rundgren sued the British Musicians Union after they called a stop to a concert over the radio he was due to perform.
1979: Former studio musician Rupert Holmes had the last #1 record of the seventies with 'Escape (The Pina Colada Song).' The tune stayed at the top for two weeks and the follow-up, 'Him,' also made the Top 10. Holmes had previously done studio work for The Drifters, The Platters and Gene Pitney.
1980: An album called 'The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan' was released by London, England's Stiff Records. The entire disc contained 40 minutes of silence, but still sold over 30,000 copies.
1981: Sotheby’s in London holds a rock & roll auction. An enameled Abbey Road street sign sold for $600, John and Cynthia Lennon's marriage certificate was worth $850 and an autographed program from The Beatles' Royal Command Performance went for $2,000. Not all of the items up for bid did as well however. A jacket once worn by Tom Jones brought only $12.
1982: Bob Dylan visited Frank Zappa at his house and played Zappa a dozen songs, afterwards Dylan asked Zappa to produce his next album. Mark Knopfler ended up producing Dylan’s next album 'Infidels.'
1984: Autograph released the single 'Turn Up The Radio.' It was their only Top 40 hit, reaching #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1984: Duran Duran peaks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 'Wild Boys.'
1984: Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, masquerading as the Honeydrippers peak at #4 with a remake of Phil Phillips 'Sea Of Love.'
1984: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes Autograph’s 'Turn Up The Radio' at #89, Wham!’s 'Careless Whisper' #37, Don Henley’s 'The Boys Of Summer' #27, Phillip Bailey & Phil Collins’ 'Easy Lover' #22, Foreigner’s 'I Want To Know What Love Is' #21, Bryan Adams’ 'Run To You' #12, and Duran Duran’s 'Wild Boys' at #2.
1985: Megadeth with Flotsam And Jetsam and Verbal Abuse played at the Oasis in Sacramento.
1987: Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx dies from a drug overdose after a night of debauchery with Robbin Crosby of Ratt and Slash from Guns N' Roses. He is pronounced DOA in the ambulance before two adrenaline shots in the chest revive him. Later, he checks himself out of the hospital, ignoring medical advice. In his book, The Heroin Diaries, Sixx says, “I ripped out my tubes and staggered in just my leather pants into the parking lot, where two teenage girls were sitting crying around a candle. They had heard on the radio that I was dead and looked kind of surprised to see me.” They gave him a ride home in their Mazda, where he records an answering machine message. "Hey, it's Nikki. I'm not home because I'm dead" and he claims he once again did heroin before passing out. The incident inspired Motley Crue’s hit song 'Kickstart My Heart.'
1988: During an interview, Phil Collins jokes about wanting to make a film version of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' with Danny DeVito and Bob Hoskins. DeVito later reads the interview and contacts Phil about actually making the movie. Hoskins also signs on (as well as Kim Basinger as Goldilocks) but the film is never made.
1988: The Smiths perform their farewell concert at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in England. Founding guitarist Johnny Marr had left nearly a year-and-a-half earlier (June ’87) and frontman Morrissey was about to launch a solo career. The concert is free to any fans wearing Smiths or Morrissey T-shirts. Nearly 20,000 fans do just that.
1990: At the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Pearl Jam, still known as Mookie Blaylock, opens for Alice in Chains. Chris Cornell comes on stage and puts Eddie Vedder on his shoulders at one point.
1991: The movie 'Rush' opened in theatres across the U.S. It starred Jason Patric, Jennifer Jason Leigh & Gregg Allman in his big screen debut as a drug dealer. The soundtrack was written by Eric Clapton, which contained 'Tears in Heaven.'
1999: Black Sabbath’s 1999 tour in support of the 'Reunion' album wraps up at The NEC in Birmingham, England.
2002: Legendary Clash guitarist, Joe Strummer, dies of heart failure at age 50. The Clash are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a few months later.
2003: White Stripes lead singer Jack White is charged with aggravated assault after a fight with the Von Bondies lead singer Jason Stollsteimer. The December 13th brawl between White and Stollsteimer began shortly before midnight at Detroit's Majestic Theatre Center.
2003: The annual list of all-time music greats by the Guinness book of hit singles was again topped by Elvis Presley. The list based on the number of weeks spent on the UK singles chart looked like this; 1. Elvis Presley (1193), 2. Cliff Richard (1152), 3. The Shadows (771), 4. Elton John (623), 5. Madonna (606), 6. Diana Ross (560), 7. Michael Jackson (509), 8. Rod Stewart (477), 9. Beatles (456) and 10. David Bowie (452).
2007: A silent auction featuring a variety of Ozzy Osbourne-related memorabilia is held in conjunction with his New York concert. Items, including autographed guitars by Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and Rob Zombie, raise money for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program. It's Osbourne's first Madison Square Garden appearance in 23 years. Rob Zombie is also on the bill.
2008: Slipknot's Corey Taylor slams Coldplay’s hugely successful 'Viva La Vida.' "That (album) is one of the most self-celebratory pieces of s**t I've ever f**king heard in my entire f**king life," proclaims Taylor. "I f**king hate that album. It's music to wipe your a** to."
2008: A cassette tape of a "drunk" John Lennon recording a cover version of a rock 'n' roll song sold at auction in Los Angeles for $30,000. The six-minute recording, made in autumn 1973, is of Lennon performing Lloyd Price's Just Because. "Debauched lyrics" improvised by "a drunk Lennon" include "just a little cocaine will set me right", and, "I wanna take all them new singers, Carol and the other one with the nipples, I wanna take 'em and hold 'em tight."
2009: The Flaming Lips digitally release their version of Pink Floyd's 'The Dark Side Of The Moon.' It's officially titled 'The Flaming Lips And Stardeath And White Dwarfs With Henry Rollins And Peaches Doing The Dark Side Of The Moon.' It's initially an iTunes exclusive.
2009: Paul McCartney's first European tour in five years concludes with a show at London's 02 Arena.
2009: Aerosmith's Steven Tyler begins his third stint in rehab. This follows months of speculation regarding his drug use. The frontman says his rehab is for "pain management" resulting from a concert accident the previous summer. Tyler first went to rehab in 1986 to treat drug and alcohol abuse and returned in 2008.
2009: Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood receives an official warning from U.K. police for allegedly choking then-girlfriend, Ekaterina Ivanova, after a heated argument.
2010: Late night talk show host Conan O'Brien and actor Jack Black engage in a guitar duel on O'Brien's show. O'Brien cheats by miming solos performed by Slash, who is behind the stage curtain.
2010: The British government declared the Beatles' famous Abbey Road zebra-crossing a national heritage site. Britain's Minister for Tourism and Heritage, John Penrose, said "This London zebra crossing is no castle or cathedral, but thanks to the Beatles and a 10-minute photo shoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage."
2010: Radiohead‘s ‘97 album 'OK Computer' is named ‘the best album of the past 25 years’ in a poll conducted by Q Magazine. Nirvana‘s 'Nevermind' is #2 while Oasis holds the #3 and #4 spots with 'Definitely Maybe' and '(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?,' respectively. Radiohead’s 'The Bends' is at #8. U2 has 'Joshua Tree' at #6 and 'Achtung Baby' sitting at #9.
2014: Bono announces the creation of a signature Gretsch guitar to benefit his RED charity. Five-percent of the wholesale price of each Bono 'Signature' Model guitar goes to raises money for the Global Fund to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
2014: Roger Waters Op-Ed against the torture methods used by the U.S. government at Guantanamo Bay is published in the Daily Mail. The ex-Pink Floyd singer/songwriter references London resident Shaker Aamer, who was taken into custody by the U.S. while working in Afghanistan. "No human being should be subjected to such monstrous and prolonged treatment - 13 years, with no evidence produced to suggest a crime," states Rogers.
2014: Singer Joe Cocker dies at age 70 at his home in Colorado after battling lung cancer. During his forty year career, Cocker placed ten songs on the Billboard Top 40, including the Top 10 hits, 'The Letter' (1970), 'You Are So Beautiful' (1975) and 'Up Where We Belong' with Jennifer Warnes in 1982. He was made an OBE in 2011. In the early Sixties Cocker was performing as Vance Arnold. The name was a combination of Vince Everett, Elvis Presley's character in Jailhouse Rock (which Cocker misheard as Vance); and country singer Eddy Arnold.
2016: Rick Parfitt, original guitarist for the English Rock band Status Quo, died at the age of 68 due to a severe infection after suffering an injury to his shoulder. The band reached #12 in the US in 1968 with 'Pictures Of Matchstick Men' and topped the UK chart in 1975 with 'Down Down.'
2016: Nickelback get slammed by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg in a promo video for Jarvis, a work in-progress artificial intelligence system. Zuckerberg asks the program to "play us some good Nickelback songs.” Jarvis states, "There are no good Nickelback songs," To which Zukerberg exclaims, "Good! That was actually a test." The following day, frontman Chad Kroeger’s ex-wife Avril Lavigne jumps into the fray defending Nickelback.
December 23
1947: Three scientists at Bell Labs in New Jersey demonstrate the transistor, which leads to the invention of small, portable "transistor" radios. The scientists win the 1956 Nobel Prize for their work.
1955: Fats Domino records 'My Blue Heaven' at J&M Studios in New Orleans.
1957: Simon & Garfunkel (then known as Tom & Jerry) release their first single.
1959: Chuck Berry was arrested after taking 14 year old Janice Norine (who was Berry did not know was working as a prostitute), across a state line, violating the Mann Act. Berry claims he was only giving the young lady a ride to her job as a hat-check girl at his St. Louis nightclub. Berry was initially convicted & sentenced to five years in prison, but due to Judge George H. Moore Jr. making racist comments, Berry was freed.
1961: The Beach Boys make their live debut, performing two songs during the intermission of Dick Dale's concert at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach, California.
1962: During his first visit to the UK Bob Dylan performed at the King and Queen pub in London’s West End, his 3rd UK gig.
1964: After appearing on the TV show 'Shindig!' where they perform their Christmas hit 'Little Saint Nick,' Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys has a nervous breakdown on a flight to Houston, where they begin a two-week tour. Wilson left the band to concentrate on writing and producing. Glen Campbell replaced Wilson for the bands live shows before Bruce Johnston replaced him.
1964: Boasting a hipper, more commercial staff of on-air DJs, Radio London, Britain's third major "pirate radio" station, begins broadcasting from MV Galaxy, a former American vessel used as a minesweeper in WWII.
1966: London's premiere psychedelic hangout, the UFO club, opens on Tottenham Court Road, with Pink Floyd as the house band.
1966: With union rules ending the practice of lip-synching on British TV, the popular show 'Ready Steady Go!' broadcasts its last show with guests The Who, Mick Jagger, Eric Burdon, The Spencer Davis Group, Donovan and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.
1967: John Lennon makes the first contact with his estranged father, Alf, in years. After hearing that he's taken ill, John sends him a get well note and a car so that he can visit his famous son.
1967: 'Foxy Lady' by Jimi Hendrix Experience is released.
1967: The Rolling Stones 'She's a Rainbow' b/w '2000 Light Years from Home' 45 single is released. It peaked at #25 in the United States. It is included on a large number of the Stones' hits compilations that cover this period, including 'Forty Licks.'
1967: Buffalo Springfield performs at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.
1967: Cream played at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
1968: At the Apple Records Christmas party, John Lennon and Yoko Ono appear as Santa and Mrs Claus.
1969: Elton John meets for the first time with what would become his classic team - songwriter Bernie Taupin, arranger Paul Buckmaster, and producer Gus Dudgeon - to begin work on his first solo album.
1969: Hawkwind performs at Town Hall in the St.Pancras neighborhood in London.
1970: The Grateful Dead perform an acoustic set at Winterland Auditorium to raise money for their pal Owsley “The Bear” Stanley’s legal issues. Also on the bill is Hot Tuna and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. The show was promoted as a benefit for “the Montessori School & The Bear.”
1970: Joni Mitchell's 3rd album 'Ladies Of The Canyon' is certified gold.
1971: Hawkwind performed at Seymour Hall in London.
1972: David Bowie performed at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
1972: John Lennon’s film 'Imagine' is premiered on national TV.
1972: At Madison Square Garden, ex-Grand Funk Railroad manager Terry Knight shows up at the band's gig with a court order allowing him to seize one million dollars worth of money and/or assets owed him by the band. Realizing that the band can't get paid if they don't perform, Knight and two deputy sheriffs wait for the end of the concert to impound the band's instruments and equipment.
1972: The Who’s newest single, 'Relay' backed with 'Waspman,' is released in Britain. It is The Who’s last stand-alone single not pulled from an album. Tony Stewart reviews 'Relay' for New Musical Express, “Why don’t this band ever fail? Simply because they’re the guv’nors in rock ‘n roll. And this composition by Pete Townshend must be their best single to date. It’s a calculated time-structure piece and not an all-out rocker, thus giving Big John and Keith room to prove their feel and expertise, as well as allowing Roger to use the full force and range of his voice. There’s an unforgettable chorus line, and some neat guitar lines hitting out. I do believe they’ve done it again.” It peaks at #21 in the U.K. charts.
1973: The Who played at the Sundown in Edmonton, North London.
1973: Jim Croce receives a posthumous #1 record with 'Time In A Bottle.'
1974: George Harrison's 'Ding Dong, Ding Dong" b/w 'Hari's On Tour (Express)' 45 single is released in the US.
It was written as a New Year's Eve singalong and released on his album 'Dark Horse.' It was the album's lead single in Britain and some other European countries, and the second single, after 'Dark Horse,' in North America.
1974: Comedian Kenny Kramer (the inspiration for the Seinfeld character) opens for KISS on their 'Hotter Than Hell' Tour at the Paramount Theater in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
1975: The Who played at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.
1976: AC/DC performed at Miami High School Great Hall in Gold Coast, Australia.
1976: Genesis' 'Wind & Wuthering' album is released in the U.K. It was released Dec. 27 in the U.S. It reached #7 on the UK Album chart, where it remained on the charts for 22 weeks. In the U.S. it reached #26 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart. The single, 'Your Own Special Way' became the band's first charting single with Collins as lead vocalist, reaching #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1977: Cat Stevens announces that he has changed his name to Yusuf Islam and converted to the Islamic religion.
1978: Rod Stewart releases 'D'ya Think I'm Sexy.' It would rise to the top of the Billboard chart during an 18 week run.
1978: The Cars peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with their second single 'My Best Friend’s Girl.'
1978: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes Foreigner’s 'Blue Morning Blue Day' at #75 & 'Double Vision' at #51, Gene Simmons’ 'Radioactive' #50, Paul Stanley’s 'Hold Me Touch Me' #46, Rod Stewart’s 'Da Ya Think I’m Sexy' #40, The Cars’ 'My Best Friend’s Girl' #35, Ace Frehley’s 'New York Groove' #23, Alice Cooper’s 'How You Gonna See Me Now' #12 and Toto’s 'Hold The Line' at #10.
1979: ZZ Top played at El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas.
1984: Aerosmith appeared at the Orange County Civic Center in Orlando, Florida.
1985: Pete Townshend performed at the Dominion Theatre in London.
1985: Judas Priest fans Raymond Belknap and James Vance shot themselves after listening to the Judas Priest album ‘Stained Class.’ The two had drunk beer, smoked marijuana and then listened to hours of the album. Afterwards they took a shotgun to a nearby school playground where Belknap shot and killed himself. Vance then blew away his jaw, mouth and nose but lived for more than three years before dying of effects of the shooting. The parents later file an infamous lawsuit against the band claiming their music was filled with subliminal messages.
1985: The Cathouse in Hollywood held one of the biggest Christmas extravaganza celebrations so far at the time with Guns N Roses, Faster Pussycat, Jetboy, L.A Guns and more.
1987: Roger Waters & David Gilmour of Pink Floyd reached an agreement where Gilmour could continue to use the Pink Floyd name & Waters would receive royalties for trademarks such as the flying pig & retained the rights to 'The Wall.'
1987: Carly Simon marries her second husband, Jim (they divorce nineteen years later.)
1989: Phil Collins started a four week run at #1 on the US singles chart with 'Another Day In Paradise,' his 7th US solo #1. Taken from his #1 album '...But Seriously,' the song was written to bring attention to the problem of homelessness.
1991: James Brown launches an unsuccessful lawsuit against the producers of the movie 'The Commitments,' claiming one of the characters too closely resembles him.
1995: Pearl Jam debuted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'I Got Id' which featured Neil Young on lead guitar.
1996: Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx married TV's 'Baywatch' star and former Playboy Playmate of the Month, Donna Deruico. The couple separated in 2006 & divorced in 2007.
1999: Cristin Keleher, an unemployed musician in Hawaii, breaks into George Harrison's Maui home and makes herself at home, ordering pizza, drinking root beer, doing laundry, and calling her mother before authorities arrive to arrest her. She is eventually charged with breaking and entering and theft. She would serve four months. She dies in a murder/suicide seven years later.
2002: Sir Paul McCartney was granted his own coat of arms by the College of Arms, the English heraldic body formed in 1484. The crest features a bird that appears to be holding a guitar in its claw. Four curved emblems resembling beetles' backs reflect his career with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The motto is "Ecce Cor Meum," Latin for "Behold My Heart," which is the title of an oratorio he composed. McCartney applied for the crest in 1997, the year he was knighted for his contribution to British music and society, but the death of his first wife Linda in 1998 delayed its design and approval.
2003: Simon & Garfunkel donate a million dollars to the Children's Health Fund (started by Paul six years earlier.)
2005: Geezer Butler offered £5,000 for any information leading to the safe return of Toga, the three-month-old penguin that had been stolen from a zoo on the Isle of Wight a few days earlier.
2006: The Return Of The Honeydrippers, with former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, performs a benefit show in Kidderminster, England, as part of a campaign to raise almost $50,000 for life-saving treatments needed by a friend who's suffering from a brain tumor. Proceeds help pay for proton beam therapy at a Boston hospital.
2006: It was reported that U2 singer Bono would receive honorary knighthood from the U.K. in recognition of his contribution to music & humanitarian work.
2007: The Police were named as the highest earning touring group for the past year, bringing in nearly $132 million. The band's 54 date North American tour had generated almost double the total of the 2nd place act, Country star Kenny Chesney.
2008: Clint Ballard Jr. died. He wrote ‘Game Of Love’ a hit for Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders', and Linda Ronstadt's, ‘You're No Good.' His songs have been recorded by The Hollies, Frankie Avalon, Ricky Nelson, The Zombies and Jan And Dean.
2009: Metallica’s self-titled 5th album became the biggest selling album of the Soundscan era since Nielsen Soundscan began tracking album sales for the Billboard 200 album chart in May of 1991. Since its release in August of 1991, it’s sold over 16 million copies.
2009: Ozzy Osbourne, blasts the Christmas holiday saying the best Christmas he ever had was when he was unconscious after breaking his neck in an ’03 ATV accident. "I hate Christmas, I hate it," humbugs Ozzy. "Everything stops. When I used to drink it was a good excuse to get drunk for two weeks. Now I just hate it. I have to unravel all these presents. What a waste of paper!"
2010: The surviving members of The Doors reject an official pardon granted by the State of Florida days earlier to their late frontman Jim Morrison. The charge of lewd and lascivious behavior was levied against Morrison following a chaotic Miami performance in 1969. Band members insist the singer is owed a full apology by the State as well as the City of Miami. They contend that Morrison did not need "to be pardoned for anything," and allege that the charges "were largely an opportunity for grandstanding by ambitious politicians" and "an affront to free speech."
2011: Just as she has every year since 1986, Darlene Love appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman where she sang 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),' backed by Paul Shaffer And The CBS Orchestra. The song was originally recorded for the landmark 1963 holiday album 'A Christmas Gift for You.'
2012: Michael Ralph "Mike" Scaccia former guitarist with Ministry and Rigor Mortis passed away from a heart attack.
2013: The Mail On Sunday in the UK reported that documents they obtained from the Cabinet Office via the Freedom Of Information Act showed that George Harrison, who passed away in 2001, turned down the chance to be included in the New Year's Honours List in 2000. The OBE was recommended by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport who said that Harrison should be recognised for his contribution to the music industry. The citation read: "He was a member of a band that many people would say is the best thing that Britain has ever produced, and possibly the best in the world, The Beatles".
2013: Billy Joel donates a Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Piano worth $250,000 to the music department of Stony Brook University in his hometown of Long Island, NY.
2015: Billboard.com reported that John Lippman, the owner of the legendary mail-order company Columbia House, was interested in reviving the service with vinyl records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, vinyl sales were up over 50 percent in the first half of 2015.
2015: Brenda Lee's iconic 1960 hit, 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' topped the Billboard Country Streaming Chart and the Billboard Holiday Airplay Chart. The song also re-entered the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, giving Little Miss Dynamite her first Top 40 hit since 1967's 'Ride, Ride, Ride' which rose to #37 during a two week stay.
2016: Pantera’s Philip Anselmo states in an interview that he was molested as a youth.
2017: U2’s 14th studio album, 'Songs Of Experience,' sells 186,000 total copies in its first week of release. It’s their 8th #1 on the Billboard 200. U2 is the only act to score a chart topping album in the 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s and 2010’s.
December 24
1959: The Philadelphia Orphan's Court gives Chubby Checker a raise in his weekly allowance from $150 to $200. The 19 year old singer (who's real name is Ernest Evans) has already put three songs, 'The Class,' 'The Twist' and 'The Hucklebuck' in the US Top 40.
1963: The Beatles' Christmas Show begins. The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, who himself had had theatrical aspirations, conceived the show, a variety stage production featuring the group. It ran at the Astoria Cinema in Finsbury Park, London for 16 nights, ending on January 11, 1964. The first act, with five minutes on stage, were the Barron Knights and Duke D'Mond. Next came short sets from Tommy Quickly and The Fourmost, and Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas closed the first half. Following the interval there was a return from the Barron Knights and Duke D'Mond, then Cilla Black, and Rolf Harris. The Beatles were each evening's final act, with performances lasting 25 minutes.
1964: 'Another Beatles Christmas Show,' kicked off with the Yardbirds, Freddie and the Dreamers, Jimmy Saville, Elkie Brooks, Mike Haslam, and Mike Cotton Sound. Following the success of The Beatles' Christmas Show in December 1963 and early 1964, Brian Epstein decided the group should repeat the trick, this time at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. It continued for a three-week run of two performances per day.
1965: The Beatles earn a gold record for the album 'Rubber Soul,' just two-and-a-half weeks after its release. It takes less than three weeks to earn sales in excess of $1 million. The Beatles had the #1 album in the US for the third Christmas in a row. 'Rubber Soul' followed 'Beatles For Sale' in 1964 and 'With The Beatles' in 1963. The Fab Four would repeat this feat again in 1968 with 'The Beatles (The White Album)' and again in 1969 with 'Abbey Road.'
1965: The Who appear on Ready Steady GO! performing 'Jingle Bells' and an otherwise unreleased instrumental called 'You Rang' with John Entwhistle imitating Lurch the Butler from The Addams Family TV series. A poor audio copy of these tracks does still exist.
1966: At a Christmas Eve taping session, Tommy James And The Shondells record 'I Think We're Alone Now,' which will go on to be the group's forth #1 song in the US, selling over a million copies.
1966: Elvis Presley proposed to longtime girlfriend Priscilla Beaulieu during Christmas celebrations at Graceland. They would marry the following May.
1968: Led Zeppelin leave Britain to start their first American tour. Robert Plant remembered, “It was Christmas, and Christmas away from home for the English is the end of the world.”
1968: Yes performed at the Speakeasy Club in London.
1969: Yes played at Farx Club in Southall, Middlesex, England.
1971: New York Dolls make their live debut, performing at a Christmas Party at the Endicott Hotel in New York City.
1971: Slade appeared at London's Marquee Club for a Christmas Eve party night.
1972: On the second UK leg of his 182 date Ziggy Stardust Tour, David Bowie played the second of two nights at the Rainbow Theatre in London, giving a special Christmas Eve concert. . This tour had the classic Spiders From Mars line up of Mick Ronson on guitar, vocals, Trevor Bolder, bass and Mick "Woody" Woodmansey on drums.
1972: The Eagles, The Bee Gees, Stevie Wonder, and Mott The Hoople all appeared at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, California.
1972: Complaints about the volume lead Miami police to shut down a Manfred Mann and His Earth Band concert. A riot ensues with the band hiding in their dressing room.
1972: Police provoked a riot in Miami, Florida, after pulling the plug during a Manfred Mann's Earth Band concert because of a noise complaint. The band was touring to promote their latest album, 'Glorified Magnified.' As the battle raged, the band hid in a dressing room.
1973: Tom Johnson of the Doobie Brothers is arrested in Visalia, California on charges of marijuana possession. His court appearance on January 10, coincides with the release of the group’s new album, ironically titled 'What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits.'
1974: James Taylor, Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell go Christmas carolling in Hollywood.
1975: AC/DC appeared at The Hordern Pavillion in Sydney, Australia.
1976: The Eagles 6th album, 'Hotel California' spent the first of eight non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard chart. It goes Platinum and was the band's first LP with Joe Walsh and last with bassist Randy Meisner and has now sold over 21 million copies on the strength of two Grammy winning singles, the title track and 'New Kid In Town.'
1977: The Kinks performed at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
1977: The Sex Pistols played their last ever UK gig, (until 1996), before splitting, at Ivanhoes in Huddersfield. It was a charity performance before an audience of mainly children.
1982: Armored Saint, Pandemonium, and Obsession played a Christmas Eve show at the Troubadour in Hollywood.
1983: The Police appeared at The Brighton Centre in Brighton, England on their 'Synchronicity' Tour.
1983: The Rolling Stones peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Undercover of the Night' which was their 21st top 10 single in the U.S.
1983: Duran Duran peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with their single, 'Union Of The Snake.' Yes’ 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart' was at #4, Billy Joel’s 'Uptown Girl' #6, Elton John’s 'I Guess That's Why They Call it The Blues' #11, The Romantics’ 'Talking In Your Sleep' was #12, Quiet Riot’s 'Cum On Feel The Noize' was #15, The Police’ 'Synchonicty II' #16, John Cougar Mellencamp’s 'Crumblin’ Down' #24, Genesis 'That’s All' #27, Spandau Ballet’s 'Gold' #34, Robert Plant’s 'In The Mood' #40, and The Pretenders’ 'Middle of the Road' was #43.
1988: Poison started a three-week run at #1 on the US Singles charts with ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn,' which was their only #1 single.
1988: Guns N’ Roses peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Welcome to the Jungle' which was their second top 10 single in the U.S. Ann Wilson & Robin Zander’s Surrender To Me was #80, Duran Duran's 'All She Wants Is' was #85, Bon Jovi’s Bad Medicine #43, Cheap Trick’s 'Ghost Town' was #33, Bon Jovi’s 'Born To Be My Baby' was #26, White Lion’s When The Children Cry #25, Van Halen's 'Finish What Ya Started' was #20 & Def Leppard‘s 'Armageddon It' was #12.
1988: Nirvana started recording their first album 'Bleach' using a $600 loan from an old school friend.
1992: Bobby LaKind (The Doobie Brothers) dies of colon cancer in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 47.
1994: Pearl Jam 'Vitalogy' album is #1 in the US. Their 3rd studio album debuted at #55 two weeks earlier when they issued it on vinyl two weeks prior to the CD & cassette release.
1997: The Gin Blossoms call it quits. The group reforms a few years later.
2000: Nick Massi, vocalist and bass guitarist for The Four Seasons, died of cancer at the age of 73. Nick was responsible for many of the group's vocal arrangements, but sadly didn't live to see the phenomenal success of their musical biography on Broadway, 'Jersey Boys.'
2003: Jack White of The White Stripes turned himself in to Detroit police to face aggravated assault charges stemming from a bar room altercation in which he allegedly attacked Jason Stollsteimer of The Von Bondies. White was also fingerprinted and formally booked on the charges before he was released on bail.
2005: Iggy Pop was fined by the city of Lucerne, Switzerland for performing too loud during a Stooges concert at the 'Blue Balls' festival in July.
2006: U2's Bono has been appointed an honorary knight by the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II. The British Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, says Bono is being recognized for "his services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work."
2008: Linkin Park's 'Road to Revolution: Live At Milton Keynes' DVD streams online for free for 24 hours via the media player on the band's official website.
2009: Metallica's self-titled 1991 album ('The Black Album') is named the top seller of the Nielsen SoundScan era (since 1991). Their 5th studio album has sold more than 15-million copies.
2009: U2's Bono and other musicians perform on Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland, in an effort to raise money for the Simon Community, a homelessness prevention outfit. They play Bob Dylan's 'Knocking On Heaven's Door' and Ben E. King's 'Stand By Me.'
2009: Larry Knechtel, the keyboard player for Bread, died following a heart attack at the age of 69. Knechtel earned a Grammy award for his arrangement of Simon And Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and also performed with Neil Diamond, Randy Newman, Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr., The Dixie Chicks and Elvis Costello.
2012: Mothers Of Invention co-founder Ray Collins dies in Pomona, CA, after suffering a massive heart attack nearly a week earlier. The singer invited Frank Zappa to join the Soul Giants, the band that eventually became the Mothers Of Invention.
2014: Slipknot's 'The Negative One' nails the Best Riff Award in a readers' poll conducted by Total Guitar magazine. The track is from the group's album '.5: The Gray Chapter.'
2015: Music by The Beatles was finally made available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal and Amazon Prime Music. The deal with the group involved the rights to stream 224 songs from the original 13 studio albums.
2016: Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt died in hospital in Marbella, Spain at age 68. He died from a severe infection after going to hospital, following complications to a shoulder injury. His partnership with Francis Rossi became the core of Status Quo, one of Britain's most enduring bands. Status Quo had over 60 chart hits in the UK, more than any other rock band, including 'Pictures of Matchstick Men' in 1967, 'Whatever You Want' in 1979 and 'In the Army Now' in 2010. Twenty-two of these reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. In July 1985 the band opened Live Aid at Wembley Stadium with 'Rockin' All Over the World.'
December 25
1954: Singer Johnny Ace accidentally killed himself backstage at a Houston concert on Christmas Eve. He was playing with a revolver during a break between sets, someone in the room said "Be careful with that thing’’ and he said ‘It’s OK the gun’s not loaded, see’’ and pointed it at himself with a smile on his face. Ace was well known for singing and playing piano with such Blues legends as Bobby Bland and B.B. King. He later signed with Duke Records and had a string of R&B hits, along with two more hits after his death. Cashbox magazine had named Johnny Ace as its Most Promising New Artist earlier in the month.
1957: For their first Christmas as a married couple, Jerry Lee Lewis gives his thirteen-year-old wife Myra a red Cadillac convertible with a white leather interior. Although she routinely drove it around Coro Lake, Tennessee, she wouldn't be of age to get her driver's licence for another three years.
1958: Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson, Frankie Avalon, Eddie Cochran, Dion, Bo Diddley and The Everly Brothers, kicked off Alan Freed's Christmas Rock 'n' Roll Spectacular at Loews State Theatre in New York.
1959: Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) receives his first drum set for Christmas. The 18 year old is currently working as an apprentice engineer.
1960: James Taylor receives his first guitar for Christmas, at the age of 12.
1964: The Beatles Christmas Day Concert took place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. The evening’s events opened with The Mike Cotton Sound’s performance of Georgie Fame’s current single 'Yeh Yeh,' before singer Michael Haslam joined them to sing “Scarlet Ribbons.” Next, The Yardbirds took to the stage followed by a pantomime sketch featuring The Beatles dressed as Antarctic explorers, searching for the Abominable Snowman. The opening frame closed with Freddie And The Dreamers performing 'Rip It Up,' 'Bachelor Boy,' and 'Cut Across Shorty.' Elkie Brooks opened the second half, followed by a short set from Sounds Incorporated. Jimmy Savile then introduced The Beatles, who closed the show with performances of 11 songs: Twist And Shout, I’m A Loser, Baby’s In Black, Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby, Can’t Buy Me Love, Honey Don’t, I Feel Fine, She’s A Woman, A Hard Day’s Night, Rock And Roll Music and Long Tall Sally.
1964: The Zombies headline Murray the K's Big Holiday Show in New York City.
1964: George Harrison’s girlfriend Patti Boyd is attacked by jealous female fans at Beatles Christmas concert at Hammersmith Odeon.
1965: Having topped out at #45 in Great Britain, The Dave Clark Five's 'Over and Over' reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would prove to be their only US chart topper, although they would place 16 songs in the Top 30 during their career. They became the 7th UK act of the year to score a #1 single in America.
1965: The Young Rascals enter the Hot 100 for the first time with 'I Ain't Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore,' which will peak at #52.
1967: Paul McCartney and Jane Asher get engaged. She would end the relationship in early 1968 because of Paul's alleged infidelities.
1968: Led Zeppelin arrived in the United States for the very first time in preparation of their debut North American tour. The group were paid an average of $1,500 for each show.
1969: 16-year-old Robbie Bachman of Winnipeg, Canada, receives his first drum kit for Christmas and begins to play along with his older brother, guitarist Randy. Just three years later, Randy asks him to join his new band, named Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
1975: Iron Maiden are formed by bassist Steve Harris in Leyton, East London. The original band featured Dave Sullivan and Terry Rance, drummer Ron Rebel Matthews, and singer Paul Day.
1976: Boston peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'More Than a Feeling' which was their first top 10 single in the U.S. Rod Stewart’s 'Tonight’s The Night' was #1, Alice Cooper's 'I Never Cry' was #13, Queen’s 'Somebody To Love' was #19, Aerosmith’s 'Walk This Way' was #28, KISS’ 'Beth' was #41 and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird (live) was #43.
1976: In an article in the UK's New Musical Express, The Pat Travers Band, newcomers to the British music scene themselves, say they can outplay The Sex Pistols using minimal equipment, anytime, anywhere.
1977: The Sex Pistols performed their last concert in the U.K. before their reunion in 1996 at the Ivanhoes Club in Huddersfield, U.K. The concert was a charity performance for children of firemen, laid-off workers & single parents.
1978: John Lydon’s new group Public Image Ltd played their first live gig at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
1980: Michael Jackson phoned Paul McCartney to wish him Merry Christmas and suggest they write some songs together. They end up recording three duets together, with the first result being 'The Girl Is Mine.' Their friendship ends when Jackson buys the publishing rights to McCartney's songs.
1981: The J. Geils Band performed a Christmas Day concert at the Norfolk Correctional Center outside of Boston. During the concert, singer Peter Wolf told the inmates “We wanna be the first to buy you all a free drink on the outside.”
1982: In one of the most successful duets in Christmas music history, and surely the strangest, 30-year-old David Bowie and 73-year-old Bing Crosby achieved the #1 song in the UK with 'Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy.' The song had been recorded in September of 1977 when Crosby was in Great Britain to tape a TV special called 'Merrie Olde Christmas.' Having him share a number with Bowie was the brainchild of producers Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion. After the recording circulated as a bootleg for several years, RCA decided to issue it as a single. It has since become a holiday standard, but it is entirely possible that neither Crosby or Bowie were familiar with each other's work.
1982: Billboard’s Hot 100 included debuts from Duran Duran's 'Hungry Like The Wolf' at #77, with Sammy Hagar’s 'Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy' at #38, Stray Cats’ 'Rock This Town' at #9 & 'Stray Cat Strut' at #43, The Clash’s 'Rock The Casbah' #15, Toto’s 'Africa' #14, at #2 was Tony Basil’s 'Mickey' & #1 was 'Maneater' by Hall & Oates.
1982: The Who’s 'Eminence Front' backed with 'One At A Time' hits the U.S. charts. Despite heavy play on MTV, the single peaks at #68 in Billboard and #77 in Cash Box. It is the last Who single to appear on either chart.
1985: King Diamond released his 1st single, 'No Presents for Christmas.'
1987: Ted Nugent appeared on 'Late Night with David Letterman' where he sang 'The Christmas Song' with a bogus Letterman.
1990: On Christmas Day, James Brown is given a four day furlough from prison, during which time he gives his first concert in two years. Brown performed for a crowd of Ft. Jackson, South Carolina soldiers whose leave had been cancelled because of the impending Gulf War.
1993: Bryan Adams was at #5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with 'All For Love' & #11 with 'Please Forgive Me.' Meat Loaf’s I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) was #4, Aerosmith occupied #35 with 'Cryin’ & #45 with 'Amazing.' Def Leppard took #59 with 'Miss You In A Heartbeat' and Mr. Big was #47 with 'Wild World.'
1996: 'The People vs. Larry Flynt,' starring Courtney Love, is released.
1998: Bryan MacLean, guitarist for the Rock group Love, died in Los Angeles of a massive heart attack while having Christmas dinner with a young fan who was researching a book about the band. He was 61.
2006: James Brown, known by all as The Godfather of Soul, died of pneumonia on Christmas morning at the age of 73. Brown went to his dentist in Atlanta the previous day who told him something was wrong, and sent him to a doctor immediately. He recorded more than 50 albums and had well over 100 songs that hit the US charts. His final words were reported to have been, "I'm going away tonight."
2006: Iron Maiden released the single 'Different World.'
2010: Elton John and his partner David Furnish become the proud parents of a son, born to a surrogate. Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John was the first for the pair who have been together since the early 1990s. A second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, was born to the couple by the same surrogate mother on January 11th, 2013.
2016: George Michael died at his home aged 53. Thames Valley Police said South Central Ambulance Service attended a property in Goring in Oxfordshire at 13:42 GMT. The singer who launched his career with Wham in the 1980s and later continued his success as a solo performer, was said to have "passed away peacefully at home". Up to the time of his death, Michael sold more than 115 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
December 26
1955: Bill Haley And His Comets' version of the Bobby Charles tune 'See You Later Alligator' is released by Decca Records. It will reach #6 on the US Pop chart and become Haley's third and final million-selling single.
1956: In Nashville, Buddy Holly has his first recording session for Decca Records.
1963: Capitol Records, the EMI-affiliated company which rejected the US rights to every Beatles record that they were offered until then, finally released 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' backed with 'I Saw Her Standing There.' The song was currently topping the UK chart with 'This Boy' on the flip side. Within five weeks, the record would rise to #1 in the US, where it would stay for seven weeks. The song was recorded the previous October and the hit version was take #17.
1964: The Beatles started a three week run at #1 on the singles chart with 'I Feel Fine.' It was the group’s 6th chart topper of the year in which they had 30 entries on the chart, giving them a total of 18 weeks at the top of the charts.
1964: After a year of being criticized for their long hair, the Rolling Stones take out an ad in the New Musical Express wishing "starving hairdressers and their families a Happy Christmas."
1965: While spending Christmas at his father’s home in Cheshire, Paul McCartney crashed from the moped he was riding and suffered a five-inch cut to his mouth.
1966: John Lennon appeared as a men’s room attendant in Peter Cook’s and Dudley Moore’s BBC TV show 'Not only...But also.'
1966: The Byrds finish recording 'Eight Miles High' at Columbia Studios in Hollywood. The song is released a couple months later.
1966: The Jimi Hendrix Experience played an afternoon show at The Uppercut Club in London (where he was billed as “The American Top soul Singer - Jimi Hendrix”). Hendrix also wrote the lyrics to 'Purple Haze' in the dressing room on the same day.
1967: The Beatles movie, 'The Magical Mystery Tour' was shown in black and white by BBC-TV on Boxing Day. The concept was to load the band into a bus, drive around for a while and see what happened. Unfortunately, nothing did. Audiences were mystified, critics were either disappointed or contemptuous, and the Beatles suffered their first flop. The negative reaction was so strong that a US television deal for broadcasting the movie was canceled. A Daily Express critic wrote that he had never seen "such blatant rubbish." The U.S. television deal for broadcasting the movie was cancelled soon afterwards.
1967: The Doors and Chuck Berry began a three night stand at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom.
1967: The Monkees record 'Valleri.'
1967: The Chambers Brothers 'Time Has Come Today' b/w 'People Get Ready' 45 single is released.
1968: Led Zeppelin begins its first U.S. tour. They open for Vanilla Fudge and MC5 at Denver Auditorium in Colorado. Tickets for this Sunday night gig cost $5. Denver music man Barry Fey nearly became famous for being the guy who refused to book Led Zeppelin. “About 10 days before the show, I got a call from the agent saying, ‘Barry, I want to add an act to our show,’ ” Fey said. “I said, ‘all the tickets are sold.’ “He said, ‘You’ve got to do this for me, Barry, this is a big, big act. Their name is Led Zeppelin.’ I thought it was a joke.” Fey turned Terry down, until the agent showed Fey the money. “Ten minutes later Ron called back and said ‘Vanilla Fudge is going to give you $750, and if you give $750 of your own money, we still can put Led Zeppelin on the show.’ ” Fey caved in. “I got up on the stage and said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm Denver welcome to Led Zeppelin,’ ” Fey said. “They started playing, and it was incredible. It was an unbelievable show; people were gasping.”
1968: D.A. Pennebaker's documentary Monterey Pop, which chronicles the 1967 Monterey International Pop Music Festival (where The Who smashed their instruments and Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire) opens in theaters.
1969: Yes played at the Marquee Club in London.
1969: The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Fillmore East in New York.
1970: George Harrison reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for the first time as a solo artist with 'My Sweet Lord,' which topped the chart for four weeks. The song was originally intended for Billy Preston. Five years later, a New York state judge would find Harrison guilty of copyright infringement for plagiarizing the Chiffon's 1963 hit, 'He's So Fine.' The ruling would result in a legal battle that would carry on until 1998, with Harrison paying out $587,000.
1972: Roxy Music played at Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa Bay, Florida.
1973: Alice Cooper performed at New Haven Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut.
1974: KISS appeared at the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
1974: Ringo Starr sits at #1 on the pop chart with the Richard Perry produced cover of Johnny Burnette's 'Your Sixteen.' It's Ringo's second chart topper (' Photograph' was the first).
1976: The Sex Pistols recorded 'God Save the Queen' at Wessex Studios in London. The song went on to reach #2 on the U.K. Singles Chart the following year. The song was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977. The record's lyrics, as well as the cover, were controversial at the time, and both the BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority refused to play the song. The song reached #1 on the NME charts.
1977: Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green gets institutionalized after shooting at a delivery boy.
1978: Rush played at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Canada.
1979: The first night of a series of concerts were held at The Hammersmith Odeon in London, for the People of Kampuchea, featuring Queen, The Clash, The Pretenders, The Who, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Wings, and many more artists. The events which were organized by Paul McCartney and Kurt Waldheim were aimed to raise money for the victims of war-torn Cambodia.
1979: Pink Floyd’s 'The Wall' was at #1 on the album chart. The album spent a total of 15 weeks at the top, during a 35-week stay on the chart'
1980: Blue Oyster Cult played at Cumberland County Memorial in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
1980: Warren Zevon's live album, 'Stand in the Fire' is released. It was recorded at L.A.'s Roxy Theatre in 1980.
1981: AC/DC reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart for the first time with 'For Those About to Rock (We Salute You),' which began a three-week run on top of the chart. It replaced Foreigner’s '4,' that had been on a five week run in the top spot. AC/DC didn’t top the album chart again until 2008’s 'Black Ice.' The name of the album was inspired by a book Angus Young read, entitled 'For Those About to Die, We Salute You,' about Roman gladiators.
1981: Billboard’s Hot 100 includes debuts from Genesis’ 'Abacab' at #71. Also, Loverboy’s 'Working For The Weekend' was #41, Chilliwack’s 'My Girl (Gone Gone Gone)' #29, The Rolling Stones’ 'Waiting On A Friend' #26, The Police’s 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' #20, Journey’s 'Don’t Stop Believin’ #9, and Foreigner’s 'Waiting For A Girl Like You' at #2.
1982: Aerosmith appeared at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
1983: Blue Oyster Cult played at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon.
1983: KISS kick off the North American leg of their 'Lick It Up' Tour at The Omni in Atlanta, GA
1985: Ratt with opening act Bon Jovi played the Orange Pavilion in San Bernmadino, CA.
1987: Guns N' Roses played 4 shows over 5 nights at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, CA. (Dec. 26, 27, 28 & 30).
1991: Ted Nugent gave an anti-drug message to fans before a concert in Saginaw, MI telling fans “Jimi Hendrix thought I was stupid, and I thought he was a god. Now he’s dead, & I’m still Ted.”
1991: Phil Spector's son, 9 year old Phillip Jr., died of lymphatic leukemia on his father's 51st birthday. Phil Sr. would later say that when he lost his son, he'd lost his best friend, and in some ways, his grip on reality.
1995: Soundgarden is named the Best Metal Band in Rolling Stone magazine's '95 Music Awards. The group nails both the Readers and Critics' Polls.
1998: Offspring's 'Pretty Fly For A White Guy' lands on the U.S. pop charts but doesn't even get to the Top 40, though it does far better (weeks later) in England and Australia.
1999: Curtis Mayfield dies of complications from diabetes in Roswell, Georgia, at age 57. While a member of The Impressions, he recorded the Top 20 hit 'For Your Precious Love' in 1960. He also released a handful of solo efforts and spent time playing guitar in Jerry Butler's touring band and provided Jerry with his first R&B hit 'He Will Break Your Heart.' He also had the 1972 US #4 single 'Freddie’s Dead, Theme From Superfly.'
2001: There are serious injuries and at least one death when Limp Bizkit perform at the Big Day Out Festival in Sydney, Australia. The group delays their performance for 15 minutes while police and festival staff try to sort out and rein in the mosh pit chaos. A later investigation places blame squarely on the concert promoters for not providing adequate security but also singles out Bizkit frontman Fred Durst for not taking the situation seriously.
2005: Members of Papa Roach, P.O.D., A Perfect Circle, Trapt and Static-X perform on the tsunami-relief charity single 'Forever In Our Hearts.' Proceeds from the track, which is sold via Apple's iTunes Music Store, benefit the Linkin Park-established Music For Relief organization.
2005: It's announced that drummer Ryan Vikedal has left Nickleback after five years. In a statement, the group wishes Vikedal "all the best in his future endeavors."
2006: Iron Maiden release their single, 'Different World,' in Europe.
2006: A CD/DVD documenting the 2006 edition of the KoRn-headlined 'Family Values Tour' is released. Sets by Stone Sour, Deftones, Flyleaf and 10 Years are included. One of the highlights is a collaboration between Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor and KoRn on the latter's 'Freak On A Leash.'
2006: Panic Channel's Dave Navarro says the group has selected Powerman 5000's Siggy Sjurson to fill in for bassist Chris Chaney on the band's tour with Rock Star Supernova.
2006: U2 frontman Bono introduces Product Red to help raise funds to combat HIV and AIDS in Africa. He teams up with several companies to sell a range of items - including T-shirts, shoes and sunglasses - with proceeds going toward anti-AIDS programs. "I think we've come up with a sexy, smart, savvy idea that will save people's lives," claims Bono.
2007: Seether's 'Fake It' ends the Foo Fighters' 18 week run at #1 with 'The Pretender' on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks. 'Fake It' is also #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks for the 8th straight week.
2007: Nickelback announce they are donating profits from their single, 'If Everyone Cared,' to charity. For six months, proceeds from download sales and accompanying video, which features humanitarians Nelson Mandela and Bob Geldof, go to Amnesty International and International Children's Awareness Canada.
2008: The first of a two-part Jimi Hendrix exhibition premieres at Seattle's Experience Music Project. Message To Love, features two iconic Hendrix guitars housed in a gallery with blank walls on which visitors are encouraged to write their thoughts about the guitar great. Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound, offers an interactive look at the guitarist's influence on popular music.
2009: 'Nowhere Boy,' a biographical film about John Lennon's formative years in Liverpool, is in U.K. theaters.
2010: Ozzy Osbourne once again bashes Christmas in his weekly column for the U.K.'s Sunday Times. He writes that the holiday is merely an excuse for consumerism and should be wiped off the calendar. "Christmas should be banned. Full stop. Although when I was drinking, I thought it was great, 'cos it was the perfect excuse to get blasted...Now I can't stand any of it."
2011: Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil pleads guilty to a Las Vegas drunk driving charge from the previous summer and is sentenced to fifteen days in jail. "He pleaded guilty to DUI. The vast majority of people facing a first offense DUI in Nevada don't face jail time," says Clark County, Nevada District Attorney David Roger. But in '84 Neil served 20 days and paid $2.5 million after pleading guilty to drunk driving and manslaughter when the car he was driving crashed and killed Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas Dingley.
2013: Saving Abel frontman Jared Weeks announces that he has left the group to pursue a solo career and that Trash The Brand frontman Scott Austin has been selected to replace him.
2015: Puddle Of Mudd singer Wes Scantlin is charged with misdemeanor drug possession following a routine traffic stop in Beverly Hills. He posts bail and is released. It's his fourth drug bust of the year.
2015: Stevie Wright, lead singer of the Australian group The Easybeats, died at the age of 68. The band is most often remembered for their 1967 hit 'Friday On My Mind' which climbed to #16 on the Hot 100, #6 in the UK and #1 in their home country.
2017: Jim Burns, the co-creator of MTV's iconic MTV Unplugged series, famous for hosting shows by artists as diverse as Eric Clapton, Nirvana and Jay-Z died at the age of 65. He was struck by a taxi while crossing Fifth Avenue in Manhattan three days earlier walking with his seeing-eye dog near his Upper East Side home.
December 27
1932: Radio City Music Hall, the world’s largest indoor theater at the time, opens in New York City with a massive six-hour show. With 6,200 seats and a stage spanning 10,000 square feet, more than 300 million people have gone to Radio City to enjoy movies, stage shows, concerts, and special events.
1957: 20,000 fans begin lining up at 5:30 in the morning for Alan Freed's Christmas show at Brooklyn's Paramount Theatre, set to kick off at 9:00 AM. The average ticket price was $1.85.
1958: Buddy Holly makes his first appearance in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas since becoming a major star at Morris Fruit & Vegetable Store. Along with broadcasting 'live' over KLLL radio from a fruit and vegetable store, he will return to the station's studios to record 'You're The One,' a song that station management challenged him to write in half an hour.
1958: While attending a class at the Liverpool College of Art, John Lennon meets student Cynthia Powell, later to become his first wife.
1960: Returning from Hamburg, The Beatles play a 'Welcome Home' show in Liverpool at the Litherland Town Hall Ballroom in Liverpool. Stuart Sutcliffe was still in Germany at the time of this concert. Added to the bill at the last minute, The Beatles were not advertised to appear, so banners had been pasted onto advertising posters, saying "Direct From Hamburg, The Beatles!" Since The Beatles were playing in an area they'd only played in once before, most of the audience assumes they were a German group.
1962: Gene Vincent checks into a London hospital to get a bone graft to repair his injured leg. The leg was hurt in a motorcycle accident then re-injured in the auto accident that killed Eddie Cochran. He spends three weeks at the facility.
1963: The London Times names John Lennon and Paul McCartney the Outstanding Composers of the Year. Two days later, the Sunday Times' music critic Richard Buckle proclaims the same two songwriters "the greatest composers since Beethoven."
1963: The Dave Clark Five's 'Glad All Over' b/w 'I Know You' 45 single is released. It reached #6 on the American U.S. pop singles chart, becoming the first British Invasion hit by an artist other than The Beatles.
1965: Davy Jones shows off the acting chops that would later land him a gig with The Monkees when he appears on an episode of the TV show 'Ben Casey.'
1967: 'John Wesley Harding' is released. The Bob Dylan album contains the original version of 'All Along The Watchtower,' which was later covered by Jimi Hendrix. Rolling Stone declares, “Without a doubt this is another major musical step for Bob Dylan. The predominance of country blues, white and black, from Hank Williams to Leadbelly is unprecedented in the new electric music.” It reached #2 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart and topped the UK charts. In 2003, the album was ranked #301 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The commercial performance was considered remarkable considering that Dylan had kept Columbia from releasing the album with much promotion or publicity. Less than three months after its release, John Wesley Harding was certified gold by the RIAA.
1967: Having taped 'Light My Fire' and 'Moonlight Drive' just days earlier (12/24) for the Jonathan Winters Show on CBS TV, The Doors wheel a TV on stage during their concert at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom so they can watch themselves on the Winters Show (and the audience can watch the band watching themselves). When the segment is over keyboardist Ray Manzarek turns off the TV and it's rolled off the stage.
1968: Fleetwood Mac played at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
1969: 'Led Zeppelin II' is #1 on the U.S. album chart. It goes on to over six million copies in the U.S. and it spent a seven non-consecutive week run on top. The album's cover designer David Juniper was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
1969: Miles Davis was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 cents.
1969: The Rolling Stones’ 'Let It Bleed' reaches #3 in the American album charts.
1971: 'The Sonny And Cher Comedy Hour' CBS-TV show, with its title stars, begins its 3-year regular season run (it had previously been a summer replacement show).
1971: Alice Cooper performed at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1971: David Clayton-Thomas makes his final appearance with the original Blood, Sweat And Tears at the Anaheim Convention Center. He would return in 1975.
1972: The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood, Florida.
1972: Grateful Dead's 'Sugar Magnolia' b/w 'Mr. Charlie' 45 single is released.
1972: The Allman Brothers Band, Commander Cody, Dr. John, John Hammond, Wet Willie, Jo Jo Gunne, Roxy Music, Edgaer Winter and The Mahavishi Orchestra played and outdoor concert at the Miami-Hollywood Speed Park in Hollywood, Florida.
1973: Johnny Winter and special guests The James Gang played the 1st Annual Holiday Rock and Roll Revival at Vets Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa.
1974: KISS played at the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
1975: 'A Night At The Opera' is #1 in the U.K. The Queen album stays on the chart for nearly a year and spent two non-consecutive weeks on top of the chart.
1975: The Faces split became official. Rod Stewart had severed all connections with the group to work as a solo artist, Ron Wood was on permanent loan to the Stones, Ronnie Lane went on to form Slim Chance, and drummer Kenny Jones would join The Who in 1979 following the death of Keith Moon.
1976: Blues guitarist Freddie King died of a heart attack and complications from bleeding ulcers and pancreatitis in Dallas. He was 42 years old. Eric Clapton covered his 'Have You Ever Loved A Woman' on his 'Layla' album. King was a significant influence on British and American blues-rock musicians such as Jimmy Vaughan, Ronnie Earl, Peter Green and Eric Clapton.
1977: Aerosmith appeared at the Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut.
1979: The Grateful Dead played at the Oakland Auditorium Arena in Oakland, California.
1980: Three weeks to the day after John Lennon's murder, '(Just Like) Starting Over' is #1 in the US and the UK simultaneously. The song had been chosen by Lennon for its October 20 release, not because he felt it was the best track on the album, but because it was the most appropriate following his five-year absence from the recording industry. John Lennon’s 'Double Fantasy; also hits #1 on Billboard’s 200 album chart.
1980: ZZ Top played at Expo Hall in Mobile, Alabama.
1980: The Allman Brothers played Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
1981: American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader Hoagy Carmichael died aged 82. He is best known for composing the music for 'Stardust,' 'Georgia on My Mind,' 'The Nearness of Yo,', and 'Heart and Soul'” four of the most-recorded American songs of all time.
1983: The Police played the first of four sold-out nights at Wembley Arena in London, England, on their 'Synchronicity' world tour.
1983: Blue Oyster Cult with special guest Aldo Nova played the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
1985: Metallica finished work on 'Master of Puppets' at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was recorded at Sweet Silence Studios starting in early September. (September 3rd to December 27, 1985)
1982: Billy Joel performs a benefit concert in Allentown, PA. as his song 'Allentown' makes its way up the charts. The city's economic plight is the subject of Joel's current hit 'Allentown.'
1986: Bruce Springsteen peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with his cover of Edwin Starr’s 'War' which was Springsteen’s 9th top 10 single in the U.S.
1989: A former cook at Chuck Berry’s Southern Air restaurant filed a civil suit against Berry alleging that hidden video cameras were installed in the women’s restrooms. 200 other women also took action against Berry in a collective class action suit.
1991: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana & Pearl Jam played the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
1994: Marilyn Manson, who's band is opening for Nine Inch Nails, performs a portion of a Jacksonville (FL.) show naked. Arrested for violating something called the Adult Entertainment Code, Manson spends 16 hours in jail.
1996: Garbage vocalist Shirley Manson is named Best New Female Singer by Entertainment Weekly.
2004: Hank Garland, guitarist for Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and The Everly Brothers died of staph infection in Orange Park, FL. He was 74 years old.
2006: Staind frontman Aaron Lewis launches a month long solo tour in Uncasville, CT.
2007: Marilyn Manson's two-year marriage to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese (Heather Sweet) is legally dissolved. Von Teese filed divorce papers nearly a year earlier, citing irreconcilable differences.
2008: Rush appear on VH1 Classic's 'That Metal Show.' The band discusses their three-DVD 'Snakes & Arrows' Live set.
2008: Gregg Allman's residence in Richmond Hill, GA, is robbed. A pistol, collectible coins and knives, and unreleased concert recordings are taken. Two days later a man and woman are arrested and confess to the crime. All articles, except for the pistol which was apparently sold, are returned.
2008: Delaney Bramlett dies in Los Angeles due to complications from a gallbladder operation. One half of the husband-and-wife duo, Delaney & Bonnie (and Friends), Bramlett also co-wrote tunes for Eric Clapton's 1970 self-titled album (Clapton had toured as part of the group). Bramlett is also credited with teaching George Harrison slide guitar. He was 69.
2008: The Georgia home of The Allman Brothers Band’s singer and organist Gregg Allman was burglarized. Thieves stole a pistol, silver dollar collection and unreleased live recordings. The two burglars were charged two days later and all property except for the pistol was recovered.
2011: Bluewater Comics issue the 32-page book 'Orbit: John Lennon.' "We all know the importance of John Lennon as part of The Beatles," says the book's author, Mark Shapiro. "But I felt it was more important to concentrate on his post-Beatles' life and career, both good and bad, so that readers would get the clearest possible idea about who he was as a creative entity, husband and father."
2012: Elvis Presley and The Beatles topped the list of most-forged celebrity signatures in 2012, with less than half of their autographs for sale certified as genuine, according to memorabilia authenticators PSA/DNA. Astronaut Neil Armstrong landed at #3 on the list when fake signatures rose significantly after his death in July.
2013: Goo Goo Dolls drummer Mike Malinin is out after 19 years with the group.
2013: Paul McCartney nabs the #1 spot on Billboard's final Hot Tours ranking of the year, racking up $40.6 million in ticket sales from the final six shows of his 'Out There!' tour.
2015: Singer Stevie Wright of the Easybeats dies in Australia of pneumonia. He was 68. Born in England, Wright was the lead singer of the Sydney-based band who had the 1966 world-wide hit 'Friday on My Mind.' The Easybeats were widely regarded as the biggest Australian pop band of the 1960s and Wright was Australia’s first international pop star
2017: U2's "Joshua Tree" tour tops Pollstar’s list of worldwide tours with 2.71 million tickets sold. Guns N' Roses’ "Not In This Lifetime" trek finishes second with 2.68 million tickets sold..
December 28
1959: Frankie Avalon's second chart topper, 'Why' becomes Billboard's last #1 song of the fifties.
1963: The magazine The New Yorker publishes an interview with Beatles manager Brian Epstein in their 'Talk Of The Town' column about the band's upcoming Ed Sullivan gig, the first major press the group has received in the US.
1963: A quartet from Minneapolis, Minnesota who called themselves The Trashmen saw their first release, 'Surfin' Bird,' enter the Billboard Hot 100 where it would reach #4 during the first week of February, next year. The song is a combination of two R&B hits by The Rivingtons: 'Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow' and 'The Bird's the Word.'
1965: Elvis Presley and his girlfriend Priscilla try LSD for the first, and last time at his Graceland mansion.
1968: The Beatles ‘White Album’ is #1 in the U.S. It's the group's 12th US #1 album. A double album, its plain white sleeve has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed, which was intended as a direct contrast to the vivid cover artwork of the band's earlier Sgt. Pepper's. No singles were issued from the album in Britain and the United States, the songs 'Hey Jude' and 'Revolution' originated from the same recording sessions and were issued on a single in August 1968.
1968: Vanilla Fudge perform at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada supported by Led Zeppelin on their first US tour.
1968: The Miami Pop Festival (the first to be held on the East Coast) begins at the Gulfstream Race Track in Hallandale Beach, outside of Miami. A hundred thousand people see Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, The Turtles, Joni Mitchell, Procol Harum, Steppenwolf, Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly, The McCoys, Fleetwood Mac, The Box Tops, Three Dog Night, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Grateful Dead at the three day festival.
1968: Pink Floyd appeared at the two day festival 'Flight To Lowlands Paradise II' in Margriethal-Jaarbeurs, Utrecht, The Netherlands, replacing Jimi Hendrix. Other acts appearing included Jethro Tull, Jeff Beck, The Pretty Things and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
1968: Doors release the ‘Touch Me’ single in the U.S. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart & become their third Gold single. With a guitar intro strongly influenced by The Four Seasons' 'C'mon Marianne",' the song would reach #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 in Canada, #10 in Australia, but didn't chart at all in the UK.
1968: The Rolling Stones enter the UK charts at #3 with 'Beggars Banquet.'
1969: The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Fillmore East in New York.
1970: Genesis performed at the Lyceum Ballroom in London.
1970: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band 'Mother' b/w 'Why' [Yoko Ono] 45 single is released. It went on to reach #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.
1971: Keith Moon hosts a concert at Carnegie Hall for one of his favorite acts, Sha Na Na.
1971: Alice Cooper played the Akron Civic Theatre in Akron, Ohio
1972: Mick Jagger visits Managua, Nicaragua with his wife Bianca, searching for her mother after a devastating recent earthquake that claimed thousands of lives. Fortunately, Bianca's mother is fine.
1972: David Bowie appeared at The Hardrock in Stretford, Manchester, England on his 'Ziggy Stardust' tour.
1972: Roxy Music played at the Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina.
1973: Queen performed at the Top Rank Club in Liverpool, England.
1975: In Spokane, Washington, David Gelfer points a .44 magnum at Ted Nugent. Gelfer is brought down by members of the audience and security guards and is charged with “intimidating with a weapon.”
1976: Freddie King, who reached the Hot 100 in 1961 with 'Hide Away,' dies of complications of stomach ulcers and acute pancreatitis at the age of 42. In 2003, King was ranked 25th on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. He was known as one of the “Three Kings” of electric blues guitar along with Albert King and B.B. King. King was a major influence on blues-rock musicians of the time, including Jimmy Vaughan, Ronnie Earl, Peter Green and Eric Clapton, who covered his 'Have You Ever Loved A Woman' on his 'Layla' album. He was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
1978: Rolling Stone's annual Readers and Critics Poll both agree that The Rolling Stones album 'Some Girls' is Album Of The Year. The cover designed by Peter Corriston, featured The Rolling Stones in garish drag alongside select female celebrities and lingerie ads. The cover immediately ran into trouble when Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli, representing her mother Judy Garland, Raquel Welch, and the estate of Marilyn Monroe, who all threatened legal action.
1978: Rush performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario.
1979: The third of the four concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon in London for the people of Kampuchea features The Who and the Pretenders.
1980: ZZ Top played at the Riverside Centroplex in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1980: Blue Oyster Cult performed at the Civic Cente in Dothan, Alabama.
1981: The Allman Brothers Band appeared at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1981: Warner Brothers Records, which includes Elektra and Asylum, follows the lead of RCA and raises its price for 45 rpm singles to $1.99.
1982: Cliff Burton joined Metallica, first rehearsing with Lars Ulrich, Dave Mustaine and James Hetfield.
1982: Stone Vengeance headlines a show with Exodus and Possessed at Ruthie's Inn in Berkeley, CA.
1983: Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys drummer drowns in Marina Del Rey at age 39. He dives to retrieve dropped jewelry and doesn't come up. With the help of President Reagan he was given a burial at sea, normally reserved for Naval personnel. Dennis was the only genuine surfer in The Beach Boys, but co-wrote just a few of their songs. Brian Wilson, still unable to cope with day to day life, did not attend his brother's funeral. After picking up two female hitchhikers who followed Charles Manson, Dennis became fascinated with Manson and his followers and allowed them to live with him for a short time and record in his studio. In 1988, Dennis was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1983: Blue Oyster Cult with special guest Aldo Nova played the Victoria Arena in Victoria, BC, Canada.
1984: Pandemonium, Mad Whip Thunder and Warrant played the Country Club in Reseda, CA.
1984: Armored Saint played the Pomona Valley Auditorium in Pomona, CA.
1984: Stryper, Autograph and LAAZ Rockit played the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, CA.
1985: John Mellencamp peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with 'Small Town' which was Mellencamp’s 6th top 10 single in the U.S.
1985. Billboard’s Hot 1`00 includes debuts from The Alarm’s 'Strength' #91 & Roger Daltrey’s 'Let Me Down Easy' at #89. Rush’s 'The Big Money' was #48, Night Ranger’s 'Goodbye' #27, Starship’s 'We Built This City' #26, Bryan Adams’ 'It’s Only Love' #19, and Eddie Murphy’s 'Party All The Time' was #2.
1988: The Grateful Dead performed at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California.
1991: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana and Pearl Jam all appeared at Del Mar O'brien Pavilion in San Diego, California.
1992: Seven months after their marriage, 51-year-old Paul Simon and 26-year-old Edie Brickell have a baby boy they name Adrian Edward Simon.
1992: Paul McCartney's 'Hope of Deliverance' b/w 'Long Leather Coat' single is released in the UK. It was featured on his 1993 album 'Off the Ground.' It became a hit in his native UK, reaching #18. It did not fare well on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #83, but did better on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, hitting #9.
1993: Mutt Lange, producer of albums such as AC/DC’s 'Highway to Hell' & 'Back in Black' & Def Leppard’s 'Pyromania' & 'Hysteria' married Shania Twain in Switzerland. The couple separated in 2008 & divorced in 2010.
1994: Van Halen release their single 'Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)' from the 'Balance' album.
1998: Suffering from alcoholism and depression, Atlanta Rhythm Section lead signer Ronnie Hammond gets in an altercation with police in Macon, Georgia, who shoot and wound the singer. He allegedly lunged at an officer with a broken guitar handle and a hammer. Police were responding to reports that the singer was trying to commit suicide. This was the second suicide attempt within a month for Hammond, following the first on December 9th. He would later make a full recovery, but died of heart failure on March 14, 2011.
2002: Cambodia deports Gary Glitter and extradites him back to the UK to face a conviction in London on child pornography charges.
2003: Pete Townshend of The Who reveals to a London newspaper that he seriously considered suicide after a 2002 arrest for child pornography charges. The guitarist had claimed he was visiting child porn websites as research for a book dealing with his own sexual abuse as a child.
2004: A North Carolina man named Wade Jones sold three tablespoons of water taken from a cup used by Elvis Presley during a 1977 concert for $455.
2005: Linkin Park renegotiates their deal with Warner Music Group. Reportedly the group receives a $15 million advance and an estimated 20-percent royalty rate. This is a turnaround from just a few months earlier when Linkin Park tried to get out of their Warner record deal claiming mismanagement.
2005: UK radio station Planet Rock asked 58,000 listeners to name the greatest Rock stars ever. First place went to Pink Floyd, followed by Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Who, AC/DC, U2, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Bon Jovi and Jimi Hendrix.
2008: Disturbed release their live DVD titled 'Indestructible In Germany' exclusively through Best Buy. The six performances from '08's Rock am Ring festival, include 'Down With The Sickness' and 'Stupefy.'
2009: Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan is found dead at his home in Huntington Beach, CA. The cause of death was revealed to have been an acute polydrug/alcohol intoxication combined with cardiomegaly (enlarged heart). He was 28. "Jimmy was not only one of the world's best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother," the band writes on their site.
2010: X and The Doors' Ray Manzarek, who produced X's classic 1980 debut album 'Los Angeles,' take the stage for the first of two shows in San Francisco. They perform the album in its entirety.
2010: London Mayor Boris Johnson categorically states that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards should be honored with knighthood. "It is a continuing scandal that Keef Richards has not been made, at the very least, a knight bachelor," writes Johnson in an open letter to the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph. "I cannot think of another member of the British artistic, cultural or media world who has done so much or who has so widely penetrated the global consciousness." Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair knighted Stones frontman Mick Jagger in 2003.
2011: After receiving Billboard's Top Tour of the Year honor, U2's 360 tour is also #1 on Pollstar.com's list of the most profitable tours of 2011. The tour pulled in $230 million worldwide and sold over 2.4 million concert tickets.
2011: Peter Frampton filed a lawsuit against A&M Records over the way that his digital royalties are calculated. The suit alleged breach of contract and unfair competition and seeks compensatory damages.
2012: Chris Daughtry donates 100% of the proceeds from the sales of his song 'Gone Too Soon' to the Newtown Connecticut School Shooting Victims Fund.
2013: Bruce Springsteen's 'High Hopes' is mistakenly put on sale by Amazon, a little over two weeks ahead of its release date. Although the online retailer quickly corrects the error, Springsteen's 18th studio album is circulated via filesharing networks.
2015: Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister dies just two days after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and four days after his 70th birthday. Lemmy played in several rock groups in the 1960s, including the Rockin' Vickers and worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and the Nice, before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971, singing lead on their hit 'Silver Machine.' The classic lineup of Motörhead featured Lemmy and guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor. Although revered by rock fans worldwide, Lemmy revealed that he made more money from the royalties for co-writing Ozzy Osbourne’s song 'Mama I’m Coming Home' than he had in his entire time with Motörhead. He was also a huge influence on his peers – Metallica, Dave Grohl, Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and many others have recognized his impact on their music. Well known for his intake of both alcohol and amphetamines, Lemmy was a fixture at the Rainbow Bar & Grill, where you can now party in “Lemmy’s Lounge” and view his commemorative statue.
2015: Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker frontman David Lowery leads a $150 million lawsuit accusing Spotify of failing to find and pay composers and songwriters of tracks provided to its users.
December 29
1956: Elvis Presley made chart history by having 10 songs on Billboards Top 100 for week ending Dec 19th.
1962: During his first visit to the UK Bob Dylan performed at The Troubadour in London.
1964: The Liverpool Youth Employment Service announced that some school leavers were finding it difficult to get jobs because their 'Beatle' style haircuts and clothing were unacceptable to employers.
1966: The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their debut on the UK TV show Top Of The Pops performing 'Hey Joe'.
1966: Working at Abbey Road studios, Paul McCartney began work on his new song ‘Penny Lane’, recording six takes of keyboard tracks and various percussion effects. The song's title is derived from the name of a street near John Lennon's house in Liverpool. McCartney and Lennon would meet at Penny Lane junction in the Mossley Hill area to catch a bus into the center of the city.
1966: Pink Floyd and Syn (featuring bassist Chris Squire who would later became a member of Yes), performed at The Marquee Wardour Street in London, England.
1967: Dave Mason announces that he is leaving Traffic, just as the group is releasing its debut album. Unlike the other members of the group, Mason didn't want to collaborate on writing songs, prompting him to pursue a solo career.
1968: Led Zeppelin performed at the Civic Auditorium in Portland, Oregon on their first North American tour opening for Vanilla Fudge.
1968: The first big Rock festival held on the east coast, The Miami Festival, gets under way in Hallandale, Florida. Tickets sell for six and seven dollars and 100,000 people turn out for the three day event. Those appearing include the hottest acts of the day, Jose Feliciano, Procol Harem, Three Dog Night, Chuck Berry, Fleetwood Mac, Marvin Gaye, The Turtles, Canned Heat and Joni Mitchell.
1969: Grand Funk Railroad's 2nd studio album, 'Grand Funk,' is released. The album is also known as "The Red Album." It was certified by RIAA with a gold record award, the first for the group.
1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono have a session with Canadian hypnotists Hammrick & Leonard. The couple are trying to stop smoking.
1971: America release their self-titled debut album. It went to #1 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart and stayed there for 5 weeks. The album was initially released without 'A Horse With No Name,' which had not yet been recorded. When 'Horse' became a worldwide hit in early 1972, the album was re-released with that track. 'A Horse With No Name' spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972 (it peaked at #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart). The single 'I Need You' hit #9 on the Billboard singles chart and #7 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Several other songs on the album received radio airplay on FM stations, including 'Sandman' and 'Three Roses.'
1971: The Allman Brothers Band at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1972: Roxy Music performed at the Cumberland Auditorium in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
1973: Jim Croce scored his second #1 US single of the year with 'Time In A Bottle' went to the top of the charts. Croce was killed in a plane crash on the way to a concert on September 20, 1973.
1974: Elton John's cover of 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' hits #1 on the pop charts. The John Lennon-Paul McCartney song first appeared on the Beatles album 'Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band' in 1967.
1974: Lynyrd Skynyrd played at the Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, Arkansas.
1975: Grace Slick and Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane break up after living together for 7 years. Slick marries the band's lighting engineer the next year.
1977: Rush appeared at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
1979: ZZ Top played at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
1980: Folk musician Tim Hardin, who wrote the hit 'If I Were a Carpenter,' dies of a heroin overdose at age 39. He also wrote 'Reason To Believe' (recorded by Rod Stewart) and 'Morning Dew' (recorded by the Jeff Beck Group).
1982: KISS kicked off their tour in support of 'Creatures of the Night' at the Bismarck Civic Center in Bismarck, ND. It was their first tour with guitarist Vinnie Vincent replacing Ace Frehley & would be their last tour in makeup until their 1996 reunion tour.
1982: Sets of commemorative stamps in memory of Bob Marley were issued in Jamaica.
1982: Neil Young released his first album on Geffen Records, 'Trans.' Five of the nine songs were recorded with a vocoder. Synthesizers & electronic beats were also present & it went on to peak at #17 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.
1983: Aerosmith performed at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.
1984: The Grateful Dead play at the Civic Center in San Francisco.
2000: Bryan Ferry and his family were among passengers on a flight from London to Nairobi that was disrupted in a hijack attempt. The pilots recovered the aircraft and all passengers landed safely.
2000: A federal appeals court ruled that former Steppenwolf bassist Nicholas Kussbaum could continue to bill himself as a former member of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf singer John Kay had invoked a 1980 contract where Kussbaum had agreed not to emphasize his former ties with the group.
2002: Creed singer Scott Stapp forgets song lyrics, takes a lengthy leave of absence in the middle of the show and lies down on the stage for part of the band's performance in Chicago. It lead to 4 fans suing the band, claiming lead singer Scott Stapp was either medicated or drunk, and "unable to sing the lyrics of a single Creed song." Stapp denied he was drunk and claimed rolling around on stage was an "Artistic Moment." The case was thrown out of court.
2004: Linkin Park and the American Red Cross create Music For Relief, to assist victims of the tsunamis that flooded southern Asia. The group donates $100,000 to the cause.
2005: Pearl Jam wins a legal battle over the rights to the domain name pearljams.com. The band filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum saying the site's domain holder, Vertical Axis Inc., was using it to link to commercial sites that were unrelated to Pearl Jam.
2006: The wife of rock singer Marilyn Manson, Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese filed for divorce after just a year of marriage. The couple married in December 2005 in a ceremony held at a castle in Ireland.
2009: Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) is sued for copyright infringement. Vedder recorded 'Hard Sun' for the soundtrack of Sean Penn's film 'Into The Wild.' Composer Gordon Peterson claims Vedder's lyric changes are "eroding the integrity of the composition."
2010: Linkin Park's 'Waiting For The End' finally makes it to #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart after 16 weeks on the survey.
2010: The trade publication Pollstar reported that Bon Jovi was the highest earning touring act of the year, taking in over $200 million. Australian rockers AC/DC landed at #2 for the second year in a row, with tickets sales from their recent trek totaling $177m. U2, which was the top worldwide act in 2009, came in at 3rd place with ticket sales totaling $160.9m. Lady Gaga followed in fourth place, with Metallica at #5.
2010: In an interview with Spinner magazine, Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan claims that the major labels are out of touch with fans and are afraid to take a risk on quality music. "Something about the need for the major label system to corner the market has squeezed the excitement out of music," says Corgan.
2010: Yoko Ono lights the Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavik, Iceland. The tower of light, an outdoor work of art, is a tribute to John Lennon. Ono says it "emanates wisdom, healing and joy."
2014: Michael Stipe makes his first post-R.E.M. solo appearance opening for Patti Smith at New York's Webster Hall. Stipe sings and plays keyboards during his unannounced set.
2014: 74-year-old Ringo Starr revealed plans for a new album in 2015 and hinted at a North American tour that would kick off in February or March. That album turned out to be "Postcards from Paradise", which was produced completely by Starr himself and was recorded with a little help from his friends Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Richard Marx, Van Dyke Parks, Todd Rundgren and several others.
December 30
1962: The BBC begins filming its play 'Madhouse On Castle Street,' which features a cameo from Bob Dylan. He plays the recently recorded song 'Blowin' In The Wind.'
1963: The Rolling Stones perform at Studio 51 in Soho, London. On the same bill is Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions, who feature a young Rod Stewart. The Stones played a Sunday afternoon gig at the club from 4 until 6.30pm and were billed as Rhythm and Blues with The Rolling Stones.
1963: The Beatles win Group and Record Of The Year ('She Loves You') in British music newspaper New Musical Express' annual year-end poll.
1965: The Kinks, The Who, Manfred Man, The Hollies and Gerry and the Pacemakers all appeared on an episode of 'Shindig!'
1966: Pink Floyd and Soft Machine played at the UFO presents Night Tripper at the Blarney Club in London, England.
1966: The Beatles record 'Penny Lane.'
1967: The Beatles 'Hello Goodbye' becomes their 15th #1 single on the U.S. charts. The flip side, 'I Am The Walrus' reached #56, the lowest ranking for any charted "B" side of a Beatles number one single. John Lennon wrote nonsense words for "Walrus" after learning that a teacher at his old primary school was having his students analyze Beatles' lyrics. He would later say, "Let the fuckers work that one out." Gladys Knight and the Pips were at #2 with 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine,' and The Monkees in the third spot with 'Daydream Believer.'
1967: John Lee Hooker performed at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
1968: Peter Tork buys himself out of his Monkees contract for 160k, citing exhaustion and a lack of cohesive group collaboration as the reasons. He went on to form a group called Release and played banjo on George Harrison's soundtrack to the film 'Wonderwall.' He later did some club performances and live television appearances before intermittently returning to The Monkees in 1986.
1968: Led Zeppelin, who were advertised as Len Zefflin, performed at Gonzaga University Gymnasium in Spokane, WA. on their first North American tour supporting Vanilla Fudge.
1969: Santana's 'Evil Ways' B/w 'Waiting' 45 single is released. It became Santana's first top 40 and top 10 hit in the U.S., peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Gregg Rolie performs the lead vocals and plays a Hammond organ solo in the middle section. The double-time coda includes a guitar solo performed by Carlos Santana.
1969: Yes played at the Van Dike Club in Plymouth, England.
1970: Elvis Presley was given a private tour of the FBI headquarters in Washington DC. Elvis requested and was given a permit to carry a gun in every US state.
1972: Brownsville Station, Sha-Na-Na and opening act Bruce Springsteen perform at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.
1972: 'Seventh Sojourn' by the Moody Blues is the #2 album entering the final week of the year. It spent five weeks there until being knocked off by Carly Simon’s 'No Secrets.'
1974: The Beatles legally disband following Paul McCartney's announced departure over four years earlier.
1974: Bob Dylan records 'Tangled Up In Blue,' 'Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts,' and 'If You See Her, Say Hello.'
1974: Wishbone Ash and Brownsville Station played at Palmer auditorium at Palmer Junior College in Davenport, Iowa.
1975: Aerosmith performed at the San Diego Sports Arena.
1976: Elvis Presley appeared at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta.
1977: Rush played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
1977: The U.S. Immigration Service reverses their decision made two weeks earlier and allows the Sex Pistols into the country.
1978: After selling over 35 million albums since forming in 1970, Emerson, Lake and Palmer announced that they were splitting up. They would later reunite in 1992 before splitting up again in 1998.
1980: Cheap Trick received a Gold record for their fifth studio album All Shook Up' which was produced by Beatles producer George Martin.
1980: Molly Hatchett played at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida.
1981: The J.Geils Band album 'Freeze-Frame' goes gold. The LP would reach #1` on the Billboard Hot 200 chart in February 1982 and remain at the top for four weeks on the strength of the hit singles 'Centerfold' and 'Freeze Frame.'
1981: Ozzy Osbourne starts the 1st leg of his North American 'Diary Of A Madman' Tour.
1981: Fortune Magazine named MTV "Product of the Year."
1982: Ric Ocasek released his debut solo album, 'Beatitude.' It reached #28 on the Billboard 200 Top Albums chart, and features two charting singles - 'Something To Grab For' (Billboard Hot 100 #47, and Mainstream Rock #5), and 'Jimmy Jimmy' (Mainstream Rock #25, and Dance Music/Club Play Singles #60). The title is a play on the term "beat", but also an homage to the 1950s poetry magazine Beatitude which featured work by, amongst others Allen Ginsberg. The Geffen CD issue of the release has the title mis-printed as 'Beautitude.'
1982: ZZ Top appeared at the Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona.
1983: Twisted Sister with special guest Metallica played the Fountain Casino in Aberdeen, New Jersey.
1983: Dio with Special Guest Stars Y&T and Dokken played the Long Beach Arena.
1984: Armored Saint and Heretic played the Country Club in Reseda, CA.
1987: David Lee Roth's 'Just Like Paradise' b/w 'The Bottom Line' single was released. It would eventually peak at #6 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
1988: Ozzy Osbourne with openers Anthrax played the Long Beach Arena.
1989: Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic married his long-time girlfriend Shelli Dilly in Washington. The couple would divorce in 1999.
1991: Bruce Springsteen’s wife, bandmate Patti Scialfa gave birth to their second child, a daughter named Jessica Rae.
1992: ZZ Top filed a $115 million lawsuit against Mitsubishi Motor Sales, and Gray Advertising, alleging copyright infringement over use of their song 'La Grange' for a series of TV commercials in the U.S. which ran in 1990 & 1991.
1994: The 'Higher Learning' soundtrack, containing Rage Against The Machine's 'Year Of The Boomerang,' is released.
1998: Johnny Moore, lead singer for The Drifters on their 1960s hit 'Under The Boardwalk,' died at the age of 64. In 1988 Moore was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1999: George Harrison was attacked by an intruder in his Oxfordshire mansion. At about 3:00 a.m., Michael Abram, a 33 year old Liverpudlian, stabbed Harrison several times in the chest. With the help of wife Olivia and son Dhani, Abram was hit over the head with a lamp and then detained until police arrived. Harrison suffered a collapsed lung but eventually recovered from the wound. Abram would later be found not guilty by reason of insanity and less than two years after his trial, was given a conditional discharge.
1999: Slade singer Noddy Holder is awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II, and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits is awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his services to music
2000: Pollstar's Top 10 list of tours showed that the #1 concert draw was Tina Turner with earnings of $80.2 million from her 'Twenty Four Seven' farewell tour. Fourth place was earned by KISS, at $62.7 million, and eighth spot was Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young with $42.1 million.
2002: The funeral of former Clash singer and guitarist Joe Strummer took place in London.
2002: According to a Nielsen SoundScan survey, total CD album sales were down 10.7% in 2002, marking the sharpest sales decrease from the previous year in the 11-year tracking history. It was the second straight year the market declined, following steady growth since Nielsen first began tracking the US market in 1991. Total album sales in 2002 were 681 million, compared with 762.8 million the previous year. Country album sales posted the largest increase, as sales rose 12.2% from 2001.
2003: Cris Kirkwood from the Meat Puppets was arrested and accused of hitting a federal post office security guard in the head with a baton that the musician took from the guard during a struggle. The guard then shot Kirkwood in the back. The incident began over a dispute about parking with another customer at a Phoenix post office.
2004: Levon Helm of The Band sues the ad agency BBDO for using the song 'The Weight' in a commercial without his permission.
2006: 8,500 people attend Soul legend James Brown's funeral service in Augusta, GA. Speakers included Rev. Jesse Jackson and Michael Jackson. The Godfather of Soul passed away five days earlier in Atlanta.
2007: Ian Anderson is named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) as part of Queen Elizabeth IIThe couple would divorce in 1999.'s annual New Year's Honours list. The Jethro Tull frontman is recognized for his contributions to music in the United Kingdom. Anderson seems to take the honor in stride. "A lowly MBE...requires only a discrete bow or curtsey from friends and family," writes the singer in an online post. "The rest of you can tell me to bugger off."
2008: Puddle Of Mudd performs 'We Don't Have To Look Back Now,' on ABC's 'One Life To Live.' The band is on hand to help the fictional town of Llanview celebrate the New Year.
2009: 'Patti Smith: Dream Of Life,' a documentary about "Godmother of Punk," airs on PBS. In the works since 1996, the film is broadcast on the singer's 63rd birthday.
2009: Neil Young and Burton Cummings of The Guess Who were named an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor General Michaelle Jean. The Order of Canada is one of the country's highest civilian honors and was established in 1967 to mark a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation. Hockey great Mario Lemieux and the filmmaker Ivan Reitman are also named officers of the order.
2011: Barry Clayton, the man who narrated the introduction to Iron Maiden's The Number Of The Beast, passed away at the age of 80.
2012: The Birmingham Mail reports that Jim Simpson, the record industry A&R man who discovered and signed Black Sabbath, is launching a campaign to have the airport in Birmingham, England, renamed as 'The Ozzy Osbourne International Airport.' No word on whether the planes would play 'Flying High Again' on takeoff and landing'
2012: A rare copy of a Beatles LP signed by all four members sold for the sum rejected at auction in Sussex a few weeks earlier. Chris Collins and his sister, Liz Chambers initially turned down a £12,000 bid for a copy of the album, 'Please Please Me.' They had hoped to get £15,000 for the LP, which was given to their late father during a drinking session. The siblings later accepted £12,000 from private buyers. The album was signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr after they used it as a drinks coaster during a card game in 1963.
2012: Brian May was named animal welfare charity PETA UK's Person of the Year for his efforts to help stop the culling of badgers. The guitarist's group Save Me formed Team Badger alongside PETA and various other animal welfare groups.
2012: The Birmingham Mail reports that Jim Simpson, the record industry A&R man who discovered and signed Black Sabbath, is launching a campaign to have the airport in Birmingham, England, renamed as "The Ozzy Osbourne International Airport."
2013: Bruce Springsteen's latest album 'High Hopes' briefly appeared for download on Amazon's US site for several hours, two weeks ahead of its scheduled release date. Although it was subsequently removed from sale, it was now appearing on several file-sharing sites.
2014: The Darkness announce they have added drummer Emily Dolan Davies. "She's got the chops and the attitude that you need to be The Darkness' drummer," says frontman Justin Hawkins. Davies replaces Ed Graham, who left earlier in the year.
2015: Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale joins Trans-Siberian Orchestra on stage in Cleveland to perform the song 'Forget About The Blame (Moon Version).'
2015: AC/DC is recognized for selling the most concert tickets during the year beating out Taylor Swift. However, Swift has a higher gross revenue - $250.4 million worldwide compared to $180 million for AC/DC, who landed at #2.
2016: Allan Williams, The Beatles' first manager, died in Liverpool at the age of 86. After booking John, Paul, George and Stuart Sutcliffe into his coffee bar, Jacaranda, he helped them get other gigs as well, including a short tour of Scotland with Johnny Gentle. After the group took on an extended engagement at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, they fell out with Williams over the commission he believed he was owed. Williams later became known as "The Man Who Gave the Beatles Away" from the title of his autobiography.
December 31
1940: After forming the rival company BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.), Radio stations in the United States stop playing music licensed by ASCAP (the American Society of Publishers and Composers) in a dispute over fees. The boycott lasts 10 months, with stations filling airtime with non-ASCAP songs, mostly older tunes in the public domain.
1956: On New Years Eve, Elvis Presley appeared on Wink Martindale's local TV special in Memphis.
1957: Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis headlined Alan Freed's show at the Paramount Theatre in New York City. As per the contract, Fats Domino closed the show, following Holly and then Lewis. After Jerry Lee had whipped the crowd into a frenzy, Fats had only a half-filled theatre to play to. It was the last time he ever insisted on following The Killer.
1961: Janis Joplin sang in her first public engagement at a Halfway House in Beaumont, Texas.
1961: The Beach Boys, formerly known as the Pendletons, made their onstage debut under their new name at a Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert at the Long Beach Civic Auditorium in Long Beach, CA. They are paid $300 for the gig. Ike & Tina Turner are also on the bill.
1962: 27-year-old John Phillips marries 18-year-old Holly Michelle Gilliam. The marriage was her first and his second, and would produce one child, Chynna. The pair would later co-found The Mamas And Papas, but divorced in 1970.
1962: During his first visit to the UK Bob Dylan played at the King And Queen pub in London. Dylan had arrived in the UK on Dec 17th after British TV director Philip Saville had heard Dylan perform in Greenwich Village, and had invited him to take part in a BBC television drama: 'The Madhouse On Castle Street.'
1963: The Kinks played their first show at London's Lotus House Restaurant in London.
1965: The Beatles single 'I Feel Fine' and album, 'Beatles ’65' are certified gold in the U.S. The album contains a number of covers but also has originals 'No Reply' and 'I'm A Loser.'
1965: Alf Lennon, John's estranged deadbeat father, releases 'That's My Life (My Love And My Home),' a single designed to ride the coattails of John's success and his recent song 'In My Life.' John Lennon instructs manager Brian Epstein to make sure it is blackballed in the UK. It is not a hit.
1966: The Monkees take Neil Diamond's 'I'm A Believer' to #1, beginning a a 7-week run. Because of over a million advance orders, the single went Gold two days after its release and has now sold over ten million copies worldwide.
1966: The Move, Pink Floyd, and The Who appeared at the New Year’s Eve All Night Rave, at The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm Road, London.
1966: Ray Charles performed at the City Center Arena in Seattle, Washington. Tickets cost $4.50 at the door.
1967: Songwriter and producer Bert Berns died of heart failure aged 38. He wrote many classic songs including 'Twist And Shout,' 'Hang On Sloopy,' 'Here Comes the Night,' 'I Want Candy,' and 'Brown Eyed Girl.'
1967: Sonny And Cher are barred from Pasadena, California's Tournament of Roses Parade for speaking out in support of the 2,000 demonstrators who protested a year-long campaign by sheriffs and police to clear the Strip of 'loitering' teenagers. Known as "the Sunset Strip rioters", the group mainly consisted of 15-year-olds with long hair and acne who were confronted by several hundred riot-helmeted sheriff's deputies.
1968: Billboard magazine reports that this year, for the first time, US total music'sales have topped one billion dollars.
1968: Joe Cocker, Amen Corner, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Small Faces, Free and Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band all appeared at Alexandra Palace in London.
1969: Jimi Hendrix's new group Band of Gypsys, made its onstage debut at the Fillmore East in New York City. A recording of the concert was later released as the album 'Band Of Gypsys.' The band also played the following night at the venue. By the end of January, Hendrix had broken the band up, but not before releasing a classic live set from the shows. It was the only concert recording issued during Hendrix's lifetime.
1969: A BBC TV special 'Man Of The Decade' declares John Lennon the one on the same day that Rolling Stone names him Man Of The Year and New Musical Express quotes him as saying he's thinking of leaving The Beatles.
1969: The Rolling Stones play one of their best and darkest songs, 'Gimme Shelter,' live for the first time on the TV special, 'Pop Go The Sixties.'
1969: The Allman Brothers Band performed at the UNC-Charlotte Cafeteria in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1970: Paul McCartney sues to dissolve The Beatles partnership and breaks ties with Allen Klein, whom the other three members have chosen to manage their affairs. The case drags on for years until the partnership is finally dissolved in a 1975 private agreement. British magazine Melody Maker announces that The Beatles are looking for a new bassist.
1971: The Band, complete with a full horn section, performs at the New York Academy of Music. The result was the double album, 'Rock of Ages,' which was released the following year. Bob Dylan makes a special appearance performing 'Down In The Flood,' 'When I Paint My Masterpiece,' 'Like A Rolling Stone,' and 'Don’t Ya Tell Henry' with them.
1971: David Clayton-Thomas and Fred Lipsius play their last show with Blood, Sweat & Tears at a concert in Anaheim, California. Clayton-Thomas goes on to a solo career.
1971: Elvis Presley announces to his entourage that his wife, Priscilla, will be divorcing him, saying simply, "She says she doesn't love me anymore." In contrast to previous years, tonight's New Year's Eve celebration is held at Graceland rather than a local club.
1971: Queen played at the Rugby Club in Twickenham, England.
1972: Roxy Music performed at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago.
1972: MC5 play their last gig in their hometown of Detroit. Their take for the night was $200.
1972: Dick Clark begins a new holiday tradition as his first New Year's Rockin' Eve concert is broadcast on ABC-TV. Dick himself will host the annual event for the next 32 years. Guests for the inaugural event include Three Dog Night and Al Green.
1973: After 40 shows, KISS' first tour comes to an end at the Academy Of Music in New York.
1973: Journey makes their live debut at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
1973: AC/DC played their very first live gig at Chequers Nightclub in Sydney, Australia. The line-up that night included Dave Evans up front on vocals, Angus and Malcolm Young, Larry Van Kriedt on bass and Colin Burgess on drums. The reported setlist from that night: 'School Days' (Chuck Berry cover), 'Honky Tonk Women' (The Rolling Stones cover), 'Get Back' (The Beatles cover), 'Jumpin’ Jack Flash' (The Rolling Stones cover), 'No Particular Place to Go' (Chuck Berry cover), 'Nadine (Chuck Berry cover), 'I Want You (She’s So Heavy)' (The Beatles cover), 'The Old Bay Road,' 'Midnight Rock,' 'S how Business' (early version called 'Sunset Strip'), 'Rock and Roll Singer,' 'Soul Stripper,' 'Rockin’ In The Parlour,' 'Can I Sit Next To You Girl,' and 'Baby, Please Don’t Go' (Big Joe Williams cover).
1974: Mick Fleetwood phones Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham, inviting them to join Fleetwood Mac. ‘He called us up sight unseen. We could’ve been the two heaviest jerks he’d ever seen’, says Nicks. It's marks the band's 10th line-up change since 1967.
1974: Pink Floyd begin recording their landmark album 'Wish You Were Here' after abandoning an earlier concept of an album recorded entirely with household objects.
1974: Ron Wood denies reports that he will join the Rolling Stones as a replacement for the recently departed Mick Taylor.
1975: KISS plays at the Coliseum in Evansville, Indiana.
1975: JJ Cale appears at Ebbets Field in Denver, Colorado.
1975: Elvis Presley sets a new single-show solo record at a concert in Pontiac, Michigan, which earns $800,000. It was a then world record for a single show by a solo artist.
1976: The Cars make their concert debut at Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire.
1977: The Ramones played the Rainbow Theatre in London. The show was released as the 'It's Alive' album, which is considered one of the best punk rock records of all time.
1978: Bill Graham closed the legendary Winterland in San Francisco after the Grateful Dead play their 48th concert there. Also appearing this night are The Blues Brothers. The show lasted for over eight hours, with the Grateful Dead's performance — documented on DVD and CD as 'The Closing of Winterland,' lasting nearly six hours itself. The final show was simulcast on radio station KSAN-FM and also broadcast live on the local PBS TV station KQED. Winterland was eventually torn down in 1985, and was replaced by apartments. The Winterland Ballroom, often referred to as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland, was an ice skating rink and 5,400-seat music venue located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street, it was converted to exclusive use as a music venue in 1971 by rock promoter Bill Graham and became a common performance site for many of the most famous rock music artists. Starting with a 1966 double bill of Jefferson Airplane and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bill Graham began to rent the venue occasionally for larger concerts that his nearby Fillmore Auditorium could not properly accommodate. After closing the Fillmore West in 1971, he began to hold regular weekend shows at Winterland.
1978: The Runaways play their final show at Cow Palace, near San Francisco. The all-female hard-rock band have been through several line-up changes, but are finally torn apart through conflict between Joan Jett, who wants to take the band in a glam-rock direction, and Lita Ford who wishes to stay in the hard-rock genre. The band formally split the following April.
1978: Bauhaus gives its debut performance in Wellingborough, England. Bauhaus are an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978 by Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar), Kevin Haskins (drums) and David J (bass). The band took their name from the German Bauhaus art movement, originally going by the name Bauhaus 1919, dropping the latter portion within a year of the band’s formation
1979: Blondie's gig at The Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland was broadcast live on BBC 2's 'Old Grey Whistle Test.'
1979: David Bowie performed an acoustic version of 'Space Oddity' on the UK TV 'Kenny Everett New Year's Show.' Bowie was also seen on the Dick Clark TV show in the US on this date, on his 'Salute To The Seventies.'
1979: At a New Years Eve concert in Cleveland, Bruce Springsteen's cheek is ripped open by a fire-cracker thrown onstage from the audience.
1980: Bruce Springsteen plays an epic show at the Nassau Coliseum lasting 4 hours, 38 minutes and covering 38 songs.
1980: Blue Oyster Cult played at Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.
1981: The Clash complete the recording of their classic 'Combat Rock' album in New York when they finish the song 'Straight To Hell.'
1982: Famous New York rock club Max’s Kansas City closes. The venue had been a launching pad for such artists as The New York Dolls, Bruce Springsteen and The Velvet Underground.
1982: E Street Band guitarist Miami Steve and/or Little Steven Van Zandt marries Maureen Santora at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Little Richard officiates, Bruce Springsteen is the best man, and Percy Sledge sings 'When A Man Loves A Woman' during the reception.
1983: Van Halen's '1984' album is released.
1984: Rick Allen, drummer with Def Leppard, suffers car accident which leads to the amputation of his left arm. Allen was on his way to a New Year's Eve party at his family's home when a Jaguar passed him. The driver had been egging Allen on and would not allow him to pass. In his rage to pass this driver, he did not see a turn up ahead and lost control of his car. He was thrown from the car, with his left arm severed due to the seatbelt not being properly fastened. His arm is re-attached but an infection forces it's amputation. Allen continues playing with Def Leppard thanks to a specially designed drum kit.
1984: Slayer played at Ruthie's in Berkeley, CA.
1985: Ricky Nelson was killed in a plane crash. A child star on 'The Ozzie And Harriet Show,' he became a teen idol as a singer, charting 36 hits on the Top 40. His private DC-3 (which was previously owned by Jerry Lee Lewis) crashed in a field near DeKalb, Texas. Early press reports erroneously suggested that drug use, namely freebasing, might have played a role in the crash that killed Rick, his band, and his fiancee Helen Blair (the pilot and co-pilot survived). In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board's 1987 report determined that the fire began in a malfunctioning gas heater.
1985: Don Henley hosts a New Year's Eve party at his Aspen Ranch. It's here that Senator Gary Hart meets his future mistress Donna Rice. The resulting scandal forces Hart to drop out of the 1988 presidential race.
1985: Metallica play the final show of the 'Ride The Lightning Tour' at the San Francisco Civic with Megadeth, Exodus and Metal Church.
1987: L.A Guns played The Troubadour in Hollywood.
1988: Ozzy Osbourne, Anthrax and Lita Ford played at the Long Beach Arena.
1991: Ted Nugent, who often donates meat from his kills to charity, serves about 200 pounds of venison courtesy of the Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger program at a at a Salvation Army in Detroit, telling clients, "I kill it, you grill it."
1991: Pearl Jam, Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers all appeared on the same bill at the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California.
1991: Radio Luxembourg, Europe's oldest commercial radio station, closes down after being on the air for 62 years.
1991: Guns N' Roses performed at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida with Soundgarden opening.
1992: Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis is hospitalized in San Francisco with dysentery he picked up in Borneo. The illness results in the cancellation of a New Year's Eve show.
1996: Queen Elizabeth II announces that Paul McCartney will be knighted - these announcements are traditionally made on New Year's Eve.
1997: Floyd Cramer, pianist and forerunner of the "Nashville sound," Pianist Floyd Cramer, who scored a Billboard #2 hit in 1960 with 'Last Date,' died of lung cancer at the age of 64. As a session musician, he played on many major hits for a variety of artists, including Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel.' In 2003, Cramer was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
1999: There's Rock all over the world to ring in Y2K: Aerosmith in Osaka, Japan, the Eagles and Jackson Browne in L.A., B-52s and Hootie & The Blowfish in Orlando, FL, Goo Goo Dolls and No Doubt in New York.
2000: Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson married actress Kate Hudson the daughter of actress Goldie Hawn. The couple separated in 2006.
2002: Phish end their two-year hiatus with a New Year's Eve concert at NYC's Madison Square Garden.
2003: Australian singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia married Silverchair singer Daniel Johns.
2003: Rush's Alex Lifeson is arrested for aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer, plus five other counts. The charges stem from a drunken altercation the guitarist had with police at a Naples, FL hotel. Officers reportedly used a stun gun to subdue Lifeson.
2003: KISS performed on Dick Clark's annual New Year's Rockin' Eve
2004: The Who’s Roger Daltrey was named a Commander of the British Empire in the Queen’s New Year’s Honors List.
2004: For the first time in the last 32 years, Dick Clark wasn't in New York's Time Square to celebrate New Year's Eve. The 75 year old TV host and producer was forced to watch the show from his hospital bed after suffering a mild stroke on December 6th. A spokesman said that Mr. Clark had been doing some rehab and that doctors were encouraged with his progress.
2005: Although he wasn't actually in Times Square and his speech had slowed due to the effects of a stroke he suffered in December, 2004, Dick Clark made a return to his 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' TV show.
2005: Motley Crue's Mick Mars is rushed backstage to receive medical attention at the end of a New Year's Eve concert in Detroit. A fan pulls the guitarist into the audience.
2006: Sammy Hager is joined by fellow Van Halen alum, bassist Michael Anthony, for a series of New Year's gigs at the Red Rocker's Cabo Wabo club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
2006: Founding P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel makes his first public appearance with the group since rejoining. Jason Truby, the guitarist who replaced Curiel, remains in the lineup (though Truby announces his departure a few days later) as the group appears in New York as part of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live's New Year's. Curiel left the group nearly four years earlier.
2007: 'Say It's Not True' from Queen + Paul Rodgers is released as a CD single. The song was originally available exclusively as a download for about a month. CD profits benefit former South African president Nelson Mandela's 46664 charity, which promotes HIV awareness and prevention.
2007: Eric Clapton's annual Crossroads benefit for his substance-abuse charity is held in Surrey, England. In addition to Clapton, The Who's Pete Townshend, the Eagles' Joe Walsh and Ringo Starr perform.
2008: Robert Plant was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire as part of Queen Elizabeth II's annual New Year Honours List. Plant is acknowledged "for services to music" in the United Kingdom.
2009: Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi from Status Quo were both appointed OBEs for services to music and charity.
2009: U2's 360 Tour, in support of their album 'No Line On The Horizon,' is named the year's most successful by concert tracker Pollstar. U2 sold 1.3 million tickets grossing $123 million. Following U2 are Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ($94.5 million) and Elton John & Billy Joel ($88 million). AC/DC are 5th on the list with the Dave Matthews Band, Fleetwood Mac and Metallica coming in 8th, 9th and 10th, respectively for the year.
2010: U2's Bono and The Edge (pre-taped) and My Chemical Romance make guest appearances on 'NBC's New Year's Eve With Carson Daly.' The U2 bandmates are interviewed regarding their troubled Broadway show 'Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark' and My Chemical Romance performs 'Sing.'
2010: Alice Cooper jams with Metallica's James Hetfield, Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood, Nickelback's Mike Kroeger and the Doobie Brothers Pat Simmons for a one-night only performance of Cooper's hits at the Maui Theatre in Lahaina to benefit the Maui Food Bank.
2011: Alice Cooper is joined by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler at the Maui Theatre in Lahaina to benefit the Maui Food Bank. The pair perform 'Walk This Way,' 'Sweet Emotion' and a cover of The Beatles' classic, 'Come Together,' which also includes Weird Al Yankovic.
2011: The Red Hot Chili Peppers give a concert on the Caribbean island of St. Barts at the estate of billionaire Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich for what is billed as the "world's most expensive" New Year's Eve party. It has 300 guests and a $7.8 million budget or $26,000 per guest. RHCPs perform 'Louie, Louie' with Toots (of Toots And The Maytals).
2011: Guns N' Roses wrap up their 'Chinese Democracy' tour at The Joint, in The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.
2012: Black Sabbath have the best-selling Classic Rock T-shirt in the U.K. Sabbath's U.S. tour shirt from 1978 gets a sales surge after it is worn by actor Robert Downey, Jr., who played Tony Stark in the Iron Man/Avengers films.
2012: A draft of a letter John Lennon written to Eric Clapton on Sept. 29, 1971
