Today in Rock n' Roll History

[Koala]

1968 Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Richie Furay and Jim Mesina, were arrested in Los Angeles for 'being at a place where it was suspected marijuana was being used.' Clapton was later found innocent, the others paid small fines.

1969 John Lennon married Yoko Ono at the British Consulate Office in Gibraltar. They spent their honeymoon in Amsterdam campaigning for an international "Bed-In" for peace. They planned another "Bed-in" in the United States, but were denied entry. The couple then went to Montr’al, and during a "Bed-in" at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel recorded ‘Give Peace a Chance’. Lennon also detailed this period in The Beatles' ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’, recorded by Lennon and McCartney on April 14, 1969.

1971 At their own expense The Rolling Stones placed full page advertisements in all the UK's music papers disclaiming any connection with the release of the Decca album 'Stone Age' saying 'in our opinion the content is below the standard we try to keep.'

1971 Janis Joplin started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Kris Kristofferson's 'Me And Bobby McGee'. Joplin died the year before on 4th October aged 27.

1991 Eric Clapton's four year old son, Conor, fell to his death from the 53rd story of a New York City apartment after a housekeeper who was cleaning the room left a window open. The boy was in the custody of his mother, Italian actress, Lori Del Santo and the pair were visiting a friend's apartment. Clapton was staying in a nearby hotel after taking his son to the circus the previous evening. The tragedy inspired his song ‘Tears in Heaven’.

[TimothyBFan]

I just signed it, too! I know how much you love them, Willie.

Thanks, Lou. How'd you know?

[lizzyplays]

I signed as well! Love the Cars!

[Koala]

1987 U2 scored their third UK No.1 album with 'The Joshua Tree', featuring the singles 'Where The Streets Have No Name', & 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'. The album became the fastest selling in UK history and the first album to sell over a million CDs, spending a total of 156 weeks on the UK chart. Also a US No.1.

1991 Leo Fender, the inventor of The Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars died from Parkinson's disease. He started mass producing solid body electric guitars in the late 40s and when he sold his guitar company in 1965, sales were in excess of $40 million a year.

1994 Neil Youn?s Grammy-nominated "Philadelphia," from the AIDS-themed movie of the same name, loses to Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia' (also on the soundtrack), for Best Song from a Motion Picture.

2004 Ozzy Osbourne was named the nation's favourite ambassador to welcome aliens to planet earth. The 55-year-old singer came top of a poll as the face people want to represent them to alien life. The poll of internet users was carried out following the discovery of signs of water on Mars. Ozzy won 26 per cent of the vote, Simon Cowell, came last on the list, with just three per cent of the vote, A spokesman for Yahoo! News said: "As the world waits desperately for signs of alien life, we decided to ask our users who they thought was best suited for this most auspicious of roles. Ozzy is a great choice but I'm not sure what the Martians would make of his individual approach to the English language."

[TimothyBFan]

I signed as well! Love the Cars!

Thanks Lizzy!!! Glad to hear you like them. There's a thread here just for them. They are my other obsession!!!

2004 Ozzy Osbourne was named the nation's favourite ambassador to welcome aliens to planet earth. The 55-year-old singer came top of a poll as the face people want to represent them to alien life. The poll of internet users was carried out following the discovery of signs of water on Mars. Ozzy won 26 per cent of the vote, Simon Cowell, came last on the list, with just three per cent of the vote, A spokesman for Yahoo! News said: "As the world waits desperately for signs of alien life, we decided to ask our users who they thought was best suited for this most auspicious of roles. Ozzy is a great choice but I'm not sure what the Martians would make of his individual approach to the English language."

That's hysterical!!! Can't think of anyone in rock n roll better suited!!!

[Koala]

1956 While driving to New York for appearances on 'The Perry Como Show', and 'The Ed Sullivan Show', the car that Carl Perkins was traveling in was involved in an accident putting Perkins in hospital for several months. The singer received four broken ribs and a broken shoulder, his brother Jay was killed in the accident.

1975 Led Zeppelin started a six week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Physical Graffiti', the group's fourth US No.1 album.

1980 Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick In The Wall', started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. Also No.1 in the UK.

1984 Queen filmed the video for ‘I Want To Break Free’ at Limehouse Studio in London, England. Directed by David Mallet, it was a parody of the northern British soap opera Coronation Street with the band members dressed in drag. Guitarist Brian May later said the video ruined the band in America, and was initially banned by MTV in the US.

[Koala]

1964 John Lennon's book of verse and rhyme 'In His Own Write' was published in the UK. Some of the content was first published in Lennon's 'Beachcomber' column in Mersey Beat.

1967 At a ceremony held at the Playhouse Theatre in London, The Beatles were awarded three Ivor Novello awards for 1966: Best-selling British single ‘Yellow Submarine’, most-performed song ‘Michelle’, and next-most-performed song ‘Yesterday’. None of the Beatles attended and the winning songs were played by Joe Loss and his Orchestra. The lead vocal for ‘Michelle’ was sung by Ross MacManus, whose son would go on to become the professional musician Elvis Costello.

1972 The film of The Concert For Bangladesh featuring George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton premiered in New York. The event was the first benefit concert of this magnitude in world history. The concert raised $243,418.51 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. Sales of the album and DVD continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.

1977 Elvis Presley appeared at the Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. This was the first date of 49 date US tour over three months and Presley's last ever tour. (His last ever show was on 26th June 1977 at the Indianapolis Indiana Market Square Arena).

1985 Former Creedence Clearwater Revival front man John Fogerty went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Centerfield.'

1991 R.E.M. scored their first UK No.1 album with their seventh LP 'Out Of Time' featuring the singles 'Losing My Religion' (which became R.E.M.'s highest-charting hit in the US, reaching No.4), and 'Shiny Happy People.' The video for 'Losing My Religion' won two Grammy Awards and six MTV Awards.

[Koala]

1945 Billboard published the first US LP chart. Nat King Cole was at No.1 with 'A Collection Of Favourites.'

1966 Simon and Garfunkel made their UK singles chart debut with 'Homeward Bound.' Simon is said to have written the song at Farnworth railway station, Widnes, England, while stranded overnight waiting for a train. A plaque is displayed in the station to commemorate this, although memorabilia hunters have stolen it many times. The song describes his longing to return home, both to his then girlfriend, Kathy Chitty in Brentwood, Essex, England, and to return to the United States. The song was also a No.5 hit in the US.

1973 During a Lou Reed show in Buffalo, New York, a fan jumped on stage and bit Lou on the bottom. The man was thrown out of the theatre and Reed completed the show.

1985 'Easy Lover' by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. Bailey was a former vocalist with Earth Wind & Fire. Phil Collins produced, drummed and sang on the track.

1992 A Chicago court settled the Milli Vanilli class action suit by approving cash rebates of up to $3 (‘1.76) to anyone proving they bought the group’s music before November 27 1990, the date the lip synching scandal broke. Milli Vanilli won the 1989 best new artist Grammy after hits like 'Blame it on the Rain' and 'Girl, You Know It's True,' selling 30 million singles and 14 million albums. But in late 1990, the performers were stripped of the award after it was revealed that neither actually sang on the Milli Vanilli album.

[Koala]

1942 Aretha Franklin was born.

1947 Reginald Kenneth Dwight, a.k.a. Elton John, is born.

1964 The Beatles made their debut on UK TV show 'Top Of The Pops' singing 'Can't Buy Me Love' and ‘You Can’t Do That.’ The show had been recorded on March 19th.

1967 The Who and Cream made their U.S. concert debut at RKO 58th Street Theatre, New York City as part of a rock & roll extravaganza promoted by DJ Murray the K.

1967 Pink Floyd played three gigs in 24 hours. The appeared at the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor, England, then the New Yorker Discotheque in Swindon and then played at the Shoreline Club in Bognor Regis (in the early hours 26 March).

1969 John and Yoko started their week long 'bed-in' in the presidential suite at The Amsterdam Hilton hotel. The couple invited the world's press into their hotel room every day, to talk about promoting world peace.


1972 America hits #1 with "Horse With No Name".


1989 Mike And The Mechanics went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Living Years', a No. 2 hit in the UK.

[Koala]

1950 Tony Banks, keyboards, Genesis, is born.

1969 The Rascals release the ambitious 'Freedom Suite', comprising a disc of short songs and one of lengthy instrumentals. It joins the Who's 'Tommy', Cream's 'Wheels of Fire' and the Beatles' White Album as one of a relative few double albums from the Sixties.

1984 Metallica made their UK live debut at the Marquee, London.

1987 U2 performed from the roof of a store in downtown LA to make the video for 'Where The Streets Have No Name', attracting thousands of spectators and bringing traffic to a standstill. The police eventually stop the shoot.