Today In Rock History!!!

Happy Birthday’s go out to:

1954 - John Parr (1985 US No.1 & UK No.6 single ‘St Elmo’s Fire’).

1950 - Rudy Sarzo bass, Whitesnake, (1987 US No.1 & UK No.9 single ‘Here I Go Again’). Also worked with Dio, Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne.

1962 - Kirk Hammett guitar, Metallica, (1991 UK No.5 single ‘Enter Sandman’, 1991 US & UK No.1 album ‘Metallica’).

Rock History.......

1970 - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin III was at No.1 on the UK & US album charts. The original cover and interior gatefold art consisted of a surreal collection of random images. Behind the front cover was a rotatable laminated card disc, covered with more images, including photos of the band members, which showed through holes in the cover. The distinctive cover was based on a suggestion of Jimmy Page’s that it should resemble an old-fashioned gardening seed chart. Designed by Richard Drew aka Zacron, the sleeve photographs were taken by fellow Leeds Polytechnic lecturer Martin Salisbury.

1974 - Genesis

Genesis released the double concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway their sixth studio album and the last album by the group to feature the involvement of lead singer Peter Gabriel.

975 - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen made his live debut in the UK at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. The set list included: Thunder Road, 10th Avenue Freeze-out, Born To Run The ‘E’ Street Shuffle, Jungleland, 4th of July, Asbury Park, Detroit Medley, For You and Quarter To Three.

1978 - Billy Joel

Billy Joel went to No.1 on the US album chart with his sixth studio album, ‘52nd Street’. His first US No.1 album was also the first commercial album to be released on compact disc (by Sony Music Entertainment) and won Joel the 1979 Grammy for Album of the Year.

1983 - R.E.M.

R.E.M. made their first appearance outside the US when they appeared on Channel 4 UK TV show The Tube. The following night they made their live UK debut when the played at Dingwalls, London.

1992 - Black Sabbath

British group Black Sabbath were honoured with a star at the Rock Walk in Hollywood, California.

1993 - Eddie Vedder

Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder was arrested in New Orleans for disturbing the peace after a fight broke out in a bar.

1993 - Nirvana

Nirvana recorded their MTV unplugged special at Sony Studios, New York. Nirvana played a setlist composed of mainly lesser-known material and cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets and Lead Belly. The album won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996.

2017 - AC/DC

Australian musician and songwriter Malcolm Young died age 64. Young was best known as a co-founder, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for AC/DC. Except for a brief absence in 1988, he was with the band from its November 1973 beginning until retiring permanently in 2014. Young was born in 1953 in Glasgow before his family emigrated to Australia when he was 10. His family confirmed he was suffering from dementia in 2014.