Happy Birthday to Cliff Burton (Bassist for Metallica ‘82-86)
Fun Quotes!
“I was number one on the Who’s Likely To Die list for 10 years. I mean, I was really disappointed when I fell off the list. ”Keith Richards
1972 - David Bowie appeared at the Tolworth Toby Jug, London, on the opening date of his Ziggy Stardust tour playing to around 60 people in the room. The character of Ziggy was initially inspired by British rock ‘n’ roll singer Vince Taylor. The Ziggy Stardust tour played a total of 182 dates.
1973 - Elton John had his first UK No.1 album when Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player started a six-week run at the top of the charts. The title of the album came from comic actor Groucho Marx of The Marx Brothers who referred to him as ‘John Elton’ whilst holding out his middle and index finger in the style of a pistol. Elton then retaliated saying “Don’t shoot me, I’m only the piano player” at Marx’s gun imitation.
1977 The Clash begin recording their eponymous debut album in London. It is not initially released in the U.S. because CBS Records decides the content is unsuitable for radio. It finally dropped two years later, after The Clash’s follow-up studio album, “Give ‘Em Enough Rope,” is released in the U.S.
1978 Van Halen makes a grand entrance with their self-titled debut record. The set includes “Runnin’ With The Devil” and a blisteringly brilliant cover of The Kinks “You Really Got Me.” The album later goes platinum.
1978 “Stained Class,” Judas Priest’s fourth album, is released. The set contains “Better By You, Better By Me” which becomes the subject of a lawsuit when two teens, after hearing the song, enter into a suicide pact. One dies and the other is seriously injured and passes away three years later. The families’ suit claims the song’s subliminal messages pushed their offspring to suicide. The suit is later dismissed.
1979 Do blondes have more fun? Well, Rod Stewart would say ‘yes’. His “Blondes Have More Fun” tops the Billboard 200. Stewart beats out the Village People (“Y.M.C.A.”), Chic (“Le Freak”), and Olivia Newton-John (“A Little More Love”) to have the #1 song in the U.S. He does it with “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
1980 - Pretenders were at No.1 on the UK chart with their debut studio album. The album features the hit singles ‘Stop Your Sobbing’, ‘Kid’ (written by Ray Davies for the The Kinks’ debut album) and ‘Brass in Pocket’. The album also made the top 10 on the Billboard 200.
1990 From Aerosmith’s “Pump” album, “Janie’s Got A Gun” shoots to #4 on the pop chart.
1991 INXS wins Best International Group (they’re from Australia) at the 10th annual BRIT Awards in London.
1998 - Axl Rose was charged with disorderly conduct following a row with a baggage handler at Arizona Airport, Rose was later released on bail.
2004 Bryan Adams performs for more than 15,000 thousand fans at a concert in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to promote peace efforts to end that nation’s long civil war.
2008 The 50th annual Grammy Awards take place in L.A. The winners are: Foo Fighters “The Pretender” (Hard Rock Performance) and their album “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” (Rock Album) and the White Stripes’ “Icky Thump” (Alternative Music Album and Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal).
2009 The Beastie Boys reissue their ‘89 album “Paul’s Boutique.” “We remastered it,” says the band’s MCA. “So now it actually does have enough bass to shatter your one frozen testicle.” That should ice it.
2012 Paul McCartney is MusicCares Person of the Year. Neil Young and Crazy Horse perform at the Gala honoring the former Beatle. The Grammy charity concert marks the first time Young has been on stage with Crazy Horse in eight years.
2005 - Roger Daltrey: Who singer Roger Daltrey was awarded the CBE by The Queen at Buckingham Palace for services to the music industry.
2014 - Chris Cornell: A Seattle woman was charged for allegedly sending Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell a number of chilling death threats and threats to harm his children. The singer was sent over 100 different messages by Elizabeth Walden who had nine different Twitter accounts. Prosecutors said the tweets constituted cyber-stalking and filed criminal charges against her.
2022 Joining the biggest music trend of the year, Sting sells his catalog, including songs by The Police and as a solo artist, to Universal’s music-publishing arm for an undisclosed amount (estimated in the neighborhood of $300 million).
2024 Oasis, Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner, Jane’s Addiction, Peter Frampton, and Lenny Kravitz are nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
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