Today in Rock n' Roll History

[Koala]

1950 Huey Lewis is born.

1969 The Rolling Stones gave a free concert in London's Hyde Park before an audience of 250,000, as a tribute to Brian Jones who had died two days earlier. Mick Jagger read an extract from Percy Bysshe Shelley's 'Adonais' and released 3,500 butterflies; it was also guitarist's Mick Taylor's debut with the Stones, King Crimson, Family, The Third Ear Band, Screw and Alexis Korner's New Church also appeared on the day.

1971 A Led Zeppelin gig in Milan turns violent when police fire tear gas at the crowd. The band escapes unharmed, but numerous arrests are made and a roadie is hit in the head with a bottle.

1975 Pink Floyd, Captain Beefheart, Steve Miller and Roy Harper all appeared at The Knebworth Festival, England, tickets cost £3.50. Pink Floyd premiered their new album ‘Wish You Were Here’ with the help of Spitfires, pyrotechnics and an exploding plane which flies into the stage.

1999 The Eurythmics announced their first world tour for more than 10 years and that all profits would be given to charity. The duo made the announcement from the Greenpeace boat 'Rainbow Warrior' moored on the River Thames in London.

2005 Pink Floyd's David Gilmour said artists who had seen album sales soar after the Live 8 concerts should donate their profits to charity, "This is money that should be used to save lives." UK sales figures released two days after the London concert showed Pink Floyd’s Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd had risen by 1343%, The Who’s-Then and Now by 863% and Annie Lennox-Eurythmics Greatest Hits by 500%.

[tequila girl]

1975 Pink Floyd, Captain Beefheart, Steve Miller and Roy Harper all appeared at The Knebworth Festival, England, tickets cost £3.50. Pink Floyd premiered their new album ‘Wish You Were Here’ with the help of Spitfires, pyrotechnics and an exploding plane which flies into the stage.

I was there!!!

[sodascouts]

Wow! How cool!

[Koala]

How Cool, TG!

1925 Bill Haley was born.

1949 Michael Shrieve was born.
　
1957 John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time at The Woolton Church Parish Fete where The Quarry Men were appearing. As The Quarry Men were setting up for their evening performance, McCartney eager to impress Lennon picked up a guitar and played ‘Twenty Flight Rock’ (Eddie Cochran) and ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ (Gene Vincent). Lennon was impressed, and even more so when McCartney showed Lennon and Eric Griffiths how to tune their guitars, something they'd been paying someone else to do for them.

1973 Queen released their debut single ‘Keep Yourself Alive’ in the UK.

1985 Phil Collins went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Sussudio', his third US No.1, it made No.12 in the UK.

1987 The popular film biography of Ritchie Valens, 'La Bamba,' opens nationally. Lou Diamond Phillips is cast in the lead role, and Los Lobos' soundtrack recording of "La Bamba" becomes a #1 hit.

1987 Here’s a sticky situation. Kris Kristofferson was given a plaque by a Vietnam veterans’ group after playing a benefit concert for it on July 4. Later the award was found in Kristofferson’s trashcan. He apologizes for the apparent disrespect today and later donates $1,000 to the Vietnamese Veterans Association.

2001 a pair of Sir Elton John's sandals was set to become the most expensive shoes in history when they went under the hammer for charity. Offers over £20,000 were invited for the Salvatore Ferragamo sandals to raise funds for Elton's Aid Trust

[TimothyBFan]

I was there!!!

WOW!!! What an experience that had to be!

1987 Here’s a sticky situation. Kris Kristofferson was given a plaque by a Vietnam veterans’ group after playing a benefit concert for it on July 4. Later the award was found in Kristofferson’s trashcan. He apologizes for the apparent disrespect today and later donates $1,000 to the Vietnamese Veterans Association.

This pretty much made me sick! And then has the audacity to donate a WHOLE $1,000--wow--what a guy---NOT!!

[EagleLady]

We don't know for sure Kristofferson put it there. I thought they gave their awards to their road managers or something

[Koala]

1940 Ringo Starr was born.

1968 the Yardbirds played their final gig at Luton Technical College in Bedfordshire, England.

1969 George Harrison recorded his new song ‘Here Comes the Sun’ with just two other Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Star at Abbey Road in London. John Lennon was absent recovering from a car crash in Scotland.

1980 Led Zeppelin played their last-ever concert when they appeared in West Berlin at the end of a European tour. The set included ‘Black Dog’, ‘Rock and Roll’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘Trampled Underfoot’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’. They finished the show with ‘Whole Lotta Love’. ( Until they reunited for a one-off benifit concert 2007)

1984 Bruce Springsteen went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Born In The USA'. The album went on to spend a total of 139 weeks on the US chart. Its also one of three albums (Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814) to produce seven Top-ten US singles.

2006 Syd Barrett died from complications arising from diabetes aged 60. The singer, songwriter, guitarist was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, active as a rock musician for only about seven years before he went into seclusion. He joined Pink Floyd in 1965 but left three years later after one album. Barrett released two solo albums before going into self-imposed seclusion lasting more than thirty years, with his mental deterioration blamed on drugs.

2007 the Live Earth concerts took place around the world with The Police closing the days events in New Jersey. The concerts were organised by former US Vice-President Al Gore, as part of his campaign to "heal the planet". Rock stars from around the world performed to hundreds of thousands of fans to highlight climate change. Concerts were held in Washington, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Shanghai and Sydney. Madonna brought London's Live Earth concert to a close, playing a song she had written for the event. Other major acts who appeared included; Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis, The Beastie Boys, James Blunt, The Foo Fighters, Duran Duran, UB40, Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias, Crowded House & Joss Stone.

2009 Michael Jackson's family and fans said farewell to the pop superstar at an emotional memorial service. The singer's coffin was placed in front of the stage during the event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after an earlier private funeral. Jackson's daughter Paris, 11, fought back tears to describe him as "the best father you could ever imagine". Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey paid tribute before the family joined a sombre finale on stage. Motown boss Berry Gordy, who signed the Jackson Five, ended his tribute with the words: "Michael, thank you for the joy, thank you for the love. You will live in my heart forever."

[TimothyBFan]

1980 Led Zeppelin played their last-ever concert when they appeared in West Berlin at the end of a European tour. The set included ‘Black Dog’, ‘Rock and Roll’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘Trampled Underfoot’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’. They finished the show with ‘Whole Lotta Love’. ( Until they reunited for a one-off benifit concert 2007)

My biggest regret (musically anyways), is that I never got to see them live in concert. If I could have one silly musical wish, it would be to see a live Zeppelin show (impossible now I know) or at the very least see Jimmy Page perform just once!!

[Freypower]

We saw Page & Plant in 1995.

My husband saw Page solo back in England & saw Plant several times back then too.

[Koala]

1968 Pink Floyd kicked off their first 20-date North American tour at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago.

2002 Michael Jackson spoke out against the music industry's treatment of artists, alleging that the business was rife with racism. Speaking at a civil rights meeting in New York, Jackson claimed there was a 'conspiracy' among record companies, especially towards black artists. A spokesman for Jackson's record label said the remarks were 'ludicrous, spiteful and hurtful.'

2003 A tooth and lock of hair reputedly belonging to Elvis Presley turns up for sale on eBay.

2004, Mark Purseglove known as the world’s ‘biggest bootlegger’ was sentenced to 3 years 6 months jail by Blackfriars Crown Court. Purseglove had built up a £15 million pirate CD empire by bootlegging live concerts of some of the world's biggest stars including The Beatles, David Bowie and Pink Floyd.

2007 Prince was forced off stage by police halfway through his set at the First Avenue nightclub during a late-night gig in his home town of Minneapolis. The club was only allowed to stay open until 3.am but Prince took to the stage at 2.45am. Prince had already played two concerts in Minneapolis before his late-night club appearance; His first performance was at a department store, where he promoted his new cologne with a nine-song, 45-minute set.