Today in Rock n' Roll History

[Koala]

1961 Pat Boone went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Moody River', the single reached No.18 in the UK.

1968 The Rolling Stones scored their seventh UK No.1 single when 'Jumpin Jack Flash' hit the top of the charts.

1976 Future Smiths singer Steve Morrissey had a letter published in this weeks music magazine Record Mirror and Disc asking the editor why the paper had not included any stories on The Sex Pistols.

1986 Genesis hits #3 in the US with 'Invisible Touch'.

1991 The Allman Brothers Band release 'Shades of Two Worlds,' one of the strongest albums of their career.


1993 Tina Turner went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'What's Love Got To Do With It'.

[Koala]

1969 The first of a three day Festival in Newport, California, featuring: Ike And Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, The Rascals, Steppenwolf, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Eric Burdon and Love. A three day ticket cost $15 (£8.80). Hendrix received $125,000 for his appearance, at the time it was the highest fee ever paid to a rock act for a single appearance.

1980 During a UK tour Fleetwood Mac played the first of six sold-out nights at Wembley Arena, London, England.

1986 Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Tina Turner and Elton John all appeared at the fourth annual 'Prince's Trust Rock Gala' held in London.

2004 Organisers at a Paul McCartney gig hired three jets to spray dry ice into the clouds so it wouldn’t rain during the concert. The gig in Petersburg, Russia, was McCartney’s 3,000 concert appearance. He had performed 2,535 gigs with the Quarrymen and the Beatles, 140 gigs with Wings and 325 solo shows.

2008 American singer songwriter Jimmy Buffett announced that his Margaritaville Holdings has partnered with New York gambling company Coastal Marina to buy the Trump Marina Hotel Casino for $316 million. His vast business empire also included tequila, beer, frozen food, footwear, restaurants, a resort, a record label and a recording studio. In 2006, Rolling Stone magazine estimated Buffett's earnings at $44 million.

[Koala]

1966 Jimmy Page made his live debut with The Yardbirds at the Marquee Club, London.

1975 Elton John, The Beach Boys, Joe Walsh, Rufus and The Eagles all appeared in front of 120,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, London. Tickets cost £3.50 ($5.95).

1986 Genesis scored their fourth UK No.1 album with 'Invisible Touch'.

2001 John Lee Hooker, American blues singer and guitarist died in his sleep aged 83. Had hits will 'Boom Boom', 'Dimples' and 'I'm In The Mood'. His songs have been covered by many artists including Cream, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, The Yardbirds, The Doors and The White Stripes. He appeared and sang in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers.

[Koala]

1963 13-year old Stevie Wonder first entered the US singles chart as Little Stevie Wonder with 'Fingertips Parts One and Two.'

1964 The Beatles played their first ever show in New Zealand at Wellington Town Hall. The local Chief Constable refused a police escort for The Beatles leaving just two policemen to control over 5,000 fans.

1968 The Otis Redding album 'Dock Of The Bay' went to No.1 in the UK, (Redding was killed in a plane crash on Dec 10th 1967).

1969 American singer, actress, Judy Garland, died of a barbiturate overdose aged 47, she was found on the floor of her rented Chelsea home, in London, UK. Made more than two dozen films, played Dorothy in the 1939 film 'Wizard Of Oz', sang 'Over The Rainbow' in the film, (voted the 'Song Of The Century' in a 2001 poll published in America). 1961 US No.1 comeback album 'Judy At Carnegie Hall'.

1970 Led Zeppelin appeared at Laugardalsholl Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland on the group's one and only visit to Iceland. It is suggested that Robert Plant was inspired to write the lyrics to 'Immigrant Song' during this trip."

1985 Bryan Adams started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Heaven', his first No.1 single, it made No.35 in the UK. The song had been featured in the film 'Night In Heaven'.

1990 Billy Joel is the first rock act to perform at New York's Yankee Stadium, selling out the 100,000+ sports venue for back-to-back shows. A concert video, 'Live at Yankee Stadium', is culled from the shows.

[luvthelighthouse]

1970 Led Zeppelin appeared at Laugardalsholl Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland on the group's one and only visit to Iceland. It is suggested that Robert Plant was inspired to write the lyrics to 'Immigrant Song' during this trip."

I think TBF will like that bit of trivia... unless or course she already knew it. (I did not)

[TimothyBFan]

Just saw that. I actually knew it was written after a trip to Iceland but didn't realize that was the only time they were ever there. Must of made quite the impression on him/them. Let's see what we can figure out from the lyrics....shall we sing along with the Viking Kittens?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApxnAr6pRt0[/ame]

[Koala]

1962 Ray Charles started a 14-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music'.

1965 The Yardbirds appeared at The City Hall, Salisbury, England, admission 10 shillings, ($1.40).

1966,The Beatles had their tenth consecutive UK No.1 single with 'Paperback Writer' / 'Rain'. The track is marked by the boosted bass guitar sound throughout, partly in response to John Lennon demanding to know why the bass on a certain Wilson Pickett record far exceeded the bass on any Beatles records. It was also cut louder than any other Beatles record, due to a new piece of equipment used in the mastering process.

1973 George Harrison started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Living In The Material World', his second US No.1.

1990 13-year-old Keith Sorrentino filed a $500,000 (£294,11 lawsuit against Madonna, claiming he suffered nightmares and bed-wetting problems after an incident outside Madonna’s home when she allegedly flung him to the ground.

1990 Elton John had his first UK solo No.1 single with 'Sacrifice / Healing Hands' after achieving over 50 previous UK hits and 6 chart toppers in the US.

1990 Buddy Holly’s Gibson acoustic guitar sold for £139,658 ($237,419) in a Sotheby's auction. The guitar was in a tooled leather case made by Holly himself.

2004 Bob Dylan was awarded an honorary degree by the University of St. Andrews Scotland’s oldest University and made a "Doctor of Music."

[Koala]

1947 Mick Fleetwood was born.

1965 John Lennon's second book, 'A Spaniard in the Works', is published.

1978 Genesis hits #23 with "Follow You Follow Me".

1978 Peter Gabriel hits #45 in the US with his self-titled second album.

1989 Richard Marx scored his second US No.1 single with 'Satisfied', a No.52 hit in the UK.

1999 Eric Clapton put 100 of his guitars up for auction at Christie's in New York City to raise money for his drug rehab clinic, the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. His 1956 Fender Stratocaster named Brownie, which was used to record the electric version of ‘Layla’, sold for a record $497,500. The auction helped raise nearly $5 million for the clinic.

2003 A man who had been deported from Sweden for stalking Abba singer Agnetha Faeltskog was arrested near the singer's island retreat. Gert van der Graaf, 37, had been the singer's boyfriend from 1997 to 1999, but had been issued a restraining order barring him from seeing or talking to her in 2000.

2004 A Fender Stratocaster that Eric Clapton nicknamed “Blackie” sold at a Christie’s auction for $959,500 (£564,412) in New York, making it the most expensive guitar in the world. The proceeds of the sale went towards Clapton’s Crossroads addiction clinic, which he founded in 1998.

[Koala]

1967 During a north American tour The Jimi Hendrix Experience gave a free afternoon concert in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. They then played another two shows that evening at the Fillmore West.


1967 200 million people saw The Beatles perform 'All You Need Is Love', live via satellite as part of the TV global link- up, 'Our World', Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, Keith Moon and Gary Leeds provided backing vocals.

1977 'The Muppet Show' album by The Muppets went to No.1 on the UK album chart.

1993 Bruce Springsteen was a surprise guest on David Letterman's final show as host of NBC's Late Night.

1995 Pink Floyd were at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Pulse’ the bands fifth US No.1.


2009 Michael Jackson died at the age of 50, after suffering heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills. Jackson is credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool, four of his solo albums are among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), while his 1982 Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time with sales of over 50 million. Guinness World Records list’s him as one of the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", with 13 Grammy Awards and 13 number one singles. Prior to his death, Jackson had been scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010.

[sodascouts]

1977 'The Muppet Show' album by The Muppets went to No.1 on the UK album chart.

Oh, how I loved the Muppets!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFLZ-MzIhM[/ame]

2009 Michael Jackson died at the age of 50, after suffering heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills. Jackson is credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool, four of his solo albums are among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), while his 1982 Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time with sales of over 50 million. Guinness World Records list’s him as one of the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", with 13 Grammy Awards and 13 number one singles. Prior to his death, Jackson had been scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010.

Wow, has it really been TWO years??