This Day in Rock History
On August 15, 1965, The Beatles stepped onto the stage at Shea Stadium in New York and changed music history. More than 55,000 fans packed the ballpark, setting a record for the largest concert ever held at the time. The sheer volume of the crowd was deafening and the screams were so loud the band […]
Today marks the anniversary of the first day of Woodstock, the legendary 1969 music festival that grew to nearly 500,000 attendees through nothing more than word of mouth, radio, and underground buzz. At its core, Woodstock was a miracle of organic momentum. It wasn’t the product of social media algorithms or influencer hype. Tickets were […]
The setting: Monsters of Rock, August 1984, in Stockholm. Three heavy-duty bands on the bill – Mötley Crüe, Van Halen, and AC/DC. It didn’t take long before rock and roll antics turned real. According to Tommy Lee, “We were all on the ‘Monsters of Rock’ tour… Motley had this thing we would do if we really loved […]
At 12:01 a.m. on August 1, 1981, a rocket launched on TV, not from NASA, but from a network no one had heard of: MTV – Music Television. The screen faded in with footage of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the flag planted, and a voice declaring, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” Then came […]
It was supposed to be a high-profile, feel-good event: a benefit concert for California Senator Alan Cranston at the Long Beach Arena. The Eagles, one of the biggest bands on the planet, were closing the show. But backstage tensions were already boiling over, and they’d hit a breaking point after a long run on the […]
On July 28, 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis rocked The Steve Allen Show and America! Blasting through “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” with wild hair, flying fingers, and beating a piano into submission, the 21-year-old turned a polite TV variety show into a full-blown rock ‘n’ roll riot. Millions of Americans, many seeing Lewis for the […]
1948 English musician Pete Sears, best known for being the bassist for Rod Stewart and Jefferson Starship, was born in Bromley, England. He played on several of Stewarts albums, including songs Maggie May and Reason to Believe. He joined Jefferson Starship in 1974, remaining with the band after it became Starship, finally departing in 1987. […]
1943 Scottish musician Jack Bruce, lead vocalist and bassist of Cream, was born in Bishopbriggs, Scotland. He died of liver cancer at the age of 71 on Oct. 25, 2014, in Sudbury, England. 1944 Canadian-American musician Gene Cornish, original member of the Young Rascals, was born in Ottawa, ON. He moved to Rochester, NY as […]
1935 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Nokie Edwards, of the Ventures, was born in Lahoma, OK. He died in 2018 at the age of 82. 1937 American singer-songwriter Sonny Curtis, formerly of Buddy Holly’s band, the Crickets, was born in Meadow, TX. He remained with the Crickets after Holly’s death, as the lead […]
1943 English bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, founding member of the Yardbirds, was born in Brentford, England. He played with the Yardbirds until 1966, leaving the band because he grew tired of touring, and was replaced by Jimmy Page. He would later serve as a producer for Cat Stevens. Happy 82nd birthday, Paul! American guitarist Danny Whitten, […]