The History of Rock

And other rock related things

[rock-history]

The 27 Club

Zenon De Fleur, the guitarist for the British rock-band, The Count Bishops, died on March 18th, 1976 at the age of 27. The band is credited for creating the foundation for pub-rock, which later became a major influence for punk rock

[rock-history]

March 17th

1951 – Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham was born

1958 – The Champs started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with “Tequila”

1962 – Ray Charles started his own Tangerine record label

1967 – The Beatles finished the recoding of “She’s Leaving Home” after adding backing vocals to the track

1967 –  Billy Corgan, the lead singer and guitarist of Smashing Pumpkins, was born

1973 – Eric Weissberg started a three-week run at number 1 on the US chart with “Dueling Banjos” from the film “Deliverance”

1979 – Gloria Gaynor started a four-week run at number 1 in the UK with the single “I Will Survive”

1998 – Van Halen release their first album with new singer Gary Cherone, titled "Van Halen III"  

[rock-history]

March 16th

1942 - Jerry Jeff Walker, US singer and songwriter, was born 

1948 - Michael Bruce, guitarist for the Alice Cooper Band, was born

1954 - Nancy Wilson, lead singer of Heart, was born 

1965 - The Rolling Stones were at number 1 on the UK singles chart with “The Last Time,” the bands third UK number 1 and first number 1 for songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

1972 - John Lennon lodged an appeal with the US immigration office in New York, after he was served with deportation orders arising from his 1968 cannabis possession conviction

1992 - During a Metallica concert at Orlando Arena fans dangled an usher by his ankles from the balcony as trouble broke out. The audience trashed the venue and the band was charged $38,000 for repairs

[rock-history]

March 15th

1940 - Phil Lesh, bassist of The Grateful Dead, was born 

1941 - Mike Love, lead singer of The Beach Boys, was born

1955 - Elvis Presley signed a management contract with Colonel Tom Parker

1955 - Dee Snider, the lead singer of Twisted Sister, was born 

1969 - Cream started a two-week run at number 1 on the UK chart with their fourth and final original album “Goodbye”

1969 - Janis Joplin was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents

1975 - Led Zeppelin went to number 1 on the UK chart with the double album “Physical Graffiti,” the first on their own “Swan Song” label. The album also spent six weeks at number 1 on the US chart

1975, The Doobie Brothers went to number 1 on the US singles chart with “Black Water,” the group's first of two US number 1's

1982 - Bob Dylan was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame 

1999 - Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame

[rock-history]

March 14th

1955 – CBS talent scout, Arthur Godfrey, turned down the chance to sign Elvis Presley

1969 – The Beatles achieved a gold record for "Yellow Submarine"

1969 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded a live concert for ‘Fan Club’, the Dutch TV show in Amsterdam

1970 – “Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor entered the Billboard chart. The song stayed on the chart for over a hundred weeks, peaking at number 3

1971 – “Me and Bobby McGee,” Janis Joplin’s only Top Forty hit, reached number 1 and stayed there for two weeks

1971 – The Rolling Stones played a farewell concert at the Roundhouse, London

1982 – “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts became a hit

1983 – Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Alec John Such formed Bon Jovi

1990 – Michael Jackson was voted artist of the decade at the annual Soul Train Awards.

1995 – “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” by Van Halen is released this day

[rock-history]

The 27 Club

On March 13th, 1971,  Arlester "Dyke" Christian, the singer for Dyke and the Blazers, was fatally shot in Phoenix, Arizona. The charges against his killer were dropped due to “evidence indicating self-defense.”

[rock-history]

March 13th

1948 – Walter Parazaider, saxophonist of Chicago, was born

1956 – The Elvis Presley album was released. Most cite it as the first million-selling album

1965 – Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds over their new “pop” direction

1966 – Rod Stewart leaves Steampacket to go solo

1970 – Police fear a Beatles connection when a terrorist organization calling itself “Revolutionary Force 9″ takes credit for three bombings in New York

1973 – David Draiman, lead singer of Disturbed, was born

1987 – The first ever “cassingle” was released. The song was Bryan Adams’ “Heat of the Night”

1993 – “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz reaches number 1 on the charts

[rock-history]

March 12th

1948 - James Taylor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, was born 

1956 - Steve Harris, bassist of Iron Maiden, is born

1968 - The Rolling Stones started recording “Jumpin' Jack Flash” with new producer Jimmy Miller at Olympic studios in London

1969 - Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman at Marylebone Register Office and then held a reception lunch at The Ritz Hotel. Later that same day, George Harrison and his wife Patti were arrested and charged with possession of 120 joints of marijuana

1974 - John Lennon made the headlines after an incident at the Troubadour Club, LA. Out on a drinking binge with Harry Nilsson, Lennon hurled insults at the performing Smothers Brothers and punched their manager before being forcibly removed

1983 - Welsh singer, Bonnie Tyler, had her only UK number1 single with a song written by Meat Loaf's producer, Jim Steinman, “Total Eclipse Of The Heart.” Also number 1 in the US, Canada, and Australia, the single sold over 5 million copies

1988 - Rick Astley started a two week run at number 1 on the US singles chart with “Never Gonna Give You Up,” also a number 1 in the UK.

2012 - Doobie Brothers drummer, Michael Hossack, died at his home in Dubois, Wyoming at the age of 65 due to complications from his cancer

[rock-history]

March 11th

1957 – Singer Cheryl Lynn was born in Los Angeles

1964 – Vinnie Paul, the drummer and co-fouder of Pantera was born 

1977 – All-girl punk band the Slits makde their live debut supporting the Clash in London

1982 – Jimmy Page released his first solo album, the soundtrack to “Death Wish II”

1992 – Eric Clapton records an episode of MTV Unplugged. The record from the session became one of the best-selling of his career

1997 – Former Fab Four member Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II

2008 – Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

[rock-history]

March 10th

1947 - Tom Scholz, guitarist and keyboardist of the band Boston, was born 

1963 - Jeff Ament, bassist of Pearl Jam, was born 

1964 - Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel recorded “The Sounds Of Silence” as an acoustic duo. The record company producers later added electric guitar, bass and drums without the knowledge of Paul and Art

1973 - Pink Floyd released “The Dark Side of The Moon” in the US. It remained in the US charts for 741 discontinuous weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any other album in history

1977 - The Sex Pistols signed a contract to A&M Records. The contract lasted for six days

1988 - Andy Gibb, the younger brother of The Bee Gees, died in hospital due to heart inflammation which was partially caused by his cocaine addiction

[rock-history]

March 9th

1968 – Bob Dylan reached number 1 on the UK chart with his ninth album “John Wesley Harding” and stayed there for ten weeks

1972 – James Taylor, Carole King and Barbra Streisand performed a benefit concert for Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern

1975 – Elvis Presley begins his final recording session at RCA’s Hollywood studios

1981 – Robert Plant played a secret gig at Keele University, England with his new band The Honey Drippers

1985 – Mick Jagger released his solo single “Just Another Night”

1985 – REO Speedwagon started a three week run at number 1 on the US singles charts with “Can’t Fight This Feeling”

1991 – “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” gave The Clash their only UK number 1 single after the track was used for a Levi’s TV advertisement

1993 – Michael Jackson is named Humanitarian of the Year at the Soul Train Music Awards

[rock-history]

Part of me loves seeing Pete Townshend smash a guitar, but the other part cringes so hard at the sight of a beautiful (and expensive) instrument getting destroyed like that

[rock-history]

The 27 Club

On March 8th, 1972 - Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, one of the founding members and the lead singer of the Grateful Dead, died at the age of 27 due to a gastrointestinal hemorrhage. 

[rock-history]

March 8th

1946 -  Randy Meisner, the bassist of The Eagles, was born 

1957 - Clive Burr, drummer of Iron Maiden, was born 

1962 – The Beatles performed for the first time on BBC, playing Dream Baby 

1973 – Paul McCartney is arrested for growing marijuana in Scotland

1974 – Bad Company gives its debut performance in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

1986 – Whitney Houston went to No.1 on the US album chart with her self-titled album and stayed there for 14 weeks 

1990 – Cher won the worst dressed female, and worst video for ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’

2004 – Jack White of the White Stripes pleads guilty to simple assault and battery for beating up the lead singer of the Von Bondies