OT: 1954 - 2002
Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 2:55 amDid you know that....
In 1954, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" was released. The record was not a hit until after it was included in the soundtrack of "Blackboard Jungle" the following year.
In 1954, Bob Dylan celebrated his bar mitzvah.
In 1955, Elvis Presley's performance in Jacksonville, Florida caused a riot, the first reported incident of trouble at an Elvis show.
In 1956, the Sun Record Company in Memphis ran an ad in the music trade papers announcing the first record by what was termed "one of the truly great talent finds." The artist was Johnny Cash, and the record was "I Walk the Line."
In 1958, Bobby Darin's recording of "Splish Splash" was released. It was the first recording made on an eight track recorder at Atlantic Records. Darin is said to have written the song in 12 minutes.
In 1958, singer Jerry Lee Lewis announced his marriage to his 14-year-old cousin, Myra, as he arrived in London. The resulting controversy caused Lewis to be booed off stage and forced the cancellation of all but three of the 37 scheduled concerts on his British tour. It would take years for Lewis's career to recover.
In 1960, disc jockey Alan Freed was charged with accepting payola - money for playing records. Freed, the deejay who did the most to spread rock 'n' roll, was a broken man by the time he came to trial in December 1962. He pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and received a suspended sentence and a $300 fine. Freed, facing new charges of tax evasion, died in January 1965 at the age of 42.
In 1963, the Rolling Stones began their first recording session in London with producer Andrew Loog Oldham. Their first single, a cover of Chuck Berry's song "Come On," was released a month later.
In 1963, Little Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips (Part 2)" was recorded live in Detroit. The single - and the album from which it was taken, "The 12 Year-Old Genius" - topped the Billboard charts simultaneously - a first. "Fingertips" was also the first live recording to reach number one. Despite the album title, Wonder had turned 13 eight days before the concert was recorded.
In 1963, Bob Dylan walked off the "Ed Sullivan Show" when CBS censors wouldn't let him perform the "Talking John Birch Society Blues."
In 1965, the Rolling Stones began a two-day recording session at Chess Studios in Chicago, laying down the basic tracks for "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
In 1966, the Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds" was released. Although it only barely made the top 10, the album has since become regarded as a classic and the Beach Boys' best.
In 1966 , Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the Who started a show in Windsor, England without Keith Moon and John Entwistle. When the pair finally showed up, Townshend wacked Moon over the head with his guitar. Moon promptly quit the band, but was back a week later.
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix signed his first US recording contract with Reprise. A month later he would be a star after his historic performance at the Monterey Pop Festival.
In 1967, the psychedelic sound and light show of Pink Floyd graced the stage of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. The concert, called "Games For May," was the first to feature quadraphonic sound.
In 1968, Pete Townshend of the Who married dress designer Karen Astley. She was responsible for some of Townshend's outfits worn during early Who concerts.
In 1968, Jimi Hendrix was arrested at the US-Canadian border for possession of heroin and hashish. Hendrix, on his way to a concert in Toronto, claimed the drugs were planted. He was later cleared of the charges.
In 1969, The Chicago Transit Authority released their self-titled debut double album. Later the band was sued by the actual Chicago Transit Authority and forced to change their name, eventually shortening it to Chicago.
In 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young announced their breakup before a performance in Chicago. The band - minus Neil Young - would regroup several times during the next dozen years. And all four would get together again in 1988 for the hit single and album "American Dream."
In 1971, Pete Cetera, bass player and vocalist with Chicago, was beaten by three men at a Chicago Cubs baseball game, apparently because they didn't like the length of his hair. Cetera lost four teeth and required five hours of surgery.
In 1974, more than 50 people were injured when fans who couldn't get tickets rioted outside a Jackson Five concert in Washington, DC.
In 1979, Cheap Trick's "Live at Budokan" LP was certified gold in the US. It eventually sold more than one-million copies, delaying the release of the followup album, "Dream Police."
In 1979, rock singer Tom Petty filed for bankruptcy in an effort to get out of his contract with MCA Records. Nine months later, Petty signed with Backstreet Records, a new MCA affiliate. His comeback LP, "Damn the Defiant," was a critical and financial success, selling 2.5 million copies.
In 1980, singer and drummer Peter Criss left the theatrical rock group Kiss for a solo career. (And what a success that was).
In 1980, Dr. George Nichopoulous was indicated in Memphis, Tennessee on 14 counts of overprescribing drugs to Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and nine other patients.
In 1980, Joe Strummer of the political rock group the Clash was arrested in Hamburg, West Germany for attacking a fan with his guitar.
In 1981, former Sex Pistol John Lydon, who used to be known as Johnny Rotten, and his band Public Image Limited were booed and pelted by debris during a performance at a New York club. A dozen people were hurt before the band's 50-minute performance ended. A Public Image show set for the following night was cancelled.
In 1981, Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Cats" opened in London. The composer had to mortgage his house to help finance the half-million pound production which has since grossed billions in productions across the globe.
In 1982, guitarist Fast Eddie Clark departed Motorhead in the middle of the British heavy metal band's US tour. Brian Robertson, formerly of Thin Lizzy, was his replacement.
In 1984, guitarist Nils Lofgren joined Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, replacing Steve Van Zandt.
In 1985, rock star Bruce Springsteen married actress Julianne Phillips at ten minutes past midnight in a secret ceremony in Oregon. Their marriage fell apart in 1988.
In 1986, Belinda Carlisle, who had just left the Go Gos, made her Los Angeles debut as a solo artist. In the audience were Prince and the Bangles. Andy Taylor of Duran Duran joined Carlisle on stage, as he would at other concerts throughout the summer.
In 1986, country singer Johnny Paycheck was found guilty of shooting and wounding a man after an argument in a bar in Hillsboro, Ohio. Paycheck, best known for his 1978 hit "Take This Job and Shove It," was sentenced to up to 9.5 years in prison.
In 1986, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee married actress Heather Locklear. The couple eventually divorced with Locklear marrying Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora some years later. Tommy married another actress, Pamela-Lee Anderson, again that marriage ending in divorce. Locklear and Sambora, however, still remain happily married.
In 1987, Frank Sinatra cancelled a planned tour of Sweden and Denmark after Sweden decided to tax him because he performed in South Africa. Norway had earlier banned Sinatra for the same reason.
In 1987, Prince (or the Artist Formerly Known As, or is it Prince again now?) and his band made an unannounced after-hours appearance at a private club in West Berlin. They performed for an hour at the Quasimodo club following the first of two sold-out shows in a West Berlin concert hall.
In 1987, singer Billy Idol stormed off stage in San Francisco after twice being hit in the face by tennis shoes thrown by fans.
In 1987, Rita Marley was ousted as executor of her late husband Bob Marley's will by a Jamaican court. The surviving members of Marley's band, the Wailers, called for an investigation of the reggae star's estate.
In 1989, independent record promoter Ralph Tashjian became the first person ever convicted under the 29 year old US payola law. He pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to distributing cash and cocaine to a radio station in order to get airplay on records by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Laura Branigan. The artists did not know of Tashjian's illegal activities.
In 1991, Chris De Burgh, M.C. Hammer and Tom Jones were among the stars performing at an international pop concert at Wembley Stadium in London to raise money for Kurdish refugees from Iraq. Other performers were seen by satellite hookup from around the world. Rod Stewart performed from Switzerland, Paul Simon from Manchester, England and Gloria Estefan and New Kids on the Block from Rotterdam, Holland. In the London audience were British Prime Minister John Major and Diana, Princess of Wales. The concert was broadcast to more than 30 countries.
In 1992, Ringo Starr released "Time Takes Time," his first studio album in nine years. To promote it, Starr toured with an all-star band that included his son Zak on drums, along with Burton Cummings, Dave Edmunds and Todd Rundgren.
In 1993, more than 40,000 fans packed a heavily-secured park along Tel Aviv's beachfront to see Guns N' Roses kick off a 15-country European tour. Tickets were $43 - the highest ever price for a rock concert in Israel.
In 1994, 2 Live Crew rapper Luther Campbell was charged in Miami with aggravated assault for allegedly aiming a gun at his wife and threatening to kill her.
In 1994, bad-boy rapper Tupac Shakur began serving a 15-day prison sentence for attacking the director on the set of one of his video clips.
In 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were married in a private ceremony at a judge's home in the Dominican Republic. First word of the marriage came two months later from the judge himself in an interview published in a Dominican newspaper. The Jackson camp denied the story for several weeks. The marriage came after Jackson reached an out-of-court settlement with a teenager who accused the singer of seducing him. Jackson denied the allegations. Presley filed for divorce in January 1996.
In 1995, R.E.M. resumed its world tour in San Francisco, two months after it was suspended when drummer Bill Berry underwent brain surgery. He fell ill during a show in Lausanne, Switzerland, but made a complete recovery.
In 1995, the manuscript of four Haydn string quartets sold at a London auction for more than one million dollars. The seller, an Australian woman, had kept the manuscript under her bed. One of her ancestors had bought it at a London auction in 1851.
In 1995, the Recording Industry Association of America reported that Bruce Springsteen's 1984 album "Born in the USA" had sold more than 15-million copies. That tied it with Boston's self-titled album as the number-three all-time best-selling album. Only Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - at 24 million - and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" - at 17 million - had sold more.
In 1995, singer Scott Weiland of the grunge rock group Stone Temple Pilots was arrested in Pasadena, California, for possessing cocaine and heroin. Police pulled over Weiland's car after he made a quick midnight stop at a motel. He was ordered to spend four to six months in a drug treatment centre, forcing cancellation of the group's tour in the summer of 1996. The charges were dropped after Weiland completed his treatment. Unfortunately this was destined to be one of many such arrests Scott Weiland would face in the years to follow, the latest in early 2002.
In 1996, Garth Brooks celebrated his 60-millionth album sold with a 1960s theme party in Nashville. The Recording Industry Association of America said Brooks was the best-selling country artist of all-time and the second-highest selling artist ever in the US. Only the Beatles had sold more.
In 1997, a stop on the R.O.A.R. tour, which featured Iggy Pop, Sponge, the Reverend Horton Heat and other bands, attracted less than 100 people to the 16,000 seat Kingswood Music Theatre north of Toronto, Canada.
In 1997, Chuck D, leader of the rap group Public Enemy, made his debut as a commentator for the Fox News Channel in the US.
In 1997, the hit-making Fleetwood Mac lineup of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks reunited for their first full-fledged public performance in 15 years. The show, on a soundstage at Warner Brothers studio in Burbank, California, was one of two taped for an MTV special and a live album. Nicks stopped the concert - twice - because she forgot the words to "Dreams," Fleetwood Mac's only number-one single.
In 2002, Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, and her band Hole officially announced they were breaking up.
In 2002, pop diva Mariah Carey, who was paid $US28 million ($52 million) to quit her record label Virgin following an album flop, signed a new 3 album, US$20 million contract with Universal Music Group.
In 1954, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" was released. The record was not a hit until after it was included in the soundtrack of "Blackboard Jungle" the following year.
In 1954, Bob Dylan celebrated his bar mitzvah.
In 1955, Elvis Presley's performance in Jacksonville, Florida caused a riot, the first reported incident of trouble at an Elvis show.
In 1956, the Sun Record Company in Memphis ran an ad in the music trade papers announcing the first record by what was termed "one of the truly great talent finds." The artist was Johnny Cash, and the record was "I Walk the Line."
In 1958, Bobby Darin's recording of "Splish Splash" was released. It was the first recording made on an eight track recorder at Atlantic Records. Darin is said to have written the song in 12 minutes.
In 1958, singer Jerry Lee Lewis announced his marriage to his 14-year-old cousin, Myra, as he arrived in London. The resulting controversy caused Lewis to be booed off stage and forced the cancellation of all but three of the 37 scheduled concerts on his British tour. It would take years for Lewis's career to recover.
In 1960, disc jockey Alan Freed was charged with accepting payola - money for playing records. Freed, the deejay who did the most to spread rock 'n' roll, was a broken man by the time he came to trial in December 1962. He pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and received a suspended sentence and a $300 fine. Freed, facing new charges of tax evasion, died in January 1965 at the age of 42.
In 1963, the Rolling Stones began their first recording session in London with producer Andrew Loog Oldham. Their first single, a cover of Chuck Berry's song "Come On," was released a month later.
In 1963, Little Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips (Part 2)" was recorded live in Detroit. The single - and the album from which it was taken, "The 12 Year-Old Genius" - topped the Billboard charts simultaneously - a first. "Fingertips" was also the first live recording to reach number one. Despite the album title, Wonder had turned 13 eight days before the concert was recorded.
In 1963, Bob Dylan walked off the "Ed Sullivan Show" when CBS censors wouldn't let him perform the "Talking John Birch Society Blues."
In 1965, the Rolling Stones began a two-day recording session at Chess Studios in Chicago, laying down the basic tracks for "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
In 1966, the Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds" was released. Although it only barely made the top 10, the album has since become regarded as a classic and the Beach Boys' best.
In 1966 , Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the Who started a show in Windsor, England without Keith Moon and John Entwistle. When the pair finally showed up, Townshend wacked Moon over the head with his guitar. Moon promptly quit the band, but was back a week later.
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix signed his first US recording contract with Reprise. A month later he would be a star after his historic performance at the Monterey Pop Festival.
In 1967, the psychedelic sound and light show of Pink Floyd graced the stage of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. The concert, called "Games For May," was the first to feature quadraphonic sound.
In 1968, Pete Townshend of the Who married dress designer Karen Astley. She was responsible for some of Townshend's outfits worn during early Who concerts.
In 1968, Jimi Hendrix was arrested at the US-Canadian border for possession of heroin and hashish. Hendrix, on his way to a concert in Toronto, claimed the drugs were planted. He was later cleared of the charges.
In 1969, The Chicago Transit Authority released their self-titled debut double album. Later the band was sued by the actual Chicago Transit Authority and forced to change their name, eventually shortening it to Chicago.
In 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young announced their breakup before a performance in Chicago. The band - minus Neil Young - would regroup several times during the next dozen years. And all four would get together again in 1988 for the hit single and album "American Dream."
In 1971, Pete Cetera, bass player and vocalist with Chicago, was beaten by three men at a Chicago Cubs baseball game, apparently because they didn't like the length of his hair. Cetera lost four teeth and required five hours of surgery.
In 1974, more than 50 people were injured when fans who couldn't get tickets rioted outside a Jackson Five concert in Washington, DC.
In 1979, Cheap Trick's "Live at Budokan" LP was certified gold in the US. It eventually sold more than one-million copies, delaying the release of the followup album, "Dream Police."
In 1979, rock singer Tom Petty filed for bankruptcy in an effort to get out of his contract with MCA Records. Nine months later, Petty signed with Backstreet Records, a new MCA affiliate. His comeback LP, "Damn the Defiant," was a critical and financial success, selling 2.5 million copies.
In 1980, singer and drummer Peter Criss left the theatrical rock group Kiss for a solo career. (And what a success that was).
In 1980, Dr. George Nichopoulous was indicated in Memphis, Tennessee on 14 counts of overprescribing drugs to Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and nine other patients.
In 1980, Joe Strummer of the political rock group the Clash was arrested in Hamburg, West Germany for attacking a fan with his guitar.
In 1981, former Sex Pistol John Lydon, who used to be known as Johnny Rotten, and his band Public Image Limited were booed and pelted by debris during a performance at a New York club. A dozen people were hurt before the band's 50-minute performance ended. A Public Image show set for the following night was cancelled.
In 1981, Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Cats" opened in London. The composer had to mortgage his house to help finance the half-million pound production which has since grossed billions in productions across the globe.
In 1982, guitarist Fast Eddie Clark departed Motorhead in the middle of the British heavy metal band's US tour. Brian Robertson, formerly of Thin Lizzy, was his replacement.
In 1984, guitarist Nils Lofgren joined Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, replacing Steve Van Zandt.
In 1985, rock star Bruce Springsteen married actress Julianne Phillips at ten minutes past midnight in a secret ceremony in Oregon. Their marriage fell apart in 1988.
In 1986, Belinda Carlisle, who had just left the Go Gos, made her Los Angeles debut as a solo artist. In the audience were Prince and the Bangles. Andy Taylor of Duran Duran joined Carlisle on stage, as he would at other concerts throughout the summer.
In 1986, country singer Johnny Paycheck was found guilty of shooting and wounding a man after an argument in a bar in Hillsboro, Ohio. Paycheck, best known for his 1978 hit "Take This Job and Shove It," was sentenced to up to 9.5 years in prison.
In 1986, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee married actress Heather Locklear. The couple eventually divorced with Locklear marrying Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora some years later. Tommy married another actress, Pamela-Lee Anderson, again that marriage ending in divorce. Locklear and Sambora, however, still remain happily married.
In 1987, Frank Sinatra cancelled a planned tour of Sweden and Denmark after Sweden decided to tax him because he performed in South Africa. Norway had earlier banned Sinatra for the same reason.
In 1987, Prince (or the Artist Formerly Known As, or is it Prince again now?) and his band made an unannounced after-hours appearance at a private club in West Berlin. They performed for an hour at the Quasimodo club following the first of two sold-out shows in a West Berlin concert hall.
In 1987, singer Billy Idol stormed off stage in San Francisco after twice being hit in the face by tennis shoes thrown by fans.
In 1987, Rita Marley was ousted as executor of her late husband Bob Marley's will by a Jamaican court. The surviving members of Marley's band, the Wailers, called for an investigation of the reggae star's estate.
In 1989, independent record promoter Ralph Tashjian became the first person ever convicted under the 29 year old US payola law. He pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to distributing cash and cocaine to a radio station in order to get airplay on records by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Laura Branigan. The artists did not know of Tashjian's illegal activities.
In 1991, Chris De Burgh, M.C. Hammer and Tom Jones were among the stars performing at an international pop concert at Wembley Stadium in London to raise money for Kurdish refugees from Iraq. Other performers were seen by satellite hookup from around the world. Rod Stewart performed from Switzerland, Paul Simon from Manchester, England and Gloria Estefan and New Kids on the Block from Rotterdam, Holland. In the London audience were British Prime Minister John Major and Diana, Princess of Wales. The concert was broadcast to more than 30 countries.
In 1992, Ringo Starr released "Time Takes Time," his first studio album in nine years. To promote it, Starr toured with an all-star band that included his son Zak on drums, along with Burton Cummings, Dave Edmunds and Todd Rundgren.
In 1993, more than 40,000 fans packed a heavily-secured park along Tel Aviv's beachfront to see Guns N' Roses kick off a 15-country European tour. Tickets were $43 - the highest ever price for a rock concert in Israel.
In 1994, 2 Live Crew rapper Luther Campbell was charged in Miami with aggravated assault for allegedly aiming a gun at his wife and threatening to kill her.
In 1994, bad-boy rapper Tupac Shakur began serving a 15-day prison sentence for attacking the director on the set of one of his video clips.
In 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were married in a private ceremony at a judge's home in the Dominican Republic. First word of the marriage came two months later from the judge himself in an interview published in a Dominican newspaper. The Jackson camp denied the story for several weeks. The marriage came after Jackson reached an out-of-court settlement with a teenager who accused the singer of seducing him. Jackson denied the allegations. Presley filed for divorce in January 1996.
In 1995, R.E.M. resumed its world tour in San Francisco, two months after it was suspended when drummer Bill Berry underwent brain surgery. He fell ill during a show in Lausanne, Switzerland, but made a complete recovery.
In 1995, the manuscript of four Haydn string quartets sold at a London auction for more than one million dollars. The seller, an Australian woman, had kept the manuscript under her bed. One of her ancestors had bought it at a London auction in 1851.
In 1995, the Recording Industry Association of America reported that Bruce Springsteen's 1984 album "Born in the USA" had sold more than 15-million copies. That tied it with Boston's self-titled album as the number-three all-time best-selling album. Only Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - at 24 million - and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" - at 17 million - had sold more.
In 1995, singer Scott Weiland of the grunge rock group Stone Temple Pilots was arrested in Pasadena, California, for possessing cocaine and heroin. Police pulled over Weiland's car after he made a quick midnight stop at a motel. He was ordered to spend four to six months in a drug treatment centre, forcing cancellation of the group's tour in the summer of 1996. The charges were dropped after Weiland completed his treatment. Unfortunately this was destined to be one of many such arrests Scott Weiland would face in the years to follow, the latest in early 2002.
In 1996, Garth Brooks celebrated his 60-millionth album sold with a 1960s theme party in Nashville. The Recording Industry Association of America said Brooks was the best-selling country artist of all-time and the second-highest selling artist ever in the US. Only the Beatles had sold more.
In 1997, a stop on the R.O.A.R. tour, which featured Iggy Pop, Sponge, the Reverend Horton Heat and other bands, attracted less than 100 people to the 16,000 seat Kingswood Music Theatre north of Toronto, Canada.
In 1997, Chuck D, leader of the rap group Public Enemy, made his debut as a commentator for the Fox News Channel in the US.
In 1997, the hit-making Fleetwood Mac lineup of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks reunited for their first full-fledged public performance in 15 years. The show, on a soundstage at Warner Brothers studio in Burbank, California, was one of two taped for an MTV special and a live album. Nicks stopped the concert - twice - because she forgot the words to "Dreams," Fleetwood Mac's only number-one single.
In 2002, Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, and her band Hole officially announced they were breaking up.
In 2002, pop diva Mariah Carey, who was paid $US28 million ($52 million) to quit her record label Virgin following an album flop, signed a new 3 album, US$20 million contract with Universal Music Group.
