This Day in History: 2025-01-02

JANUARY 2^nd

The Beatles begin work on the ill-fated “Let It Be” project. Both the film and album fall short of expectations. The sessions are later described by George Harrison as “the low of all-time” and by John Lennon as “hell … the most miserable sessions on earth.” The Beatles leave it to producer Phil Spector to salvage things while they start over with “Abbey Road.” 1969

George Harrison’s triple album “All Things Must Pass” is #1 on the Billboard 200. 1971

“All Things Must Pass” was #1 for seven weeks,

From the album, “My Sweet Lord” was the first solo single by a former Beatle to be a #1 in the U.S.  1971

Arizona’s departing state superintendent of public education, John Huppenthal, claims the Tucson Unified School District is violating the state’s ban on ethnic studies by using Rage Against The Machine’s ’92 song “Take The Power Back” in a Mexican-American history class. Huppenthal threatens to reduce state funding for the district by 10% if they do not comply with the law. RATM guitarist Tom Morello tweets that his band’s lyrics are “only dangerous if you teach (them) right.” 2015

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Hoobastank vocalist, Douglas Seann Robb, is born in Agoura Hills, CA. He is of Scottish (father’s side) and Japanese (mother’s side) ancestry. 1975

Sid Vicious goes on trial for murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. The former Sex Pistol ODs before the verdict is in. 1979

Spirit’s founding guitarist Randy California drowns while surfing off the coast of Hawaii. His son gets caught in the riptide and though California is able to push him to safety, the guitarist ends up losing his own life. 1997

Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer confirms that he has joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers, replacing John Frusciante. Klinghoffer previously worked with Gnarls Barkley and Beck and was recording with RHCP prior to the announcement. 2010

Slash receives the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from Guitar International Magazine. “As a member of ‘The Most Dangerous Band in the World’, Slash’s signature guitar riffage and stadium-sized solos propelled Guns N’ Roses’ iconic album, ‘Appetite For Destruction,’ to sell the most copies for any debut album in the U.S. with over 18 million copies,” writes Guitar International’s staff. 2012

A judge dismisses a lawsuit over the rights to Tommy Lee’s rollercoaster drum set. Howard Scott King claimed he originated the design and sought $400,000 in damages from the Mötley Crüe drummer. The judge rules that King never had exclusive rights to the idea and that Lee designed his version on his own. 2014

Mötley Crüe’s singer Vince Neil is among the celebrities competing on NBC’s “The New Celebrity Apprentice.”  Twice-elected California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger takes over as host replacing President Donald Trump.  2017