Elvis Presley’s birthday. The King of Rock N’ Roll (or simply “The King”) is born in Tupelo, MS. 1935
David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Thin White Duke, etc.) is born.
His contributions were not only musical but encompassed lyrics, concepts, stage presence and the persona of Rock stardom. 1947
The Beatles “Rubber Soul” tops the U.S. album chart. 1966
“Rubber Soul” jumps from #60 to #1, on the Billboard album chart selling 1.2 million copies in the U.S. within nine days of release. It’s generally regarded as the first of the band’s classic albums.
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Robby (occasionally Robbie) Krieger has a birthday. The Doors guitarist is a native of L.A. 1946
Loverboy vocalist Mike Reno (born Joseph Michael Rynoski) makes his debut. 1955
Sass Jordan has a birthday. Though born in Birmingham, England, Jordan grows up in Montreal. 1962
Try to see it my way. The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” tops the Billboard pop chart. 1966
The final episode of the U.S. teen music show “Shindig,” with The Kinks and The Who, airs. 1966
Andrew Wood, vocalist for Mother Love Bone, is born in Columbus, MS. 1966
Jeff Abercrombie, Fuel bassist and co-founder (with Carl Bell), has a birthday. 1969
KISS signs with Casablanca Records. 1974
It takes only four hours to sell out three Madison Square Garden Led Zeppelin shows. A record. 1975
Rilo Kiley vocalist and solo performer, Jenny Lewis, is born in Las Vegas. 1976
The Canadian government names Rush the country’s “Ambassadors of Music.” 1979
The Donna’s drummer Torry Castellano (Donna C.) and bassist Maya Ford (Donna F.) are born. 1979
Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark is found dead by his girlfriend. Excess alcohol mixed with antidepressants (compression on the brain stem) are listed as the cause. Clark, who was 30 at the time of his death, had been in and out of rehab a half-dozen times. 1991
Nirvana’s last U.S. show is a hometown gig at the Seattle Center Arena. 1994
According to the record industry, Rage Against The Machine’s self-titled debut has sold over 2-million copies since its release four years earlier. 1997
Creed wins Favorite Artist Alternative Music and Favorite Album Pop/Rock (for “Human Clay”) at the 28th American Music Awards. 2001
Georgeann Walsh Ward sues KISS’ Gene Simmons and Viacom claiming she was defamed in the KISS VH-1 documentary “When KISS Ruled The World.” Ward, who was Simmons girlfriend in the ’70s, says the bass player made her out to be a “sex-addicted nymphomaniac.” Ward wants big bucks to go away. 2005
Papa Roach’s “Forever” arrives. The song peaks at #2 on the Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks. 2007
U2’s Bono meets with French president Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris to discuss France’s monetary contributions to developing countries. The U2 vocalist lobbies the president to make good on his country’s ’06 promise to raise its financial aid to 0.7 percent of its gross national product by 2012. “The president admitted it would be very, very hard, but France would keep her word,” writes Bono in a statement. 2008
The estate and family of late guitarist Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet) file a lawsuit in L.A. Superior Court against the authors and publisher of an unauthorized coffee table book titled “Randy Rhoads.” The family contends that documentary film producer Peter Margolis and author Andrew Klein stole materials to create the book which was co-authored by Klein and Steven Rosen with the assistance of Margolis. 2013
U2’s The Edge launches a charitable fund, through the existing Music Rising effort, to help rebuild the music programs in schools throughout the area affected by Hurricane Sandy. 2013
Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City,” Fall Out Boys’ “Dead On Arrival,” and Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me” are among the most dangerous songs to listen to while driving, according to insurance website Confused.com. The firm says that listening to Rock music causes men to drive more aggressively, moving faster and braking later. 2013
Allman Brothers guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks announce that they will be leaving the band at the end of ’14. “We’ve had the honor and pleasure of playing, living, learning, and traveling with the Allman Brothers Band, one of the truly legendary Rock and Roll bands,” says Haynes and Trucks in a joint statement. 2014
On what would have been Elvis Presley’s 80th birthday (see above), an acetate of Presley’s versions of “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” is sold at auction for $300,000 to an unknown bidder who turns out to be Jack White (White Stripes). The songs were recorded at Sam Phillips’ Sun Records in Memphis. 2015
On what would have been David Bowie’s 77th birthday (see above), the city of Paris names a street after the music icon, “Rue David Bowie” is in the capital’s 13th district on the left bank. 2024
