March 28, 2024

This Day in History: 2024-07-31

JULY 31st

Elvis Presley performs his first live concert in over eight years (since ’61) at the Showroom of the International Hotel in Las Vegas. It’s the birth of ‘Vegas Elvis’ and those rhinestone jumpsuits. 1969

Journey unfurls “Escape.”  The album, known for the songs “Who’s Crying Now,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Open Arms” and “Still They Ride” tops the Billboard 200 (two months after its release) on its way to selling over ten-million copies.  1981

KoЯn’s “Untitled” is released. It’s actually untitled, as in no title at all. “We didn’t want to label this album,” states singer Jonathan Davis. “It has no boundaries. It has no limits and why not just let our fans call it whatever they wanna call it?” 2007

Shinedown’s “The Crow And The Butterfly” is #1 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart.  2010

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Bill Berry has a birthday. The drummer is with R.E.M. for 17 years, before retiring for health reasons. 1958

Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker perform under the Cream moniker for the first time. It’s at the 6th Annual National Jazz & Blues Festival in Windsor. They performed together once before but were billed under their individual names. 1966

John 5 (John William Lowery) is born. The guitarist works with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, among others. 1971

Matthew Charles Sanders, known as M. Shadows frontman for Avenged Sevenfold, has a birthday. 1981

Alissa White-Gluz, lead vocalist of Arch Enemy, and former lead vocalist and founding member of The Agonist, has a birthday.  1985

Pearl Jam is a great band. “Last Kiss,” is a sappy, early ’60s cornball tune. Put the two together and a pop hit results. PJ’s remake gets to #4. 1999

Sun Records becomes a National Historic Landmark.  Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Johnny Cash and, of course, Elvis Presley started their careers there. It’s the first recording studio to be named a Historic Landmark. 2003

Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose visits the Teenage Cancer Trust Ward in London to talk to patients about their illnesses and interests. The visit comes at the end of a GN’R European tour. 2006

Five Finger Death Punch present their debut album, “The Way Of The Fist.”  It debuts at #199 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, but eventually is certified gold (500,000 units sold).  2007

Little, Brown and Company win a bidding war for the rights to Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards’ autobiography. The publisher reportedly shells out more than $7 million for the memoir (titled “Life”), which Richards pens with author James Fox; providing he still remembers any of it. 2007

John Mayer’s “Sob Rock” rules Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Sales chart (#2 on the Billboard 200) selling 61,000 copies in its first week. 2021