This Day in History: 2024-11-16

NOVEMBER 16^th

“Electric Ladyland” (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) is the #1 album in the U.S.  1968

The album contains the definitive version of Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower.”  In addition, there’s “Crosstown Traffic,” Voodoo Chile” and “Burning The Midnight Lamp.”

KoЯn release their fourth album, “Issues,” which sells 13-million copies worldwide. 1999

Kid Rock’s “Born Free” drops with guest performances by Martina McBride, Sheryl Crow, Bob Seger and Rapper T.I. Rock’s 8th studio album contains “Slow My Roll,” “God Bless Saturday,” “Rock On,” “Times Like These” and the title-track. 2010

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Bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield (Stone Roses) is born in Manchester, England. 1962

Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner has a birthday. He’s from L.A. 1966

Logan Conrad Mader, record producer and former lead guitarist with Machine Head, enters the world. He’s from Montreal, Canada. 1970

“Walls And Bridges” is the #1 album on the Billboard 200.  The John Lennon effort has “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” (see below) and #9 Dream.”  1974

Interestingly, Lennon is the last ex-Beatle to have a #1 single – “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night.” Elton John plays keyboards and adds backing vocals. 1974

What a rush. Prog Rock’s Rush is awarded three gold records. The Canadian group scores with “2112,” “All The World’s A Stage” and “A Farewell To Kings.” 1977

The album “Abracadabra,” with the catchy (obnoxious) title track, goes platinum. Though it’s a huge seller, mercifully, it’s not the Steve Miller Band’s biggest album – “Fly Like An Eagle” still holds that honor. 1982

Starship begin a two-week run at the top of the singles chart with “We Built This City” (written by Martin Page and Elton John’s songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin).  1985

Former Clash drummer Topper Headon, a heroin addict, is jailed for 15-months for distributing heroin to a man who later dies.  He later gets clean. 1987

Dino Valente (Chester William Powers, Jr.) dies of a brain tumor in Santa Rosa, CA.  He’s known for being the founder and lead singer of Quicksilver Messenger Service.  1994

“One Hot Minute” (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is certified platinum by the record industry (RIAA). 1995

“Swallowed,” from Bush, tops the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. 1996

“Anthology 3,” the final chapter in The Beatles saga tops the Billboard 200.  The set, containing rarities and alternate takes, chronicles the band’s final three years.  1996

Joe C. (Joseph Calleja), the Rapper who appeared often with Kid Rock, dies in his sleep at age 26. Less than four-feet tall, Joe C. lived with celiac disease, an autoimmune aliment that causes stunting and dwarfism. 2000

Kid Rock is named the Best Pop/Rock Male Artist at the American Music Awards. 2003

The CBS special “I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash” airs. One of the highlights is Kid Rock and Jerry Lee Lewis (“bad boys” from different generations) performing “I Walk The Line.” 2005

Alice In Chains single, “Your Decision,” is released in the U.S. The dark power ballad referencing the band’s late frontman Lane Staley is the third single from “Black Gives Way To Blue.” The song goes #1 on the Billboard Rock Songs and the Hot Mainstream Rock charts. 2009

Kid Rock begins a 12-show tour that raises more than $375,000 for local charities through his Kid Rock Foundation. 2011

Following a “high energy bicycle accident” in New York’s Central Park, U2’s Bono is rushed to the hospital and undergoes five hours of surgery to repair facial and shoulder injuries. 2014

Josh Homme, co-founder of Eagles Of Death Metal, seeks donations for his Sweet Stuff Foundation to help the families of victims killed in the 11/13/15 terrorist attacks in Paris. The Eagles Of Death Metal were performing at the Bataclan club where dozens of people were killed. Homme was not on tour with the group and was not in Paris at the time of the attack. 2015

Metallica’s entire catalog returns to Napster seventeen years after the band filed a contentious lawsuit against the former peer-to-peer file-sharing network. 2016

Alabama physician Dr. Richard Snellgrove is indicted in connection with the overdose death of former 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts.  Snellgrove allegedly prescribed methadone, hydrocodone, loraxepam and fentanyl, for Roberts.  2016

Evanescence’s Amy Lee wins the Hollywood Music And Media Award for Best Original Song – Independent Film for “Speak To Me” from the movie “Voice From The Stone.”  2017

Elvis Presley is one of seven “distinguished individuals” to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a prestigious civilian honor.  Presley is “an enduring American icon four decades after his death,” states a White House press release. 2018

Metallica through their non-profit foundation All Within My Hands donates $100,000 toward wildfire relief efforts in California.  The North Valley Community Foundation and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation receive $50,000 each to “provide services to victims at evacuation centers and other much needed relief.”  2018

On the day that Ghost plays its first-ever headlining U.S. arena show (at the Forum in Inglewood, CA), folks in Midland, TX “pray” over Ghost’s upcoming concert at the city’s Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. They “plead the blood of Christ” out of their concern that the Swedish Metal band is bringing dark spiritual influences into the area. 2018

“I bless the rains down in Africa.”  Toto announces that its song “Africa” has crossed the one billion streams threshold on Spotify. The track is from the band’s ’82 “IV” album. 2021

“Mötörhead: Fast & Loose: Snapshots From The Graham Mitchell Archive, 1977-1982” arrives. Mitchell was Mötörhead’s tour manager in the late ‘70s to early ‘80s, and an avid photography enthusiast. “I somehow knew how important it all was,” Mitchell says. “I knew I needed to capture at least some of those moments. 2021

Eric Clapton’s “The Fool” guitar sells for $1.27 million at Julien’s Auctions “Played, Worn And Torn: Rock N’ Roll Iconic Guitars And Memorabilia” event. The 1964 Gibson SG electric guitar, first stage-played while Cream toured the U.S. in the late ‘60’s, is acquired by The Jim Irsay Collection.  2023