This Day in History: 2024-01-12

JANUARY 12^th

The Doors score again when their sophomore album “Strange Days” goes gold. The set contains the title track, “People Are Strange” and “Love Me Two Times.” 1968

Led Zeppelin release their self-titled debut album. Guitarist Jimmy Page financed and produced the set which is known for the songs “Good Times, Bad Times,” “Dazed And Confused” and “Communication Breakdown.”1969

Martin Scorsese’s film “George Harrison: Living In The Material World” wins the Best Documentary Feature award at the 17th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. 2012

Iron Maiden stamps are available from Royal Mail. Eight of the stamps have performance shots with another four featuring Eddie, the band’s mascot.  Previously, the Royal Mail has honored The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen, David Bowie and Pink Floyd. 2023

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Zacarias (Zach) Manuel de la Rocha, singer and lyricist for Rage Against The Machine, is born in Long Beach, CA. 1970

White Zombie founder and solo performer, Rob Zombie, is born in Haverhill, MA. Zombie also writes and directs horror films. 1966

Jars Of Clay vocalist, Dan Haseltine, has a birthday. 1973

Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards is fined for possession of cocaine. The charges result from a car wreck the previous year. The police, investigating the accident, find Richards’ stash. 1977

John Lennon’s “Woman” is released. The second single from the “Double Fantasy” album peaks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 but tops the U.K. chart. 1981

Eddie Vedder inducts The Doors into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Two other late-60’s groups also get the nod, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Cream. Cream even performs. 1993

Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young, Frank Zappa and Janis Joplin are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Melissa Etheridge inducts Joplin and sings “Piece Of My Heart.” “I just really wish she was up here instead of me,” says Michael Joplin, the late singer’s brother, who accepts the accolades on her behalf. 1995

’50’s legend Gene Vincent, Carlos Santana, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Eagles Don Henley and Glenn Frey have a few “priceless” comments. “I want to thank (manager) Irving Azoff, without whom we wouldn’t be here today,” says Henley. “Well, we might still be here,” blurts out Frey. “But we wouldn’t have made as much money.” 1998

Gail Zappa, Frank Zappa`s widow, appears in a Canadian court to sue Tanguay, a 10-store Quebec furniture chain. The suit is over the unauthorized use of Zappa’s instrumental “Watermelon In Easter Hay” in a ’95 Tanguay commercial. Tanguay claims it is all a misunderstanding. 2004

Green Day donates royalties earned from the iTunes sale of “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” through the end of the year to the American Red Cross. The funds aid Asian and African tsunami victims. “This is the worst global disaster we’ve seen in our lifetimes,” says Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. “We felt it was important to take part in the relief efforts any way we could.” 2005

Sweet ride o’ mine. Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose sues Beverly Hills Classic Car alleging the enterprise violated an oral agreement with Rose by failing to deliver two luxury vehicles. Rose also charges the dealership with not paying $135,000 it owes after selling his ’99 Ferrari on consignment. 2006

Kid Rock performs at an invitation-only General Motors-organized event in Detroit as part of the run-up to the North American International Auto Show. In addition to live performances, cars are displayed, fashion-show style, on a catwalk. 2008

Reports state that Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen), in collaboration with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, has donated 75 guitars to L.A. area schools. “Music education and families are dealing with the economic times,” says the guitarist in a statement. “I wanted to help them.” 2012

Fall Out Boy’s taped performance of “Centuries” is broadcast during the pre-game show of the first ever College Football National Championship game (Ohio State beats Oregon).  2015

Milwaukee Rock radio station 94.5 The Lake launches a ‘Say No to Seattle!’ campaign which bans Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Jimi Hendrix and Heart from being played during the run up to the NFC Championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks. Doesn’t help. Seahawks win the game later in the week. 2015

Vixen frontwoman Janet Gardner undergoes surgery to remove blood clots, a condition known as a subdural hematoma caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain.  The condition is most often due to a serious fall or head injury.  2018

During Marilyn Manson‘s set at House Of Blues in Las Vegas he drops his trousers and insists a roadie come onstage to pull them back up. Is that in the job description?  In his defense, Manson is recovering from injuries when a stage prop crashed down on him a few weeks earlier, making simple movements painful. Then a woman in the audience, who after baring her breasts and being pointed out by Manson, jumps on stage while still partially clothed and shows off some stripper moves. Fortunately, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  2018

Ronnie Spector (born Veronica Yvette Bennett), founder and lead singer of the Ronettes (“Be My Baby”) and guest vocalist on Eddie Money’s hit “Take Me Home Tonight,” dies at age 78.  Phil Spector produced the majority of the Ronettes’ recordings. Ronnie and Phil were married in ‘68 but separated in ‘72.  2022

Former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty announces that he has finally acquired a majority interest of the worldwide publishing rights to his song catalog which includes “Proud Mary,” “Down On The Corner,” “Fortunate Son,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Have You Ever Seen The Rain.”  Fogerty had sought the publishing rights for decades after those rights were first negotiated away when CCR signed with Fantasy Records in the late ‘60s. 2023

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil cancels his solo appearance at RokIsland Fest, set to take place the following week in Key West due to COVID. “I am okay but this thing is really kickin’ my ass,” reports Neil.  2023