This Day in History: 2025-02-18

FEBRUARY 18^th

KISS release their self-titled debut album. It stiffs though the set includes “Deuce,” “Firehouse” and Strutter.”  The album is Casablanca Records’ first release.  1974

Boz Scaggs’ “Silk Degrees,” featuring “Lowdown.” arrives.  1976

It’s Scaggs seventh solo album but the first to go platinum (0ne-million units moved).Stage Three Music, the publisher that owns the rights to Aerosmith’s “Back In The Saddle” files a copyright-infringement claim against Virginia Republican congressman Eric Cantor. The #2 Republican in the House used the ’70’s hit from the band’s “Rocks” album in a YouTube video celebrating his party’s solidarity against President Obama’s stimulus plan and to symbolize that “the House GOP is back” after major Election Day losses. The clip is quickly taken down. 2009

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

John Lennon’s second, and last wife, Yoko Ono, a Japanese-American conceptual artist and musician, starts her life. 1933

A one-time elementary school music teacher but better known as the vocalist for Styx, Dennis DeYoung, is born in Chicago. 1947

In a low point not only for Rock n’ Roll but music in general, Pat Boone’s white-bread cover of “Tutti Frutti” hits #12 on the pop charts. Little Richard’s original doesn’t make a dent though it is infinitely superior. It illustrates the power of segregation in the ’50s. 1956

Guitarist David Gilmour replaces Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd. Barrett, who is suffering from a mental breakdown, checks into a psychiatric hospital and eventually goes into seclusion. 1968

“Born To Be My Baby” from Bon Jovi gets to #3 on the U.S. pop chart. 1989

Suffering from complications resulting from drug and alcohol abuse, The Replacements’ Bob Stinson dies. 1995

The three surviving members of Alice In Chains perform at a tsunami-relief benefit concert in Seattle and raise over $100,000. Filling in for the late Layne Stayley are Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, Puddle of Mudd’s Wes Scantlin and Damageplan’s Pat Lachman. Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic hosts the event. 2005

The Rolling Stones play a free concert at Rio de Janeiro’s, Copacabana Beach. “City Hall considers this show to be like another New Year,” says a Rio official. “We will treat it like that.” The concert is simulcast live online via AOL Music. It’s the group’s first Rio show in eight years. 2006

The Federal Trade Commission and Ticketmaster (now part of Live Nation Entertainment) reach a settlement regarding the ‘deceptive tactics’ they used in ’09 when they sent Bruce Springsteen fans to secondary-ticket retailer TicketsNow when regular-priced tickets were still available. Under the settlement, Ticketmaster refunds ticket buyers the difference between the regular cost of the tickets and the higher price they paid through TicketsNow. 2010

Radiohead release “The King Of Limbs,” their eighth studio album, for download. The physical CD is out a month later. It peaks at #3 on the Billboard 200. 2010

Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Lenny Kravitz and Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) appear at the 70th birthday celebration for boxing legend Muhammad Ali. “Muhammad Ali is and always has been a role model and a hero to me,” says Slash . “It’s a huge privilege to be able to perform in his honor.” The Ali tribute is at the 16th annual Power Of Love Gala, a charity fundraiser in Las Vegas. 2012

Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose issues an open letter protesting the Copenhagen Zoo’s killing of a two-year-old giraffe to feed to lions while visitors were watching. The letter followed a series of sarcastic tweets calling attention to the killing of the baby male giraffe named Marius. 2014

Iron Maiden reveal that vocalist Bruce Dickinson has completed a seven-week cancer treatment program consisting of chemotherapy and radiology. A routine checkup the previous year showed a small tumor on the back of the singer’s tongue. The tumor is caught in early stages. 2015

Bono and Vice President Mike Pence meet at the Munich Security Conference.  The U2 frontman publicly thanks Pence for voting twice to pass the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) —  in ‘03 when introduced by George W. Bush and then to renew it in ‘08.  For complimenting Pence, Bono gets trashed on Twitter.  2017

KISS give a surprise free performance at the close of the “All-Star Salute To The Oregon Military,” a fundraiser in Portland, OR. The gala event raises $1.4 million toward the construction of the $20 million Oregon Military Museum named after KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer’s father, Brigadier General James B. Thayer.  2017

Y&T’s Dave Meniketti announces that he is battling prostate cancer. The 68-year-old guitarist/vocalist says the cancer was caught early.  2022

David Crosby (The Byrds/Crosby, Stills & Nash) advises young people to pass on becoming musicians because they are going to be ripped off. “I don’t like Spotify,” states Crosby, who recently pulled his life’s work from the streaming service. “I don’t like any of the streamers, because they don’t pay us properly. They’re making billions… and they’re paying out pennies. That’s not OK.” 2022

Lenny Kravitz receives the Music Icon Award during a ceremony at the People’s Choice Awards in Santa Monica, CA. “My music wasn’t Black enough. It wasn’t white enough. It didn’t fit nicely inside the box, or sound like what was on the radio at the time,” says Kravitz.   2024

Jelly Roll begins a run as a mentor on Season 22 of American Idol.  2024